#this has just been brewing in my mind for a while. i don't really wanna hear discourse or arguments that's why i put it in the tags

[bbnibini]

I find it so painfully heartbreaking that Solomon just...laughs off all the derision, the name-calling, and possibly even did "evil" things on purpose because it's expected of him at this point. (He had not always been like this as Thirteen pointed out before). There was a time when he was "innocent". When his soul sparkled. When it resembled the kind of soul everyone in these god forsaken (pun intended with spite) three realms seemed to associate with the ever loved MC. He's just...worryingly carefree. And because he's like that, he feels even more of a tragic character to me.

Sometimes it even seems that he himself would seemingly make up excuses on why he's hated. Oh, it's because I'm a sorcerer this. I might have won a war against Devildom single-handedly this. I have forgotten. But maybe, I did something bad, that. Hon, you were doing that to SURVIVE. You don't have to be a faultless person to deserve compassion. You don't have to be MC to deserve to be loved.

[wheels-of-despair]

The Family Holiday Pairing: Eddie Munson x You Summary: It's December of 1985, and Evil Woman is ready to spend her first real Christmas with Eddie… why is he being weird about it? Contains: Christmas stuff, insecurity, love, a meaningful gesture, tears, being hopelessly devoted to Eddie Munson, a happy ending. Words: 1.6k

"We're putting the tree up and decorating tonight. Probably end up drinking some hot chocolate and watching something Christmas-y. You in?"

You and Eddie had finally been sprung from detention, and thinking about tonight's festivities was the only thing that had kept you awake. The rest of the boys had escaped your cruel fate and gone home when they were supposed to, so it was just the two of you in the van now.

"You need help?"

"What, like 'oh please, big strong man, won't you come help us feeble women-folk put up this heavy plastic tree'?" you tease. "Don't NEED help, but we'd love for you to come hang out."

"Actually…" he licks his lips and concentrates on the road. "I think I might just go home tonight."

"What?" Eddie Munson, passing up Family Fun Time? And hot chocolate?!

"I'm, uh… I'm just really tired. Think I might be coming down with something."

You reach over to feel his cheek, which does look flushed and feel a little warm.

"Are you okay?" He hadn't said anything. Not that he'd been allowed to make a peep during the last hour, but he'd seemed fine at lunch.

"M'fine, just wanna sleep."

You watch him suspiciously as he turns onto your road. You know something's brewing in that twisted little mind of his, but you don't know what.

"Okay," you agree, deciding not to pry. Maybe he just needs a little time to think about whatever he's got going on, and he'll get over it on his own. He pulls into your driveway.

"You want us to wait and do it tomorrow?" It would probably require a little groveling, but you'd do it. You'd do anything for him.

"Nah, don't change your plans on my account."

"Okay," you say again, a little hurt. "If you change your mind, you know where we'll be."

"Don't wanna get you sick too."

"Eddie, you had your tongue down my throat just a few hours ago. That ship has sailed." You tilt your head and wait for a smile. He forces one that doesn't reach his eyes. Maybe he really is getting sick.

"Call me if you need anything?"

He nods. You lean across the van and kiss him on the cheek, then hop out and walk to the door. He doesn't start backing out of the driveway until you've got it open. But this is the first time in forever he hasn't come in with you. It feels strange. You don't care for it.

He didn't come that night, and he didn't call.

Your mother had asked about him, and you'd said he wasn't feeling well. Which, as far as you knew, was true. You thought of him the whole night, from the time you helped wind the lights around the tree, to hanging the stockings, to watching the marshmallows melt in your mediocre cocoa while some claymation special played in the background. Everything was better when Eddie was around.

He arrived the next morning to pick you up for school as usual, but still felt a little distant in the seat next to you. You let the boys ramble about the current campaign while you watched him out of the corner of your eye.

You made an effort to act normally throughout the day. Like nothing was wrong. Like he hadn't unexpectedly bailed on something he was supposed to be a part of. Like he wasn't being weirder than usual.

Despite your efforts to act normal, Eddie remained quiet. He nodded and let out a half-hearted laugh or two at your attempts to break him out of his funk on the ride home. When he pulled into your driveway, he didn't even turn off the van. The rest of the boys had gone to Jeff's to play video games. No one was home. Eddie should be jumping at the opportunity to spend some time alone with you. Unsupervised. Instead, he glances at you like he's waiting for you to get out.

You turn in your seat to face him.

"Alright. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit. Tell me what's going on."

"It's nothing."

"Edward."

He sighs.

You cross your arms. "I'm not getting out of this van until you tell me, so you better either start talking, or get fucking comfortable."

He turns off the ignition, then sits quietly for a moment.

"Don't you ever get sick of me hanging around all the time?"

"Nope. Try again."

"Doesn't your mom?"

"You are aware that she refers to you as her favorite child, correct?"

He huffs out an exasperated breath, and it fogs up the windshield in front of him.

"Look. I appreciate you including me. I really do. But Christmas is a family holiday. Like, THE family holiday."

"You ARE family, dummy."

"I'm not."

"You are. You're more family than most of the people I'm related to."

"That's not how it works."

"That is absolutely how it works. I chose you. WE chose you. Those other people are just assholes we happen to share DNA with."

"Look, just…" He grips the steering wheel. "I appreciate you trying to include me, but eventually you're all gonna get sick of me. I don't want to wear out my welcome."

Your heart sinks. Your annoyance fades. How has he not realized that he's your entire world?

"Eddie, you're always welcome, wherever I am," you tell him gently. "You're my favorite person in the world. I fucking love you. I want you with me all the time. Whether it's Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or a random Wednesday, or the day we get married."

He stares at his lap.

"What's it gonna take for you to realize how much you mean to me?"

He shrugs.

And then, you get an idea.

"Come with me."

You get out of the van, but he doesn't. You walk to his side and open the door.

"C'mon, I want to show you something."

He slides down and follows you with his feet dragging, like a big insecure baby. You kick off your boots and drop your jackets, and you take his hand and lead him to the living room. You come to a stop by the fireplace.

"Look."

He lifts his head and takes in the garland and the holiday-scented candles and the nutcracker and the four stockings…

You can see him re-count.

He looks to you with tears welling up in his eyes.

"Told you so."

Your mom has made him a stocking. It matches the ones you and your brother have had since you were babies. She's even stitched Eddie's name onto it. His stocking fits right in, just like he does.

He bursts into tears. He hides his face in his hands and sobs, and you wrap yourself around him the best you can.

You want to tell him that THIS is why you wanted him to come over last night. That you wanted your mom to see his face when he saw his stocking for the first time. That you wanted him hang it himself. But the lump in your throat won't allow it. So you hold him and let him cry and hope that he finally gets it: He's family. The best kind of family; the kind you all chose, because you all love him.

His eyes are red and puffy when he pulls away from you. You brush his hair away from his face, before the tears can dry and glue it to his skin. You don't know what to say. Apparently neither does he.

You take his hand and tilt your head toward the tree. You lead him to it and flip on the power strip. The tree comes to life. You cross the room and switch off the overhead light, letting the tree's colored bulbs fill the room with a warm glow.

You return to the tree and sit down in front of it, lie back, and maneuver your head underneath the branches.

"C'mere," you finally get out. Eddie sits on the floor beside you and copies your movements, his head coming to rest beside yours on the white blanket your mom has wrapped around the base. You reach for his hand and hold it tightly as you stare up at the inside of the tree.

"When I was a kid," you begin, finding your voice again in the familiar calm of the tree's glow, "I used to spend half the holiday season under the tree. Dad always insisted on a real one, but Mom fought him and switched to a fake one after an unfortunate incident involving sap in my hair. THAT was fun."

Eddie chuckles. You're so happy to hear that sound again. You lie there and hold his hand and stare up at the twinkling lights in a peaceful silence.

"I haven't had a stocking since my mom died."

"Really?" you ask, turning your head toward him.

"Mhm," he hums, still staring upward.

"Wayne wasn't a Santa Man?"

"No chimney in a trailer," he says matter-of-factly, like he's heard it a few times before. "Wayne said that's why Santa sometimes forgot to bring me stuff at Mom and Dad's house. Because they didn't have a chimney either, and Santa couldn't remember how to get in."

Wayne's solution brings a smile to your face.

"Did Santa figure out how to get in at Wayne's?"

"He left the presents on the porch," Eddie grins. "Me and Wayne would put out a can of beer and a bag of Fritos for him. He said Santa would want something salty after all those cookies."

You laugh. "Good thinkin', Wayne."

Eddie finally turns his head toward you.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Eddie."

This is the fic that I fought for 2 days, posted, trashed... and then took another run at and gave it a better ending, inspired by this thought from @munson-memories. 🥰

[misc-obeyme]

what’s in your wip/request list of you don’t mind sharing? 😊

I don't mind sharing, anon!

Right now I have about 16 requests, back from when I last had them open. I'm sorry to all who have sent one, I promise I'm still working on them! And I say about because my ask box is wonky and does this thing where it disappears my second to last ask until I answer enough other asks and then it reappears again. So there might be 17 lol.

There are a lot in there, but there are a couple that I'm especially intrigued to do. One is a Barb x MC x Mammon request, which has been brewing in my brain for a bit. I also got a request for Arrie x Barbatos which I was not expecting, but am happy to write lol. I (not so) secretly ship them so. Oh and someone asked for a drabble about Asmo and bartender male MC based on that one ask! I won't list all of them, but yeah those are some of the requests I've got!

As for just wip stuff, I have a half written admiral!Levi story that I want to finish one day. I got the urge to write Levi being a dom and I thought it'd be cool if he kinda flipped the switch when he was in admiral mode.

I also have a sololuci thing I've been working on for a while. Because those two intrigue me.

I haven't started these, but there are a couple of things I've been thinking a lot about. One is another Barbatos x Mammon fic because I'm obsessed with them. I wanna write about them going on a little date and then getting smutty lol. But I've also been thinking a lot about a long Solomon fic. I'm just really interested in the idea of him meeting MC before the exchange program. I like the idea that MC was a sorcerer before ever showing up in the Devildom and that they'd been training under Solomon all along. I just think that would create a really interesting dynamic. I don't know if I'm actually gonna write it, but I've been thinking about it.

I've also kinda been kicking around an idea for a sequel to The Threads That Bind... but no guarantees there either lol.

Anyway I didn't mean to ramble so much, but these are just some of the things I've been thinking about! I admit I haven't done much writing in general lately, but I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things soon enough!

Thanks for asking!

[caritobbg]

Coffee Disaster - P1

Bucky Barnes x Barista!Reader x Father Figure!Tony.

