#this is every interaction the two of them have in the game

[yerimbrit]

here's the mistletoe (so go on and kiss me twice) : p. hanni

synopsis: it's last minute christmas decorating with your friends, and, as always, anything and everything is an opportunity for you to tease your girlfriend.

# : pairing ! nonidol!pham hanni x fem!reader

# : tags ! fluff fluff and more fluff, would you like a side of fluff with your order of fluff? yeah?, christmas decorating, short jokes (directed at hanni wbk), ft newjeans

# : wordcount ! 1.5k

# : warnings ! none

for the first time ever in the two years that you've been living with each other, all members of your friend group are home for christmas. obviously, you guys want to make it special, right? decorating the moment it hits midnight on the first of the jolly month?

...except everyone's been busy with finals and whatnot, and the only day that all six of you are free is the 23rd. two days before christmas, and a day before christmas eve.

early this morning, minji and haerin went out to go buy a tree. and you'll give it to them, it's a damn pretty looking tree. it leaves just enough room to spare for the topper to breathe, and it's body is the ideal shape for a christmas tree—like the ones you'd see on those holiday cards. putting those two on tree-hunting duty was a good idea, even if they were decided from losing a game of slapjack.

(that day still gives you the shivers. the air around haerin as she chose her victim to accompany her on her expedition was absolutely chilling.)

the rest of the jobs were decided by first come, first served. unfortunately, danielle and hyein called dibs on baking all of the sweet treats and pastries for the party, so that left you and hanni for decorations.

look, you love hanni. she's a wonderful friend and an even lovelier girlfriend. it's just... you know, with all the decorating... how are you supposed to resist making short jokes targeted towards her when everything gives you a chance to? and that's exactly how your trip to home depot went. every other aisle would have you lightly teasing your vertically challenged girlfriend, and every other aisle would have her scolding you or landing a half-hearted punch on your shoulder. ouch.

"you guys sure are late," hyein jokingly crosses her arms upon your arrival. her mask breaks almost immediately, and she has to stifle a giggle. there's spots of flour on her face, and danielle, who is beaming next to her, has pink frosting smeared on her cheek. looks like their baking session went a little haywire.

hanni huffs, swinging a horridly orange home depot branded bag over her shoulder to set down next to the freshly installed tree. "do you know how crowded home depot is on christmas eve eve?"

"must've been hard reaching for the last box of ornaments," minji snorts, leaning over from her spot on the couch to try to peek inside the reusable bag. hanni swats her hand away and proceeds to point and laugh at the ugly christmas sweater that the taller has donned.

you giggle at their interaction before placing the rest of the orange bags next to the one hanni put down and make a beeline to the open kitchen, where a tray of warm and decorated cookies lay. there's a broken snowflake-shaped cookie with unsightly neon turquoise frosting pasted messily on top, and you decide to put it out of its misery by plopping it in your mouth. "mmh, warm, buttery, and sweet. as expected, you two."

the baker pair share a proud look and a fistbump, and then a voice sounds out from right beside you alongside a crunch. "these are good."

startled, you look to your right and haerin's staring right at you with a gingerbread man—headless, because she bit off its head—pinched in a hold between her pointer and her thumb. you press a hand to your heart, "when did you get here!?"

she ignores your question, instead walking away to peer into the products you and hanni reaped from the warehouse. if you listened closely, you could hear the feline quietly hum the home depot theme song. unbelievable.

minji tries to start something, likely about how haerin got to look before she did, but danielle interrupts before she can even let a second word of complaint escape her lips. "let's get decorating!"

with the sunshine's interruption, the group breaks into laughter and minji takes the three orange bags to the dining table where their contents can be spilled out. ornaments, string lights in both tacky rainbow colors and the neat white ones, and other little trinkets and decorations—you really just grabbed everything that was left, not that it was a bad thing! it's just... really random compared to everything else.

"whoever's last has to decorate the tree," danielle calls out, a small smile settling on her face, and she places her finger on the tip of her nose, "not it!"

you got caught off-guard, and that ultimately leaves you as the last one standing. even haerin's in on it, the little devil—she's developing her own characteristic shit-eating grin and it's starting to piss you off.

"you're out, y/n," minji laughs, and her eyes subtly snap between you and hanni, "pick someone to work with you."

your gaze trails over to your girlfriend, who frantically shakes her head in distress. 'no,' she signals with her eyes, 'please don't pick me.'

hyein waves a swaying hand in front of you, a teasing glint in her eyes, "don't take too long picking, unnie, or else the beautiful tree they picked will be all for naught!"

well, you didn't have to be told twice. "hanni."

"nooooo!"

"i can't believe you chose me. i mean, couldn't you tell i didn't want to be picked? my own girlfriend betraying me, how could you?" the shorter girl grumbles, handing you an ornament to hang on a higher section of the tree. the two of you have worked through almost all of it after hanging four sets of string lights, two multicolored, two white.

"it's not that bad, han," you chuckle, expertly looping the red ornament's string around a branch. the leaves brush against your skin and it's electrifying—in a good way, of course. "besides, this way you don't have to complain about what kind of placement minji or hyein decided on, yeah? plus, you're the perfect height to reach those bottom branches."

hanni gasps in offense, her jaw dropped. "i'm not that short!" and she hands you the last ornament to hang: an otter with a santa hat.

you grin, taking it from her hand and pointing at the small plush, "this one looks like you."

"really?" she furrows her eyebrows.

you hold it up next to her face for comparison. "definitely."

after putting the otter plush in an empty-looking spot in the middle of the tree, you pick up a star topper and present it to your girlfriend, who looks at you with a deadpan stare. "you're not actually asking me to put it on, are you?"

"i'm deadass," you smile, "take it, i'll help you up."

hanni stares at you for a bit longer, as if she were waiting for you to break your expression and claim that it was a joke. unfortunately for her, you don't, only pushing the topper into her hands. "how are we even going to—ah, what the hell!"

you've gone and easily lifted your girlfriend up by the waist, just enough so that she could reach the top of the tree. she squirms in your hold, and you giggle at her struggle. "hurry up, han!"

"okay, okay! move forward a little, will you?"

with your help, hanni manages to perfectly place the star on top of the tree and returning her to the ground earns you a satisfied hum and a hug, which you reciprocate. out of character, but not unwelcome.

now done with the tree, you can finally look around to your surroundings where the entire house has been christmasified: string lights, plushies with santa hats, a winter village on the windowsill on top of a white cloth resembling snow, and a train track on another windowsill. there's shuffling from below you, and you lock eyes with haerin who gradually rises from her brief squatting position on the ground. a smirk slowly takes over your face. hanni tilts her head in confusion.

the feline stands on her tiptoes to dangle the mistletoe above you and hanni's heads, and once the smaller girl realizes what the plant was, her face explodes into a multitude of reds and pinks.

the others, witnessing this scene unfold, start chanting and playfully raising their fists. "kiss! kiss! kiss!"

you press your forehead against your girlfriend's. "looks like we have no choice but to kiss, hanni."

her eyes soften. "you're saying it like it's a chore."

you shake your head slightly in disbelief, scoffing. "i'm just saying, it's an honor to ki-"

before you could finish your sentence, you feel the fabric of your shirt get tugged forward, and soon you feel a soft pair of lips pressed against your own. the kiss is soothing but exciting, and you lean into the familiar warmth. nothing else mattered in that moment, all you can focus on is the way she tastes like mint—it's only a bit embarrassing that you might taste like the sweet buttercream cookie that you had earlier.

a burst of cheers erupt from around you, causing you to break away from the kiss. but you don't pay any mind to the others—instead, you pull hanni closer into an affectionate hug. you lean forward to brush your lips across her ear, smiling at how quickly it turns red from her blush.

"merry christmas, han."

hanni buries her face into your shoulder. "merry christmas, y/n."

a/n : MERRY CHRISTMAS it's still technically christmas for me so i'm not late I SWEAR ok i know that I said i wouldn't write any more fluff but that was a lie... i would be a devil if i ruined the holiday spirit with angst happy holidays!!

[thoughtfulfiction]

The P Word

Author’s Note: Two fics in two days?

In 2013, Joe sent a dm to a recruiting analyst for scout.com, asking which camps he should attend because he was flying under the national radar.

Most four star recruits get about 20 college offers. He had 12.

At Ohio State he sat on the bench for three years, only gaining attention as a scout team player who would later have to graduate in three years just so he could transfer and get some playing time elsewhere.

That same scout team player would become the best player in college football and a Heisman trophy winner and the number one pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. A few years after that fateful private message to Dave Burk.

Robin Burrow had been there the entire time. Through every shining moment and the times that seemed rather dark. She drove two hours to do his laundry just to make sure he was physically and mentally healthy when he lived in Columbus, has attended every game since he began playing sports, made him snickers salad when he tore his ACL…and when he tore his scapholunate ligament in his wrist. All in all, she’s been a constant presence in the midst of all of the mayhem. To be frank, there’s nowhere else in the world she’d rather be than between him and anything that could possibly serve to harm him or cause him any pain, no matter how old he is.

That included protecting him from himself.

The last few months had been filled with joy. After the news of his engagement, the wedding planning process had been smooth. You and Robin along with your mom, had gone to several appointments together and Joe had even added his input in most of the details without you feeling like you had to twist his arm and force him to participate.

You were now in the home stretch of the most important day of your lives. Less than two months from now you’d be saying “I do” to the love of your life. And Robin had taken her role as future mother in-law very seriously. You knew that Joe was a mama’s boy, his brothers much older than him with their own mom, and it was clear to anyone with eyes that he was Robin’s pride and joy. But not in a creepy way that would get them to star in a TLC show. It was just very evident that she was proud of him and his achievements and that she didn’t mess around when it came down to business.

After one of your dress fittings, she pulled you aside. “There’s one quick thing I need to mention to you. You’ll be getting a formal document in the mail in the next few days. Nothing huge, just a formality that Peter and the team drafted up for you to sign. I hate the word prenup but that’s essentially what this is.” She said in a matter of fact way. “We just need to make sure to dot our i’s and cross our t’s if that makes sense. Get the boring stuff out of the way so that we can focus on showering you and Joey with our love on your special day.”

“No that makes complete sense, just send it over and I’ll sign whatever you need me to. Thank you Robin seriously, for everything. You’ve made planning this entire thing a breeze.”

She shakes her head with a genuine smile, giving you a warm hug. “This has been an honor, I’m so happy for the both of you sweetie. I’ll see you in a few days for brunch at your house? The kids are so excited they won’t stop talking about it.”

“Yes absolutely, I can’t wait either it’s been so long since we’ve gotten both families together it’ll be really fun.”

There weren’t many opportunities for your family to interact with Joe’s and vice versa, unless everyone met at a football game but that wasn’t exactly quality family bonding. That felt more like a collective screaming match where the adults pregamed with beer and the kids wore his jersey. Most of them didn’t really know what was going on in the actual game. So you and Joe were going to host both sets of parents, all of your siblings and their kids in order for everyone to really spend time together before the wedding.

A few days later, you were finalizing the menu with the catering company when Joe came home.

“It’s gonna be like Cheaper by the Dozen in here tomorrow,” he notes, grabbing a Body Armour from the fridge. “Are we sure we’re ready for this?”

