#thinking about introverted who finally find their comfort place

[egcdeath]

life's a beach

pairing: patrick zweig x reader request: @diorrfairy: i can't stop thinking about patrick x reader who's an introvert, kinda shy but with a fiery temper just like him. and she knows it's better not to get involved with guys like him but she can't help it. and he's constantly teasing her trying to get on her nerves like … summary: a chain smoking tennis player disrupts your day on the beach and uproots your entire summer vacation. word count: 6.5k warnings: enemies to lovers (kinda… the reader folds like a paper airplane pretty quickly), smoking, no use of y/n, low speed police (pool security guard) chase, mentions of smoking, brief mention of alcohol, so much exposition, vague descriptions of sports, some kissing, patrick and reader are spoiled rich kids author’s note: this fic definitely got away from me, but i hope that you all enjoy it! also, i apologize in advance for any characterization issues, since i’ve only seen the movie once. with that being said, i’m still taking requests if you want to send me anything!

For all your life, the beach has been your happy place. The soothing, repetitive push and pull of the water and the endless crashing of the tide was a guaranteed way to make your loud mind quiet down. Next to the endless ocean, you were just a tiny little dot–not a girl who was a golf prodigy, or someone whose parents' financial power caused everyone around you to treat you like a delicate doll. In fact, that was part of the reason why your parents purchased the lot in the first place, as you insisted that the comfort of a semi-private beach was necessary for you to properly enjoy your vacation.

That was also what made your smoking companion on the beach all the more jarring.

You were fully reclined on a beach chair and deeply immersed in the novel in your hands when you first caught a whiff of the strong, putrid scent, which immediately left you annoyed. Turning your head to follow the scent, your face somehow fell further when it fell upon the culprit of the foul cigarette smell. The side profile of a man who was about your age, casually smoking as he stared out at the body of water across from you.

Perhaps you had become so immersed in your book that you’d failed to realize that only a few steps away from you, someone new had joined you on the sand. After all, when you sat down just an hour ago, you were completely alone. Somehow, that managed to make your mood sour even more. There was all this space on the beach, yet this man decided to sit down right next to you and smoke a cigarette!

You were sure that you were gawking at him at this point, if at nothing else, his sheer audacity. When he finally seemed to sense your seething gaze, you quickly looked back at your book as if it was the most interesting thing in the world—despite you completely losing your spot.

After a moment of pretending to resume your reading, the stale scent of the cigarette had lessened, indicating to you that the man next to you had finally stopped. Good. Maybe your simple glare had been more effective than you realized.

But nearly as soon as a self-satisfied smirk could find itself on your face, the scent returned in full force. You practically had to physically restrain yourself from uttering, “Seriously?” aloud.

Seeing as your first passive aggressive attempt at getting him to stop was futile, you decided to pull out the big guns.

With your all but abandoned novel in hand, you curled your unoccupied arm around your mouth and began to cough profusely. You put all your might into pulling out the most atrocious sounds you could muster from your lungs, and when you decided you were satisfied with this passive aggressive approach, you glanced over at your beach companion, only to find him looking back at you.

With him looking straight at you, you felt your stomach trip over itself. You’d always been a sucker for pretty men, and with one pointed look, you were sure that this would be no different. Yet, armed with the knowledge that you were the one who started this, you willed yourself not to give in to someone with good looks and cigarette breath.

You continued to stare him down, hoping that you were coming off as intimidating, rather than swooning. Though, the longer the two of you glared at each other, you swore you could see his lips mold into the look of a smirk, particularly as he took a pointedly long drag from his cigarette.

It quickly became abundantly clear to you that he wasn’t interpreting your gaze to be anything near threatening—if anything, he saw it as a challenge. Unluckily for him, you were incapable of backing down to a challenge.

As soon as you opened your mouth to form some sort of sassy remark, you were surprisingly beaten to the punch.

“Want one?” he asked, the smirk unwavering on his stupidly attractive face.

“Ew,” you replied, then immediately regretted it. Seriously? Ew? That was the best that you could do? You would think that years of dodging and delivering verbal daggers over family dinner would’ve better prepared you for this moment, but leave it to you to be tripped up by a pretty face.

You paused for a beat too long before retorting, “You can keep your lung disease, thank you very much.” You readjusted the book in your lap, still not feeling completely satisfied with your reply, but anything was better than your first statement. “Maybe go smoke somewhere that’s not right next to me, like,” you paused to gesture to the widely empty beach. “Literally anywhere else.”

“I didn’t realize that you were queen of this strip of beach. My apologies, Your Highness,” he shot back snarkily. You swore you could feel your blood boiling as it pumped through your veins.

“I’m not saying you can’t stay here,” you could feel your volume increasing as more adrenaline pumped through you, “I’m just asking that you don’t smoke.”

You watched as his brows raised questioningly the longer you spoke. “Or at least, don’t smoke next to me,” you clarified, folding under the pressure of a set of rather piercing blue eyes.

“Fine,” he agreed with a shrug, to your surprise. That hadn’t been so hard after all. Maybe he wasn’t all that bad. You bit back the part of you that wanted to feel triumphant at your clear victory over this random, pain-in-the-ass man.

Once more, you pretended to read your book while in your peripheral vision you watched him grab his few items, including his box of cigarettes, and stand up to move. What you weren’t expecting to see was him plant himself just a few feet further from you, sit down, then begin to aggressively tap his box of cigarettes, just loud enough to grab your attention. Naively believing that he wouldn’t actually have the audacity to begin smoking again, you were slightly scandalized when he pulled a stick out and returned to happily chain smoking.

He briefly glanced back over at you, the smug look on his face telling you that he was eagerly awaiting your reaction. As much as you didn’t want to humor him, you clearly couldn’t hide your annoyance.

“Oh my god,” you huffed, grabbing your tote bag and towel and standing up to head back towards your beach house. Maybe the beach just wasn’t in the cards for today. At least that man couldn’t bother you in your sunroom.

——————

One of the benefits of owning and spending your summer at your vacation home was being able to have your friends stop by and spend a few days with you. Seeing as your parents were utterly uninterested in spending any of your summer break together, it was also nice that you were basically able to do whatever you wanted over the summer.

As a teenager, this mainly meant parties and intense summer flings, but as your time in college began to mature you and your friends, the novelty of doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing began to wear off. What never seemed to wear off was your love for the local ice cream shop, with its sweet dairy scent lingering in the air and a waffle cone that was nothing short of to die for.

With one of your friends’ visits coming to an end, the two of you sat on the patio of this shop, racing against time and heat as you worked on your cones. In between gossip about which one of your classmates had to attend graduation with a baby bump, you caught your eye on someone exiting the shop to join you on the patio.

You practically had to hold back your groan as you processed who it was. Unfortunately, your enemy from the beach hadn’t felt nearly enough shame, and he openly waved at you.

Upon seeing your eyes wander, your friend turned around to see what it was that caught your eye. Just as quickly as she turned around to view the asshole, she turned right back to you with a newfound excitement.

“Oh my god, you know him?” your friend asked you, shock and elation written all over her face for a reason you couldn’t understand.

“Unfortunately,” you replied, taking a bite of a bit of exposed cone. “Do you know him? Did he go to your high school or something?”

She scoffed at your words as if you were missing the most obvious point in the world. “‘Did he go to my high school or something?’” she repeated in disbelief. “That’s Patrick Zweig. He’s about to go pro.”

You tilted your head and furrowed your brows, as if to ask for more context.

“In tennis? He’s like, the thing right now,” she explained.

“Maybe that’s why he’s such an asshole,” you glanced back over at him, only to find that he was unabashedly staring at you as he licked his own cone of ice cream. If you hadn’t had such a ridiculous encounter a week ago, you would’ve thought that he was being suggestive towards you.

“What happened that made him such an asshole?” she prodded, and you swore that she leaned forward as she asked.

“Please try to look a little less excited,” you laughed, entertained by your friend’s investment in your story about someone who was a celebrity in her eyes.

“Sorry,” she apologized disingenuously. “Go ahead.”

“Well, I was just trying to do some reading out on the beach, when he sat like, two feet away from me. Mind you, the entire beach was empty. He could’ve gone anywhere else.”

“Dick,” she interjected, though the unsubtle glance over in Patrick’s direction and her overzealous body language suggested to you that she might’ve meant the words less than she thought she did.

“Right,” you agreed. “But that clearly wasn’t enough. So he starts chain smoking. Right next to me.”

“Rude,” she added, doing her best to validate you as you told the story. Her ability to only add commentary in a monosyllabic manner was entertaining you, but you couldn’t focus too much on that now.

“So I called him out. I was like, ‘Hey, you dick. I know that you want black lung, but not everyone else does,’” you explained, embellishing your story to disguise your lackluster responses.

She giggled as you explained and you continued on. “Obviously, he was embarrassed that I called him out. So he looks me right in the eyes, and-“

“And what?” she asked, her eyes practically glimmering, as if you were about to tell her a story about some wild tryst that left you with a negative impression of him.

“Babe, I don’t think this story ends the way you think it does.”

“We’ll see,” she said with a shrug and a wink.

“Well, he got his ass up and started walking away. Internally, I’m celebrating. But then, he sits down pretty close to me… and starts smoking again. And he’s staring me down the whole time he does it.”

“Ugh! He is an asshole,” she shook her head as you wrapped up your story. “But like, isn’t he kinda…?”

“He could be the sexiest man alive and couldn’t seduce me with that personality,” you replied confidently, although you weren’t completely sure of your words.

“That’s certainly not stopping him from trying,” she glanced over her shoulder once more, where he was still looking at you while very intently eating his ice cream cone.

“Gross,” you replied, feigning a full-body shudder. “You couldn’t even pay me to go anywhere near him.”

“It’s probably for the best anyway. A friend of my friend said there was some super messy relationship drama with him recently.”

“Lovely,” you replied, trying your best to look and sound disinterested, but feeling curious regardless. “I feel bad for whoever has to spend any extended period of time with him,” you popped the bottom of your ice cream cone into your mouth, then crushed a paper towel in your hand. “Wanna head out?”

——————

After that, you truly tried your best to avoid Patrick. Like clockwork, he seemed to appear on the beach in your backyard during the late afternoon. You weren’t ashamed to admit that you had watched him through the windows of your bedroom more than a handful of times, and you could almost swear that his head was on a swivel, as if he were looking for someone before he settled into his spot.

Unfortunately for you, it felt like he seemed to pop up wherever you were. As you evaluated boxes of strawberries at the grocery store, you noticed him eyeing bunches of bananas not all that far away from you. Midway through a hike, you noticed a familiar set of distractingly muscular thighs and tried your best to hide, much to your friend’s confusion. While drinking a fruity cocktail at a bar, you noticed him and finished off your drink and threw down a bill at record speed.

You guessed that you never realized how small a town was until you were actively attempting to avoid someone. In a way, it was a little bit exciting to be dodging him so vehemently, though you’d never really admit that to yourself. At least, it was exciting until it became an utter annoyance, much like it was becoming at that very moment.

After you’d decided that you’d spent enough of your summer lounging around without practicing any golf, you decided to take it upon yourself to head to your local country club and take on the familiar course. Of course, you couldn’t play any golf without fueling up first, which left you in the restaurant of the club snacking on a cup of fries when you spotted the one person you had been trying desperately to dodge.

You averted your gaze down to your phone and acted as if you were reading the most interesting thing in the world, but not even that farce lasted long, as you were met with the sound of a chair scratching the floor across from you. You looked back up and were met with Patrick’s intense, searing stare.

“Are you following me, or something?” he asked, his brows furrowed at you as he looked at you with concern.

“What?!” you asked with disbelief. “You’re the one who keeps showing up around me and keeps licking ice cream seductively at me!”

“Seductively?” he laughed right in your face, and you could feel your face immediately warm up in embarrassment.

“Shut up,” you replied weakly, though you knew what you saw. “Who even are you?” you asked, despite now having the displeasure of knowing exactly who he was, thanks to your friend and a Google search.

He began to smirk, and it took everything in you to not want to wipe that smug smile right off of his face. “I’m Patrick, and you are?”

You introduced yourself while mentally berating yourself for the butterflies erupting in your stomach over his intent gaze. Unfortunately, Patrick was even better looking than you could’ve imagined up close, with sunkissed skin and freckles that seemed to go on for miles.

“Well if you’re not stalking me, what are you doing here?” he questioned, though it was clear from his crooked, goofy smile that he wasn’t being serious.

“I play golf,” you explained with a casual shrug, though the feelings you were having inside were far from casual. “So I’m here to do that. You?”

“I knew I’d heard that name before,” Patrick began before stealing a french fry from you and popping it into his mouth. “You won a championship recently?”

You nodded with what you hoped was a neutral expression on your face, hoping to brush him off despite the fireworks going off in your stomach and the heat returning to your face. Sure, it wasn’t the first time someone had recognized you for your accomplishments out on the golf course, but it felt different coming from him.

“I did,” you replied as casually as possible, not acknowledging his fry thievery or reciprocating your knowledge of his athletic achievements. It was always better to be more mysterious with the type of person who seemed to love the chase, and it seemed clear to you that Patrick was one of those people. “Anyway, I need to go practice so I can win the next championship.”

You pushed your unfinished dish of fries towards him and stood up before grabbing the golf bag propped up next to your feet. You pushed your chair in and didn’t even spare him a glance back in his direction as you walked away, secretly hoping to yourself that he was still watching you as intensely as he’d been watching you at the table.

You tried your hardest not to ruminate over your conversation and feelings too much, but as you walked out to the first hole, you couldn’t help but over analyze everything. The first and most confusing of which being your feelings towards Patrick. Clearly, you were attracted to him. Despite your terrible first impressions of each other and having what could arguably be described as a meet-ugly, you couldn’t pretend like his good looks and charming, yet cocky demeanor didn’t have an effect on you. It was clear from the way that the butterflies in your stomach decided to stop lying dormant every time he was in your vicinity.

What you still couldn’t quite place were his feelings towards you. It was obvious that he was getting some kick out of teasing you. Hell, it was obvious from the first interaction you had with him. And it seemed like he might be interested in you, based on the way he seemed to be magnetically drawn to you, and his less than appropriate treatment of his ice cream cone, which he could deny all he wanted, was definitely a shoddy attempt at flirting. Even your friend had noticed.

Just as you began to try to make sense of your previous interaction, you looked up to find a golf cart headed your way. The cart was manned by none other than the subject of your deep thoughts, and as Patrick got closer to you, you swore you could see a fiery excitement ignited in his body.

“Play with me?” Patrick asked once he parked, despite already being off the vehicle and reaching for his rented golf bag.

You paused for a moment, as if you were considering his proposition, despite you already knowing your answer. “As long as you don’t mind getting your ass whooped.”

You made sure to deliver on this promise, beating Patrick with ease. In a way, it felt like comeuppance for him being a nuisance towards you just a few weeks ago. But that didn’t mean your mini tournament was without its downsides for you. You tried desperately to fight the urge to giggle like a schoolgirl when he said something stupid and snarky, and to quiet your screaming brain during the many, many, times you corrected his stance.

What you were also surprised to find was that Patrick wasn’t all that terrible of company to keep. He seemed to know exactly what to say to make you laugh, despite your effort to be unimpressed with him, or how to throw you off right before you swung at a ball. More than once, you had to remind him that no amount of teasing would change the fact that he had a terrible score, but it certainly didn’t stop him from trying.

With your landslide victory clear and your game over, the two of you made your way back to the rental station.

“You definitely cheated,” Patrick commented as he put his equipment back.

“You’re such a sore loser,” you replied with a roll of your eyes and a laugh. You’d been doing a lot of eye rolling and laughing while playing golf with him, and it was oddly quite pleasant.

“I’m not!” he insisted, turning back to face you as if that would somehow prove his point.

“You are, though! You’re a dirty player, too. I don’t think anyone has ever come up behind me and yelled for me to focus before.”

“Whatever,” he dismissed you casually, “You would be eating your words right now if we were playing tennis.”

“Yeah?” you questioned with raised brows.

“Yeah,” he parroted back, taking a step towards you and locking that intense gaze on you once more.

Feeling bold, you matched his step forward, practically getting in his face. “Fine then. Let’s play.”

“Really?” he sounded shocked by your proposition, and looked utterly unintimidated by the fact that your faces were practically touching.

“Sure. There are some courts over by the pool,” you turned to look in the direction of the pool, taking that as an opportunity to step away from him. You feared what you might do if you stayed that close to him for any longer than you needed to. “Isn’t that what you came here to do anyway?”

“So you are stalking me?” he joked, referencing your earlier conversation.

You rolled your eyes once more. At this rate, your eyes were going to be stuck at the back of your head. “Do you want to play or not?”

If you were a beast on the golf course, Patrick was a sight to behold on the tennis court. The brief article you read online simply did not do the man across from you justice as he served balls at you that probably would have wiped your head clean off of your body if you had any slower reflexes.

While you were able to get a few good hits in, courtesy of the lessons your parents put you in before they realized that golf was your calling, none of them remotely compared to the man across the court.

But your embarrassing loss was rewarded by hearing the repetitive loop of grunts and groans from your competitor. It was somewhat of a miracle that you were able to keep it together without bursting out laughing or squeezing your thighs together. You were also handsomely rewarded by seeing those muscular thighs in action. To be completely frank, there were more than a few moments where you lost momentum due to distraction from Patrick’s good looks.

While Patrick had proved himself to be a sore loser while playing golf, he wasn’t a terrible winner. He only gloated about crushing you once the two of you had finished playing, but he did happen to revel in his win for the entire walk from the tennis courts to the locker rooms.

Surprisingly, you weren’t that annoyed by him. In fact, you were pretty sure that you were hovering around the feeling of endearment.

You sat out in the lobby, freshly showered and playing on your phone when a familiar presence joined you once more.

“Are you hungry?” Patrick asked you as he made himself right at home and sat down across from you.

Was he about to ask you out on a date?

“I could eat,” you replied, trying to ignore the butterflies in your stomach once more.

“Let’s get dinner, then,” he suggested, and you tried your best not to look too excited. He was asking you out on a date. What an unexpected turn of events.

“Sure. There’s a place just up the street if you want to walk?”

The diner was slightly further than you remembered it being, but the time passed by quickly as the two of you divulged stories of your sports accomplishments on your trek over. Over dinner, the two of you instantly bonded over a similar upbringing of wealthy parents who couldn’t really be bothered to raise you, and backgrounds in boarding schools that prioritized your athletic skills over anything else.

After spending way too long at your booth and working through a spread of food that would send a shiver down your coaches’ spines, your waiter finally stopped by your table with an exhausted look on their face.

“One check or two?” they asked you.

“One,” Patrick replied before you had the chance to pipe up. The waiter turned around without inquiring anything more, clearly tired of having to serve the two of you.

“Wow,” you said with a giggle. “Chivalry is not dead.”

“I’m single-handedly keeping it alive,” he joked right along with you.

Feeling emboldened by your day of camaraderie and teasing each other, you decided to ask something. “Does that make this count as a date, then?” you asked it as a joke, though you were genuinely curious about the answer. While you’d previously found yourself intrigued with his looks, you’d now learned that he was far more than that. It was safe to say that you’d developed a full-blown crush over the span of the day.

“Do you want it to count as one?” he asked almost earnestly, and despite the fact that you were sitting, you swore you felt your knees go weak.

You shrugged nonchalantly, but the grin on your face was anything but. Fortunately, he was wearing a matching grin, and you almost swore there was a dusting of pink on his cheeks. You buckled under his gaze, and looked down into your nearly empty cup of water. “Sure.”

“Then it’s a date,” he confirmed.

“It’s so hot,” you huffed as the two of you stepped outside and into the humid night.

“Wanna cool off at the pool?” he suggested after holding the door open for you.

“Wow, you just don’t want this date to end, huh?” you teased. “The pool is definitely closed by now.”

“So?” he replied.

“So you want to break in?”

“Why not?” he shot back.

You stared at him for a moment with a mostly blank expression.

“You’re such a bad influence. Let’s go,” you conceded, heading in the direction of the city’s pool.

Once the two of you arrived at the locked gate, you stood expectantly, waiting for the next part of Patrick’s plan. You didn’t have to wait for too long, as with a brief confirmation that you were ready, he hoisted you up and over the fence. You then watched as he flung his own body over the fence, and you bit your lip as you attempted to distract yourself from how that image made you feel.

