#tired-of-obscure-sufferings

[lastoneout]

Have you seen nilered's video about making coffee from scratch?

It's euhhh..... interesting....

Oh god what did he do now kfjdslkjf

[cheerioskid]

moon goddess pearl and sun god grian from the moonrise au by @germworms and i!!

more explanation below

basically pearl and grian are siblings and they both control the sun and moon on the world the au takes place on (we called it "square earth" hehe)

their respective prophets are mumbo and bdubs (mumbo stayed up all night anyway working on redstone contraptions so pearl figured he would be the best candidate and bdubs always sleeps through the night and enjoys the day so grian chose him) theres silly sibling beef between them bc mumbo is grians fav human and pearl just had to choose him :)

overtime grian starts to worry that he's falling into the habits of the old sun before him, joel--a collapsed star who turned himself into a black hole and brought the old moon goddess, lizzie, with him into nothingness and obscurity (may make a post about them later)

in an attempt to avoid this or at least postpone it, grian disappears to live life as a "human" in disguise (he's tired of working as a god anyway) and forgoes his duty for an indefinite amount of time. no one else, not even pearl, knows where he's gone

without the sun to warm the land the season remains as winter (called the "red winter" bc of how much death occurs) many humans suffer, leading them to resent pearl for what's going on. pearl is trying desperately to work with the other gods (mainly bigb) to figure out where her brothers gone but to no avail

that's all for now!! stay tuned for more updates and check out Sea (germworms) as well!!!

[k1ranishf4]

☆ Shared Warmth

☆ Arthur Morgan x Female Reader

☆ After getting back from dealing with those O'Driscolls and having brought a new addition to the gang, Arthur decided to take a look around the cabins before calling it a night. Surprise briefly flickered across his face when he saw her on her own in the main cabin, huddled up in front of a lantern and clearly trying to warm up. He noticed that it wasn't working well for her.

☆ Content tags/warnings: pre-relationship, late night talks, set in Chapter One of RDR2, no beta we die like Arthur Morgan, oblivious/ignorant idiot(s), kinda fluffy kinda neutral, implied angsty themes but overall lighthearted and as in theme with the game as I could get it, open “ending”

Colter's low temperatures might as well have been as bad as the whole ordeal in Blackwater. Even with a thick coat, the cold didn't stop seeping through his clothes, and he felt like a fool for not just staying in the room that Miss Grimshaw had pointed out to him earlier.

He hadn't felt like calling it a night just yet after having returned from the brief encounter with a few O'Driscolls, which was why Arthur was now walking around "camp" so aimlessly. His eyes fell on the fireplace that had been set up, and a huff escaped him. Sitting in the snow wasn't an activity that he was too keen on doing, and the fire looked like it'd give up soon, too.

Another strong gust of freezing wind made him lower his head, his hat obscuring his face and his nose burying itself in the collar of his coat. Grumbling under his breath, Arthur decided to check out the main cabin in which all of them had briefly gathered when they had first arrived. The rest of the gang had already retreated to their designated sleeping arrangements, aside from one or two exceptions, which was why he had thought the cabin might have been empty by now.

He was surprised to see that he had been wrong when he saw you peeking up at him from your curled-up form on the floor. "What're you doing here?", he asked, his tone as dumbfounded as he looked for a moment. He noted the lantern on the floor in front of you.

You had been a part of the gang for a while now, not as long as some of them but not exactly a brand new addition, either. "Trying to warm up", you muttered, tightening your arms around yourself.

He approached you, his steps slow. "With a lantern. Right." He saw you roll your eyes at his tone and the corner of his mouth curved upwards, hints of a smile on his face. He glanced around, then spotted one of the few blankets that they had brought from Mrs. Adler's house.

Grabbing it, he came to your side again and made you scoot over slightly so he could sit down next to you. "There," he murmured as he draped the blanket around your shoulders. Arthur heard your mumbled words of gratitude and only nodded, looking at the lantern in front of the two of you.

"Why're you still awake?"

"Could ask ya the same thing," he replied gruffly, leaning back against the wall behind him. Then he shrugged. "Ain't tired yet, I suppose." He heard you hum, then looked at you. "What about you?"

"I ain't tired," you echoed his words, your eyes meeting his.

A small, almost amused huff left him. "That so? If I recall right, you always fall asleep first." His amusement only seemed to increase when you gave him a pointed look. The graveness of their situation seemed to shift into the background, almost like he could just stop thinking about it for a moment.

"People change," you replied, shrugging.

He looked at the lantern in front of the two of you again, humming as his expression became somber for a moment. "Maybe."

Silence fell over the two of you, the only noise coming from the creaking wood every time the wind slammed against the cabin. It wasn't an oppressive silence, though.

Arthur's mind wandered for a moment. They had suffered because of the failure in Blackwater, and he didn't doubt that it would only become harder from that point forward. They had lost quite a few people and some were still missing, without any knowledge of whether they were still alive or not. Not to mention that they had had to leave immediately, leaving tons of money and other valuables behind. It didn't look good for them, nor was it easy to be optimistic at all, despite what Dutch had said.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when you spoke up again. "Aren't you cold?"

He looked at you, waving you off. "I'm fine."

"Right," you muttered sarcastically. "C'mon."

Before he could question what you were up to, you were already close to his side and had wrapped half of the blanket around him while the other half was still around you. He felt slightly warmer than before, not that he'd admit that.

Another moment of silence passed, neither of you speaking. Despite small moments of humor and lightheartedness, the situation was still dire. Everyone was even more serious than they usually already were. They had good reason to be.

"Arthur, do you think we'll ever return?" Your voice was quiet, almost like you doubted any positive answer to your own question. He looked at you, but your head was held low, staring holes into the floor.

A sigh left his lips as he turned his head and looked down as well. "I don't know," he murmured truthfully. His mind hadn't even been on the possibility of going back, instead focusing on surviving and making sure the rest of the gang did, too.

"Dutch seems to be convinced," you replied quietly.

"Are you?" He looked at you, his head tilted slightly. He noticed that you weren't expecting him to ask that, your eyes holding surprise and confusion, your lips parting slightly.

He watched you sigh. "I don't know," you mumbled. "We're already far away. I don't doubt we'll go even farther. I just..." Another sigh, then you lowered your head. He didn't like how defeated you looked, for some reason.

When Arthur realized that you weren't going to continue, he decided to push a little. "Just what?"

A moment of hesitation. Then, "I just want to live without a bunch of lawmen after us," you muttered.

He let out a breath as he leaned back against the wall. "Don't we all. But it ain't gonna be that easy."

"I know," you sighed.

He was caught off guard when he felt your head on his shoulder, turning his head to look at you. Your eyes were closed, and a bit of amusement washed over him. He didn't know how or why, but you made it very easy to forget everything else. He didn't know whether to consider it a liability or not.

"Not tired, huh?" The sarcasm was clear as day, but it wasn't as biting as he usually could be. When you grumbled at him to shut up, a genuine smile spread across his face. He let out a breath and leaned back, letting you rest against his shoulder.

It was warmer than it had been all night long, and he allowed himself to finally relax a little. Who knew if he would get the chance to do so again.

"Arthur?”

He wasn't expecting to hear you speak up again, assuming you'd prefer to try to sleep. He knew by now that you could be a chatterbox when you felt comfortable enough to talk as relentlessly as a waterfall; it shouldn't have surprised him to hear you again.

He hummed, indicating that he was listening.

"Do you think I could live a honest life if I wanted to? Or any of us, really."

He was beginning to wonder where all those questions were coming from. Not that he hadn't asked himself the same question before, but he knew that it would be impossible for them to become honest, law-abiding citizens. For him, at least.

"Sure," he replied after a moment. "You could. You and that Mrs. Adler, was her name. The rest of us, I ain't so sure."

He turned his head, seeing you looking at him. "Why?", you asked.

It seemed like a naive question, but he answered nevertheless. "The law don't like us. Not me, not Dutch or Hosea, not any one of us. They want to see us hangin'." A pause, then his voice lowered to something more serious. "They won't stop chasin' us until they get what they want."

As horrible of a thing as it was, it was the reality. He was a wanted man, almost all of them were. A group of wanted men and women. Arthur doubted that there was any chance of living an honest life for him. He'd been in this for far too long and he couldn't just up and leave. Not when Dutch and Hosea had been the ones who had taken him in and taught him everything he knew now.

He sighed and looked at you. "Shouldn't you be trying to sleep? Miss Grimshaw sure don't like slackers."

A small smile spread on his lips as he watched you roll your eyes. "She don't like nothing," you muttered. "Worse than my mother used to be when I was younger."

He said nothing. It was endearing to him, really. Not that he could explain why. "Just try sleeping, Miss.”

"Because it definitely works on command, Mr. Morgan," you muttered, and he could practically taste the sarcasm.

Still, he felt your head's weight on his shoulder, and the silence that followed minutes later showed that you were more tired than you had claimed to be.

He adjusted the blanket around you and mumbled a "Good night", then leaned back against the wall as his mind wandered again. He had left his journal in "his" room, which meant he had no other choice than to let his thoughts flow. He didn't want to wake you up, after all.

He couldn't explain why his heart was beating so fast, nor did he want to dwell on it. Must be from the whole moving lately, he told himself. Neither did he allow himself to think too hard about the way you were leaning against him as you gradually fell into a deep sleep. Surely you were just too exhausted.

Nothing too exciting about it.

☆ A/N: First time writing for Arthur, please let me know if there’s anything I could do better, be it writing style, his characterization or the text format! (I prefer the small print text format, but I’m also open to adjusting to your preferences)

☆ 1.6k words

[admiral-mason]

SAGAU x Forest Island

Based on this ask from @floofeh-purpi

This is Impostor AU again because why tf not lmfao

Reader is Gender Neutral

Warning: Violence, cult behavior, huntings

Ft. Yun Jin

Your ass can't be any more tired right now.

Ever since you were brought into Teyvat, you have been continuously hunted for "defiling Their Grace" or something. It started with Mondstadt- Jean personally sent all of the Knights of Favonius after you, forcing you to escape by hiding in Wolvendom.

