#this is great though. my critical thinking skills are waking back up.

[friendofcars]

everyone please pretend that the two gods in this church passage has been in the adam saint thomas post since november and not a few minutes ago thank you and goodnight <3

[changingplumbob]

New Goth: Chapter 4, Part 4

Harvestfest wraps up

CW: Mentions of death Content Warning Guide

Savannah is the twin in pink with hair clips Mercedes is the twin in blue without hair clips

Full family photo! Then Milton decides that while everyone is here he may as well show them the puppet show he’s been working on.

Rahul: What is it called

Milton: School

Cassandra: I think I’ll have to watch from a seat if that’s okay

Savannah: Mama has a baby inside so she needs to be careful

Mercedes nods halfheartedly while Milton slips on the puppets and begins his tale.

The show isn’t all that bad. Of course at creativity level 3 it isn’t all that good either… There are a few funny jokes in it that make the Chopra’s laugh though, Rahul is the best audience a kid could want. Alexander and James are using the time that Milton is being watched to work out in the home gym. They’ve already seen many versions of this puppet play from Milton. Hamlet hangs around for a while hoping for a pat but the viewers seem engrossed.

In the end Milton receives a round of applause from the family.

Savannah: We should have a puppet theatre

Mercedes: Why

Savannah: We could do stories together

Mercedes: But we can do that with dolls. Why change

Rahul: You’re not a big fan of change are you Mercedes

Mercedes: No papa. But I would like a treehouse

Rahul: *laughs* Come on you two, we should find Uncle Alexander and Uncle James and thank them before we leave

Savannah: Why

Rahul: Good manners that’s why. Now come along

Savannah: I’d like an older cousin

Mercedes: I don’t want one to boss us around like Milton does

Milton: I heard that

Rahul: Girls, I said now!

Twins: *quickly standing* Yes papa

As they leave the library Milton sighs and turns to Viola.

Milton: Did you have a good time Viola

Viola: Ye ye, gooey. Ug?

Milton hugs the toddler who is happy with the attention. Alexander and Cassandra walk in talking and the youngest Chopra is scooped up.

Cassandra: We better be getting back to Henford

Alexander: Before storytime? I need practice

Cassandra: I doubt a teen would like you reading to them but what do I know. I think my ones are getting tired, and I may need a nap myself

Alexander: Take care of yourself sis

Cassandra: I will, and if I don’t Rahul does

The rest of the day passes quickly. Alexander has joined the critic career with his eye on being a food critic, finding it a great way to combine his literature degree with his cuisine hobby. James takes care of chores around the house since he is a neat sim after all. Alexander practices his research and debate until he hits level 4, coincidentally enough the level he needs for promotion. James meanwhile spends some time playing games online with Joey, Keira and Marta.

Milton looks at this toys again before bed. He’s glad Alexander got them for him, he’d missed them. Who knows if Bella’s journals would provide any answers as to where she was, but he wanted to keep trying. He only had one mummy, and he missed her every day. Of course in the middle of the night he woke up from a bad dream and realised the way to protect himself was clear, bear suit! Before we knew it Monday was here and Hamlet was waking everyone up accordingly.

James decided to spend the day doing something he loved, fishing! He invited the club around to check out the stream that ran along the edge of the property. It had begun to snow but with no ice the fish should be biting. I had hoped they would all deposit themselves along the stream but nope. Bob decided his time was better spent upstairs watching the culinary channel. Reece caught something! It wasn’t a fish but hopefully his skill has gone up a little.

After school...

James: How was school today

Milton: Good and bad. Can you help me with my project please Uncle James? It's meant to be a volcano

James: Sure, as an ex-teacher I know my way around a fake volcano. Now tell me about school. Why was it good and bad?

Milton: I gave the note from Alexander to my teacher about my costume and she was fine with it

James: But?

Milton: *sighs* Reynaldo and Maria hung out with me but everyone else avoided me

Friendly reminder that the twins go to a different school, I promise they were not avoiding him.

James: Don’t worry about "everyone else", focus on your friends. If they still think you’re awesome enough to hang around with no matter what you want to wear, they’re good ones

Milton: I guess. It’s just hard. People treat me different even before I was in this

James: Milton... your father died and we don't know what happened to Bella. Many of the kids in your class won’t be able to think about what that means, and won’t know what to say about it. Sometimes if people don’t know what to say they’ll say nothing

Milton: I don’t miss father so much now. But I need to know what happened to mummy

James: If you need any help going through those journals I’d be happy to help

Milton: I know but… I want to do it by myself. It helps me feel close to mummy. There, is the volcano done?

James: Almost. Now you have to present it

Milton: Present it?

James: Practice for class. I’ll be a good audience and you'll be prepared for your classmates

Joey decided to swing around for dinner to catch up with everyone. It’s leftover ham from the holiday so everyone ends up feeling a bit dazed. Alexander has to go write another column for work afterwards so James, Milton and Joey put in some gaming time. I’m not sure how Milton does in the bear suit but he’s not sad so we’ll stick with it.

Previous ... Next

[inkofamethyst]

October 5, 2022

HOOOO BOYYY DO I HAVE A STORY FOR TODAY

So I wake up an hour before my alarm, nervous as all get out for my two potential advisor meetings.  The first ones with people I don’t know.  The first one is supposed to be fairly low-stakes, it’s in a small department at an unremarkable university, but I wanted to use it as practice because half an hour after I was scheduled to meet with a dude from one of the most recognizable universities in the country, and I wanted to have practice so I didn’t make a fool of myself [edit: Allow me to elaborate.  This idea, the whole “making a fool of myself” thing?  That terrified me.  Still does.  I don’t want to come off as all charm and no substance.  I was especially afraid of throwing one/both of my previous PI’s name/s into the ring in pretty much every email and then having no critical thinking skill to show for it.  I want to show that I can ask good questions, even as an undergraduate.  That I’m well-read and qualified enough to beat out a Master’s degree holder for a spot.  (Though I am also not above leveraging my black-woman-ness to do it lol.)].

I go to class, I shut all of that out.  I get out of class and have forty minutes to prepare.  Mind you, I’m confident in my charisma and all, but the most terrifying aspect of these interviews is the possible “so what kinds of questions are you interested in?” because I had a general idea, but nothing concrete, nothing to really build on.  So I skim through my evoanth notes from years ago and come up with a question which I can apply to both people with a few tweaks.  And I open my Zoom room a few minutes before, and I wait.  And wait.  And wait.  Five minutes pass, and I’m nervous.  Ten minutes go.  Fifteen minutes pass, and I’m about to start crying because I know he’s not going to show.  And it’s not that I’m upset over this guy.  He’s got plenty of expertise and could be great to work with and learn from, but what I wanted from him was the practice.  The practice meeting a person and them having almost no idea who I am.  I rant to my parents and they call and calm me down.  I closed the room and had an hour to straighten myself back up for the next one.  The Big One.

I open my Zoom room at the appropriate time, take a deep breath, and he arrives (says that he recognized me from the conference (and he had at least skimmed my CV)!) and we begin.  Honestly, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  He spent most of the time talking about himself, selling me on his lab.  He did ask me about my research interests, we did engage in some back-and-forths, and we chatted for a good hour.  I felt really really good after the conversation.  And I know that’s his goal, to get more students to apply, but I mean it worked.  My legs were shaking the whole time but he seems like a really really great guy.

And so I call my parents, elated at how well it went, and we (and my sister and the puppy who made an appearance) chatted for a good hour just to calm me down from what was essentially a mild performance high.  I end that call, check my email, and lo and behold, the guy I was supposed to meet first apologizes for not being able to meet at the time we specified and asks if I’m available that afternoon.

Me and dude 1 end up meeting after all, and it’s nice (especially because I feel as though I have the upper hand in the first impressions department since like yea I need to impress him sure but I also wasn’t late to the originally-scheduled meeting, so).  Also going from what I perceive as being the most difficult intro meeting to the easiest on my list made it a bit of a cakewalk.  I will apply, I think, but it’s definitely near the bottom if not the lowest on my list.  Less-so because of the guy, who seems fine, and more-so because the prestige of the school is so so much lower than where I’m at now.  Sue me, I’m an elitist.  I’m tryna move on up in the world, or at least not go too far down from where I’m at.  I do think that guy knew it too because he was workin to convince for sure.

That’s three schools down, I’ve got a few more to reach out to (hopefully I can do two tomorrow).

Today I’m thankful for well, you knowwwww.  And I know, at this point, no application has been submitted, no official interviews completed, nothing of that sort.  But I’m really happy The Big One went well.  And that I’ve gotten over my mental block.  I feel like I can pop though the rest of these like candy (assuming I get responses).

I literally cannot believe how this week has gone.  Find out Monday I’m forced to stay on campus a few extra hours on Friday instead of going home for a sectional.  Find out Tuesday that my rec writer has to cancel our Wednesday meeting [edit 2: keep in mind, this dude has been giving me the run-around for almost three weeks and it ain’t cute no more], we move it to the extra time I now have open on Friday.  Potential advisor emails me back on Tuesday to say that he can meet during the slot where my rec writer and I were supposed to meet.  Different potential advisor doesn’t show for scheduled meeting.  Gives me time to prepare more for another potential advisor I care more about.  First potential advisor and I end up meeting after that other one, and I feel more confident and at ease with the process.  Almost every disappointment was followed almost immediately by a win.  You can’t make this kind of thing up.  If God is out there listening, thanks bud.

[edit: ALSO THE SUN CAME OUT IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FIRST MEETING WHICH WAS LOVELY ANd I went on a really nice walk just to chill out after everything was done and I just sat and listened to a guy play the flute beautifully in a lovely little garden on campus :)]

[edit 2: also I got a B+ on my devbio exam which ain’t bad (considering I crammed for it in a day (remember how I said last fall that I’d never do that again??  yea me neither haha) and during that day I was also cramming for another exam)!]

[edit 3: it’s 3 in the morning and I have 4 classes tomorrow today but I’ve schedule-sent my two thank-you emails and an inquiry email and I’ve drafted another inquiry email to be sent upon receiving a response to the first one.  i have two other emails that need to go out tomorrow but i need to sleep rn i can send those during lunch.  i am so close to being done with cold-emailing omg]

[avigellar]

fiiiinally freeing up some time to work on more of my muse intros—phew! hey, everyone—it's just me, ryan (h/h, 25+) back with an intro for another favorite of mine: avi gellar-cho! he's a muse i've picked up, dusted off, and reworked for this space, and i'm actually really stoked to dive into him. in my opinion, he's really cool. he's a voice actor and now podcast host whose based in korea solely because of his husband—it's complicated, but he's really happy!—and though it's taking him some getting used to, he's stoked to learn more about his husband's culture/home!

1.

avi gellar was born and raised in new york city. his parents operate a kosher bakery that's well-loved in their neck of the woods, and he grew up learning all of the family recipes. while it was never exactly a passion of his, he understood why his mom and pop loved to bake so much. he can taste the love in everything they prepare, and although he's over thirty now, he still feels their love, and they definitely still view him as their blue-eyed baby boy.

as a kid, he learned that he did extremely good impressions of his favorite cartoon characters, a skill that he spent far too much time honing, but it kept him out of trouble, so his parents didn't think much of it. that, and he often made them laugh with his impersonations, so they weren't complaining much either. they thought he was quite the character, and so did his peers at school, who revered him as something of a class clown. he dodged bullying by making everyone laugh instead.

it was a fluke chance, but when his dad saw a listing for an open call looking for voice talent for a new series to be launched on a kid's tv network, he told avi about it and avi auditioned, and out of hundred of others, he landed the leading role in the show—marking the start of his career. (side-note: canonically, i'm claiming that he was the og voice actor for aang of atla. why? because i can. 😆)

he's done tons of voice work over the years, and now, he hosts a podcast about voice work; one where he often has other voice actors from all over the world as guests to talk about their shared craft. as of now, he's living in south korea with his husband, who he met along the way after a previous engagement of his failed dramatically. it's daunting to be in a new place, especially one that's more socially conservative than new york, but he's excited to learn more.

2.

avi gellar is funny. that's something that everyone who meets him can say about him. even those who hate him can't deny that his quick wit and comedic timing aren't near-flawless. some say he could've genuinely gone into a career in comedy, but he refrained from that. he never wanted to be a comedian, and he doesn't like being in the spotlight that much. hiding behind animated characters is more his speed.

he's not only funny, but he's also a rock. he's solid. he works hard. he's someone who works within the realm of fantasy lands and animation, but in real life, he's got a practical edge about him that prevents his head from floating into the clouds too often. since he's been involved in the entertainment industry since childhood, he's got great business sense—typical capricorn sun—and makes strategic financial decisions. it's why his fortune from his youth is still supporting him. he's used it wisely.

avi is a work-horse. his willingness to work is immense, and he'll do all he can to ensure that he and his family are supported. he's not the type to sit idly by and hope other people make change in the world. no, he's someone who gets up and gets shit done. he can be a bit hard on those who don't choose to get up and do the work, but it's only because he genuinely doesn't understand that mindset.

want dad advice? avi's your man. he's still young, but there's a way about him that makes him feel genuinely wise beyond his years. that, and he's not afraid to be a critic; to be more stern with people he thinks can use a bit of a wake-up call. his paternal instincts are rather strong, to be honest, and so is his propensity toward using dad jokes.

3.

i'd love any and all plots for him, idk. i'm much easier to brainstorm with than lay out ideas, so let's work something out together! 🥰

[thunderheadfred]

💥Bakugou HC's💥

Aged-up pro hero Katsuki for all of these. Some NSFW beneath the cut. Minors do not interact.

- - - - -

General

He’s scary good at everything he tries. Every. Single. Fucking. Thing. It’s infuriating. Has zero patience when other people can’t immediately master a skill. Never let him teach you anything. Not that he’d offer, nerd.

He WILL offer, though. A lot. He can’t believe you still can’t Do That Thing. Tsh. Like THIS. You're gonna hurt yourself, Dummy.

But hold on. Of course you have unique skills of your own. You work hard to improve yourself. Trust me, he's the first person to notice. He doesn't praise anyone lightly, so when he raises his eyebrows and whispers he's impressed, your heart will go thermonuclear.

Perfect spelling and fully punctuated texts. Never uses abbreviations. Employs a grand total of four emojis, all of them angry faces. Constantly leaves you on read. He's busy, dammit.

Doesn’t smile or laugh in public (except sarcastically). His real smile is a crooked, fragile thing. Never make him feel self-conscious about it, or you might not see it again for weeks.

He does not talk about his private life to the press. Ever. Will K.O. rookie reporters who can't keep their big mouths shut.

HOweVER: he's intensely kind to his fans. There is a whole photographic sub-genre of little girls in cosplay hugging Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight like he's a Disney Princess.

Too smart for his own good. Emotionally hyper-vigilant. Overthinks every interaction to hell and back. Will act like he's not listening but actually hears every single word in a ten-block radius.

INSECURE AF. 110% convinced he will never be good enough. Terrified of his loved ones leaving him behind. Does he do anything to assuage his fears? Like... talk to anyone about it? Hell no. That would require admitting he has fears to begin with.

Seeing people upset makes him upset, especially if he doesn't know how to fix it.

The epitome of being mean because he cares. He genuinely does not seem to comprehend that monosyllabic grunts and lopsided shrugs are not actually that comforting.

Because he was such a brat growing up, he wants to make up for it now. Sort of. In his own way. Look, he's trying, okay?

He smells - so - good. Obscenely good. He doesn't wear cologne; are you joking? There's the burnt-sugar caramel candy smell of his quirk, for starters. And since he sweats deadly ammunition, he showers and wipes himself down almost constantly. He always smells clean. Like a fucking meadow.

Never got that growth spurt he was hoping for. He’s a short man - not even THAT short - but he has a Napoleon complex anyway. If you’re taller than him, the collars of your shirts will all be stretched out. He’s constantly dragging you down to his level. He will assert himself all the fucking time; the pissing contest is never-ending. Don’t wear tall shoes unless you want him to drag you around on a leash. If you’re shorter than him, that’s good. That’s very good. He likes that.

He’s an incredible cook, but everything he makes is a nuclear fire challenge. Adapt or starve.

- - - - -

Dating

Makes artisanal, nutritionally flawless bento lunches for both of you. When people assume his S.O. makes them, he gets fucking pissed. Damn right your co-workers are jealous of my cooking.

Your pet name is Dummy. Don’t like it? Fine. You can be dumbass.

There will be zero PDA in this relationship. His hands are shoved so deep in his pockets you can’t even try.

Intensely private with the press. But with his friends, he will brag about you nonstop. Bakugou Katsuki has the most talented and attractive and intelligent S.O., and anyone who doesn't recognize that is blind. Were you assholes even listening?

A mutual buddy definitely recorded one of these drunken brag-rants and sent it to you for safekeeping. Do not let Katsuki find out about it, unless you enjoy having an ash pile for a phone.

Gets jealous about everything, at least at the start. He calms down eventually. Kinda. He stops saying shit to you about it, anyway, because he learns to trust you. But anyone who so much as looks at you in a too-friendly manner will get the death stare of a lifetime.

He’ll throw all kinds of temper tantrums and the two of you will argue about every tiny fucking thing. He’ll scream out car windows, he’ll ball up his shirt and gnash on it. But he will never raise his voice at you. He’d rather die than make you feel unsafe.

Honestly, the constant bickering is really just... uhh... passionate communication. Eventually you both hash out the important things. You'll learn how to step around his landmines and actually make your points, and he'll learn to open up. A little.

Once you meet his mom, Katsuki starts to make a lot more sense. His family just... emotes like that. Eventually, you and his dad form a spousal support group consisting of exactly two lifetime members. He teaches you the Bakugou family semaphore you need to survive a long-term relationship.

Katsuki can dish it out but absolutely cannot take it. The only person who can level with him about serious issues without explosive fallout is his dad. Or, on a lucky day, Kirishima.

If you give him a legitimate criticism (even gently!) he will take it about as gracefully as a knife to the gut, because it confirms everything he hates about himself.

To your never-ending shock, you’ve made him cry. Yes, CRY! You monster! More than once! His lip gets all *trembly* and his eyes get all *watery* and all you want to do is hug him, but. No. He’ll storm out and wander around for a few hours before coming back with the problem perfectly solved.

He always takes your advice to heart. No, he will NOT talk about it, stop asking.

Gets mad if you don’t snuggle him on the regular. Will drag you into his lap with a pissy little grunt. There might be two seats on this couch but you will not be needing both of them.

Takes pictures of you while you sleep.