With both of you on the correct side of the fence, you took it upon yourself to shuck off your clothes—save for your underwear–before you dipped your toe in the cold water.

“How’s the water?” Patrick asked as he approached you, taking his shirt and shorts off in the process. You tried your best not to ogle too much, but his six-pack was definitely staring at you. Yeah, you were definitely ogling, and he was definitely noticing.

“You tell me,” you replied, then pushed him into the pool without really thinking. You probably wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t just been caught looking at the man like he was a piece of meat, but you had been doing exactly that, and panicked.

After a moment, he resurfaced and spat out the water that he’d swallowed from your surprise movement. Yet, as he came back to the surface, he didn’t say anything to you.

You eyed him nervously while he began to approach you in the water, and you opened up your mouth to apologize just as you felt a hand wrap around your ankle. With a yelp, you were dragged down into the water, luckily dodging the ledge on your way down.

Coming back up, spat out the chlorinated water and coughed out what you’d swallowed. “I deserved that.”

“You definitely did,” he agreed, lightly splashing you with water from where he stood.

You splashed him right back, putting a little more effort in and splashing him with slightly more force. “But you also deserved that.”

“And why is that?” that overconfident look appeared on his face once more. Just twenty-four hours ago, if you’d seen that look, you’d probably want to knock it right off of him. Now, you were tempted to keep prodding.

“Because you were being a dick about smoking not that long ago,” you replied, getting a little closer to him and matching his look with your own confident gaze.

“Huh,” he hummed. “Fair enough.”

“So why’d you do it?”

“Who knows. Maybe I just really wanted a smoke. Maybe I wanted to catch the attention of the cute girl on the beach.”

“Shut up,” you replied with clear disbelief. “I like how you try to flatter your way out of every sticky situation.”

“I mean it.”

“So you thought annoying me was the best way to get my attention?”

“It worked, didn’t it?”

You couldn’t argue with that.

“What if I was allergic to cigarette smoke?”

“You weren’t.”

“What if I just didn’t react, then?”

“You did,” he said.

“Must’ve been fate,” you replied dryly.

“Must’ve,” he agreed earnestly. Immediately, you felt a tension in your chest, and you wondered if he felt the same way. You didn’t have a witty or sarcastic comeback, and his face was dangerously close to yours.

Unsure of what to do, you splashed him once more.

“What was that one for?”

For making me fall for you in the span of a day, you idiot.

You shrugged, unable to come up with a coherent answer with you realizing just how physically close the two of you were. Now that you were beginning to have a bit of clarity, you could hear the pounding of your heartbeat in your eardrums. Or maybe it was Patrick’s. With your bodies this close to each other, you couldn’t be too sure.

You wondered what was going through his mind, but if the quick glance to your lips and the bob of his Adam’s apple as he gulped was any indication of his thoughts, you were sure you were on the same page.

You found yourself in somewhat of a standoff as the two of you stood there, wordless and hearts pounding as you stood together in a freezing cold pool. You shut your eyes for a moment, and when you opened them, Patrick’s nose was practically pressing against yours. But just as you began to follow his lead, you were met with a blindingly bright flashlight.

“Hey!” a new voice yelled out, pulling the two of you out of your trance. “What’s going on here?”

Patrick’s eyes widened and you were sure yours did too.

“Shit, security,” you muttered to yourself as it occurred to you what was happening. The two of you immediately scurried to the side of the pool. “I don’t think they saw us, but they definitely heard us,” you whispered.

“Do you think you could outrun them?” he asked, matching your low tone as the light of the flashlight moved across the pool without

“What?”

“Come on,” he hoisted himself out of the pool and you did the same, trying your best to be quiet as the two of you grabbed your discarded clothes.

“Patrick…” you trailed off, glued to his side.

“Come on,” he repeated as he shepherded you to the fence. “I won’t let them get you. Now,” he gestured for you to come over so he could help you climb over again, and you did. As he climbed over, the security guard’s flashlight had finally caught up with the two of you.

“Hey!” the guard repeated, lunging in your direction just as Patrick made it over.

“Run!” you yelled at him as the two of you took off. All of that tennis training clearly paid off, as he was far faster than both you and the security guard.

“Get back here!” the guard shouted as he chased the two of you.

The two of you sprinted, your bare feet screaming at you as pebbles and sticks poked your soles. Running on pure adrenaline, you swore you could hear Patrick laughing as he ran ahead of you.

The two of you ended up by his car, parked safely at the country club. You desperately tried to catch your breath as you leaned against his car door, now completely sure that you’d lost the security guard who was chasing you.

“I hate you so much,” you got out in between panting heavily.

“No you don’t,” his chest rose and fell quickly as he corrected you.

“No I don’t,” you confirmed, taking satisfaction in hearing his heavy breaths next to you and knowing that you weren’t the only one affected by the chase.

It felt as if the two of you had been transported right back into the moment you were having in the pool, a heavy, undeniable tension settling over the two of you, with the adrenaline of the chase and your hearts still rapidly pumping blood from all that running. It was almost as if one second you were standing next to each other, and the next you were pinned up against his car door, kissing like your lives depended on it.

With one of his hands up your shirt, you somehow found the willpower to use the logical part of your brain. “Wait, stop,” you reluctantly said as you pulled away for air. “I don’t want another security guard chasing us.”

“They won’t,” Patrick insisted before leaning back in to kiss you.

“They will,” you disagreed, exerting all of your willpower to dodge his advance. “Take me home?”

Patrick’s hand sat securely on your thigh for the entire ride back to the beach house. With the tension between the two of you crackling and the excitement of successfully running away beginning to die down, the two of you were mostly quiet on your way over.

After he pulled into your driveway, he looked over at you with hesitance. If you didn’t know any better, you might even say that he looked a little nervous.

“Wanna come inside?” you broke the ice, knowing that was what he was surely thinking about, and just as you predicted, he seemed to light up at your invitation.

The heat of the moment seemed to have passed, with the two of you now safely in your home, and not coming off the heels of being chased down the street. Patrick sat on your living room couch while you poured two tumblers of a criminally expensive whiskey.

You returned to the living room and sat down on the far end of the couch, passing him one of the cups before extending your legs out. You were pleasantly surprised when he positioned your legs over his lap and began to soothingly rub up and down your calves.

“What a day,” you sighed, taking a long sip from your cup.

“You’re telling me,” he chuckled in response.

As you laid there, you realized that you were actually quite exhausted. A silence settled over you once more as you yawned, then Patrick yawned not too long after you.

“You know, you’re nothing like I expected you to be,” he said randomly.

“Oh?” you replied questioningly. “Should I be offended or flattered?”

“Up for interpretation,” he looked over to you to gauge your reaction, and you playfully pushed his thigh with your foot.

“Then I’m gonna interpret it in a good way.”

“I meant it in a good way,” he said after a beat.

You smiled softly as you peered at him. “I didn’t expect you to be like this, either. I actually had a lot of fun beating you in golf and running from security guards.”

“No way you’re still talking about golf after I absolutely demolished you in tennis,” he laughed, a sound that you’d grown rather fond of throughout the day.

“It was pretty amazing watching you play golf with such bad form. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone use that many strokes on that course.”

“You wanna talk about bad form?” Patrick laughed again. “It’s a miracle you didn’t pull something when we played tennis.”

“Hey! My form is not that bad. You know I was in tennis lessons as a kid, right?”

“And how long ago was that?” he probed, looking at you with a suspicious raise of a brow.

You tried your best to do some mental math, but you were far too tired to be precise. “I mean, it was a while ago…?”

“Clearly,” he shook his head.

“Rude,” you replied, though your tone carried across you not really caring. “I’m still here for a few more weeks. Maybe you could teach me.”

“Only if you teach me how to get better at golf. I’m gonna have to impress my fellow board members someday.”

“Deal,” you agreed. Part of you wanted to leap for joy after establishing that this wasn’t some sort of one-and-done thing, and that you could at least see Patrick until you went back home.

You watched as he leaned further against the couch and tilted his head against the cushioned back of the piece of furniture, his eyes fluttering shut as he did so.

“Want to go sleep on a real bed? The guest room is clean,” you offered.

“No, I’m comfortable here,” he yawned and patted your calf. You didn’t believe him in this slightest, with his long limbs and less than ideal sleeping position. But you were quite comfortable, so you didn’t bother with insisting he leave the couch.

In the morning, you woke up in the same position that you’d fallen asleep in, with your legs draped over Patrick’s lap as he sat up and snored.

You did your best not to disturb him as you got up and went about your morning routine, taking a shower and changing into something comfortable before heading back downstairs. You were surprised to find Patrick somehow still upright and asleep on your couch, but you didn’t question it too much. It had been a long day and night.

You brewed some coffee in the kitchen, making sure to leave a portion for your guest, before you grabbed the book you’d been reading and headed out to sit on your portion of the beach.

You’d lost track of time while sitting out there, listening to the sound of the ocean and getting caught up in the contents of your book. In fact, you’d gotten so lost in your book, that you hadn’t even noticed that you’d gained a presence on the beach.

After Patrick cleared his throat, you turned to look at him. A smile grew on your face as the two of you locked eyes, and you scooted to the left on your oversized beach chair. Surely, there was enough space for both of you.

He took your invitation and sat down next to you, glancing between you and the ocean as he settled in. He wrapped an arm around your shoulder and occasionally peered down at your book, but otherwise didn’t bother you. The two of you fell into a comfortable rhythm, your chests rising and falling in sync with each other as the two of you lost track of time.

Maybe Patrick wasn’t such a terrible beach companion after all.

[fraugwinska]

I'm dying to see you write Alastor opening up to Reader about his mom, maybe a little angst and lots of fluff? (- v -)''

WE NEED THAT MOMMAS BOY GETTING SOME COMFORT!

Finally Anon, I found the strengh to write this. Sorry it took so long - I hope it was worth the wait! Next story will be less sad, I promise! :'< But I think we can all find some love for our Mommas Boy today, right? (Prepare your handkerchiefs, fellas...)

❤️🦌❤️🦌❤️🦌❤️🦌❤️🦌❤️🦌❤️🦌❤️🦌❤️🦌❤️🦌❤️

Mother O'Mine

Not the kitchen. Not the lobby. Not the bar. Not the radio tower. Not his room.

You sighed and stilled for a moment, thinking of a place where he could've gone.

If Angel had just shut his damn mouth. Mother's day was a shit day for everyone in the hotel. You, who never knew a mother, raising yourself in the farce that had been the foster care system, rued the day. Charlie was still in denial about her mothers blatant absence and ignorance, Husk melancholic and tense at the memory of seeing his mother being exterminated shortly after reuniting with her in hell, and Vaggie bitterly wanted to ignore the holiday all together, feeling as though she would be betraying the mother she could no longer reach in heaven as a fallen angel.

Angel had been pissing them all off by breakfast, obnoxiously mocking their various reasons of why this day felt even heavier than others in hell. You knew it was his own way of coping with his mommy issues - something he didn't even talk about with Husk, as far as you knew, but he bordered on being not only menacing, but outright cruel.

Alastor had listened to his rambling stoically, flipping eggs while drinking his coffee with not much more than an annoyed twitch in his brow, but then the spider made the gruesome mistake to mention her.

Alastor's mom.

"What, 'ya think any of 'ya mothers could even look at 'ya without punchin' themselves? Come on, look me in the eyes and tell me Bambi's mommy wouldn't be fuckin' disappointed by what her little fawn has become... Can ya really see a sweet southern lady all happy, lovin', and coddling ol' murder-clown Alas..."

The green explosion came faster than you could blink. You were frozen in place, only staring in fear and worry when Angel landed unceremoniously into the table with the rest of the breakfast, the other residents as shocked and dazed as you were, while the radio static and greenish-black shadows seeped away from Alastor who then swiftly made his way out without a word, holding his staff while his tendrils bristled dangerously.

Alastor had vanished and the only thought coming to your mind - after giving a cursing, groaning Angel a righteous 'You fucking deserved that'-speech - was that you needed to find him before the princess did to make sure the demon had calmed enough not to finally lose it and maul her to pieces. Charlie meant well, but she didn't know. No one did know, except for you, and even you only knew so much.

It's not like it had been an elaborate talk. It just happened, after a nightmare that made him tear up in a mixture of rage and sorrow, a bad memory that had made his shadow basically drag you, half asleep still, from your bed to his in the middle of the night. Why you? You weren't so sure. Alastor usually preferred your company more than the others just because you were the most neutral, sane person in the hotel. Some would even say impassive. An introvert who didn't draw attention, silent and observing. But not once had his shadow ever acted up around you, and while it wasn't overly friendly with anyone, it seemed to watch mostly you with curious glances and interested hisses. When you had finally woken up enough to comprehend your situation, you were sprawled across Alastors stomach with his arms wound so tightly around you you struggled to breathe, strained mumbled words pressed through gritted teeth into your nightgown.

"Mother... I'm sorry... Oh mother..."

He had been sobbing into your shoulders and and shaking against your chest while he let go of a strange anger and grief he never seemed to get rid of while you had, confused but worried, whispered words of comfort in a hushed, soothing voice until you both dozed back to sleep. Morning broke, and when you opened your eyes again, he was sitting on the edge of his bed, not able to look you in the eyes. He had thanked you, gruffly and with an unsteady voice that made your heart ache, before offering his hand to teleport you back to your room. As far as you were concerned, the weirdest of it was that you felt him caress the palm of your hand with his thumb, barely audible as he mumbled that "that should have never have happened, and we shall never speak of it again." - he was usually a gentleman, and he never touched you this intimately before - but, to him, it was obviously a humiliating and horrible thing that you had witnessed him like that.

And you didn't speak of it. No one knew, and you intended to keep it that way. It was a moment you shared and fragile trust was on the table. You would take it to your second grave, along with all those feelings that had come with it, to prevent it from breaking.

Back to the present, you sighed and massaged the bridge of your nose. You had checked all the obvious places that crossed your mind, so maybe, you should start to look at the not-so-obvious ones... Maybe some place you knew was connected to... His mom...

A sudden pang hit you as you got an idea of where he might be hiding.

"Is this seat taken?"

The roof of the hotel was usually restricted from access, due to the general instability and collapse-prone architecture it presented, but you and (after an admittedly awkward encounter on a hot day that had involved you in a two-pieced swimsuit sunbathing and a very flustered Alastor with a book in one and a severed hand on a plate in the other hand) the radio demon knew about a small nook between the roof's overhead window frames and the hotel's ventilation system, hidden by the growing shadow of the radio tower where no one else ever came looking. A hideout, a place to go when you wanted undisturbed solitude. You had quickly left the place, apologizing for intruding a space that Alastor had apparently already claimed for himself (explaining the existence of the lounge chair you've so rudely used), but soon enough he discreetly invited you back, second chair added, to sit in silence together every once in a while, as long as you swore secrecy. It became a place of comfort for both of you, a retreat when life in the hotel got too stressful.

Alastor's reaction to seeing you was a quickly stifled hum before going back to staring stubbornly at the horizon. He looked dejected, and if you would not have known him so well, you wouldn't have noticed the trembling twitch of his ears nor the way his claw tapped impatiently against his knee, his shadow balled in on itself while hovering at the edge of the small roof.

It looked like he was staring straight through the distant buildings of the pentagram to the faintly illuminated orb that was heaven next to hells own sun, while also refusing to acknowledge you or the world around him at all. His smile had slipped into an emotionless line of pursed lips.

"That depends" he mused quietly. "Are you here to make me return to that insolent arachnid and attempt a 'healing' conversation?"

"I think you know I know that I couldn't even if i wanted to." You tried a weak smile.

Alastor briefly met your eyes at that, giving away that, despite his aloof act, your comment got his attention and he considered it before turning back to the horizon, the tense posture relaxing somewhat. A brief silence passed until he hummed an affirmative noise. "Then you may sit, darling."

After sitting down, minutes passed without a word said. The distant roar of the bustling traffic carried the muffled sounds of hell with the usual maelstrom of catcalling, profanities and general noises of mayhem to you, while you fought to keep a certain twitch in your hands as you counted the beats of his heels clicking on the tiles.

"You must know... my mother was a rare light in a world of filth." he declared suddenly into the silence. "An honest, virtuous soul of beauty and strength." He said it slowly and, surprisingly, completely unamused, the clacking of his shoes ceasing at once. He stared at the city in contempt, hands clasped together and resting on his legs to hold back a tremble that you caught anyway.

"She, unlike me, had not a spec of corruption in her bones. Wherever she found the warmth and love she shared with me, I cannot fathom. But she did. I may have been mocked and shunned by the world, the bastard child of a black woman and a white man, but I always had her as my home to return to.” The knuckles on his hands turned white. “But the cruelty of life and the disgusting human that was my father, the unbearable excuse of a man, killed her before I was grown enough to help. Before I was old enough to kill that monster myself." He spat the words, claws digging deeper until a faint trickle of blood could be seen. "I remedied that circumstance, twice to be exact, although it couldn't make up for what was lost. Nothing I did to him could make up for it..." his smile widened bitterly as his face twitched, recalling a fond, yet regretful memory. "… and believe me, I tried. But it was cathartic nonetheless, and quite educational... for my further career."

You stayed quiet and studied his profile, patiently waiting for him to continue talking. It was painfully obvious how hard it was for him to speak about actual feelings, with his tense grin and his white knuckles dripping with crimson blood.

"I knew, of course, where I would end up after my demise, and that I would never be able to see her again. Because I was sure she'd end up in heaven, like the saint she was. Is." He cleared his throat, attempting to appear dismissive, but you saw it. The sadness, the longing, the resignation, and it shattered your heart.

"Alastor...", you knew he hated physical touch, but your hand reached out on its own, to stop his hands from ripping themselves apart. He stiffened at the contact, but said nothing.

"Don't tell me you took what Angel said to heart..."

"How could my mother love me after what I've become after her death?"

His tone was monotonous, but his hands trembled under your fingers. He refused to look at you, but you saw his eyes, glazed with wetness that threatened to turn into actual tears. How he could still smile was beyond you, you had your theories on that, but that wasn't important right now. What mattered was that he was hurting, and that fact broke your heart. You never knew motherly love, how could you really miss something you never really knew? But Alastor did, and it had been ripped from him in the must cruel way, the impact of it so hard it made him even question the very foundation it was built upon.

You moved your hand from his to cup his cheek and turn his face to yours. His expression was blank, and if it weren't for the tight grin and the eyes filled with an unspeakable anguish, it would have been an emotionless stare.

"Alastor, do you know the poem Mother O'Mine?"

"I'm afraid the memory of it fails me, darling."

"Then, I'll recite it for you."

"Why?"

You gave him a sad smile.

"Because I want to."

He eyed you with stunned curiosity as you reached into your pocket, glad for once for your mostly useless power. You've only told Husk about it, in one of your late nights where everyone else was asleep aside him and your insomnia got the better of you, drunk and as a bargaining chip for one last gin tonic.

The blank piece of paper was a bit crumpled, but it would do. You started to fold it while you spoke, your voice sounded soft and almost like a spell.

"If I were hanged on the highest hill, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine! I know whose love would follow me still, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine!"

Your fingers moved with a solemn purpose as you folded the paper this way and that, a skill you perfected out of boredom over the years, the edges turning into an elegant shape, the poem coming from your mouth like a song. Alastor watched your hands move in a trance, not sure what you were doing, but too focused on the faint glow of purple around them to ask.

"If I were drowned in the deepest sea, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine! I know whose tears would come down to me, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine!"

There in your hand, sat a little origami bird. It wasn't anything special, maybe a traditional crane would have been better, more elegant, but you were out of practice and for what you intended to do it would work either way. Carefully you reached out, silently demanding for one of Alastor's hands that were still digging into each other. He didn't protest, and slowly raised it to give his hand to you. The tips of his claws were covered in a thin, fresh layer of his own blood, and his skin was warm and slightly clammy. You put the little paper bird on his palm, a speck of his blood staining the bottom of the pristine white paper, and closed his fingers around it, holding it in both of yours.

"If I were damned of body and soul, I know whose prayers would make me whole, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine."