Summary: Tony and Bucky's feud has reached its limit of tolerance. What can happen when you leave a supersoldier and Iron Man alone for a few minutes? Answer: disaster.

A/N: well, this is my first Bucky's oneshot! This idea was a dream i had a couple of days ago 😅 I couldn't let it go, so I decided to write it. It might be a multi-chapter because of everything I've been writing 😅😂.

I hope you like it and enjoy it as much as I did while I was writing this story 🥺

TW: SO MUCH ANGST - Bucky&Tony being stupid - angry reader (yes, it's a warning) - sad Bucky - heartbreak

English isn't my first language. Sorry if there's any mistakes 😅

Tag: @ro-is-struggling @luciasimmer96 @themorningsunshine @mads-weasley @aquanova99 @alexsoenomel (if you wanna be tagged, just tell me 🥺❤️)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

"Y/N's Coffee Talk - CLOSED INDEFINITELY".

"Reason: ANTHONY EDWARD STARK - JAMES BUCHANAN BARNES".

Those were the signs that had all the people in the Avengers Tower furious. The tower's barista had decided to close her coffee bar because of a LITTLE INCIDENT a few days before between her father figure and the man she had fallen in love with. Although they didn't know what happened, they could imagine why Y/N was more than upset with them.

The enmity between them reached its limit for such a silly reason! They both wanted the best for her, but their differences did the opposite.

Neither spoke as they pulled out and threw away what was destroyed, each in their own mind carefully planning every step to take to recover that broken relationship and avoid every person in the tower lining up to have their heads as a reward.

Bucky: We should get to work - breaking the overwhelming silence and finishing throwing the last piece of broken wood into the dumpster - this has gone far enough.

Tony: I know - feeling just as guilty - Y/n had put a lot of effort into her work to get all this done.

Bucky: we'll have to do our best to reverse this situation.

Bruce: I want to talk to you two -approaching them with Nat- what did you do to leave the place like that? You know that y/n...

Tony: Yeah yeah, we know - rolling his eyes - that's why we're going to get to work right away.

Nat: Can we know what happened? Steve didn't give details, but even he's itching to rip your heads off.

Tony: It's a long story, but...

Bruce: start talking - impatient

Bucky: what happened was...

Flashback:

Y/N: Good morning James - opening the door and letting out the beautiful smell of freshly brewed coffee - the usual? -with her trademark smile -double shot of espresso with a spoonful of sugar?

Bucky: Good morning Y/N/N -smiling at him- yes, please.

Y/N: Funny so early in the morning here, I thought you were going for a run with Sam?

Bucky: I was -laughing- I needed a moment of peace before the birdbrain makes me kill him -she just laughed and shook her head- also...-dubiously- I wanted to talk something with you

Y/N: mm? What is it? -purging her machine to place the sieved filter holder in it

Bucky: I wanted to know if...

Y/N: Oh no -pulling out his phone-

Bucky: What's wrong?

Y/N: Steve promised to help me upload the new order, they brought beans from Ethiopia, they are some of the best and with an indescribable flavour! -anxious and happy- and it looks like it's already arrived because he just texted me to say it's downstairs.

Bucky: uh.. Ok, it can wait -giving him a warm smile- don't worry.

Y/N: -serving his coffee- are you sure you don't want to tell me now?

Bucky: really doll, don't worry. I'll tell you later and... You make the best coffees in the world

Tony: Speaking of coffee, how about my cappuccino? -looking at the scene before his eyes- I thought it would be ready by now.

Y/N: You're going to have to wait Stark, until I get back I'm not going to make you your beloved cappuccino -passing by his side and grabbing a list of the order-.

Tony: But...

Bucky: Leave her alone Tony, Steve's waiting for her downstairs.

Tony: Did I ask you something?

Bucky: Don't rush her, she's got to go get...

Tony: -ignoring him- come on girl, I need your cappuccinos- behaving like a little kid

Y/N: -hanging up her apron- Tony, wait for me in about... -looking at the time- 30 minutes and I'll do it. I'm not leaving Steve alone downstairs with the three bags of coffee at 3kg each!

Tony: Fine -annoyed- but you'd better...

Bucky: Yeah yeah, make your cappuccino when she's back. Leave her alone Stark

Tony: Shut your mouth Barnes, nobody asked you anything here.

Bucky: And what are you gonna do if i don't...

Y/N: OK YOU TWO -separating them- what did I tell you about arguing here?

Tony&Bucky: that you'll ban us from entering until we settle our differences.

Y/N: exactly -checking that nothing is missing- well, in 30 minutes I'll be back here. In the meantime -seriously- behave like the adults you are -leaving them and closing the door while putting up a "be right back" sign.

Tony: What are you doing here winter? -crossing his arms-

Bucky: None of your business, tin man - sitting down near the bar.

Tony: Uh-huh, right. You never miss your morning jog with Sam or Steve, something brought you here early.

You see, Tony considered Y/N like a daughter. Ever since he met her in that coffee shop in downtown NYC and, months after learning that she was out of work and that her parents had died -years before- in an accident, he swore he would protect her with everything in his power. And that protection included keeping a certain super-soldier away from her.

Bucky: I told you it's none of your business - texting Sam.

Tony: What do we have here... -pulling out his phone and checking it

Bucky: HEY! STARK, GIVE THAT BACK TO ME -chasing him all over the place until he stopped abruptly-

The big ironman couldn't believe his eyes. He kept seeing those messages over and over again.

{SW} AND? Did you tell her? What happened?

[BB] No, not yet.

{SW} Why?! Buck, you have to invite her! Don't waste your time!

Tony: Really Barnes?! I told you to stay away from her! You were going to ask her out!?

Bucky: so what? -putting his phone away- yeah, I want to ask her out, is there a problem with that?

Tony: I'm not going to let you....

Bucky: What you're not going to let? A retired, recovered assassin asking out his best friend?

Sure... "best friend." Since the day they met, Bucky can't get her out of his mind. Y/N was amazing, someone he could spend hours and hours talking to about whatever was on their minds, the one person who could calm him down when his nights were plagued by nightmares of his stormy past. His love for her reached a higher level where he loved her as more than just his best friend.

Tony: I told you, stay away from her -pushing him away-.

Bucky: Stark, I'm warning you -threatening- don't provoke me. You're not her real father.

Tony: Uhh that's scary, -mocking him- and no, I'm not her father, but I'll do anything to keep her away from the monster that...

A fist connecting directly to his face prevented him from speaking any further. Indeed, his provocation brought out the worst in the supersoldier. Tony landed on one of the tables, knocking it completely off and leaving only splinters.

Tony: -still giddy- that's how you want to play it, huh? -slowly getting up and wiping away the small drop of blood that was falling on his lip- we can fix it.

Bucky: Do it

And the fight began.

They both dodged all the blows of their nemesis with speed, though some of them landed on their bodies. They used EVERYTHING there was to defend themselves: chairs, tables, cups, anything they saw was a "weapon".

Bucky: come on tin, it doesn't have to end like this - throwing himself on top of Tony and putting his legs in a headlock on his neck.

Tony: I'm not going to let you beat me, Terminator.

Out of nowhere, a turbine noise is heard coming through the window.

Bucky: You're a... -One of the suit's gloves hits him and sends him flying to the bar where moments before Y/N was preparing the coffee.

Tony: -going to Bucky grabbing him by his clothes- now I'm going to give you what you deserve.

The door opens at that instant and they both go pale.

Steve: What the... -leaving the roasted coffee to one side and unable to believe what was before his eyes.

Y/N: Steve, what's wrong? -appearing from behind him- what...

Her eyes couldn't believe it. Her coffee shop, the place she had staked all her savings and dreams on, totally destroyed. From all the furnishings to the crockery and...

Y/N: m... My... My cafeteria... -looking all around- no... Nononono... WHAT DID YOU DO! -noting that Bucky was right on top of her espresso machine- YOU DESTROYED MY CARIMALLI! -looking at them furiously- DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I SAVED TO GET IT!!!!?????

Looking around, the two realised how much trouble they were in. Regret and shame at their behaviour were the first emotions they felt.

Tony: Y/N/N...

Y/N: - turning totally red - Anthony and James, I told you to behave like adults, not to fight like the two little boys you are, but it seems that every time someone asks you to do that, you ignore it - raising his voice even more and getting closer as they backed away and Steve was only an observer of the situation and enjoying every second - I told you I'd be back in 30 minutes, you promised me not to do anything, what did you do? DESTROYED WHAT MADE ME MOST HAPPY, -pushing them both, although it didn't do much to hurt them any more than they already were.

Anthony and James. Their full names. Steve slowly approached his side to avoid further altercations between the trio in front of him and to call for help in case something happened to Y/N.

Bucky: Doll, we're sorry. We made a really big mistake and....

Y/N: sorry isn't going to fix anything James - walking away with her hands shaking, eyes teary and agitated - this.... There's no turning back

Bucky: are you okay? -scared to see his condition

Y/N: No... -trying to breathe- I don't want you talking to or looking for me...either...both of you.... -her anxiety was reaching its peak- I need to leave. Steve... I don't... I don't feel well

Tony: princess, please -seeing her get out of there as fast as possible

The three men stood alone looking out over the war territory. Steve was disappointed that Bucky was letting Tony's provocations get the better of him, he knew this was going to happen someday, but not a fight on this scale.

Steve: -watching them for a moment- really? Bar fight?

Tony: Rogers, we know we screwed up and let the grudge get the worst of us, but I wasn't going to let Barnes make her suffer. It's HIS fault for starting this.

Bucky: MY FAULT? You started provoking me and treating me like something I'm not anymore.

Tony: Sure, you didn't throw the first punch, did you?

Steve: OK, ENOUGH! -seeing Steve angry wasn't an everyday occurrence- you have to fix this mess now and it better be soon. This ends now

F.R.I.D.A.Y: Captain Rogers, Miss Y/L/N needs your help.

Steve: What's going on?

F.R.I.D.A.Y: I detected that her stress levels are very high and she can't breathe. She is in her room.

Steve: tell her I'm on my way - scrubbing her face with his hands - clean up and start doing something. Now.

Tony: Now we're screwed.

______________________________________

Tony: And after that we saw Steve take her to the medical wing because her anxiety was getting worse and worse - feeling guilty about what caused that situation.

Bruce: You've got to be kidding me -in disbelief- did you really fight over her?

Bucky: Yeah -embarrassed- we realised too late what we did and ended up hurting her in the worst way.

Nat: By ignoring her and breaking her trust in both of us over a stupid argument?

Tony: Ouch.

Bucky: That hurt, but.... Yeah - wiping the dust off his hands - we'd better start now, there's no time to waste.