Takes even more pictures of you when you're awake but think he's out of the room.

He looks at all these pictures when he's away on high-stakes jobs. He gets all bleary eyed and sleeps in a salty puddle without you. NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW.

You don’t have to meet him at the door or anything, but when he says “I’m home,” you’d better answer fast. If he doesn’t know your precise location in 0.05 seconds, he will assume you’ve been kidnapped. He never checks the fridge for notes. Never assumes you've gone down to the konbini for a snack. No, it’s kidnapping every time.

A terrrrrrible bed partner. He goes to bed at senior citizen hours and will never fuck you after sundown. He snores SO loud. Runs hot and sweats through the sheets. Slaps and elbows you in his sleep and aggressively spoons you with his loud, sweaty body. You WILL want to suffocate him. Separate bedrooms aren’t such a horrible idea......

BUT HANG ON, because in the morning he transforms into an honest-to-god angel. He's half awake, his guard is non-existent. Morning Katsuki is a doting kissy-faced marshmallow man.

If you can wake up before the ass-crack of dawn, he will pamper the fuck out of you. You are royalty for one (1) hour only, and he is your bleary-eyed slave. You want a cuddlefuck? You got it. Hugs? Kisses? Take as many as you need. You want a perfect, fluffy, NON-SPICY omelette with a heart drawn in ketchup? Here it is, gorgeous.

Then he gets in the shower and the spell is broken.

- - - - -

💥bang BANG💥

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: this here is an ASS. MAN. He'll spank you with his quirk; doesn’t matter if you’ve been good or bad. Wants to see you wince when you sit down later.

Likes pounding you face down with a vice grip on your waist.

Unfortunately, even with all that said... he doesn't exactly have the feral beast sex drive you were expecting. He’s married to his work and has the fuddy-duddy habits of a once and future valedictorian. Only fucks you when he has the time and energy to fully dedicate himself to it.

But ohhhh. Shit. When it's time? It's TIME. The man will rush for nothing. Stamina for days. Making you cum as many times as possible is a point of pride. Yeah, you passed out once.

You’re gonna need those days off when he’s done with you.

That dick THICC.

Sends unsolicited dick pics. Only after you’ve been dating a good long while - he doesn't show that shit to just anyone. But yeah, don’t check your phone at work. He won't cum without you; those pictures and videos are time bombs. You better get home. Now.

Physically dominant as FUCK, but won’t verbally degrade you unless you ask. Well, let’s be honest. Unless you beg.

Praise him and reap the rewards. A long hard ego stroking will get him off more than touching his cock ever will.

Will grab your hair and fuck your throat. Will also stop immediately if you need him to.

The two of you have safe words and gestures. Even for vanilla stuff. He’s paranoid about scaring or hurting you. He insisted you both sign a color-coded ‘love contract’ that he meticulously formatted in a word processor. When you gave him guff about it, his blush was the darkest crimson you’d ever seen.

Coin-flip: he will sometimes be unbelievably gentle in bed. Doting and affectionate, taking perfect care of you. Like, it’s baffling. There’s no warning, the switch just flips. When you want him to be extra-rough and mean, he’ll sweetly worship you instead. For hours.

Bonus: he likes being penetrated. But of course he’s got a complex about that too. Super intense power bottom. You will never fuck him hard enough. He’d like to see you try. Hit his prostate just right and he might literally explode.

You'll live happily ever after but he will say he loves you out loud exactly once. Maybe. If you're lucky. And you're both about to die.

[maemelany]

Fixing the Broken (Part 3)

Summary: People say that time heals all wounds. In your case, time made it worse.

You’ve been married to Chris for five years, but his absence spoke louder than his words. After 5 years of trying, you’ve decided that you’ve had enough, and you left him. But Chris doesn’t want to let you go; he doesn’t want to give up on your marriage.

Would he be able to fix what you consider irretrievably broken?

Warnings: Angst, tiny tiny mentions of sex

Word Count: 2.6 k

Pairing : Chris Evans x Reader

A/N: I hope you like this one. I can’t wait for your reactions about this one. I can only imagine what @fallenoutofrose will have to say about Chris’s behavior in this part 😂

Enjoy and let me know if you want me to add you to the tag list

Love x  Mae ❤️

Masterlist 

Prologue , Part 1 , Part 2 Part 4 

“It is better to hope than despair.”

-Lailah Gifty Akita,

You finally knocked. After standing in front of that door for what felt like an eternity now, you finally knocked. Your legs felt like jelly, and your heart was pounding in your chest. You were feeling more anxious than the day of your wedding, and the irony of the situation made you almost laugh. Almost, but not quite. You were about to when Lisa opened the door.

She was as radiant as ever, a big, warm smile on her face. Honestly, it surprised you. You knew that she knew. Now that Chris was back, there was no way Lisa wouldn’t know what was going on. That man told everything to his mother.

Lisa let you in, and you followed her into the living room. The house felt like a second home to you. Actually, it felt more like home than your place with Chris sometimes. There was always something happening here. When you left your house, you almost came here. But you felt like it was unfair to Chris. Lisa was his mom, and her house was his safe place, not yours.

“Chris told me everything. How are you holding up honey, are you okay?” Lisa asked you

Her kindness broke your last defence. Her genuine, motherly concern about you made you feel guilty that you didn’t come to her sooner. Lisa had always been so kind to you, taking you in as her own daughter from the moment Chris introduced you as his girlfriend. Your lips started to shiver as you were trying your best to hold the tears back.

“Oh, honey… please don’t cry.”

She took you in her arms, and you broke into tears. It may have lasted five minutes or an hour; you weren’t sure. These days you were crying so much it was just the new normal.

Your best friend had been a great support to you, but she had to. She was your best friend. Chris’s mom was supposed to be on his side, defending her son’s best interest. Not yours.

“Why didn’t you tell me things were that bad, Y/N?” Lisa asked you

You looked away. Somehow ashamed that you thought Lisa would reject you.

“I … I don’t know. Chris is your son, and…”

“And you’re my daughter. Y/N, you’re family. We all love you!” Lisa said, taking your hands into hers. “Plus, I bet some even love you more than Chris,” Lisa joked.

You laughed, feeling a little bit more at ease now. “I’m sorry…” you whispered.

“Don’t be. I am sorry we didn’t see anything,” Lisa said

You shook your head. It wasn’t their fault. They weren’t responsible, Chris and you were. It was your marriage, after all.

Lisa asked for your version of the story, and you could tell she was trying to be as partial as possible. You hated that you had to put her in that situation. She cringed when you told her Chris didn’t notice you were gone until he went to Carly’s place.

“That boy…” she said, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry, honey,” she said, a sad expression on her face.

“It’s not your fault Lisa. Actually, it’s not even Chris’s fault. I can’t force him to stay married to me,” You said

“You think he feels… forced to be with you?”

You shrugged. “I mean… why else would he be as far away from me as he possibly could?”

Lisa watched you closely. You could tell she wanted to say something but was refraining herself.

“You two should talk. Maybe you could solve this…” Lisa said

“I don’t think us talking would do any good. We tried that yesterday; you should have seen how shi… messy it was”

Lisa tried to hide her smile when you stopped yourself from swearing. “If talking to each other doesn’t work, maybe you should try talking to someone else…” Lisa suggested

You frowned. You didn’t see how Chris and you talking to Lisa would help. Yes, Lisa was a wise woman, but as she said herself, she was your mother both. Knowing Chris, he would take it personally if his mother called his shit out about his marriage. You still remembered what happened the last time Lisa agreed with you instead of Chris. He was salty for days.

“I love you, Lisa, but I don’t think talking to you would fix this,” you gently said

Lisa laughed. “I wasn’t talking about me, honey. I meant a therapist.”

“A therapist? Like couples therapy, you want us to go to couples therapy?” you asked.

Lisa nodded. You never thought about that.

“I thought couples therapy was supposed to happen before couples decide they want a divorce.”

“Not necessarily. It could help you express your feelings in a safe place. And, you decided you wanted a divorce, honey. I don’t think Chris agrees with you.”

You frowned. If Lisa thought the warm smile would help you accept the subtle criticism easier, she was wrong. You were even worse than Chris when it came to being right. 

You loved being right and hated being told that you could have done something wrong, especially in that very particular situation. You were right. You had to be right. It would kill you to realize you were wrong and left the man you loved for nothing.

“Do you think I went too far…” You said, the tears resurfacing

“Oh no,” Lisa immediately told you. “You did what was right for you, and that’s the most important. I can’t even imagine how you must have felt, alone in that big house.”

A huge weight lifted off your shoulders. Secretly you thought people didn’t understand you. You were married to Chris Evans, living what they thought should be a fairy tale. 

Even though you and Chris were what people called a private couple, he would sometimes tell things about you or express his love for you when he was being interviewed. When those things happened, your friends would always send you messages, reminding you how lucky you were. 

They didn’t know how far they were from the truth. Most of the time, you were alone in your bed when you were reading their messages. Alone and lonely. 

People think they know things about your life, your marriage, but they don’t. They would have to walk in your shoes, feel what you daily felt to actually understand.

When you left Lisa’s house, she had convinced you. She made you realize that even though things between You and Chris were pretty bad, your relationship was worth saving, or at least you owed it to Chis and yourself to try. Even if therapy didn’t work, you still owed it to yourself and Chris to end things the most peacefully possible. Before being your husband, he was your friend. You needed at least that friendship to be saved.

Instead of going back to your best friend’s place, you went home. It wasn’t even a conscious decision. You started driving and found yourself taking the way home. Instead of turning back, you continued. You realized waiting wouldn’t help. You’d waited so much already, now was the time to act.

As you opened your front door, you felt submerged with that particular sent. You were home. Despite what you told Chris yesterday, this house was your home. You chose almost every piece of furniture.

 Chris was more than happy to leave it to you; he didn’t understand why you needed so many pillows on the bed or a particular shade of beige for the dining chairs. Instead of explaining everything, you would just ask for his opinion when it was absolutely necessary. Plus, it was hard to decorate a house via FaceTime. 

Thinking of it now, decorating this house helped you manage your loneliness for some time. You were proud of every single room, from your bedroom to the laundry room.

You found Chris and Dodger sleeping on the sofa. You weren’t surprised. The couch was probably Chris’ favorite spot in the whole house. You had your office, and he had this sofa. 

You were tempted to lay next to them. They felt like home. But you didn’t want to wake Chris up. If there was one thing Chris was lacking, it was sleep. You also noticed the dark circles under his eyes yesterday, and the current situation was not helping his sleep deprivation.

When you noticed a few takeout boxes in the room, you knew exactly how to occupy yourself. Chris used to love your cooking. Your skills were definitely better than his, but as your husband liked to say, one cannot be good at everything. You smiled when you remembered how you would tease him about his horrible cooking skills, and he would remind you how messy you were.

Even now, after thirty minutes of cooking, the countertop looked more like a war zone than a kitchen island.

“It smells good.”

You jumped. You didn’t see Chris coming, and now you had tomato sauce all over your blouse.

“Chris! You scared me!” you said, looking at him.

He was leaning against the opposite wall, observing you. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

You looked at him with more attention. He looked less tired. You wanted to say something, but Dodger was all over you before you could open your mouth.

“Hey, baby. I missed you so much,” you said to your dog.

Dodger started to bark. The high pitch he usually reserved to Chris when he was coming back home after long periods of absence.

It broke your heart.

“He missed you,” Chris finally said

You didn’t know what to reply. You didn’t want to say something that would create a hostile environment for the rest of the evening.

“I need to change myself,” you said, showing your now stained blouse.

You were gone before Chris could even blink. Once in your bedroom, you found everything exactly as you left it. You rolled your eyes, mentally asking yourself how Chris could be so organized. And then you realized he wasn’t that organized. It wasn’t just the bedroom that was exactly as you left it. The walking closet and the bathroom were too.

Chris wasn’t sleeping in your room, and you wondered why.

When you went downstairs, you found him making the table.

“I thought I’d made myself useful,” Chris said when he saw you.

You smiled. That was the kind of evening you used to dream about. You and your husband casually sharing dinner together.

Chris was very attentive, serving you wine, asking you if you needed anything. You wished you could be so relaxed. You wished you weren’t about to drop a massive bomb on him.

“Why aren’t you sleeping in our bedroom?”

Your question surprised you both.

“I… I don’t know. It doesn’t seem… right.”

You looked at each other, your eyes saying more than a thousand words. Again, you were reminded how easy it would be to just give in, to just come back. But it would be a temporary relief, one you would only enjoy until he’d decide to leave again.  

It took you the whole dinner, and filling the dishwasher, and watching the first part of a show to gather enough courage and tell Chris you two needed to see a therapist.

It happened before he was about to kiss you. You could feel it in his eyes, the way they became darker, and the way his body leaned closer to yours. You could feel your heart beating faster and the room suddenly feeling hotter than before.

You wanted to give in, you missed his touch, you missed his kisses. You missed sex with your husband. But you knew it would make things more difficult. Sex had never been a problem in your relationship. Actually, it made you forget about the problems. You couldn’t remember how many times you were on the verge of telling Chris you weren’t happy with the situation and totally forgot about it the minute his hands were on you.

“No,” you said, standing up.

You started walking around the room, trying to compose yourself. It was frustrating how all your perfect, well-prepared plans got ruined the second you were around Chris.

“Y/N,” Chris whispered.

“No, we are not having sex!” you half screamed.

You needed to convince not only Chris but yourself that you were not having sex tonight. But looking at him, looking at him, looking at you made things very hard, literally and figuratively speaking.

“We’re going to therapy,” you quickly said

Chris blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

You cleared your throat. “I said, we are going to therapy.”

You could tell he was surprised. You didn’t know if it was good or bad.

“Y/N… I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

It was your turn to be surprised. You opened your mouth but closed it immediately after. You wanted Chris to explain himself before jumping to conclusions.

“With how public we are and…”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you said, anger quickly possessing your whole body.

“Y/N…”

“You’re worried about your reputation? Do you even want us to be together, Chris?” you asked him.

“I’m not worried about my reputation. I’m worried about… our privacy.”

“Chris, therapists have a duty of confidentiality,” You said, raising your voice.

“Well, you won’t believe how many people would break it given the right sum,” he screamed back.

You wanted to scream, anything that would release the frustration you were feeling inside.

“Do you even want to fix this?” you ask, as calmly as you were able to

Chris huffed. “I was begging you to come home with me yesterday. Of course, I want to fix this.”

You crossed your arms. “me coming home right now would not fix things; it would bring us back to this,” you said, throwing your hands up.

“And this is so bad, right?” Chris asked, bitterness in his voice.

“No, this is perfect. This is what I want permanently. It will kill me to come back to this if this is not forever.”

The room went silent. So many emotions went through Chris’s eyes, and you were trying to decode them all.

Chris finally drew a long breath. “I am not going to couples therapy.”

His words stung more than you could have imagined. They also unleashed the silent anger that was rising inside of you since the beginning of that conversation.

But instead of screaming and crying and pleading with Chris, you reached for your handbag. You were done trying to negotiate with him. You were done trying to spare his feelings.

You removed the divorce papers that had been sitting in your bag for days now. You threw them on the coffee table near Chris and waited for him to look at them.

You could see him become very pale, and if you weren’t that angry, you would be worried.

“Are they…” He started

“Yes. Divorce papers. We go to therapy, or you sign them. It’s your choice.”

Chris was startled. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I’m more than serious. I have a pen if you want to sign now.”

You looked serene, but inside, your heart was dropping lower with every second Chris wasn’t doing anything. You knew you were forcing his hand, but he left you no other choice.

“So, what is it going to be, Chris?”

Chris took the divorce agreement into his hands, and you held your breath. Your heart started beating again when he tore them in half.

He gave you a deadly stare, but at this point, you didn’t care anymore. He could be angry, scream at you, even hate you, as long as it meant you were doing something to try to fix things, you could take it all.

“Text me when you find a therapist you can trust,” you said before taking your bag to leave.

If he thought you’d be the only one sweating for this, he couldn’t be more wrong. It takes two to tango. It was about damn time for Chris to act. Because you were sure that this time feeling sorry or even good sex wouldn’t fix things.

Tag List (tell me in the comments if you want to be tagged)

@90girlgolden @jennamarieee623 @spookyparadise69 @coffeebooksandfandom @calirindo @jessyballet @janeyboo @killerstvles @patzammit @inlovewith3 @katelyneann @evatia @breezykpop @n3ssm0nique @mary-on08 @anthonyjanthony666​  @dangerouslovefanfic @positionsfyou​ @killerstvles​ @ragamuffin285​ @sohoseb​ 

[itsallyscorner]

just like magic with marvel cast, the vibe is----- a perfect song for a lil b*tch with a good heart and a sarcastic mouth

just like magic is the song we ALL need for 2020😌 Start manifesting ya’ll🖤 Also thank you sm for the request I am so so sorry this took so freakin’ long😭 Love u, happy reading🖤🖤 Tried to add my own lil twist to your request:)

(A lil different from the request, but I tried to make the reader have a bit sas.)

💌.

just like magic

Growing up within the Marvel Cinematic Universe was probably one of things you were most grateful for. When you first started out you weren’t that social. You were new to the business, you didn’t know anybody and you were intimidated by every single actor you crossed paths with.

At first you didn’t feel like you fit in. You felt as if you were a burden to everyone else. You barely talked to anyone which made the others approach you out of force by the Russos. Everyone around you was talented while you were just some newcomer who had jack shit as experience. The first few years you were insecure of yourself mentally and physically. You weren’t as pretty or fit as the other women in the MCU nor did your skills live up to theirs. Which led to some unhealthy habits. Plus there were haters and movie critics who would say horrible things about you and your acting.

You had a rocky start unlike Tom Holland and even Lexi Rabe. Until one day when you realized that you had to change how you were thinking. It took you a while but all that negative thinking you were doing was only bringing you negative energy. So when you had a break from filming movies, your number one goal was to improve yourself.

Wake up in my bed, I just wanna have a good day (Mmm, ah)

Think it in my head, then it happens how it should, ayy

Twelve o'clock, I got a team meeting, then a meditation at like 1:30

Then I ride to the studio listening to some shit I wrote (Oh)

You woke up with smile on your face in a sense of calmness. The sun shined bright hues into your room as you got up from your bed. Today was the first day back on set. You guys were finally filming Civil War and you were honestly so excited. As you did your morning routine, you went over how the day would go in your head. You’re genuinely excited to see the entire cast. It has been almost half a year since you’ve seen everyone and you couldn’t wait to be back.