Thankfully, reprisal came in the form of Razor, who didn't understand why he should be killing a random human that looked like a god. All the wolves near you also refused to attack you, and Razor treated you as if you were a Lupical.

Unfortunately, the Knights drove you out of Mondstadt, and you wouldn't have escaped if it weren't for a glowing yellow diamond you just happened to trip over.

Wait a minute is this Energy from Forest Island-

"You have nowhere to run, filth. By my sword, and in the will of Their Grace, I will strike you down-" Jean said before the diamond suddenly lifted itself up into the air and attacked Jean in the eyes, blinding her.

Suddenly, more of the same diamonds fell from the sky, attacking the other Knights and repeating what happened to Jean. This granted you enough time to escape from Mondstadt.

It didn't take long to confirm that the diamonds originated from Forest Island, an idle game you played in your pastimes alongside Genshin Impact. You obtained further confirmation when red heart icons suddenly appeared over local animals, whose affection for you grew tenfold.

These hearts regenerated stamina and helped foraged berries and fruits taste better, perfect boosts for a journey to Liyue...

...And suffer the exact same treatment. You'd be screwed right now if it weren't for energy diamonds blinding the absolute fuck out of your assailants with mere milliseconds to spare.

Then there's Yun Jin, who recognized you as the Creator, albeit with a weakened divine aura and in turn indistinguishable from an actual fraud with malicious intent. Even better, she actually tried treating you like a human, and within the short time you stayed with her, she got close to all sorts of wild animals that normally ran from humans.

"Oh, they're all so adorable, [Name]! Although I am an opera performer, never have I been given such treatment from animals before!"

Her family's great too! Although, with the amount of harassment the Yun-Han Opera Troupe gradually received for harboring an Impostor, you eventually decided to depart with a slightly tearful Yun Jin while reassuring her that you'll be back one day.

You head Inazuma, the same Impostor shit happens.

You trek on to Sumeru, and the same thing occurs!

Eventually, you just give up on all the nations, with everyone attacking you. So instead, you relegate yourself to an obscure beachhead, likely surviving on a crude fishing rod.

Sighing, you cast your rod into the waters, hoping to catch a fish to eat...

...Wait, why is the ground rumbling beneath you? And why is it intensifying?!

Suddenly, an absolutely huge-ass island slowly rose from the waters in the distance, and many diamonds fell from the sky, populating it with what appeared to be animals and fauna.

That finally solidified that indeed, your favorite pastime idle game decided to perform divine intervention that this world wouldn't give.

...Wait a minute- you get to live a cottagecore life without studying and taxes and shit!! Whoo!!!

General Headcanons

A green sea turtle helped you get to the island, offering to carry you on its back.

Immediately, all the animals left their respective areas and tackled you to the ground in their displays of affection. Thankfully, you weren't injured.

They all love you very differently; rabbits and foxes snuggle in your lap and nibble on the apples you feed them, while wolves and bears parade you on their backs and let you sleep with them during the night.

Ducks enjoy it when you sit near their pond's edge and pat their heads. Frogs just sit on their lily pads and croak happily at your presence.

Speaking of the night, all you need to sleep is a blanket on the floor! With a little energy from the island, you never feel too hot or cold.

You cleanse nature as a part of your new day to day cottagecore chores, and oftentimes the waste can be reused for cooking!

Sea turtles like lazing around with you on the beach. Sometimes, you'll even get sucked into the one indefinite whirlpool on the beach with them and feel the rush of a brief flight before landing on the mind-numbingly soft sand that somehow cushioned your fall.

Does and bucks like to scale and descend the island at running speed with you on their back. When they're not running, you lay up on them and they nuzzle you as you nap.

Alpacas and sheep shed their excess wool, allowing you to pick up other hobbies such as knitting and quilting, activities you would otherwise have lacked time back on Earth.

Raccoons play around with you, and they sometimes steal your food. Which is now effectively vegetarian although tasty thanks to the energy on the island. Other times, any leftovers you have go directly to them, effectively making them garbage disposal.

You climb trees while a gorilla carries you in its arms. Most would likely panic by now, but with the tight yet never harmful grip on you, you're reassured of your safety on this island.

Other fun things you do with the animals are swimming with dolphins, birdwatching, and stargazing with everyone at night.

Overall, a very nice time! And then one day, a ship from Teyvat appears in the distance.

They get blinded by island energy as usual, but they manage to get away...

...Oh boy.

Now, you have people and vision wielders on ships attempting to reach your island. However, it appears that the island recognizes what you suffered through.

Now, island energy does not just blind them- it actively forms literal yellow rods from god that tear away at the wooden ships.

Among the unwelcome figures, one welcome one stood out to you the most:

It was Yun Jin! She yelled and rapidly waved at you with a radiant smile, to which you promptly scaled down the island onto its beach and responded with your own massive wave.

Then, you noticed that the same green sea turtle that approached you that day performed the same action with her instead of you. It beckoned her to get on, and she did so hesitantly.

Once her little trip was over, she gracefully stepped down from the turtle before rushing to you to give you a gentle hug.

"I missed you, [Name]! I never thought I'd find you here of all places but I guess the commotion was right!"

And you quickly introduce her to the island's residents, who treat her with the same respect as you.

She decides to stay a while and you help her write a letter to her family, and an albatross volunteers to fly the letter to Liyue.

It's a peaceful life on the island, with Yun Jin constantly obtaining new ideas for opera and living a very domestic life. No need to worry about anyone you dislike either- the island is very protective over you and its inhabitants.

@floofeh-purpi Alright I finally answered your ask lmfao

[undiscovered-horizon]

[Sanji finds you crying and pretends to believe your excuses. Is anyone up for slow dancing in the rain?]

Enjoying my work? You can leave me a tip on Ko-Fi | Have a request?

When the time for supper came, Sanji knocked on your door to let you now. He was met with silence, so he naturally assumed you were sleeping. Not much of a problem - he'll set aside a portion for when you wake up hungry.

The problem is, that was around two hours ago.

Sanji knocked on your door again and when silence answered him this time also, he allowed himself to peek inside. Only to discover your bed is empty. He grew suspicious, if not worried, when no one could tell him where you went. It's the middle of the night and the rainstorm doesn't stop. Sanji also noticed how quiet and upset you've been most of the day, making him all the more tense that you are unaccounted for. The thought that you're obediently suffering in silence breaks him more each time he entertains it.

Sanji is scrubbing the cutting board with feverish vigour. The faster he finishes, the faster he can get to making sure you're fine. As though the fish scales knew his thoughts, they simply wouldn't get off the wooden surface.

The steel scrubber escapes his hands. It hits the sink with a quiet clank. He takes a deep breath to calm himself down and looks away from the pile of dishes. That's when he finally sees you through the smudged porthole. The rain outside obscures your silhouette. Nevertheless, Sanji is beyond convinced that it is, in fact, you. Despite the initial relief, he feels his chest tighten. You look like a marble statue, forever frozen still in grief.

Leaving the cutting board in the sink and grabbing his suit jacket, Sanji dashes out the door, making haste to you. What on Earth do you think you're doing out in this weather?

The cold rain hits him like a wall of ice. True, the cool water may feel refreshing after the hot and humid daytime hours but not at this rate of rainfall. Even if the nights in the open sea weren't so dark, it would still be impossible to see anything beyond the ship.

He has to come close to you to see the heartwrenching details of your silhouette. You're hunched over, staring at the turbulent waters below. The clothes you're wearing are absolutely drenched, no dry string in their material. Every now and then, your freezing body shivers violently.

"Love?" he calls out to you in an unsure voice.

But you don't react - at least not in the way he has been expecting you to. Instead of looking at him, you turn your face further away, quickly wiping it with your hands.

Sanji wastes no time. In long strides, he finds himself pressed up against your side and forcing his jacket around your shoulders. Considering the heavy rain it won't do much in the long run but maybe it can keep you warm until he convinces you to go back inside.

"Hey, look at me," he pleads in a soft voice.

Too tired and heartbroken, you let his warm fingers guide your face towards him. As if time suddenly slows down, you notice each wrinkle that appears and disappears when he studies your sorrowful expression. If he was a little less perceptive, Sanji would think your face is just wet from the heavy rainfall. The red veins of your bloodshot, puffy eyes are hardly visible in the darkness of the rainy night but not black enough to remain unseen by Sanji.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying? What happened?" he keeps asking. With each question, he feels the tension in his chest only rising.

"I'm not crying, I'm perfectly fine," you reassure him. Your forced scoff is followed by a pathetic sniffle. "It's just the rain. Saltwater irritated my eyes."

Of course, with your whole "I'm brave and strong and I can manage on my own" facade, you're not going to openly admit to weakness in front of anyone, even if it's painfully obvious. As much as Sanji considers your tough image charming, he wishes you would discard it once in a while - for your own sake.

"How can you be fine with saltwater in your eyes, princess?" Sanji goes along with your poorly constructed lie. His arms engulf you in a warm, albeit drenching wet, hug. "It must burn."

"Yeah, it does," you mumble against his soaking shirt. With a little more light, you would be able to see his bare skin from underneath the wet material. "But it's getting better."

One of Sanji's hands is keeping your head against his shoulder while the other drags up and down your back in a soothing gesture. The jacket he has put around your arms is already drenched, too. He feels your body shaking but can't be sure whether it's because of the "saltwater" or the cold weather. In any case, his heart breaks each time he feels those spasms. His mind panics in search of something that could possibly lift your mood.

The noise of the rainfall is disrupted by a soft, low hum. A melody you vaguely know rumbles inside Sanji's chest. Dean Martin...? Strong arms hold you tightly against his torso as he ever-so-gently sways you to the rhythm of the song.

A quiet giggle escapes your lips as you let yourself sink into the comfort of him. Up until this moment, the cosiness of a loved one's arms confronted with the coldness of a rainstorm, you've thought that scenes like these exist only in sappy novels written for naive young women.

"Slow dancing in the rain," you finally speak up. If it wasn't for the rather unpleasant rain drenching you to every last string of your clothing, yous wear you could fall asleep like this. "Aren't you a hopeless romantic, Sanji?"