Tony: Yeah, but where do we start? -heading with everyone to the tower- we destroy her dream coffee shop.

Bruce: What does she like? -helping them a little, he felt sorry for these two- there's got to be something that you know about.

Bucky: -getting on the elevator- umm... one of the renovations she always wanted to do was to change the current colours for brighter ones and the chairs and tables for ones that...

Tony: well, that's a start - clasping his hands together - let's go to the lab to plan....

The doors opened and they found Y/N in the living room. Nat approached her slowly and placing a hand on her shoulder and only gave her a faint smile that faded as she saw Bucky, as Tony continued on his way to his office in the lift.

Bruce: Nat, I need you to help me with something, - understanding what was about to happen- now

Bucky: Y/N/N... -seeing that they were all alone as they disappeared through the kitchen doorway

Y/N: my dream was always to have a coffee shop of my own -sighing- no matter the place or the people, I always wanted that, besides starting college -the painting she was holding in her hands ended up broken in the trash before he could say a word- now I know that what everyone said was true.... I'm never going to be able to fulfil it. All thanks to you two

That broke Bucky.

Bucky: doll, don't say that, of course....

Y/N: no "doll" - annoyed - you let the provocations get to your head when I told you over a million times to ignore it!

Bucky: yeah, I know, I just didn't...

Y/N: I thought you'd changed James, that you weren't letting anger consume you anymore -disappointed

Bucky: what? -speechless- of course I don't let my past bring out the worst in me anymore, don't say those things, please.... -taking her hands- I wasn't thinking about what I was doing and...

Y/N: James. Stop it. - turning away from him with teary eyes - I asked you not to make a big deal out of it. You did the opposite. Everything's changed now. Oh, God! I even thought that... -biting her tongue- enough, it doesn't matter now.

Bucky: what did you think? -in a whisper and annoyed with himself- tell me

Y/N: nothing, it doesn't matter -getting up to leave

Bucky: don't go -taking her by the arm- please, tell me

Y/N: James, no, that's it.

Bucky: please, - locking his stormy eyes on hers- I want to know and I'll stop bothering you until I come up with a solution.

Y/N: -taking a deep breath- I liked you -letting go of his grip- I wanted to tell you that very day, I had worked up the courage. It's all gone now. -leaving him alone with his thoughts

He couldn't believe what he heard. Y/N, his best friend, had the same feelings as him, she reciprocated! On the one hand he wanted to jump up and down and scream with happiness, on the other hand he wanted to beat himself up for what his anger accomplished.

Slowly he walked to the bin where the picture was and curiously picked it up and was stunned. It was the collage with all the pinterest pictures they had taken together at the bar one night when neither of them could sleep. It took him a couple of minutes to react and go to Stark to start executing the plan.

Sam: Wow dude - bumping into him in the hallway - what's up?

Bucky: She likes me -shaken from running- she likes me and I ruined everything -showing him the painting- but I'll fix it.

Sam: - confused - and this is it?

Bucky: this is the dream coffee shop that Y/N always wanted - walking next to him - I'll do my best to recreate it in reality and make her happy - more than determined-.

Sam: so -crossing his arms- where do we start?

_________________________________________

Tell what you think guys 🥺 I will be uploading the following parts soon ❤️

[bitchin-witchin]

Kind of silly au but it's been brewing in my brain and making it hard to finish work so time to purge this baby.

Love cyborgs and concept of like sentient weapons so au where instead of playing yhe long con to get anakin to turn to the dark, during the clone wars (sometime before Dooku betrays Asajj) Sidous orders Dooku to capture Anakin and they use sith magic to try to erase/corrupt his memory of his past life as a jedi so they can make him believe their story of him being a slave and weapon of the republic that left him to die on the battlefield. They rescued him and gave him a new body, a new chance at life. Or something like that.

Cue the suffering montage LOL uhh they probably have to wipe his brain a few times for things to really stick or stay unstuck. All sorts of training and stress test with his mech body (the only organic part of him left is his brain so he's a TRC (Total replacement cyborg) and also it has force supression built into it bc they wanna be sure they can completrly control him before gicing him his power in the force...except when has anakin ever been completrlt controllable. Impossible task). Anakin is grateful for the new body at first, but theres a struggle with the mind wiping, memories resurfacing, (sidious doesnt want to risk like permanent damage so they gotta be careful), so that's unpleasant. They probably give him some evil tests like kill this republic baby bc I told u so or whatever. He fails the tests so they torture him/the other guy until he just does it. Fucked up obience training.

once the sith lords have ironed out his mindspace to what they desire he's p compliant but like in a distanced way. Just going thru the motions. They tell him his mission is to eradicate the jedi. He's on the battlefield but with his mech body, suppressed force presence, and wearing a helmet he's unrecognizable, or at least extremely hard to recognize.

The sith lords try to keep him away from jedi/republic citizens he has strong ties to for a while so as not to trigger any memories on accident, so people like Obi-wan who could sense something suspicious happening underneath appearances if close enough, never are.

Anakin still has like his "normal" face but it's synth skin but maybe like some proportions like the eyes are different bc they're super high tech optical devices. They also don't want him to look too different so he's not like too freaked when he looks in a mirror and also kind of hard to overwrite his memory of what he looks like. The body is difficult enough to adjust to. Or maybe they don't give him his face at first but he's FREAKED TF out and breaks down so they're like aw dammit gotta do it over.

Anyways something happens in a battle where some aspect of the force supression in his mech body gets damaged. Something feels slightly different... he goes to med to get repaired by a droid bc his masters (Sidious & Dooku) track all sorts of stuff on him, but is able to find out from the droid what NOT to repair to keep this feeling. Overwrites the record so everything looks normal.

Having what little acess to the force he does helps tidbits of memories come back. anakin starts to grow suspicious of his purpose with the CIS but it comes on slow enough to keep it hidden. Ventress has been present for some of anakins transformation, once deemed her appearance didn't upset any sith brain magics.

As things progress with Anakin's development as a CIS weapon, she suspects more and more he's gonna be her replacement. At first it seems ridiculous, a cyborg they cant trust with the force as the new apprentice, but they have her spar with him to not only test his combat skillz but to teach him to be a precise and unquestioning assassin. It's happening right in front of her eyes. This makes her more amneable to developing a weird camaraderie with anakin. Especially as he starts to recover some of the anakin she knew before. He still doesn't remember the jedi, but he's coming into a new person with a personality getting harder and harder to hide. Anakin without the hang ups he has a jedi and the whole us vs them thing with the sith ends up making an interesting...acquaintance (they will be friends eventually).

So anakin secretely works on a new body with his own tech to replace his CIS spyware one when the time comes and ventress helps along the way maybe. Or shes just knows and keeps it a secret but isnt super helpful. anakin is also able to do this work without a lot of scrutiny bc hes been tame for a long enough time that Sidious and Dooku kind of loosen their surveillance. He doesn't let the force suppressor in his og mech body get too broke tho so the force sensitives stay off his case. To successfully escape he has to so so without the force or only have access to it during the moment of escape with his new body.

Eventually the time comes for Dooku to eliminate Ventress. Asajj has shared some of her suspicions with Anakin by this point and they've developed a few plans to escape together. Ideally they wanted to escape before she was gonna be killed but they can work with this too.

They escape! Yay! Anakins new body is super cool. Nanotech stuff, black and gold scheme, the appearance is more organic compared to present tech but still obv mech bc he likes that look (from what we know of the official description of how he feels about his arm). Overall appearance is a little more like the sinews of muscle fibers. The mobility is fucking awesome and super organic too. Maybe it's not this way at first and he worls more on it agter escape but its still a big improvement from what he had before escape time nevertheless.

Asajj and Anakin-the-guy-with-as-normal-as-a-life-he's-probably-ever-gonna-get now go on adventures. Anakin gets to figure out who he with the least amt of direct outside influence he's ever had, and same for Asajj tbh. They are now ✨️friends✨️. Yay!

Somehow they end up at Hondo's in their adventures together. Ventress tells hondo enough to know that anakin does not remember his time as a jedi (tho he has had some moments like seeing republic propaganda with obi-wan and others in the pictures which brings up confusing emotions. PADME IN TELEVISED SENATE HEARINGS....????? Much to consider here....

Hondo slips up ofc and anakin is like you know these guys? You call them before? And somehow they get to the conclusion that from what anakin does remember he wants to see what he can glean from talking with them so Asajj and hondo give their friend Obi-Wan a call and asajj is like "I have anakin, but here's what's happened... (general explanation) he wants to speak with the council. And then the other jedi see him on a holo call and there's questions and a couple memories unlocked like Obi-wan confirms anakin can trust they knew each other for real bc idk he says an amatakkan phrase small padawan anakin taught him when he trusted him enough to do so. Then that opens the door for more convo.

However...the jedi see such a difference in anakin now...even after what he's been through, he feels so much lighter in the force, visibly less depressed, very eager to see the world. When the jedi ask if anakin would consider returning he's hesitant. He wants to remember more before making a decision. And he's got his pal Asajj and this new guy Hondo who's a hoot. Who have complicated relations with the jedi....

And that's where I'm at. Perhaps now that this is out i will have more space in my brain to consider what comes next. Open to hearing other's ideas though!

And since I drafted this!!! I got my work done!! Typing it out really did help! Crazy. New strat to avoid procrastination.

[the1975attheirverybest]

I've been thinking of so many ideas for concepts/blurb/fic (I don't know the difference) but please don't ever feel pressured to write them! Some of the things I send in could possibly be triggering/uncomfortable to write about so I totally understand if you ignore :)

How about reader always keeps clothes on/turns the lights off when having sex and Matty hasn't really noticed because she's been very discrete about it but then one time he realises and confronts her about it and she maybe has scars that she's embarrassed of/doesn't want him to know about, and the conversation that follows that.

Hiiii 💗Of course, babes! I’ve kept the details minimal so as not to unnecessarily trigger anyone. Hope it still captures the essence of what you hoped for, though Let me know what you think!

—

Matty’s soft lips traveled from her cheek down to her neck, kissing her and adding a playful, light bite. He smiled at the moan he’d elicited. 

Her hands found the back of his head, tugging at his hair in return. Both for a little revenge, and because he always told her that he found it not when she did that. 

And he really did. Not wanting to wait any longer and feeling increasingly desperate at her actions, he squeezed her hips and inched closer to her on the couch, sing along for her to lay down so that he can freely love on every inch of her body. 

“Sh-should we…umm, move this into the bedroom?” Her voice airy with giggles as his curls tickled her skin. 