You took one last look at yourself in the mirror. Compared to the previous year, you looked and felt healthy. Your eyes shined and you looked well relaxed. You know like one of those face cleanser commercials? That’s how you felt. You felt like a breath of fresh air.

The ride to the studio took a good 30 minutes but it felt like seconds. You entered the set with a new sense of confidence and pride. The energy was practically radiating off you.

“(Y/n)?” You hear someone call from behind you. You turn around and see Scarlett looking at you.

“Hey!” You greet her as you approach her. You pulled her into a hug, startling her.

“Oh! Hello to you too, honey.” She laughed as she wrapped her arms around you. “How are you?”

“I’m doing great! Life’s been good.” You answer as a toothy grin graces itself on your face. Scarlett’s eyes are filled with shocked. From the previous times she’s talked to you she’s never seen you so loud or open. You were always shy and closed off from everyone on set.

Good karma, my aesthetic (Aesthetic)

Keep my conscience clear, that's why I'm so magnetic

Manifest it (Yeah), I finessed it (I finessed it)

Take my pen and write some love letters to Heaven

Eventually everyone on set caught on to your new attitude. Though they tried to be discreet about their reactions and shocked expressions, you could still see how they were caught off guard by your sudden change of nature.

Anthony watched as you conversed with Elizabeth and Scarlett on the couch in Robert’s “village” . You were probably the most smiliest person in the room beating Evans, who was eating his lunch.

“She’s like different. But in a good way. It’s like she’s bloomed.” Anthony thought out loud to the men beside him. Chris (E) and Sebastian look in your direction.

“Bloomed?” Chris snorted as he swallowed his food.

“Yeah, like she’s growing into a woman.” Anthony hummed proudly as he went back to his own lunch. Sebastian smiled at you, “I think she’s gained some confidence in herself and finally realized how good of a person she is.”

“If she’s finally realized that, I’m glad she did. She’s like a ball of sunshine, it’s adorable.” Chris smiled proudly at you as your hands move around animatedly while explaining some story to the two women in front of you.

“Y’all think it’s a boy?” Anthony wondered. Sebastian rolled his eyes at his friend. Before he can even respond Anthony is calling you over. You approach the men with a smile and take a seat beside Sebastian.

“What’s up?” You greet them. Chris nods at you as he chews on his sandwich. Sebastian greeting you with a quiet “hey”.

“So who’s the lucky man?” Anthony asks teasingly. Your brows knit together head tilting to the side.

“Man?”

“Yes man, or boy, whatever. Who’s got you feelin’ yourself, (y/n).” Anthony wiggles his brows as he shimmies closer to you. Sebastian, who’s in between you two, cringes at the man to his left.

You didn’t take any offense to the question, knowing that everyone was curious as to why you were so unlike yourself.

You chuckled before smirking at the older man, “Anthony, honey. I don’t need a man to be feelin’ myself. I did this on my own.”

Chris and Sebastian’s mouth drop at your answer. Chris laughed as he pointed out Anthony’s face. Sebastian slung an arm around your shoulder bringing you into a side hug as he laughed with Chris.

“To be fair” Chris began to say but started to laugh, “To be fair, you deserved that.” Anthony’s face went flushed as he nodded to himself. You suddenly felt bad that you put him on the spot.

“Alright, stop laughing at him.” You playfully glare at Chris and Seb. You poke Anthony’s arm, “To answer your question, I’ve just been working on myself. Thinking more positively, I even tried manifestation.”

“You know what, that’s good. You’re taking care of yourself mentally and physically. I’m proud of you for doing this for yourself, we all are.” Anthony tells you as he motions to the two other men.

You look at all three of them, all of them looking at you with pride, “Thanks guys.”

Just like magic (Baby), just like magic (Oh yeah)

Middle finger to my thumb and then I snap it

Just like magic (Yeah), I'm attractive (Oh yeah)

I get everything I want 'cause I attract it (Oh)

As the months passed, the more you evolved into another version of you. You walked with determination, carried yourself with such grace and you’ve gained confidence in your career. You didn’t let your insecurities get to you, instead you faced them and overcame them. You were tired of letting them control you.

Your change in attitude and perspective on life has definitely affected your life in many ways. Manifestation was one of the things that have helped you the most. Writing about your goals and putting that energy out to the world has helped you persevere in your job. You’ve only faced good karma; sending out positive energy and receiving it back from the universe.

So far you’ve been casted in two new projects and have a campaign lined up with Gucci. If you were told a year ago that you’d be working with big time directors and freakin’ Gucci, you wouldn’t have believe them. Life has been unreal ever since you decided to change your life around. But of course you had to thank your Marvel family, without them and their support you probably wouldn’t haven gotten to where you were today.

Looking at my phone, but I'm tryna disconnect it (Oh yeah)

Read a fuckin' book, I be tryna stay connected (Yeah)

Say it's tricky at the top, gotta keep a slim ego for a thick wallet

Losing friends left and right, but I just send 'em love and light (Oh)

As many people recognized your success many people still tried to pull you down. Some fans on social media have noticed your change in behavior and have even praised you for practicing self care. While others still tried to push you off the mountain of success you were currently on and drag you across the ground.

These were the reasons as to why you were barely on your phone anymore. You used to be invested in your phone but after realizing how much negativity it brought you, you’ve decided to slowly disconnect from it. Which led you to becoming more interested into books.

Chris (E) had even brought some of his favorite arts of literature for you to borrow. You were currently on your third book of his, Sapiens A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. You were sitting outside your trailer in a fold up chair under the shade. Your peacefulness was interrupted by Tom (Holland) who had a worried expression on his face.

“Have you not seen it yet?” He asked you as soon as he was in front of you. Being the two most youngest actors on the current set, you guys were closer to each other than with the adults.

“Seen what, Tommy?” You put a finger in between the pages you were reading to save your spot. Tom pulls his phone out and began to type. He tapped on his screen and turned the screen to you.

“She’s been talking crap about you for days.” You read the article and saw that one of your “friends”, Sabrina has been speaking out about your success and how it’s changed you as a person.

“She’s going off about how the more money you get in your wallet, the more bratty and arrogant you become.” He grumbled as he turned his phone off.

“I could care less, honestly. I know I haven’t done anything to her and if I did I was unaware of it. Plus, she stopped talking to me after I said I couldn’t get her a part in a movie.” You shrugged as you placed a proper bookmark in the book.

“You’re not upset?”

“I mean it’s sad that she’s acting so two faced. But if that’s how she wants to roll, then be my guest. It’s her loss, not everyone has great taste.” You flicked a piece of hair away from your face with your hand.

“You’re not gonna release a statement against her?”

“No, probably just wish her well with her life and move on with my own.” You answered much to Tom’s dismay.

Redesign your brain, we gon' make some new habits

Just like magic (Just like magic), just like magic

Filming has officially ended a few months ago and now you guys were doing press tour for Civil War. Before you were the new and improved version of yourself, you dreaded press tours. Some interviewers were nice and respectful, but there were those who would ask inappropriate questions and were just rude in general. All you could remember during those past tours was wanting to leave those rooms as soon as possible.

The q&a panel at New York had a packed room. There were many journalist crowded in the room shoulder to shoulder. You were sat in between Elizabeth and Scarlett, two of the women who have been guiding you and teaching you about life as a woman in the business. They were also like your older sisters.

The panel had been going smoothly for the first half hour until a man with a snobby face and cocky demeanor approached the mic.

“Hello, I’m Keith and my question’s for (y/n).” He began. You nodded in his direction, motioning for him to continue.

“I think everyone’s noticed how you’ve changed and developed as a person. Obviously something’s changed in your life. So I want to know if you’ve had any intimate relationships with any of the men in the cast?” You were surprised at the man’s question. First it was bold of him to ask such a question and second it was just disrespectful to you and the others on the cast.

“I mean someone’s gotta be fucking you good to make you crawl out your shell.” The man finished shrugging nonchalantly. Robert was about to interject but your mouth was quicker than his. The men of the cast were disgusted at the man while they sat at the edge of their seats.

“Well last time I checked my contract, my job was to act, not sleep around with the men who are part of these movies.” You spoke into the mic. All the attention was on you while the room was at a standstill.

“It’s also very upsetting that you think a girl needs to be fucked in order to be confident in herself. I hate to break it to you but women are completely capable of turning their lives around without the help of men and that says a lot about you, sir. So if I were you, I’d take myself back to my seat and rethink my life because if one of us has to redesign our brains it’s you.” You finished as you placed your mic on your lap. The room was silent until the cast began to clap. This was your first time standing up for yourself, usually Robert or Scarlett would swoop in and save you but this time, you were saving yourself.

You shook your head as you blushed, shoving your head in your hands. You felt some pats on the backs and cheers from your dysfunctional family. You look up and see Scarlett and Elizabeth smiling at you proudly.

“Isn’t she amazing?” Robert asked the crowd as he hugged you. The crowd cheering you on.

Just like magic, your life felt like a dream come true, knowing that you were worth it and enough for the people around you and for yourself.

[andreafmn]

Running In Circles - Chapter 1

Word Count: 3,196

Characters: Female Reader Rossi Character, Aaron Hotchner, David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Spencer Reid, Jennifer “JJ”Jareau, Emily Prentiss, Penelope Garcia, George Foyet, Multiple Unsubs and Victims

Story Description: (Y/N) Rossi is following in her father’s footsteps by joining the BAU team as a profiler. The girl genius knew almost everything but she could have never predicted falling for Aaron Hotchner, her boss and her father’s friend. in their world mutual feelings are not enough to push them together. Will all the adversities and obstacles they face pull them together or push them apart forever?

*DISCLAIMER* I do not own in any way Criminal Minds, all credits of the pre-established characters, script, and storyline belong to Jeff Davis and CBS Network. The only thing I own is Arden Rossi, any upcoming characters, and her storyline, as well as her effects in the others' story line.

Chapter: 1/?

Chapter Description: (Y/N) remebers her first day in the job and recounts all the cases and events that led to the downfall of George Foyet. 

A/N: I decided to say fuck the anxiety of posting and put up my Aaron fanfiction. It’s been gathering dust in my documents folder and I love writing too much to keep it to myself. I’m not sure how many chapters this will have but there’s already 8 chapters all finished up. Soon I’ll be posting ff of all the fanfictions I enjoy also! If you enjoy my writing I’ll also be posting them in AO3 and Wattpad along with other stories (I also hope to start taking requests if ya’ll want) Hope you enjoy and all constructive criticism is encouraged.

Next->

Chapter 1

“Good morning, BAU!” I said as I walked through the doors of the elevator and entered the bullpen. I could still remember how it felt the first time I got here.

I walked out of the elevator and made my way to the first office on the left. I was to meet

SSA Aaron Hotchner for an interview to join the BAU. My hands were shaking, and my body was getting warmer by the second. But I remembered my father’s encouraging words. “You’re gonna do great, mia bella.”

Not only was I extremely young, but I also had a lot to live up to. Being the daughter of SSA David Stephen Rossi was no easy task. He was an amazing agent, mentor, and father. He always pushed me to be the best at everything I did. When I started high school, I decided to get a head start on my college studies and applied to dual enrollment. When I graduated I did so with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. Then, I worked my way to a Master’s in Psychology and Social Work, and a Doctorate in Criminal Justice. At the same time, my father trained me as a profiler. All my life I knew I wanted to be in the FBI, just like him. I was always impressed at all he did and wanted to be just like my hero. The day I told him I had been recruited by the FBI and was set to work in the BAU he said it had been the greatest day of his life.

Now my shaking hand raised to softly knock on the door before me.

“Come in,” someone said from inside. The door softly creaked as I opened and was met by a tall man with dark hair and a shorter blonde woman. “Agent Rossi, welcome.”

“Thank you, it’s an honor to be here.” I smiled and shook Aaron Hotchner’s and Erin Strauss’ hands.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Agent Rossi,” Erin smiled. “Have to say, you have a very impressive curriculum and your disinvolvement in our past interviews and tests have been outstanding.”

I smiled and turned the bracelet on my wrist for comfort.

“I must concur with Chief Strauss,” said Hotch. “I believe you will be a great addition to the BAU team.”

After sharing a few pleasantries and being handed my badge and gun, I was following Hotch to the briefing room to meet the rest of the team. Formally, at least. I had heard everything about them when I spoke with my father. He left no detail out.

“Morning, everyone,” Hotchner started. “I called you all in early today so you could meet the newest addition to the team. This is Agent (y/n) Rossi.”

To the sound of my name most of the mouths in the room dropped.

“Rossi, as in David Rossi?” The slender, messy haired agent said. I could only assume that was Spencer Reid. As my father had described him, a curly mess dressed in vests.

I nodded.

“Rossi, you didn’t tell us you had such a beautiful daughter.” That would be Derek Morgan. The hottie Casanova with a silver tongue.

“I hadn’t?” My father questioned and smirked, knowing full well the answer.

“Well, he’s talked a lot about all of you,” I smiled.

“All good things I hope,” Emily smiled.

“Great things,” I returned the smile. “I could probably make out who is who by the things he’s told me.”

“Go ahead,” Aaron challenged.

“Alright,” I cleared my throat and started going around the table. “Curly hair, vests, analyzing everything I’ve done and said since I walked in… you’re Spencer Reid.”

He smiled brightly.

“Tall, dark, handsome, and a silver tongue. Plus, you checked me out as soon as the doors of the elevator opened… Derek Morgan.”

He smirked.

“Calm, cool, and collected. Quiet but present, inspecting my presence here… you’re Emily Prentiss.”

“She’s good,” Emily muttered to Morgan beside her. I continued.

“And last but not least, bright colors, fun accessories,” I said looking at Garcia. “Even though you’re smiling, you’re not sure about me yet because you don’t like change and are probably going to dig up everything you can on me as soon as you can… Penelope Garcia.”

She stiffened and Derek chuckled.

“Don’t worry, I get it. I do not like change that much either. And here,” I reached my hand into my bag to pull out a rather thick folder. “I’ll save you the work. Background check, complete internet history, social medias, and all the whatnots you would need to build a very extensive profile.”

“Oh, thank you,” she reached out her hand and grabbed the folder, smiling at the floor.

“And well, I already know Agent Hotchner and my father, so they don’t need much of an introduction.”

“No, but you do,” my father said joining my side. “Tell them a bit about yourself.”

“Well, I have a bachelor, two masters, and a doctorate degree: I’m 23, I’m Rossi’s daughter…” In the middle of my thought process dad cut in.

“She’s beautiful, she’s intelligent, and she’s the one I call when I’m stuck on a case.” I smiled.

“She also passed every test with flying colors,” Aaron added. “And her profiling skills are exceptional.”

“Thank you,” I blushed. “I think it runs in my blood.”

“Well, welcome to the team,” Aaron continued. “Let’s get to work.”

That was almost three years ago. A couple of days after, I met JJ who had visited with her newborn son Henry.

In very little time I had grown attached to this family. I was most of the time partnered with Spence and we developed an amazing bond. It did help that I loved playing chess and we could have highly erudite talks. Also, I very much enjoyed his over sharing of facts. But really, I was close to them all. On my spare time I was found watching movies with Derek and Penny, perusing book shops with Reid, having girl nights with JJ, Penny, and Emily, or sipping on top grade scotch while finishing paperwork with Hotch.

Spending time with Hotch was my favorite pastime of all.

I realized I had developed feelings for him the day he was captured by Foyet and left at the hospital. Receiving the call from Emily that she had found blood at his apartment literally knocked the air out of my lungs. Reid could tell that my reaction would not have been the same where it had been any of the other members. For some time, he had deduced my attraction to our unit chief. Once we had captured Patrick Meyers and Reid had been sent off to a hospital, we sped off to St. Sebastian Hospital. I could feel my heartbeat going faster and faster as I felt time slipping by. More than once I had asked Morgan to go faster and with sorry eyes, he told me he was going as fast as he could.

Seeing Hotch on a hospital bed, greatly hurt, broke me. I knew everyone on the team, just like Reid, had figured it out. I was the first one in when the doctor announced he was waking up. His eyes fluttered open as JJ, the last one to enter, made it in.

“Where am I?” He groggily asked.

“In the hospital,” dad answered.

My eyes could not leave his face, even as all I wanted was to imagine him in a different state. Derek told him how he made it to the hospital and Emily asked Hotch what had happened. Closing his eyes, Hotch explained step by step how everything had gone down. Upon more investigation, we quickly figured what Foyet had taken and, a page from his planner that held his ex-wife’s and son’s current address and a picture of them, respectively.

Once we had that information, the team knew exactly what to do. Emily and I volunteered to stay behind and update the team if anything changed. As soon as he went to sleep, we let out a locked breath. But the relief was short lived as his pulse started to get exceedingly fast.

“What happened?” The doctor asked.

“I don’t know,” I croakily muttered out. Emily put a hand on my back as I softly touched his arm.

“Agent Hotchner. Can you hear me?” The doctor called out. “Agent Hotchner?”

He finally opened his eyes and responded. “I’m okay.”  

The doctor asked us out of the room as she checked on him and Emily helped stabilize my walk as we made it out. I saw the doctor and a nurse check him as I picked the skin of the thumb of my right hand. Emily noticed and grabbed it, knowing well of my nervous ticks. The other being closing my fist hard enough to dig my nails in it.

“He’ll be okay,” she smiled. “You know he’s a fighter.”

I softly smiled at her, not knowing if she said it for me or for her to believe it too.

Once we knew Haley and Jack were safe the three of us let out a relieved sigh. Hotch squeezed the hand I had been holding as he slept, needing the reassurance of a trusted presence next to him. He asked Emily about the scene at his apartment, but she could not give him definite answers. In a moment of silence, she excused herself to go buy coffee and I took this chance to ask him what had been going through my head.

“Do you wanna talk about what happened?” I asked worry evident in my eyes.

Sighing, he responded. “I don’t know. After he stabbed me the first time, it all goes blank.”

He looked straight into my eyes and I could tell he knew more than he let on, but now was not the time to push him. He had been drained: physically, emotionally, and mentally. In that moment, Haley walked in and I let go of his hand to leave them to talk. From outside of the room, I could hear the heartbreaking moment and knowing he was in pain shattered my heart. That day had absolutely devastated us as a team, but it only made us more determined to find Foyet and end him.

But life and work went on. The whole month he was off, I spent most of my free time helping in his recovery and his healing, using the little training I had in wound treatment. The other part of my time I spent with Reid, who was also in recovery. A far less pressing injury, but an injury, nonetheless. And he was my best friend, so I could not completely abandon him.  