“We kinda have to be. Should we do smoked salmon or shrimp crostinis?” You held up one of each and let him examine them. He snagged the salmon one first and took a bite then did the same with the shrimp.

“Definitely the salmon. What time is everyone getting here?” The catering people jot down their last notes and head out the door after you and Joe thanked them.

You could tell he was going to need time to mentally prepare in case he got overstimulated. “They’ll be here at 1pm, so you can probably get an early workout in and take a nap afterwards,” walking over to him on the other side of the counter, holding his face in your hands. “I know you get cranky when you’re tired and Uncle Joe needs to be at his best tomorrow because the kids will need a QB for their flag football game.”

He wraps his arms around your waist, sticking out his lips that are begging to be kissed. You happily grant his wish, pressing your lips against his, giving him a quick smooch. He asks for a few more, about to get lost in a full make out session when a stack of papers on the counter catch his eye. Joe pulls back so abruptly that your face smacks against his chest.

“Sorry baby,” he cradles your head, reaching around you to grab the piece of paper that’s on top. You take that as your cue to go after his second apology for nearly giving you a concussion. That chest is a brick wall.

The more he skims the words, the tighter his grip gets on the little sheet and the confused look on his face deepens. “Um…what is this?”

“What is what?” You give him a look that matches his energy.

He holds up the paper. “This. What is this? Where did you get it from?”

You look around the room to make sure you aren’t getting Punk’d. “Wait—are you being serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking,” it wasn’t a question. He’s legitimately starting to look upset. “Who gave this to you?”

“Joe,” you let out a dry chuckle, “your mom did. Said it was a formality and that I should sign it and give it to her so she can hand it off to Peter so your lawyers can process it.” When your fiancé continues to stand there motionless in the middle of the room, that’s when it hits you. “Did—did you not know about this?”

He usually has something to say about everything, so watching him silently shake his head is a little scary. Joe places the first page of the prenuptial agreement on the table with a heavy sigh, visibly trying to compose himself. The man had the patience of a saint, known to have blow ups on the field but that was Football Joe. Off the field Joe was calm and rarely ever let things get to him. You’d probably only heard him yell twice in the entire time you’ve been together. And now he was dead quiet. You didn’t know what to do with that.

“Joe, your mom is just trying to protect you. Get this out of the way so that we can—”

“Please don’t try to defend her right now,” his tone was laced with venom, a seething anger you hadn’t seen before and weren’t too keen on getting familiar with. “I don’t like that this was just drafted, printed and handed to you without my permission. She and Peter shouldn’t have done that. And my mom definitely shouldn’t have ambushed you with this.”

Now he was being dramatic. “Robin didn’t ambush me! She told me a couple days ago and I thought you knew so I didn’t mention it.”

“I would never do that to you,” he says with a pain in his voice that makes your chest clench. “WE, you and I should be talking about this. Not my mom and Peter. Jesus.” He rested his arms on the counter, running his hands through his hair.

You hated seeing him get worked up like this, crossing the room again to place a comforting hand on his back. “Why don’t you talk to her tomorrow, I’m sure she didn’t mean to upset you. She most likely just thought she would do this for you so you didn’t need to worry about it.”

“That’s the thing, this isn’t something she should be doing for me. We’re getting married. You’re going to be my wife. There’s no reason she needs to be handing you documents on my behalf like you’re some fucking stranger. I don’t care how ‘busy’ I am. You come first.” You can feel the tension in his muscles even when he stands up to his normal height. He’s really trying to keep it together, giving you an empty kiss on the cheek before heading into his office to cool off. An hour later you head up to check on him, assuming he has his headphones on and can’t hear you, you find that the door is locked.

Tomorrow’s brunch is going to be very interesting to say the least.

Joe surprised you by being in bed by the time you came upstairs to get ready to go to sleep. You thought for sure he’d be on a run to clear his mind. As soon as you climbed in next to him he put his phone away, wrapping his arms around you and giving your body a squeeze.

Whatever private meeting he had with himself must have done the trick because he was actually letting you be the big spoon for once. His touch was soft and intentional, the previously icy aura was liquified and only warm and cuddly Joe remained. “Are you okay?” You asked him and he nodded without looking at you. He just interlocked your fingers in his before sitting up.

“Switch me.” You knew the little spoon wouldn’t last long. “That’s better,” he sighs kissing your head, feeling at home with your arm draped across his waist.

After a few seconds of silence he mutters, “I’m so sorry this is happening. Are you sure you want to sign up for a lifetime of this?”

You look up to meet Joe’s gaze to see if he’s trying to be funny. “A lifetime of you? I can’t think of anything I would want more. The rest of it is just extra, the good and the bad. As long as I have you I don’t care.”

His shoulders sag once again in relief, “good.” Joe peppers a few kisses on your neck, making his way up to your jaw, taking his sweet time until he got to your lips. A joyous hum leaves his mouth as the kiss grows deeper, each swipe of his tongue against yours makes you feel dizzy…love drunk. Nothing compares to the way that Joe kisses you, sensually careful but hungry at the same time, almost as if this is the last thing he’ll ever get to do. This kiss is different, it’s a promise to always protect you, to never let the outside noise sway what his heart knows is true. He’s found the one person in the world that consistently makes his heart sing and no one—not even his mom—will have the final say. And he was going to make that very clear.

When Joe sluggishly came down the stairs the next day rubbing his eyes after his nap wearing a hoodie and cargo pants, you were just thankful he wasn’t in sweats.

“Hi there Sleeping Beauty, I’ve already gotten a few texts that most of them are about five minutes out.”

“Great,” he grunts, parking himself on the couch, “I’m starving,” he scoots around trying to subtly adjust himself.

Joe stares at you , running his hand down your thigh. “Hungry…for food right?” You give him a pointed look.

“Yeah, yeah for food. What did you think I meant?” He laughs as he catches the pillow you launch his way and scoot far enough away that he can’t grab you.

“Don’t. Today really needs to be a stress free day. Can you promise you will be nice and not yell at your mother?” And with that statement he is no longer in the mood.

“I will not yell at my mom,” he crosses his arms over his chest with a scowl only like a youngest child could. “Can’t promise I’ll be nice.”

Before you can negotiate any further the doorbell rings and your first guests arrive. Nieces and nephews come running in, suffocating you with hugs and the youngest one tugging at Joe’s legs demanding to be picked up. Less than 30 minutes later the entire backyard is filled with kids playing tag, drinking juice boxes while the adults enjoyed the appetizer spread.

Joe wasn’t making it blatantly obvious that he was mad but he wasn’t exactly hiding it either. He kept the greeting with his parents short, keeping his distance throughout the afternoon focused on entertaining the kids and playing the perfect host.

“I just realized I never asked,” Codie, one of Joe’s sister in laws speaks up. “Where are you two going for your honeymoon?”

“Bora Bora! I can’t wait,” you respond, topping off her wine glass.

His brother Dan’s ears perk up. “We were thinking about going there for an anniversary trip. Are you guys staying in a resort?”

Joe shakes his head, “I got us an underwater bungalow. The view is supposed to be insane.”

“Yeah I bet,” your dad notes.

“Take lots of pictures,” his dad adds in.

He waits for a second taking a mental note of his mom’s silence throughout the conversation, nudging you to make sure that you’re on the same page. By the time everyone was gone you needed something stronger than wine. Robin and your mom insisted on helping you clean up but you let them know that the caterers were coming back to grab everything. As you bid your family goodbye and thanked them for coming, your mom whispered in your ear, letting you know that the man inside was a keeper. You responded by telling her you intended on keeping him.

Once the door was fully closed you could breathe a sigh of relief…until you heard Robin ask Joe what was going on with him.

Here we go.

Joe didn’t respond. He just went up to his office and came right back down with the prenup in hand. “Care to explain?”

“Oh,” she looked rather unfazed, “Peter and I thought that—”

“And that’s where you went wrong,” Joe interrupts, voice surprisingly even. “You and Peter don’t get to ‘think.’ You don’t get to do whatever you ‘think’ I need. You have to ask me.”

You can tell she’s visibly taken aback at how this has gone. “It was not at all my intention to go behind your back. You’re just very busy and now with wedding planning and everything else, it just made sense to get it put into place so you’d have one less thing to worry about.”

“Mom, I get that. But you crossed the line here. I’m an adult who would’ve liked to have a mature conversation with the person I am going to marry about a topic that is extremely uncomfortable for everyone. It is not your job to play the middle man here. There is no middle man. This is between y/n and I.”

The tension in the air was getting a little too thick for your liking. You stood next to Joe, running your hand down his arm trying to diffuse the situation as much as possible. “Okay I think you’ve made your point. Robin, I am not at all upset with you, this can all be resolved rather—”

“I am upset with you mom. There was no reason to hand over that document without at least giving me a phone call,” Joe counters, starting to stand in front of you a bit like he’s physically shielding you from her.

“Now Joey I don’t think your mom meant any harm,” Joe’s dad speaks up seeing his wife almost in tears. “Why don’t we all just take a breather here.”

You nod in agreement.

“I’m so sorry, to both of you. In hindsight that wasn’t the best way to go about it but like you said this is uncomfortable. I thought keeping it casual would remove some of that awkwardness and I just made it worse. I really am sorry.”

Joe still seemed unmoved but you really didn’t think she needed to apologize this much. He just told her he appreciated the sentiments but that she needs to recognize that’s he’s an adult, telling them goodnight and immediately heading upstairs.

You’re left to walk them out alone, giving them both hugs goodbye. “Honey I’m so sorry,” Robin states again, “I never want you to think that I don’t love you or that I was intentionally going behind Joe’s back. I was just making sure we have all of our bases covered so we aren’t sweating the small stuff on your big day. I hope you can forgive me.”

“You’re totally fine, I understand. And I agree. I think he just got a little freaked out at the reminder that his life is abnormal. He wants things to be simple and sometimes they just aren’t. That probably stressed him out a little. Or a lot.”

It feels good to leave their tense interaction with her smiling. Even though it didn’t reach her eyes like usual, it was still a small step forward.

“How can you not be upset about this?” Joe asks after brushing his teeth.

You focused on what was going on at your sink, taking your time to complete your skincare routine. “Because I see where both of you are coming from. You have every right to be angry at her for doing this behind your back. But at the same time I understand why she feels like she should get a jump on protecting your assets.”

“Protect my assets…” he scoffs, “…from you? What’s mine is going to be yours.” He hands you a towel after you wash your face, having memorized the steps at this point.

“Yeah ok, legally. But your accomplishments and accolades are yours. That’s how you got here and your mom saw all the blood, sweat and tears that went into you being in the position you are today. She may have overstepped a little but you’re still her baby at then end of the day and sometimes it’s hard for them to recognize that they have adult children who are fully capable of making their own decisions.” He grabs the moisturizer off the counter and places it in your hand as you laugh, whispering thank you. “My mom has done the same to me, not to this extent obviously because we’re in completely different tax brackets but—they just want to make sure we’re okay no matter what.”

Joe leans against the counter, deep in thought. Growing up with his dad coaching it was usually just the two of them, she drove him to basketball and football practices and tournaments, took him to school and worked the entire day at school and came home still ready to dedicate all of her time to him if he asked. “I was too harsh wasn’t I?”