Matty whined in response. “Too far away” he mumbled in between kisses. “Too long. Don’t wanna wait.”

She closed her eyes and tried to relax, his expert touch flooding her with mind with pleasure that pushed her anxiety to the side. 

They remained snug together on that couch for a while, kissing and touching each others bodies until they were both breathless and hot. Matty hands clutched at the seam of her top, moving to peel it off of her. 

She felt her entire body run cold. The desire brewing inside her completely dissipated. Reflexively, her hand moved to push his away.

Matty frowned, moving his hands away from her body instantly, “hey” he whispered. “Everything alright?”

She nodded reluctantly. “Yeah…umm..yeah. Could- would it be okay, if, umm…” she blushed, sitting up straight and creating some distance between them. “If I kept my shirt on?”

Matty was quiet for a little too long. She saw from the ever deepening frown on his face that he was confused. 

His confusion made her anxious. A feeling that she had never experienced with Matty before. If anything, Matty always made her feel comfortable and confident. Secure in the knowledge that he would always respect and care about her. No matter the circumstances. 

“Of course…umm” he finally spoke, his expression softening. “You can leave it on if you like. But, I just wanna say…you don’t…we don’t have to do this if you don’t want. Okay? You should know, I would never expect you to have sex if you’re not up for it.” 

Relief washed over her. There was her Matty. She hastened to reassure him that she did want this. “No- it’s okay! Really. I want to. I promise.”

“You’re sure? Cuz If I’ve done something to make you uncomfortable-“

She shook her head vigorously. “Matty, it’s not you.”

He finally allowed himself to breathe. “Good. Cuz you know I think you’re beautiful, yeah? I tell-“ he paused mid-sentence as the realization it him, his face going completely blank. 

“What? Matty, what?” She panicked, unable to read his expression. 

“It- it just occurred to me…never seen you completely naked before.”

She felt her blood run cold. Her throat clamping shut. 

“That- can’t be…right? I mean…we’ve had sex without any clothes on, havent we? I remember the first time we did- and then I think that one night after the party…but-“

She squeezed her eyes shut, already feeling nauseous. The moment that she’d been dreading since the beginning of their relationship was finally here. Impossible to avoid or delay any longer. 

“But we had sex in the dark.” She blurted out unthinkingly. “All those times you’re recounting…we were totally naked but it was dark. Either at night, or with the lights off. Yes.”

She watched his chest rise and fall as he breathed deeply. “On purpose?”

She nodded, feeling like she might as well be stabbing him in the heart. 

“Sorry, I- umm- I’m trying to understand. Help me understand…is there something- I mean, have- have I made you feel like-“

“No! Never! Don’t even go there! This isn’t about you, Matty. I promise you haven’t done anything!”

“Sorry, sorry, I don’t mean to make it about me or my feelings…that’s a shitty thing to do. Sorry- umm, let me- let me try again. C-can I ask why? I mean, if- you just prefer it that way, if…you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s fine. I will leave it alone I promise. Just- I have to be honest, the fact that…I’ve never seen your body, even though, we’ve been sleeping together for some time now…baby, it’s made me feel…” he trailed off, unsure how to finish his thought. 

“I- I just didn’t know how to talk to you about this…I have these, umm, scars. Like, across my abdomen and ribs? They’re pretty noticeable, and, I didn’t want to just- spring them on you without warning.”

He shook his head in disbelief, running a hand through this styled hair. “Sorry, what? ‘Spring them on me’ wh- ‘warning’? What’re you on about? Why would I need a warning?”

She didn’t appreciate his tone, feeling suddenly defensive, she wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t know, Matty! It’s not exactly a normal thing to expect to see on your partner when you undress them, alright?”

“Hold on, hold on. That’s not what I meant! Sorry- I’m getting this all wrong. Fuck.” He took a deep breath, resting his head against the couch cushions. “I just meant that I’d hoped we had the kind of relationship where you felt safe with me, you know?” He tone was softer now, regretful. “Where you could be yourself, not have to tiptoe around me, or hide pieces of yourself to suit my comfort, not have to ‘warn me’ about stuff like this…I’m so sorry. And, if I’ve ever reacted in a way that’s indicated to you that I would ever be anything but completely receptive …I truly am sorry.”

She nodded slowly. “No, I know. You haven’t done anything. It’s just- it’s me. I know that sounds dumb and meaningless. Like a trite excuse. But, really, it’s me who doesn’t like these scars. And…I guess, I keep thinking that…if even I can stand them, then how could I expect anyone else to?”

“Oh, honey.” Matty turned to his side to face her, his heart breaking at her confession. “Can I raise an alternative point? If you’ll let me?”

“Sure…”

“Maybe, if you let someone else show you how beautiful you are, you’ll come to see yourself that way, as well. Eventually….”

“The last person who saw me naked without the lights off? He, umm, couldn’t get over it.”

Matty rolled his eyes “what the fuck-“

“No, no! Not like that. He didn’t hate them or anything. He didn’t say anything bad. But, it’s like- he couldn’t see beyond the scars. Suddenly, the way that he looked at me shifted. It’s like I- I became a wounded bird to him, or something.”

Matty watched her carefully, taking in her every word and forcing himself not to respond right away. As strongly as he felt the urge to reassure her and tell her how perfect and beautiful he thought she was, he knew that he needed to make an effort to truly understand how she felt, if he wanted to be supportive. This meant giving her the space to express herself. 

“Just…didn’t want you to treat me any differently.” She sighed 

“I understand.” He said softly, throwing his arm around her and pulling her to him. “Thank you for trusting me with this.” He planted a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll take this one day at a time, okay? At your own pace. No rush…”

“Really?”

“‘Course! Don’t want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. I mean, do I want to show you just how perfect you truly are in my eyes? Yes, so badly. But, it’s not about me and what I want. So, whatever you decide to do, that’s what we’ll do, alright?”

She nodded, relaxing her body against his and cuddling into him. 

“Just promise me one thing ? No more secrets, okay?”

“I promise.” She reached over and kissed his lips. 

[americas1suiteheart]

I need need NEED that second chapter of studio recordings pretty please😭

Of course, of course. I had already been working on the second chapter so I was able to get this done quicker.

Recording Two

[Part two of the Studio Recordings Wilbur Soot x Reader series]

[Warnings; None, except some swearing.]

•❅��─────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

I woke the next morning, slightly groggy as I hadn't had my coffee yet.

I get out of bed and prepare myself a pot of coffee, blankly staring at it as it slowly fills up, the strong and nutty aroma filling the kitchen of my flat.

I can't help but let my mind wander to the man from yesterday that came into the studio.

His voice and playing style was so pretty, I don't think I've ever worked with anyone that has a style that beautiful.

I mean, I didn't get many customers but the ones I did get were usually teenagers that thought they could sing and compose music. So this guy compared to listening to them was an absolute godsend.

Once my pot finishes brewing I grab my Star Trek mug and pour the hot liquid into it, then setting it down to cool for a little while.

Walking back into my room I begin to get ready, throwing on one of my band t-shirts and a pair of relaxed trousers, then lastly my favorite trainers.

I finish up freshening myself up and then chug my coffee before walking out of my flat, lastly locking it.

-----------------------

I make it to the studio in 5 minutes due to it being right across from the flat building I live in.

I open up and greet Eliot, once again doing the same thing to set up as I did every other day.

I sit down in my chair and look through the recordings of yesterday, labeling them with different take numbers of the song. As I listen to them I remember just how nice his voice was.

God I really need to get a hold on myself. Do other producers and studio recorders think this?.

What feels like a little while more passes by and soon Eliot knocks on my door before opening it.

"Yo, Y/n, it's lunchtime now, let's go get some food, I'm starving, man." Eliot groans as he leans on the doorframe.

"Is it really? Jeez I didn't realize, I must've lost track of time sorry. We'll go and eat now. Same place as always I'll assume, yes?" I say, pushing myself and my chair away from my computer, then standing up.

"Yep, same as always," Eliot said as he walked to the coat rack and grabbed his coat. Me doing the same afterwards and then walking out of the building, locking the doors.

Me and Eliot went to this small sandwich shop a few minutes away from the studio every day for lunch about a month or so after he started working with me. It was cheap but good and wasn't particularly crowded constantly.

We make it and walk into the building, ordering our usual food, then paying and leaving to walk back to the studio.

As we make it back to the studio we see the man from yesterday standing by the doors with his acoustic case in one hand and his phone in the other.

He looks up to see me and Eliot, putting his phone into his pocket and straightening his posture.

"Oh, uh sorry for just standing here. I came here around 15 minutes ago but the doors were locked so I assumed you guys were on your lunch break, hope you don't mind."

"Nah, it's alright mate. Sorry for making you wait though, you must be freezing, come on in now it's heated inside." Eliot says as he grabs the keys from his pocket and unlocks the doors, letting us in.

The three of us walk in, me and Eliot place our coats back onto the rack as Eliot goes back to his seat at the desk.

I look at the taller man to see he still had his coat on, "Do you want to hang your coat up there? I'm sure you don't wanna be playing with it on, gets pretty warm in the recording area." I say, motioning to the coat rack.

He nods and then places his case down to take his coat off and hang it, then walking behind me as I walk into my recording studio.

"So yesterday you said you wanted to re-record some of those songs and then go through the tracks to see which ones you wanted to keep, correct?" I say sitting down in my chair and starting the computer back up.

"Yeah, I just want to redo three of those songs and then after that we can pick through those tracks,"

"Alright then, let me set up that mic for you and then we can get onto it." The both of us walk into the recording room.

I do the same setup as yesterday, connecting the mic, leveling it, setting the amp up, and finally going back to the control room.

Same thing as yesterday, he puts his headphones on as I do mine, he messes with his strings for a while, clearing his throat and sending me a wink and cheeky smile to let me know he's ready.

'Wink? He didn't do that yesterday, did he just do that? Why am I freaking out? Do I send a wink back?' You frantically think to yourself.

You send back a small smile instead, counting down from 3 with your fingers before pressing the record button.

He began singing again, the third song he played and recorded yesterday. It sounds more practiced now than it had been yesterday, it looked like he was having a much easier time playing it now.

His fingers danced across the strings so smoothly, you find yourself in awe at his playing skills. You had played around with the guitar yourself but never could you ever so fluidly move your fingers across the strings like that. They were always so stiff and awkward when you tried. You were better with woodwind instruments, you knew how to play a couple of them in fact including some brass instruments, a piano, and a drum kit as well, instruments were your thing but the guitar definitely was not one of them.

He finishes the song and lets out a content sigh.

"How did that sound?" He asks, taking one hand off of his guitar to run it through his messy curls.