"I'm just getting started, love," he murmurs against your hair, still slowly swaying your bodies despite having stopped the humming. You're inclined to believe that his chivalry ventures far beyond dancing in the rain.

"Oh, yes, please."

A low chuckle rumbles inside his chest. It merges into a symphony with the soft thrumming of his steady heartbeat.

"Feeling any better?" he asks in a serious tone.

To Sanji's dissatisfaction, you lean away from him to look at his face. Your eyes are still red but the curious glint he's learned to associate with you has found its way back into them. It seems like your grit, honesty or facade, has returned.

"What will you do if I say no?" you ask back.

As relief washes over him, Sanji smiles down at you. His hand slicks your drenched hair out of your puffy face.

"I should figure something out just for my baby," he answers without missing a beat. His fingers brush along your jaw and chin.

Before you have a chance to inquire, Sanji leans down and lifts you. A yelp of surprise is pulled out of your chest. Without much problem and clearly with a lot of enjoyment, he carries you back inside the lower deck of the ship.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Alt Assistant AU - Game Night

“Hey.”

Kara lets herself into Lena’s office, her greeting pulling her girlfriend’s attention to her.

“Hey,” Lena returns. At this hour, she should be tired, but there’s not a trace of exhaustion in the focused gaze that meets hers with a smile. “How’d it go?”

Kara grins. “I signed my contract with CatCo forty-three minutes ago.” 

Lena’s smile widens to beaming. “I knew you’d wow them.” She rises from her seat and leans in to press a kiss to Kara’s lips. “Congratulations, love.”

Lifting the bag of Big Belly in her hand, Kara shrugs her eyebrows invitingly. “Dinner to celebrate?”

Without a further word, Lena moves with her to the couch. Though she brings a stack of contracts with her, she holds off on reviewing them until after their burgers are devoured and the leftover fries long cold. Kara doesn’t mind Lena’s preoccupation– it gives her an opportunity to study Lena in profile, from the line of her jaw to the curve of her nose. 

“Hey,” Kara murmurs. 

“Hmmm?” Lena hums back, not quite looking away from the pages in her lap. Kara smiles.

“I’m hosting game night tomorrow.” Her declaration is met with a nod and another hum. “Wanna join?”

“Not really.” 

That’s another difference of this reality– this Lena declines invitations just as often as the old Lena used to, but not out of self-preservation. She simply feels no need to commit herself to something she’s not interested in. Most times, Kara admires her forthright, but tonight she can’t help the disappointment that courses through her.

Lena senses the change in her mood, and sets the contract down to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I want you to come,” Kara returns plainly. 

Lena’s brow furrows. “Why?”

It’s not an unreasonable question– Kara’s been hosting game not regularly since the reality reset, eager to reclaim one of the few things that helped her feel like nothing had changed. Lena has never expressed interest in attending, and Kara hasn’t extended the invite until now. But something has changed.

“My friends will be there,” Kara says. She lets her fingers trace the seam of the back couch cushion. She keeps her eyes on Lena’s. “I want you to meet them.”

Lena’s chin tilts to one side. “I see.”

“All of you are important to me,” Kara continues. “I want you all to know each other.”

She’s lived separate lives before– she has no interest in suffering similarly in this reality.

Lena’s pink lips twist into a smile. Her gaze teasingly turns askance, even as she gracefully scoots herself closer to Kara. “Well,” she purrs. “In that case…”

She leans in, and Kara closes the distance, capturing her lips– still tasting faintly of grease– in another kiss. 

“I suppose I can make the time.”

—

Game night is better than Kara could have imagined. In the previous reality, Lena’s first three game nights had seen her stiff and reticent, coiled tightly as though expecting a physical blow. But current Lena… Lena is on full display. All of her magnetism that draws investors in like moths to flame now brings Kara’s friends into easy conversation, her features bright and open.

She absolutely dominates at Monopoly, of course. And Trivial Pursuit. Kara cherishes every cheer of excitement when Lena succeeds, be it collecting rent or a correct, obscure answer. Lena’s clearly enjoying herself, which was Kara’s secondary goal for the night. Joining the two halves of her life will only work if both sides have fun.

The night ends when Lena heads out first. “Early meeting,” she explains, but Kara suspects she’s bowing out– at least in part– to give them time to report in and render judgement. 

When the door closes behind Lena, Kara takes a moment to deliver a load of dishes to the kitchen. She can’t help the grin that spreads her features– she can’t wait to hear her friends’ approval. But when she turns back to the line of solemn features lined up before her, her stomach drops.

“What? That– things went great! I thought—” She scans their faces. Alex, she can kind of understand. As her sister, she’s predisposed to being protective. Brainy, less so, but to Kara he seemed to be demurring to his own girlfriend, on whom Kara locks her gaze. 

“Nia?”

Nia at least, she expected to be receptive to Lena. They’d been friends in the previous reality, to Kara’s recollection, and her easy-going nature surely would have left her primed to adore Lena.

Except Nia’s grimace is widest of them all.

“I dunno…” She draws out the word, stretching it into an audible apology. “She’s nice, I guess, but… she’s also a little… intense?”

Kara blinks in surprise. “Intense? How do you mean?”

Lena can be intense. Kara knows this. She wouldn’t be a good executive if she wasn’t. Nor would she be able to go head-to-head in a male-dominated industry. But Kara hadn’t seen that intensity tonight. She’s genuinely confused, and waits for Nia to elaborate. 

“Well…” Nia seems at a loss for words, and she shoots a glance at the others for support. “She’s, uhh…”

“Obsessed with winning, for one,” Alex delivers bluntly.

Kara stares at her sister. “You’re mad because she… won?”

“It’s more than that,” Nia follows up quickly. “I don’t know how to really explain it, but she just doesn’t seem to… fit.”

“She has nothing in common,” Alex continues. “And I don’t like how she treats you.”

“Like what?”

“You waited on her hand and foot the entire night! Like you were her assistant!”

“It just felt like there wasn’t space for anyone else when you’re talking to her,” Nia says softly. “It might just be me, but…”

“It’s not.” Alex all but scowls. “All of us felt it, and the fact neither of you picked up on how uncomfortable we were says more than it doesn’t.”

Anger starts to build in Kara’s belly, but the hurt in her chest tamps it down. A lump lifts to her throat when she looks to the one person who hasn’t weighed in yet. 

“Brainy?”

His expression is pensive. “I too noticed the magnitude of Miss Luthor’s presence, which perhaps may not be well suited to such intimate evenings between friends.”

Kara presses her lips together. She takes a deep breath, then a second. Once she’s sure she can speak without her voice breaking, she swallows thickly. 

“I see.”

“Kara…” Nia trails off when Kara lifts her hand.

“I know you all must be tired. I’ll clean up,” she says. Nia opens her mouth to protest, but Alex places a hand on her shoulder. The younger woman slumps minutely as she quietly sighs. 

“Okay.” Nia rises from her seat, tugging Brainy towards the door. “I’m sorry, Kara. I just worry–”

“Thank you for your honesty,” Kara clips out. It effectively silences Nia, who glances sadly at her before she and Brainy slip out of the apartment. It leaves Kara alone with her sister, whose gaze she studiously avoids. 

“I’m not going to apologize,” Alex states. “She wasn’t the only one in the room tonight, and she was too full of herself to see that the rest of us weren’t gelling. And you deserve better than someone who treats you like the help.”

Kara doesn’t respond or look up from the knot of wood in her butcher block table. 

“I know it’s not what you want to hear–”

“I need to get up early tomorrow,” Kara grinds out. She’s heard enough. “Please leave.”

Alex doesn’t push any further. She nods, reaching for her jacket.

“Call if you need anything.”

Kara doesn’t breathe again until the door clicks shut. Only then does she release the pressure in her chest with a gasp, as the tears splash onto her cheeks.

—

Kara had lied about the early morning, but she finds herself sleepless regardless. She waits until the sun rises before she finally texts Lena.

What’re you up to? She sends, doing her best to sound casual and unaffected. She thinks she might have succeeded when Lena’s pending response immediately appears in the form of three pulsing dots.

Work, comes the quick reply. Seoul needs some cajoling.

Kara sends a sympathetic emoji back.

Should have everything handled in a few hours. Meet me at the office at 10? We can go to brunch.

Despite the gloom hanging heavy in her thoughts, Kara finds herself smiling. 

Absolutely.

She’s in front of LuthorCorp twenty minutes to ten, and sends a querying question mark to see if Lena’s already on her way down. Unsurprisingly, she gets a ‘ten more minutes’ in response. Kara decides to spend the wait inside, and makes her way up to Lena’s office. As the elevator lifts higher, Kara’s stomach sinks lower.

She won’t be able to hide this from Lena. Lena knows her too well, and besides that it wouldn’t be fair to let Lena believe something that wasn’t true. Still, Kara plasters on a smile before pushing the final door open.

Lena looks up, and her eyes spark with joy at the sight of her. She rises from her seat, meeting Kara halfway to the desk to greet her with a brief, sweet kiss. 

“Hey,” Lena says. “I just wrapped up the call. I just need to document what was discussed and then we can leave.  They were ornery, but I’m persistent, so they eventually came around.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Kara returns. She watches Lena return to her seat and soon the soft clicking of rapid typing filled the air.

“Last night was fun,” Lena says, glancing briefly up to catch Kara’s gaze. Her eyes are bright, betraying the honesty of her words. “And your friends are nice. I like them.”

“Yeah,” Kara breathes. Her fingers reflexively reach up to adjust her glasses. Lena’s typing pauses. She looks up at Kara for a poignant moment, and Kara can see the moment her walls shutter into place behind her eyes.

“Ah.”

Lena’s gaze returns to the computer screen, and her long fingers resume their typing. Her tone is even, but the neutrality in it is clue enough that she’s more affected than she wants Kara to know. 

“It… It’s not that they didn’t like you–”

“Don’t worry about it,” Lena says coolly. “I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.”

“What I mean is–”

“It’s fine, Kara,” Lena cuts her off, irritation leaking through her facade. “It doesn’t matter–”

“It does to me!” Kara blurts. Her vision wobbles through angry tears. Her throat aches, but with the truth hanging between them the dam has broken. “It matters to me.”