“A teeny bit? Maybe? I do thoroughly appreciate you looking out for me though. Going to bat for me against your mom of all people.”

He shrugs, giving you a hug from behind, resting his chin on your head. “She protects me so somebody’s gotta protect you. That’s what I’m signing up for and I promise to always take that job very seriously.” I should put that in my vows, he tells himself. He leans over a little more to press a kiss against your temple.

“Is that a promise?”

“That is a promise,” he holds out a pinky, making you gasp as you turn around.

“Isn’t a pinky shake you and Ja’Marr’s thing?”

Joe looks at you sheepishly, smiling so wide his eyes crinkle. “I won’t tell him if you don’t.”

You lock your pinky in his, kissing the smile off of his face.

That night before he went to sleep, he texted his mom telling her that he loved her. You gave them privacy when she came over the next day, smiling and hugging it out so you assumed everything went well. You hoped to have open communication with your kids even as adults one day, but did not envy the journey that your parents were constantly navigating. This once tiny person you created and had to make sure to teach them everything was now not only getting married and had established their own life but in Joe’s case everything was heightened. She’s been there through her son being the overlooked player who Urban Meyer said threw like a girl to now if he so much as has a paper cut an entire city of people, a whole fanbase is worried and asking for minute by minute updates on his condition. You couldn’t imagine the whirlwind that must be.

So you were going to sign that prenup whether Joe liked it or not.

“We need to decide on bridal party gifts,” Joe suggests a week later. “I was thinking about getting the guys customized golf carts. They could be delivered straight to their houses after the wedding or I could have them dropped off the day we get and they can drive around the property whenever they need to get somewhere? What sounds better?”

“It sounds like you’ve had this very specific plan and just couldn’t wait to make your big announcement. How am I supposed to compete with that?”

Joe laughs, grabbing his water. “You can give them all Cartier bracelets, have the wedding date engraved on the inside. That’d be pretty cool.”

Cool and expensive. “Don’t do that, I can actually hear what you’re thinking.” Curse him for knowing you so well. We’re only gonna do this once, might as well do it right. Make it a great experience for everyone we love.”

“Fine. You’re right. But we are not doing an ice sculpture then.” He gives you a blank stare but says nothing, both of you know that it’ll be coming back up sooner rather than later. “There is something else we need to talk about though.”

He rolls his eyes, deciding this is the perfect time to get up and put his plate in the sink, like you can’t just follow him. “We really don’t have to do this.”

“Oh but we do. Joe seriously we’re gonna have to figure this out. It’s important.”

He lets out a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling before putting his eyes back on you. “I’m just uncomfortable with any conversation that plans a breakup. I don’t ever want to breakup.”

“Then let’s not breakup and we won’t even have to worry about any of this. We’ll discuss the details, I’ll sign it and we’ll never talk about it ever again. Deal?”

You place a hand on his cheek and he kisses the inside of your hand before he speaks. “Deal. I can’t wait to marry you. Even got a countdown on my phone.”

“That’s probably the single most adorable thing you’ve ever said.” He pulls his phone out to show you a countdown app with a timer down to the hour the ceremony is supposed to start. A picture from your engagement shoot is set as the background. “I can’t wait either. I love you, so much.”

“I love you more.”

[scoupsakakitty]

Just saw your posts the scoups x reader ahhhhh jts so good please continue writing, can i request some more seventeen x reader maybe from another group and the members are teasing them then it turns out they're already talking to each other or they're already together and others would find out accidentally HAHAHA THANK YOU 💖

Secrets and Suspicions | idol!Wonwoo x Reader | fluff

The practice room was alive with energy. The members of Seventeen were scattered across the space, either stretching, joking around, or scrolling through their phones while music played softly in the background. You sat on the couch against the wall, pretending to be invested in whatever video was playing on your screen, but your eyes kept darting toward Wonwoo, who was sitting beside you.

He was close—closer than friends usually sat—and his leg brushed against yours every time he shifted. You could feel the heat of his arm resting casually on the back of the couch, almost as if he wanted to pull you closer but was holding back.

“Y/N, do you want anything from the vending machine?” Wonwoo asked, his voice soft but clear enough to make the others glance in your direction.

“No, I’m okay,” you replied quickly, but your voice betrayed the slight nervousness you felt.

“Since when is Wonwoo so polite?” Minghao teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Seungkwan chimed in. “He doesn’t even ask us if we want something. Are you special or what?”

Your face burned, and Wonwoo just gave a small, calm smile. “Maybe Y/N deserves special treatment.”

His words sent a ripple of surprise through the room.

“What was that?!” Hoshi practically shrieked, dropping into a crouch as if preparing for battle. “Did Wonwoo just flirt?”

“It’s called being nice,” Wonwoo replied nonchalantly, but the tips of his ears were turning pink—something you had noticed happened whenever he got flustered.

“Ohhh, nice, huh?” Joshua grinned, walking over and sitting on the armrest beside you. “You two have been spending a lot of time together lately.”

You tried to brush it off. “We’re just friends.”

“Sure you are,” Vernon said, leaning back against the mirrors with a smirk.

The teasing continued for a few more minutes before the members got distracted by their usual antics. Wonwoo leaned in slightly, his voice low enough that only you could hear.

“Are you okay?”

You nodded, offering him a small smile. “They’re just being themselves.”

He chuckled quietly. “We might not be able to keep this secret much longer.”

Your heart skipped a beat. You and Wonwoo had been dating for a few months now, but neither of you had told anyone—not even the other members. At first, it had been exciting, sneaking around and sharing stolen moments. But now, with the others picking up on little hints, you weren’t sure how much longer you could keep up the act.

Wonwoo reached down and briefly brushed his fingers against yours, a silent reassurance that made your chest tighten in the best way.

———————————————————————————-

The next day, you found yourself in the dorms with the members again. This time, they were gathered in the living room playing games while you and Wonwoo sat off to the side, watching.

“Wonwoo, you’re awfully quiet,” Mingyu said, nudging him. “Usually, you’re focused, but today you’re just staring at Y/N.”

Wonwoo rolled his eyes. “I’m not staring.”

“Oh, you definitely are,” Jeonghan added with a sly grin. “And don’t think we haven’t noticed how you two keep whispering to each other.”

“They’re probably just sharing secrets,” Dino said innocently, but even he didn’t sound convinced.

“Secrets?” Seungkwan repeated dramatically. “Like the secret that they’re already dating?”

You choked on your drink, coughing as everyone turned to look at you. Wonwoo patted your back quickly, and that simple gesture only made the situation worse.

“See?!” Joshua pointed at the interaction. “You don’t do that unless you’re close. Really close.”

“Come on, leave them alone,” Woozi said, finally stepping in to rescue you both. But his slight smile told you that even he was suspicious.

Wonwoo, ever the calm one, simply leaned back and said, “Believe what you want.”

That response did little to ease their curiosity. If anything, it made them even more determined to figure it out.

———————————————————————————-

Later that evening, most of the members had left the dorm to grab dinner, leaving you and Wonwoo alone for the first time all day.

“Finally, some peace and quiet,” Wonwoo sighed, leaning back against the couch.

You smiled, leaning a little closer. “Who knew keeping a secret could be this exhausting?”

“Oh, trust me, I know.”

Before you could say anything else, Wonwoo suddenly placed his hands on your hips and gently pulled you onto his lap.

“Wonwoo!” you gasped, but the soft smile playing on his lips made your heart race.

“What? We’re alone,” he said, tilting his head slightly as his eyes flickered down to your lips.

You couldn’t resist him—not when he was looking at you like that. So you gave in, wrapping your arms around his neck as he leaned in.

The kiss started soft and slow, but it didn’t take long for it to deepen. His hands held you firmly, one resting on your waist and the other trailing up to cup your cheek. The world outside faded away as you melted into him, savoring the warmth and comfort of his touch.

Minutes passed, though neither of you seemed to care. That was until—

“We’re back!” Hoshi’s loud voice rang out, shattering the moment.

You jumped off Wonwoo’s lap so fast that you nearly tripped, scrambling to smooth your hair and fix your shirt. Wonwoo leaned back, doing his best to look unbothered, but the faint redness in his ears gave him away.

“Wait a second,” Jeonghan said, freezing in the doorway as his eyes narrowed at the two of you. “Were you two just—?”

“No,” Wonwoo interrupted quickly, his voice calm but a little too quick to deny it.

“Don’t lie!” DK shouted, pointing at you both. “You were totally making out!”

“No, we weren’t,” Wonwoo said again, crossing his arms as if that would somehow make him more convincing.

“Oh, really?” Seungkwan smirked, stepping closer and squinting at Wonwoo’s face. “Then explain why you’re wearing lip gloss.”

Wonwoo’s eyes widened slightly, and his hand instinctively moved to touch his lips. The other members erupted into laughter as your face turned bright red.

“Busted!” Hoshi shouted, practically falling over as he laughed.

“That’s not—” Wonwoo started, but it was no use.

“Nice try,” Joshua teased. “Just admit it already.”

Wonwoo sighed, running a hand through his hair before reaching out to grab yours. “Fine. You caught us.”

The room exploded with cheers, whistles, and playful teasing as you buried your face in Wonwoo’s shoulder, groaning.

———————————————————————————-

By the end of the night, the chaos had died down, and most of the members had gone to bed. Only a few stragglers remained, still asking occasional questions but clearly starting to accept it.

“I can’t believe you managed to keep this from us for so long,” Jeonghan said, shaking his head.

“Me neither,” Mingyu added. “But honestly? You guys are cute together.”

“Thanks,” you said, smiling as Wonwoo squeezed your hand.

When the others finally left, you turned to him. “Well, that went about as expected.”

He laughed softly. “At least now we don’t have to hide anymore.”

You leaned into him, letting the weight of the day melt away. It wasn’t how you had planned for them to find out, but in the end, it didn’t matter.

Because now, you could be together—no more secrets.

And honestly? That was worth all the teasing in the world.

———————————————————————————-

[violenteconomics]

for cater diamond, it starts like this:

cater diamond is made up of lies.

his hair and outfit are designed to give off an air of carefreeness, even when his heart is tearing his chest into ribbons, perfectly planned down to the tiniest wrinkle. he runs all of his words through his head over and over before he says them, navigating every interaction like he's trying to get the perfect run in a video game (and idia would probably appreciate that metaphor if he heard it, maybe cater should bring it up to him, see how it makes him tick—). even his smile has been meticulously manufactured, every little twitch and idiosyncrasy based on the influencers he sees on magicam.

not that anybody really knows about any of this, of course. he's a professional, after all.

all of that to say that cater is a good liar. a great one, even.

one day, ace walks into the kitchen with serious bed-head, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

cater is leaning against the kitchen counter (looking just ruffled enough to appear as if he's just woken up, but still put-together enough to keep up the chill senior persona he's spent the better part of two years cultivating — a look he's mastered after watching the first ten seconds of neige's "morning routine!" video on loop) when he sees the red-head shambling in.

he smirks (corner of his lips tilted 42 degrees up, eyebrows slanted approximately 12 degrees down) and leans his head against his hand. "what's up, sleeping beauty?"