We were all worried about him coming back to the team with Foyet still out there, but dad reassured us he would only be more motivated. Yet the first case back, he was different. He was usually professional and understanding, now it seemed that no matter how well we worked, we would make a mistake. And when we finally tracked down the unsub and he made his way inside the house, no vest, and no gun, I knew there was something different in him. I tried to follow him inside, but dad stopped me.

“We have to trust him,” he told me. Even with those words we were all unsure of the outcome. My head was working 1,000 miles a minute coming up with different ways this could all end up in, and when I heard the gunshots, my mind only went to the darkest end. Quickly we stormed in the house and saw Hotch putting handcuffs on Darrin, and a very dead Jarvis on a recliner.  

My father spent most of his time with me reassuring me that Hotch was still the same man he had been a month before. And I spent most of my time with Hotch reassuring him that he was not alone.

At the end of most cases Emily, dad, and I sat with Hotch in his office to drink a cup of scotch and unwind after a stressful day. I stayed nights overtime often and was there on the night that Strauss had landed a surprise visit to his office. The next day he became hyper focused on Derek’s work, which later he revealed to me the reason why. The bureau was questioning his leadership and he meant to step down as unit chief at the end of that week. This ended with Derek becoming active unit chief whilst Hotch was being investigated.

The days that followed were quite strange. We were used to taking orders from Hotch and now taking orders from Morgan was completely different. But business went on as usual. We worked on cases just as hard and solved them just as efficiently. With one case always hanging on us like a dark cloud. George Foyet. With every case we finished we knew he was still out there, which meant that Hotch was still hurting and hunting.  

But the dreaded day had caught up to us. With the last case we had been on in Hampton we knew Foyet had found Hotch. He was taunting Hotch, dangling his life in front of him. Once he had sent us that calling card, we pressed harder on our investigation, pulling at whatever string we could find.

Thankfully, JJ pulled our medication string harder when she found out about the ability to substitute prescriptions with over-the-counter meds. We worked tirelessly and strongly to shorten the investigation part of this case. We needed to catch him, fast.

“Wait a minute, guys. Foyet likes things that have meaning to him,” I said looking at the map presented in front of us. I could see that Reid knew where I was going.

“The eye of providence, the addresses in blood he wrote on the bus that led back to him,” Spence added, and I nodded.

“Maybe he’s doing the same with his name,” I said as Reid wrote down George Foyet on the board.

“Like an anagram or something,” Emily chimed. Quickly, Reid got to work on the theory crossing out and circling letters. Adding ‘The Reaper’ onto the board and utilizing it, once Hotch had pointed out Foyet gave himself that name. He kept up this process until the name Peter Rhea came to existence.

Garcia tracked down the name and quickly found an address in Arlington. We had found him, but it was just too easy.

We were waiting outside of the apartment building for too long, waiting for something, anything. Once Morgan had given his orders, the plan was set in motion. Still, something in the back of my mind kept telling me it was too easy. We stormed the empty apartment and searched for anything that would help us find his actual location. His computer was quickly deleting files, but Garcia was better. Haley’s protection unit was in trouble.

As soon as it clicked, we were on our way to the stash house. Inside the house Marshal Sam Kassmeyer was hurt, losing blood quickly. With the little he was able to tell us we knew that Haley and Jack were in danger. Sam had not told Foyet anything, but George was smart, unfortunately. He had disguised himself as a Marshal and lied to Haley to get her where he needed her. Only him had communication with her. Everyone was on edge wanting nothing more than to find this man.

In the office we heard Hotch’s conversation with Foyet. He was working hard to buy some time for us to find him but knowing George he already had a plan set in motion. He had eyes on the pair, he was with them. I could only imagine what Hotch was going through.

“Alright, Foyet has to be in control,” Derek said, breaking me out of my thoughts. “He had Haley come to him.”

“Yeah, but where would he take her?” Spencer asked. We all started thinking and speculating. There was something in the call that told Hotch where to go. That was the key.

“Reid, what did he say, exactly?” I emphasized on the last word.

“Haley’s hair looks good dark. She’s lost some weight. It must be because of all the stress you caused her. Where’s the little man? Oh, there he is now. Do you think he likes Captain America because of you? That’s your wife on the other line. Hold, please. Hi. Open the gate and I’ll drive in.” Spencer recited in a monotone voice.

“Open the gate?” My father questioned.

“It would be someplace with the biggest emotional impact for Hotch,” I said looking down to organize my thoughts.

“And Haley has access to the gate,” Derek added, and it clicked.

“Their house,” I said. “Where they lived together.”

“Of course,” Emily said. “Foyet planned this all the way to the end. It’s everything to him.”

“He wants to take over Hotch’s house, to be in control, to prove his dominance,” I finished. We knew where he was going, and I was sure Hotch knew too and was already on his way.

On the way, Hotch got a call from Foyet’s phone. It was Hayley. I heard the emotion grabbing him by the throat. We could hear the whole conversation and my heart broke when he asked Hayley the magic words.

“Tell Jack that I need him working on the case,” Hotch breathed out. One drunken night he had told me about how he had found Jack inside a storage bench in his office after he had knocked on it. The smiling kid had told his father that he was working the case with Hotch. Hotch knew what was going to happen and so did I. This was the best chance Jack had at survival.

When Hotch told Jack to hug his mom and he said I love you, I let out a loud sob and Emily grabbed my hand tightly for support. But I was not the one that need the care. Hotch did. Haley’s words would forever be engraved in my head, and in the heads of our friends.

Three gunshots rang through the line right before it cut. Then I could not hold back the tears. I knew. I just knew.

Hotch was the first one on the scene and all I thought of was that he did not have a vest or any backup, so god knows what could have happened. For the second time in a matter of months all I could ask for was that Morgan drove faster.

At the house, Morgan was the first one in and the scene that unfolded in front of us was heartbreaking. Hotch was hitting Foyet over and over, and Derek had to hold him back. He was dead. I surveyed the scene and instinctively went to Hotch’s office, Hotch following close behind. Jack had to be there. I let Hotch walk past me and watched as relief overtook him when he lifted the lid.

“I work the case, daddy,” Jack said. Unbeknownst to everything that had happened. “Just like you said.”

“You did a great job buddy,” Hotch lifted his son out of the bench.

“What happened to you, daddy?”

“I’m okay. I want you to go outside with Ms. Jareau. Ok?” The child walked to JJ and she took him out in her arms.

And Hotch let go. He silently cried and I helped him make his way to where Haley laid. I stood by the door and turned away a police officer. Morgan stood up and squeezed my shoulder as he left the room behind the officer. I stayed outside of the doorframe, listening to the sobs of a strong man.

Next->

[legoshi-plz]

How about birthday prompts (Like how they celebrate your birthday and how you celebrate theirs)?

Warning: NSFW-ish themes (Riz and Bill’s part),

All Characters are adults, around mid-20s here. So basically a couple years after college. Except for Gouhin, Oguma, and Gosha who are their canon ages.

Reader is Gender Neutral

Louis:

Your Birthday:

- Mr. MoneyBags here is going to go all out as far as expenses go.

- Fancy Dinner at an elegant restaurant, picks you up in his ridiculous sports car which you’ve rode in a million times but it’s still exciting. (Also, Louis drives extremely fast. He’s a good driver but if he’s not going at least 30 miles over the speed limit, he feels like he might as well be parked in the street. Also has a bad habit of running red lights and stop signs just because he can.)

- Buys you a brand new outfit just to wear to dinner and has it delivered to you in the morning in a red velvet box with a silk bow. You’re a little uncomfortable with the whole high society scene but you go along with it anyway for Louis’ sake.

- At dinner, he orders for you. He has a bad habit of doing that, even though you’ve told him multiple times you’re capable of making your own decisions. At least he usually orders you something you end up liking.

- Night concludes back at his place, he pulls out another velvet box similar to one from this morning except this box is much smaller which only meant one thing: jewelry.

- “Louis... Are there diamonds in this?”

- “....”

-“Louis...”

-“.... Maybe...”

- You refuse to accept the overly expensive gift, refuse to even look at it. You give it back to him and you could see he’s a little hurt but you assure him you know he means well but everything was just a little too much and you felt out of place.

- He accepts your criticism gracefully even if he is a little frustrated you wouldn’t accept his gift he spent so much time picking out. He promises to tone it down next year.

His Birthday:

- You actually really hate Louis’ birthday because he almost never spends it with you.

- He always works on his birthday, not seeing it as important enough to halt business.

- You’ve tried everything from bribing his assistant to haggling his bodyguards but nobody can get Louis out of his office in his birthday.

- You’ve learned to let it go, and usually surprise him by doing something special the week before.

Legoshi:

Your Birthday:

- All about being sweet. Values time and effort over anything and hopes that you see it that way too.

- Makes you breakfast in bed, he’s a pretty good cook all things considering (it’s a skill he picked up while being a waiter.)

- Takes you out for lunch, the two of you spend the day doing pretty regular couple stuff but you’re just happy to be there with him.

- Your present is something that’s both useful and to your taste, like along the lines of a sweater or cardigan in your favorite color. He makes sure it’s oversized because he knows how much you love to wear his sweaters and he even has your name embroidered in small cursive letters above the heart.

- You love your gift and how the two of you spent the day.

His Birthday:

- You two spend it almost identically, just with he roles reversed.

-Legoshi is still a little uncomfortable with extra attention so if you want to incorporate his friends into anything then you’ll have to be really stealthy about it.

- No surprise parties please, he literally would melt into the floor with embarrassment. Best to take him somewhere and his friends slowly join in organically (or at least, you hoped it came off as organic but it really didn’t)

- “Hey Legoshi, fancy seeing you two here at this restaurant in this reserved section. Mind if I join ya?” By the tenth time that exact excuse was used, the cat was well out of the bag.

- Legoshi appreciates your efforts though, even if he’s not one for attention. He sort of clings to you the entire night, whether it be holding your hand, gripping your thigh, encircling your waist, etc. as long as he’s touching you, he feels calmer and it helps tone down his anxiety.

- Overall, Legoshi’s the type to be fine with almost any birthday celebration (or even none at all) as long as he can be with you.

Juno:

Your Birthday:

- Makes you do something spontaneous for once, even if you’re hesitant.

- Takes you somewhere like Skydiving, or Paragliding, or Bungee Jumping. If you’re adamant about making it to your next birthday not risking your life then she will settle for something a little more mild like Scuba Diving.

- Can not stop gushing about how hot you look in your wetsuit and flusters you in front of the Scuba instructor (he’s an older Walrus and finds it cute to see young animals in love).

- The two of you end up having a blast and you’re happy you went along with Juno’s plan, even if it tired you out completely.

- Once the two of you get home and shower, you collapse onto the bed and fall asleep almost immediately, the exhaustion from the deep diving really taking it’s toll.

- Juno enters the bedroom holding a cake with lit candles and wearing brand new sexy lingerie she purchased just for you to rip off of her. She’s a little disappointed to find you unconscious but she figures it is your birthday and you can sleep if you want to.

- She blows out the candles for you and puts the cake in the kitchen, then she throws on a robe and snuggles up next your slumbering figure.

Her Birthday:

- She wants to travel for her birthday and she can’t think of anyone she’d rather take a trip with more than you.

- You two go somewhere hot and tropical, probably somewhere near a beach (she loves any excuse to wear a bikini and sunbathe)

- You two probably find a bar near the beach and get drunk, her moreso then you because you start to sober up as the night goes on so you’re able to take care of her.

- You take her back to the hotel and tuck her in after helping her get ready for bed. She a giggling, flirty drunk mess the entire time but it still makes your heart soar because you know she had fun.

- Before she falls asleep, she whispers to you that this was her favorite birthday yet.

Riz:

Your Birthday:

- He’s waking you up with morning head, no way around it. You wake up to him kissing your neck, then your collarbone, down your stomach and he just keeps going down until he has you whimpering and falling apart beneath him.

- Then the two of you take a shower together and he’s making you cum for him in a totally different way.

- But once you finally pry his humongous paws off of you, you think you’ll be able to relax but he has other plans.

- He sends you off to the Spa. He’s not going in with you because he wouldn’t be caught dead in one but buys you the best top of the line experience . You enjoy the peace and relaxation but you’re kind of lonely and just want to be with him.

- When you get home, he presents your gift to you which is probably something big and wooden that he made himself because he’s great with his hands and actually an amazing craftsman. Probably something like a intricate Wooden Gazebo outside so you could sit and enjoy your garden.

- “Riz, how the hell did you get this back here without me knowing?” You ask, your arms still wrapped around his neck from where you squealed in excitement, lavishing him with kisses.

- “Built it off site, just needed a few hours to install it,” Riz winked, cupping your ass with both hands and lifting you up so your legs could wrap around his waist.

- “So that’s why you made me spend my birthday alone?” You pouted.

- “Yeah, m’sorry about that, baby. But I can make it up to you...” Riz growled, carrying you inside to the bedroom.

“Wait, I wasn’t done looking at my gift,” you giggled as he began nipping at the fur at the base of your neck.

“Trust me, it’s not going anywhere,”

His Birthday:

- Riz loves nature and outside in general. So for his birthday you plan a camping trip deep in the forest.

- You don’t tell him anything about it, you just make him request two days off of work, no questions asked.

- You two leave early in the morning, drive deep into the forest and then you spring it on him. You also let him know that if he doesn’t like the idea, theres still time to turn back and spend his birthday in the city.

- Not a chance if that happening though, this man LOVES the outdoors. He’s already halfway out the car before you could even put it in park.

- The two of you have a blast setting up the tent, making the campfire, cooking dinner over said campfire, and communing with nature.

- “There’s a river that runs north of here, it’s about a 15 minute walk from here, I figured we could go fishing there tomorrow morning,” You tell him as you sit in his lap, admiring the fire.

- However, the two of you don’t make it there until we’ll into the afternoon and it was a miracle you made it there at all. Riz had fucked you senseless last night, the atmosphere of nature giving him a newfound surge of energy. It’s a good thing no one was around because the two of you were almost embarrassingly loud.

- Anyways, Riz thoroughly enjoys his weekend of wilderness and fucking you like a wild animal all throughout the forest. You enjoy it as well despite the fact he has you almost limping by the end of the trip.

Bill:

Your Birthday:

- Honestly, he forgets. If you wait on him to remember or ‘surprise you’, then you’ll only end up ruining your own birthday.

- If you remind him on the day of, he takes you out to eat at a nice restaurant but it’s still very last minute.

- If you remind him the day before, he’ll at least get you a gift but it’s last minute.

- Overall, if you want to actually enjoy your birthday with him, you better plan it yourself

His Birthday:

- Plans an entire house party himself and invites everyone, it seems, but you. He wasn’t exactly aiming to exclude you, he just thought it’d be a given that you would be there. However, if you didn’t show up, he wouldn’t really notice either way.

- It’s wild and crazy. A ridiculously huge amount of people show up and there’s alcohol coming from every direction, and Bill is soaking up every ounce of the attention.

- Once you finally had enough of being ignored, you go home. You doubt that Bill will even notice you’ve left.

- You’re at home, showered, and about to head to bed when your phone starts ringing. It’s an unknown number so you let it ring out. But then they call back again, and again, and again. Disturbed, you accept it on the fourth call just in case it’s an emergency.

- “Finally they picked up! Y/N? You there?” It was one of Bill’s friends. Apparently in his drunken state, he went into a rage when he couldn’t find you and had been crying for you to come back for almost an hour. He was inconsolable and his friends knew there was only a matter of time before he started a fight at his own party. You were irritated but you still allowed them to drop him off at your place.

- The second you answered your front door, the giant tiger in question was all over you, squeezing you right and asking why you left him. You helped him inside and laid him in your bed.

- He cuddled with you for maybe 10 minutes tops before he was out like a light. You end up falling asleep next to him, finally enjoying a little peace for once tonight.

- That peace doesn’t last long though, Bill wakes up the next morning horny. Like extremely horny. You wake up to him grinding against your thighs, whimpering and begging to let him fuck you. You give in to the belated birthday boy and he proceeds to give you the sloppiest, most sensual, earth-shattering morning strokes of your life. You’re so mind blown by how good he fucked you, you forget about how angry you were with him.

- After a well needed shower, he takes you out for breakfast to apologize for how much of an ass he was on his birthday. You accept but tell him if he ever pulls something like that again, he can look for a new lover.

Collot:

Your Birthday:

- Surprisingly wants to spoil you on your birthday but unlike Riz, he actually minds being apart from you (he’s hella clingy, he just hates to admit it) so whatever activities he has planned, the two of you are doing it together.

- Takes you to a fancy resort, somewhere in the mountains where it’s cold and there’s snow on the ground even during the summer months.

- The two of you attempt skiing but you’re terrible at it and he ends up laughing at you falling majority of it.

- You two also enjoy the giant jacuzzi the lounge has to offer but Collot can not keep his hands off of you and eventually you two have to run back to your room for a midday quickie.

- His birthday gift to you is something simple, like a necklace with your birthstone in it. You love it and allow him to put it on you.

- The rest of the evening, it’s just you and your man, walking along the Snow filled grounds, sipping warm apple cider, and enjoying the break from the rest of the world.

Gouhin:

His Birthday:

- This man wants REST. No need to go all out, his life is crazy enough the other 365 days of the year. Just give him some peace and relaxation and he’s good to go.

- He also loves your cooking and wouldn’t be opposed to you cooking him a huge meal.

- Also loves your body and wouldn’t be opposed to you doing that thing that he really likes in bed ;)

- Your gift to him would be something he can use but also is a little unnecessary. Something like a ridiculously fancy, golden calligraphy pen for his office or a brand new crossbow with genuine leather straps. He’s pretty hard to shop for so it’s always best to go with something he already has, just a newer model.

- Honestly just wants to spend his birthday with his baby (you) as if it’s any other day.

Gosha:

Your Birthday:

- Gosha is so lovable, he’s probably more excited it’s your birthday than you are.

- He’s picked up quite a few skills over the years and baking is one of them. Bakes you a giant birthday cake in your favorite flavor. You’re grateful he was so thoughtful and made such an extravagant cake but there’s no way you’re going to finish this entire thing.

- You end up inviting over friends just to get rid of some of the cake, which they’re more than happy to do since it’s absolutely delicious.

- A few of your friends bring group dishes and fancy wine and soon it’s a whole party underway. The small gathering is actually a blast and you can’t think of a better way to spend your birthday other than surrounded by the people you love.

Oguma:

Your Birthday:

- Mr. Moneybags 2.0

- Gets you a crazy expensive gift like a brand new car and calls it a day.