Lena’s fingers fall still. Her gaze softens as her eyes find Kara’s. After a moment, she pushes her chair back and rises. Crossing around her desk, she leans back against it, arms folding over her chest. Lena studies the ground at her feet for a long moment before lifting her chin.

“Is it something I can fix?”

The question is plain yet loaded with thinly veiled hurt, and it breaks Kara’s heart to hear it. Then in the next heartbeat, anger flares in Kara’s chest. The one thing she admired most about Lena in this reality, the one thing she was never forced to do here, was to remake herself into something she wasn’t. To change herself to be more palatable to others.

And here she is, offering to do just that.

For Kara.

“No,” Kara croaks. Then, stronger, “no.”

Lena takes a deep breath. “Kara, I can see how much it means to you, to live your life as a singular whole. And I get it– I do. But I’ve seen this before. I know if it comes down to a choice between them and me… I know I won’t be the one to keep you.”

Her voice cracks, and Kara’s heart stutters to see the sudden tears in Lena’s eyes. Her own cheeks are already damp, and her breath hitches in her chest. Lena pushes towards her at the sound of it. Her palms frame Kara’s cheeks so gently Kara only sobs again.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she whispers, lips quivering. “Kara...”

“You’re not.” Kara swallows, her hands coming to rest on Lena’s waist. The contact grounds her, lending her the strength that drained out of her the night before. It bolsters her, drying her tears even as Lena’s thumbs brush them from her cheeks. “You won’t.”

Kara leans in and kisses Lena firmly on the mouth. Then she wraps her arms around her, hugging her close enough to whisper low in Lena’s ear. 

“I love you, Lena.”

Lena’s arms tighten around her waist, burrowing her face against Kara’s neck.

“You will never lose me,” Kara vows. Her jaw tightens. “Never again.”

She pulls away with another fierce kiss. Lena lets her go, but her touch lingers as they disengage. Kara backs up, keeping her gaze on Lena for a long moment. 

“I have to go. But I’ll be back.” She smiles. “And brunch’ll be on me.”

Lena does her best to smirk, and it almost reaches her eyes. “Promise?”

Kara knows it’s meant to be a suggestive tease, but the nod she gives in return is as solemn as a vow.

“I promise.”

—

Kara issues only a short text to the group.

My place. Now.

If any of them had other plans, her tone plainly supercedes them, as fifteen minutes later her friends are all sitting on her couch watching her glare at them.

“I am angry,” she states, unnecessarily. “With all of you.”

Nia is the only one to quail at her tone. “Kara…”

“You are so indescribably selfish, each and every one of you. And you have the gall to say Lena is full of herself?”

Alex’s mouth opens in defiance, but Kara doesn’t give her the chance to speak. 

“But you’re right about one thing– last night was a test. Lena might have failed yours… but you failed mine.”

Nia and Brainy look at each other, but Alex’s features don’t soften a bit. It only rankles Kara further.

“So what if she wins at all the games? None of you can pretend you wouldn’t do the same in her place.” 

Brainy’s head tilts in concession, but her focus is caught once more by Alex once more drawing breath to protest.

“And the fact that I wait on her, as you so aptly put it?” she barks. “That I refilled her glass and kept her snacks topped up? What you conveniently failed to notice is that she didn’t ask me to do any of that!”

“No, she just expected it–!”

“I did it because I wanted to! Because I wanted her to be comfortable around my friends! Because I love her!”

Her voice rings out sharply in the sudden quiet. Kara hadn’t meant to admit it to them, not here, not now, but she refuses to take it back. She lets her scowl deepen.

“I love her,” she repeats, this time calmer. She looks at each of them. “I introduced you to the woman I love, and all you could think of were yourselves.”

Nia’s guilt visibly deepens, her shoulders bowing in on themselves. Brainy’s chin lifts, suffering the accusation stoically without denial. Only Alex remains unrepentant.

“Lena is kind and confident, and wonderful. She’s also stubborn, strong, and ruthless when she needs to be. I will not let her compromise any part of who she is just because you can’t handle who and what she is.”

A beat of silence follows, before Alex sighs.

“She was your boss, Kara,” she points out. Her tone, at least, has softened. “A boss you hated. And now she’s got you wrapped around her little finger? I don’t buy it. I don’t buy whatever she’s told you about how she’s changed, just to get you into bed–”

“Enough!” Kara shouts. Her hand slices through the air, silencing her sister, if only for a moment. She trembles with rage. “Don’t you dare say anything about something you know nothing about–”

“I’m your sister,” Alex fires back, “I know plenty–”

“She’s not the one who changed!” Kara cries, finally shocking Alex to a standstill. “You say you know me, but I’m the one who changed. For months, I’ve been different, and none of you have noticed.” She glares at her sister. “Not even you.”

None of them seem to know what to say. Even Brainy, astute and perceptive as he is, seems perplexed. She continues to glare at them, but ultimately reaches for her purse to leave. She’s done with this conversation. 

“Lock up after yourselves,” she snaps. “I’ve got brunch to get to.”

She leaves them all where they sit, gaping after her until she slams the door shut behind her.

[valentine-cafe]

˖⁺. meet me there, I'll give you your roses .𖹭 ݁

﹙ characters. ﹚ ─── our selection of decadent desserts ” 

. . . darling specials !! 🍰 : we highly advise that you read our wiki to understand some character lore 

꒰  toppings : pinterest ˖ character playlists ꒱

꒰  verse 781  ꒱

tiramisu . . . . . . alessio arias

the unkillable mercenary ˖ male ˖  a punk goth immortal mercenary with a bad boy esque. flirty, charming and a cocky, chaotic bastard with a love for music and dance. an antihero taking down an evil anti-inhuman organisation with his reckless nature. 

strawberry shortcake . . . . . . rishen herrera

the hybrid hero ˖ genderfluid amab ˖ a mantis-moth-spider hybrid and stem genius university student. a nerd with a heart of gold a determination to protect the city. switches between red smart and preppy aesthetic.

mango pudding . . . . . . zhào talisen

the poetic naga reaper ˖ male ˖ a dark academia poet. a grim reaper and naga who is quiet and aloof in nature. a hero in alias and an english literature student with a love for threatre. a beautifully macabre soul with a tongue of poetries.

black forest cake . . . . . . rishima singhania

the head scientist ˖ female ˖ a genius in all fields of science and a woman of stoicism. her cold heart gives way to surprisingly motherly tendancies. monochromatic 1960's aesthetic. the leader of a hero organisation across the multiverse and a renowned sceintist in her city.

affogato . . . . . . vespasiano agresta caliari

the charming vampire lieutenant ˖ male ˖ a vampire dilf - in reality simply a special opps sniper juggling between family and work. a man of charm, telepathy and shadow enthrall. suffering from the wounds of the heart and married to his job. serene, playful and tired to top it all off.

panna cotta. . . . . . pasquale agresta moretti

the adrenaline addicted poet ˖ male ˖ what contrasts the stillness of a poet? a wide open road speeding with cars backlit by red and blue lights. meet pasquale agresta moretti, intelligence agent by day and living on the line by night. . .

cannoli. . . . . . vinicio agresta moretti

the obscure shadow monster artist ˖ male ˖ the etching of paper drowns out deep, dark pools of silence. half-hung eyes to the sketch with a dozen open wide behind him, watching like a dark void. a haunted artist, vinicio agresta caliari, otherwise known as the boogieman. . .

  ꒰  verse 209  ꒱

croissant . . . . . . jìngyí herrera

the snake monster mad doctor ˖ male ˖ a yandere mad doctor who experiments on non-humans. all prim and proper, ever charming and serene on the outside - but is in fact a calculating and manipulative man. a poet tongue that knows how to deceive and twist the narrative.

red velvet cheesecake . . . . . . rishen herrera

the hybrid mad scientist ˖ genderfluid amab ˖ a yandere ceo of a science and research company. effortless and charismatic. a man of cunning intelligence. classy red aesthetic and an indulgent individual that masks evil ethics and sadistic non-human experiments with deceptive charm. 

lemon meringue cheesecake . . . . . . zhào hǎitāo

the demon reaper mercenary ˖ trans male ˖ a cold and calculated member of the resistance against the . a grim reaper with a demon symbiotically bonded to him. intelligent and ruthless. he feeds off vengeance and vows to bring justice to this foresaken world. dark male aesthetic. 

  ꒰  verse 1311  ꒱

​​​​​​egg tarts. . . . . . . jìngyí agresta

the naga mechanist.˖ male ˖ a cunning and ice cold mechanic. a naga and grim reaper who performs as an electric guitarist. deadly silent like a predator with a knack for torturing those that cross him in his workshop. if people see him as a villain for fighting back against discriminating humans then so be it. 

vada. . . . . . . . . . . rishen herrera

the femme fatale admiral ˖ genderfluid amab ˖ the leader of a special agent originisation. and assassin and spy. a man of great intelligence and seductive charm. effortless and femme fatale esque with a sharp tongue. a master strategist with a sense of justice. sassy, sarcastic and a natural leader. scary never wore a smile before him. 

churros. . . . . . . . . alessio agresta arias

the rockstar rebel leader ˖ male ˖ an arsonist and rebellion leader. a callous man with a sick sense of humour with the destructive power of kinetic energy manipulation. a punk rockstar when he is not causing explosions and stirring fear. flirty, humorous yet ready to do whatever it takes to avenge all fallen inhumans. 

ba bao fan . . . . . . . . . zhào hàoyú

the demon casino owner ˖ male ˖ a grim reaper possessed by a demon that feeds on lies. always ready for a good gamble at his casino. villainous yet charismatic. quite the possessive man who enjoys taking sadistic measures. dark male aesthetic with twisted grins and manipulation. 

 

꒰  verse 164  ꒱

key lime pie . . . . . emerald mania ( alessio agresta )

the master of magic ˖ male ˖ the first sorcerer who is considered a corrupt magic god. charming yet sadistic, he takes on the appearance of a demon and dwells in twisted forest. catching poor wanderers and experimenting on their souls. all magic originates from him and he intends to make people remember that. the gods fear his name and the very earth quakes in his presence.

rhubarb and strawberry crumble . . . copper resentment ( zhào talisen )

the snake deity of deceit ˖ male ˖ a siren-like monster that dwells in a large, cursed lake. considered a corrupt god with the power to destroy and reshape universes. a poettic tongue that spills lies and stirs chaos despite his divine and proper appearance. often said to lure beings into the water and challenge the gods. the gods fear his name and the very earth quakes in his presence.