"good mornin', senior," ace grumbles, sounding way too pissed off to actually mean it.

that's what cater likes the most about ace and deuce. they don't feel the need to mask as much as everybody else does in this school. if they have feelings, they'll let you know it almost immediately — ruthlessly in acey's case, and involuntarily in deucey's case. either way, it's kind of cute.

and refreshing. even cater, social butterfly extraordinare, gets tired of analyzing every little bit of somebody's mood and personality and conversational style, in attempt to weaponize them as he tries to achieve the perfect outcome everytime he talks to someone. after two whole years of trying not to trip over any of riddle's landmines (which were actually just his hundreds upon hundreds of trauma responses, as it turns out), cater would've sworn off talking to anybody for the rest of ever if he weren't more of an expert at deceit than that.

it's easy to talk to ace and deuce, comparatively. if they have an opinion, they make it known, even if it's not night raven college-approved. they don't care about what anybody else thinks. for someone who cares about what everyone thinks at all times with no limits on when, where, or who, it's certainly a novelty.

they're different — but cater likes that. they're emotional. they're understanding. they're great underclassmen, even if they don't realize that (and probably never will, because cater's definitely not gonna say anything about it).

cater scrolls through the "#diybreakfast" tag on magicam to hunt for a cute breakfast place he could snap pics of for some more views. "so how'd'ya sleep? deuce didn't try to wrap you up in his 24/7 study sesh, did he?"

ace puts a hand on the back of his neck and groans. "i slept fine. kept waking up because of deuce's loud-ass chewing, though. seriously, who is that noisy when they're eating blueberries?"

cater laughs and pretends the conversation is over.

pretends he didn't notice the way ace hesitated for the briefest of moments before answering cater's simple question.

pretends he didn't notice the way ace rubbed his neck a little too hard to be casual, as if cater didn't use to have that exact same habit whenever riddle took his collar off of him.

pretends he didn't notice the tiny stutter in ace's "i slept fine".

(pretends he didn't say the exact same words, practically verbatim, every time trey asked him if he slept well during their second year at night raven college.)

(because he's supposed to be the unbothered one. he might actually crumble into a pile of misery if he has to let go of that idea.)

(maybe it's the same for ace, too.)

(it might be fake strength, but it's something to hold onto, nevertheless.)

because nobody else would've noticed that. nobody else craves validation so much to even bother. so if he's pretending to be cool and self-assured and confident and everything else that he's not, why would cater?

"damn it, we're out of cereal." ace groans, slamming the pantry door shut with a bit too much force.

the worst thing about being a great liar?

it's incredibly sobering when you meet someone who is almost as good as you.

I am in dire need of more of that AU that The First years get The upperclassmen toxic traits,i realy want more of It,like;

A way to include octavinelle and scarabia,maybe like,3 First years(Ace,deuce,Jack) get some of azul's toxic traits,other Three(epel,ortho and sebek) get Jamil toxic traits and yuu get both

Second thing

More reactings please,i NEED The staff,ALL The dorms and even the relatives seeing The First years developing those toxic traits,the overblots+Trey and cater for deuce getting their toxic traits right back at their face i beg you🙏🙏

anything 4 u, baby.

(but for real, though, this is an AMAZING idea, love you so much for tilling the ground for my brainwormies, mwah mwah 😘)

(also, this might get REALLY long, so hang tight!)

it was just a seed at first — a tiny idea that stuck around despite the first-years not even realizing it was there. but as the poison from their actual housewardens starts to develop into something truly deadly, so does that seed. it shows up later... but it makes itself known nevertheless.

ace, deuce, and jack have all worked for azul at the mostro lounge at one point, and though it was a very brief moment in time, it was just long enough to worm its way into their heads.

it starts with ace trappola, who's already pretty slippery with his words. but working at the mostro lounge, taking subconscious note of all the underhanded deals azul is making, he starts to pick up new... skills, let's say.

it starts small, with ace starting to give out certain favors to his fellow freshmen to earn some money. if you give him ten thaumarks, he'll do one of your everyday chores for you — dusting your room, cleaning your bathroom, making dinner, what have you. if you give him fifteen thaumarks, he'll do your homework if you don't feel like doing it, or take class notes for you if you don't feel like showing up. if you give him forty, he'll help you with something less-than-moral and definitely against the rules (he did it once back at the atlantica memorial museum — he can do it again).

there's an obvious power imbalance in all of these scenarios, but ace effortlessly words in a way that makes it seem like it's a win-win situation, when in reality, it's more like a zero-sum game.

it gets to the point where ace builds a black-market sort of reputation, and all of the freshmen know that if you need something done, ace is the person to go to.

...but then, something shifts.

at some point, ace starts a black-mailing campaign for the people who paid for the forty-thaumark favor. if you don't want your secret — one that might get you expelled, suspended, or worse — getting out, then you can pay for ace's silence with a favor or more money.

the worst part is: there's no way out. if you try attacking ace, it'll seem like you assaulted him for no reason, since if you try to explain he was blackmailing you, you'll have to tell them what he was blackmailing you with, which you obviously can't do — or else what was even the point? the same rule applies if you try tattling on him to one of the teachers or the housewardens or anybody else. and ace is a better liar than most people will ever be in their lifetime, so it's a losing battle even if you do manage to get someone to take your side.

so if you want to cross the bridge, my sweet, you've got to pay the toll.

(it's not even about the money anymore, really. riddle's thirst for control and azul's desire for recognition have clashed inside of ace in the most violent way, and now, it's all about the power it gives him over other people. and after how powerless he's felt this entire school year, being thrown left and right by overblot after overblot with no say at all, this is a power trip he never wants to come back down from.)

but ace realizes he's making quite a few enemies with his little money-making strategy, and he needs someone to help him just in case someone does come up with a plan to wipe him out. i mean, just look at azul — even with all of the loopholes and leverages in the world, even he was taken down eventually without outside help. if he wants this to last as long as possible, he needs... incentive for people to listen to him.

his own jade and floyd.

his own red-and-black collar.

using his riddle rosehearts-born dominance, and taking advantage of deuce's trey-and-cater-born passiveness, ace convinces deuce spade — one of the strongest people he knows — to help him in his economic ventures.

and deuce, seeing this as a way for ace to vent some frustration and unwilling to be on the other end of ace's ire, hesitantly agrees.

he doesn't piece together that ace is acting suspiciously like azul, but he still recognizes his own role in this whole scheme. ace is running a business, right? and deuce has only ever worked in one business before. he remembers what jade and floyd were like back when he worked under them, and so he uses that experience to inform his new position.

deuce becomes known as ace's right-hand man. he'll hunt you down if you don't pay, and he's not afraid to use force to "compel" you to. there have been stories about cat beastmen getting thrown up into trees and being left there for hours. about students getting forks "accidentally" thrown at them in the cafeteria with such precision, it doesn't really feel like an accident. about a student with a spade on his face who can throw back any attack sent his way with just as much force.

and there's nothing you can do about it, because he's in service to someone who has made himself pretty powerful. ace's silver-tongue gets deuce out of any and all trouble he inevitably finds himself in — and is ace is so brutally honest, why wouldn't people believe him? so even if you try to do something to deuce, ace has his back no matter what — and he'll win almost every time.

you mess with deuce, you mess with ace, which is already bad enough. but if you fuck around with ace, you better be prepared to find out with deuce.

they're a pair — that's always been true. but never before has that fact been so threatening.

jack howl comes next. we all know how much jack despises octavinelle's business model. but, begrudgingly, he will admit there are a lot of things he can learn from octavinelle. and more knowledge is never bad. as long as he doesn't actually use it, it should be fine.

(jack is more dangerous than ace and deuce, in a way — his toxicity is insidious in a way it just couldn't ever be with them.)

with excellent hearing, eyesight, and memory, he silently keeps note of every bribe he hears being taken. every lie he knows is being told. every mistake that gets swept under the rug. it's not long before he starts actively looking for it. it's not long before jack's uncovered dirt on almost every freshmen in school. it reminds him a bit of his time working at the mostro lounge. but instead of memorizing orders from customers, he's memorizing all their dirty secrets.

it's to protect himself, jack reasons. after all, it was only his input that put a stop to leona and ruggie's plans back during the spelldrive exhibition. he's just... preparing for another disastrous event, that's all. it's just precaution. insurance.

if it's not, then he'll have to accept that leona's overblot bothered him more than he thought. that he was weak enough to let it.

(and jack can't face that yet.)

and if, once in a while, ace comes to him looking for a little bit of information, then well, that's just lending a friend some advice. nothing wrong with that.

epel, ortho, and sebek don't have any direct ties to jamil, but they are certainly... impressionable, aren't they?

sebek zigvolt is a bit dense, certainly, but even he can see how well jamil takes care of his master. and with a master that's as ditzy and forgetful and all-over-the-place as kalim, that can't be easy. even if they are merely humans, and their experiences can't even begin to compare when it comes to serving a fae prince, sebek reckons that he can learn a thing or two by observing them. so that's exactly what he does.

one day, when kalim spills food on the floor in a hilariously ridiculous move, sebek notices something few others ever would. jamil gives the tiniest twitch of annoyance — the same way silver, in all his stoicism, often does when sebek gets too loud — but then he's back to being perfectly dutiful and polite and says "i'll go get a napkin."

it's... admirable, honestly. sebek doesn't put it into practice right away, but it stays in his mind long after he first sees it.

and then, after malleus's overblot, sebek's emotions feel like they're on fire. after being stuck in a world where it took just the tiniest crack to shatter a perfect illusion, he's wary of nearly everything that disrupts his day. now every single slight against him, no matter how unintentional it may be, feels like a personal attack on his very life. but sebek can't show these ugly emotions so outwardly — that would be dishonorable behavior that could damage malleus's reputation. instead, he resorts to subtle methods that can't be easily traced back to him like putting in frogs in schoolbags and setting brooms on fire or replacing shampoo bottles with tar.

but his repressed feelings of anger start to build to the point where he's now feeling unprecedented resentment towards... well, almost everybody.

when sebek has very first negative thought about malleus in history class — "reckless bastard" — he instantly hates himself for it and throws up then and there because how dare he.

he tries to shut them out, but the more he does, the more these intrusive thoughts start to bombard him with their uncharacteristic cynicism.

he looks at lilia from across the breakfast table, and his first thought is: heartless liar.

he spots leona lying in the botanical garden and he thinks: brainless cretin.

he even sees jamil, walking through the halls, and his mind screams: manipulative bitch.

but sebek shoves it all down because he's in no position to say that. it gets to the point where he's walking around as a silent, unfeeling husk, because to be anything else would be like inviting his inner demons to visit him on the outside. he pushes his emotions down as far as they'll go, and that's just going to have to be enough to get him through the day.

ortho shroud begins to follow a similar principle. his idia-inspired pessimism has led ortho to see others as less like people and more like characters. it's easier to think of every school day as a dungeon in an rpg. it's easier to convince himself that the other students are taunting him because they're programmed to be that way than face the reality that they just don't like him.

but the problem with seeing life as a video game is that you start seeing others as just ways to complete your objectives. like npcs or maps.

and when it comes to using people, jamil viper is king. or, for ortho's purposes, the ultimate survival guide.

ortho shapes himself into a model night raven college student — kind, charming, and sweet for the teachers, but just mischievous and rude enough to still fit in with the students.

he goes to housewarden meetings with idia to "gain leadership experience", taking notes and hearing out of every single little idea he can get his hands on (these are the people who have not just survived, but thrived. they must be doing something right). one time, riddle even pats his head and praises him for his proactiveness.

his classmates adore him for always been willing to help and being so calm about even the worst outcomes.

ortho makes himself as available as possible to the rest of ignihyde, brushing off homework or studying to help them with whatever they need — fixing game consoles, wiring in controllers, checking the internet connection, et cetera.

eventually, everyone believes in him almost as fiercely as scarabia believed in jamil, once upon a time.

ortho doesn't like telling all of these lies, but it's necessary to protect himself. it's like grinding to earn coins until you have enough money to buy that special armor in the shopkeeper's store.

