#title idea: okay *maybe* this isn’t a love story

[spidermans-l-o-v-e-r]

A Rose by any Other Name

Paring: Eddie Diaz x Buck x Reader

Word count: 2.5k

Notes: First of all how do you capitalize a title, second of all considering the content of this story that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever named a fic. Third, oh boyyy do I need more Buddie x reader fics because ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ thank you so so much for this

Buck is the one who finds them. 

He had been going through your drawers at Eddie’s place, trying to find his favorite pair of basketball shorts. Shorts you’d literally told him were currently in the wash, but does he ever listen? 

He pulls open the small drawer on your bedside table and digs around for a moment, his fingers find something hard, rubber. 

“What the hell??”

He pulls on it and his mouth drops wide open 

“Eddie!!!”

Buck and Eddie are sitting together at the dining table, just… staring. Buck had found your rabbit… and your rose, and your cute yellow star vibrator. He literally laid them out on the damn table for Eddie to see 

“Where-??” Eddie gestures and Buck has his cheeks resting on his fists 

“Nightstand” 

“Ah…” Eddie nods and that’s it, that’s literally it. They’re not saying anything because how do they even process this? And there isn’t an issue, not at all. Buck has…. Things and Eddie you know won’t admit to it but he also does. But you? Having them? They’re not better than cavemen honestly, really you know horny cavemen 

“Is it bad that-?” Buck begins 

“Don’t say it” Eddie points a finger at him 

“Hear me out-“ 

“Buck I swear-“

“I want to watch her so damn badly. I need to see her using that-“

“We can’t just ask!! She’ll know you went through her stuff!”

“I didn’t mean to!! She’ll understand right?? Right maybe we can just like, like hold on I have an idea” 

And that’s how you come home to both of your boyfriends in the kitchen, listening to music and making dinner 

Together.

There’s a box on the dining table and you look at it curiously, a little “open me” note is on it. You pull the ribbon and take the lid off 

There’s a very cute baby tee, with “Daddy’s girl” written across the chest and you roll your eyes, because that was definitely Bucks' idea. You know how he feels about Spencer’s. There’s also a pair of lace panties with a waistband that says fuck me on them, absolutely Eddie’s contribution. 

“Put it on” You jump and drop the panties back into the box. Buck is standing in the doorway, a towel in his hands as he dries them and leans his shoulder against it, crossing his ankles

“Are you two serious?” 

“Oh we’re very serious” Eddie gives you a little thumbs up over Buck’s shoulder and you roll your eyes, grabbing the box 

“Alright alright fine-“ 

“Ah ah-“ Buck waggles a finger at you “Right here, please” 

Eddie stands next to him, leaning against the other side of the doorway, his back against it and you shudder in anticipation. 

“Okay” 

You take your time, peeling off your work clothes, the jeans go first, wiggling them down over your plush hips and you kick them aside 

“Bra too?” You bat your eyelashes and Buck nods 

“That would be preferable… but whatever you’re comfy with honestly” 

You pull your shirt over your head, tossing it on top of your jeans and your bra goes next. Eddie hums in approval as you bend over purposely to take off your panties, dragging them all the way down your legs and wiggling your hips 

“Jesus I hate you” Eddie chuckles as he pushes off the wall to go finish dinner 

You spin around and blow him a little kiss “Love you too babe” 

You put on the new panties, enjoying the way the waistband hugs your hips, and pull the t-shirt on, adjusting it as best you can, your dark nipples so clear through the pink shirt 

“How do I look?” You ask, walking over to Buck and his breath hitches, his sexy demeanor dropping for a moment and he giggles

“Sooo fucking hot” he puts his hands on your hips, practically drooling as she squeezes your sides 

“Come on… we wanna show you something”

Buck guides you to the couch, making you sit down in his lap now and Eddie comes in and pours you a glass of your favorite mango moscato. You look between them, incredibly suspiciously as he hands you the glass 

“How was work baby?” Eddie sits on the armrest and Buck nuzzles against your neck. 

“Yeah tell us about your day” 

“Whaaaat the hell is going on?” You mutter before Eddie tips the bottom of your glass to make you take a sip 

“We just wanted to do something nice for you… when was the last time the three of us had a date?” 

“Last week? We went to the aquarium… what did you do?” 

Buck looks at Eddie who chuckles and gets up, going over behind the other chair and grabbing another pink box with a bow on it 

“We want something. There’s no conditions baby if the answer is no we can still have a cute date night okay?” 

Buck takes the box, setting it in your lap “I want to preface this by saying it was a total accident”

“What the heck are you two-“ your breath catches in your throat as you open the box and peel back the paper. Your toys are lying neatly together…next to a brand new fourth one. 

“Uhhh???” 

“We wanna watch you use em” Buck kisses your neck, smoothing his hands down your thighs, slowly opening them 

“Please? Eddie takes the new rabbit they got you, it’s a little differently shaped than your other one, you take it from him, your cheeks on fire as you turn it over in your hands 

“We asked the lady at the front desk what she recommended!” Buck says excitedly and you giggle a bit deliriously 

“She said it’s great for your G-spot and that it’s got 10 speeds,” Eddie tells you 

“And it’s rechargeable!! You can save the environment by not using batteries!” 

Eddie whacks Buck’s leg and you shake your head fast, covering your face

“If I’m going to do this…I want to go somewhere more comfortable” 

“Oh I’m so so glad you said that” Buck groans excitedly as he gets up and throws you over his shoulder, laughing at the way you squeal as he runs back to the bedroom 

“Don’t drop her!” Eddie laughs as he follows after you two. Buck literally tosses you on the rose-petal-covered bed and you squeak, falling in a heap 

“Calm down!” You laugh and he shakes his head quickly 

“Are you joking? I’ve been waiting all day for this.”