  ꒰  verse 9948e  ꒱

milk tarts . . . . . . alessio agresta arias

the malefic sorcerer ˖ male ˖ a vintage goth sorcerer with a destructive amount of power. dry, sarcastic and chronically tired. a former rockstar who grieves the loss of his lover. now known as a cold-hearted spellcaster on a mission to bring the dead to life. 

lemon coconut tart . . . . . . zhào jìngyí

the wandering guarding reaper ˖ male ˖ joyously whimsy, a grim reaper who roams the afterlife after his early passing. always cracking a joke, poet in his own way and soft in nature - yet able to switch instantly on those that underestimate him. he ventures through the realms to aid in missions of the gods. soft aesthetic. 

tres leches cake . . . . . . rishen aryielus

the devil in angel's robes˖ genderfluid amab ˖ a charming and attractive angel of pure divinity. raised by the gods with seemingly a heart of gold. but a frightening presence and terror amount of sword skill despite his benevolent appearance. making most believe that he might indeed be a demon. 

passionfruit custard tart . . . . . . zhào hàoyŭ

the rebel reaper˖ male ˖ a dramatic and charismatic grim reaper with a knack for art. ever as flirty and adorned in a punk goth aesthetic with vintage twists. ever as flirtatious and sometimes chaotic. the heart of a rebel who fights to change the system of his world and the divine while he's at it. a vexer of the gods. 

almon jelly . . . . . . zhao yìzé

the mercenary reaper ˖ male ˖ an aloof grim reaper who delves into mercenary. taking out his anger in weaponry and kills. a caring soul who would rather remain cold as to not wear his heart on his sleeve more than he already has. cyberpunk aesthetic with a rebellious flair. 

mango pancakes . . . . . . zhào hǎitāo

the instigator reaper ˖ trans male ˖ an mortician who also delves into the black market as an informant. calm and collected yet ample times cunning. ready to strike down those that deserve. an instigator in nature. soft boy blue aesthetic.

red bean bun . . . . . . yuè mèng yáo

the grim reaper mother ˖ female ˖ a woman of great serenity and traditional in her culture's ways. known for her wisdom and peace - yet also the frightening presence that she brings in her wake. the leader of a grim reaper sanctuary and a mother protective of her kids.

bungeoppang . . . . . . . kyung seong-jin

the diurnal reaper detective ˖ male ˖ a supernatural detective with no filter. a grim reaper who is cold in nature. the heir of a renowned reaper family with a dark male aesthetic. often considered rude - yet dutiful. he has no restraint in his blunt tongue - yet has a warm heart for those he holds dear. 

sakura pudding. . . . . . . shimada takara

the killer kitsune ˖ genderfluid ˖ a kitsune masking their nogitsune nature. chaotic and wild with a bite for thrill and danger. constantly seeking a way to keep themselves from boredom. he finds himself in rasui's mercenary syndicate to manage his violent tendencies. a mix of traditional and cyberpunk aesthetic. 

revani . . . . . . . rasui

the fire elemental mercenary leader ˖ male ˖ a mercenary leader who is ever as regal and serene. cold on the exterior and strict in nature. a sometimes domineering fire elemental who tries to remain as callm and collected as possible. proper and formal in aesthetic. 

mango sticky rice . . . . . . . lisse

the fatale nature elemental merc leader ˖ female ˖ a charming nature elemental and the leader of the thorn mercenary syndicate. a woman of sweet smiles and sultry, batting lashes who prefers to lure her victims in, play around, before going for the kill. beauty is a weapon and her act of sweetness paired with seductive allure certainly does the trick. a sadistic woman who loves her flowers and tea.

kheer . . . . . . . shalika vaishya

the divine-scorned cultivator writer ˖ female ˖ a cultivator turned "gods' lapdog" as they call her. constantly running around and solving their bidding while uncovering the mess of magic within her city. a reporter trying to juggle her life as a cultivator scorned by the divine — and a dark voice whispering vengeance in her mind. instead she'll write it out.

peach & almond crostata . . . . . . nadia armetta stenskjold

the villain harpy sculptor ˖ female ˖ either dwelling in her famous sculpting store or wreaking havoc within elritea, the harpy villain. harbouring a blood lust not many understand, specifically for the renowned zhào family and it's lady. her fury deeper than the holes she drills into the rock of her newest work.

 

꒰  verse 9819  ꒱

caramel cheesecake . . . . . . . . alessio agresta arias 

the serial killer magician ˖ male ˖ the effortlessly charming leader of a crime specialist syndicate. a sort of robin hood and outlaw with a dark male aesthetic. serial killer of several politicians. cunning, witty and justice seeking. evading capture and playing games with the government council like the illuionist he is 

choc-raspberry pudding cake . . . . . . . . rishen herrera

the mastermind investigator grim reaper ˖ genderfluid ˖ an intelligent and cunning world renowned investigator with a thrill for danger. constantly searching for a possibility of him being wrong. old money aesthetic, brimming with charm and charisma. a confident, witty being trying to ignore his lineage as a grim reaper. he'd much rather solve crimes than reap souls.

éclair . . . . . . . . zhào jìngyí

the charming inventor reaper ˖ male ˖ an influential artificers and clock tower workers. a grim reaper and investigator. a brilliant man of many crafts and skills, with a mission to solve the most recent murders around the city. a sharp minded and wise man with a poetic tongue to riddle his suspects mad. charm and charisma yet manipulation and cunning tactics hide behind this alluring smile. a poet, an artist

strawberry cupcake . . . . . . . . denara agyros

the darling sorceress heir ˖ female ˖ a lunar sorceress and heir to a renowned magic family. gothic in aesthetic and a lover of horror. yet soft and optimistic. a tender soul with a dark side. a kind nurse fighting off her jealous nature. burying into her love for thriller writing. 

red velvet cookies . . . . . . . . zhào xīyáng

the grim reaper mercenary boss ˖ male ˖ a collected and deadly quiet mercenary boss grim reaper. frightening with a taste for danger. a mix of oriental and refined white aesthetic. cold in nature and has ever the blunt tongue mixed with dry humour. he shakes hands with the devil to protect his city. 

  ꒰  verse 9948v  ꒱

kulfi. . . . . . . . rishen herrera

the mad cultist composer ˖ genderfluid amab ˖ a blank cultist with the ability to manipulate blood itself. a composer who writes with the very crimson he sheds. monotone with a dark sense of humour. cursed to glitch into phantom versions of his doppelgangers across the multiverse. a nercomancer with red esque.

mooncakes. . . . . . . . zhào hàoyŭ

the vengeful phantom ˖ male ˖ a phantom that haunts his world. sadistic and psychotic. careless with the souls he pulls from the afterlife to aid in his brutal massacres. possessive, obsessive and yandere in every way. with a morbid sense of humour and a smile etched on his face at all times. 

  ꒰  verse-less  ꒱

berry crumble . . . . . . . . jìngyí verseless

the demon alchemist ˖ male ˖ a demon with a frightful reputation. silent, sadistic and intelligent. best known for his alchemist shop in the dephs of hell. a dark oriental aesthetic with hints of modern. ever as graceful and beautifully macabre. loves to tempt his anger and remind others why he rose through hell's ranks.

kourabiethes . . . . . . . . valerius ariti

the hex demon lord ˖ male ˖ a serene demon lord who casts hexes through the multiverse. indifferent and ever ready to accept a deal so that he might play around with a mortal. regal and strewn in gold. divine to the point some consider him a god. refined and charming despite his brutal nature and vanity. 

cherry custard tart . . . . . . . . orion

the abyssal angel general ˖ male ˖ a silent and poetic angel who ranks as a general. known for his watchful eye over the abyss. cold in exterior and a strategic warrior. yet beyond caring with those he holds dear. a wise soul who can be a bit of a trickster at times.

[crimsonmonsoon]

The wedding scene but its a cowboy/western AU HUZZAH!

I kinda wanted to write what this scene would look like in this AU... So read that below for funzies.

Side note my dad walked in after I finished this and said "wow! Who's the little princess?" so Xie Lian is now a princess, confirmed.

All the beasts, demons, creatures, and even the wind itself had gone quiet as Hua Cheng approached the wedding carriage. He'd waited a few moments after slaughtering every binu that remained, skulking about the carriage which held one person--presumably a bride, but of course, he knew who it really was, why else would he be there? One of the doors--curtain closed over the window--lay ajar, evidently bashed in by some beast which had dismantled the hinges. Though the wind hand no resonance, there was a slight cacophonous creaking from this door laying askew, gently rocking back and fourth in its tired frame. Hua Cheng approached and pushed the door slightly open.

He kept his head bowed, ensuring his hat cast a shadow over his face so that his beloved would not see the hideous monster that lay beneath. He picked up on Xie Lian--dressed in a frilly white and inconvenient wedding gown--shifting, his breath changing at the sight of Hua Cheng's outstretched hand. Hua Cheng could practically hear Xie Lian's anxious thoughts, knowing not to trust the dark figure before him while also deciding to give in, likely under the impression he could save someone. That's always what Xie Lian would do. He'd save someone he'd never know, even if it meant he had to suffer greatly.

But he wouldn't be suffering with Hua Cheng. At least, Hua Cheng hoped he wouldn't.

The light touch of a gloved hand against his own sent chills up Hua Cheng's spine. He kept still, allowing Xie Lian the time to shuffle to the edge of his bench in order to bunglingly step out of the carriage with a dress so large. Hua Cheng didn't even know what to think of the dress. He decided it best not to look at his beloved, lest he act stupid. He kept his patience, assisting Xie Lian out of the carriage.

The hoop-skirt beneath all those petticoats got caught in the door frame and Xie Lian, having no experience in matters like these, immediately fell forward. He gasped and Hua Cheng quickly caught him, holding him respectful and giving him a moment to gather himself. He noticed Xie Lian's eyes had caught the butterfly pattern on Hua Cheng's sleeves. However, the wedding veil likely obscured too much of Xie Lian's vision to see much further than that.