- Not really much for spending time or celebrating traditionally. But to compensate, he’ll buy you the world (even after you’ve repeatedly told him you don’t need all that.)

- Probably won’t even see you on your birthday because his schedule is so overbooked but sends you plenty of gifts to remind you that he loves you.

- It stings not seeing him on your birthday but at this point in the relationship, you don’t really expect anything else from him.

[butwhyduh]

Holiday Party

Damian Wayne x reader

He’s about 16 yrs old here.

Warning: Christmas? Kissing

Christmas series 4

You were early. Damian looked out his door to see no one around and he rushed downstairs to meet you at the door. You were being dropped off by your older brother who gave Damian a look from the front seat of his car that all but said he’d mess Damian up if he hurt you. Funny to think about your brother trying to beat him up but he would never consider it. Damian opened your car door for you.

“Beloved, you’re early,” he said with a grin. Your brother gave a rough hey and Damian’s face dropped and he gave a curt nod. “I’ll have Alfred drop her off so you won’t have to pick her up,” Damian told him. Your brother nodded again before leaving.

Damian barely held your finger with his own as he walked you up to his room. He didn’t want his brothers to see him being affectionate. He pulled you into his room and engulfed you in a huge hug. He wasn’t short little Dami anymore but had been hit by puberty like a bus and was almost 6 foot tall. He smelled like cologne and his sweater was so freaking soft. You felt the fabric on his chest with your hand and he stiffened and coughed a little. Oh yeah, he could feel that. You flushed.

“So you want to watch a movie?” Damian said pulling away.

“Yeah. Sounds great,” you said sitting on his bed pulling your shoes off. You slid up the bed to lay on his pillow as he grabbed his laptop.

“Drake doesn’t know but I’ve set it up that every film he downloads, I get a copy too so I’ve got a bunch. Though his taste is pretty sappy for some of these,” Damian said wrinkling his nose.

“Probably to watch with his girlfriend. Or maybe he’s a sap,” you laughed. Damian climbed on the bed and laid the laptop on the other side of you. His arms temporarily caged you against him and you couldn’t help but think of him on top of you. Damian laid back as the film started playing. He put two pillows behind his head to watch from behind you. You laid on your side and he wrapped an arm around your waist loosely.

The film was probably great. All you could think of was how close your boyfriend in the softest boyfriend sweater was right beside you. You slid farther back until your back hit his chest. He inhaled audibly but didn’t move. Damian cursed himself. You had definitely heard that.

You ran your hand along the arm of his sweater as the movie went on. He smelled a little like soft cologne and spiced tea. Everything was fine until there was a sex scene. Nothing graphic but enough to where you were both very aware of your situation. Damian slid his body a little back from you making a little space between you and him.

You turned to look at him and he couldn’t help but brush his lips against yours. You slowly turned in his arms until you were making out while laying on your side. Damian held your face softly with one hand. Your fingers slid into his hair. His tongue slipped into your mouth gently just exploring you.

The door to his room opened.

“Master Damian, your father needs you in his study at your earliest convenience. Also... do take care with your visitors. You are only 16,” Alfred said, looking pointedly at the ceiling before leaving. Damian flushed on his tan skin. you covered your mouth and giggled, embarrassed.

“At least it wasn’t your dad,” you said. He nodded as he stood up.

“I won’t be long. Just watch the movie and I’ll be back as quick as I can,” Damian said and you noted that his lips were pink and maybe even a little swollen from kissing.

“Yeah, no problem.”

It took all of 1.7 minutes for Bruce to notice his son’s lips. His eyes narrowed a little and he looked critically at Damian who was staring at the computer screen.

“Damian, you are of the age where sexual education is important. You are practicing safe sex, yes?” Bruce asked in an even tone as if almost casually but really he wanted to seem calm. Damian twisted so fast to look at his father.

“I am not,” he said quickly.

“You aren’t??” Bruce asked shocked. “That’s very dangerous-“

“I’m not having sex. At all,” Damian said completely red. Bruce calmed.

“None? Because condoms-“

“Father, I’ve been taught. And if I do have sex I will be safe but I’m not now,” Damian said. He refused to look anywhere but the screen. “How did Alfred tell you so fast?” He complained.

“Tell me? Is there something to tell me? You know what? Don’t answer that. I trust you. There is a bowl of condoms under the sink in the bathroom off my study. All of the boys use it and it stays full. No questions asked. And the family doctor is very discreet for any questions you might have,” Bruce said delicately.

“Okay. I got it. Thanks. But please stop. Tell me about the case,” Damian practically begged.

——————————

It was not a few minutes but a full 2 hours later that Damian came back to his room. You were asleep. A movie played in the background and you hug his pillow. Damian smiled a little before waking you. It was almost time for his brothers to arrive. You sat up quickly. You’d never fallen asleep at his place.

“Sorry I was so long. Family stuff,” he said vaguely. He did that all the time. “It’s almost time for the party.”

“Oh I need to get ready,” you sat up. You’d planned to get started a little earlier. You didn’t dress fancy around Damian; he didn’t care. But his family’s Christmas was fairly formal.

“Is this okay?” You asked 20 minutes later. Damian nodded with a little smile.

“You look beautiful in anything, beloved. But this is exceptional,” he said and you flushed. His way with words. “It’s time to go down stairs.”

Damian took your hand and you walked downstairs. His eyes lingered on you longer than necessary. Somehow Tim and his girlfriend and Duke had beat you both downstairs. Damian pulled out a chess board and Tim and Bruce once again dragged work into every room they entered.

“I won’t go easy on you,” Damian warned. He was far better at strategy but your moments on the board were incredibly erratic to the point that he couldn’t predict your next move.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else. If you did, I’d expect a body snatcher,” you said and he hazarded a small smile. Damian didn’t want to appear too pleased. Bruce was watching him while maintaining conversation. You understood his weird stoic family dynamic enough to ignore it.

Damian won 3 out of 4 games. You could admit that your win was more luck than skill but you took it. Dick and his girlfriend arrived and the party moved to the dining room.

After a few minutes, a man you had never seen showed up humming to introduce himself and his date. The butler seemed very happy and for a minute you wondered if it was his son. No, this was the mysterious brother who was always fighting with the family.

“Dami, who is that?” You asked whispering.

“Jason Todd, one of my father’s wards. And I suppose his girlfriend,” Damian said. You nodded and watched as they sat down. Later in the evening, the eldest, that Damian had even called his brother, proposed to his girlfriend.

You were given a small glass of champagne and you looked at it quietly. Did they forget you and Damian were 16? Not exactly legal. But you didn’t say anything and you both drank the tiny amount of alcohol with everyone else. Damian squeezed your hand and gave you a tiny smile.

The party moved to the parlor with a billiards table and a dart board on the wall. The adults were served more alcohol and pudding was served informally. A tasty sticky cake that you dare not asked the ingredients was quickly eaten. You and Damian sat on a loveseat in the corner where you could watch the others play billiards and other games. Tim and Jason played a heated game of 9 ball. Jason was a natural. Tim was all strategy.

You leaned against Damian’s shoulder as the storm raged outside. You were full and the room was warm.

“It’s far too dangerous to drive out tonight. It’s turned into a blizzard so you all will stay here. There are plenty of rooms and beds for everyone and anything you could need,” Bruce announced to the group. Jason sighed and Damian opened his mouth. “I’ll call her parents to let them know. Don’t worry Damian.”

Damian relaxed and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. You began to doze as the pool games played. He ran his fingers along your outer arm and watched from the corner of his eyes as you fell asleep. He enjoyed your body warmth and soft sweet scent subtly.

An hour later you woke as you were slowly being moved. Strong arms cradled you and you could smell Damian’s pleasant unique scent strongly. You gripped his arm as he carried you out of the room. He hushed softly to let you go back to sleep.

“You got him shot?!” One of the women in the room yelped and you jolted awake.

“It’s okay. Go back to sleep, beloved. Don’t mind my stupid brothers,” Damian said quietly. He gently laid you on his bed and pulled you in the covers. His soft sheets quickly lulled you to sleep.

While you slept, he grabbed blankets and settled on the floor. Half an hour later, right as Damian was falling asleep, Bruce opened the door quietly. He saw the boy on the floor, nodded, and shut the door.

[changingplumbob]

Knightstone Household: Chapter 6, Part 4

With Silas finally being a toddler, I can go back to joining Suzanna at work for fun and shenanigans.

Whoops. Looks like Suzanna was trying to sleep in, but early riser Silas does not think that's a good idea. I thought he might wake her up by babbling to her but no, looks like he is going to cry her awake instead.

Suzanna: Starshine are you okay? come have a hug

Silas: Mummy

Since Adam was up he ushers Silas to have breakfast so Suzanna can get ready for work.

Silas: Pop pop sing

Adam: I don't sing, I have no singing skill

Silas: I sing

Adam: Can you eat first dude

Silas: la la ba la la fo de do de do

Adam: Few more handfuls son, come on

Adam is writing his morning column when he hits level 7 writing skill. He is doing an excellent job at work so now that he meets the requirements, will today be a promotion day for him? Silas spends some time playing on the couch then we follow Suzanna to the lab.

Suzanna has random tasks today. After viewing a piece of art she has to do some invention brainstorming and whip up a few serums. Then she needs to mind control workers to change outfits (we choose athletic wear today) and spends most of the afternoon on the microscope.

When Suzanna arrives home it appears Silas has a full hunger bar. This makes it only too easy for him to sing to his parents as they eat.

Adam: Great news, I am now a Chief Critic

Suzanna: Congrats. What does that mean?

Adam: More respect and a higher salary for starters

Something in the lounge/dining/kitchen area is annoying Adams squeamish side but do you think I can find what it is? No.

(Future me here again, pretty sure it's the frogs that are making him squeamish, but we are displaying our collections Adam so deal with it)

So I send him off for a run while Suzanna offers to teach some shapes to Silas. In this moment he levels up socially and can now talk!

If only sims could sit down to teach blocks

Suzanna: That is a cube

Silas: The block is a queue be

Suzanna: Each side of the cube is a square

Silas: A square is a side of the queue be

Suzanna: You got it starshine!

Silas: A queue be has squares

The next morning Silas has some play time in the backyard. Adam has successfully prevented abductions for the day so does some painting.

Silas: Chugga chugga vroom vroom

Adam: Don't run me over son

Silas: Beep beep *pushes horn*

Guess who forgot to fix the plants? Still me. At least Suzanna can finish pretty quickly and get some time in with Silas before work.

Silas: Mummy, give hug

Suzanna: What a wonderful hugger you are

Silas: You the hugger

Suzanna: mwah mwah mwah

Silas: *giggles* mummy funny

Suzanna: Larain? Why are you here?

Larain: They said it was an open day so we thought it would be fun to visit

Suzanna: Just make sure you keep your disguises on, my co workers haven't seen actual aliens before

Larain: But they see you everyday Suzanna: Not looking purple

Larain: Don't worry, we're blending in experts

Suzanna: If you say so. Hey, since you're here, would you mind testing my serum

Larain: No problem, us aliens must stick together

Suzanna: Shh, here comes Faye, total non believer

Larain: I'll be cool. But maybe I'll be cool over there

Faye: Damn tourist days, I'd rather aliens

Suzanna: Really?

Faye: I'm kidding, aliens don't exist

Suzanna: You sure?

Faye: Maybe there could be like space gnomes though

Suzanna: Space gnomes?

Faye: Just think about it, logic tracks, small green men

Suzanna takes some time to study the stars, there's plenty of prints she has yet to unlock. When she heads back downstairs there's just 1 tourist left

Suzanna: Sorry, I forgot your name

M-something: It's okay, I forget my human name all the time

Suzanna: Tell me about it

Suzanna: Were you looked after today

Silas: Pop pop fun, we play

Suzanna: That's great. Can you guess what mummy did today

Silas: Save world

Suzanna: Almost. I talked to some other aliens

Silas: Other aliens?

Suzanna: There's more than just you me and pops here

In the morning Silas has plenty of time playing before he is caught for breakfast

Adam: Slide down son

Silas: Pops, other aliens, how many?

Adam: I don't know

Silas: A zillion?

Adam: More like a dozen

Silas: Dozen?

Adam: Some handfuls here

Silas: Hands full of breakfast?

Suzanna spends her last day of work this week doing the regular tasks. Mix up some serums (with varying results), analyse some fruit, and of course brainstorm for a bit on the invention constructor. Can't forget to mind control the workforce either.

Suzanna manages to get three coworkers into their party outfits. We just ignore the moral implications of mind control I guess?

Faye: Man my party outfit is so comfy

Nalani: I know what you mean

Faye: I just got this urge to change

Nalani: Why shouldn't we have causal Friday?

Suzanna decides to not use her coworkers as test subjects today. She has unlocked a serum called Fixer's Luck that may improve her handiness skill so for accurate results we'll have to drink it ourselves. Bottoms up! Results in three, two one...

Uh oh, science fail. Suzanna now has a sad moodlet titled "Can't fix my heart. My achy breaky heart. This is not the time to be romantic." Why do I find this so funny? Clearly Suzanna will have to step up her serum testing game to find more written gems.

Sad Suzanna decides since she has finished her mandated tasks, she'll spend the afternoon outside the lab. All our digging and we only have 1 new collectable. She checks the alien crater and finds a Blue Slug which she already has, so sends the little guy back to Sixam. If only creatures of her size could be sent back as easily.

Back home and the sad moodlet is still there

Silas: Why you sad mummy?

Suzanna: I had some bad serum

Silas: I'll sing after I finish sand mich

Suzanna: Thank you starshine, that'll help

Silas: I great at help, pops says I charming

Suzanna: You are a little charmer

Silas: You listen mummy

Suzanna: I'm listening

Silas: La la lu la, ru rah ru rah, stars are fun fun, alien fun fun, I a star, la la lu la, ru rah ru rah

Suzanna: Did you make that up all by yourself?

Silas: Yes! I sing star

Suzanna: You are so imaginative starshine

Adam: Did I hear the sound of a superstar

Silas: Pops I sing. Make mummy happy

Adam: Are you okay starlight

Suzanna: I will be, just had a bad serum

Adam: What happened to getting the workforce to test them

Suzanna: I can't give it to them every time, the testing won't register

Adam: Great job making mummy happy my dude. It's always nice to cheer up a sad girl

Suzanna: Or a sad boy

Adam: Right. Boys can get sad to

Silas: I sad after potty accident

Adam: Exactly, and that's okay to be sad about

Suzanna: He needs sleep, can you read a story?

We have arrived at the end of the Knightstone rotation. Silas is now level 2 at potty hooray for being able to try by himself! No pregnancy yet for these two, much to Adam's relief and Suzanna's disappointment, maybe next time we check in with the aliens...

Previous Part ... Next Part (Nishidake)

[minor-solemnity]

Request:

Pairing: Tom x oc/reader

Summary:

Tom and oc go to the slug club yearly galla and oc is the loud Gryffindor 2nd in class and her and tom have been nemesis for long but the sexual tension is real and then tom sees her dancing with potter ..

Slughorn is like “ahh two of my favourite students” and he introduced them to a lot of people and a little girl spills something on tom and oc defends the girl and slughorn is like why dont you help him change oc ( as tom had some injury and was drenched and couldn’t change on his own ) and when they fight all the way to his dorm and she only agrees because slughorn tells her to and then when she helps him out of his shirt there is a lot of sexual tension and then kiss or maybe have sex in his dorm

And in the end she ends up sleeping on his bed and he like sees her face glisten in the moon light and is like fuck i like her even though he was trying to convince himself he didnt care abt her throughout the party ? And in the morning she is like well you slytherins have great beds you rich aristocrats or something and he just laughs and kisses her and malfoy is like well who would have thought the slytherin ice cold king and the Gryffindor lioness

I dont know feel free to change it up and if you donr want to then thats ok too it would mean a great deal to me if you write it no pressure tho..( going anon because i am shy )

~ red

Heyyy so I took a few liberties and this is gonna be a two parter because I have zero chill apparently but I hope you like this, Red! 

Next part will be up in a day or two :)

Never Gonna Give (You Up) Pt.1

You smile up at him as innocently as you can. You know you shouldn’t bait him. You know you’re being immature. You know that if this night descends into one of your usual verbal sparring matches you won’t be impressing anyone, let alone Christella Beaufort. But something about him brings out the worst in you. Makes you feel slightly wrong-footed which in turn makes you want to push and needle until he reacts.

You take a moment to marvel at the decorations for this year’s Saturnalia party. Every year, Slughorn seems to set himself an unofficial challenge to out-do himself with more elaborate designs. This year, the theme is clear: gold. Just lots and lots of gold. From the tablecloths to the chairs, to the golden snowflakes that melt into nothing a couple of feet above your head, to the floor which has been charmed so that whenever you take a step you leave a shimmering footprint in your wake. It’s bright and festive and you can’t help but smirk at the thought of Tom Riddle being stuck in a room full of Gryffindor colours. 

Speaking of the devil, you spy Riddle talking to Slughorn and one of the Ministry officials that often grace Slughorn’s get-togethers. You don’t particularly want to go over and talk to him, but you do want to make yourself known to Slughorn and find out if he managed to Christella Beaufort on the list this year. She’s the Head Curse-Breaker at Gringott’s, fiercely independent, highly intelligent, and so tenacious she had singlehandedly opened the door to witches wanting to go into the profession. In short, she’s your idol.

“Come on, Potter. We’ve got pleasantries to make and hands to grease.” You grab Fleamont’s hand who you’re attending the party with (as friends - you’ve made it very clear to him that you’re not interested in finding out whether his skills on a broom translate off the pitch). With that, you stride over to the drinks table where Slughorn and Riddle are chatting, Fleamont stumbling after you, his hand still locked in yours.

“Professor,” You greet Slughorn with a warm smile, “I have to say, you’ve outdone yourself once again. I’m particularly fond of the colour scheme this year.”

“Ahh, my dear girl, how lovely of you to join us!” Slughorn cries jovially. He pats your shoulder and you watch as his eyes slide to your hand, which is still clasped around Fleamonts. And (not that you care) you notice that Riddle’s eyes are also fixed on your intertwined hands. You let go of Fleamont’s hand and it has nothing to do with the frown that’s now marring Riddle’s brow.  He casts a fond (and slightly calculating, truth be told) eye over the three of you. “My three best students! First, second, and third.” Your smile turns strained and over Slughorn’s shoulder, Riddle’s charming smile turns smug.

Slughorn introduces you to the Ministry official - a boring looking man who you promptly forget the name of but who Fleamont seems entirely taken by. Before you know it, Potter has abandoned you to talk shop with Slughorn and Mr Ministry and you’re left with Riddle.