...or maybe it's more like those cheesy dress-up flash games ortho used to play all the time — fleshing out the perfect outfit and hairstyle and makeup that'll earn you the most points.

if people feel like they need him, he'll be able to breeze through school without any more problems. he's put the whole system on easy mode! it feels a bit like cheating, almost.

it is like a game, isn't it? it's fun.

(at some point, ortho forgets how to stop.)

as for epel... well, he knows that his sudden snappish behavior towards the other pomefiore students won't go unnoticed for too long. but this is one of his only ways of venting, so he needs it to go under the radar long enough for him to... to squeeze out all of this sudden venom that's built up in him.

epel's not oblivious. he knows how sebek and ortho have changed over the weeks, and he knows why. but epel can't pull off "repressed" like sebek, and neither can he suddenly turn into the best person ever like ortho. but they do have the right idea about taking inspiration from jamil, so epel can fall back on what there is left: gaslighting.

every time kalim blacked out, jamil blamed it on him being sick. every time someone thought kalim was being awfully uncharacteristic, jamil called it a "mood swing". every time someone asked jamil about why kalim was acting so weird, jamil claimed ignorance.

at least, that's what yuu tells epel.

and it's perfect.

so now, every time someone confronts epel about his overly critical behavior, he lies and says he's doing it for their own good. you need pressure to make a diamond, after all. and besides — vil won't settle for anything less than absolutely perfect.

("i'm just trying to catch your mistakes before he does. and i think you and i can both agree that i'm a lot nicer than he is about it.")

every time vil confronts epel about all of the complaints he's been hearing from the other students about how epel's been tearing down their ideas for outfits and hairstyles with no mercy, and disregarding all of their achievements as "not good enough" to be proud over, epel dons a confused face.

("vil, between studying for tests and the crazy physical regiment you have me do, i barely have time for myself. you honestly think i have the energy to criticize other people?")

epel even starts turning people against each other so they won't focus on him. epel subtly threatens to take away the upperclassmen's position in the hierarchy, which sets up the other underclassmen as a threat, and epel grouses to the underclassmen that the upperclassmen look down on them for not living up to pomefiore standards, under the guise of regular teenage bitching.

but all of this, combined with their self-entitlement, leads to a mini-war in pomefiore. but since this is, well, pomefiore, where being perfect and poised is the standard, the others make sure never make it obvious in front of vil or rook.

epel plays everybody like a fiddle, and ensures that none of it can be traced back to him. it's a good way to get out his frustration. and hey — it seems like everybody's upped their game along the way. vil seems pretty happy that everybody's improving in their efforts so greatly, practically overnight!

epel wakes up with a feeling of accomplishment everyday. for once, it seems he did something right.

now if only rook could stop looking so somber...

then we come to yuu, whose inner darkness has been left to fester all year. if people think they can treat them like a ragdoll, it's only fair they do the same.

there's a lot yuu doesn't have, but one thing they're really lacking is a bit of respect. that's what it means to be magicless in an arcane academy. you're at the bottom of the food chain.

and look at what a bit of self-interest can do for you! yuu studies in the library until late into the night, burning the metaphorical candle at both ends, learning everything they can about magic until they're more well-versed in it than most students in the school. yuu starts making potions that aren't nearly as good as azul's, but they're cheap and work well enough. they start making study guides for others with their new-found knowledge, even if they do bristle with the fact that a damned study guide is what caught them in azul's tentacles in the first place. they start learning anything and everything, clinging to whatever scraps of knowledge they can write down.

with this, they successfully make their case for why they should join ace and deuce's business. eventually, they're just as feared as they are among the other first-years.

but that's not enough for yuu. the power of fear is nice, but the power of controlling other people would be much more cathartic.

so that's what they do. while ace is more focused on monetary gain, yuu uses their mountains of blackmail to convince others to do whatever they want.

if crowley throws another ridiculous task at them, yuu simply hoists it off to somebody else to do. if ramshackle dorm needs a few repairs, it's only a matter of contacting a few people before a whole construction crew paid off by somebody else comes knocking at their door. and they'll do it, if they don't want to get kicked out of the school or have their reputation ruined.

but somehow, even with all of this, yuu sets themself up as the nicest out of their little trio. they're willing to let payments slide from time to time. they listen to their clients' problems. they take constructive criticism and always seem to improve in their potions and study guides based on feedback. and if you do do yuu a favor, they'll give you certain favors right back.

so even when yuu is a covetous, greedy, all-consuming shark, the students still think they're so very, very nice. because compared to ace and deuce, what else is there to think?

but this can only go on for so long. and yuu knows that.

one day, they get called to the headmage's office. yuu is already going through their contact list — a list that's quadrupled ever since they joined forces with ace and deuce — to see who'd be willing to do them a teensy little favor for them, but when they step through the door, they pause.

inside the office are all the housewardens, their vices, the teachers, and everybody else yuu has grown to know over the past year.

yuu narrows their eyes as riddle steps forward.

"yuu," riddle starts sternly, "from one housewarden to another, i believe we need to talk."

^

(i will address everyone's reactions in a reblog, because this is honestly getting really, really long, lol. but don't worry, the reactions are coming! 🥺)

(but i should mention that there is already a good reblog of the original post by @thenumberhuntress which addresses the upperclassmen's reactions that you can find here. go read it. it's peak.)

(once again, thank you for the great ask! this was fun to make!)

[stvrnioloslvt]

bestfriends? - matt sturniolo

genre: fluff / t.w.: none / check masterlist to keep reading ficmas '24 fics / pt.2 here

③

yells echoed through the house as the triplets were playing on stream, loud bangs heard from below you as chris lost a life in the game, hitting the desk in frustration.

you were sprawling on their couch, a blanket wrapped around you while you watched a film on the tv. your ears perked up as nick's yelling seemed to break the barrier of sound, making you chuckle.

despite not wanting to interrupt them, you couldn't help but be curious to witness the scene yourself in first person, checking out what all the commotion was about. you knew they wouldn't have any problem with you joining them, and the viewers kinda knew you already as matt's bestfriend, but they weren't always welcoming and you feared their reaction.

you sighed, trying to keep your eyes and ears trained on the tv, but you couldn't help yourself from getting distracted every few minutes. in the end, you decided that you had enough — no one should command your life, not even your fear. and that's how you found yourself looking for your phone, unlocking it and going immediately to matt's number.

❛❛dumbass💙❞

can i come in? wanna see what you up to

yeah sure thing

you tossed the blanket aside, stretching your numb limbs before checking your reflection in the mirror. you were already all dolled up, waiting for your friend to text you the meeting spot for your hangout. the only problem was that you were ready a good half an hour ago, and your friend had just woken up from their daily nap, which led you to have to find a way to kill time.

just then, another ping echoed in the room. you snatched your phone from the couch, seeing a notification from matt.

❛❛dumbass💙❞ ②

bring me a Dr.pepper

pretty pleaseee :)

you shook your head, opening the fridge and retrieving the drink requested by the boy. you also poured him a glass of water, hoping that it may wash out all the crazy chemicals and sugar he ingested through those shit-tasting drinks.

you headed towards his room, pushing the door open with your hip, placing the liquids on his desk, careful not to spill any drop.

"chat, say hi to y/n," he exclaimed, patting you behind the knee to signal you to bend slightly so that you were completely in frame. you did as requested, waving and smiling happily to the camera while your bestfriend opened his can with his teeth, winching in pain when the lid scraped his lip.

"are you serious?" you asked rhetorically, sitting down on the edge of his bed. you reached for his chair, pulling him back so that he would be closer to you. you spun him around, inspecting the little bloody scratch on his lower lip, finally commenting with a sarcastic "oh no yeah, this is definitely a red code." and then, turning towards the screen you called his brother: "yo chris, get in the car your brother needs your F1 pilot skills."

just then you noticed the viewers going crazy, swarming the chat with comments about this little interaction that was so normal to you and the guys, but so new for them. a comment in particular caught your eye, making you blush:

@chrisleftball: am i the only one sensing some tension? matt's looking at her funny

you turned around rather flustered, straightening your back, trying to act like nothing had happened. matt's hands reached towards you, pulling you up to your feet so that you could stand beside him while he played. your hand naturally went for his nape, your fingers gently scratching him just as he liked.

you were aware that you two's interactions weren't always what bestfriends would do, a lot of times being teased by chris and nick about acting all lovely like couples do and "needing to get a room".

you couldn't lie, more times than not their teasing only fed your delusions, but you knew that it wasn't safe for you to step up — a small risk could cost a big loss, and you weren't ready for that yet.

you jumped startled as a notification from your phone brought you back to earth, your friend finally telling you were to go after almost an hour of waiting.

"i have to go, i'm meeting up with a friend," you told him, caressing discreetly his hair to say bye to him. "bye chat! i have to go now i'm sorry... have fun! oh and matt, drink some fucking water please — i love you!" and just like that you were out of his room, sprinting towards the front door.

if only you had stayed a couple more seconds you would have noticed your bestfriend's cheeks color of a rosy tint, his hand flying to his mouth to cover a smile that he was trying so hard to bite back, failing.

somewhere, imprinted forever on the internet, a lonely comment was drowned out by the others:

@user56439721: bestfriends?