His enclosed hand in your own was encased in purple light, with wide eyes he followed the soft tugs of your fingers and opened his hand. The little paper bird flapped it's wings on his flat palm, looking at him for a heartbeat before taking off and flew in a singular circle around his head before it headed into hells deep red sky, towards the bright heavenly sphere. You watched it until it vanished completely from view, hoping there was a possibility that maybe, with a bit of luck, it would find it's way to her.

"This, Alastor, is what a real mother is. She loves you, I'm sure of it. Always has and always will."

Tears fell silently on his lap, a strangled, coarse breath escaping him. Without warning, he pulled you from your chair into him, holding you pressed close to him. Just like in the night of his nightmare, his face was buried in your chest, arms wound tightly around you in a hurting embrace and shoulders trembling with suppressed grief. His grip was bordering on painful, but you wrapped your arms around his neck, burying one of your hands in his hair, stroking gently while you let him quietly cry into your shoulder, not caring that the wetness of his tears was soaking through the fabric of your shirt. You felt his heart beating rapidly, his pulse erratic and his breathing fast.

"I miss her. Oh, how I miss her."

You held him tighter.

"I know, Al... I know."

You didn't know how long you two stayed like this, him in your arms and crying silently while you tried your best to comfort him, but you didn't care. As far as you were concerned, you would stay here forever if it only meant to lift this weight for a little while from his shoulders.

It took him some time, but eventually his breathing evened out, and he calmed down, his hold becoming less desperate and more... affectionate. You didn't realize it at first, but he had moved, his head resting under your chin and his forehead leaning against the hollow of your throat, his antlers slightly poking the thin skin. It felt strangely intimate, and you wondered if he was aware of what he was doing, but the moment he moved to get up and leave, you knew the spell was broken. He didn't let go of you entirely, but instead helped you to stand up and held your hand, his gaze firmly planted to the ground, avoiding your eyes.

"Darling, I..."

"Don't worry, Alastor. Although I'm glad I was able to be here when it happened... we shall never speak of this again."

You could feel his hesitation, a strange nervousness radiating from him. His shadow hovered next to him, a hand reaching out towards your face. You smiled at it, and, just for a brief moment, allowed yourself to lean into it's warm, buzzing touch as it caressed your cheek, before you turned and made your way back inside without a glance back to the sudden sound of a longing hum.

[criticallyacclaimedstranger]

You Need Only Ask [professor!Marcus Pike x librarian!reader]

Read on Ao3

Pairing: History of Art professor Marcus Pike x art library reader/you (cishet female)

Tags/Warnings: Kind of pining idiots but only one is pining, everyone is being professional but it's clear that Marcus is a pining idiot, implied coworkers to lovers.

Summary: Professor Marcus Pike is one of those cliché absent-minded professors - or so you think, but maybe there's another reason why this brilliant academic is acting a dumb fool around you?

Words: 3,534

A/N: This was inspired by an ask sent to me by @just-here-for-the-moment for a fic ask game thingy. Here's the original ask and my reply. I didn't write it exactly like that (main difference is my fic is set in modern times), but I hope y'all still like it!

”Good morning.”

Your customer service smile in place, you look over your shoulder.

”Morning, Professor. Just give me a second and I will be right with you.”

He hums, and you turn back to the bookcase where you were just about to finish re-shelving returns. Once done, you join Marcus Pike, Professor of Art History, at the desk. He’s tapping his fingers, almost impercievably, against the surface of the old solid wood desk, and you stifle a sigh. He didn’t have to wait that long.

”What can I do for you?” you ask politely. Professor Pike is never rude, but he is the typical professor type: absent-minded, a little awkward, his research always the number one priority.

“I looked for this book in the online catalog, but as I suspected, you don’t have it. It’s probably sold out, too.” He gives you a piece of paper before both his hands disappear into his pockets.

“Another inter-library loan, then?” you state, looking at the title. It’s in French, and you know immediately that your library doesn’t have it. Professor Pike is not the most computer-skilled person, so you usually double-check every book he asks for in the database, but this one you know you don’t have.

“Might have to go international for this one,” you tell him. “Canada och Europe. That’s coming out of your department’s budget, you know that.”

“I’ll make room,” he shrugs, looking towards the door, like he can’t wait to get back to the comfort of his own office. “And could you please give me more time with the last one you got for me? I need it for a bit longer.”

“I’ll contact the lending library,” you nod. “I’ll let you know.”

“Great. Thank you.”

The “Sure thing” has barely left your mouth before Pike is out the door, the sound of his steps against the stone floor quickly disappearing down the hall. You shake your head before sitting down to look up the book for him.

As you work, you once again wonder how people like Marcus Pike get jobs at all. Someone as introverted as that would never have a real shot at getting a library job, which requires people skills, patience, and the ability to stand in front of people. But when it comes to academia, it seems like all you need is credentials and a good research profile, and you’re hired. Unlike you, who had to fight tooth and nail for this position. You have Master’s degrees in art and library science, educational and language studies, job experience, and it was still almost impossible to get this job. People who have these jobs never seem to retire but just sit there, year after year, until they eventually sprout roots that fasten them to their chairs.

But you’re here now, since five years, and while Pike’s predecessor never showed his face in the library but sometimes sent you cryptical emails requests that took you half a day to decipher, it’s nice to see that the much younger professor actually frequents the university’s special arts library.

Finally locating Pike’s book in a university library in France, you quickly find the instructions for ILL’s, and send a loan request. After that, you apply for more time for Pike’s previous book, and by afternoon, you have confirmation for both books: one will be mailed out later during the day in Europe, the other has been renewed. You let Pike know through an email, before performing closing duties in the library. Your computer pings just as you’re about to turn it off, and you see that it’s a reply from Pike. Clicking it up, you see the very unlikely response:

>>Amazing, what a service. Just bill the department, I’ve got it covered. Thank you so much 😊 <<

Shaking your head in disbelief at the informal tone, you turn off the computer, clock out, and go home.

Professor Pike is back two days later, now asking for a book that’s available. When you tell him so, he clears his throat, gaze flickering away from you.

“Could you maybe show me where it is?”

“Sure.” You’re curt, because this isn’t the first time. It’s an easy enough book to find, and every item in the library is labeled, and the database even has an interactive feature where you can click on the item’s call number to open up a layout of the stacks, showing the correct shelf in red. It has freed you up a lot now that most patrons can easily find their literature themselves, but some people just want you to do everything for them.

“You know, Professor, you could maybe my start of term library tour useful,” you dare to tease him as you walk before him to the right case. “Most freshmen find it very helpful, and they can usually manage their own information retrieval after.”

“I think maybe a little touch-up course would do me good,” he replies, voice a little tight. “But I like personal service.”

You find the book, pull it out, and hand it to him.

“That’s what I’m here for,” you tell him easily. “Anything else I can do for you?”

He swallows visibly.

“No, thank you.”

He uses the self check-out this time, and leaves quickly without saying goodbye. You shake your head, and catch the eye of Mandy, a Master’s student who works on her thesis in the library almost every day.

“Strange fellow, that one, isn’t he?”

She gives you a peculiar look. “I guess so.”

One thing that you appreciate a lot about your job is the building itself. The campus was built in Collegiate Gothic style in the middle of the 19th century, and compared to the nearby city library with its white surfaces, glass walls, and modern design furniture, the much quieter arts library still seems more alive. The library houses more books than one would think when first seeing it, and it has the charming nooks and crannies that are so common for old houses.

You’re standing in one of those nooks one day; an alcove that houses folios, a cart of tall books parked next to the step stool that you’re standing on. You hear someone enter the library, shout out a “Hello!” as you usually do to let patrons know that you’re in the stacks, and receive a low answer. Mindful not to hurt your wrists, you pick up another folio from the cart, and put it back in its place.

The sound of footsteps stops at the desk, and you pick up the next book.

“Be right with you!”

The patron moves again, slowly walking towards the corner where you are, as if looking for you. You turn your head just as you see Professor Pike come around the corner of a bookcase.

“Oh,” he clears his throat. “There you are.”

“Here I am,” you nod, picking up the next book. “Almost done.”

“I got your email about the book from France. They sent it rather fast.”

“I was surprised, too,” you admit. There’s one book left, and you really should get down from the stool, move it, and get up again, but you’re lazy. You reach, getting up on your toes, just barely getting the book into place when you feel the stool slip from under you. You gasp, a thousand thoughts rushing through your head during the split second you’re in free fall, and then you land softly, not on the floor, but against a corduroy chest, strong arms holding you.

“Shit, that was close!”

You’re tongue-tied, wide-eyed with shock, heart in your throat and going a mile a minute to make up for the missed beats.

“Are you okay?”

You slowly start to realize that you’re in the arms of Marcus Pike, who caught you when you fell from the stool. And he’s still holding you.

“Yeah, I, yeah, fine, I’m good.” You babble, moving uncomfortably to let him know to let you down, which he does with the utmost care. Your legs are wobbly, and Pike keeps a hand on your waist to make sure you won’t fall.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive,” you now giggle, embarrassed but simultaneously exhilarated by the rush of adrenaline. “That wasn’t stupid at all, was it? I’ve been thinking about having that stool replaced, but I never got around to it, haha. I guess it takes an accident for me to get my thumb out of my a-, I mean, to get it done.”

Your cheeks are heating up, your hands are shaking as you grab the handles of the cart, kicking the accursed stool to the side.

“That was really scary, though,” Pike tells you in a low voice. “You could’ve really injured yourself.”

“Yeah, thanks, I mean, thanks for catching me.” You bite your lower lip and force yourself to look at him. “I’m so embarrassed. I should’ve been more careful.”

“Just glad I was here,” he shrugs, slowly following you as you march to the desk. “Although one could argue that had I not been here, you wouldn’t have tried to restack that heavy book without moving your stool. Sorry if I stressed you.”

“You didn’t,” you tell him lightly. “I sometimes cut corners like that. It’s fine, no harm done.”

You park the cart in its spot behind the desk, and turn to the shelf of reserved books.

“Here’s your inter-library loan. Due date four weeks from now, if you need it for longer, you know the drill.”

“I do,” he replies quietly and accepts the book from you. Holding it in one hand, he carefully opens it with the other, and thoughtfully browses through it. You sit down, flustered and still a little shaky, hoping that he’ll leave so that you can nurse your wounded pride, and maybe have a drink of water.

“It’s about these eighteenth-century art frauds in Europe – “

“I know. I read the title,” you cut him off, more curt than you meant to. Pike closes the book and nervously fingers the paper slip in it.

“You read French?”

“I even speak it.”

A smile breaks out on his face. “Of course you do.”

You stare at him, frowning as you try to understand what his deal is, and why he’s suddenly smiling like that. It’s never happened before.

And you’ve never noticed what a charming smile he has. It reveals a dimple in his right cheek that makes him look younger than he is – not that he’s old in any way, he must be around your age, somewhere between forty and fifty. The smile makes you even more shaky, and you can’t stop staring at him. He eventually notices, the smile dies down, and he lowers his eyes.

“Well, thanks,” he mumbles, turning around and walking away briskly, leaving you to stare after him, wondering what the hell happened.

Mandy comes in from her lunch break, waves a hello, then stops when she sees you.

“Is everything okay?”

You nod dismissively. “I’m fine, Mandy. I just… almost fell from a stool. But no harm done.”

She expresses her sympathies before going to the study area. You take a deep breath, and disappear into the back room for a glass of water.

There’s tittling in the stacks, but you don’t pay it any mind: it’s part of library life, especially on a campus filled with hormonal young adults. It’s not until your hear Professor Pike’s name mentioned that you stop writing on your keyboard, and strain to hear better.

“He’s the best lecturer here.”

“And he’s so fucking hot, don’t you think?”

“Cara! He’s a million years old!”

“No, he’s not, he’s like the youngest of the faculty, except for Langley, but she’s a woman.”

“Well, I’m bi, and she’s fine too.”

Shameless giggling ensues, and you have to stifle one as well.

“Wouldn’t mind doing some extra credit for Professor Pike…”

“That’s so tacky, Mindy.”

“Come on, like you haven’t thought about it.”

The girls appear from the stacks, carrying literature over to the self service check-out.

“I just think that his lectures are amazing. He can explain literally anything so that I get it. And he knows so much.”

You stare at your screen, but you’re listening to the students.

“He should lecture more, why doesn’t he have any classes?”

“Dug, because he’s a professor, he has other things to do.”

“I’d give him something to do…”

More giggling.

“I’m serious! I ended upw atching that Youtube lecture twice just because he’s so good!”

The girls borrow their books while talking, then nod good-bye to you as they leave. You nod back, then hit up Youtube, and type in Professor Marcus Pike.

You find a video of him giving a lecture on the history of art, and open it. And your jaw drops.

The man in the video is confident without being cocky, talkative, engaging, contact-seeking. He speaks clearly, even drops a couple of jokes, and he walks around the podium in the auditorium. If it wasn’t for that corduroy jacket with the leather patches at the shoulders, the one that you had enveloped around yourself last week, you wouldn’t have recognized the man.

You close the video and chew your lower lip. You always thought Pike was this nutty professor who didn’t know how to behave around people and preferred books to socializing. But the man in the video is nothing like that. So what is his problem when talking to you?

Navigating to Facebook, you search his name, finding him easily enough. He doesn’t seem to be very active, but his professional profile is listed.

His status is set to “single”, which surprises you, but you think no further of it. You click on to photos, finding only a few, most of them outdated.

“Good afternoon.”

You look up, startled at the familiar voice. Seeing Marcus Pike’s face, you close the browser window quickly.

“Sorry,” he quickly apologizes. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No worries, I was just… working.”

He clears his throat. “I’d like to return this.”

You accept the book from him, recognizing it as one of his previous ILL’s.

“Thank you.”

A couple of students come in, saying hello to both of you before disappearing into the stacks, phones in hand, library catalog probably open in their mobile browsers. Marcus looks after them, moving his weight from one foot to the other. You put the book to the side.

“Anything else I can do for you, Professor?”

He almost jumps at the sound of your voice.

“Um, no, thank you, I have to get back to work, grad student coming to see me, um, thanks, I’ll let your know if I need anything.”

He leaves the library, and you’re almost laughing. What the hell was that?

As soon as the students have found and borrowed their books, and you’re alone in the library with Mandy, she gets up and comes over to the desk. You smile your mild customer service smile at her, but she returns it with a wry grin.

“You know that he likes you right?”

You blink, not understanding. “Excuse me?”

“Professor Pike. He likes you.”

You shake your head to show her that you have no idea what she’s talking about, and she laughs.

“Oh, come on! The way he stutters and stumbles when he’s here. And he talks about you all the time, every chance he gets.”

“He what?” Your voice goes up, and you clamp your mouth shut. Mandy nods.

“He always tells us to use the library, and ask you for help. The librarian there is really competent, we’re lucky to have such a professional at our service, that sort of thing.”

“Why do you think that means he likes me?” you ask, cheeks heating up. This is stupid, this girl is half your age, and you’re talking like both of you are in middle school.

“Because he’s super confident in class, in meetings, whenever he talks to anyone, except you.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Hello!” Mandy rolls her eyes. “Earth to librarian lady! He’s like a flustered cinnamon bun whenever he’s around you – “

“Cinnamon bun?” you interrupt her, incredulously.

“Cutie patootie in old folk speech,” Mandy smirks at you, and you scoff.

“I know what a cinnamon bun is.”

“Whatever. He comes here constantly, doesn’t he? I sit here most days, and no other faculty member visits as much. He’s here practically every day, asking you the simplest questions. He’s into you.”

“I… don’t know what you’re talking about, Mandy,” you mumble, hands fidgeting in your lap.

“Alright, if you say so,” she smirks. “But I know what I’d do if I were you.”

Later, when she leaves the library, wishing you a good weekend, you open up the browser window again, Pike smiling charmingly at you from his profile picture. You look at it for a long time before logging out, and getting up to reshelf returns.

Friday afternoon in the library makes for slow hours. It’s usually empty – even Mandy has left – and while it gives you the opportunity to prepare for next week, there are Fridays when you’d rather just close up, if you could, and go home early.

A quarter to four, when you’re impatiently tapping your foot for closing time, Marcus Pike shows up again. Mandy’s words echo in your head, making you nervous for the first time, but you manage to suppress that, instead turning on your professional persona.

“Back so soon?” you ask him lightly

“Yeah, I need a book.” He seems to understand himself how stupid that sounded.

“You’ve come to the right place.”

He tells you the title, and you look it up.

“It’s in, call number N5198-5299,” you inform him, then looking up at his hesitant expression. “It’s in the corner over there.”

“Um, could you show me? I’m not good at this.”

“Okay.” You get up and walk around the desk. “But it’s a class that you use a lot, Professor, you should be accustomed to it by now.”

“Marcus.”

“What’s that?”

“Call me Marcus. I don’t much like titles anyway.”

“Uh-huh.”

You take him to the right stacks, walking in between the heavy cases. It’s a tight squeeze, this one, and the book is located further in. You pick it out, and turn around, only to find Marcus standing right behind you.

You’ve been in this situation before, many times even. Worst times were when you worked in the city library, and creeps would crowd you between the stacks, not trying anything but coming closer than necessary.

Your heart misses a beat, but you’re not uncomfortable. Instead, you smell something familiar and comforting, something besides old paper, leather covers, and ink. It takes you a moment to realize that it’s Marcus’s cologne, the corduroy, his shampoo: earthy but fresh, a little like the forest after rain, but with an undertone of old leather armchair.

You wet your lips, and hold up the book he asked for.

“Your book.”

“Thank you.” He doesn’t take it, so you lower your hand. He clears his throat, but this time, he doesn’t look away, but straight into your eyes.

“I was wondering…”

“Yeah?” you breathe.

“There’s this classic movie festival this weekend, and I was wondering…”

“If I wanted to go with you?” you finish his sentence for him, as he takes too long for you to wait. He blinks, then smiles that sweet smile again.

“Exactly. Yes. Would you?”

“I’d like that.”

“Really?” The smile seems to broaden even more.

“Sure. Tomorrow?”

“Perfect. I can pick you up, if you want to. At six?”

“Perfect,” you echo, now smiling widely yourself. He exhales, like he’s been holding his breath this entirely time.

“Perfect.”

The desk phone rings, startling both of you. The book falls from your hand, and you look down at it, then up at Marcus.

“I need to get that.”

“Of course,” he nods. You make a little movement with your head.

“I need to get past you, Marcus?”

“Oh, yes, of course, sorry.”

He backs out from between the cases, letting you out as well. His cologne seems to rub off on your arm when you brush past him, hurrying to the desk. You answer the phone and try to focus on the person calling, take a couple of notes, and end the call just as Marcus comes walking to the desk, book in hand. You check it out for him, give him your number, and he smiles again as he thanks you. You follow him to the door so that you can close up after him.

“I’ll call,” he promises as he steps out. You nod, hand on the door handle.

“Looking forward to it.”

He raises the book as a farewell, then starts walking down the corridor. You’re about to close the door when you suddenly step out, calling his name.

“Marcus!”

He turns around immediately, and now that he’s standing with his back straight, instead of hunched over, you notice how tall and broad-shouldered he is.

“Yes?”

“For the record… you’re into me, right?”

He chuckles, his ears turning pink. “Yeah, I’m into you.”

“Just checking,” you grin. “See you tomorrow.”

[ulquiorrapleasecallmetrash]

may i request grelle and gregory with an introverted artist s/o (preferably fem) who’s physically affectionate when in private pls? have a nice day/night :>

Grell Sutcliff and Gregory Violet w/ an affectionate introverted artist Headcanons

Fandom: Black Butler/ Kuroshitsuji

Rated: G

Warnings: None! Maybe mentions of kissing.

Admin Harmony🐯: YES FINALLY A GREGORY VIOLET REQUEST! I have been waiting for more Gregory Violet request for so long! KEEP THEM COMING! I NEED THEM IN MY LIFE.

︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

-I think Grell will find a artist s/o pretty freaking cool!

-Will love to look at your art. 

-Will also constantly ask so many questions. 

-About your drawing technique, the tools you use, etc.

-Favorite things for her to do is lay right next to you while you draw. 

-She finds it so calming and very intimate.

-Also would love for you to draw her. 

-She highly encourages you every time you draw something. 

-Will defiantly pose and anything.

-To get a reaction out of you she will tease about you drawing her completely naked.