Hua Cheng helped right Xie Lian on his feet, careful to make sure that the white gown didn't touch any of the bloody corpses of wolves surrounding them. He could sense Xie Lian was wary of him, likely planning a way to attack if anything implied Hua Cheng might pull a stunt. So, he was as meticulous with him as possible, showing more gentleness to him than he had to anyone ever before. His pace was slow, so Hua Cheng matched is, nonchalantly leading him away from the wedding carriage, which had been cut free of horses.

As they passed a dense tree line into a carved path, wolves began to scamper in the distance, circling around and beginning to close in. Xie Lian's tender gloved hand clutched Hua Cheng's in anticipation. As one wolf, louder than the others, came particularly close, Xie Lian had actually reached for the gun at Hua Cheng's hip, to his alarm. However, he could help but smile as Xie Lian softened again, having heard that these wolves weren't circling them as predators, but were whimpering and creeping away in fear. The pistol was never drawn.

Then they came across a skull. Hua Cheng acted as if he had not seen it, purposely making an effort to crush it under his step. He could hear Xie Lian's small breath of confusion and mild concern. Xie Lian would be more surprised to hear the pitter patter of rain on the umbrella Hua Cheng had just drawn. However, it wasn't raining. Over the howling of wolves and the cold still air, a smell of blood arose, almost overwhelming to the senses. Hua Cheng remained composed, and Xie Lian relaxed again.

When the blood rain came to a stop, so did the two immortals. They stood beside each other, still hand in hand. Xie Lian side stepped away, lifting his head to get a better look at the man who'd guiding him away from the wedding carriage. It was clear he'd been waiting to do this, slightly lifting his skirt with his free hand to release the cattle-rope--previously hooked around his hoop-skirt--out and in Hua Cheng's direction like a striking rattlesnake.

The cattle-rope was met by an enormous eruption of silver butterflies, twinkling like a thousand stars. Hua Cheng had vanished.

[phoenixblaze1412]

Would it be okay to request reader who always goes against dottores experimentation methods for example if they saw him experimenting on an animal they try to pull him away to stop

Dottore had always believed himself impervious to the meddling of others. His world was ruled by logic, driven by results, and devoid of the sentimentality that tethered so many to mediocrity. Or so he thought, until you entered his laboratory—a storm of compassion and conviction that he hadn’t anticipated.

Your first encounter was as dramatic as it was unforgettable. The smell of antiseptic lingered in the air as you barged into his private lab, your eyes immediately locking onto the caged creature on the operating table. A fox, trembling with fear, was strapped to the cold metal. Dottore stood beside it, meticulously adjusting a contraption designed to test the limits of biological endurance.

“What do you think you’re doing?” you demanded, voice sharp and unwavering.

Dottore barely spared you a glance. “Progress,” he replied, as though the word alone justified everything.

You strode forward, placing yourself between him and the trembling animal. “This isn’t progress. This is cruelty!”

His crimson eyes narrowed as he finally looked up at you. “Compassion is a luxury, and luxuries have no place in scientific advancement.”

But you didn’t budge. “If that’s what you think, then you’ve already lost sight of what makes any of this worthwhile.”

From that moment on, you became an unrelenting thorn in his side—a constant voice of morality in a world he’d designed to be devoid of it.

Dottore had thought your interference would fade over time, but he’d underestimated your resolve. Each time he brought a new specimen into his lab, you were there, questioning him, challenging him, and sometimes even outright sabotaging his work.

One particularly tense afternoon, he found you carefully undoing the straps on a bird he’d restrained for testing. The creature chirped in distress, flapping its wings weakly as you tried to soothe it.

“Do you ever tire of this?” he asked, his voice deceptively calm as he watched you from the doorway.

“Do you ever tire of hurting things weaker than you?” you shot back, not even looking at him as you worked.

The room fell silent for a moment, save for the quiet sounds of the bird’s panicked breathing.

Dottore approached slowly, his footsteps echoing in the sterile lab. “You know,” he began, “there’s a certain arrogance in thinking you can save everything.”

“And there’s a certain arrogance in thinking you have the right to decide who suffers,” you retorted, finally turning to face him.

He stood mere inches from you now, his towering frame casting a shadow over your smaller one. His mask obscured much of his expression, but his eyes glinted with something unreadable. “You’re wasting your time.”

“And you’re wasting your humanity,” you replied, holding his gaze.

For a moment, it felt like a battle of wills, but neither of you moved. Finally, with a sharp exhale, Dottore turned away. “Do as you please,” he muttered, waving a dismissive hand.

And so, you did.

Over time, something unexpected began to shift. Dottore found himself watching you more closely, not out of irritation but out of intrigue.

He didn’t understand you, your unwavering compassion, your stubborn refusal to compromise your morals, your determination to see the good in a world he’d long since deemed irredeemable.

One evening, as he worked late into the night, he noticed you lingering in the corner of the lab, carefully tending to a small injured rabbit you’d rescued from one of his experiments. The sight should have annoyed him, but instead, it stirred something unfamiliar in his chest.

“You know,” he said, breaking the silence, “you expend a great deal of energy on things that are ultimately inconsequential.”

You looked up at him, your hands still gently cradling the rabbit. “They’re only inconsequential to someone who’s forgotten how to care.”

The words hit harder than he cared to admit.

Despite your differences, an odd sort of rhythm began to develop between the two of you. You became a constant presence in his lab, not just to challenge him but also to help him refine his methods. While you couldn’t stop him from conducting his experiments altogether, you managed to steer him toward less harmful approaches.

“Why do you care so much?” he asked one day, his voice unusually quiet as he observed you releasing a rehabilitated animal back into the wild.

“Because someone has to,” you replied simply.

The honesty in your answer left him uncharacteristically speechless.

Over time, Dottore began to change in ways he didn’t fully understand. He found himself pausing before certain experiments, questioning whether they were truly necessary. He began devising new methods—ones that didn’t involve unnecessary suffering—and, though he’d never admit it, much of that was because of you.

The clones noticed the change too. They watched with barely concealed curiosity as you and Dottore bickered, collaborated, and eventually grew closer. Some of them found it amusing, while others were genuinely perplexed by how someone as stubborn as Dottore could be so deeply affected by you.

One particularly stormy night, you stayed late in the lab, working on a joint project with Dottore. The rain battered against the windows, and the power flickered occasionally, casting strange shadows across the room.

As you leaned over a set of blueprints, Dottore stood beside you, his gaze drifting to your focused expression. Without thinking, he reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from your face.

You froze, glancing up at him in surprise. “What was that for?”

He pulled his hand back quickly, as though burned. “It was... in the way.”

You couldn’t help but smile. “You’re terrible at lying.”

For once, he didn’t have a retort. Instead, he turned his attention back to the blueprints, his ears tinged faintly red.

It wasn’t long before the tension between you became impossible to ignore. One evening, as the two of you argued over the ethical implications of a new experiment, the argument took an unexpected turn.

“You’re impossible,” you huffed, crossing your arms.

“I absolutely am not,” he shot back, though there was no real heat in his words.

For a moment, neither of you spoke, the air thick with unspoken feelings. Then, before you could overthink it, you closed the distance between you, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

Dottore stiffened in surprise, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he cupped your face with a gloved hand, deepening the kiss with a tenderness you hadn’t expected from him.

When you finally pulled back, his crimson eyes searched yours, his expression uncharacteristically vulnerable. “You’re infuriating,” he muttered, though his tone was more affectionate than annoyed.

“And you’re a work in progress,” you replied with a smile.

From that day forward, your relationship took on a new dynamic. While you still clashed over his methods, there was an undeniable warmth between you that hadn’t been there before.

Dottore would never admit it, but he began to see the world a little differently through your eyes. You reminded him of the humanity he’d tried so hard to suppress, and, though it terrified him, he found himself grateful for it.

As for you, you found yourself falling for the man behind the mask—a brilliant, flawed, and surprisingly tender soul who, despite his rough edges, had a heart worth fighting for.

[serickswrites]

So Tired III

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Warnings: captivity, torture, restraints, gag, burns, unconsciousness, video recording

Whumper made sure they were completely covered and no part of their skin or body showed. They held the voice distorter in one hand and the camera in the other. "It's show time, Whumpee," Whumper said with great flourish.

Whumpee was slumped over in the chair Whumper had moved them to just for this occasion. They were still bound at the wrists and ankles and the gag was still in their mouth. Their chin rested on their chest, obscuring their features and half the burns from view.

"Caretaker will love to see you. Smile, Whumpee, it's your moment," Whumper said as they turned the camera on to record.

"Look what Whumpee has been up to while they were gone, Caretaker," Whumper said into the distorter. They wanted Caretaker to know how much pain Whumpee had been suffering. Wanted Caretaker to see how bad it is. Wanted Caretaker to suffer.

They circled Whumpee's body as they spoke, wanting to be sure Caretaker got every angle. "Look at how lovely their skin is now," Whumper said as they pointed a gloved finger at some of the different burns on Whumpee's body. "That's a chemical burn. This is an electrical burn. This is from fire, as I'm sure you can tell. And these, these are scalding burns! Did you know how different they all look on the body?"

Whumper stopped as they reached Whumpee's front again. "But don't worry. We're not done learning what burns do to the body, right Whumpee? Say something to Caretaker!"

Whumper grabbed Whumpee's hair and pulled, yanking Whumpee's head off their chest. "Sleeping when we're sending a video to Caretaker? How rude! Where are your manners, Whumpee?" Whumper dropped Whumpee's head.

"I apologize, Caretaker. Let me wake them up so they can offer you an apology." Whumper pressed a finger to a particularly large burn on Whumpee's shoulder.

Whumpee woke with a howl of pain, their jaw clenching around the gag in their mouth. Whumpee's hazy gaze found Whumper's and they glared. "So spicy, Caretaker. So fiery. You can see why I picked fire for them. To match their spirit.

"Oh well, we have a lot do do, Caretaker. Ta Ta for now!" Whumper turned off the camera.