Lovely.

Just. Lovely.

At least there’s champagne. The other professors might disapprove but in all your years of Slug Club Saturnalias, Slughorn has never once skimped on the champagne. You reach for a glass and look at Riddle with a critical eye, searching for any imperfections. Frustratingly, you can’t find any. Riddle is, as per usual, the most handsome man in the room. Pale skin, impossibly dark eyes, refined features and cheekbones as sharp as his tongue. Metaphorically speaking. Though the idea of Riddle with a forked tongue is enough to make you snort into your champagne flute. 

Riddle’s attention snaps to you and he raises an eyebrow, unimpressed, impatient, annoyed with you already and making absolutely no attempt to hide it. “Did you find something amusing?” 

“Oh, no. I was just taking in your general appearance,” You say, waving a handle vaguely towards him. You smile up at him as innocently as you can. You know you shouldn’t bait him. You know you’re being immature. You know that if this night descends into one of your usual verbal sparring matches you won’t be impressing anyone, let alone Christella Beaufort. But something about him brings out the worst in you. Makes you feel slightly wrong-footed which in turn makes you want to push and needle until he reacts. It doesn’t help that the rivalry you’ve had with him since first year has only become more intense and heated as you’ve gotten older. 

His eyes narrow and he drags his gaze across your body. The moment stretches and your cheeks flame as his eyes follow the nip of your waist and the curve of your hips. Your mouth goes dry. Because this is another thing that you hate about Riddle: he never fails to make your stomach swoop. By the time he raises his eyes back to yours, his expression is one of ironic amusement. “Colour me impressed,” He murmurs, angling his body ever so slightly towards you and you have to force yourself not to take a step back. “You actually look… passable this evening.”

Prat.

You should walk away. You should find one of the fancy people that you’ve been desperate to meet since your invitation arrived a month ago. 

You don’t.

You stay and bicker with Riddle, throwing increasingly caustic taunts and jibes at each other whilst you sip champagne and pretend that you’d rather be anywhere else. You realise about twenty minutes into a debate about Minister for Magic Spencer-Moon’s policies (you rather like the pro-muggle legislature he’s attempting to pass and Riddle thinks you’re being horribly naive) that Riddle is still here. Which, well, obviously he’s still here; he’s talking to you right now in that same condescending tone he uses to tell students off for staying out past curfew. But he doesn’t have to be. Riddle is as ambitious as you are, more so, even. So why has he spent most of the evening with you and not sucking up to the many rich and talented witches and wizards in attendance tonight?

You glance around the room, suddenly aware that it hadn’t even occurred to you to leave. You’ve been so wrapped up in your conversation that everything else had just sort of… faded away. For reasons you are unwilling to examine too closely, you feel yourself grow warm. Riddle is still talking, gesturing animatedly with his champagne flute, looking horrendously handsome and like… oh Merlin, he looks like he’s enjoying himself. And that is… Well, quite frankly, that’s enough to make your brain grind to halt from shock.

You’re saved from your inner turmoil by Fleamont who appears at your side and wraps a hand around your waist. Riddle’s expression shutters. He looks at Fleamont’s arm around your waist and sneers and, for reasons beyond your grasp, you have to bite your tongue to stop yourself from explaining that Fleamont is just a friend. Fleamont, oblivious as always, grins and asks you to dance and you can’t bring yourself to look at Riddle as he leads you away to the dance floor. 

Fleamont is a good dancer. You suppose this is to be expected from the heir to one of the oldest pureblood families in Britain. You imagine that he learnt to waltz before he learnt to walk. You try to focus on the dance, on the way that Fleamont spins you around the room causing your dress robes to fan out around you in an elegant circle but out of the corner of your eye you can see Riddle watching you. He’s subtle about it, you’re fairly sure that no one else would notice, but even as he makes conversation with a wizard you vaguely recognise as Ensio Kiimamaa, widely regarded as the leading Potions Master in contemporary wizarding society, his eyes flicker to where you’re dancing with Fleamont. 

You’re really not sure what to make of it.

The dance ends, and Fleamont makes a show of bowing and offering you his arm, which you take with an exasperated laugh. “Let’s go talk to Kiimamaa, I hear he’s thinking about taking on apprentices next year.” As little as you want to go near Riddle for the rest of the night, you can’t think of a good reason to object, so you nod begrudgingly and walk over, trying to convince yourself that the trepidation you feel is a result of being introduced to Kiimamma and not because of the way Riddle’s looking at you.

You make your introductions and Kiimamma begins to explain his latest discovery: a highly acidic venom harvested from the Icelandic water-dwelling vatnaormar. He produces a vial of dark liquid, uncorks it and passes it around the three of you. “It’s highly dangerous to touch, but I’ve found that a sniff of it can induce heightened concentration and focus - I hope to find a way of incorporating it in a potion that’s safe to drink.” 

Riddle holds the uncorked venom delicately between his fingers, raising it up to the light to observe the venom and then time seems to speed up and slow down all at once as you watch in horror as two things happen almost simultaneously. 

First: A little girl, who you assume to be Kiimamma’s daughter, shakes free of Slughorn’s hold on her arm and bounds over, waving her arms excitedly before losing her balance and crashing into Riddle. Second: the uncorked vial slips from Riddle’s fingers and the venom arches in an elegant curve through the air before it splatters across Riddle’s chest.

The effect is immediate. The venom tears through Riddle’s dress robes in almost no time at all and his skin begins to burn, leaving awful red and pink welts on the pale skin of his chest. The little girl starts wailing and Slughorn and Kiimamma start flapping their hands.

Riddle’s eyes flash in pain and anger and embarrassment and he completely forgets his usual charm and grace as he rounds on the girl. Before he can start yelling at her as he so clearly intends to, you step forward and place your hand on the girl’s shoulder. “It was an accident, Riddle. She didn’t mean to.” You say and then add in a low tone so that only he can hear, “She’s his daughter. Don’t fucking yell at her.” His gaze snaps to yours and there’s a moment when you think he’s going to yell anyway before his jaw clenches and he gives you a single tight nod.

“Riddle, my poor boy, you must go to the hospital wing. Not to worry, I’m sure Madam Montague will be able to sort you out in a flash.” Later, you will be able to appreciate Slughorn’s ability to sound jolly in even the direst of circumstances. Right now, you just find it rather insensitive. Slughorn turns to you and with slightly pleading eyes asks you to escort Riddle. Try as you might, you can’t think of a good reason not to, so with a vaguely helpless glance to Fleamont, you grudgingly nod, scowling at the ground in annoyance.

You loop your arm through Riddle’s and he stiffens under your touch. You repress the urge to roll your eyes and begin to make your way out of the room, ignoring Riddle’s laboured breathing and the slight trembling of his shoulders. It’s only as you get to the door that you notice a tall, dark-haired witch with a jagged scar crossing the length of her face steps out of the floo. Christella Beaufort, the one person who you had wanted to meet tonight has arrived and you’re not going to get to even say hello.

(part 1) (part 2)

[obeymehasinfluncedmythoughts]

Brothers With a Crafty Poly!MC

And I mean like, arts and crafts! Because I think that a good chunk of us are creative people. With creativity comes mess though 😅. Speaking of creativity, I made some strawberry barrettes. I have two sets to sell, but one single for me, and tbh I love themmmmmmmmmm.

This kinda includes my artistic s/o ask, but kinda doesn't. Basically anything at Micheals lmao

Lucifer

The mess and supplies are most likely what bothers him.

Like, he actively encourages hobbies, but when people begin trailing supplies throughout the house (thread, sequins, glitter ((thanks Diavolo)), and little strings of hot glue), the demon becomes absolutely annoyed.

This stuff is okay in it's designated space, and honestly he doesn't mind the occasional trail of glitter that somehow got stuck to you in some way, but all the time drives him crazy.

I mean it's to the point where he's always got something stuck to him.

(^^which is pretty unavoidable, if he hangs around you often. Get him a lint brush, that might shut him up)

He does enjoy watching you work though. Seeing you dedicate your time to something other then school and his brothers is extremely heart-warming.

He isn't afraid to criticize your work. However, there's always some recommendation to follow. Except when it comes to things he's never seen done before like resin art. Then he'll just be pretty straight forward, and might not even tell you what he thinks you did wrong because even he doesn't know.

Especially likes hobbies that include scrapbooking, embroidery, and glass art.

Mammon

He's basically like a kid bothering his parent when you do your crafty stuff.

Like he either wants to be apart of your crafts.

Mammon also digs through your things all the time, so if you have valuable craft supplies, hide them!

Tends to spill things all the time. Expect to find him covered in glitter at least twice.

He does, probably, make something from your supplies. There's no telling how it turns out. He's going to be very proud of it though, and depending on how his brothers react, you can make or break his self-confidence for the rest of the day.

(Mammon, sweetie, I love what you made, but please don't use my sewing scissors on craft paper ever again)

Mammon likes to lay his head on your lap when you do things. Puppy dog man.

Likes hobbies that include; Jewelry making, basically anything shiny, and sculpting

Leviathan

He's going to take FULL advantage of your creativity space lmao.

Loves to do things with you, by himself, watch you do them, ext.

Really enjoys taking stickers and putting them on you lmao.

Will probably try anything once.

(^He likes the idea of having something no one has. Limited edition is kinda his thing after all. But, wood carving/burning and knitting don't ever agree with him)

You'll probably wake up one day to find some weird, intricate craft project started in the middle the night. He might leave notes telling you not to move the project, or to please add X/Y/Z so it's a bit more stable.

Also he just buys random craft supplies that you don't even know the name to.

Likes hobbies that include; Sewing, resin art, and polymer clay.

Satan

Oh my goodness this many loves to buy fucking YARN.

I don't know if it's just the cat man in him, or if it's because he especially enjoy knitting/crochet crafts, but he buys yarn for your supplies all the time.

And it's always the weird stuff too. Like the yarn with pompoms, or something in that neon green he seems to adore, or whatever else he finds that catches his eye.

(Honestly, everything that catches his eye is scary)

He also really enjoys watching embroidery.

Idk something about all the parts coming together to form a beautiful picture really makes him relax.

Tbh you could honestly make him anything for a gift and he'd be happy you put time and effort into something!

(Best gift Idea off the top of my head is one of those little hads with cat ears lmao.)

Likes hobbies that include; Knitting/crocheting, paper craft, and embroidery

Asmodeus

Asmo is either going to treat your space one of two ways.

He'll be your best craft partner, buying little charms and stuff for the two of you to use on the things you'll end up doing. He always cleans up after himself, and makes sure to replace whatever he uses.

Or he's the worst and never cleans up after himself, and takes without ever giving back lmao.

Either way he's still always going to be up there with you, doing something to bedazzle his life.

(Remember the phone case convo? Yeah, that's basically this situation all over again...just with EVERYTHING.)

He kinda does the Levi thing too where he makes stuff and just leaves it there over night, but you'll always know what he's doing, because Asmodeus always brags about his skillful hands.

Likes hobbies that include; soap making, resin art, and sewing. Basically Levi without the extra weeb

Beelzebub

Y'know how the stereotypical TV dad is always like "Wow, amazing" whenever their child does something?

That's pretty much Beel.

(I kinda relate him to my dad lmao. I show him something and the response is always "Wow babe, that's amazing! Have you ever thought of taking classes in that?". Like, I'm not saying beel is dad energy, but I'm saying he has that same support for his partner. He wants them to commit and be happy with whatever they do.)

He is pretty bad about getting crumbs on your workspace though.

Likes to sit you in his lap when you're working so he can watch you do you're thing. It's not exactly the best thing for most projects, but it is pretty cute.

He's really aggressive about treating your injuries lmao.

Likes hobbies that include; Most candy/cake decoration, polymer clay, and miniatures (!!!! He really likes miniatures !!!!!)

Belphegor

Most crafts are loud, stink, and give him a headache. Like really.

Who knew that glass cutting made such screechy noises? That sewing machines could be so violent? How wood burning and hot glue smell rancid?

Ugh. He avoids your crafty space like the plague.

It's a bad napping area, and tbh, it's probably the most annoying place in the house for him when he's not sleeping anyways.

(My boy needs Q U I E T)

He will take advantage of the fruits of your labors though.

He likes fluffy sweaters, blankets of all kind, and those pretty glass decorations you put in the window to catch light.

Pillows are fun, heated rice packs are too, and anything that smells good is great in his book. Honestly just as easy to make something for him as Satan tbh.

Likes hobbies that include; Knitting/crocheting, quilting, and candle making. He might burn the house down with that lastone though

[shinydelirium]

Kiro’s 2021 Childhood Bday  R&S Translation [CN]

***THIS POST CONTAINS CONTENT THAT HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED YET ON EN SERVER!!! DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS***

This is a translation from Kiro’s 2021 childhood birthday story released on CN server. I do not know any Chinese so this was done through Google Translate. I apologize for any errors or mistranslations. Without further ado, please continue on reading!!! :) 

***WARNING: ANGST!!! THIS IS SUPPOSE TO BE A HAPPY DAY FOR KIRO!!! FIRST IT WAS S2 CH12 AND NOW THIS!?!?! WTH, PAPERGAMES!?!?!***

[Chapter 1]: Child Star’s Birthday

7:50 am California

After Kiro ran to the classroom and sat down, he laid his head directly on the table. “You can sleep for another ten minutes.” He whispered to himself in his heart.

He is too sleepy.

Ten hours ago, he finished the last set of filming, returned from the studio to the house the company set up for him in California, and then caught up on all the missing courses and homework. It was already 3 o’clock in the morning.

As if on cue, his stomach growled and Kiro lay helplessly on the table.  

Since his debut, he has become more or less accustomed to the professionalism of being a “star” but at this time his stomach seems to be persistently singing against him. Kiro hesitated for a moment and then opened a pack of soda five minutes later.

Sweetness hits the tip of his tongue and brings a sense of satisfaction to his brain. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, put on his headphones and closed his eyes.  

This is the first time in a while he has taken a break in the past few days.  

Kiro took a deep breath quietly and buried his face deeper into his arms.

But he could still feel the gazes around him looking at him and the innocent discussions. Even the moment he walked into the classroom and sat down, the air was still for half a second.

He doesn’t like this kind of “special treatment” nor does he like how he is always affected by it.

Over the years, he thought that he should be used to being watched constantly, and perhaps he had to bear the pressure from other peers. But sure enough, in fact, there are still many times that he will be a little breathless.  

Like now.  

As a child star, there were two to three days a week that he where he would be absent from school. For Kiro, his classmates are indeed some distance away. Because of his repeated absence, the- so-called disparity was expected.  

The reasons are not so complicated in the eyes of the children. At this age, the feeling of distance is often more sensitive than adults.  

He also wants to try his best to build a good relationship with them. After all, having friends is a very happy thing.  

As if he had finally made up his mind, Kiro took a deep breath, smoothed down messy hair, and raised his smiling face along with his shining blue eyes.

“Good morning, everyone, long time no see!” No one could possibly refuse such a warm and sincere greeting, let alone Kiro.  

Even though some shy classmates nodded their heads and smiled with furtive gazes, the greeting initiated by Kiro still received many responses. Soon, a small circle formed around him. Everyone scrambled to ask which crew he went to during the period of “his absence”, which big star he saw, and what new information he gathered.

Suddenly, a boy with curly hair, leaned in and patted Kiro on the shoulder with great enthusiasm.

“Kiro! Happy birthday!”

As his high voice rang out, the children who got together cheered in unison.  

“They are all embarrassed to come and tell you, so I said it! Happy birthday, future star.”

Kiro was taken aback.

“Thank you.”

Almost a subconscious reply.

But in that small world that only belonged to Kiro, another voice sounded different from what he was doing at this time.

“So, today is my birthday.”

[Chapter 2]: A Heart to Live Up To

“Kiro, great, you haven’t left yet!”  

The lingering sound of the bell was still echoing. Kiro had just cleaned up and wanted to seize the rare free time to make up for a good night’s sleep, when he was suddenly stopped by the instructor who had rushed over. He excitedly grabbed Kiro’s hands, looking very surprised.

“Teacher, are you looking for me?”

“Yeah....” The teacher didn’t seem to know how to begin. Kiro responded sensibly, leading the question back at the end of the dialogue.

“If there is anything I need to do, you can just say it directly.”

After hearing this, the teacher nodded in relief, as if he had waited for a long time and quickly told the whole story.  

Kiro understood what was going on.  

It turned out that there was a very important violin competition for high school students today and the classmate of the classical music department who represented the school had a temporary accident and was unable to participate. He wanted Kiro to help fill in.

“...Okay, I will try my best. Thank you, teacher, for believing in me.”

Even though he was tired, he did not refuse this sudden request.

It’s not that he isn’t interested in the competition, nor is he absolutely confident in his skills, it’s just...

He hopes that he is perfect enough in the eyes of the teacher.

After all, at this critical time, the teacher thought of him and believed in him, and he must not fail this trust.

Thinking about this, Kiro clenched his teeth, swallowed a yawn that was ready to come out, and forced himself to wake up. After the teacher went back to the residence to fetch his violin, he hurried to the scene of the competition.

The site was set up in the observation deck of a building and under the transparent glass plank pathway, it is a panoramic view of the entire city.  

At the time of arrival, many contestants were already busy making preparations. Kiro’s appearance undoubtedly caused quite a stir. The teacher proudly met the gazes and protected Kiro through the crowd to their waiting area.

Kiro quickly entered the waiting area. He opened the violin bag, skillfully tightened the bow, wiped the rosin, set the violin on his shoulder, and tuned the pegs carefully and intently.  

Now that he is here, he must do his best. He cheered himself up and walked in the direction where he was ready to take the stage.

“Don’t worry, he is a little star. Even if he doesn’t do well, he has publicity and won’t make the school lose too badly.”

The voice in the corner made Kiro stop.

He didn’t listen. It seemed that there was another voice arguing with him, but that was not important. Kiro just returned to the waiting area quietly, waiting for the announcement from the competition organizer. He just lowered his head and stood there quietly.

At this time a man came over. He patted Kiro’s shoulder lightly and said mysteriously.

“Kiro, this is the first time we’ve met. I am a teacher in the classical music department.” He lowered his voice, “Actually, I don’t really like the format of music competitions. Music should be something to enjoy and convey emotions, not some sort of boring game. So don’t think of it as a competition, but as a special show. I’m looking forward to hearing the music you play. I heard that you play the violin very well. This is the first time I will hear your music.