-That’s the thing she loves to do, she loves to tease her s/o.

-but it is more light-hearted and fun.

- They also love to touch and hug you. 

-She is very affectionate. 

-will kiss all over your face and cling to you like plastic wrap.

-Loves when you give her gifts and it has something to do with your drawings. It’s more personal and you put in so much more effort into it.

-Would love for you to teach her how to draw so you could both do it together.

-But yeah Grell would love to have an artist s/o rather they are introverted or not. She will treat them all the same.

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

Gregory Violet:

-Gregory doesn’t mind having an outgoing s/o but it does have to admit, to have some who is also calm and introvert puts him at slight ease. 

-He also finds comforts in having someone who is also an artist just like him. 

-His favorite past time is you two sitting outside and draw. 

-No talking, just listening to nature and enjoying your presence is perfect for him.

-He still has his teasing moments so he will jokingly draw silly pictures and put them in random places in your room. 

-You will also do the same to him and he loves it. 

-You both will keep each picture you both give to each other. 

-You both will both secretly laugh when he draws silly pictures with the other p4 members. 

-Greenhill was not happy when he found one of his crazy caricature that Gregory made of him. 

-On the outside he’s like, “Sorry.” But you know damn well he aint sorry so you both will look at eachother and just smile at each other. 

-Besides doing artsy things he does enjoy looking at the night sky.

-So stargazing is something you two do in your past time.

-But yeah overall no matter what I think Gregory Violet will adore you no matter what. 

‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵୨˚̣̣̣͙୧ - - ୨˚̣̣̣͙୧‿︵‿︵

[seineko]

al haitham x (shy, nerdy and introverted) reader

warnings: explicit content, yandere elements, implied noncon exhibitionism, high key self indulgent, wrote this with the urge to touch grass

al haitham brainrot at 7 in the evening cause my head refuses to think of anything else (except diluc, he's a constant in my mind and heart <3)

i've read it somewhere on tumblr; (yandere) al haitham with a shy, nerdy and introverted reader. while the fluff made my heart melt, i can't stop thinking about the other end of the spectrum. (please let me know if you find that post).

minors do not interact!

al haitham, who finally gets frustrated of seeing the way everyone treats you and slowly starts slipping near you whenever he can, sending actual glares to everyone who dares approach you.

al haitham, who slowly starts asking you for help with his work when he notices you starting to panic a bit when no one approaches you for help anymore.

al haitham, the one who never concentrated on his surroundings when he was immersed into a book, now can't think of anything other than how your lips look wrapped around the tip of a pencil when you try to concentrate.

al haitham, who finally gives into his own urges to push the strand of hair that has been disturbing you since a few minutes, behind your ear, freezing as he notices you stiffen.

al haitham, who somewhat regrets blurting out his confession (in the most monotonous voice possible by a human being) the second you run out of the library. the regret that turns into pure exhilaration the next day, when you approach him with the request to give you some time.

al haitham, who waits months before getting an affirmative reply, taking it as his cue to kiss you on your lips - waiting to do it since the day his eyes landed on the pencil that was stuck between them.

al haitham, who finally gets to be the only one to taste your tea and witness your small, adorable smiles whenever you receive a compliment.

al haitham, who refuses to let you get up from his lap even if all the seats beside you are empty.

al haitham, whose hands start to wander once you get comfortable with his touch. they reach the most obscure places one can imagine, while his head too turns into a huge gutter.

al haitham, who is addicted to kissing with you on top of him, locking your hands behind your back with one of his own, while the other caresses your (chubby) cheek.

al haitham, who absolutely loves to take you on the corner of your shelf in the library, whispering assurances in your ear that no one is watching, even when he knows that someone is.

mostly just al haitham, who treats you like the most valuable book in a collection of rare ones.

©2023 by seineko @ tumblr

[dzvelinaskebiyars]

Hiii saw your open requests, so I was wondering if you would write little something with my boi Ryusei from tr spinoff. Can you write headcanons of him having s/o who is Bajis cousin and a complete opposite of him in personality (shy, softspoken, introvert basically)? Reader can be a girl, thank you in advance <3

OMG YES!! I LOVE RYUSEI. Thank you so much for requesting!!

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Honestly, Ryusei has never really thought about romantic relationship. Yes he was popular with girls in his class and all but he never took interest in them romantically. And if he'd fall in love with someone, it would be probably a person who matches his energy.

That's what he thought until he met Baji's cousin, [name]. She's shy, introvert, awkward and completely opposite of him.

He'd ask Baji about you to the point that Baji will question if he has feelings for you or not millionth times.

Whenever you are with Baji, Ryusei would try to shoo Baji and Chifuyu away so you two could be alone.

When he find out that you're staying at Baji's place for a while, he'd be at Baji's place like everyday and use the excuse that him and Baji are really great friends but he, in reality, just wants to see you.

He would tell Baji about his feelings for you sooner or later and Chifuyu, of course, would find out too.

The way he'd actually be so genuine with you like always. He's genuinely having best of his time whenever you're with him. It's like you bring some kind of comfort to him, something that he craves.

Tbh, I feel like Kojiro would laugh at Ryusei for falling in love because I think he would think of love as cringe.

"She might be just a girl for you, but she's more important to me. I don't know, Kojiro. This is all unfamiliar feeling. But I genuinely want to see her smile. She has prettiest smile, by the way. She's finally warming up to me and isn't as awkward with me as she was before! That's a good sign, right?"

When YOU told Baji that you might have had feelings for Ryusei, that's it. He made you two meet up.

Definitely Ryusei would be the first to confess but when you accept his heart?! He'll be on the ninth sky.

He's hard to blush, by the way. You should have some amazing skills of flirting to get him blush.

He, on the other hand, would make you blush so easily and is happy about it.

He'd take you to dates literally anytime. We all know he's very creative so he won't run out of date ideas.

Baji won't have anything against you two but yes, he has threatened Ryusei that he would beat him up of he ever upsets you!

I feel like Ryusei would be clingy bf. He'd be all over you especially in the morning and at night.

Ryusei: When do you wake up?

You: 7am.

Ryusei, next day at 7am: Goodmorning, love.

・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・

You, styling his hair and choosing specific hairstyle: This suits you!

Ryusei: Really?

You: Yeah. You look very handsome!

*Ryusei processes to have your chosen hairstyle, always.*

・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・

Once he couldn't find you and ordered entire first division to start looking for you. It was around Yotsuya arc, because he was worried about you.

He always showers you with kisses!

He has the funniest ways to cheer you up and it's always working.

[bontentrio]

ATEEZ AS TAYLOR SWIFT SONGS

[HYUNG LINE] (part 2 with maknae line will be uploaded soon!)

tw: fluff + suggestive in yunho’s part (+ possible spelling mistakes since english is not my first language)

a/n: i didn’t expect for my first post to get several reblogs and +100 likes so thank you! it motivated me to write this. i promise i’ll post maknae line soon<3 feel free to give me feedback (inbox open)

HONGJOONG - MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

hongjoong truly loves touring, flying out from one city to another, finding new places and making new memories. he loves it. he also loves performing with his members in front of thousands of fans and seeing new faces every time he steps on a stage. nothing compares to that thrill he feels each time. but also, sometimes he finds himself longing for someone back home, someone who he cannot call “his” yet. 

hongjoong knows you aren’t there. you are probably back home, either studying or going to work, or simply sitting in your comfortable hello kitty pjs he gifted you once for your birthday, probably watching a silly show you got recommended on tiktok. just by thinking about that scenario, he smiles, only for it to slowly fade moments later. he knows you aren’t there, yet he still searches for your face in the crowd. he searches for you when he goes around sightseeing in whatever city he is in. he searches for you when he’s back at the hotel, maybe you’re checking in. he knows you are not there, yet he always expects it to be you when someone knocks on his door. 

hongjoong feels silly when these feelings hit, since you aren’t even “his” to call. how can he miss someone so much? you text every day, and facetime each time you are both available. yet he still longs for you, he misses the way you would slightly lean on him when you laugh at a joke he made, he misses the way you would huff in annoyance when something doesn’t go your way, he misses the way you would steal his clothes when you’re cold and the way you would always leave them nicely folded when you leave, despite him desperately wanting you to take a part of him with you. 

hongjoong debated many times on whether he should tell you about his feelings or not. truth is, he is terrified, terrified to reach for you and be left hanging because you don’t reciprocate his feelings. so, he did the things he knows best: he wrote you a song. for now, he will put every single part of his soul into the lyrics, letting himself wander into different scenarios where he is the one that you dream about and also the one who’s the reason you can’t sleep at night. 

hongjoong doesn’t know whether he will show you the song or not, but if he ever gets the courage to do so, he hopes the feelings get to you. 

SEONGHWA - ENCHANTED

seonghwa found himself staring boringly at the people around him: people from different groups, managers and event staff. some were finding their seats at the venue, others were still posing for photographs and the staff were moving around back and forth to get the final touches ready for when the awards show aired. meanwhile, ateez was waiting by the door for someone to guide them to their seats. he enjoyed these events, really, but tonight he was feeling a little bit more introverted, wanting to spend the night in his pjs and build the new star wars lego setup he bought recently, probably on live for atiny to see. so definitely not at an awards show with hundreds of cameras that followed his every move, filled with fake people and their fake smiles. 

seonghwa heard a stern voice behind him, probably from one of the staff members: “wait here, you’ll be guided to your seats after them”, the voice instructed. he wasn’t even going to turn around to check what group was behind them, he simply didn’t feel like making socials tonight. that was, until he heard something that caught him off guard: “is it too late to leave, manager?”, the voice said, giggling by the end of the phrase as to signal that it was, obviously, a joke. 

seonghwa couldn’t help but turn around. he saw you, smiling at your manager with mischief covering your face, while also emanating the most beautiful aura he has ever seen. don’t ask him to explain, but he just knew at that very first second, that you were definitely something else. i mean, he wasn’t even sure he believed in auras, yet he was convinced he saw you shine beautifully, and it wasn’t because of the sparkly outfit you were wearing. 

seonghwa caught your manager looking at him nervously and tapped your shoulder lightly: “y/n don’t joke like that! someone will think you are serious” they said. you proceeded to follow your manager’s eyes, then interlocked your eyes with seonghwa and smiled. and he swore his heart stopped for a second. “but i am serious manager!” you exclaimed, turning back to them. your manager sighed in defeat, muttering something along the lines of “please behave” with a faint smile. they were probably used to your playfulness. 

seonghwa didn’t know what possessed him next: “you’re not the only one” he said, chuckling slightly. you laughed, turning back to your manager, “see?” you asked, causing them to roll their eyes and go back to check on the rest of the members of your group. your eyes interlocked again, and he felt his heartbeat accelerate. “have we met before?” he asked suddenly. “i don’t think so, this is our first awards show since our debut” you replied, followed by a “that’s why i want to leave, i’m too nervous”. 

seonghwa realized that you were very easy and fun to talk to, and that time went by too fast: the staff member came back and asked ateez to follow him to their seats. “i’ll see you around?” he asked, turning his head back at you, waiting for a response. you nodded, a faint blush covering your cheeks. “cool, pleasure to meet you”, he said, biting his lip to suppress a smile, and turning around to follow his members. 

seonghwa was glad he came to the awards show, he got to meet you after all. you got seated on the opposite side of ateez, much to his disadvantage, yet he still managed to interlock eyes with you throughout the night. by the end of it, he just knew his thoughts will echo your name for a while, at least until he sees you again. 

YUNHO - GUILTY AS SIN?

yunho was sure he was going insane, or maybe he was already insane and only now took notice of it. either way, he was sure of one thing: he could not get you out of his mind. no matter what he did, scenarios of you plagued his mind, scenarios that in fact, did not happen. sure, he had seen you earlier that day when you met him at a new cat cafe that opened nearby, and the conversations you had were friendly and pleasant. definitely didn’t go along the lines of the visions that kept appearing inside his mind. 

yunho was entranced by the way your lips moved while talking, occasionally biting your lower one when caught thinking about something. he also took notice of the way your lipstick went fading every time you took a sip of your coffee, and how the stain mark on the cup grew more prominent each time. and now he could not stop thinking about it. specifically kept picturing the way your lipstick would stain his skin, from his lips all the way to his neck and collarbones. he believes the color would definitely suit him. he kept imagining the way your lips would move against his own, and how he would wrap his hands around your thighs to pull you up, caging you between the wall and himself. 

yunho couldn’t help but feel extremely sinful, especially when neither of you acted in a flirtatious way earlier that day. maybe he was going bad, or mad, or maybe even wise, because even though nothing ever happened, he still felt something going on between you two. was it a sin to desire you the way he did? he craved for you, not only physically, but also emotionally. nobody understood him like you did, nobody mirrored him the way you did. were you also in your room, thinking about him? with your bedhseets ablaze like his? screaming his name like he imagined you to do so? 

yunho knew there was no turning back now, he fell into a pit of longing and desire he could not crawl back from. he wanted you in every way possible: physically, emotionally, spiritually. scratch that, he needed you, all of you. he needed you close, fuck you while he kissed away your tear stained cheeks and then hold you as close as he could, whispering sweet nothings while caressing your back as you both slowly drifted to sleep. he needed to wake up next to you and see how the soft rays of sunlight hit your beautiful face, making him wonder what he did to deserve such an angel. 

yunho would choose you and him, anyday, anytime, anywhere, religiously, simply because of the way you have haunted his mind ever since he met you all those years before. and he was certain that even if your relationship changed, he would still crave you the way he did now. he was certain you would forever haunt him. 

YEOSANG - I’M ONLY ME WHEN I’M WITH YOU

yeosang watched you from across the room, you were drying your hair while wearing one of his shirts, freshly out of the shower. you caught his eyes from your spot in front of the mirror, put down the hair dryer and walked towards him with a small smile. he was sitting on the bed, with the tv remote on his hand, waiting you to finish so you both could start movie night. the bed dipped a bit from your weight as you got closer to him, kissed him and then went back to your spot to continue drying your hair. no words exchanged, you just knew he wanted to kiss you. 

yeosang knew everything about you, from the way you liked your coffee in the mornings to the position you felt most comfortable to sleep in. he knew you like the back of his hand, as much as he knew himself. “do you think we are together in every universe?” you had asked him one time, while you both looked at the city lights from the top floor of the hotel you were staying at. he immediately replied “of course”, while pulling you closer to him. that’s the moment he realized he could not picture a life without you, and it didn’t matter how successful he would become, he would not want any of that if you weren’t there. “i think so too, yeo” you muttered before kissing his cheek. 

yeosang always knew that all kinds of relationships were not sunshines and rainbows, sometimes it rained too. you didn’t fight often, but when you did, it often escalated to shouting and loud banging of doors. the good thing is that fights never last long since usually one of you would give in, not being able to take putting the other in pain. for yeosang specifically, he would feel like the worst person on earth the second he sees a tear fall down your cheek. he would immediately rush to your side, hold your face close to his and close his eyes, muttering a low apology. other times he would just hug you and let you cry your eyes out on his chest, while feeling his heart break slowly. “you drive me crazy” he would confess. you would glance up to him, and say “you drive me crazy, too”. “i know”. 

yeosang knew better than to hide his feelings, secrets and fears from you. you knew exactly when something was up, and would not back down until he told you his worries. you would take his hand and walk him to your shared bed, laying down and pulling him to lay his head on your chest. you would brush his hair with your fingers, and down the back of his neck to his waist. something only you knew would comfort him. “today was hard” he would start, earning a low hum from you, signalling that you were paying attention to his words. he would tell you all about his exhausting day and about how mentally draining it is sometimes to have to interact with a lot of people, not being able to make a single mistake. 

yeosang knew you were his safe place, someone he could run to for anything, no matter the situation. you were his partner, his best friend, his soulmate. “sometimes i feel like i’m who i wanna be when i’m with you, like i’m the truest version of myself when we’re together” you had told him once. and he knew, right then and there, that you felt the same way as he did. 

[goldenchunkycat]

Put this mouth to good use...

-

➤ Pairing: Aged-up!Neteyam x Metkayina!Reader

-

➤ Summary: You are the eldest child of Tonowari and Ronal and you secretly mated the oldest child of Jake and Neytiri, what could possibly go wrong ? Everything because Neteyam decided that you were too friendly with a guy who wasn't him.

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➤ Warnings: Jealous and possessive Neteyam, it seems like Neteyam is gaslighting Reader but I swear he's not, rough mouth fucking, hair pulling, dacryphilia because why not, dirtier than expected..., bad English

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➤ A/N: Requested by @devilish-mirage , I hope it's what you were asking for ? I'd love to see your feedback on this ♡

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➤ Tag: @sloppierjewel (I can't tag you for a reason ?)

Being Towanari and Ronal's daughter was hard. Because it meant that you were Ao'nung and Tsireya's big sister, and you were nothing like them. You did not considered yourself kind and outgoing like your sister - you were shy and introverted, and you were not confident, strong and skilled like your brother - you were just you.

And yet, once, someone said that you were kind, attentive to everyone's needs, pretty and smart. Years after he became your mate. Your sweet Neteyam. What a shame you couldn't tell the whole world about it though...

"Darling, you need to find a mate. You are the eldest child of the chief, everyone is expecting a lot from you, you can't deceive them." your mother said while carefully brushing your hair, adding a few shells here and there. "You are pretty, my sweet daughter, I do not doubt that you will find someone."

You closed your eyes, bathing in the feeling of those hands massaging your head and hummed, "Yes Mother."

"I heard that Ok'iri was interested in you, go and try to talk to him."

"Yes Mother..." you answered more reluctantly, lowering your head, mixed feelings in your heart and thoughts rushing through your mind. How could you tell her ? You weren't interested in anyonee else than Neteyam. He was your lover, your mate, but because you did not wanted to deceive your family you did not tell a single soul that you two were mated. You had nothing to offer to your family other than your hand in marriage, how would you tell them that you could not marry someone ? You were so disappointing.

"Take your paintings with you. Give it to his parents."

Paintings. This was the only thing yo were good at. You could paint the beautiful sceneries for hours. That's how you pique Neteyam's curiosity. By sitting on a rock for hours, just being yourself. He fell in love immediately.

So what were you going to say to your lover ? You knew him, you knew how he was possessive, jealous. As it happens, the boy asked you many times to meet your parents. He wanted to tell the whole world that you were his because he wanted to avoid this kind of situation. But well, maybe it was too late...

"- and I caught this big fish outside the reefs. Pretty cool huh ?"

It has been going for hours. He was talking about himself, rarely asking about your hobbies or your opinion. Too bad he was so full of himself because Ok'iri was. nice guy. He was respectful and did not crossed your boundaries. Even if he did not not really let you talk, he often make sire that you were comfortable by looking at you while he was showing you the outside of their family's Marui. If you met in a different context you could have been friends. But well, people's expectations did not allowed it.

"By the way, those paintings that you gave us are really pretty ! I think I recognized one scenery." he said, finding a place in front of the beach in order to sit.

"Really ?!" you said excited, looking at him with twinkling eyes. You don't know if he did it on purpose but he said the magic word to get you out of your shell. "Which one ?"

"The 'undersea' one. I think it's somewhere near the Cove of the Ancestors, isn't it ?" he asked, happy that he finally found a subject that was interesting - to you at least.

"Yes !" you leaned a bit closer to him, too excited to notice that your legs were practically touching his. "It's on the left side ! I had to dive again and again because, ell, you can't paint underwater, but the result worth it !"

And you talked. For hours. Without noticing Neteyam's presence on the beach. Without noticing how he balled his fist or how he frowned and showed his teeth when his brother accidentally bumped into him. He was angry.

It became a weekly thing. Every Monday, you and Ok'iri would meet at the same place, just outside his Marui, and would talk for a few hours about your respective interests. You knew that he could be a good friend, and he proved it. He was very attentive to everything you said and never tried to push you to do something you did not wanted to do. But every time you failed to notice your mate on the beach, watching you. You failed to notice how, progressively, he became more clingy, his he touched more often than not whenever someone was around, how he tried to meet your father more often and how he tried to win his spurs with him. You failed to notice all of those signs. So you were very surprised when he finally snapped. And honestly ? It was...hot - and a tiny bit painful.

"It was hard but I found a good location with beautiful sceneries that you can paint. Want to go there ?"