"What do you say we see what happens when we pour salt on some of these burns, Whumpee? I bet that will feel so nice," Whumper said with a smirk. "Perhaps we can follow that up with some rubbing alcohol to make sure you're nice and clean."

Tags: @mousepaw @jumpywhumpywriter @knightinbatteredarmor @hufflepuffwritingstuff2 @anightmarishwhump

@steh-lar-uh-nuhs @celestialsoyeon @st0rmm @ay5ksal @pedro-pedro-pedro-pedro-pe

@sausages-things @light-me-on-pyre @written-by-jayy @whumpstation @lthrboy

@whumpity-whumpwhump @keeper-of-all-the-random-things @artisticdemon @3736drab @st0rmm

@pepeniascat @whumpitywhumpwhump

[quirkle2]

The tiles are no longer white, and the bathroom looks compressed and scintillated; hotspots of light blare in seething oranges, corners buzz in deep purples, noises manifest in confusing patterns that obscure other patterns. It hurts. The tiles aren’t white anymore. Nothing is quiet. The colors pour in. Shigeo is tired of color.

another scene from rainspeak ! suffered a bit with the colors but i don't ,, Hate this, so up it goes <3

[doodlenoodleboi]

Hello! I have a request for Sal Fisher! Can you please write something about him with a reader who suffers from anxiety and that leads to her eating a bit faster than other people? She feels really embarrased when someone points it out. Comments like "Are you done already?" get to her, but she doesn't say anything and instead ducks her head because she is too shy and non-confrontational to stand up for herself. Thank you! <3

Sal Drabble

The vibe

Sal

It was a high school summer, these summers you could choose to either be a kid again or grow as an adult. We have a difficult time choosing these things. Why must we choose things that we don’t want to why not just live the moment?

“Hey! Hey! Bro, wake up!” I was Welcomed by the faces of my two best friends Sal and Larry, a rather interesting duo. The night before or rather shall I say a couple hours ago we had a sleepover at Larry’s house. I was tired and confused by the sudden disruption of my sleep.

“What?” I said, practically still asleep, rubbing my eyes from the crusty buildup of rheum.

“We’re leaving!” Sal said his smile evident in his voice, even though his prosthetic covered his face. I had never been out at night, especially with these two friends. Apparently it was a common thing amongst Larry and Sal. Sal even took off his prosthetic couple times. Nobody could see you in these dark streets, nobody was there to breathe in the air instead of that suffocating mask as Sal described.

Funny enough, Sal might dislike his appearance but the only thing that he truly appreciates about it, it is how it finds him real friends. Ones that couldn’t care less about his appearance. Those ones still tight, so now we’re strolling late at night down these streets I can’t remember. Soon I’ll never see the streets and will have to go away we have to be independent adults. Maybe even barely seeing each other and that sucked, just even the thought.”

The cold air braised everyone’s skin, obviously cool, but nothing close to freezing. Sal’s shoulder, blue hair covered his face for the most part. The way his face had been obscured as a child scared the creeps away but kept his friends closer. The way his right cheek torn reminded me of Mileena (MK reference).

The walk down the cold streets were quiet the only interruption being Larry every so often comments. And the sound of Sal’s skateboard against the road, streetlight and moonlight being to be only source of illumination.

I simply followed, along like a lost puppy going along with the flow, not wanting to ruin the vibe. It was uncomfortably quiet until Larry made his extroverted comment about being hungry. We stopped at a (insert place), probably close to our destination.

Larry ordered for everyone being the extrovert, he is of the group. Then we left, soon we made it to our destination. An abandoned skate park, right next to it was a building covered in graffiti. It was a comforting vibe about the place, because even if it was abandoned, I’m sure many people have still came here even though such information had been given.

I sat on the top of the Quarterpipe, a rather vacant area until Larry decides to sit next to me. I wasn’t fond of eating in front of people, maybe feel uncomfortable and watched. They could have absolutely no interest in me, but for some reason, I feel like all eyes on me. I am the best person in the world because I could be the absolute worst. I’m scared of people’s perception of me.

I started to eat next to Larry not wanting to confess that I am uncomfortable with the situation. I had been made fun of in the past because of my eating habits. As I ate my food, almost finished with it, Larry responded. (damn little lady you sure can pack it away. Jk) “Yo Bruh you look like Kirby right now, fucking that shit up.” in between the time of now and then, Larry was high, and that truly made me laugh forgetting about the previous situation given his state.

“Shut up Larry.” sal had said as he skated over to him. “He’s probably just high don’t mind him.” For a while, I would be dealing with a high Larry and a Sally who couldn’t care to do more than skate to get his mind off everything.

That night she realized she was surrounded by people. She wouldn’t have to worry about being embarrassed around. After all, they all are flawed.

(I am so sorry this was so rushed and so last-minute)

[msbunnat]

I'm quite new to the story of Ganymede and you look like the type of person who is very well written with it. What's his whole thing with Zeus?

I am... I love Ganymede and I have look on a lot of things about him, but I'm not any type of scholar or a specialist, I just love him and want to use him for also my art, as a tool for me to explore a lot of personal things too.

But, lets go!

In resume, Ganymede's myth is: He was a prince of Troy and his beauty was so stuning that the gods decided to take him from the mortal realm and he became the cupbeard of Zeus. He become imortal and have eternal youth.

Now, most versions say it was Zeus that choose him, other say it was like a colective decision and the reason can be two: He cant be in the mortal realm because he is to beautiful or the gods just wanted a new cupbeard and he just stand out at the moment. After that we have versions saying that Zeus was the one that Kidnapping him, or his eagle Aetos (but some we just dont know who took Ganymede). Not long after there re a lot of versions saying that Zeus fell for him, and their relationship is based on pederasty. Some more 'recent' mentions rape and there re a lot of artists exploring Ganymede suffering in the aspect that he was probably a child (12 - 18 years).

The end of the myth is really blurry... Some say he just stayed as a cupbeard, others he became the aquarius constelation. His family have a big role on the myth, as they re so sad and obviosly pissed for losting his son and brother, that some versions metion as the constelation was a way to Zeus calm them to know that his son is ok (but will never come back), when its not the constelation, Zeus give them magical horses (probably sons of poseidon or hermes - not sure). I have found one saying the family 'recive' both the constelation and the horses. There re also metions of Ganymede turning into a god of homo love, and he join Eros 'love army' the erotes.

Zeus have his fame, and dosent matter the version, Ganymede was kidnnaped, so we have some easy conclusions of abuse if they have a relationship. Basicaly there is not a set answer for their relationship, its a open field to a lot of things.

This myth is intrestily short and kinda obscure. But its well know as the myth of the only male lover of Zeus. (Plato was a big shippes of them kkkkk - just remember it was a different time and the social rules didnt see an adult and a teen have relations as bad as today).

Some funny things: Ganymede is pratically the only mortal non hero that goes to Olympus and kinda became god. His family is one of the only that recive a 'satisfaction' from the gods - like most kidnapped victims just come back or they desapear/die and the family dont have any information after (this makes me interpret this myth as one of the firsts ways to soft the lost of a young son to death, saying he actually was taken by the gods and not by death). And the cupbeard job was one of the highest, like, Zeus is almost always with a comitive (?) of six/five gods that serve him, and serving food is so important for Xenia and a trust job cause you can poison someone so high rancking.

I really like all that can come from this myth. I like the suffering view, the death of young beauty interpretation, the body horror of becaming immortal, explore Zeus and Hera with his 'lover' so close, explore abuse, expore others sides of Zeus (thanks to some rage comments, I end up learning so much about him, its a shame how he is descharacterized)... But mostly I love when Ganymede have a personality (this is the thing I care most and am affraid to do a terrible job in the comic kkkk) this boy is like a blanck page with so many mistery as we know almost nothing about him, just his family and his beauty... (ok, we have some mentions of him playing with Eros and him on the trojan war asking Zeus to help the trojans, but its SO LITTLE! I NEED MORE!!).

*sorry about my english, I'm tired to correct any word for now... -w-

Edit: I think its good to say that myths, tales, all this little stories are mean to be vague and metaphorical. That is why we cant say anything as a fact, but as the most stablished storyline. That is also why we can mold it to our taste and propuse, by that I mean all takes/fanfics/reimaginations wahtever, all of them re valid ways to explore and mantain our human culture alive.

[whydousernamesevenexist]

love walking in the rain. hate the concept of wet clothes. i'm tired of life and it's obscure sufferings

[bahrtofane]

here we go again - pt.2

pt.1, pt.3

jude x fem!reader , trent x fem!reader

empty promise after another leaves you walking in the cold. alone. on valentines day. youre never speaking to another player again. but, a familair face is here to save the day

word count - 2.2k+

watch it - jude is still an ass sorrehhh. angsy angst and more angst ! ur welcome

-----

You don't know where the hell you are, what time it is. A few more minutes you're going to forget your own name and start screaming to feel something other than misery. So  much for the holiday of love. You are feeling so much love you could jump out of a plane. With no parachute. And land on a pile of rocks. 

You kick a trash can out of frustration and groan at the impact it gives your poor exposed and suffering toes. 

You can not believe the events of today. Everything keeps replaying over and over like a broken projector. The fact that he got you to dress up in your favorite special occasion floor length dress just to have it drag across the grimy dirty fucking disgusting club floor. Oh god you want him dead. 

You're deep into Birmingham nightlife by the time your senses come back to you enough to fish your phone out of your bag. The bag is a birthday gift from your mother of all people forced to be seen among that bunch of people,it makes you seeth. 

You should have known taking you to Birmingham wasn't a good idea. It made no sense in your head, why fly from Madrid to god damn Birmingham. You both live and work in Madrid? Your sweet naive mind thought he came up with something unique, something sweet. 

You groan the second your phone turns on. One too many notifications to keep up with and by the looks of it they aren't stopping anytime soon. Twitter is blowing up, you already know what it is. A bunch of low quality pixels of you entering with him and looking lost with a bunch of tacky headlines. You'll get that settled when you get home. You go to order an uber, but your phone manages to die on you miraculously. How lucky. All the times you spent trying to get a hold of Jude really drained the battery. You clench your jaw. 