"Sounded brilliant, are you going to want to do another take of that one?" You reply.

"I think that one sounded pretty good, I might want to record it again when we listen back on it though,"

He played a few of the songs from yesterday and then played four new ones, each take sounding amazing.

He places his acoustic onto the stand and takes the headphones off, then exits the room to go into the control room where you were.

"Those sounded great, do you want to listen back to them now and see which ones you want to keep?" You say, taking off your headphones and leaning back on your chair to look up at him.

"Yeah, of course," He smiles and gives a small nod, his curls bouncing slightly.

You pull a swivel chair up from the corner next to yours and plug the extra pair of headphones into the splitter so that he can hear the audio. He sits down and places the headphones over his head.

"Alright, we'll start with the first recording from yesterday how does that sound?" You ask, going to the page you had up from yesterday of the different takes and recordings.

The man hums in acknowledgment. You click on the first take, listening to it with him. After finishing the first one you listen to the other takes of the same song that were recorded so he can choose if he wants to redo it again or pick one he likes.

"I think I want to keep take eight, sounds much more clear and has no mistakes." The man says, placing his forefinger on his cheek in a thinking manner.

"Alright, you got a name for it so I can put it as the track name?" You ask, Deleting the other tracks as they would no longer be of use.

"Oh, uh yeah, that one's gonna be Saline Solution I think," He says, fixing his posture and placing his hands onto his lap awkwardly.

"Okay great, love that title by the way," You say, glancing at him for a second to make eye contact before looking back at the computer to replace the title with his own.

"Thanks," He says softly.

You continue on with it for a few more hours before Eliot knocks on your door before opening it, "Hey, we've got to close up for the night in about 20 minutes,"

"Shit, alright thank you Eliot," You say, taking your headphones off and standing up to stretch. The man does the same and rolls the chair back into the corner it was in before.

"Sorry for being here so long, I hadn't realized how long we were sitting there," The man smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, don't worry about it at all, I don't mind whatsoever. I'm actually quite glad you stayed so long, we never get anyone here and this has made my job more enjoyable instead of just sitting about doing nothing." You say, looking up at him.

"Oh, I'm Wilbur by the way. If I'm going to be working with you on this I might as well tell you my name, it'd make things much easier if we were at least a little more familiar with each other, yeah?" He holds his hand out, a smile on his face.

"Lovely name, my name's Y/n," You shake his hand and return the same smile.

You soon finish up and walk out of the control room with Wilbur behind you, entering the lobby of the studio where you could see Eliot on his phone wearing his coat waiting by the door.

You make your way to the desk and calculate how much it'll cost for his hours spent there, "Alright, that'll be £411.78. Choose your poison; Cash or card?" You grin at him.

"Card, please." Wilbur says, handing you his debit card.

Declined. The chip reader read in bright green letters.

"Fuck, um, I'm sorry about that hold on let me see what I have in pounds," He awkwardly grabs his wallet, searching through it.

"Hey, its fine you could always pay it back another time when you have it, I trust that you will," You hand Wilbur his card back.

"Thank you so much, I should have the money back in a couple of days, how about I come back around when I've got the rest?"

"Y'know, worst case if you don't come back it was more so a waste of your time than anything, we're still the ones with the music." Eliot butts in.

"You're not helping Eliot, terribly sorry about him Mr. Wilbur, sometimes he forgets his manners," You say, glaring at Eliot as you watch him stick out his tongue in a teasing manner.

"It's fine, I have a friend exactly like him, it's kind of funny in fact," Wilbur says in an amused tone.

You get out from behind the desk and walk Wilbur to the door, grabbing his coat to and it to him and grabbing yours, leading him outside so that Eliot can lock the doors up.

"Right, well thank you again. Do you suppose I can get your telephone number so I can let you know when I've gotten the rest of the money to pay?" Wilbur looks at you, standing awkwardly.

"Yeah sure, let me put the number into your phone," You say. Wilbur hands you his phone and you punch in your number to the keypad, putting your name in and handing his phone back to him.

"Thanks, ill keep in touch with you about it, bye now," Wilbur smiles and waves to you and Eliot as he walks off to his car and then drives off.

You walk with Eliot to where your cars were parked and dig into your pocket for your keys.

"What on earth happened in that recording room?" Eliot says, a cheeky grin on his face.

"What do you mean?" You say, still fishing in your pocket for the pesky keys.

"He just asked for your number, and on top of that you let him just leave without paying 400 pounds, something definitely happened in there," Eliot says, leaning on your car.

You suddenly realized what he meant and was implying at, your eyes widen and you can feel your face and ears quickly start to heat despite the freezing Brighton air.

"What! No! Jesus Eliot, do you seriously think I would do that with someone I'd just met and my client too for that matter? In my own studio too? Gross, man!" You exclaim in disgust, finally finding your keys and unlocking your car.

"I'm just saying, Y/n. I mean, he asked for your number for Christ's sake! there's no way that he doesn't at least fancy you a bit," Eliot says, playfully nudging your arm.

"God you're terrible, why'd it have to be you," You say playfully before getting into your car.

"Hey! Im great you just don't appreciate it! Anyways, see you Y/n, good luck with Wilbur," Eliot says drawing out the name as he walks away snickering.

Cheeky bellend' You think to yourself before starting up your car and turning the heat on. You check your phone before leaving to see you have a text from an unknown number.

"Hey, Y/n! Its Wilbur:) " The text wrote.

You smile and save him to your contacts, making a mental note to message him back when you wake up tomorrow.

Hopefully Eliot was right, hopefully he fancied you just as you had fancied him.

---------------------------

I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out. I wanted to make Eliot seem like Wallace Wells from SPVTW, and I'm fairly happy with how his character is coming out so far. Anyways, reblogs are of course appreciated, thank you for urging me to finish this chapter up anon!

[alitgblog]

s9 vol 7 thoughts: ah fuck this season has its problems but I don't think I've ever been this conflicted over love interests in a while

STEFAN 😍😍😍 literally I have to change my top five islanders now like I'm so sorry evan. AND he's an artist?? And it's my own fault for already buying into the second chance romance bit before he even showed up but like he's not ugly? omg stop. oof it's tough, like, shit I'm so sorry Natasha and Hamish I don't know who to pick in this love square they've got

him illustrating his sister's book for his sisters?? 🥺 I may be folding for that alone

I like Cassius' design. I like it more than Theo's but he does remind me of Liam unfortunately. and also he's looking like my MC's cousin this season so I gotta pass this time but makes it easier for me. but he does seem great, I like him and he's sweet without being boring (so far), but I also kinda wish we had an LI that gave us more pushback/banter? bc I picked a few options that disagreed with his whole thing about love/fate and he was just like "yeah fs that's a cool opinion too" which OK I get it he's nice but I'm just kinda sick of all the Islanders being so agreeable to MC. I guess Marshall is supposed to be the banter-y one but I have problems with him being here so I wish it was Cassius instead.

that being said they're fucking teasing me with this response to why are you here though

also at some point Cassius calls his season boring and I thought it was funny fusebox was dunking on themselves bc I didn't finish s7 either but no he was just referring to the fact he got dumped quickly.

I'm glad Lyle is back, like I'd be upset if an islander was only brought on for a date and then left, so I'm not mad at this even though he was momentarily mad at MC (and that became nothing?? like just take out that plot point) and i dont really care hes only coded in for Kat now. I'm just more upset bc they've literally already done this in S8 bc your LI has to pick between Sienna and Bea when they get "dumped" and then Sienna comes back in Casa.

And then we get to marshall and I don't even wanna talk about it. And ive made separate posts and reblogged some opinions on that so ill just add that also i hate his orange outfit. him dressing all white and ozzy all black was peak I hate he's out here in orange smh.. anyway so that'll be easy for me to not pick this season

although we get this and I thought it was funny like OK fine you got me marshall

he says it with a smile too not even angry/sarcastic

then after that I honestly don't remember what happens apart from way too many challenges all at once and the whole Stefan storyline. I wanted him to be a little upset initially bc it did seem like MC had some misunderstanding and then left him so quickly like I just wanted a little bit of angst where he came in with the gameplan of wanting to give her a piece of his mind and was on the show bc he couldn't contact her any other way, before he realized he was being silly and just was happy to see her again. like if anything, the story beats that Lyle goes through being snarky at mc in episode 1 then immediately asking for forgiveness by episode 3 makes more sense for Stefan but nah instead it just feels like another perfect li loyal route (which is fine but I like some tension in the story). like we can still have the terrace scene where he explains things though.

also if I saw this on love island? I'd be voting for them without question the angst is so good

OK I'm looking thru my screenshots and am now remembering I was upset at raunchy races for being subjective again. notable offenses:

straight out the gate, most creative boy and Kelly says "craft brewing is creative" gtfo as if it's not Chen the set designer (and anyone who brought back Lyle from the dates, I'd imagine musician over craft beer brewer as well)

Kat somehow doesn't win best dancer

I love Kelly and sure, biggest foodie but not when my mc is a chef smh at least in S6 the dialogue would change slightly with your occupation lmao

the physical challenge is OK but I just think it doesn't belong in casa. like on the actual show where they spend real days in casa it's fine but for the game that has to shorten it bc the volumes definitely don't add up to the length of real love island, it feels like a waste. if anything, the real villa needed a physical challenge rather than continuing to do variations on excess baggage type games.

someone help Kelly out with the mask pls

anyway the OG islander to visit instead of a postcard is interesting. I think a postcard makes the most sense but bc the game has to fabricate drama while also probably wanting most of the guys to still look good since the villa is like 75% love interests for MC, maybe it makes sense?

I think having it be MC's partner doesn't give us a lot of drama unless MC wants to bring up Stefan. Finn and Hamish could be interesting whether you're pursuing them or not. Like under the guise of them checking in on their partner, but they just care about MC and are asking her not to forget them. Most likely i think it'll be Kat's partner and he'll make up some lies about what's happening in the villa.

anyway a little rough first few weeks of the season but I'm enjoying at least this episode, surprisingly, so we'll seeeeee.... I think the seasons generally gets worse post casa so I'm not betting on this being a good season overall, but I'm not calling it a flop just yet.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #190

I got a call this morning to confirm tomorrow's appointment with the oral surgeon. As it turns out, tomorrow's appointment is just the consult, and NOT the appointment where my teeth get yanked. They're just gonna talk about the anesthesia and the risks and the whatnot, I guess, and so I've been stressing over nothing.

Thank goodness. I really didn't wanna have to deal with recovering from that while also processing a major life change. That would have really sucked, and though I would have weathered it, I'm still really glad I don't have to.