"Really ? Thank you, I would love to go there !"

"Can I come too ?"

You turned your head to look at the owner of the voice, only to see your secret boyfriend smiling at the two of you.

Ok'iri hesitated before answering "Hum, yeah, I guess ?" Even you could tell that he was a tiny bit mad and very uncomfortable, he only said yes because he was being polite.

You shyly smiled towards your boyfriend, freckles glowing and making him discreetly smile. He eventually faced the young adult and asked with a mischievous smile "I hope that im not disturbing you ?" He slowly approached you and brushed his hand on yours, a dangerous glint in eyes when he smiled innocently and said "I see you sitting here you every every Monday and thought that it was a good idea to befriend each other."

You should have known better. It was a warning. But did the lamb beware of the wolf ? He did not, and he ended up eaten.

"You weren't lying, it's really beautiful here ! I can't wait to come back and paint !" you said, excited, moving your head from side to side under the loving eyes of the two boys. But Neteyam notice the way his 'rival' was looking at you. And he needed to act on it, right now.

"Let's hunt. The winner will be the one who hunt the biggest fish."

"Oh, I don't know, I just wanted to show her this place..."

"Okay." he smiled with a slight mocking tone, "I guess that I will be the one who will win the favor of the Olo'eyktan."

Ok'iri understood what he meant by that. He understood that Neteyam, the foreigner, was trying to court you. And he was not going to lose against him.

"Okay. Let's do it forest boy." he said and left, diving underwater with his Ilu.

You looked at the retreating shadow underwater and finally paid attention to the man at your side. The smiled had disappeared from his face and he was looking at you, a frown on his beautiful face.

"What..?" you asked tentatively, avoiding his gaze. "Aren't you going to hunt too..?" you added, trying to fill the void between the two of you.

"Oh but love..." he ordered his Ilu to slowly approach you and once he face in you personal space, smiled and leaned towards you, towering over your small frame. "I don't need to court you, you're already mine." He kissed the tip of your nose and you felt your heart swell with pride and affection for the man that you had the chance to call 'mate'. But suddenly, his sweet smile disappeared from his face and was quickly replaced by a mean one. One that you recognized very well. "However, I don't like it when people flirt with you. Come with me."

You did not know if you were supposed to be afraid and aroused. Maybe you were a bit of the two. You followed him until you two climbed on a rock who was a bit far from the 'hunting area'. It was surrounded by pretty aquatic flowers so you were a bit hidden from anyone who could potentially come here. However, if they walked around the rock, they would have a perfect sight of you two.

You did not asked him his intention though, thinking he was just going to steal you a kiss before going to hunt. Hey, it wasn't because you were smart that you weren't innocent. And Neteyam loved that about you. You trusted him with all your heart. And he loves seing your face when you realize what he is going to do. He looked at you and smirked.

"Every Monday I had to watch you chat excitedly with that guy, talking about all the things you like, telling him how good he was at hunting."

"But he was praising my skills in art, what was I supposed to do..?"

"Leave, love. Leave. Don't you understand ? I'm the only one ho can see you like this, all excited over your favorite topics. The only one who can see you smile and who can hear you laugh like this."

"Net'..." you backed up, joy and shame mixing in your head. He loved you so much, but he cul not accept the fact that you were asking with another guy (honestly it's a big red flag so let's correct it).

Seeing that you were shrinking under his gaze he softened his voice and gently held you face into the palm of his hands.

"I trust you. I really do. But I don't trust him. I know why your mother wanted you to meet him, and it makes my blood boil just by thinking about it. I just want them all to know that you are taken, do you understand ?"

"Yes..."

"I'll respect your decision. If you don't wanna talk about me to your mother it's fine, but don't let those men openly flirt with you, please Love ? Have you not noticed the way he was touching your arms and your back ? The way he was being so friendly with you ?"

"I will be careful from now one, I don't wanna hurt anyone's feelings... Thank you my Neteyam, I love you, never forget that." you answered, your voice conveying all the feelings you had for him. Love, admiration. You were so pretty. And those lips...

"Show me how much you love me."

"W-What ? But... Ok'iri is not far from us..." you glowed, eyes wide open and mouth slightly agape.

"I don't care who sees, get on your knees."

You giggled and eventually gave in, getting on your knees and knowing exactly what was going to happen. Opening your mouth, you waited for him to stick his dick in it and once he did so, you hummed around it as a form of thanks. Neteyam felt like the luckiest man ever. How did he found a mate like you ? So obedient and eager to please him, his perfect pillow princess.

You started by sucking the tip of his length, massaging the rest of it with your pretty hand. Closing your eyes and whimpering softly you ignored the way his hands went trough your hair. Slowly but surely you bobbed your head around his girth taking a few inches more every time. Neteyam watched you in awe before finally giving in to the voice inside his head telling him to ruin you and cover your face with his cum.

He tightened his hold on your hair and stuck your head on his dick, forcing you to take all of him. You gasped and gripped his thighs as he sighed in pleasure, his legs shifting on the spot.

"Y-Yeah, just like this."

He started to thrust into your mouth repeatedly, starting at a slow pace.

"This pretty mouth of yours liked talking to that man ? Then..." he groaned, a faint sound coming from his chest as he pulled roughly on your strands. "Put this mouth to good use..."

You messily tried to massage his cock with your tongue, only to accidentally let you spit spread all over your mouth with how roughly he was manipulating your head. You let out a high pitched whine when he pulled a little to rough on your hair, making him laugh as he faked sympathy while slowing down a bit. He took his dick out of your mouth and leaned over you, smiling.

"Am I being too rough Love ? Poor baby, can't even take it properly. What a pity, I guess that we will have to do it slowly..." he raised an eyebrow, pouting.

"No ! No... Net' I can take it, I swear !" you said, your eyes tearing up as you widened your mouth and sticked out your tongue, eager to please him.

"Good girl. My sweet mate." he chuckled and went back to guide your mouth on his dick.

Your throat was getting numb and the muscles on your cheeks were hurting. Tears dripped down your cheeks and mixed with your saliva. You were a sight. Neteyam loved when you looked like that, so desperate. Seeing you cry turned on a switch in him and his pad accelerated. He felt his orgasm in the depth part of his lower abdomen and knew that he was close so he just gripped your hair tightly, preventing you from moving your head, and started to thrust roughly into your welcoming hole.

But suddenly you heard your name being called. It was Ok'iri, and he was close. "Forest boy ?"

"You're so good to me. Pretty lips and ah- hot mouth wrapped around my dick..." he whispered, his face morphing into one of full pleasure at the idea of being caught in this compromising position. "Don't want him to see us like that ?" he laughed as you shook your head with fervor, fear - and arousal in your watery eyes. "Don't worry I'm- Ah ! I'm almost d-done..."

You could sens that h was almost done. He was practically ripping your hair and destroying your throat. With a loud moan he finally came into your mouth, breathing heavily as he bend to meet your eyes. Knowing what he was waiting for you opened your mouth and showed him your tongue decorated with his seed.

"That's my girl."

Masterlist

[kentosbabes]

You don’t have to write this if you don’t want to. May I have some hcs of Gojo and Nanami (separate) with a introverted s/o who is shy and quiet?

Of course! ❤️

Gojo

His bubbly extroverted personality and your introverted nature balance it out. His outgoing nature means you guys go out often and have fun, and your more reserved nature means you can also enjoy staying in and being in each other's company

Gojo loves to show you off and tell people about you, he wants to make you feel confident and happy. He thinks you are just so cute when you tug on his jacket in embarrassment while he brags about you to his co-workers.

You feel comfortable with him in generally uncomfortable situations, particularly when you are in unfamiliar surroundings and you only know him.

He brings you into the conversation by introducing you to everyone he's talking to as well as explaining the point of the topic so you don't feel left out.

Loves when you tug on the hem of his jacket when it gets crowded, if you're ever feeling anxious you always find yourself grabbing at the fabric as his body presses lightly against yours to ground yourself.

If your feeling really quiet in public he would just grab your hand and start to draw patterns or words or ever love hearts on it, sometimes you like your quiet and he respects that.

Gojo would grin really widely when he sees you, he would run at full speed to get to you. dropping everything to pick you up and twirl you around. You can hear his laughter vibrating against your chest as he hugs you tight, making sure you're comfortable. When he finally releases you, he would place both of his hands against your cheeks kissing your nose and pecking your lips.

Nanami

He's a homebody just like you, an ideal date night would be the two of you in pyjamas lounging about on his couch watching Netflix, Nanami loves to massage you after a long day. Watching you unwind with his hands provides him with happiness.

As an introvert Nanami and you both chose to hang out in one on one situations like going on a hike or reading at the library together.

When you aren't together he makes sure to give you a ring when you are eating lunch, he hates the idea of you being lonely. He talks about miscellaneous things that have happened in the day, you both have an inside joke that he is hosting a podcast for you and only you.

He finds the fact that you blush at every compliment that he gives you extremely cute, he adores how warm your cheeks get and how you can't hold eye contact, looking anywhere else but his face.

Despite not liking public displays of affection, he likes holding your hand. He finds you endearing when you get all awkward and shy, he lets go and instead drapes his hand over your shoulder pulling you closer into him.

Nanami loves to brag about you, when he does it's always a little side comment about how you like a certain brand or doing a certain action. He takes note of your interests and brings them up, trying to understand and like them as well.

Being a shy person means that you don't really feel comfortable talking to everyone all the time, you can just get in your own head. But Nanami can tell when you are spiralling, thoughts of self-hate and everyone hating you swarming your brain, he quickly can put a stop to that by whispering praises and sweet nothings in your ear and holding your hand reassuring you.

masterlist

[multifandomslxt]

YAY!!!! I AM SOOO HAPPY YOUR REQUESTS ARE OPEN AHHHHHHJRIOWRIWIER LETS FUCKIN GOOOOOOOOOO

Okay so I was wondering if you could write up a lil sum about reserved reader who keeps to herself yet finds herself in a poly relationship with Haechan and Yangyang. She isn't a loner by any means. She has her solid group of friends but she doesn't really go out besides to work, the gym or grab lunch with her friends. She's just super introverted. I wonder what that dynamic would look like among the three of them. Maybe you could write about a specific scenario like them encouraging her to dress up and go out with them to the club i guess BUT THEN OMG WHEN SHE FINALLY AGREES they think she looks soooooo fine and shit in her short ass skirt or dress WHATEVER and they bend that ass OVA

FUN GAMES

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

A/N": I'm so sorry this took so long anon. I wanted it to be good and I was having writer's block. I hope you enjoy<333 SORRY FOR ANY TYPOS :)

Pairing: Yangyang x Haechan x afab!Reader

Warning: SMUT!, slapping, mentions of spit and C*m, daddy, degradation... That is all I can remember.

"Just wear it," YangYang, your boyfriend of three years, pleaded.

His face was red, and his hands moved about in understandable frustration as he had been trying to convince you to wear a short dress for the last 10 minutes or so.

"But it's-" you began to protest, finding another excuse as to why you didn't think it's a good idea.

"C'mon, doll, don't be like that," Haechan, your other boyfriend of three years, interrupted. He leaned against the doorway of your shared bedroom, looking as good as always in his black t-shirt, grey sweatpants, and glasses perched on his nose.

"We picked it out specifically for tonight. I know it's a bit outside of your comfort zone, but that's how you break out of your shell, baby," he said as he entered the room, slowly going behind you and embracing you in a back hug.

"We just want our baby to shine," Yang Yang joined, placing a kiss on your cheek.

You thought for a moment before giving in. "Fine."

Three hours later, you were ready.

You stood in front of the bathroom mirror, giving yourself a once-over before heading downstairs to meet your boyfriends in the living room.

You got to the bottom of the stairs and saw both of their backs turned to you.

"I'm ready," you said timidly, already second-guessing your outfit choice.

Haechan was the first to turn around.

"Finally, I thought... fuck," he looked you up and down.

Yang Yang turned around and shared the same exclamation. "Fuck, baby."

"Let's go," you said in an attempt to cover up your shyness.

"I don't think we have to go anymore," Yang Yang said, his eyes never leaving you once.

"Doll, let's stay home. I guarantee you I won't make it 5 minutes in the car before I rip that dress off and fuck you raw," Haechan strained, now shamelessly palming his crotch.

"Funny, in my case, you wouldn't have even walked through the door," Yang Yang smirked.

"Come here," he beckoned to you.

You walked over to him, well aware of the mess being made between your legs.

"Do you want to go, or should we stay and have some fun?" he asked softly.

"It's your call, baby," Haechan finished.

You closed your eyes momentarily.

"I wanna stay."

You looked up at Yang Yang to see the hesitant grin.

A rip.

Another rip.

And another.

That's how you ended up standing in your living room before your boyfriends, dressed only in underwear.

"My pretty little slut," Yangyang teased, undoing his belt.

"Wanted to stay home to get your tight little hole fucked and filled, huh?" he gritted out.

His large hands grabbed you by the nape of your neck, pulling you into a heated kiss.

He bit your bottom lip and squeezed your neck a little harder, causing you to moan into the kiss.

You both pulled away from the kiss, leaving a string of spit connecting your lips.

Feeling a bit dizzy from the kiss and a bit overwhelmed by the dull ache between your legs, you let out a shaky breath.

Yang Yang's head was now buried in the crook of your neck as his fingers started to slowly trail down your abdomen, making their way to the heat pooling between your legs.

"I want to hear you," he whispered, his breath hitting your neck and somehow making you feel more heated than you already were.

Without further warning, he pulled your underwear to the side and started to play with your clit.

"A-ah Yang- wait," you whined, mindlessly grinding your hips desperate for more pleasure.

A sharp slap replaced the once-circular movement of his hand, causing you to jolt.

"I didn't tell you to fucking move. I just said I wanted to hear you," he gritted out.

"Yes, sir," you said, knowing just how rough he could get.

He was the soft one of the two of your boyfriends, but you knew exactly how harsh he could get when you guys were having sex.

"Good girl" he said as he inserted a finger, slowly fucking into you.

You knew he was delaying your orgasm for as long as he could.

You could feel the strength leaving your legs, causing them to buckle.

Yang Yang, in response, began to quicken the pace of his finger, causing you to be momentarily dizzy.

"Fuck! Oh God- I'm gonna cum, Yang!" you screamed out, feeling your orgasm fast approaching.

"You gonna cum on my fingers, slut?" Yang taunted, knowing that your jolts and shaky legs indicated that you were about to do exactly that.

"Ask me nicely," he taunted further. He always did this, and it always had that same pussy-clenching effect on you.

"Fucking beg me, and I just might let you," he held your gaze as his finger fucked into you.

Feeling your knees buckle and that familiar sinking feeling in your stomach, you put on your prettiest voice—your most submissive one—his favorite.

"Please, Daddy, please make me cum. I'll be good, I promise. P-please..." you cried out, tears already rolling down your cheeks.

"Atta girl," he snickered.

"Cum for me, pretty," and you did just that, the feeling so intense you lost consciousness of your surroundings for a bit.

Tuning back in, you heard Haechan's moans loud and oh so clear - as he jerked himself off to the sight of you and Yang Yang.

Yang Yang let you out of his grasp as he began to mirror Haechan's actions.

His grunts were softer and desperate, whereas Haechan's were animalistic and loud.

"Come here and suck this dick, baby," Haechan grunted out, his pretty fingers still wrapped around his shaft, glistening with precum.

You walked over to him and immediately dropped to your knees, opening your mouth widely.

Just the way he likes it.

"Remember to breathe through your nose, baby," is all he said before he took a handful of your hair and thrust his dick into your mouth.

You gagged as it hit the back of your throat.

He ruthlessly fucked your mouth, not caring that your eyes were watering or that spit bubbles and snot were covering his dick.

Eventually, he pulled his dick out of your mouth, and you gasped for air—throat raw and nipples so hard they stung.

You watched as he looked down at you, smiling menacingly before using his hand to spread your spit and his precum all over your face and giving you a harsh slap across your cheek when he was satisfied.

"Very good, doll," he praised before giving you a sloppy kiss.

"Now, stand up and spread your fucking legs."

Following his instructions, you stood up on shaky knees, well aware of what was about to happen.

"Yang, come play with her pussy," Haechan called out.

You felt Yang Yang behind you before he started to play with your clit.

"You know the rules, right, baby?" Yang Yang asked, already aware of what Haechan's intentions were.

"Y-yes, sir."

You had to stay in this position for as long as possible. If your legs went weak and you fell to your knees, they wouldn't make you cum

One fucked you from behind while the other ate you out...together.

It was a game the three of you played often.

You looked at Haechan and saw that he was already on his knees, looking up at you.

"Ready, doll?" he asked.

You squeezed your eyes shut. "Yes."

You felt Yang Yang first, his tip teasing you a bit before he thrust into you, stretching you out and causing you to scream.

"Oh, fuck," he muttered, his voice blissful before he bit into your shoulder.

A shiver ran down your spine.

You were going to lose.

Just when you started getting used to Yang Yang, you felt Haechan's tongue.

"Haechan," you whined out.

"Yes, baby?" he answered before he started to eat you out like he'd been starving, sucking on your clit and lapping up all of your juices so effortlessly.

You were going to lose.

"You're not screaming enough for me," Yang Yang whispered to you like a devil on your shoulder.

Soon, the sound of skins slapping together, along with the sound of sucking and slurps, filled the apartment.

Now, you were screaming.

So fucking loud.

You were definitely going to lose.

[desi2go]

All in

Pairing: Jisung x reader

Warning: none -- college au!

summary: You are an introverted girl who just concentrates on her studies in college when she meets Jisung. Jisung was immediately mesmerized by you and wants to ask you out.

......

You always were a lone wolf. Not that you hated it, you just don't like being around many people. It made you uncomfortable because you were afraid they don't like you and talk behind your back.

Since you were a little child, you were shy and struggled with finding friends. But it wasn't that you felt lonely. You had a few friends, not many, just two or three. They literally adopted you as an introverted person and over the time you grew comfortable around these people.

But even though you appreciated their company, you loved being alone. This way you could think about everything without being distracted by something and just do your own things.

In college, you mostly were on your own because you just had a few classes with your friends. It didn't upset you or made you sad. You appreciated the time with them even more. But there was this boy, Jisung that seem to follow you everywhere. You soon realised that you had nearly every class with him and he often smiled at you whenever he saw you.

Most classmates ignored you but this boy seemed eager to become friends with you. In the morning he waves at you, smiling brightly while unpacking his things.

You often just nod and smiled a little. It made you a little bit uncomfortable that he was so friendly, not knowing why.

Usually you spend your afternoons in the library, just like today after your classes. You loved the quietness there. You unpacked your things on a small wooden table near a window. It was your favourite place in the library. From there you could easily observe the world outside with all the strangers walking by.

You listened to you music through your headphones, deep into your lecture that you needed for your presentation at the end of the week. At first you didn't realise that the brown haired boy made his way to your table and sat down on the other side. As you grabbed your pen from your pencil case, you shortly looked up just to see Jisung staring at you with a sweet smile.

Because of the scare, you dropped your pen to the floor. So, you quickly lift it from the floor.

"Hi Y/n!" He said, resting his arms on the table and placing his head in his hands. "Uhm, Hey."

"What are you doing? Your presentation? I finished mine yesterday. Hopefully I get a good mark for it" He told you. You just nodded and turned your attention to your work.

You felt uncomfortable as he kept looking at you. You would spend a thousand dollars for his thoughts. He placed two cups on the desk. "I thought you would like to have something to drink right now, so I brought you one" He gave the cup to you as you took it from him with a thank you. You took a sip and were surprised. It was an iced americano, your favourite. "How do you know I like iced americano?"

"Well, you drink it nearly every morning and overheard your oder it in the café near the library."

"Thank you very much" you whispered but as his smile grew wider, you knew he had heard you.

......

Since that day, Jisung accompanied you nearly every single time you were in the library. Usually he would come after some time with some snacks that he sneaked into or a drink. And after some time you grew more comfortable with him around. You often listened to him telling you about his day and funny stories from his childhood. Even though you wouldn't admit it but you grew fond of his company. But one question was still in your head every time he talked to you. Why? Why did he spend his time with you when he could be with his friends? He was really outgoing and found friends pretty easy. So, why you?