After that, he mischievously gave Kiro a big pat on the back. *Took some liberties here with the translation*  

Kiro stared at this somewhat holistic man and did not speak for a long time. A similar and familiar feeling came out of him.  

The broadcast system called Kiro’s name.

“Don’t think about anything, just let the world hear your voice.”

[Chapter 3]: Happy Birthday Song

The competition ended smoothly.

Kiro didn’t remember the process of his performance. He only remembered the way the classical music department teacher exaggeratedly raised his hands to applaud him when he left the competition. His eyes were full of real and undisguised recognition and praise.

At the end of the competition, he politely declined the kindness of the teachers and left alone.  

The California coast is like spring all year round and the fresh air is filled with a faint smell of saltwater. Kiro walked, suddenly a little at a loss.  

For a moment he didn’t know where he should go or where he could go. He just carried his violin bag and walked alone on the streets of California aimlessly.  

Until he passed by a family restaurant.

Such restaurants are very common in California. People choose outdoor dining areas to enjoy their food with nature.

As far as Kiro’s line of sight could see, a family sat around the table warmly. There are grandparents, parents, and even uncles and aunts. And the main star of this family banquet is obviously the little girl sitting in the middle wearing a birthday hat.

She sat happily in the center, closing her eyes in front of a huge cake.  

Everyone’s face was filled with the look of joy as they watched her patiently and earnestly. No one interrupted the most solemn “ceremony” at this time.  

The little girl closed her eyes for a long, long time. Maybe she had a lot of wishes that she wants to come true or maybe she is carefully telling some wish that she wants to come true the most.  

After all, in the eyes of a child, the more important the wish, the more carefully it will be heard and realized.  

Kiro stood there and looked at the little girl’s face quietly. He didn’t know what he was feeling right now. It seemed that something he wanted to show was turning upwards along his heart, as if he would shed tears in the next second.  

He just stood there silently, watching her finally make her wish, blowing out the candles while her family sang “happy birthday.” Grabbing the balloons in her hand, the girl ran around in the open space, spinning her little skirt.  

Then she saw Kiro and ran towards him happily without knowing what she was thinking.

“Prince!” She waved her little hand at Kiro and said loudly. Kiro was stunned. The little girl ran up to him and raised her head, “His Royal Highness, are you here to wish me a happy birthday, too?”

Kiro thought for a while, crouched down and touched the little girl’s head, “Although I am not a prince, I wish you a happy birthday!”

The little girl didn’t seem to understand what he meant. She carefully picked out a yellow one from her balloon stash and gave it to Kiro.  

“Thank you for wishing me happiness, and I wish you happiness too. This is for you.”

The little girl happily ran back to her seat after speaking with him and the whole family nodded politely to him, seeming to express gratitude.  

Kiro looked at the yellow balloon in his hand and walked away slowly.

He was walking on the road, the sun a little dazzling, the balloon floating gently while he hummed quietly.

“Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me~”

At this time, his phone chimed, alerting him to an email.

[Chapter 4]: Special Birthday Gift

It is an email from KEY.

Since he came to the United States, KEY has always liked to use this “fun” way to keep in touch with him in addition to the phone.

Kiro sat on the roadside steps, “If my agent sees me like this, he will definitely be angry.”

Kiro thought about it leisurely but didn’t have any plans to get up.

“Today is my birthday, so I call the shots!” *Took some liberties here*

First, he simply replied to the fan messages wishing him a happy birthday on social media and then concentrated on deciphering KEY’s information. It is a very interesting little program. The code attached to the email can be directly written to change the content of the email.  

Kiro has always been happy with this special design. Under his operation, the information was quickly decoded.

“The place where you stay most often.”

Kiro read it out gently, and there was a pair of combined numbers at the same time.  

He raised his head, as if thinking of something.

The dance studio was deserted at this time.

This was the exclusive training room given to him by the company. Kiro took out the key and walked in gently in the same way as he had been in class.  

This is a special place for him.

The sun in the afternoon was particularly brilliant, flowing into the entire classroom through the floor-to-ceiling windows, which looked clean and sparkling. Kiro stood in front of a small cabinet in the dance studio.

He felt like an ordinary child at this moment, being guided to find the answer in the way he was most interested in. He was a little happy when he thought of this.  

Kiro cautiously opened the cabinet and found a box inside. He took it out, and after opening it, it turned out to be an exquisite violin.

The little violin along with the sunlight filtering down onto the light brown amber, reflected in his eyes, as if it was shining.

At this time, the second email came. It was simple and there was no need for decoding.

“Happy birthday.” He seemed to hear KEY saying this to him.

Kiro couldn’t help thinking, when did KEY hide it here?

As if responding to his question, footsteps came from outside the door. Kiro’s heart beat a little fast, and he suddenly wondered if there would be another gift.

He opened the door in surprise, and an unceremonious man greeted him.

The man didn’t even take off his shoes. The exquisite black leather shoes stepped on the smooth floor, looking particularly dazzling.

Kiro felt his fingertips instantly chill, and he clenched his hands hard to keep his body from shaking.

“I really don’t know why I’m responsible for this kid.” The man gave him a look of disgust, “I won’t talk too much nonsense with you.”

“The higher ups are very dissatisfied with you.” Each word struck Kiro’s heart, “Don’t forget why you want to become a star.”

“In one month’s time,” he threw a document on the ground, “Finish it.”

“I don’t know what you have to look forward to.” The man walked in front of him to the center of the floor. Kiro lowered his head, and there were only footprints left in his field of vision that seemed to have been dyed black with thick ink, step by step, on a clean floor.

It seems that no matter how hard he tried, he can’t wipe off that trace.

“3684.” The man impatiently left his last words, “Don’t be too self-righteous. You really think you are worth something?”

[Chapter 5]: Things You Want To Protect

In the empty dance studio, the operating sound of the air humidifier hummed quietly.

Kiro didn’t know how long he had been standing there until the tingling sensation rushed to his legs and he instinctively moved forward slightly.

The towel and hairband hanging on the side of the cabinet came into view and he strode forward suddenly and threw them to the ground fiercely. ***The towel and hairband mentioned here are what Kiro uses during dance practice to wipe off/absorb sweat***

The world swallowed his outburst silently but indifferently, making him at this moment seem small and lonely.

In the end, he dragged his numb body and walked tiredly to the towel and hairband, as if all his strength had been drained and slowly knelt on the floor.

Just like the day when he first picked them.

Kiro stretched out his hand, slowly picked up the towel and hair band, and carefully hugged them in his arms. They were his only close friends, walking side by side. They were proof of his hard work. But if these proofs can be trampled so easily, then what was all his effort for?”

The edges of the cotton towel and hairbands were slightly deformed due to their repeated use. He swiped hard, remembering that he had almost thrown them away because of being used so many times.

And whenever he was about to throw them in the trash can, the soft texture in his hands was always quietly hot at that moment.

It seemed to be telling him, “Wait a minute. Hold on.”

It’s as if they were reminding him they were made in order to continued to be used.

He once heard others say that life will find a way out.

“Is this the way you worked hard to find?”

He stood foolishly in front of the trash can, looking at the towel and hairbands in his hands, muttering to himself.

Then he would stand there, talking endlessly for a while.  

He thought that music was the way out for his life that was once empty.

It seemed that in the darkness where he still was, a gleaming light suddenly broke in. In that world, he can always shine with golden light and light up his life forever.

He can see himself.

But if he can’t maintain this purity, is he still worthy to live in this world that once taught him to redeem?

No.

Kiro raised his head and looked at himself in the mirror.

That world may be impure, but his dream is real, and his love is real. This was what he wanted to do as Kiro, and it was the only way out.

He is Kiro. Not 3684.

He rubbed the hair band firmly, then raised his hand to tie it on his head and smiled at himself in the mirror with encouragement and humbleness as he did before each practice.

“Today’s 2-hour dance training has not been completed yet.”

A dynamic rhythm sounded in the studio and the sound of footsteps rubbing on the floor resounded one after another. Kiro was practicing hard while telling himself in his heart.  

“This is just another ordinary day, tomorrow will only be better.”

Two hours later, he turned off the music, bent over gasping, and abnormally did not stand up for a long, long time.

Finally, for what seemed like ages, he slowly straightened up, took out the violin from the bag on the floor, and sat by the window. The dark brown violin was lined with soft light under the sun and he held it as if being embraced.

“I will definitely protect you.”

Kiro’s eyes were soft, and his tone was gentle and firm.

The birds outside the window chirped and landed freely on the edge of the window.

“It’s great that you are free.”

Kiro smiled and gently extended his fingertips.  

“I will be free too.”

[Chapter 6]: Free Sailing

A telephone ring broke the silence of the studio.

Kiro looked down at the phone. It was an unfamiliar number. Maybe it was from a fan somewhere, but he picked it up in a ghostly manner.

“Hello, this is PLANET Yacht Club, what can I do for you?”

Kiro was stunned. The person at the other end waited patiently for his silence. After a long time, he remembered that when he was resting on the sidewalk a while ago, he accidentally saw a magazine ad about yachts. He made a phone consultation.

However, because he needed to go to pratice immediately he asked the other party to contact him afterwards.  

Unexpectedly, it happened to be today.

“I have read your information. I have some interest in your yachts. How can I learn more about it?”

“If this is the case, you can visit our terminal directly. On which day would you like to make an appointment?”

“Is today okay?”

When Kiro said it, he was also stunned. He felt his heart beating, but he didn’t know what this feeling represented.

“Of course, we will send the address to your phone later, looking forward to your visit.”

When Kiro saw that yacht, he decided to buy it.

It was lying quietly in the corner of the entire pier, unremarkable, but in the light of the surging tide, it instantly attracted Kiro’s eyes.

Of course, the salesman saw the young boy coming to the club, obviously looking a little bit awkward and seemed to be thinking about how to politely ask him to leave.

“I want that yacht.”

Kiro didn’t leave the yacht’s sight and took out his bank card in the salesman’s dumbfounded gaze.

The boat was moored by a small harbor where there was a little old port. This was the place he saw on the way to the club.

He asked the people of the club to help him get the boat here and said that in a few days, he would come again to ask about how to operate the yacht.

It was dusk now and there were no people, only him and his boat, listening to the ebb and flow together.

The half-round sunset has fallen below the sea level. The sun is golden and far away, warmly embracing the whole world.

The yacht hasn’t been decorated yet and looks a bit simple, but Kiro doesn’t care. He feels that he has seen the future of the ship.

This is his boat, he repeats this in his heart over and over, and in the future, there will be someone who is most special to him in this world who will share it with him.

Think of it as a birthday present for yourself even though there is no cake and no birthday song today.

But this is also good.

Kiro was lying on the small deck, seagulls flying non-stop. The sky was divided into half blue and half-yellow. The boat rose and fell with the tide. He opened his arms as if he could touch the sky.

Kiro suddenly felt that he could go anywhere.

Nothing can stop him.

[End]

[sunnys-rewatch-blog]

S1, E13

"Know Your Frenemies"

TW: ED, diet, and weight stigma talk; fatphobia.

I feel like the bulk of my posts have been criticisms/complaints, so I want to clarify that I do genuinely like this show- although I can't tell you why. The writing was at its best in the earlier seasons, and even some of these scripts are completely out of whack sometimes. In terms of logic and mystery components, this show gets a lot more wrong than right. Yet, I'm able to watch it back a second time- knowing most of the major story beats- and nothing feels "spoiled" for me. I'm completely engaged. PLL has this magical quality where it failed at almost everything it was trying to accomplish but succeeded in getting me hooked and interested unironically. I want to know which deity blessed this production and what kind of karma Marlene has that it was awarded to her.

That said, I completely forgot about Alison having a fling with Ian. Byron Montgomery is the only cheating scuzzball in this town who wasn't seeing Alison. I wonder if she really did have feelings for any of them or if it's supposed to be implied that she didn't because she had feelings for Emily. I want to know what was going through her head when she was getting everyone to kiss her- like, what was that? This show is very good at making me ask questions, not good at answering them.

Also, why did Ian do this??? He was with Melissa, then Spencer for a while, and then also Alison? He might as well rob a fucking daycare. And it's so fucking weird that he becomes a suspect and none of the people who are suspicious feel that way because he's a predatory hoe. Not one person.

I don't know of anywhere that the rule is you need an "A" to play sportsball. I didn't play sports in high school, though.

This cupcake scene is hard to sit through, for so many reasons. I think the worst of it is just how much they minimize and shift the problem in the end. This storyline does a shit job of holding Alison accountable for mocking and bullying Hanna. To someone who actually has weight trauma, it's actually obvious to me that Alison is one of Hanna's triggers. And I'm tired of hearing shit like "I decided to start treating myself better" because it both validates the bullying (or at least glosses over it) and minimizes the amount of time and effort it takes to learn new coping skills- you can't just wake up one day and decide not to have an ED. It's also harmful and dangerous to push this narrative that self-care is going to lead to thinness. For actual people in recovery from certain EDs, weight gain is a natural part of returning to health. And I also wouldn't consider a life where your diet revolves around how much of what you can eat without "getting too fat" self-care. That's not recovery. It's shifting the topic of your anxiety, not learning how to manage it.

It's hard to be reminded that, for so many people, looking like me would be their worst nightmare. I wish this show had used Hanna's storyline more to put a spotlight on how society's view of how to treat fat people is often very wrong. I once heard a radio broadcaster talking about how the prevalence of ED diagnoses is going up in certain teen populations, and he said this on his broadcast: "If this is what we have to do to get our kids skinny and healthy again, that's great!". I know one woman, an actual nurse, who told me she had problems with stress eating literally until she vomits and thought she could cure that by going on keto (to which I definitely told her it sounds like she needs therapy, not a diet...I would qualify that as an act of self-harm, at the very least). And instead of doing that, they just picked up the same cookie-cutter bullshit every other show does and gave us pre-packaged diet propaganda. Not sure how much I want to elaborate on this. The show treats Hanna's problem as if it were a problem with weight instead of a mental health issue by prescribing treatment "get thin all in one summer, have a glow-up, learn fashion" instead of actual mental health treatment. You don't treat an ED with a diet.

Also, this flashback- first of all, I don't think Alison is acting with malice. She is malicious towards Hanna at times, I don't think this is one of them; it is, unfortunately, not uncommon for teenagers to experiment with disordered eating behaviors (weight stigma is so pervasive that flirting with this kind of fire is normalized), and not all teens who experiment with it will go on to develop full-blown disorders. Second, this is another thing that I don't think was fully addressed with Alison. Does Alison also have an ED, or is this something she at least regularly experimented with? Did Cece tell her about it (an unfortunate number of trans people also have EDs)? Because she came up with this "solution" awfully quick. To my memory, this was also never addressed.

Interestingly, this could also be an in-cannon explanation as to why Alison really filled out in the last season or so. I hardly noticed (honestly just thought this was what post-puberty looked like on her- and of course that she is beautiful, you will never see me complain) until I stumbled across an interview where she talked about getting hate comments for her size (which, to me, really reflects how badly we failed at getting the message across that no one deserves to be bullied- at any time, for any reason). That might be another topic for another post, though. Suffice to say, they had an ideal opportunity here to say that Alison was also in recovery for a disordered eating issue and this was what healing looked like on her. If they were less cowardly and more clever, they could have used it to their advantage instead of hiding her at every possible turn. Let thicc girls be badasses!

There is...absolutely no way she can sit there and eat all of those cupcakes without getting nauseous. I think I would cap at maybe three of those, unless I was drunk and/or high out of my mind. The way they make us watch this whole damn thing like, actually hurt my stomach. And I never got thin.

"It's Mrs. Fields, to you"- oh, fuck off, you self-important tightwad. I guess I'll give props to this actress, though; she's pissing me off, so she must be doing something right. I don't understand how she can be so upset over this with the news that their neighbor's child was murdered and buried in her own backyard. I'm sorry, but "better a gay child than a missing or dead child" should absolutely be on her mind. I feel like these adults are in the fucking Twilight Zone, like somehow their lives don't overlap??? They barely seem aware that their neighbor's kid is dead.

For once, I'm greatful for this Ezria drama, because I need a break between the homophobia and ED storylines. Ezra really thinks he's doing something over this damn, stupid grade. Does he only have princibles when it comes to Noel? It's okay for him to use Aria but not okay for Noel to use him?

Why does "A" have this much investment in Ezria? But they can't bring up some dirt on Pam to keep her from being a bitch? I feel like the first person Alison would have wanted to protect would have been Emily. "A" should have taken the bitch's kneecaps.

I wonder if any of the ghostwriters writing under the "Sara Shepherd" pseudonym watched this show. What I wouldn't give to see their reactions.

[chaseatinydream]

pirate king epilogue: hongjoong || atz

The sky is a light blue today.

In the conference room, both booted feet propped up on the table, Hongjoong leans back in his chair with his eyes closed, listening to the officers sitting at the meeting table with him debate heatedly in raised voices.

“We can’t just go after the pirates at Tortuga! It’s the strongest pirate base, and even if we expend all our efforts to capture it, the pirates will just head for the Windward passage and escape, all our efforts to capture them will be for naught!”

“I know that. But as you said, Tortuga is the largest pirate base operating right now, and if we don’t strike first, there’s no telling if other pirates will move to back it up.”

“But-”

“Silence, the lot of you. I’m thinking.”

The quarrelling officers abruptly fall silent at that one command, turning to look at Hongjoong, who’s been lounging there without a word for the entire meeting. His poisonous green eye is narrowed as he levels a piercing stare slowly at all of them, arms crossed over his chest. An officer swallows.

“Yes, sir.”

“Mingi, get the map out for me.”

The tall man rises from his seat to stride over to the bookshelves, pulling out a heavy oakwood box reinforced with iron strips and setting it on the table with a heavy thump. Reaching into the pocket of his navy blue coat, he pulls out an iron key and sets it into the lock, before he removes several yellowing pieces of parchment from within the box and places them on the table.

Hongjoong leans forward, placing his chin on interlaced fingers as he studies the maps laid out before him with a critical eye. The rest of the officers don’t say a word, only watching the man at work with a mixture of slight doubt and anticipation, wondering what plan he’s going to fashion to eradicate the pirate strongholds once and for all.

Kim Hongjoong. Ex-captain of the pirate ship called the Treasure. Known as the ruthless Pirate King by any who had encountered him and even those who hadn’t, immortalised in folk tales and stories that crossed lips to ears.

And yet, here he is, sitting before them in the flesh. Rising through the ranks rapidly, from a nameless trainee to the Commander in Chief of the Piracy Eradication Expedition. Younger than many of them have expected. Smaller than many of them have imagined him to be.