Today was orientation for the new job. I was there with two other orientees, the hiring manager, and some guy. It was never explained who the guy was, but he was friendly enough nonetheless. The hiring manager spoke on various things, and then we were moved immediately to video training on the computer. I was shocked and amused to discover that a tech company I used to work for made some of the training modules for this new place.

…Seriously, I'm glad that I'm not gonna be getting into another tech job. While I am skilled with bending machines to my will, I am not skilled at dealing with the pettiness of office politics, the nuances of neurotypical (mis)communication, or people who get angry because they've set unreasonable deadlines or unreasonable expectations for what they want a certain piece of software to do. Things would be a lot easier if people didn't think that computers are magical mystery miracle boxes that can do any fantastical thing. Things would be a lot easier if people simply said what they meant and meant what they said. But insincerity and lies abound in my world, as does ignorance and ill-advised expectations borne from said ignorance, and don't even get me started on the sexism and all the people who think that folks who look like me don't belong there.

…Sigh… I digress…

Suppose really I'm just tired. I was at the place doing things from around 10:30am until around 4pm, and I didn't have a chance to get anything to eat or drink during that span of time. My head hurts and I'm cranky, but I did eat and I did drink about 16oz of water, and I have tea brewing as we speak. It's just gonna take a hot minute for my blood sugar and hydration levels to return to normal; I'll be all right.

On the bright side, my team lead seems delightful and friendly. I'm looking forward to getting to know him as time goes on. I hope I'll be able to exceed the expectations before me. It seems daunting at least for now, but it might just seem that way only because it's unfamiliar. I am not good at being bad at things, because I have a long history of being viciously punished for being bad at things, but you know... I'm not gonna get better at being bad at things unless I bite the bullet and put myself in positions in which I'm gonna be bad at things. That's how it works. That's how it goes.

The tea has since brewed. I'll show you today's swirls; they're not the bestest, but they're also not half bad…

...I feel a little better. Some time for the contents of my stomach to make it into my bloodstream seems to have done the trick.

I thought about continuing to design a house. But I know that if I do that, I'm going to probably apply too much pressure to myself to make something perfect, and then I'll end up in a really weird state of mind. So I guess instead I'll play some Dead Cells; I'm feeling a little lonely for reasons I don't really understand, so I guess I'll put it on the internet. Maybe someone will come chill out with me online while I play. Maybe if I get impossibly lucky someday, I'll see you there, too:

...Hey Sephiroth? If by some incredible miracle, someday you wind up in my neighborhood, do you wanna play a video game with me sometime? We can start with something simple at first so you can get the hang of it; maybe you'd like Yoshi's Island. But I suspect you'll learn quickly and be able to play things that require more skill without much effort. You are smart and coordinated, after all.

Hey. Stay safe out there, all right? Because I love you, and someday I'm hoping to see a version of you who is safe, healed, and happy. Please make kind and gentle choices in service to working towards that normal life you wanted, okay?

...And if you need help adjusting, my doors are open. We of my house can help you. You can have a place here. Don't do like Rosen and say that you don't have it in you; I know that you do. I know you can belong. You have not yet met all of the people in either your world or my world who will be more than capable of loving you exactly as you are, so... please... Sephiroth... please don't give up. Not while there are so many people cheering you on. Not while there are so many people with their hands and their hearts outstretched to you. Please.

I'll write again tomorrow.

Your friend, Lumine

[dourpeep]

7, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 25 (IF UR UNCOMFY W ANY OF THE QUESTIONS JUST PRETEND YOU DIDNT SEE ME ASK NODNOD)

🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥

heheheeee hello koi- I'll be doing this for Genshin, ofc!

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

Mmm, I don't actually have a character I hate, but I'm not particularly fond of the general fanon characterization of Xiao. I adore his character, and the man vs self struggle that's both the internalization of his past as well as his 'acceptance' is just *chef's kiss*.

But while he sounds edgy, Xiao's pretty soft. Sure his en voice is on the gruff/edgy side, but if we always just took voices at face value then ho boy would that be a world of trouble. I get it though, voices generally should (take v lightly) match the characterization, but I really like his en voice! Laila Berzins did so good!

14. that one thing you see in fics all the time

Yandere-ization is noticeably prevalent in Genshin, which I think just is because it just so happens they both became more popular (the yandere tropes/characterizations and Genshin in general) around the same time. It's not my cup of tea, but it's not the end of the world either. At one point, scrolling through ao3, I'd pretty much see a yandere fic every other work--especially for characters like Scaramouche or Xiao or Kazuha.

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

Making everything edgy- Genshin isn't really a just soft feelings game, and a ton of the characters have a pretty dark backstory, but I just am not super into this. It's probably because I'm also just tired of getting such dreary (?) stuff from fandom, but who knows. Specifically though making it seem like Kaeya and Diluc hate each other's guts, making Albedo seem like he's cold or purely calculative, Kaeya being only manipulative and sleazy, Diluc being only broody and grim, Xiao being overly rude and mean, Scaramouche (/j).

That's not to say I downright hate it, but man it does get a little tiring seeing it. That's probably why I tend to write only soft stuff- also writing angst puts me in intense pain

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

MERMAID--Merbedo my beloved...I want more mermaid fics and art! And I know it's mermay but (': I've been so busy that I don't have the time and I am down my tablet so I also can only do traditional art OTL

But anyway! Mermaid Genshin stuff! Give them fancy tails and pretty scales!!! More

18. it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

Soft poetic characterization of Kazuha, domestic Xiao, RUBEDOOO (subject 2).

I just love the idea of Kazuha just quietly musing over something, no matter it's importance, or maybe even just admiring the simplicity of something that's equally profound. Kazuha being flowery in his language with that dreamy feel but you can still feel the brewing storm within his mind- oiashdfioe

Xiao being (not) forced into a situation where he's with someone for an extended amount of time, shadowed by his worries about his karma effecting but also those silently brewing emotions that flutter at the simplest thing. Xiao not being very physically affectionate but instead leaving little gifts, or perhaps offering to take watch (like you're traveling together towards a common goal or something and he sees that you're nodding off while on watch so he sits there a little ways away to keep an eye on you while you sleep but also make sure no harm comes).

AND RUBEDO (': I miss him, I want more mhy please give me more of him because I KNOW he's not dead. There's no way--regardless of whcih Bedo is the Albedo at the end of Shadows Amidst Snowstorms, there's no way that he's dead. If the Bedo is Albedo, then he's clearly hiding something or making light of the situation. If it's Rubedo then that's self explanatory.

it doesn't even matter if he *actually* gets much more content I just wanna know my other boy is safe and sound (or maybe just alive yknow)

OH AND EULA! I get that there's that whole thing where people overreacted and took it way out of proportion (esp. on twt), but Eula is a great character! She's good for the trope of breaking away from what you're associated with and I feel like she could do with being included more in the game! I hope she gets another character story because I think she's pretty cool neat

19. you're mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like...

Scaramouche. I still am baffled that he's the reason I started writing for Genshin and why I have an unholy knowledge of his entire character and background like I think about it and wonder "the hell?"

Also his personality is exactly the type of person that pisses me off irl so I hate that I really like his character.

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

Peeps who hear 'Genshin' and immediately just- yknow the thing. Judging and stuff like "Oh. You're one of those people." Like, right back at you dude, you're one of those people who judge someone based off what they enjoy and just can't let people to enjoy what they like right? Yeah thought so.

smh killjoys just cause someone enjoys something that's not necessarily associated with good fandom doesn't mean whatever it is is immediately shit

[shrinkthisviolet]

3, 6 [stay gold], 13, 17, 23, 26 and 33 for the fanfic ask game!

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

Friends to Lovers and Time Travel. ESPECIALLY time travel 😅 I wanna say Platonic Intimacy too, at least to some degree, but idk if that's a trope exactly

6. What’s one fact about the universe of [stay gold] that you didn’t get a chance to mention in the fic itself?

For obvious reasons, this isn't made clear, but...when Sam apologizes to Hawk, he almost believes her. Robby’s sudden appearance and Hawk misinterpreting things kills a possible reconciliation, but…not all hope is lost, Sam! You might very well be successful later 👀

13. Are there any tropes you used to like but don’t anymore?

I used to be neutral on love corners ("love triangles"), but I've only come to dislike them more over time. Whether it's two girls fighting over one boy or two boys fighting over one girl...it's always written in a sexist way

I'm also considerably more neutral on romantic soulmates as a trope (I love platonic soulmates, but romantic soulmates don't really appeal to me like they used to). I like this trope in cases like the Good Place ("soulmates aren't found. They're made"—emphasizing the choice of the individuals), but...the idea of being fated to marry someone and not having any choice in the matter has kinda lost its luster for me over time (especially since they also imply that if you don't marry your soulmate, you'll be miserable. Yikes)

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

A PJO x Flash AU! Which I've had brewing in my mind as a concept for a while. I just have to smooth out the logistics 😅

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

A role reversal 🥰 whether a power-swap or just a reversal of roles in a different way...I've been intrigued by this trope for a while now

26. Would you rather write a fic that had no dialogue or one that was only dialogue?

Only dialogue! It comes most naturally to me 💞

33. If you write chaptered fics, what’s your ideal chapter length to write? Is it different from your ideal chapter length to read?

Hmm usually I aim for 3k-5k chapters (ideally 4k-5k), but I also do tend to break that rule when the chapter cutoffs dictate otherwise 😅 because really, the chapter's natural beginning and endpoints matter more to me than how short or long it ends up being

fanfic writer ask game!

[puckish-rogue-archive-deux]

with a smile upon the deities' features would she approach the male, a somewhat mischievous glint apparent within her crystal-gaze: "perhaps too soon . . . perhaps too late for this. but here it is: i've constructed this all by myself. " quickly would she place a ring within the palm of his hand, still slightly warm from when it had been forged in high temperatures. "consider this my first gift to you. "

crafted from the finest silver & coated with abysmal obsidian; the ring represents both power & destruction. three charred leaves wrap around one's finger, symbolizing what has been & what can be gained from said past. the chosen stone is to protect & to ground one within one's ambition, representing the person's true, inner power.

You know that old saying about horses and gifts? Well that certainly applied here.

Having spent a pretty decent amount of time with Gaia already, the Boss had come to understand just how the little missy functioned when it came to acts of affection and the like. Gifts, cooking, words of affirmation—she was a fuckin whiz when it came to making people feel good, to the point she might as well be the embodiment of the term 'dream girl'. Like come on! Anyone in their right mind would want someone like her in their life, let alone as their partner. You'd have to be a giant stupid idiot to even consider anything but.

Anyway, the Boss is kind of a stupid idiot.