As he accompanied you today, you took all your confidence and finally asked him. " Jisung, why do you spend so much time with me?" He was surprised by the straight question but answered quick. "Because I like you. You're friendly and a great listener"

You nodded with a smile. You didn't expect such an answer. "By the way, Y/n. I would like to take you out to the new café later, if you want?" Slowly a small blush turned his cheeks into a soft pink. You swallowed and glanced at your hands for a few seconds. "I would love to go with you" you said with a thin voice. Jisung gave you the biggest smile he had.

"Actually, I thought about it as a date." He slowly admitted and shocked you with it. He wanted to go with you on a date? He? You played with your hands, unsure what to say. Maybe you just didn't understand it correctly. Or maybe it's a joke to him. You read so many books, where the boy dated a girl for a challenge. Your mind swirled.

"I-uhm. I don't think... I-I gotta go" You mumbled and quickly shoved everything into your backpack before running away, leaving a confused Jisung behind.

.....

After that you were stiff around him. You didn't know how to act around him anymore. Your best friend kept telling you that you should give him, love, a chance and not jump into conclusions immediately. The next few days you kept avoiding the sweet boy.

When you went into the library you sat on the table far away from your favourite seat because you feared that Jisung would confront you about it. So, you hid into a corner and hoped he wouldn't notice you.

Unfortunately, he found you and quickly strolled in your direction before you could storm out.

You sighed. You hated confrontations. "Y/n. Here are you. I looked for you everywhere." He said. You just nodded and played with your fingers. "Look. I'm sorry, if I scared you with it but I really would go out with you." "Why?" You asked quietly.

"Because like you. And not just in a platonic way. Since you showed up in class for the first time, I was mesmerized by you." Jisung explained with a bright blush on his cheeks. "And I'm not giving up, because you are worth fighting as I realised when I actually got to know you. I'm going all in"

[hiraethwa]

one summer day

03 shining light. where you find yourself making friends with two more volleyball players

<< 02 fly high. | >> 04 new dawn.

pairing: ushijima wakatoshi x reader a/n: so excited for them to finally be friends, ahhh! - ave word count: 1k warnings: cursing, not much, fluffy

september, first year

the next time you see semi after shiratorizawa wins the miyagi prefecture preliminaries for spring nationals, he had a remorseful expression about him, looking like a kicked puppy. “what did you do now?” 

“awh, y/n, did you not miss me?”

“i did, but you are acting suspicious…” you squint at the ash blonde, trying to pinpoint what it was that he is hiding from you. 

he tilts his head to the side, trying to act innocent. “tendo and ushijima may or may not be joining our little study session…”

“hah? explain that, you idiot” you smack him in the arm. perhaps you did not smack him hard enough because he was completely unfazed by your hit. 

“it was not my fault i swear. i had a bet with tendo for him to stop calling me semi-semi if i won, you know how much i hate him calling me that, but i lost, so they are coming with us today…” he trails off, looking guilty for agreeing to such a bet when the stakes are not even his to decide. it’s your house they are going to, for goodness sake.

you shake your head at your best friend in disbelief and resignation, “what the heck did you even bet on, idiot? you know what, i don’t even want to know, don’t tell me.” and that was that. 

so you find yourself at home with the three boys, bringing the strawberry shortcake out from the fridge. “don’t touch it!” you swat semi’s hands away from you as you carefully bring it to the kitchen counter to be cut.

“you know, this is all your fault, semi eita. you could have had a whole strawberry shortcake to yourself, but now you have to share.” you don’t think you will ever let him live it down. he may be in one of the top classes in school, but sometimes he really makes you question his intellect when he pulls shit like this. 

you hand out the plates of shortcake to the two newcomers first before offering one to semi just to torture him a little more. they quickly finish their own helping of the light dessert before asking you for more, to which you gestured towards the cake for them to go ahead and don’t be shy.

before long, the cake disappears. the appetite of three growing boys is astonishing. semi burps loudly, to which you yelled “disgusting!” 

you suppose it’s up to you to clean up before your parents come home. better do it before you forget and get an earful about it again. you stand up from the coffee table where you and semi and his friends are seated, collecting the plates and cutleries. ushijima follows suit, carrying his used plate to the kitchen behind you. 

“oh you can leave that in the sink, i will get that.” you start scrubbing the dishes with soap and sponge, methodically going over each surface. 

“let me help,” he comes up to stand next to you, making you suddenly conscious of his large frame. putting himself to work, he rinses off the soaped items that you place in his side of the sink and stands them neatly on the dish rack in the corner. “you know, you didn’t have to go along with semi’s loss bet if you didn’t want to have us here.” he speaks up over the sound of water.

you shrug, “it’s not like i am opposed to it… more like, i don’t know, out of my comfort zone, maybe? you’re eita’s friends and not my friends, so there’s definitely the degree of separation there,” you pause, trying to find your words, “plus im not the brightest at making friends and talking to people i'm not familiar with, so it’s not like i have many friends to begin with. in fact, i can count on one hand how many friends i have at school,” you lift your soapy left hand in front of him. “and it’s extroverts like eita who adopts an introvert like me to be their friend” 

“hmm, i see. want to hear something about myself in return?” you nod in answer. “i don’t have many friends either. when people look at me, all they see is the ace, the immense value i bring to the team or how they can best use my skills. i think they forget i am just human like them too.”

“ehh, i mean, the vibe you give off scares me a little, you do this thing with your face where i feel like you’re judging me all the time.” he raises an eyebrow at you. “exactly, just like that!” 

“you do realize people don’t say that to my face, right?” 

you scrunch your nose at ushijima. “well, i just did. what are you gonna do about it?” 

he lets out a laugh, a rumble with a higher pitch than you expected coming from him. “well, i guess we have to be friends now.” 

“friends?” you echo after him, confused. 

“yep, you said we’re eita’s friend, which made you uncomfortable. so now we’re friends, and you don’t have to feel awkward around us. deal?” he holds out his right hand. 

“that’s totally not what i said!” you try to protest, but finally relent as he wiggles his fingers waiting for you to shake hands with him. “fine, fine. i’ll be your friend.” you pretend to be exasperated as you seal the deal with a shake of your hands. 

“what’s that?” tendo pokes his head around the corner startling you. ushijima’s hand keeps you firmly planted in place as though he thought you might accidentally slip and crack your head open on the sink. you scoff at the thought, as if. but knowing yourself, it was a huge possibility. not that you would ever let him know. 

“you scared the shit out of me!” you exclaim at the redhead.

he tilts his head to one side. “why, why, you’ll forgive me, won’t you, dear friend?” 

“huh?!” 

“stop stealing y/n, she’s my friend” semi pops into the kitchen, strolling around to your fridge to look for more snacks. 

what did you just agree to?

and just like that, the two boys walked into your life. not only do you have one volleyball friend, you now have three. three volleyball players for a powerhouse school. oh, you absolutely can’t wait until the volleyball fan club starts harassing you.

what the fuck just happened. 

reblogs and comments are appreciated!

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[audaciousacolyte]

Yeah! I'm so happy to find a new blog like this (I also love your presentation, you seem very nice ♡)

Now, I actually have a lot of requests in mind, but I'd like to start with one about Kenny McCormick(teen). Can I have some fluff headcanons about Kenny having a s/o who is Latina and very very kind and pretty?

Like. At first she is shy and introverted since she is in a new place that speaks a different language and she feels a lot of pressure, but then after a while she relaxes and shows that she is a charismatic person who only wants to help and make others feel good, truly genuine.

I apologize if this is me being maybe too specific or not specific enough or something, I'm still new to making requests (also she/they if possible)

Dama Gentil

|| AN: I’m. . .not even going to lie, i forgot i had this account lmao. Anyway, here’s your request! Sorry it’s so late :3 ||

When you first came to South Park, Kenny wasn’t too interested in speaking with you. Not to say he wasn’t interested in you as a person! No, no, he just. . . Had other things going on at the moment (COUGH COUGH BEING A VIGILANTE COUGH COUGH)

when he DOES end up speaking to you, he’s both heavily surprised and enamored by just how gentle you are

Not that it’s a BAD THING, not at all! He just. . . Isn’t used to people treating him so kindly :(

As he gets to know you, he may try to go out of his way to make you more comfortable in South Park! Offering you a table at lunch, sharing homework answers with you, helping you carry your stuff from class to class. . .nothing too crazy (To him, anyway, his friends are all mystified by his sudden 180 from playboy to- for lack of a better word- puppy dog.)

the funniest bit is, Kenny DOESN’T even realize how whipped he is

He just thinks that he’s helping the (pretty, sweet, charming) new girl adjust to a new place!! He’s not crushing on her, guys, he swears! They’re just his friend, honestly!!!

Since he’s been spending so much time around you, he’s also started picking up on some phrases and swears from your first language! He feels that it’s a nice way to connect with you, so he spends a bit more time that he normally would just. . .studying all the different words and sayings so that he’d be able to talk with you better

(He’ll NEVER admit it, but. . .he REALLY loves how excited you get whenever he can understand something you said. That sweet little smile makes his entire day!)

It takes him FOREVER to finally man up and say something about how he feels for you, but when he eventually DOES, He’s insistent on letting you know just how deeply he cares about you.

In the end? Kenny would love you like nobody else, even going out of his way to do AT LEAST one thing a day to make you smile.

[starssoblue]

miraculous: ladybug & chat noir, the movie | a(n in-depth) review

prefacing this to say that i recognize a lot of feelings about this movie are related to a frustration with experiencing the tv series for five seasons since 2015. i, however, went into this as a brand new fan, having finally tried the series just since april of this year. so those feelings of frustration aren't going to be present in this review and it's coming more from a (somewhat) objective place, considering the film as its own entity. (spoilers abound.)

marinette:

so i'm a marinette dupain-cheng shooter, i'll fight for this girl forever because of how targeted the hate is for her (and leading female characters in general). but i have to say, even though the movie did a good job not having her be the completely messy pre-teenager she is in the show (especially around her crush), i found that the character change was a little strange.

i think, despite how flustered she gets, marinette in the show is a very strong character. she's a child who spent three years being relentlessly bullied by a politician's daughter (chloe) that people she was generally (she has no good friends but she has an amicable relationship with her peers because they all grew up together) friendly with stayed away from her, for the fear of becoming that girl's next target. she tries her best to stay out of this girl's way because of this bullying, and her defense is to keep quiet and not draw attention to herself so she can get through the school day without being harassed. this harassment leads to marinette having intense anxiety and a lack of confidence in herself, despite having strong opinions and being an otherwise passionate person. meeting her new friend alya, who is very self assured, inspires marinette to not allow her bully to walk over her anymore, and when she gets her first win as ladybug she finds the strength to finally stand up for herself. though she remains a target of that bully, this newfound strength helps her not allow that experience to reign over her life and this gives her bully less power.

in the movie, marinette (there was one trailer that implied she was "the new girl" but the movie itself does not really give us this impression—her scared meekness would make more sense to me if she actually were a new girl in school but more on this later) still grew up in paris with those same peers, but has so much crippling anxiety she has no baseline relationship with anyone. instead of it being mere general awkwardness, the film decides to make her especially clumsy to the point of insane catastrophes constantly happening around her (i guess for her entire life?), and this chaos makes the entire school laugh at her and spread rumors about her, so she has no friends at all. (would make a lot of sense if she's the new girl unless the point is the entire school has been making fun of the wasian girl since maternelle that she's still infamous in lycée for it and spent her entire life without a friend until alya filmed chloe harassing her and saved her, which is... concerning. or wait, is it because they've just entered lycée so they're all technically "new" even though she's lived in paris her whole life because they're starting grade 10 together? but what are the chances that no one she knew from collége are in this school with her now? so she enters lycée, is so clumsy and catastrophes happen around her that she develops a reputation for herself and people like chloe know her by name because she's become that infamous that quickly? but in the song 'reaching out,' marinette sings that she always dreamed of calling paris home, which seems to suggest that maybe she's new in paris. but their bakery seems too established to be new... i don't know. tbh this is information we shouldn't have to guess, and this lack of clarity is something i struggled with for this film.)

as an introverted person, marinette's anxiety and fear of leaving her comfort zone resonate with me, but i feel like while this is explained in the show as a result of years of bullying, it's portrayed here in the extreme. i understand that she's afraid at school because of all the rumors and the disasters that follow her, but even on the streets when she was singing to herself, random people would wave to her and she'd (sing) to herself, "i can't show my face!" even though nothing embarrassing or disastrous had even happened. she's just deathly afraid of people. i don't think this in and of itself is an issue, but it definitely needed more explanation or build up. is marinette this terrified and timid because something (worse than what happened in the series?) happened to her here? is it because she's (new to paris? again, they don't really say but it would fit better if it were true) wasian and she feels out of place in largely white paris? is it more about her biracial identity rather than clumsiness? who knows. so i feel just more background and character development would elevate the movie. arguably, she could just be an anxious and introverted person, but the portrayal of these characteristics just seemed a lot more surface level than they are in the show. i guess this is an example of a limitation a creator has with a film—they can accomplish so much more with years of subtle hints in a series and lay the foundation for certain backgrounds and traits, but in a movie they have to figure out what to tell us, what to show us, and how to develop it in under two hours. sadly, i feel with marinette, as a result of this time crunch, some of the film's portrayals ended up being weak.

(there's this scene all over twitter celebrating marinette standing up to chloe after her newfound confidence as ladybug—i am actually very confused why this was pointed out as a difference from the series. once marinette realized through alya and her first success as ladybug that she didn't need to be afraid of chloe anymore, she stopped. she constantly argues with her, doesn't put up with her bullshit, and even is sometimes mean to her (i'm not going to judge her for it—that girl bullied her badly for three years straight sooo...). i like the scene in the movie too, but my point was that it's consistent with the show and not an actual change.)

people love to attack marinette for some instances where the character in the show was used for absurd comic relief, and i appreciate that the movie doesn't do this with her much. i do think the female characters in miraculous, series and film, would all be better written if written by women, but i digress.

i like that while film marinette tries to reject the earrings just like series marinette, she fails because the magic that has chosen her won’t just let her throw the earrings away or give it to someone else. though she doesn’t randomly decide to give the earrings to alya here, she does try to throw them out a window and they kept coming back to her because she was the chosen one. this was a nice change. i never thought it should be that easy for her to just re-gift them to any random person when they chose her specifically for a reason. 

adrien:

adrien agreste in the series is outgoing, full of energy, lonely but eager to make friends, kind of optimistic. his mother has only been missing for six months at the start of the show, while he's in the public eye, working almost full time as a teen model and the face of his father's massively successful high fashion brand. his circumstances, his public image, the fact that not much time has passed and he's still a 13 year old child all lead him to resist being too affected by his grief (he's obviously still affected but it's not a crippling part of his life, and though he experiences loneliness and has moments of being withdrawn and sad, he retains a relatively optimistic and outgoing nature that influences his outlook on life and his interactions with his peers. he's socially inept through lack of interaction with kids his own age and homeschooling, but he's willing to learn and this, as well as his pure heart, are what define this character.

adrien in the movie is different, but in a way that is realistic and understandable given the changes the film made to his background. he's more quiet, withdrawn, lonely but chooses to stay that way and intentionally pushes people away as a coping mechanism for grief. though in both universes his father's role in his life decreases once his mother vanishes, and he essentially loses both parents rather than one, in the show, being a model and the face of his father's brand allows him to continue having a place in his dad's life even though his father treats him like dirt. in the movie, the time period in which his mother has been missing in his life seems to be much longer, and there has been no indication that adrien has anything to do with his father's work. with his grief affecting him for a greater length of time, his age being older, and his dad being an absentee parent for several years rather than a few months, it's no wonder that the adrien we meet in the movie chooses to pull away from people, allows the sad feelings to dominate, and just overall lacks the energy and optimism show adrien possesses. (i'm also not sure if it's even his first day of school or if he was homeschooled his whole life—chloe claimed she wanted to show him around, but nino interacts with him like they've been friends for more than just a day and he's known him for at least a little while).

honestly, i really like the changes here, despite being tv adrien agreste's #1 fan. this insight into his feelings about his parents, his resignation about his constantly deteriorating relationship with his father, his fixation on the piano which was an interest he shared with his mom, how palpable his feelings of nostalgia and longing are for his mother... the way he was a child when she disappeared and now he's a teenager still thinking about her, always missing her... it was such a natural portrayal of love and grief and though you can see which circumstances prevent show adrien from turning out this way, movie adrien is such an understandable and empathetic character. you really feel for him the whole movie. i think his (possible) lack of fame adds to this too (he doesn't seem to be a model in this, he has no schedules and isn't driven around everywhere, there are loads of photos of him at home but they could just be photos parents put up of their only son). at the end of the day he's a teenager with a father who neglects him constantly for his business and his own grief that he feels very alone, and these feelings keep him from wanting to get close to anyone else, either because he's sad or just afraid of further abandonment. i found the character so incredibly relatable and it was interesting seeing a more vulnerable side to this character, a vulnerability show adrien only occasionally demonstrates, a vulnerability more hinted at in the show through chat noir (but this is an essay for another day).

most importantly, show and movie adrien are both total dorks. the essence of this character is portrayed well in the movie, i really didn't mind the changes because in the end he was still recognizable as my sad sunshine adrien agreste, and i hope people look past the surface differences to recognize and appreciate him for who he is.

plagg plays a bigger role in adrien’s life in the series than in the movie. i love their relationship so i missed that here, but i also feel like maybe they didn’t need him to be looking out for adrien and essentially taking care of him (gorilla does this in the series too, and he wasn’t needed in the movie as adrien has the freedom to largely come and go as he wants and use public transport, something series adrien could never do) because of how much less restrictive his life is in this iteration. 

ladynoir:

the film introduces ladybug and chat noir as "two rival heroes." plagg and tikki themselves are called rivals. eventually ladybug redubs them as "partners" after she and chat noir find a rhythm and master fu also tells them they're stronger together, so i am puzzled why they even tried introducing them that way. in the show, ladynoir aren't rivals at al—they've always been a team. and in this movie, despite those initial comments, it's no different. there's banter and flirtation for sure, but the most "rival" these two get are when they first meet and are goading each other into an argument over which hero is better and who is the sidekick (before they've done anything lmao) and that one fun volkswagon ad when they race each other. i love the flirty competitive sparring, the way they tease each other, when they're just messing around and being playful in the 'stronger together' sequence. you really watch these two become best friends, and like the series, chat noir falls in love with ladybug like a thunderbolt (a coup de foudre!) while for her, you see her affection for him grow the longer they work together and get to know each other. i don't think this is as much of a departure from the series as stan twitter would have you believe, but it does spend more time on their dynamic in one setting than any episode ever does (ladynoir is developed over time in the series, little by little, and their cute flirty dynamic is very reminiscent of how they're portrayed in the first two seasons before the guardianship and other miraculous holders complicated their relationship. at their core they've always had great chemistry and a strong connection). i like both developments tbh, but that one scene of them training together and having fun for a significant amount of time was so lovely to see. don't get me wrong—there are some great moments these two share outside of battle in the series too, but it's been a while since we've seen this dynamic there with everything else going on that it felt so nice to return to this, and in such a huge way too.

the one thing i miss is chat noir calling ladybug "milady." it's such a cute thing he does in the series, and though i enjoyed that "insane!" / "watermelon!" banter, i do miss this being what he calls her all the time. (there is a song called 'my lady' that chat noir sings to himself after he falls in love with ladybug, and in the very last line of the song he calls her this, but otherwise it's just not a thing in the movie.) it really doesn't matter, but i still mourned its absence.

adrienette/adrinette:

the first time i watched this film, i did not like the first adrien/marinette meet-cute at all. to be honest, i wasn't being fair. the first miraculous scene in the series that had me completely enchanted was that umbrella scene in origins, and it is the foundation for this ship and why i love them so much. every bit of the original scene is perfection, with the careful finger brush, the soft smiles, the way their eyes meet and marinette hears a thunder clap (an actual coup de foudre) in the distance as the instrumental 'in the rain' plays in the background... that scene was so spectacularly constructed, it was always obvious nothing this movie did was ever going to match that.

and that's okay.