© stvrnioloslvt

𝐃𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃/𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐌𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊. 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓

❃ a.n: merry christmas everybody, I wish you happy holidays and a shit ton of happiness🎄✨️

love, bree ☾

taglist: @shadowthesim @sturnioloszn 🤍

[butchvamp]

i dont know how you could play veilguard and genuinely think the dalish elves are represented well in that game. you can't even play a dalish rook (except somehow they kinda are dalish, but also you can make them andrastian too, because actually you're not dalish but you do know elven and call them "our gods" repeatedly for some reason but your faith is completely unshaken by all of this regardless), there are no dalish clans in the entire game, the only one we do interact with is massacred off-screen but it's fine this time i guess because at least it's not our fault, and the two dalish companions are treated like shit by the writers and the narrative and the playerbase. the veil jumpers are not the dalish, these are separate groups, there are humans and qunari and dwarves all within the veil jumpers. the dalish are separate, irelin and strife and bellara all left their clans to join the veil jumpers. the actual dalish clan in arlathan is killed after the gods escape, there's literally a whole quest where you have to run around and find their dead bodies.

bellara is punished not once but twice with her brother's death for daring to pursue elven history, just like merrill is punished for restoring the eluvian before her. and then rook is the one that gets to choose whether or not to destroy the archive, despite not even being dalish. yes, bellara is smart and strong and brave but she also is belittled for her beliefs; her struggle at the start is played as a joke, her comments are all punchlines, and when you do get to talk to her she blames herself and feels guilty, and the game gives you no real option to comfort her. it takes the game killing her brother a second time for us to finally get to see her practice her culture without feeling guilty and without being mocked for it at his funeral, because now she's learned her lesson (but also they make sure to throw in a comment about how Weird it is, and also that all the other dalish clans have been doing the Wrong funeral rites, just to make sure we know how silly they are)

outside of davrin and bellara, the dalish are absent. strife and irelin both immediately accept the sudden revelation that their gods are evil with no pushback (and i don't care if this is because they know harding and varric, this is not communicated in the game). and apparently every other dalish elf just accepts it, too. how is this not depicting them as a monolith? did we play different games? dalish clans have their own traditions and cultures and would absolutely have different opinions about their own gods; the only way you get to see something even remotely close to this is if you take bellara and davrin out together and listen for their banters-- which are never mentioned or relevant anywhere else in game.

and no, i don't want the dalish to blindly follow the gods in veilguard, i want the entire narrative to just not be so fucking racist. the oppressed people's gods being revealed to be evil all along is just racist. nothing else can be "fixed" while this is the core plot, and we knew this since trespasser came out, since it was first revealed over 10 years ago. people have been criticizing this choice and the depiction of the dalish for over a decade. and they still continued with this storyline, despite the various other lore bits they did end up changing for better or worse... instead they just wrote out the dalish completely while still managing to perpetuate harmful anti-indigenous tropes that they've been criticized for repeatedly in the past-- that are made even worse with the total absence of any other dalish characters to counteract them.

[negrowhat]

Favorite QL Characters 2024

tagged by @bengiyo to share my faves for 2024!

Kim from Pit Babe. PB ended in 2024 so it counts! I love him to bits and pieces and it's no secret about it. Kim just wanted to race the best in the game and win fair and square. He didn't ask to get tied up in whatever tf Daddy Tony had going on and he wasn't about to put up with it. I love that he was all cute and smol but what kicking ass left and right. I wanted him to beat Winner's ass everytime he saw him and he practically did. I was so glad to see him being adopted into the X-Hunter family where he belongs. I would do everything for him.

Tharn from The Sign. I adore him. I love how much he loved despite being afraid to love. I loved watching him rescue Phaya countless times. I loved watching him kick ass. I love that he wore his heart on his sleeve and I understand why Phaya and Dr. Cocomelon fought over him for lifetimes. Also was he NOT the most stunning Goddess? And was he NOT the prettiest crier????

Cha Yeowoon and Tae Myungha from Love for Love's Sake. They're 2 sides of the same coin. A package deal. I can't choose one over the other. I love them both and they both need love and hugs. I love that Myungha made it his entire new life's mission to take protect Yeowoon. And I love that Yeowoon wanted to do anything and everything to take care of Myungha. Also Yeowoon was the cutest and sweetest and I do love the way Myungha doted on him.

Yoryak from Wandee Goodday. He was my fave green flag of the year. Such a sweet and understanding guy who wanted to make everyone happy. I felt like he deserved better throughout the series tbh. He was incredibly caring and understood boundaries and wasn't afraid to kick a lil ass to get his results.

Tai from Two Worlds. What a fucking badass. Clearly I just have a thing for the protector type. He was strong, intelligent, and resourceful. He would do anything to protect his people and it was insanely strong of him to go against his abusive sperm donor to save Kram. I love that he was soft for this one single person and to everyone else he was a roughneck. I also think he needed to be showered in love. I think this is my fave Max role, he does action well and I hope he gets a chance to do more.

Lee Jaejun from City Boy_Log. He's such a fucking mess and this year he was at his peak, choosing real hard between his sweet boyfriend Jihan and that homewrecking Yunje. He was doing too much. But what can I say? He's pretty and I love watching him interact with his boyfriend, they're sweet together. I did like Jaejun a lot in the newest installment tho. As long as Jaejun (and Jihan) are there then I'm going to watch this lil web series. Also Jaejun is so, so pretty.

JJ from Love No Long Beans. Oh gawd he owned the only braincell in the series and he used it all the time. Love that he was constantly there for his bestie even when it meant he had to deal with Methas. Speaking of Methas, I love that he humbled that man every chance he got. He made Methas think but he also showed him love and attention he didn't receive. JJ wasn't afraid to tell people off and then bounce. I love that he didn't compromise his morals and he stood up for himself and would throw hands for his foolish best friend.

Vee from Century of Love. He's my most goodest sweetest golden boy. I love him and his vibrant personality. He still managed to keep his smile despite his terrible life experiences: dying family, opportunities being taken away, and homelessness. I love that he wasn't a damsel in distress and I love that he did not bend to anyone's will.

Zongzheng Huai'en from Meet You At the Blossom. My favorite red flag toxic prince. He's my fave unhinged boy. Love that he was such a hypocrite in the beginning and got mad at Xiaobao for doing things he was doing. I love that he was jealous enough to chop off someone's hand. Love that he threatened to lock Xiaobao up if they couldn't be together. I love that he was so desperate to be with the one he loved that he risked his everything to save him. And I love by the end of it he became such a sweet and loving wife to Xiaobao.

Go Young from Love in the Big City. What an amazing character. He was so messy and he dealt with struggles that were important to the community. It was a treat to see him fumbling through life. He was definitely the most relatable character I've seen all year. I felt everything he felt; the joy, the pain, the heartbreak, and everything in between. I wanted him to find his true love, and maybe he did, but that wasn't the point of his story.

Sian from Every You, Every Me. IDK why I loved him. Yes I do, he was very forward with his emotions. He knew that he liked and wanted Blue and wasted no time in letting him know. Love that he was so sex positive and I love that he was quite open with Blue and talked to him about his feelings. Also he was stunning.

Hope from Jack & Joker. I just love that he was unapologetic about enjoying kicking ass. He was very transparent about what he cared about and that was Save and kicking ass. I loved every scene he was in and even when he was getting his ass handed to him he was cool as fuck about it.

[slobber-teeth]

it's been a pretty good year for tf2, so i thought i would commemorate the end of the year by recommending some of the fanfics that have kept me company! this is a collection of largely nsfw sniperspy fics, so it'll be under the cut. merry smissmas!!

if you shoot for the moon, sometimes you hit the moon - @pinapin

teen and up, 5k

i had a passing interest in sniperspy when i first got into tf2 last december, and man, did this fic cement that for good. god, there are just so many elements of this fic that have informed how i view the sniperspy dynamic, and the world of tf2 in general! (like, mvm upgrades being manually installed and uninstalled?? fucking insane and so on brand.) pinapin balances the atmosphere of never-ending robot war with such brilliant levity.

but also, pinapin is one of the first friends i made in the tf2 fandom, and having that be such a positive experience really helped me reach out to other artists i admired!

dog days of summer - @woodsywarbler

m, 12k

this fic is chock full of so much love :") there are so many tiny, intimate details in dog days that make it worth rereading, the sort that make me have to take a walk because the yearning it inspires is so unbearable. silly codes, dressing each other, playing fetch... the dynamic between sniper and spy is so indulgent and sweet. you can't help but fall in love with them as you watch them interact. i have good word that you'll be able to read more about jeannie and mick in the future!

"good owners make good dogs," indeed <3

on top of the world from here - strangeunusual

e, 5k

it's hard to find better words than the opening notes on this fic which are, "step aside geeks, this is how you have a real shoe fetish."

i am actually obsessed. this scratched soooo many itches that it feels like it was made in a lab for me (or maybe that i was made in a lab for it.) i have no way of telling for sure, but i'm pretty certain i reread this fic the most this year, and each time i read it, i'm inspired to write more sniperspy dress shoe fetishism. the fact spy is transmasc here is just icing on the cake.

rank - @berlynn-wohl

e, 2k

i'm such a sucker for classy, refined gentlemen who are loathe to admit how much a little dirt and grime turns them on-- so you can imagine how much i fucking adore this fic. it's funny, it's sexy, and so many lines of dialogue have stuck themselves permanently in my head. namely, "they (dingoes) just looked after me for a couple of hours after school.”

little deaths - muddymoss

m, 10k

oh man, if i tried to recommend this fic, i feel like i'd have to do it chapter-by-chapter. each one manages to be so self-contained and yet you can totally see the lines of connection between them. beautiful, beautiful writing, with every chapter being a love letter to both sniperspy and the different in-game maps. my favorite chapter (so far, this fic is still updating!) is swiftwater!!

barter and thrifty - @lyricalt

e, 5k and 3k

HA i bet you guys thought i was gonna list tanyart's petplay series. nope! you get a two for one!! jesus christ, what a talented author. you can tell how much effort was put into characterization. sniper is written with more wit and rudeness than i think is usually afforded to him, and similarly spy is shown to experience his emotions often and freely, rather as some obsidian slab of indifference. (not to knock that sorta spy, ehehe.)

[transscribepage]

Both of these genres are complete opposites, so far from each other as to not seemingly be associated at all, which of course means they are practically the same thing.

Both genres, in a tried-and-true representation of themselves, force the player to engage with the game and their systems from entirely different angles.

In Metroidvanias, everything is static; the world never changes completely, rarely more than an unlocked door or a mechanical equivalent, to varying extremes; a whole new zone opens up, or a secret backroom reveals itself. When you gain an upgrade, it's with you for the rest of the game. And an upgrade is frequently just a new type of key; the double-jump to let you go up in that tall room; a morphball/gasform/etc. that lets you slip through small holes or grates.

In Roguelikes, everything is always changing; die, and the map rearranges itself. The items you get reset and you get new ones on the next run. Die, and you unlock more possible things to get (and then lose) on the next run, but not even those changes are static; they only add to the number of changes that could be made on the next run. There are no keys or doors to unlock, only possibilities for more changes.

So Metroidvanias make the player engage with the level, memorizing key points on the map, learning shortcuts, key landmarks, and forcing you to interact with the game's map, level design, and mobility options. The world is the game, but not in a sandbox style where it's yours to manipulate; it's yours to explore, chart, delve, and master.

Meanwhile, Roguelikes force you to engage with the systems of the game; they refuse to give you the comfort of a rigid map or permanent upgrades. You don't unlock a double-jump button or learn how to navigate That One Annoying Room. If you want to proceed, it's not the world you're going to need to master, it's the game's basics; what you start with is the only thing you can rely on, because everything else is randomized to make certain you focus on learning the core of the game itself instead. Roguelikes are the definition that Bruce lee quote, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.".

Metroidvanias ask you to engage with the game by familiarizing yourself with its world; Roguelikes ask you to engage with the game by familiarizing yourself with its system. But both genres hold a focus on tight controls and a deceptive complexity.

A Metroidvania pushes the player to be proactive, while a Roguelike pushes the player to be reactive; Metroidvanias ask you to take stock of things, memorizing them for later to return to when you get a relevant power-up, while Roguelikes ask you to act quickly, make decisions, and if you fail, just go at it again.

So you would think the two are absolutely incompatible, that they're too opposite to go together; they are sun and moon, always to be separate together, not heads and tails, two sides of the same coin; you HAVE to pick one or the other, no exception.