Good god. You shove your phone back in your purse and keep stomping through birmingham. Shivering with each step. You didn't bring a jacket, how foolish.

You try to follow streets you think you know, but it's not going very well. There aren't very many people this far out. Leave it to fucking Jude to take you to the worlds more obscure club location. It's been about an hour since you left him at the club you think. An hour of walking through alley ways and neighborhoods that only raise the hair on the back of your neck. He couldn't even get you a ride home?

You think the last person you saw was a nurse chucking coffee at a bus station, the bus that you tried to catch but it sped away faster than your aching legs could take you. Better night than yours you're sure. You wander about trying to find at least a store open to be able to call for a taxi. 

You hear the crunch of slowing tires come up behind you, and you instantly quicken up your pace. You almost swear you hear your name shouted, but you don't stop. The second time, it's a little too clear to be mistaken for anyone else's name as the car comes to a crawl side by side to you. 

You turn on your heel harshly, “why in god's name-“ your voice dies the moment you recognize the familiar car model, and its driver. Trent. Oh.

“Get in the car." he dead pans, windows rolled at the way down, door already unlocked for you.

You wrinkle your nose, “I don't want to talk trent." 

The very last thing you need is that sorry excuse of a man to send his friend of all people to run after you and do his bidding where he fell short just hours before. This is so embarrassing it only makes you wish his car would explode. And then drive it into the club. While it's on fire. 

“I'm not letting you roam around these parts at this time, just get in." he sighs. 

You scowl, "he’s low for sending you to change my mind, after this whole fucking night why cant you leave me alone."

He gives you a look, “this has nothing to do with him, this is me. Worried for you. “

“Fuck off." you spit. 

“You’re so hard headed, just get in the damn car before someone robs you. Or worse." 

"How'd you even know I was here?" you squint at him. 

he sighs, rubbing his eyes, "i still have your location from when i picked you up for his birthday. And I heard about everything from just about everyone. "

"You have nothing else to do on valentines day?" you jab. 

He stays silent, hands wringing the steering wheel. You notice he's in what looks like pjs, Liverpool jacket thrown on top. He drove all this way for you?

You swallow your pride for a moment, hiking up your dress while you duck inside the car. Sighing in relief as the pressure is taken off your aching legs. Snapping your seatbelt over you, swinging your purse over your head and gently setting it on your lap, wiping away the tears that blur your vision. 

Your rage has turned into a simmer for now. The main goal at the moment is to just get out of these clothes and sleep till you forget what year it is. 

Trent is quiet while he lets you get comfortable, rolling up his windows backup and locking the doors. You've never sat passenger in his car before. Hell you haven't seen him in months.

“Did he touch you." he asks, turning the heater on higher.

You put your hand out in front of where the hot air blows oh so nice on your frozen hands,“What?”

“You have a bruise on the back of your arm. Did he do that? “

“No.” you sigh. 

he turns to face you, brows furrowed,“i need to know if he did. “ 

“He didn’t trent, i'm alright.'' your voice softens.

he nods, hands resting on the wheel,“where do you need to go? “

“Just take me to my hotel please."

He nods, handing you his phones to put the directions in. You watch as he takes the car out of park, making a u turn and heading out of whatever bizarre neighborhood you're in, back into the city. And  soon the freeway. Birmingham flashes by you and you try to forget the man that sits like a heavy weight in your mind.

You still wonder why Trent would make the trip all the way out just to pick you up. especially if Jude wasn't involved. You're somewhat close you suppose. The kind where you would call him a friend in a group setting, but not much more. You've spent only a couple of times truly alone. You don't know if you're that close.

 Trent has always been somewhat of a mystery to you. Few appearances and even fewer words. Jude had told you once he was shy, just taking a minute to warm up to new people. He has a habit of staring off into nothing you noticed at Judes birthday party. Always quick to snap out of it the moment eyes were on him. Oh so different from the way he plays. You've seen him now and again in highlights and clips posted on instagram. He's good, but man is he aggressive. You expect it for a defender but the man gets up in everyones space on the pitch.

A complete 180 from the way he can barely look you in the eye now. What is he thinking?

You don't let your curiosity blind you from being at least a little courteous. 

“Thank you, " you mumble, playing with the fabric of your dress, "and sorry for being a bitch.“

“Hey I don’t blame you.” he shrugs. 

You hum and leave it at that. You'll put unraveling Trent on the to do list. 

Your hotel comes into view and you thank him again for the kindness, promising to make it up to him some day. He waves you off, seeing till you're inside to leave. 

Your mind is so blurred you can barely stand anymore, every step only throws you off balance. You need your bed. Asap. Or you will fall over and die.

The hotel's heating is a welcome treat as you beeline for the elevator. The staff give you a strange look but you do NOT. have the time for any of that. Right now all you care about is getting in bed. Can this elevator hurry up? It finally comes and you lean against the metal walls when you step inside, sliding your purse lazily over you.

You all but tear your clothes off the second you make it inside your room, in a rush, wiping your makeup off while you undo your shoes, hobbling around with one foot while you dig for your pajamas. You end the night with a trip to the bathroom. Skipping on your usual night routine and just settling for a quick shower and brush of the teeth. 

Hotel covers have never felt better, warmer, safer. 

In the quiet of the room and the hum of the ac, you can't but let your thoughts consume you. Can't help but circle back to him. Why?

Why weren't you enough? Why did it have to end in fucking flames on whats supposed to be the most romantic love filled day of the year. 

You think back of every moment and piece of you shared with Jude. You remember the first time you kissed you, under the stands at his first madrid home game, clutching onto his jersey like a lifeline. He looked at you like you were the only thing that mattered. Gently holding your hand all the way back inside the building. Mumbling confessions and making you smile with every cheesy pick up line.

That jude is gone now, instead replaced by the man who you have to fight for even a second with. But are expected to drop all for. A selfish bitter man. 

It doesn't matter anymore. It's over, you can rest now and deal with the inevitable fall out as it comes. You know you're more than enough, but with the way you let yourself be treated it's hard to let yourself believe that. 

Never again though. From now, you're swearing off footballers. 

—--

You wake up as early as you can manage, getting all your things together and booking a flight out of here as soon as possible. You need to get back to madrid.

Your headache is massive as you shove the last of your things in your suitcase. You can't believe you took days off for this. Nonetheless, you need to get back. You have a team to get back to and plenty of work to get done. Real Madrid's creative department never rests does it.

Your phone has a slew of missed calls, mainly from Jude but you see a few from Trent, rather recent ones. You give him a call back but it all goes to voicemail.

The key card jams while you're locking it for the last time, it takes a hit from your hand to get the scanner working but you make it out in one piece. Smoothing your clothes down and making your way to the lobby. Sitting down for a few minutes while you confirm your flight details and triple check that you haven't forgotten anything. You hear your name and are greeted again by Trent, who's all but spriting to you. It's a little early for him to be here now isn't it. 

“Can I help you ?” 

“I'm sorry I tried calling and I couldn't answer when you called. Judes outside waiting for you. he-“

So last night really was all just a ploy from Judes end? You try to get up and far far away from him, but he stands in front of you. 

“Listen.  He told me to come and get you out there so you can talk to him and to not tell you. But obviously, I'm not. i’ll tell him you're not here yeah? Take care.”

Trent doesn't leave you with anything else, leaving in the other direction. You take this as a sign to leave while you can, grabbing one of the many taxis outside to the airport. 

—--

Trent gives Jude a scowl, “She's not there Jude, give it up. “

“I can't just lose her. “ Jude sighs, furiously typing on his phone. 

Trent rolls his yees, patience wearing thin,“You’re fucked in the head you know that? After all you’ve done to her, you still want her to come running back?”

Silence. 

“I care about you Jude I really do. But you left her walking around at 3 am with a dead phone in the middle of alleyways dude. That's not okay. “

—--

The airport has never felt lonelier, but you swallow the lump in your throat, boarding your flight home and trying to forget the man that you've come to associate it with. Madrid will be a hard place to move on in, when its walls shine with its star boy. Its halls all but cheering his name. Every corner you're bound to be reminded of him. You can do it, one way or another you won't let yourself be miserable. 

[soup-of-the-daisies]

I am once again sick and tired of people downplaying Sirius's intelligence. I need more art where he is studying and reading and doing that smart nerd shit!!!!! Also if I see one more modern AU where Sirius is an influencer* or something I will start throwing things because he would not fucking do that.

(*i know that i have written one where he is BUT the whole point is that it didn’t make any sense and he was miserable)

no but literally— sirius would’ve been SUCH a big fan of free-time studying? he’s got everything he needs to know for school down pat, so he’s gonna look into more obscure magic for fun. he’s convinces james (very easily, i might add) to take the invisibility cloak into the restricted section and then they just sit there reading and taking notes all night. if they did discover the room of requirement while at hogwarts, sirius would’ve been in heaven: room for practice?? peace and fucking quiet?? private space to plan mischief?? FREE BOOKS?? good lord.

he’s SO clever. he likes being the smartest person in the room. he doesn’t suffer fools gladly. he’s got his own topics of interest that he can completely lose himself in when he’s on a research binge. as there’s no need for him to study the readings assigned in class — he knows all of that shit already — he’s going to do entirely unnecessary additional reading and he’s having the time of his life while he’s at it. his schedule is divided in eating time, homework time, class time, mischief time, staring-at-james time, and an ungodly amount of self-study. sirius is a NERD and a genius one at that, and he flat-out refuses to act shallow when he’s so clearly not; being bright and sharp and demeaning to others is an intrinsic part of him that he’s never going to let go of, not really.

influencer sirius would only be happy if he’s the video essay-kind of influencer. he’s delving into the academia. he’s writing 30 page theses and his vids are just him presenting them. he’s a model? he’s studying international law in his free time. he’s going to LEARN things (and look amazing while doing it). he needs the brain stimulation. he does difficult crosswords and sudokus when he can’t sleep, or at the breakfast table while his attention is thinly divided between three conversations and his cooling coffee. learning is as fun for him as making others feel stupid is.

we NEED more art of him being like this:

but it all makes sense to at least james, and sometimes remus and peter when they’re sleep-deprived enough to keep up with him