watching the film a second time, i found that while the umbrella scene still is incomparable, there are things i did like about marinette and adrien's first meeting. the way marinette asks for "a little luck" and she follows the light through the bookshelves to see adrien, who approaches her himself because he thinks she might be in need of help, asking her if she's okay or seeing the distressed look upon her face and wondering if she's crying. it's different from origins, but in some ways it's the same—marinette was distressed, adrien approached her first, she's thrown by his kindness and flustered by his beauty. they have some kind of moment and in the end, he offers her an awkward but gentle smile.

but in origins, they already had history. she didn't care and barely realized he was famous or even connected to her dream of becoming a fashion designer. his looks don't register to her until she's already fallen in love with him. and it's his initiative to correct the misunderstanding between them and show her kindness despite her being harsh and unfair to him that makes her take a second glance, and once she does, she falls in love fast. though i do see the essence of that moment—the being drawn to adrien's kindness aspect—in the movie's library scene, it's less impactful. she doesn't know adrien, so there is barely a conversation between them, and other than his concern over her and his offer of a helping hand when she falls, i don't really see what he does that makes her fall strongly in love with him. if it's still his kindness, it just feels weaker. one could argue that her instant attraction to him is because of his cuteness, and this is what flusters her, and his kindness (less impact than the series, but in this new universe, barely anyone in this school has ever shown marinette kindness rather than gossiping and laughing about her clumsiness so maybe to her this is a real moment of kindness) is only secondary. it's not all that clear. either way, marinette is fascinated by him to keep looking at him before she even falls and he offers to help her up, so the meeting feels a lot more shallow (he had noticed her distress and asked if she was crying before, but i don't know... is just asking about her enough kindness to get that reaction from her? it makes sense after he helps her up but the fascination before.. maybe i'm just longing for the impact of the umbrella scene and this was actually fine...?). the scene ends with adrien's confused, soft smile when he says "she's so weird" to himself (they barely interacted, so i don't know if i'd call it a "fond smile" but it's not the malicious thing some people on social media have been making it out to be. in this iteration adrien tries not to interact with many people, so it's a big deal he was kind enough to still reach out to her. this meeting probably stuck out to him as something unordinary and the comment felt more like he was curious about her more than anything else. it ends up being important to marinette because her clumsiness makes people usually mock her, but he didn't do that, so her instinct then is to try to talk to him (and ask him out, probably?). not the big momentous falling in love scene from the series, but it is still a nice moment for these characters as they're established in this universe.

i think one of the reasons this ship feels weak to me in the film is that outside of this moment, adrien and marinette's friendship development is reduced to a musical montage.

if the movie had used this moment to develop their relationship further, i probably would have actually liked the romance here. while ladynoir had scenes of interactions and ladybug and chat noir getting to know each other and becoming comfortable with each other and literally becoming bffs who trust each other as only two people in the world who share a singular unique experience can, all the development adrien and marinette have is shown through one musical montage in the middle of the movie. (they do have a small interaction at the fair, but this is around the time adrien is first coming out of his shell so it’s very brief.) in the montage, you see many shots of adrien and marinette hanging out with alya and nino in picnics and at the movies, and he looks more at ease with each outing. and you also see adrien opening up to marinette specifically about his mom, sharing photos of her, and finally working through his grief rather than withdrawing from everyone. but because this is a five second scene in the midst of a musical montage illustrating the passage of time, we never get the words exchanged, the scene is glossed over and the impact is only felt by fans of the series who know what this means to him. (fun fact: the film has adrien trusting marinette enough to feel so close to her he talks about his mom with her before he talks to ladybug about her and how in his grief he pushed people away before he met her. though ladybug was the catalyst to him opening up to people, i do find it meaningful that he opened up to marinette first. but this is still a crumb and you have to be looking to make those connections in order to see them. the film should have shown adrien falling in love to some extent outside of the mask as well, he’s supposed to have some kind of inner conflict and it’s hard to believe that he does here with all the missing pieces.) i’m not sure if casual viewers would even notice it in the midst of all the other scenes happening as the theme song plays in the background. had we seen more of stuff like this, gotten some kind of explanation that over time adrien had started to feel for marinette too and this montage is proof of it (it shows that they’re friends and he trusts her now to some extent, but it’s so fast it barely registers. you can’t deduce he’s in love with marinette here, whereas in the scenes with chat noir you see ladybug actively struggle with her feelings, develop affectionate feelings for chat noir, and feel bad for rejecting him because of that, not just because it sucks to have to turn someone down), then that would have been fine. but that’s not what happens. after this montage we barely see adrien and marinette together at all until she tries asking him to he ball and he says he’s sorry but there’s someone else. though his rejection was soft, and you do see him look upset he had to reject her, there was no doubt he was going to reject her here. the core conflict—that they’re in love with two people, one they fall in love with like thunder and another that slowly builds in their heart—is so badly illustrated in this movie. you can see the intention is there if you’re looking for it, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. 

though i appreciate that marinette didn't struggle to find her words around adrien in this film, and appeared more realistically flustered and anxious rather than the over the top thing they do in the series, i still feel like the adrinette in the series is overall written and developed better as a ship. in the tv series, you see this initial conflict —chat noir falls fast for ladybug, who turns him down because marinette fell just as fast in love with adrien agreste—turn into marinette forming a friendship with chat noir, whom she then starts to get close to outside and in the mask, as adrien starts to fall in love with marinette. the series is now at a point where adrien and marinette are actually in love, despite never actually falling out of love with their superhero counterparts, so that if it finally leads to a reveal (which it hasn’t yet), it would be incredibly moving.

my issue is, without this adrinette relationship development, the reveal feels less impactful. if you’re frustrated the series hasn’t given you this moment yet, you feel satisfaction seeing it in the conclusion of this film solely because of the progression of the series. without it, looking at the moments in this film alone, it feels halfhearted. though marinette is ladybug, it’s an idealized version of herself she’s created to take on the challenge of being a hero. these characteristics are still hers, but it feels like someone falling in love with a celebrity. though this isn’t wholly true—chat gets to know ladybug’s vulnerabilities too as they get closer—it’s still not fully her the way marinette, as a normal person who now has the confidence being ladybug provides her echoing in her daily life too, is. so her struggling with her feelings, turning chat noir down reluctantly before adrien rejects her, but still reaching out to him once discovering they’re the same person—you just see that she falls in love with all sides of him. but it’s less clear for adrien. you can analyze that montage and make a deduction, but it’s not as explicit. instead, it just feels like he rejects who she actually is for her heroic persona, and that makes the reveal feel one-sided (unless you carry over your feelings of frustration from the series never giving us this moment).

it sucks that adrinette was underdeveloped because as far as scenes go, the reveal is actually quite beautiful. adrien has tears in his eyes when she introduces herself as ladybug and he realizes she liked him all along, but if we knew why those tears of relief and happiness appeared upon realizing the girl of his dreams was marinette, it would mean more. [he’s also at this ball wearing the bow tie marinette made for him that she threw into the trash after he rejected her, and i’d love to believe that this isn’t a continuity error, but it probably is. it’s hard to imagine adrien felt so torn up about rejecting marinette (after ladybug already rejected him??! like it really felt like he’d like to go to this ball that he never asked ladybug to go to alone rather than with marinette, which is…not great ) that he went by the trash, saw his name on a box and opened it up, realizing she made him a gift, and then chose to wear it. he literally doesn’t think about marinette once in this film after he rejects her so this feels like a reach… unless it was intentional, in which case they should have written so much more to make this (and this ship) clear.]

gabriel agreste:

i can't remember if origins explained how long gabriel agreste had the butterfly miraculous and if he used it right away upon acquiring it, but what i liked in the film was that it was clearly explained that he had had that artifact for a while, done research on its capabilities, considered the risks and rewards, and then after a long time of deliberation finally made the active choice to do what he knew was wrong just because he loved his wife so much he would never be able to live without her. ("if chaos is the way, i will burn the world and lose myself to do so!") each time he misuses the miraculous to hurt people, it takes a toll on his physical and mental health, making him look haggard and act more crazy and reckless (this happens in the series as well—season 1 gabriel isn't season 5 gabriel but he becomes more villainous over time).

one thing that confuses me though is that gabriel got a sense of the chaos and terror committed with the butterfly miraculous upon just touching the item, but the series and later on in the film, it's explicitly stated that this miraculous isn't inherently evil. in the show there are many reasons why ladybug and chat noir historically were called to fight, but in the movie it seems to be implied that it's this one miraculous alone that summons them through creating chaos in the world. but it's also allegedly 'good'—this contradiction is confusing (and my friend who had no knowledge of mlb was so lost watching this movie). i don't think the show does much for romanticizing this decision the way the film does, and it certainly doesn't make us believe that gabriel agreste felt forced to make this decision and had doubts he overlooked because he was that desperate. i mean, his desperation comes across in the series in other ways but not in a sad lonely man who is struggling to live without his wife way. the film humanizes this stupid, terrible man in a way the series fails to do so (which makes sense given some of the atrocities he goes onto commit that film gabriel doesn't come close to doing). this softer portrayal works for the movie as many of the things i dislike about m. agreste are never portrayed, leaving him a bit more of a sympathetic villain even as he terrorizes all of paris. he still sucks though, just on a lesser scale. 

when gabriel tells the story about how much adrien's mother meant to him, and how difficult it was for him to face the sadness in adrien's eyes upon losing a parent (tbh he's so dumb. his son finds it hard to cope with one parent leaving him so his solution is to make him lose the second parent too just because it was hard to deal with his son's grief on top of his own...dumbass), he says it was only after she was gone that he learned about the miraculous. does this mean that in this universe adrien actually wasn't conceived using the peacock miraculous and the coma emilie is in at the end is caused by something else? gabriel and adrien both speak about his mom like she's dead. and at the end it's revealed that like in the series, emilie is still alive but in a magical coma. did he just mean that they already knew about the peacock miraculous and what he learned about was the butterfly miraculous and then the wish the ladybug and black cat miraculous combined make? i'm lost. (maybe it's just really huge a continuity error?

i saw a lot of people wonder why adrien in the show doesn't argue with his father or blow up at him the way adrien does in the film. aside from the fact that gabriel agreste in the movie is a lot less criminal than the abusive doucheface he is in the series, it doesn't look like adrien is being controlled by his father if he's a sentibeing here too and the worst thing gabriel has done is be an absentee parent (bad, but it's not the locking your kid up, forcing him to work since he was a child, controlling his every second of every day, having your employees follow him around and spy on him for you, trying to control who he interacts with on a daily basis, forbidding him from hanging out with friends, trying to akumatize him or exploit him in other ways, being emotionally abusive, etc etc). adrien in the series being younger, experiencing his father being an ass only since his mother disappeared six months ago and taking nearly a year to realize his treatment isn't normal and he physically can't resist his dad's orders even if he wanted to... they're in such different predicaments. older adrien with less manipulation and abuse would have an easier time yelling at his father. tv adrien also eventually argues with his dad in season 5, but it takes a lot to build up to that and then the series quickly destroys all this character development because of a hole they wrote themselves into, but that's an essay for another time... i don't think these can be fairly compared. (that said, i clapped hard when adrien told his father he lost his dad a long time ago. his father made a decision not to act like a parent once he lost his wife and it's been a long while since then, he's essentially raising himself at this point.)

it's this change in adrien and gabriel's relationship that allows the end of the final battle to make sense in the movie in a way they wouldn't make sense in the show. tv gabriel agreste doesn't care to hurt his son—you see this constantly explored in different timelines. there is a reason why there's so much fanfiction guessing gabriel would exploit adrien if he learned he was chat noir, or actively try to trade him for his wife. movie gabriel, however, stops right away the second he realizes that the teenager he was ready to hurt was actually his son. hell, even earlier, he called adrien to leave the fair before sending akumas there because he didn't want him to get caught in the crossfire. tv gabriel would never. (i guess show gabriel also does this mid-series sometimes but it's so inconsistent...granted show gabriel doesn't know what his son is even doing most days unless he's leaving the city—the one very aware of his schedule is nathalie sooo maybe it's an issue of knowledge. either way, by season 5, gabriel tries to deliberately put his son into harm's way and even akumatize him sooooo....) so that heart to heart they have that helps gabriel deal with his grief and talks him down from being a supervillain any longer is a beautiful moment (the scene itself has the prettiest animation of those two embracing as purified butterflies surround them), but one that the series would not be able to replicate (that character is really not redeemable there even though they kind of tried).

chloe:

to be honest i don't really care for her in any iteration of this, but i did find it interesting that while she said she offered to show him around (as she does in the show too), we never see adrien with chloe in this movie ever. he doesn't talk about her, he doesn't acknowledge her. i always see their friendship as one created by circumstance—when you're kids and your parents' friends only have the one child you're left to interact with so you become "friends" but that friendship isn't anything deep despite it being one of your first. not going to analyze their relationship in the show because while it's not the best friendship some people in fandom fictionalize, it does have some complexity, but in the movie, i'd honestly argue they barely know each other. chloe mentions adrien on multiple occasions. but he doesn't once talk or think about her. he's already friends with nino (is he new in this? chloe said she wants to show him around, but he's already hanging out in a library when we first see him and he already is friends with nino enough for nino to try to invite him out—is it that he's new but this time it's not his first day we're seeing? i don't know, it's unclear), and they make plans to hang out. you see a montage of him hanging out with nino, alya and marinette later, but nothing on chloe. if she wasn't so extremely anxious, i'd wonder why marinette believes chloe at all when she suddenly claims to be the girl adrien likes. i saw some people say chloe in the film is more redeemable than chloe in the series, and while this is true (because of things chloe does to aid a supervillain in seasons 4 and 5 that can't really be undone) i don't see much of a difference in her relationship with marinette. she's not a "rival" (rival suggests a largely harmless competitiveness—marinette isn't competing with her. she's trying to stay out of her way so chloe doesn't hurt her). the degree of bullying is possibly different (we don't really know. movie chloe threatens to strangle marinette with her own hair, so while she's probably not the sole reason marinette has no friends this time, she's still pretty much an actual bully, though a little more aware of being shamed via the internet for her crimes, though not so much at school in front of people... probably because irl people she can control but on the internet, as a politician's daughter as well as a famous hotel heiress, she is bound to face backlash for herself and her family...?) but it's still not great enough to be claiming this character deserves serious spotlight or a redemption arc (honestly she's hardly in the movie). like the series, i get the impression that there is some racism at work here too, but it's not as strong as it is in the show (marinette being this white girl's main target for no reason, her talking to her like she's inhuman, the way the entire school is so quick to dismiss her whenever she's targeted by lila or chloe without ever investigating anything because a white girl cried wolf, and then chloe's actual comments to marinette's uncle, the way she stresses the 'cheng' part of her surname when she's addressing her, etc. etc. the film doesn't do any of this).

there's a scene where chloe is ordering sabrina to locate marinette so she can harass her, and sabrina finds marinette but chooses to lie and pretend she couldn't find her. though sabrina in the series slowly evolves and learns to listen to her own conscience, i like that outside of chloe's line of sight, she knows what's wrong or right. though this is true of series sabrina too, she doesn't act on this sense of morality. i like the change that she does in the film, at least away from chloe. it's the bare minimum but at least it's something.

the music:

it took me a whileeee to care about the music here, but i still find a lot of the music just largely forgettable. (honestly i was hoping for disney classic level music in this animated film, so i guess i have no one to blame but myself there. it doesn't help that i'm obsessed with the actual instrumental music in the series—'in the rain' is one of the most beautiful songs i've ever heard. also i was hoping for ce mur qui nous sépare, but i guess that was a hopeless dream. i was hoping, if they were excluding it, the song wouldn't apply in the movie because there were less "walls between [them]" than in the series, since it was ending in a reveal, but the film doesn't actually go that route... more on that later.) despite the fact that the music wasn't my favorite part, and i really think the movie would improve if there had been a better balance between story development and music (the film really suffers from too much unneeded music in favor of less story development), i did really enjoy some of the songs and the usage of series throwback musical motifs was excellent. also really enjoyed the usage of 'careless whisper' in this movie lmfaoooooo, comedic excellence.

(unpopular opinion: i really didn't mind that lou sings for christina. it doesn't fit well at all, but i heard about it long before i watched the movie and was just expecting it. it's not the best because their voices are so different, but it didn't really take me out like i thought it would, and i got used to it really fast.)

in the first song marinette sings about believing in herself. the visuals are gorgeous. the film brought to life her sketchbook, evolving the mundane to the most elegant of clothes. honestly would love to see and hear more about marinette's passion for design and her dream of becoming a designer. the film barely touched upon it (the show could go into this more too! they do sometimes but i want moreee), but it would be nice to hear where marinette's inspirations come from, why this dream is so meaningful to her. what i found interesting was, in the show marinette exclaims that gabriel agreste is her favorite fashion designer. but movie marinette doesn't mention him ever. does she know about him? is he less influential to her here? she walks by his showroom on her way to school but that's the extent we see of anything in this vein. curious.

though i don't think the 'you are ladybug' song was a necessity (adrien didn't get a song about becoming chat noir, but i guess he didn't need the extra encouragement, since he was ready to go instantly), i did actually enjoy it. lyrically it isn't strong, but it's a fun back and forth between marinette and tikki, and the way the song pays homage to the miraculous ladybug theme song is beautiful (the entire "i have one job / i'm good at it / i've been doing it for so many years" follows the tune to "another day / i'm back at school / i look at him, he's so cool" in the series theme song, and i especially loved "but why me? / i'm nothing special, bug / wait and see / what you're capable of" sung to the melody of "oh oh oh / he's got me spinning 'round / oh oh oh / my feet are off the ground." just TOO GOOD). the rap where tikki channels lin manuel miranda made me die of laughter, but also i really can't get over her going, "we'll come THISCLOSE to dying and then we'll do it all again!" as a selling point to convince this teenager to put her life on the line for all of paris. the other part of this song i really loved was the polyphony at the end when marinette and tikki sang their own melodies at the same time—not just because it sounded nice but because i died over tikki saying, "i'm about to kick your butt if you don't start to listen" lmao.

my entire theater laughed at hawk moth’s song (the song was okay, but the concept of hawk moth singing took me out lmao). it did have the feel of a classic villain song in movies like anastasia or the lion king, but it wasn’t as memorable. i do think it expressed gabriel agreste’s mental state really well though. 

reiterating that i really don’t think marinette needed 3.5 different songs about the same theme, but the best song lyrically/musically/vocally is definitely ‘courage in me,’ hands down.

maybe it’s because i adore the fuck out of the music drew ryan scott sings as ’christopher wilde’ in the disney channel movie starstruck, but i love the song chat noir sings after being lovestruck by ladybug after their first meeting (sung by the same man). the visuals of him literally singing with his head in the clouds were excellent, the character song fit him so well, and i think the melody had such a dreamscape feel of falling in love. i actually really like the lyrics in this song too (“it’s been a while since i smiled and meant it” adrichat my bb ;A; ) and my favorite part is “then she appears like a dream in a dream!” i think this song also does what music is meant to do in a musical—add to the story so that part of it can be told in song. so we get adrien basically saying he’s been withdrawing from people for sooo long, and this encounter with ladybug in which he almost died is the first time he’s felt something in a long time. this musical interlude leads to him hanging out with his friend nino at the fair (he said ‘whatever’ when nino first asked him to go, but the difference in his expression and the fact that he seems more smiley and enthusiastic in this encounter, and even hopeful enough to ask his dad to actually come to the fair and hang out with him already demonstrates a change in his demeanor), actually having a conversation with marinette, and then a montage of him no longer choosing to deal with his grief alone and finally reaching out to others, so you can see how that moment with ladybug (and all the other moments of them getting to know each other afterward while fighting or training) really did impact his life.

the miraculous title musical montage around the middle of the movie was too excellent and showed the passage of time really well, both as ladybug and chat noir, and as adrien and marinette. this was a great way to develop parts of the story (it also depicted marinette’s character evolution, making her more self confident in her daily life and no longer being an anxious messy creator of catastrophes). it was also nice to just hear a familiar song. (chat noir smiling goofily to himself after seeing ladybug smile at “and when i see her smile, that’s when she becomes miraculous” is my fave—it's just so well done, i love.)