There are rumours that the Queen herself places high hopes on him.

“We’ll carry out a pre-emptive attack on Tortuga first.” Hongjoong finally says slowly, voice even and measured. The officer who had protested this earlier moves to argue.

“Sir, here are fierce currents around the island port, we won’t be able to launch a concentrated attack. Doing so would be expending too many men and resources. How are we going to capture it?”

“I said, we’re launching a pre-emptive attack first.” Hongjoong says evenly, tapping a finger against the paper. “Send in some men to burn the food stores and warehouses, and cut off the pirates trying to escape at Hispaniola. I want to flush them all towards the Windward Passage.”

“Sir, isn’t that allowing them to escape?” A newer officer raises his hand timidly, and Mingi raises a sharp eyebrow.

“Are you implying that captain, I mean, Commander is trying to help them escape just because he was a former pirate?”

The younger officer blanches, waving his hands desperately. “No, no, I meant-”

“Mingi, stop scaring him.” Hongjoong cuts in before the poor man can finish his apology. “I haven’t finished explaining my plan. I want another fleet to head to Port Royal discretely and do the same.”

An older officer tilts his head as he looks at the map, half moon glasses falling over his nose. “Flush pirates from both strongholds towards the Windward Passage? Will they not choose to work together and attack the Royal Navy in a bid to escape?”

Hongjoong shakes his head. “It’s not a pirate’s nature to work with others. Besides, all those pirates must be running low on supplies since we burned all their food. Ships usually don’t stock up on supplies right until they leave port to keep their food fresh.” He draws a circle at the Windward Passage, eyes cold. “If any of them encounter each other, well... it’s likely that they’ll end up fighting each other for supplies.”

“You’re going to let them fight it out while all we have to do is stand watch at the sides.” The older officer says quietly, raising an eyebrow. The rest of the officers are silent, studying the map intensely as they try to envision the plan. “A pincer attack, but the bulk of the fighting won’t be done by our men. Quite the devious plan, Commander. It is not one I would have thought of.”

There’s a slight meaning to his words, and Mingi bristles slightly at the tone of his voice. “What are you trying to say here, Advisor Bang?”

“Mingi, sit.” Hongjoong speaks before Mingi can say anymore. “He’s not wrong.”

Advisor Bang continues to watch him for a moment more before letting out a sigh and fixing his glasses. “Well, then. I will bring up this plan with the Commander of the Royal Navy and see it approved. A devious plan, yes, but ingenious, no less.” His clear brown eyes, still sharp despite his age, fix on Hongjoong. “I suppose you already have designated fleets in mind for your plan?”

“I have people trained for underhanded means like this. And as for the fleets, I’ll trust you with it, Advisor Bang.” Hongjoong rises to his feet, adjusting his coat and inclining his head slightly to the advisor. “If there’s nothing else to discuss, I’ll be leaving first.”

Before he steps out of the door, Mingi trailing behind him, he pauses and turns back to look at the officers still seated with a calm stare. “Also, we won’t be meeting tomorrow for drill training since it’ll rain. That’s all.”

With those words, he leaves the room, the door clicking shut behind him. The moment he leaves, the officers relax visibly, some even slumping over in their seats and rubbing their temples.

“Why must the commander be so intimidating all the time?” The younger officer wails, burying his face in his hands. His friend pats him on the back, trying to reassure him.

“I mean, he’s cool, isn’t he? He used to be the legendary Pirate King, you know!”

“Who doesn’t know that? Having all that pirate experience must be amazing, he can predict all their behaviour so easily.” The younger officer retorts, smacking his friend’s hand away before he looks cautiously at the door his superior has just left. “He’s still terrifying, though, even though he’s joined the navy.”

His friend nods, frowning. “He’s a harsh taskmaster, alright. But the great thing is, no drill training tomorrow since it’ll rain! I can finally have a day off!”

“What? Isn’t the sun shining so brightly today? What does he mean it’s going to rain- ow! Why did you smack me?”

“Commander has a gift for these kind of things.” His friend whispers to him conspiratorially, shoving the maps back into the chest. “You’re still wet behind the ears, there’s a lot you don’t know.”

Advisor Bang doesn’t say a word, only looking out window at the sun shining brightly outside the window. Lips pressed into a straight line, he recalls the one eyed pirate turned commander, and lets out a small laugh.

What an intriguing man.

>>>

The second Hongjoong reaches his office, he takes a seat behind his desk, a soft groan of pain leaving his lips as he rubs his temples. Mingi clucks in fright, rushing over to his captain’s side. “Captain! Captain, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Just the headaches, as usual.” Hongjoong struggles to blink away the bright flashes of noise and colour that run wildly in his mind. The phantom smell of sea salt and storm thick in air makes it difficult to breathe and he pops open the top two buttons of his uniform shirt to ease his breathing, the white material damp with cold sweat. “Also, don’t call me captain. I don’t have a ship anymore, don’t you remember?”

“You’ll have your own ship for the PIracy Eradication Expedition, so I don’t see why not.” Mingi retorts sharply, moving towards the shelves and drawing out a little round pill from a glass bottle. “Here, have a painkiller.”

“Thanks.” Hongjoong mutters, throwing it into his mouth and biting down hard on it. The bitter herbal taste makes him gag at first, but then it’s soothed by the sweetness of honey. “Reminds me, I need to head to San’s apothecary today and get more of these.”

Mingi frowns, taking a seat in front of Hongjoong’s desk to stare at his captain. “Captain, be honest with me. How bad has it gotten?”

“Not too bad,” Hongjoong tries to say weakly, but from the expression on Mingi’s face, he isn’t buying any of it. “Alright, fine. I’ve been hearing things, seeing things. Like hallucinations.”

Mingi swallows, fingers digging into the wood grain of the desk as he looks at his captain. He feels painfully helpless at the sight of his best friend suffering before him like this, and he’s unable to do a thing. “Hallucinations of what?”

“A woman.” Hongjoong exhales, a hand running through his hair. roughly. “A woman with one hand, and the clearest eyes I’ve seen. When she smiles, my heart aches. When she cries, I feel like I’m bleeding. She asks me for her name, and I know it’s there, on the tip of my tongue, but everytime I try to say it, she disappears into the waves.” He sighs, teeth gritted. “And when I wake up, I never remember what her name is.”

Mingi looks at his captain slowly. “Captain... seriously, this can’t be good for you. We should look for more doctors, see if anyone can treat you. Of course I trust in San-ie’s skills, but...”

Hongjoong shakes his head. “No, San used his healing powers on me. He says there’s some sort of powerful magical affliction on my mind, and he’s working on it. All he can do now is give me painkillers and sleeping pills.”

Mingi opens his mouth to say something else, but Hongjoong cuts him off, rising to his feet. “Enough, Mingi. I’m really alright, I’ve gotten used to it. The headaches aren’t that bad, and San’s medicine is effective. I’ve just got to pick up some more from his shop later. That’s all. Now, don’t you have a meeting with the rest of the lieutenants?”

“Yes,” Mingi protests, “but-”

“I’ll be fine on my own, so shoo.” Hongjoong says, stretching. “Go on, Mingi. I want to take a short walk to the cove. I’m fine now, I promise.”

Mingi hesitates, before he rises to his feet. “Alright. But you tell me the second it gets worse, got it?”

Hongjoong nods obediently, a slight, fond smile on his face. “Understood.”

When Mingi leaves, Hongjoong lets out a sigh and places his forehead against the table, closing his eye. The second his eyes close, the memory of howling wind and unnatural massive waves fill his mind again, and he rises to his feet hurriedly, shaking his head.

Pulling off his coat, he reaches into his wardrobe for the red fox fur coat and shrugs it around his shoulders. The material soft against his skin, he buries his fingers into the thick fur and takes a deep breath, feeling his headache abate ever so slightly.

He should get to San’s.

>>>

San comes back to the shop toting baskets full of weeds and flowers.

“Oh, captain, you’re here!” San tries to wave as he steps in from the back door, very nearly trips and Hongjoong catches the basket that falls from his hands just before it can hit the ground. “Thanks for that.”

“I wasn’t expecting to come here to see a closed shop today.” Hongjoong remarks, turning to look at San’s worktable in the back. Just as he thought, there’s no space to put absolutely anything.

“I decided to go foraging. I got a good haul, there’s just this huge patch of patchouli growing out back.” San babbles excitedly, balancing the baskets on his arms expertly. “I didn’t think I’d get so many though, so I didn’t call Wooyoung to help out. He’s busy today, anyway.”

Hongjoong takes a seat at the wooden table, shifting the messy stacks of stacks and random twigs on the table top to make space for San’s baskets as the man moves to wash the dirt from his face and hands at the washbasin. “Wooyoung? What’s he up to?”

“Babysitting the younger ones at the orphanage with Yunho while Yeosang gives his literary classes.” San calls, drying off his hands and slipping his usual apron around his neck. Bunches of wildflowers hang out of the front pocket, and Hongjoong recognises eidelweiss and dandelion. “What about you, Mr Commander of the Royal Navy? What brings you to this humble abode?”

“Don’t call me that.” The side of Hongjoong’s mouth curls up in a slight smile of amusement as he shakes his head at San. “I need more of the painkillers.”

San pauses, before he frowns sympathetically. “You’re not the only one who needs them. Yeosang has been having some strange dreams lately. Have they gotten worse?”

Hongjoong nods wordlessly.

“The woman...” San hesitates for a moment, fingers stilling on the long stem ofa flower. “What does she do? What does she say?”

Hongjoong chews on his lower lip, slightly confused by the tone of San’s voice. “Well, it varies. Sometimes she smiles, sometimes she laughs, sometimes she’s crying. No matter what she does, she always asks me for her name at the end. But I just don’t... know her name.”

San smiles wistfully at the flower down in his hands for a moment, a soft murmur leaving his lips. “Oh, no. You do, you just don’t remember it.”

Hongjoong raises an eyebrow, tilting his head in confusion. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” With a slight smile, San shakes his head and resumes snipping the leaves off the stem with a pair of scissors. “Well, I did read about this ancient method where people cut open their skulls to let the bad stuff out, and apparently the patients survive. No records on effectiveness, though. Want to try it out?”

“Just say you want to kill me and be done with it.” Hongjoong snorts, leaning his chin on his palm as he regards the healer. “San, this... not knowing what’s going on, not remembering... it’s tiring.”

San’s face softens minutely. “I know.” He says quietly, and as he passes by his captain to the shelves at the back, he drops a soft pat on Hongjoong’s head. “You’re hanging in there, captain. It’s admirable.”

Hongjoong lets out a little laugh. “There’s no one to impress. Except the Queen herself, maybe.”

“Didn’t they say you’d get a private audience with her if you succeed at this expedition?” San calls from behind, and Hongjoong can hear the rattling of glass jars. “That reminds me, how is the planning going?”

Hongjoong watches a spider in the corner of the room slowly making its web. “Good. We finalised plans today, and we’re just waiting for approval to go ahead with preparations. Which reminds me too, San.” Hongjoong turns to look at his healer, busily collecting pills from various jars. “Would you be willing to join me again... on an expedition?”

“Pshh.” San snorts loudly, and very near drops a jar. “Even if the Commander of the Royal Navy himself came and begged, I’m not going back out there into that dangerous ocean! Once was more than enough, I don’t know how I’m still alive. Never again! I’ve got an amazing shop to run and money to make. I was never meant for that crazy sort of lifestyle.”

Hongjoong lets out a soft laugh, but looks down at the table in understanding. “Got it. I won’t ask again.”

“But...” San’s voice is a little softer this time, and Hongjoong looks up to see the slightest smile on the man’s face as he sets down a neatly packaged parcel filled with paper pill sachets. “If it’s Captain asking, then who am I to disobey orders?”

This time, Hongjoong really laughs. “You little bastard.”

“Come on, as if we can’t tell that you were already planning to ask us to come with you. How long have we known each other?” San snorts, rapping his captain on the head with his knuckles. “I’ve arranged for some people to take over my shop for the time being, Yeosang, Yunho and Wooyoung have been waiting for you to ask them as well. We’re following you no matter where you go, captain. Just like the good old times, eh?”

“Yeah.” Hongjoong’s smile is calm now, and he picks up the packet, stuffing it into his coat as he rises to his feet. “I’ll see you on board soon, then. Have fun finding your sea legs again.”

San glares. “Shut it before I change my mind. The thought of being seasick for a whole week might just outweigh any loyalty I have for you.” He warns, and Hongjoong laughs, waving as he steps out of the shop. “See you soon, Hongjoong.”

>>>

The walk to the cove along the docks is peaceful. The sun has just begun to set, and at the docks the fishermen have just begun to bring their boats back to shore. Lost in thought, Hongjoong doesn’t hear someone calling his name until a few drops of water land on his nose and cheek.

“Who is it-” He whirls around in surprise, before he sees a familiar man sitting in a small fishing boat next to the docks, face twisted into a slight scowl of exasperation and an incriminating oar in hands. “Jongho! I didn’t notice you were there.”

“I called you ten times, damn you.” Jongho grumbles, setting his oar down. He jabs a finger at his nets, and Hongjoong whistles in appreciation at the number of fish he sees. “Woah, that’s a good catch today.”

“Exactly.” Jongho says shortly, face still fixed in his permanent stoic expression. “I’m bringing these over to Seonghwa-hyung’s eatery tonight, so you’d better come eat dinner with us. I’ve caught a yellowtail, so Seonghwa-hyung’s gonna make his signature braised yellowtail stew.” A hint of nostalgia runs through Hongjoong for no reason, and his head pounds a little. “Got it?”

Under his rock hard exterior, Hongjoong can see the hint of concern in his youngest’s eyes and his face instinctively softens in a reassuring smile. “I promise I’ll make it. Sorry for making you worry, Jongho-ah.”

Jongho splashes water at him with his oar, and Hongjoong is forced to leap out of the way of the droplets. “I’m not worried.” He says flatly, before turning back to busy himself with his nets. Hongjoong can see that his ears are slightly red. “See you later for dinner, captain.”

Hongjoong smiles at his back, taking off at a brisk walk again, a slight spring in his step.

“See you later, Jongho.”

>>>

When he reaches the little beach, the sun has just begun to dip behind the horizon.

Hongjoong takes a seat on white sand, letting out a soft sigh. This beach is isolated from the town, and takes walking quite a distance to reach here, thus there aren’t many people who come here or even know about its existence. That’s why Hongjoong likes it so much. It gives him a place to think, to relax, to try and... remember.

Closing his eyes, he lies back in the sand and exhales loudly.

What is it that he’s missing?

Three years ago, the Treasure had been caught in a massive storm during a face off with an armada of the Royal Navy. The ship had been damaged beyond repair, but was still seaworthy enough to stay afloat until the Navy had come to arrest all of them and haul them to prison.

Hongjoong had been found along with Yeosang and Wooyoung, unconscious on a small strip of sand, and San had been picked up with the rest of the crew. All of them had been brought back to the Royal Navy headquarters, where a high ranking official had given Hongjoong a choice: join the Royal Navy and have his crew spared, or die by the noose with them.

Of course, Hongjoong chose the former.

It wasn’t the wrong choice to make, Hongjoong thinks quietly as he watches the sky darken, bit by bit. It wasn’t the wrong choice at all. Everyone is leading fulfilling lives now, peaceful and content. Seonghwa has opened up his eatery, which became an instant hit in his hometown Nassau, although Hongjoong sometimes wonders if the patrons go there for his food or for him. He supposes the cute godson that comes over every weekend doesn’t hurt either.

Yeosang has become a teacher who gives weekly lesson at the local orphanage, while Yunho and Wooyoung who help him do odd jobs in between and squabbling the entire time. San has his apothecary, although some people are scared away by how eccentric he likes to act sometimes, and Jongho is fishing like he’s always wanted to, following in his father’s footsteps. Mingi followed him even into the Royal Navy, acting as his supporter and lieutenant, just like he has all his life.

And Hongjoong is here.

Content, happy, and at peace.

But he’s still missing something.

It feels like a gaping chasm in his heart.

With a sigh, he sits up to look at the horizon. The sun has almost sunken completely behind the waves, orange light slowly swallowed by the sea, and Hongjoong gets to his feet slowly, brushing off his trousers. If he leaves any later he’ll be late for dinner, and neither Jongho’s chokeholds or Seonghwa’s flying knives are something he wants to deal with.

He turns to look at the horizon a final time.

And stops dead in his tracks.

He sees a ship silhouetted against the dying rays of light where the sky meets the see, its outline ghostly and faint. Torn sails and chipped wood with the barely visible word Mael something painted along the side, Hongjoong doesn’t understand just how that ship is still afloat, but then he catches sight of a man standing at the port side of the ship, and somehow, Hongjoong feels like that persons looking straight at him.

A familiar feeling wells up in him, he knows this gaze. The word forms on the tip of his tongue before he knows it.

“Father?”

But when he blinks again, the ship vanishes together with the last rays of light just as the sun dips behind the horizon.

Still reeling, Hongjoon stands stock still on the beach, gazing out in the direction of the water. What had he just... seen?

It begins slowly at first. The tide pulls back slowly, further and further out, before they twist and turn like they’re alive. Hongjoong can’t move, every bone in his body in shock, and watches as the waves rise and swirl lazily to form a path of bone dry land to the beach from the heart of the sea.

Suddenly, the scene before him overlaps with a dream he’s seen many times in his mind. The woman, smiling at him last one last time, walking towards the sea as it rises around her, a whisper hanging from her lips, “Please don’t forget me, okay?”

Hongjoong takes a step forward. It can’t be.

Promise me, tomorrow won’t be the end.

Another step, another step.

No matter what, we’ll find our way to each other somehow.

Faster. He’s running as fast as he can.

A familiar figure steps out of the waves, and even though it’s dark, Hongjoong knows who it is, and throws himself into her arms.

“You’re back.” Hongjoong sobs, blubbering, feeling warm skin and soft flesh under his fingers. “You’re alive. You didn’t die. Y-you...” He can’t believe it. A wild dream come true, memories pouring into his mind all at once like a floodgate finally opened after three years. “You came back.”

The person smiles, wiping the tears from his cheeks with one hand while the other traces his eyepatch gently. Warm, warm and real. “I did. I promised, didn’t I?” Your voice is just like how he remembers it, clear and honest, not a hint of deceit in every word that leaves your lips. “Tell me, Hongjoong. Call my name again.”

Hongjoong sobs harder, but his laugh is bright enough to light up the dark beach all on its own.

“Your name,” he says, “is Chin Hae.”

“That’s right.” You say, and kiss him.