But actually, that's a lie; the answer is obvious, plain and simple; it's just that, because it doesn't technically reset you completely every time, it doesn't get counted as a roguelike; and because it isn't fully focused on tracing your steps back, it doesn't get counted as a Metroidvania. But the true combination Metroidvania/Roguelike is two words; Dark Souls.

[ohmybueckers]

Never Strangers: Chapter 1

Part 1: Prologue

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: Mentions of Maya’s dad being a bit of a pos but otherwise none

Note: Finally got this proofread and feel good enough to publish the prologue! There’s going to be a fair bit of jumping back and forth between 2019 and 2023 especially in the first few chapters, but hopefully the transitions between the two will be pretty seamless. I hope every is having a wonderful holiday season!

November 2019

I’m outside, ready when u are

Maya Morgan read the text that illuminated her phone, which was sprawled on her dresser. She huffed as she hurriedly finished the remaining steps of her makeup routine. A couple sprays of perfume, a swipe of chapstick, and a packed purse later, she threw her bedroom door open, calling to her dad and his girlfriend that she would be back before curfew. After taking a moment to mentally prepare herself, she swung the door open and began her battle against the fresh snow in her front yard.

Even after living in New England the majority of her life, nothing could have prepared Maya for her first Minnesota winter. Windchill bit at her exposed ankles as she dashed out the door and across her front yard, cursing herself for not wearing taller socks with her low tops. Her struggle was met with a loud laugh, even as she reached her destination.

“Open the door, Paige!” Maya yelped, earning further roars from her blonde friend. Regardless, the car door unlocked with a pop, which prompted Maya to throw it open, push herself into the passenger seat, and close the door as fast as she could without slamming it.

“There’s no chance you’re from Boston if that is how you react to a little snow.˝ Paige quipped, yet still turning on the passenger seat warmer without needing to be asked. 

"Okay, Boston doesn’t do winter like this," the younger girl groaned in response, throwing her head back against the seat that was slowly rising in temperature. "My dad said to tell you good luck on the game tomorrow, by the way."

There were many things Maya expected when her mom sat her down last January and informed her that her dad would be moving to the suburbs of Minneapolis in May and taking her with him. She expected the pains of adjusting to a new school, and adjusting to living with her dads girlfriend (who loved to parent her despite 1) only meeting her a year ago and 2) being young enough to somewhat reasonably pass as her older sister). What she did not expect was to befriend the top women’s basketball college recruit of her class, famous enough that she received multiple texts from old classmates back home after tagging Paige in a story.

It’s not like there’s any reason why they should have become close - Paige lived a couple suburbs over and went to a different school, outside of which the majority of her time was consumed by basketball. Save for her brief career on her middle school volleyball team, Maya’s main extracurricular of choice had always been mock trial. They could not have led more different lives if they tried. 

Just a week into adjusting to life in Minnesota, however, the Bueckers family invited them to dinner. Maya’s dad and Paige’s dad had apparently roomed together in college and Paige’s father, ever the nice midwestern dad stereotype, had taken it upon himself to welcome his old friend to the state. 

——

May 2019

“So Riley, your dad says that you’re going to be a junior this year.” Paige’s father turned to face Maya at the dinner table, their pasta dinners long finished. “Given any thought to colleges yet?”

“Dad.” The blonde whom Maya had met just twenty minutes ago groaned. She sat directly opposite Maya at the table, making their only interactions up until that point an awkward introduction as the darker haired girl first entered through the door and a series of glances as their parents chatted about their college days. 

Maya didn’t quite know what to make of her yet. She seemed nice, sure, and she was tall, towering over her 5’4 frame. Her dad raved on the car ride over just how good at basketball she was too - number one ESPN recruit who had just committed to the University of Connecticut a month prior. Weirdly enough, it almost seemed like her dad was more aware of Paige’s accomplishments than her own.

“She still has another year before she applies Bob, let her rest.” Paige’s stepmom gently scolded. Her son, who could not have been older than seven years old, sat fiddling with his remaining food beside her, an action she had been trying to correct throughout the meal. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, sweetie.”

Maya shot an appreciative look towards the woman, who returned it with a warm smile. “Um, I’ve been looking into some schools. I should have in-state tuition to U of M by the time I apply. Mom’s still trying to decide if she’s staying in Boston or moving to Stamford, but UMass Amherst is also on the table…”

“Well you know if she does end up moving, you got a built-in tour guide for UConn with this one.” Paige’s dad interjected, nudging at his daughter who looked like she would rather be anywhere but at that table. “Ok, so what about your major…”

“Oh, you don’t need to know that yet!” Paige’s stepmom interjected once more, shooting a sharp look at her husband. 

Truthfully, though, Maya didn’t really mind. College was one of the few things she was sure about those days. “Probably economics and criminal justice, maybe with a business related minor. I want to go to law school after.”

“Oh, we have a lawyer in the house!” Mr. Bueckers exclaimed.

“Hey dad, I was thinking I could maybe drive her around the neighborhood? Show her ‘round?” Paige spoke up, looking to Maya with her eyebrows slightly raised. Though she hardly knew the girl, Maya quickly clocked that look as a lets get out while we can kind of look.

“I guess why wait to be a tour guide when you can be one now.” Mrs. Bueckers spoke, seemingly catching on to their plan. “Go ahead, girls.”

The girls left the table with their plates and a chorus of “thank you”’s, giving each dish a quick rinse before Paige reached for the keys. Once they were in Paige’s car and Maya could reasonably conclude there was no chance of Bob Bueckers overhearing her, she said, “Thanks for the save back there.”

“I remember how stressful those college conversations were. Dunno why my dad seems to love them so much.”

“I really don’t mind.” Maya shrugged, “Sounds like your conversations were an extra layer of awful, though.”

“Wasn’t so bad. Colleges have you visit when recruiting you, basically show you the best parts of being apart of their program. It’s super nice. Then they put you through it after you’ve committed to playing there.” Paige chuckles. “Besides, it was always kinda UConn for me.”

“Same here. Not UConn, but with law. My mom showed me Legally Blonde once when I was ten, and the rest is history.”

They fell into a somewhat uncomfortable silence as Paige backed out of her driveway. Fidgeting with her dark brown hair, she scans the girl next to her. Her mother had practically drilled into her from birth that any event where first impressions were involved warranted dressing up. However, seeing Paige in ripped black jeans, a white tank top, and red sneakers, she suddenly felt a bit insecure about her black skirt and white blouse.

“You want aux?” Paige asked, interrupting the other girls insecurities by handing her the cord. Maya grabbed it, happy for any lifeline out of the quiet atmosphere between her and this girl who she had quite literally just met. The beginning of Jumpman rang through the speakers, prompting the blonde to look at her with curiosity.

“You like Drake?”

She’s acting as if he’s some underground artist, Maya thought with an eyebrow raised. “Who doesn’t?”

As if she could detect some unintended edge in the brunettes voice, Paige quickly attempted to do damage control. “I guess I just didn’t think… never mind. Who else you listen to?”

The next twenty minutes of their drive consisted of Maya shuffling through her “May 2019” playlist, with Paige offering feedback. They watched the sun set as the car was filled with songs from Brent Faiyaz (earning an “Okay, you got taste” out of Paige), Ariana Grande (“7 Rings is fire, I’ll give you that one”), and One Direction (to which Paige said “now you lost me”). 

After around 6 songs, Paige decided that the two of them needed a treat to wash down their dinner and turned into a McDonalds. “Not as good as Culver’s, but it’ll do.”

“What’s Culver’s?” Maya asked. Paige reacted as if she had been shot.

“You’re messing with me, right?” Maya shook her head no, to which Paige’s horror grew only more apparent. “Oh my God, you’re serious?”

“Paige, I moved here like a week ago.” Maya couldn’t help but be amused by just how dramatic Paige was being about this. The basketball star was funny, she would give her that one.

“Still, Maya, that’s insane.” Paige emphasized, surprising the other girl by using her name. Maya decided she liked how it sounded coming from Paige. “Okay, next weekend come back to my place, I’ll take you to Culver’s, and you’ll be happy you moved out here.”

Maya couldn’t help but feel a glow in her chest at Paige’s insistence on seeing her again, a feeling she chalked up to being happy to have at least one friend in this town. 

Not so sure about that, Maya thought, but the sight of Paige’s face and the tone of her voice, so sure of herself, dulled the sting a little. Offering a small smile, she said, “deal.”

——

Maya kept up her end of the deal, and the two of them had been inseparable since. Well, at least inseparable in a metaphorical sense. They had about one month together before Paige left for Team USA training, with Maya leaving for a mock trial intensive program around a week later. They still found ways to bond despite the distance, with Paige practically spamming Maya with Instagram memes in her limited down time, while Maya found a stream to watch her games and texted her thoughts (despite her very limited knowledge of basketball terms - that was an effort Paige was still working on).

Even as school started for both of them, with Paige starting senior year at Hopkins while Maya attempted to navigate junior year at a new school, the two of them always seemed to find time together even when it appeared there was no time to be found, even if it was just Maya helping Paige with her precalculus homework or Paige doing shooting drills at the gym as Maya cheered her on, reading a new case for mock trial in the process. Their dads joked that this was bound to happen, that Paige and Maya were just like them.

I don’t know if my dad felt about Bob the way I feel about Paige, Maya couldn’t help but quip to herself every time her dad would say such a thing.

“I have a good feeling about this season.” Paige spoke, eyes still on the road. “As long as I don’t get some freak illness or injured again, I’ll be straight.”

“You’ll be great. You always are.” Maya turned to look at a home that decided to decorate for Christmas over a month too early, missing the way her friend’s cheeks flushed at the compliment. 

Paige turned into Culver's, a spot that quickly became a go-to for Maya and Paige excursions. The line for the drive through was at least six cars deep, giving the two of them plenty of time to play their favorite game. “If I win this one, we’re getting a vanilla concrete with Oreo.”

“And if I win, we’re getting the Fanta float.” Paige replied with a grin, earning a groan from the dark haired girl in the passenger seat. 

“Paige, that sounds nasty.” Yet she still reached her hand out, the two girls muttering rock, paper, scissors under their breaths before making their decisions. Maya confidently chose rock.

Paige chose paper.

“Lets go!” The taller girl exclaimed with the same vigor as if she scored a buzzer beater. This earned a chuckle out of Maya, dulling the sting of her orange desert fate.

At least this means I get to choose our food, Maya thought. “Ok, we’re getting cheese curds then.”

“A true midwesterner already! They grow up so fast.” Page fake cooed earning her an eye roll from the other girl.

10 minutes later, they sat in the parking lot with Paige working on her Fanta float while Maya stuck to the cheese curds. Though they were fine doing just about anything together, this was their favorite: going to get food, sitting in parking lots and listening to music.

Paige took a sip of her float, immediately after popping a curd in her mouth. The combo prompted a nose scrunch from the basketball player. “You know how much I love cheese curds, but this is kinda a questionable pairing.”

“I think that’s on you.” Maya chirped back. A One Direction song begins playing from the brunette’s shuffled songs, earning an “oh hell nah” from Paige followed by a laugh from Maya. though Paige had been successful in making her tolerate Minneapolis (love was still too strong of a word), she hadn’t reached quite the same results when it came to converting Paige to being a Directioner.