‘stronger together’ is one of those songs that i love the first half of but find the second half too messy. the sequence is gorgeous, the scene is one of my favorites in terms of relationship development and animation in the entire movie. and i am weirdly in love with the part of the song where it pauses before he sings “take my hand!” and the music picks up. it’s so playful and flirty and the essence of how ladynoir are depicted in this movie, and i love that. the vocals are lovely. there’s a musical motif throwing back to one of my favorite instrumentals in the tv series—'the last dance' which serves as the background of so many touching ladybug and chat noir moments in the show—at the end of the song where she ponders the mixed feelings inside her heart before ultimately rejecting chat noir (“what is this feeling now? i cannot fall for him…” / “we could be great, i know / i’m falling for you.”). as a song, this back and forth dialogue feels so random tacked on here but it is a musical so i guess that fits, i just found the whole thing kind of messy. but i love that they did this dialogue to the melody of ‘the last dance’ because it’s such a gorgeous melody and a sentimental throwback. honestly even if i only like half the song, the scene itself is a film highlight and i fucking cry over the cheesy cute “you save the world every day with your mask, but the girl behind it saved my heart” he says to her that causes her to gasp (same).

film additions that are just better:

the animation, obviously. (THE HAIR TEXTURE! THE SCENERY! THEIR EYES? I CRY I CRY.)

i am fond of the fact that their miraculous lights up (flickers? glows? there's light of some kind) when the city is in need of ladybug or chat noir to save the day, and just kind of guides adrien and marinette to where they need to go. this is a big difference from the series where they have to physically encounter the danger themselves (and they do! because in the show, most of the people akumatized are people they know, random adults in their lives or the kids in their class). and at least one of them has to be present to call the other one to appear. this is not necessary in the universe of the movie. it's also more realistic because hawk moth isn't specifically targeting the kids in his son's class, but is akumatizing people at random all over the city.

i also really loved the fact that tikki and plagg use magic to choose their own chosen holders, rather than master fu doing a random test in the middle of nowhere and hoping to attract people of pure heart out on the street. it helps add to the lore that they're actually chosen, and that they're fated and compatible, and i love that a lot. (there is a scene where he, while trying to chase tikki, ends up in the middle of the street in front of oncoming traffic, and marinette risks her life to save him. but this wasn't used as a means for him to choose her for the ladybug role, but rather as a means for identifying that she was destined to be ladybug and tikki had chosen her. i will add that while i love the concept, the scene itself made me laugh because he sounded crazy interacting with her, no wonder she ended up being scared and running away from him.) the fact that adrien spots a black cat that leads him to the black cat ring and marinette spots a ladybug that guides her to the ladybug earrings... *chef's kiss* i'll confess, i wasn't a fan of every single person they choose throughout history being called ladybug and chat noir (in the series, they choose their own names. ladybug is self explanatory but the fact that adrien's mom used to read him a bedtime story about a hero named chat noir and this resonated with him so much he chose to name himself that immediately upon discovering he has powers means so much to me), but this really wasn't a significant change and i only care because i love adrichat so much.

it was a cool detail in the scene where marinette meets tikki that she awakens like the genie in aladdin (she even calls herself a genie in this one rather than a god. it doesn't matter, but i prefer kwamis being called gods. tikki then goes on to talk about how she can't grant wishes, when we know the black cat and ladybug miraculous can grant a wish in exchange for an equal price which is the entire plot of the movie, but this terminology preference is unimportant). the way she noted all the societal changes and how much time has spent since she's been needed to reawaken was very fun.

in the tv series, gabriel agreste akumatizes himself when he thinks ladybug and chat noir might guess his identity as hawk moth, hoping that if he appeared as a victim they'd be off his trail. while this serves its purpose in the show, i thought it was really cool that film gabriel agreste decided his dark heart would be stronger than the people he's been akumatizing, and instead of continuing to sit back and use innocent civilians for his means, he chooses to akumatize those negative feelings he always carries with him and turn into the ultimate villain himself. and he succeeds, becoming a villain that is so strong, he gets the earrings himself and nearly gets the ring. though i liked that he did this, something about this battle still felt really anticlimactic. it's probably a pacing issue because i really did love that final scene between gabriel and adrien, but everything happened so fast it didn't feel as epic as it seemed they were going for. additionally, i know that the point was ladybug and chat noir are only unbeatable if they work together and they were not at all united this final battle because their feelings got in the way, i was still really troubled that the only reason they won against hawk moth is because he backed off. had chat noir's mask never gotten torn, he would not have stopped...

(i also have to ask, since his identity gets revealed on a large scale and the newscasters even announce that it was him the whole time, does he actually get consequences? like he did back off, but he was still terrorizing the whole city for months... if he's exposed, shouldn't there be ramifications? i can't tell if he went to prison. the movie did not say.)

where the series shines more:

to someone who has never seen the series (i watched this initially with a friend who knew absolutely nothing about mlb), the powers are confusing. in the series, origins explains really well what cataclysm and lucky charm do, how they can only use them once before given five minutes before detransforming and needing to re-transform to use the power again. the series makes use of this, creating tension with the five minute rule (which is explained to only apply to them while they're children, so once they "mature" the time limit will disappear and they'd be able to use their powers over and over without fear of exposing their identities). while the movie does not need to stress over the time limitation (as the film aged up the characters from 13 to 15/16, so i guess they've already hit 'maturity'), it spends no time on explaining what a cataclysm is (a power chat noir doesn't even use until the final battle, and NO EXPLANATION IS GIVEN. WE'RE JUST SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE ALWAYS HAD THIS ABILITY HE NEVER NEEDED TO USE UNTIL HAWK MOTH WAS READY TO KILL HIM) and there are no lucky charms.

actually, the entire battle format makes little sense. in the show, ladybug and chat noir have to figure out what object hawk moth akumatized to turn civilians into his supernatural army, break the akumatized object, free the butterfly, and then purify it. in the movie, all they're really told is that they're meant to fight these beings, and after they win, ladybug can purify the butterfly. there isn't an explanation for when the butterfly leaves the akuma—no objects are being broken; they're literally just fighting until the monster can exist no more. this is strange to me because these fights have no rules. it's just, literally physically defeating a creature until the magic can no longer hold it.

i don't know how i feel about this, but i liked how the series does it. because it's an emphasis on physical strength, the movie lacking lucky charms makes sense, but what i always liked about that was 1) it called back on ladybug being the embodiment of good luck that her power would be chance, and 2) it was specifically marinette's time to shine. her strength in the series is her creativity, her creative approach to problem solving and use of her clever mind is what sets her apart and makes her the best ladybug in the series no matter who else has worn the ladybug miraculous. without this, i felt like a big essence of the character was missing. (the film does call upon her intelligence and creative mind in some scenes, like in the first battle where she uses her yoyo somewhat strategically to stumble her way through traffic and save chat noir, but it wasn't enough for me. i guess it was supposed to be implied that she planned the gargoyle to get hit by the train and the collision released the akuma, but the film is so unclear about this. it looked more like a happy accident rather than marinette using her brain to save the day.)

in the show, ladybug also has the ability to undo akuma damage when she throws her lucky charm into the air and shouts "miraculous ladybug" at the end of each battle. since lucky charms are absent in this iteration, it makes sense this isn't a thing either. (i guess it could also be tedious to show this in the movie after every single attack whereas once an episode is fine, but they could have just shown it once and implied it always happened. instead, what they implied was that after every battle, the damage to the city was actual damage and the city had to deal with the infrastructure hawk moth damaged until after the final battle, when ladybug gave master fu the butterfly miraculous. upon reclamation of that miraculous, fu told her that she, as the holder of the miraculous of creation, could (now, i guess?) use her power to rebuild the city. instead of it being a lucky charm thrown into the air with an incantation that creates a swarm of butterflies spreading over the city for an immediate cure, it's marinette directing her power slowly to every corner of the city and actually creating to undo the damage. this made for a very pretty scene that i really liked, but imagine how awful paris would look if in the series, none of that damage was ever fixed and it would have taken til the end of season 5, ten months after hawk moth started terrorizing the city, for anything to get restored (actually this wouldn't even happe if the show universe worked the same way because they don't reclaim that miraculous at the end of season 5).

so one of my main issues with this film is that a lot of the major themes and didactic messages are just constantly shoved in your face rather than learned by the characters. i think the series—because it has the time—does this better than the film because it allows characters to fail and learn things on their own, rather than having the message delivered in big "life lesson" quotes to the characters all the time that it doesn't at all feel natural. (so the film constantly tells rather than shows.) for example, on her way out of the bakery, marinette randomly asks her mom, "how do you make your dreams come true?" this conversation comes out of nowhere (they were talking about her embarrassment from her dad's antics and her lack of friends right before), and it's followed up with a lesson in believing in herself. it might have made sense had her mom encouraged her to embrace who she is and related that to her reaching out of her comfort zone to consider befriending some of her peers, but that doesn't happen. (it does lead to a song about believing in herself and how if she did so she'd reach her true potential, which is nice, but feels so disjointed from the conversation that happened before it, it was a bit jarring.) when marinette meets master fu on the street, he randomly says to her "who saves a life saves the world" and scares her. but then moments after, she ends up somewhere a ladybug leads her to the same words written on stone. we really didn't need master fu saying this to her when she was going to encounter the message anyway (especially as it comes into play significantly at the end of the movie in the final battle when fu reiterates the quote).

i cringed so hard in that scene after their first fight where master fu appeared out of nowhere just to say “before you discover who i am, you must first discover who you are.” like... okay?

similarly, this is how i felt about the "stronger together" theme. i love that this message is important to the plot—chat noir and ladybug literally are stronger together. but this is constantly being stated rather than the movie trusting the audience to realize it on their own. in the show, ladybug and chat noir work best as partners. their teamwork and trust in each other makes the entire show. here, they work best together also, and their powers even amplify during the moments of teamwork rather than when either of them try to take on a fight alone. i thought this was an interesting change (i love both), but i really like the two of them discovering this on their own through trial and error rather than having master fu mention it to them once and they just spend the entire movie constantly thinking about it.

the one “life lesson” that i thought was more naturally expressed was when chat noir, before being a cute goofball and teasing her, realized ladybug was a little hesitant to accept the mission, and he said, “i understand you’re afraid, but failure is not your enemy—your fears are.” though his delivery was lighthearted, the message stayed with her and she even parrots it back to him later. this is how a film expressing such “life lessons” should do it—through natural progression rather than a bunch of fortune cookie quotes thrown at you over and over again. (though the scene is different, it was reminiscent of the scene in origins when ladybug panics because of how they messed up their first fight, and chat noir reassures and encourages her, inspiring her to continue being a hero despite her being afraid of making more mistakes. this is another example of the film having corresponding but distinctive scenes that i still really enjoyed even though they were different from the series.)

actually, that scene towards the end of the film when tikki reminds marinette that she's ladybug even outside of the mask was really well done too (as well as its reference to the earlier "you save the world every day with your mask, but the girl behind it saved my heart" scene). i loved seeing marinette muster up all the strength she has to try to free chat noir from hawk moth's grip. that one shot of her tackling him out of the way of hawk moth's attack as herself untransformed is so beautifully animated.

overall:

honestly, ignoring all those tweets arguing the movie is better than the series (they're incomparable—there are things the film does better, but overall the development of the series spread out over a hundred episodes is way better than a movie limited under two hours with way too much music), i found that the movie was fun if it wasn't taken seriously. as much as we all hate astruc i don't think it can replace the series even with the things it did better, but i don't think it was meant to (despite what tons of great marketing tweets by fans have claimed). it's just another way to enjoy these characters that mean a lot to us, another iteration of a story we cherish. i do hope the writing improves and the lessons come more naturally in the sequel, but even if it's just a continuation of this i'll eat it up every time (especially now that the movie approaches territory the series has never come close to: marinette and adrien know their feelings for each other and their identities, a fanfiction reader's dream! and maybe they can retcon the adrienette and explore whatever was meant to be conveyed via that montage so that the relationship works on both sides of the mask). i hope anyone familiar with miraculous (and those even curious about it) go and enjoy this film on netflix because it's still a fun ride, and i'm really glad i had the opportunity to experience it at the cinema and laugh and cry all the way through.

[fluentmoviequoter]

Insidious: The Red Door

Dalton Lambert x fem!reader

blurbs and celebration fics

A Soporific Relationship

1.1k+ words | fluff | Dalton can't sleep, so his best friend sleeps next to him to help.

What I Said in the Dark

1.1k+ words | angst | When Dalton is possessed, truth comes to the light when he talks in the dark.

What We Do in the Dark (Part 2) 1.3k+ words | angst to fluff | Dalton has to deal with what he said while possessed.

You're All Mine

1.5k+ words | fluff | Dalton makes a new friend who doesn't mind his shyness.

Sunshine in the Darkness

1.7k+ words | fluff | Dalton finds shy!reader hiding in an empty room at the frat party, and his world brightens.

Sunshine in the Darkness (Part 2) 1.5k+ words | fluff | After Dalton befriends shy!reader at the frat party, he promises to tell her something tomorrow, and tomorrow has finally come.

It Ends Here

0.9k+ words | angst/fluff | After years of not seeing your childhood best friend, you are reunited and agree to join him in an unimaginable battle.

Don’t Believe Everyone You See

3k+ words | angst/fluff | Reader can astral project and meets Dalton in the Further, and assumes he's trapped there until they meet again.

Don’t Believe Everyone You See (Is Too Good to Be True) 2.3k+ words | angst\fluff | After seeing Dalton in the Further and meeting him in the real world, (astral-projecting) reader joins the fight to close the Red Door.

Rom-Com Dreams

1.2k+ words | fluff | Dalton is so in love, he creates his own rom-com.

If We Met First

2.6k+ words | angst to fluff | Reader learns that Chris and Dalton kissed and gets jealous.

On Your Team

3.2k+ words | hurt\comfort | Dalton gets possessed and hurts the people he loves.

Bloody Sheets

0.7k+ words | fluff/period fic | Dalton comforts reader while she's on her period.

I Have a Girlfriend

1.1k+ words | fluff | Reader cares for a drunk Dalton, who insists he has a girlfriend.

Heart Set on Amulets (Dalton Lambert x witch!fem!reader)

3.4k+ words | fluff | Dalton meets shy, introverted reader and they become friends. Eventually, he finds out that she's a witch and tells her about his astral projecting. She creates an amulet to help him sleep, and Dalton discovers how nice dreams can be.

Heart Set on Amulets Universe Masterlist All Dalton Lambert x witch!fem!reader fics and drabbles linked here!

One and One and One is Three (Dalton Lambert x single mom!reader)

3.8k+ words | fluff | When Dalton befriends a pregnant girl at a Halloween party, he doesn't expect to be a dad by next Thanksgiving.

A Second Chance

2.1k+ words | angst to (very brief) fluff and slight angst | Reader, Elise's granddaughter, hates the Lambert family, but when Dalton tries to close the Red Door on his own, she gives him a second chance.

Just That Girl

1.8k+ words | fluff | Dalton falls in love with a mystery girl at a masquerade party.

Beg You to Stay, Push Me Away

1k+ words | angst (high school AU?) | When Dalton forgets an important conversation after his coma, he loses his best friend.

Beg You to Stay, Push Me Away (Part 2) 1.7k+ words | angst to fluff, hurt\comfort | Years after your falling out in high school, you find yourself thinking about Dalton. Then the roles are reversed, and Dalton finds himself begging you to stay.

I See You in My Nightmares, or Not At All

1.3k+ words | angst (Please check all warnings before reading!) | When you dream, you travel to a dark realm. The nightmares are the only place you feel loved, but the boy in the dark tells you to stop visiting. When you argue, he makes you stop.

Fake It ‘til We Make It

2k+ words | fluff | Dalton tells Chris he has a girlfriend, so he enlists some help to convince Chris it's true. He's left wondering, "What if it wasn't fake?"

Fake It ‘til We Make It (Part 2) 0.9k+ words | fluff | Dalton learns was fake and what was real when he takes you on a first (or second) date.

To Hold and Be Held

1k+ words | hurt/comfort | Dalton holds you, comforting you through an anxiety attack. In the aftermath, you tell him something you've never said aloud before.

Lay Here With Me

1.6k+ words | fluff | Dalton is overworking himself, so he gets forced into a break-turned-pamper-session.

Protect What You Love

1.3k+ words | angst to fluff | Dalton is overprotective, but he has a reason.

A Masterpiece

1k+ words | fluff, hurt/comfort | Dalton helps reader with two art projects.

Is it Fun? (from Fic-tober 2023)

0.5k+ words | angst | Dalton has been avoiding you and you want to know why.

Fun While It Lasted (Part 2 to 'Is it Fun?') 2.1k+ words | angst to fluff | Months after Dalton hurts you, Chris finds out why.

The Artist and the Art

3.0k+ words | angst to fluff | While you hide your feelings for Dalton, his life changes and suddenly you don't know where you fit.

A Little More Space

2.9k+ words | fluff, hurt/comfort | After overhearing Dalton say you're clingy, you give him the space he wants. Dalton, however, needs to close the distance and remind you that he loves everything about you, including the lack of space.

Stay By Your Side

1.5k+ words | fluff | You go to Kali's birthday party with Dalton and get a gift of your own.

[writteninlunarlight-years]

hello there! i would like to request a matchup! ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡

fandom: obey me!

gender: female

pronouns: she/her

sexuality: pansexual

zodiac sign: gemini

appearance: i'm around 5'10/around 175 cm, my hair is currently black (i dye it a lot), i have green eyes and round face; people usually think i'm younger than i actually am. i have 6 ear piercings and a sun tattoo which i love sm, i like to experiment with different makeup styles

personality: i'm an introvert, not too social. shy but only at first. either 100% or 0% energy, nothing in between. quite sarcastic, i can get emotional really fast though. i'm loyal and honest, i tend to get stressed very easily. i often find it hard to go out of my comfort zone

likes: animals (i have two cats and a dog!), books/mangas, baking, music, rain

dislikes: heights, darkness, crowds, snakes

extra fun fact: i collect plushies~

that's all, i hope it's okay!<3

MatchUps~

(My matchups are still closed, but I am doing this for a kind friend doing a match-up for me! I will post as soon as I am mentally ready to reopen my Match Ups again! Thank you all!)

Obey Me!

Satan

Headcanons~~

Satan enjoys your innocent looks the most. He associates your innocence with his beloved cats, who are so cute and innocent.

Satan asks for many reading dates with you and loves it when you two can swap books and discuss what you like and dislike about the stories. He even has taken hand a time or two at Manga. Maybe you can convince him to read more.

Satan is also an all-or-nothing person, especially when it comes to his Sin. He only reserves 100% of his energy for you once you start dating. He will be his usual self-present but has yet to fully invest any other time, primarily if it involves Lucifer's plans.

Satan will assist you in any task out of your comfort zone for the price of a few private cuddles. He will ensure you are content and happy before he worries about himself. Please don't tell his brothers that.

Let him pick out your jewelry. He thinks it is a personal way for him to show ownership over you if he gets to choose all the jewelry adorning you.

He loves your animals. Even though he isn't much of a dog person, he will make an exception for you. Your cats, though, are treated like gods in his presence.

Satan enjoys a rainy day spent sitting indoors with you, playing soft ambient music, and reading a new book together.

He will steal your cat plushies only to make you a warm nook in his room for you to curl up in.

Blurb~~

It was a cool day in hell. Rain softly pittered on the roof of the place you call home. With it being a weekend, the House of Lamentation was packed, especially since Lord Diavolo and Barbatos came over accompanied by Simeon, Luke, and Solomon. The house was lively as everyone played games, ate food, and, of course, argued over nothing at all. For you, however, this was indeed hell.

Now you loved the brothers, the angels, the lord, and even Solomon. What you hated is how this giant house suddenly felt too small with its many people. You were not enjoying being crowded by everyone, so slowly, you went to the back of the room for some fresh air. Little did you know your demon was overseeing you to ensure you were alright. Once safely away from the others enough to finally breathe, Satan swooped in and took your hand. He guided you to the library where you two could hide; lucky for you two, Mammon had just said something foolish, so all eyes were on him.

Once safely nestled in the library, Satan was wrapping you up in a blanket, turning on the record player, and pulling out the new book you had got him. Gently, he rested you against his chest, allowing you to get comfortable. After a few protests and worries that the others will notice, he calmed you and began to read to you. Hours had to have passed when the brothers finally realized their numbers had dwindled, and they searched for you. Imagine the horror on Mammon's face when he finds you and Satan cuddling, fast asleep.