Don't get him wrong, everything Gaia had done for him so far in their relationship was met with genuine appreciation. To ever consider acting like a prick towards her would go against his own code of conduct, and he'd no sooner find himself at the bottom of a river before the thought of being a shithead towards her would ever cross his mind. However, men like himself—or at least the ones who are self-aware enough not to delude themselves—tend to find such things rather strange. Of all the people in the world you could display this warm, passionate, and sickeningly sweet affection towards, why him? Why a person who has time and time again chosen to become the worst version of himself?

It was so strange. So very foreign to him. He's seen what love is like for others. He can understand it to a point. But to be on the receiving end of something that was so wildly the opposite of who he was and what he stood for felt totally.. undeserved. Questionable.

Yet, for whatever reason, he finds himself enchanted by this ring. Downright mesmerized. How in the world was she able to make something this beautiful? The Boss looks up from the ring for a moment to catch her expression, and while he might not be able to see it himself, his features have noticeably softened. There's a spark in his eyes and the faintest of smiles. "Christ. She's really got me now." he thinks to himself.

No sooner than this does he find himself slowly approaching her; the ring already put on one of the fingers of his left hand. He's not sure what to do now. Absolutely no idea how to express his gratitude. It's all such a confusing yet welcome flurry of emotions brewing up inside of him. They're annoying as shit, but god damn does it feel fun.

" Keep this up and you might actually steal my heart. " How fucking corny. But it's the best he's got right now as he finds himself picking her up for a hug and resting his face against her head. " This thing's a real beauty. Though it definitely can't outshine you, that's for sure. " He snorts over how dumb that sounds. " Let's go do something. Anything. I just wanna spend some time with ya. "

@vonerde

[crucifixes-and-chrysanthemums]

I've decided, after Em mentioned her own journaling, that I should probably do it more. Once a week on Mondays at the least.

First off, three things I like about myself. One: I'm a good listener. Two: I am helpful to others. Three: I am good at understanding others' emotional perspectives.

That wasn't so hard, was it? Alright, maybe a little harder than it should be, but so be it. Blame it on the late time and I'm sorta tired. Anyway, it's almost Christmas! This Sunday, in fact. I know a few of my gifts, which is nice. Rice cooker, blanket, heated jacket. All stuff I can use. My secret Santa arrives tomorrow and it's something Lana Del Rey-related. It's Lana Del Rey-lated. Or at least, that's my guess. Mom and I got Pap a holster with a light for his 43X. I got dad a flashlight. I need to just get gift cards for the rest, I think. I don't really have any ideas, unfortunately. A few, but they're too cliche.

Em is breaking up with her boyfriend, and I support her. He gave her the clap and didn't tell her for a week. When he did it came out really shitty. Poor Em. I feel so bad for her. She just keeps getting kicked in the balls by life. Deserves much better. I might be going to visit her around March, for which I'm rather excited. It'll be nice to meet her in person. We've been talking a lot lately which is nice. It's nice to have company.

I'm thinking of going back to school. St. Bernard's school in the city has a bunch of classes I'm really interested in. They're not terribly expensive, financial aid is apparently easy to get, and their graduate certificates don't require an undergrad degree. Hopefully something to help for the future. Maybe, maybe not; still something I have to pray on a lot.

My prayer life has actually been decent lately! Still rather unorganized but pretty much every night I talk to God a little bit. So that's nice. Makes me feel like less of a shithead. Makes a real difference, honestly.

Man, there was something else I was gonna talk about but it totally slipped my mind. Unrelated, Campbell's Chunky Potato Ham Chowder? Bad. Really bad. Steak and potato? Absolutely cash money.

I've also come up with a new aesthetic/-core: Bog Wizard-core. Bog Wizard-core is the music and whatnot of a wizard living in a bog. Away from society, deep within a forest, where the light always seems to be shining, but the shadows are always a little long. Living in a giant boot, or perhaps a mushroom. Something made of nature but still shaped by man. Slow, ambient stuff. Mostly without lyrics. The type of music a Bog Wizard would listen to while brewing potions and observing wildlife and whatnot. Pianos, slow electric guitars, and woodwinds. Earth tones with flashes of bright blue and red here and there. Man, I wanna be a Bog Wizard. Note that Bog Wizard =/= Druid. Bog Wizards live in large footwear or huts augmented by, but not primarily made of nature. Druids live in nature augmented by huts, or right in a mushroom or something. I wanna just live in a bog and make potions and observe the wildlife and whatnot from my hut. Go on silly little walks through the bog with my magic torch to light my path.

That's about it, I suppose. Thanks for listening, diary. You always do.

12/20/22 - 12:26am.

[munsonslove]

Hello love! Just wanted to say that you're one of my favourite writers on here. The way you write is so comforting and so easy to visualise as I'm reading! Sorry for anon, I'm a grown woman with a child who is down bad for a fictional character and my friends don't understand 🥴

I'd love to see your take on reader having an awful day and needing Eddie to get her into subspace- don't mind if mixed with daddy kink, too!

Please keep writing because I'm literally obsessed ❤

Feel Better

(18+ only)

a/n: no worries anon, i’m a grown woman who’s down bad for a fictional character as well lmao (though i don’t have a child, but still) anyways i hope you like it!!! this isn’t full rated R it’s just the lead up to it, but it’s still really cute i think~ also happy halloween everyone!

summary: A bad day leads to some TLC from your favorite person.

wordcount: 1.1k, short n sweet <3

tags/warnings: fem!sub!reader, softdom!Eddie, fluff, smut (kinda), established relationship, daddy kink, praise kink, no use of y/n

Today was absolutely awful. Eddie didn’t sleep over last night, so you woke up at the crack of dawn alone in a cold bed. Then, your coffee maker crapped out on you, so you had to leave without any caffeine to help fend off the weariness still looming over you. It was raining and you never replaced your umbrella that got a huge tear in the nylon last month- and though Eddie did constantly offer to drive you when you first landed this job, you felt bad forcing him to wake up so early when he often worked late nights- so you walked the ten minute walk to the store every morning. This, of course, resulted in you showing up to work soaking wet. To make matters worse, despite only barely being past Halloween, the suburban moms of Hawkins have decided the retail hell that is the holiday season has officially arrived.

When you finally dragged your aching feet past the threshold of your tiny home, your ears picked up the sound of pots and pans clanging and running water. Eddie’s van was parked in your driveway, and he knows that he’s welcome to let himself in any time he wants- that’s why you gave him a spare key in the first place. You pass through the archway to the kitchen to find your boyfriend doing the dishes while bopping his head along to the beat of imaginary music. He doesn’t notice your arrival over the sound of the sink, so you take a moment to just appreciate the view. There’s two plates of your favorite lunch on the table, beside a fresh brewed cup from your newly fixed coffee machine. Already you feel immensely better, but a home cooked meal isn’t what you need right now.

You clear your throat to get his attention, and it works like a charm. Eddie’s head whips around to reveal a wide grin on his face, but his expression drops when his eyes find yours. You can only imagine how you look right now, with your hair and clothes dried after being rained on. He can definitely see the remnants of your terrible day on you. Turning off the faucet, he walks over to you without a word and pulls you into a tight embrace.

“You wanna talk about it, sweetheart?” he asks, his voice a quiet whisper filled with care.

“No,” you answer immediately, “I just want you to help me forget.”

He understands what you’re asking from him without you needing to explain, so he takes your hand in his and leads you to the bedroom. After closing the door behind you, he dims the lights and takes you by your waist to sit you down on the side of the bed. You try to look up at him as he stands towering above you, but it’s difficult to keep your eyes open when he places his hands on either side of your cheeks and starts softly stroking your hairline. He does this motion for a little while, until you’re unsure how long he’s been just delicately touching you. The repetition of these gentle caresses combined with the sound of both of your quiet breathing syncing up is enough to have you creeping closer to that empty-brained daze that you’ve been craving all day.

Eddie helps you pull off your shoes, along with your work uniform and underwear, crumpling up the clothes into balls and chucking them into the hamper across the room. Then, he calmly instructs you to lay down on your stomach. You do as you’re told without protest, and he hums approvingly as he crawls over your naked body. With his weight grounding you to the plush mattress, all you can focus on is the feeling of him pressing into every inch of your body. There’s such little light present, and the room is silent except for rhythmic inhaling and exhaling, so your concentration is fighting a losing battle. Your mind is slowly melting into mush as Eddie’s lips barely graze your shoulder blades.

“Let go, sweetheart,” he whispers, his warm breath tickling your skin. “Fall into it, I’ve got you.”

You want to respond. Tell him that you’re trying, you’re almost there- but you’re so close that you’ve already become nonverbal. Talking got really difficult when you were in this headspace, so your lack of response told Eddie everything he needed to know. He continued pressing short kisses to your back as he rubbed up and down your arms lovingly.

“Just listen to my voice, darling,” he ordered, a little louder but still monotone so as to not distract you and pull you out of the moment. “You don’t have to worry about anything else today. Daddy’s got it all covered from now on, just turn that pretty little head off.”

Before you know it, you’re nose-diving deep into that all too familiar trance-like state you often find yourself in when your boyfriend takes control. It’s euphoric, like you’re floating above the bed despite being pinned down. The sound of Eddie’s hands sliding against the skin of your arms, torso, and legs suddenly becomes so amplified that it’s like it’s happening right next to your ear. There was nothing in your system, no smoke in your lungs or alcohol in your blood, but you felt far from sober. Your face must have portrayed the dizziness you felt, perhaps via glazed over eyes or a slack jaw, because the man on top of you stopped his massage to tilt your head to the side.

“There she is,” he rasped, “You feel better?”

A small set of giggles unconsciously escaped you, answering what you couldn’t find with words. Vibrations rattled your relaxed body as Eddie returned the laughter, and you almost didn’t even notice the heaviness being lifted off of you when he sat up and positioned himself between your spread legs.

“What’s so funny, pretty girl?” he asks between laughs, splaying his fingers on your thighs just below the fat of your butt. “I got you all giggly, don’t I?”

There’s more shuffling, but your mind is too far away to fully comprehend what’s going on around you. You think Eddie stands up, then the bed dips when he gets back on. He moves you like you’re a rag doll, positioning you onto your hands and knees for him. You feel his cock sliding along your slit and brushing against your clit as he tenderly strokes your back.

“Okay, sweetheart,” he whispers into the darkness of the room, though the tremors that reverberate in your bones would lead one to believe he bellowed it. “Daddy’s gonna make his good girl forget about everything.”

[prettyboykatsuki]

Sakusa Kiyoomi, contrary to popular belief, is not good at everything.