The blonde reached for Maya’s phone in the cupholder in order to change the song, an action that Maya would never think twice about usually. However, at the corner of your eye, she saw Paiges brows furrow slightly. “Jack snapped you again?”

Oh god, my thought. Sure enough, she took a look at her screen, which was illuminated by a notification. It’s safe to say she was not in the mood. “Yeah, I guess.”

Jack and Maya met in AP Chemistry. Somehow, the boy got her Snapchat early on in the semester, taking no time to wait to ask her out. For some reason she agreed, despite not really knowing much about Jack other than the fact that he was on the soccer team and absolutely sucked at chemistry labs (Maya was not completely unconvinced that he wasn’t just trying to get with her for homework answers). 

“This is like the third one in the past 20 minutes.” Maya couldn’t figure out if she was imagining the edge in Paige’s voice or not. “Date went that well, huh?”

If only she fucking knew. “He asked to see me again.” 

“Ah.” Paige wasn’t even trying to hide her annoyance at this point, her response uncharacteristically snippy.

“What?”

“I just didn’t think he was your type. He just seems kinda … flavorless.” Paige dragged the last word out, scrunched her nose as if she smelled something foul. The girl next to her let out a noise in shock, although she was also clearly fighting back a laugh (and losing).

“Oh my gosh, Paige!”

“Sorry!” Paige threw her hands up in defense. “Okay, tell me what you like about him.”

In all honestly, Maya liked that Jack was there. She liked how he went out of his way to get her Snapchat, in a moment where she was looking for any distraction possible from what she actually wanted. She liked how he pursued her so heavily, and she liked the status from it. But when it came time to being alone with Jack, she froze

“You do like him, right?” Paige asked, her voice uncharacteristically serious. Maya really wished she hadn’t.

Paige didn’t need to know that Maya felt more when she received the blondes notification on her phone than when Jack kissed her. Even sitting in a car like this on a Friday night, fast food in hand and listening to music felt more intimate than anything she had felt with guys. Besides, Jack had already asked Maya out again, and Maya declined. Why he was still trying, she had no clue. 

It’s not like other people in her life hadn’t already suspected something else was going on. Even her own mother tried asking if Paige was into girls in an unsubtle way that only nosy parents are capable of. The issue was that Maya didn't know. She didn’t even know if this meant she was gay herself. They never talked about it.

In mock trial, it was basically Maya’s job to know exactly what to say and when. Very few times found her speechless. This was one of those times.

Her lifeline came in the form of the Culver’s employee, pulling Paige away from the interrogation in order to pay for their food at the drive-up window. Despite her attempt to protest, Paige paid for both items, and Maya was hit with the guilt of knowing she was acting this closed off to Paige, the one who she knew cared so deeply for her even if not in the way her heart hoped. This was still her best friend. 

Their silence continues as Paige finds a parking spot. As Maya opens her mouth to apologize, Paige beats her to it. “I shouldn’t have said all that shit about Jack, I’m sorry. If you like him, I support it.”

“You don’t need to apologize. You’re right."

Maybe Maya was imagining things, but she could have sworn Paige’s eyebrows rose with some emotion close to hope. Looking down and fidgeting with her black hoodie, she continued. “I think I liked the idea of Jack more than who he actually is.” 

“Yeah?” Paige edged her on, her voice low, and Maya attempted to ignore how it made her heart beat faster.

“Our date was honestly… really boring. He just started talking about himself and didn’t ask me a thing about myself. He took me to this one part of the park and tried to kiss me, but he just ended up kinda choking me with his tongue. It was awful.”

Maya’s mom always told her she had an issue with rambling, but it was only moments like this word truly hit her. She wanted to slam her hand in front of her mouth if that’s what it would take for her to stop fucking talking about kissing Jack in front of Paige - it felt wrong somehow.

Luckily, Paige seem to find it amusing, as she appeared to be attempting to hide a smile but failing. “Well, I’m glad you realized you deserve better.”

Paige said the next part quietly, almost too quietly to the point where Maya was not sure if it was intended for her ears. “Anyone would be stupid not to treat you well.”

This is so unfair, Maya thought. It’s unfair that Paige could look like this and say things like that and expect her not to fall for her.  She was positive there were plenty of other teenagers in metro Minneapolis that would say the same about the blonde. She could name at least five from her high school alone.

Although the last thing Maya wanted to hear about is if Paige had chosen any of those admirers over her, it was her easiest distraction from the heat rising to her face. “It’s hardly fair that you know all about my love life and I know nothing about yours.”

“Well, I’m basically married to basketball at this point…” Paige chuckled, looking at the roof of her car and tapping her fingers on her knee. If Maya didn’t know the blonde so well, she would’ve thought she was nervous. But that couldn’t be the case - Paige never got nervous. 

“Can I get a serious answer?” The younger girl cursed herself for being so inquisitive. Paige was practically giving her an out from hurting herself and yet here she was, trying to get information she really didn’t wanna know. “That guy that asked you to homecoming, what about him?”

“Sucks for him.” Paige shrugged, though her blue eyes still failed to meet anywhere close to Maya’s face. Casually reaching for the Fanta shake, she added with feigned nonchalance, “Asking out a girl that doesn’t even like guys.”

Oh. Oh. 

“So is there any lucky girls?” Maya asked, knowing damn well that this was going to hurt way worse if the issue wasn’t that she was a girl, but that she was her. 

“Maybe one. I’m not sure.”

“Well, what’s her name?”

“We don’t gotta do that.” Paige sounded playful yet stern, defensive in a way that she hadn’t heard out of the blonde in any scenario other than basketball or maybe disciplining her younger brother Drew. Certainly that tone had never been directed towards Maya.

And yet without thinking, she still pushed. “Oh come on, Paige, why not.” At this point, she was about to ask around the parking lot to see if anyone had duct tape to put over her damn mouth.

“You know why.”

Paige’s eyes finally met hers with a glint of something Maya couldn’t put a name on. All she knew it was sharp enough to look seemingly straight into her. The car filled with silence so quiet that my had no choice but to listen to the top of her own heartbeat and the beginning beats of Exchange by Bryson Tiller. 

And in that moment she realized just what Paige was trying to tell her.

Maya had rehearsed this moment in her head a million times, different scenarios in which Paige may confess her love for her. However, they were always overly exaggerated and entirely unserious, because she could not fathom the idea of it actually being possible for her. Yet here they were, illuminated by the blue Culver sign (perhaps not the most romantic place for this to happen), and for an uncharacteristic second time in one night, Maya was speechless.

Maya could have sat there for the next five minutes and thought of a game plan on what to say. But this was real time, and with each second that passed without her saying anything Paige’s confidence seemed to slip, her head dipping and refusing to look once more.  It broke Maya’s heart, so she blurted out, “What if I do?”

If Maya felt her heart race during other conversations with Paige, this one made her feel as though she was on fire. Especially when she saw the expression on her face after the brunette’s question, curiosity blending into adoration mixing with hunger. A pale hand rose, reaching to brush Maya’s hair away from her face, cupping it in the process. “This okay?”

Maya gulped. She supposed her prayers from earlier have been answered, because she couldn’t speak. All she could offer Paige was a weak nod that she hoped conveyed just how okay this was. 

“What about this?” Page whispered, moving her face dangerously close to hers. Maya closed her eyes, feeling as if she kept looking at Paige she might burst into flames. She could sense Paige get closer, closer, closer, until there was a whisper of a kiss on her tanned cheek. She inhaled sharply, her breath stuttering. 

Logically Maya knew where Paige’s lips would land next. Paige, however, was seemingly taking her sweet time, relishing in the reaction from the girl she had grown to be smitten over the past few months. It was clear that Paige would tease Maya like this for hours if she could. 

Maya was never known for her patience. In a swift mood, almost perfectly timed as Bryson sang “I hope she’s waiting for me”, Maya’s hand met Paige’s cheek, and the two connected.

Maya had only kissed two people prior to this. Her first kiss was at a middle school dance when she was 13, and apparently it was so bad she swore to her mom she would “never kiss a boy again”. As established in the prior conversation, Jack had an affinity for too much tongue. 

Kissing Paige was nothing like kissing either of them. She was soft but not too soft, and her lips tasted like a mix of strawberry Chapstick and a little bit of Fanta slushy. They seem to melt together, as if this could be their last breath and both of them would be equally as content. Paige kissed as if she would hang the moon and the stars for Maya if she could.

When the two finally separated, it took just one glance before the two were smiling. And then, Paige broke, sending herself into a fit of giggles. Maya didn’t know if it was the cutest thing she’d ever seen or if she was offended.

“Did not think I was going to do that tonight.” Okay, cutest thing in the world it is. 

“I’m happy you did.” Maya’s voice came out no higher than a whisper, like Paige truly took her breath away. This statement seemed to bring the blonde back to her usual calm, if not overly confident, self. 

“Oh yeah?” Paige’s smirk was cocky, as if she just won the most important game of the season. In a way she had. 

Paige leaned back in, and the two of them continued kissing surrounded by the glow of the Culver’s sign. Maya weaved a hand gently to brush through the blonde’s hair, earning a content sigh in return.

If Maya knew what was to come of them in a few months, she probably would have savored this moment longer.

[mdemn]

“I’ve been thinkin’..” “Oh yeah? I’ll call the papers.”

a literate passion: letters of anaïs nin & henry miller, 1932-1953 - anaïs nin, mafia: definitive edition (2020), intifada incantation: poem #8 for b.b.L. - june jordan, mafia: definitive edition (2020), tumblr user heavensghost, no light no light - florence + the machine, mafia: definitive edition (2020), a self-portrait in letters - anne sexton

my kofi!

[dykedvonte]

I hate the stretch lines in the front of Curly's uniform because that means the devs rushed to make a model in like a month or so and thought "They gotta at least know he has huge knockers, gotta know he's got back pain." Cause like what is the thematic importance of his tits having overhang?

What responsibility is that representing? Breast reduction? It shows an inherent greed in his character due to the excess and heshouldletmeholdone and that he clearly is blinded cause if he tries to look down his damn ladder all he's seeing is his own cleavage.

[spectacledraws]

skrimir and soren are so eventually friends in my head !

[calciumcryptid]

Decided my proposal for a We Are Series ghostship is Beer and Kleun. They could make a very chill couple.

[writesology]

a few weeks ago i made a heartslabyul text-based adventure game (where you're yuu and you go into heartslabyul gathering everyone for the unbirthday party that day) for my python class and it's just been sitting in my computer files since then. which is sad because i spent so long working out special interactions and bonus dialogue lmao

so that being said here y'all go! have my funny little heartslabyul adventure game :D

do not mind the documentation. that was required and i can't be bothered to go in and remove it bc there's just so much of it lmaooo

please download both adventure.py and custom.json! the adventure game will not work without the dedicated json file. map is optional but it does have cool graphics

i made and tested this game on vs code, but it does work in this online python terminal! have fun with the game and if smth doesn't work please lmk 🫶

[svtskneecaps]

i'm mourning the loss of purgatory's Government Assigned Team Dynamics (because i'm a sucker for shaking up dynamics and the forced interactions of people who may not otherwise have spoken) so please indulge me with your dream egg parenting group i'll start, bagi tina and rivers [i'm right]