But, he learns quickly and adjusts quicker. There's something about the way he intuits his way in and out of circumstance that makes him seem naturally gifted and his expression blessed with non-chalance loans itself to the assumption that he is good at everything.

It always seems that way. In interviews where he's given some menial task that he picks up in one go, or in TV specials where he's trying to bake a cake and it comes out better than it's really supposed to. In those little details, he's confront frequently with the word genius - which he doesn't like.

Because, he isn't a genius or naturally gifted. He just tries a lot. And while he isn't naturally good at everything - he can admit to himself it's rare that he's explicitly bad at something. Normally, it takes a little elbow grease and he's passable. Good in that way that makes people mildly impressed like a party trick.

But bad, outright and blatantly bad? It's a rare enough occurence to humble the already gracious Sakusa Kiyoomi.

Sakusa is learning a lot about himself in his mid-twenties. And his one-track minded career focused thinking that lead him to the path of single life has eroded over time. He's never been concerned with settling down past the idea he'd like to be. And opening a dating app felt like a bad choice given he was a semi-famous athlete.

But he gave it a try. With the help of his more sociable team-mates was born a neat tinder profile.

Sakusa Kiyoomi. 26. MSBY Jackals Outside Hitter.

I like Old Westerns and Cold Brew.

He wasn't sure what he was hoping to get out of it. It was uncomfortable swiping on people based on perceived attractiveness and he's never been all that good at flirting. A message like yours paired with a Super Like (which Hinata excitedly explained to him) was standout from the sea of people.

(sent) 12:41 - i like cold brew too. but i don't know much about old westerns. maybe we could go out and you could tell me about it :) ?

Apparently blatant interest like that was rare. And admittedly, Sakusa liked how blunt it was. No guesswork, no fluff - straight the point and enough to make Sakusa curious about the person behind the message.

So a story as old as digital aged internet dating goes, he agrees to a location and time. You live near a place, you promise he'll like it. An afternoon casual date turns into a more serious romantic encounter for dinner another week and then for a few more weeks after that. Dates turning into back and forth texts, good mornings and how are yous turn into do you wanna meet my teammates? to do you want to be my partner?

Atsumu (often bitterly) notes that Sakusa really does have a natural knack for these things. He doesn't know how to argue back, how to say that this is all just been one big stroke of luck. Because the only thing he's really learned from all the time he's spent with you is that he is alarmingly bad at love.

He didn't even know that was something someone could be bad at - but every moment he spends with you proves him wrong. Sakusa has not a single bone in his body that is naturally gifted in falling in love. Most of his waking moments are spent doing what he does best - which is to say Sakusa has been doing a lot of trying and hoping to leave you passably impressed.

You do most of the leg work in anything considered romantic. Sakusa himself opts for chivalrous and entangles himself in paying for things and trying to be thoughtful and considerate. He picks you up for dates and never lets you pay, he showers you with expensive gifts and pays for whatever expense you'll let him. You always try to say no but he insists because really it's the best he can do.

Sakusa's never put a lot of thought into what it means to be warm. But you embody it, and lately all he can think when he wakes up is how cold an empty bed is.

("Do you like sleeping with me, Omi?"

"Don't phrase it like that,"

You laugh and it is the warmest sound in the entire world)

He's never felt explicitly bad at love in the way you make him feel. The complicated messy emotions of his that you carefully untangle. You read his moods better than he reads his own. You cater to them, to his wants. When he comes home from a long day of practice, it's no longer ice baths to level him but a sweet and gentle hug.

( "My poor baby," you'll say, patting your lap until he trudges the whole of him in your arms. For you to coo and kiss his head "I'll make it better," )

Who would've known being doted on felt so good? Not Sakusa. He doesn't know how to do it the way you do. The open flow of your affection is unfamiliar and everything Sakusa does is a bad mimicry.

You're good at asking though. Filling in the gaps - if you want kisses or touch or attention, you always ask. Sakusa has never said no to you in his life and never will for this reason alone. Ice cream at 3am or a long trip for trip for that pizza you really like or that anime figurine you've been looking at. Sakusa doesn't know how else to pay back your love other than to empty himself out for you.

Even when you fight, which is rarer than rare - Sakusa puts his whole soul into listening. Into giving you whatever you need, into resolution and change. He's familiar with trying and trying for you comes as naturally as inhaling.

He doesn't blame Atsumu for saying as much. But this time, he wasn't trying hard to get so terribly lucky. And even with everything together, he's still so very bad at love in it of itself. On coping with it, and how it makes him feel.

Lucky for him, you seem to accept his badness by rewarding his effort. Sakusa has never had more pride on the basis that he's so good at trying.

And he is definitely trying hard to love you and be even a little as warm as you are.

[scorchieart]

Scorchie's Follower Celebration Thingy [CLOSED!]

Hello friends! Hope everyone is doing great as we dive into September 😊

I wanted to give a SUPER BIG THANKS to each and every one of you awesome internet nodes for welcoming me into this fandom and chatting with me, reading my writings, and just the all around goofiness of the past few months. Y'all are the real stars ✨

I really wanted to do something for the 100 mark, but real life slipped time away and I don't want to miss this next milestone. I don't have a cool prompt list to offer, but what I do have is a pile of fic ideas brewing in the pot for months now that I've been simply dying to tell you all about.

But I am notoriously indecisive ('tis a blessing and a curse) so I thought some audience participation might be fun. Below the cut are 6 multi-chapter fic ideas and their pitches. I'm asking YOU lovely readers to let me know which one you'd like to see written first to help celebrate 🥳🎉

Each of the following fics has at least a basic outline written, but I've listed them in order of how concrete the story is and/or how excited I am to write them. Of course, the final decision rests in your hands, dear viewers, so do keep in the mind the power you wield in determining the next few months of my fledgling writing career.

More details for the voting below, now on to the pitches! ⭐⭐

Note, all these ideas are for Ikemen Prince. I promise one day I'll expand my library to more series, but for now these guys are still on the brain. Oh, and these aren't the final titles of the fics, just some placeholders for your convenience.

Jin's first year at the palace New title? New father? New brothers? Jin didn't sign up for this, but reality has something different in store for this young prince as he learns to navigate palace life, charm the nobles that loathe his existence, learn what it means to be a big brother, and watch his new family grow. (This one has been in the works since Jin's route release back in March, and I've already got a chunk of it written cuz I'm so excited. This all started from the question: "What happened when Jin first met the other princes?" and it was all downhill from there. Needless to say, it'll be riddled with spoilers for pretty much all the princes' routes.)

Prank boi Clavis finally gets a taste of his own medicine Sariel takes tiny Yves and Licht (and a hyperactive Clavis) into town for the annual Winter Market, but when Clavis sets his eyes on an exotic stand filled with dangerous goods, he ends up biting off more than he can chew with his brothers in tow. (This one is the shortest of the bunch. Just a bit of slice-of-life in the lives of some mini princes being funny kiddies. When I tell you the flashbacks scenes in-game are my favorite parts...)

The eldest 3 go on a hunting trip (begrudgingly) It's time for the young princes to take part in high society. That means fancy balls, hunting trips, and waaaaay too long cramped carriage rides. The real question is if they'll catch any game before they end up hunting each other! (Another slice-of-life scenario, but I wanted to try a hand a writing perspective from multiple protagonists. I have 6 chapters planned and the POV shifts between Jin, Chevalier, and Clavis as the story goes along.)

Straight Eights continuation Basically the continuation of the modern high school AU I started a few months back. Chapter 1 is posted already if you wanna take a look at how that setup went.

Murder in the gardens? Detective Licht is on the case! Another gala, another migraine. Licht sneaks out of the palace to escape the party scene, only to sneak onto a murder scene! Guards and nobles swarm and catch sight of the Brutal Beast standing sword in hand and bloodied atop the dead body, but while the crowd is calling for punishment, Licht requests pardon and proper investigation when his brother looks him in the eye and boldly proclaims "It wasn't me." (Probably the most nebulous idea of the bunch because I have zero experience writing mystery, but I really wanted to delve more into Licht's character and how he reacts to different scenarios. It'll have the usual lot of gathering suspects, interviewing and investigating, and maybe even a spunky sidekick to lighten the mood with witty one-liners. Also the "Herlock Sholmes" character from Ace Attorney looks like Licht in detective getup and I got hooked.)

Clavis & Leon go on a mission, but neither is too happy about it It's Clavis's 15th birthday, but no one is paying any attention to him. Granted, there's a mass kidnapping case going on, but that's no excuse to ignore the third prince! All evidence points to the culprit targeting Prince Silvio's birthday party next month. Eager to prove himself to Sariel and Chevalier, Clavis requests to head the investigation, but how's he supposed to look cool when they make him babysit 3 of his younger brothers at the same time? (Another Clavis? Ye, what did you expect? Again, this is selfish wish-fulfillment of me wanting to see Clavis and Leon interacting more, but with a road trip mixed in!)

There they are! Hope you enjoyed that brief peek into my wacky brain space!

How to cast your vote ⭐

Just leave a comment on this post or send me an ask or a DM with your ranking of the above pitches from most to least interested to read. (for example: 2,4,6,1,5,3)

I'll keep the voting open until Saturday, September 17. Afterwards, I'll do some magic number crunching behind the scenes and post the results.

A few notes about requests ⭐

Experience is the best teacher, as they say, and I've definitely learned a lot more about writing since I started posting. Namely what I enjoy and do not enjoy writing, how to balance different characters and their voices, juggling genres, and a lot lot more! I have plans to experiment more with them in the future and I'm so excited about it! Mondo thanks to everyone who's let me bounce ideas off them, given me advice, and offered feedback on my work. You guys actively shaped the writer I am today.

But since I'm still in the process of developing my writing voice and the end of the year is bringing a lot more real-life responsibilities, I will be closing my ask box to writing requests at the same time the voting concludes. So if you have an idea you'd like to submit (first of all, thank you so much!), you've got until Saturday, September 17 to send it in. Details for posting requests can be found on this post.

To all the people who have sent me requests in the past, you guys are so super awesome and creative. To the requests I have not completed yet, trust me they're on the way. And to awesome people along for the ride, I hope you'll look forward to what I have coming in store 😉

Last thing, I pinky promise ⭐

I just wanted to thank you all again for the wonderful memories. This is the first fandom I've actively participated in and uploaded content for, and the fact that this many of you like the randomness I've been posting really and truly means the world to me.

To all the friends I've made along the way, and to the new ones I have yet to meet, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I honestly wouldn't have kept up with it all for this long without you guys.

Peace and love, and keep rocking on! 👊

- Scorchie