There are two chairs at the end of Eddie’s bed and your mouth drops open. They both work to set the mood together, lighting a couple candles, dimming the lights, and turning them to a soft red hue. Eddie shuts the door and Buck takes his hand, pulling him over to the chairs and they sit down 

“All eyes on you baby” Eddie nods and you sigh, lying against the pillows they have set up against the headboard. Your lube is out on the bedside table along with a couple towels and some baby wipes 

“You guys really thought this through huh?” 

“Anything else you need you just ask for it” Eddie leans back, his legs spread, his arms crossed over his chest and Buck copies his stance. They both look absolutely ravenous 

“O-okay” you gulp nervously for a minute, opening your legs so your panties are on display, there’s already a small wet patch on the front and you know how Buck feels about that. You lift your hips, wriggling out of your panties, and toss them over to him. He catches them and immediately puts them in his mouth, sucking your juices off of them 

“Holy shit” you and Eddie both mumble under your breath, Buck takes them from his mouth, tossing them to the floor, and cups Eddie’s face, kissing him so he can taste you too 

Your eyes follow the little trail of spit connecting them as Buck pulls away to look at you 

“Just a little something to get you started baby girl… now come on, put on a show for us” 

You’re a bit shy at first because while they do stare at you often when having sex, Eddie is so big on eye contact, it’s never like this, where they’re literally sitting there like two hungry wolves watching their little bunny present herself up on a silver freaking platter 

There were some weekends, that you’d get together with both of them, and Buck would reduce you down to nothing but a toy. Even dressing you up exactly how he wanted you and Eddie would have to be the voice of reason telling him he couldn’t put you in a skirt that short to go to the mall in, none of you would even make it out of the house let alone to the mall where just any man could stare at your ass.

This whole little setup is definitely up their alley. 

The pillows are so soft and fluffy under you, the cases silky and pink. Even the bedding underneath you is pink. The bed is covered in beautiful rose petals and little gold flecks, and your box of toys is next to you. You reach over and grab the new one, feeling it in your hands for a second before turning it on. You giggle as it moves in your hand, it seems nice, definitely your speed, that lady knew her shit. You slide it down your chest circling your nipple slowly through your thin t-shirt, gasping softly. 

Eddie stretches, putting his arm around the back of Bucks chair, they watch you trail it over your breasts, feeling the vibrations flow through your body, your nipples hardening and making his mouth water. He lets his head fall to look at Buck, who’s got his hand sliding over Eddie’s thigh and over his cock as he watches you so intensely, his hand following the same pattern as yours 

You sit up some, getting comfy in the pillows before you rub it along the inside of your thighs, teasing yourself (and them) as you work yourself up as if you weren’t hot enough already. You spread your legs a bit more, your thighs shaking as you start to finally roll the head of your toy over your lips, gliding it along your slick center as you pant softly 

“Oh god…” you moan as you reach over to the table for the little bottle of lube, it’s a new one, strawberry flavored and you snort 

“Buck!” 

“Hey, it could have been Eddie!! He loves strawberries!!” 

“Was it Eddie?” You ask as you pour it on the toy and Eddie shrugs 

“Oh yeah no it was definitely me”

“See!! You owe me an apology” Buck scoffs and you grin, waving the toy at him

“I’ll let you lick it clean when I’m done” 

Both of their mouths drop open as you slip it inside you, adjusting your body in the pillows so it goes in all the way, you feel the little head working your clit while it massages your gspot and your back nearly arches completely off the bed 

You moan loudly, pumping the toy in and out of you, your hips rocking slowly in time with it “Oh fuck yes!” you cry, your thighs shaking as you grip the sheets with your other hand 

Buck unzips Eddie’s jeans, pulling his cock out, grinning at the way it pops out at him, fully hard, his tip blushing red and dripping with precum already. 

“You too” Eddie grins, fumbling with Buck's zipper and finally pulling his cock out, you groan softly as it springs out, staring at your two boys 

“Don’t stop baby, god please keep fucking yourself” Eddie’s voice is deep and gravelly as Buck strokes his cock, he spits on the tip, dragging it down his fast and you whine, your hips bucking on the toy. You spread your legs wider, plunging the toy in and out faster as both men get each other off in time with you. 

“Please please please come over here and cum on me, please!” Your voice is high-pitched as you get closer and closer, the vibrations on your clit nearly clawing you apart 

They get up from their chairs, immediately crashing into each other, Eddie forces Buck against the wall, shoving his jeans all the way down and fisting his cock, pumping it in tandem with your whining and moaning. Buck rips Eddie’s shirt off, throwing it somewhere, and pushes him backward until they hit the bed. Eddie falls back and Buck climbs on top of him, grinding his cock against Eddie’s 

He looks up at you, your eyes wide, your mouth open, the toy still working you as you have it in you as deep as possible, but you’re paying a little less attention to it and a lot more attention to them. He reaches over, pulling it from between your legs and stroking Eddie’s cock with it. 

“C’mere baby” Eddie reaches for you, his hips jerking against the vibrator and you scramble over to him, kissing him frantically, he holds your face, it’s all teeth and tongue, messily making out with you. Your ass is in the air Buck rubs his hand over it, giving it a smack before sliding your toy back in your pussy and fucking you slowly with it 

You cry into Eddie’s mouth as he holds you against him, his tongue lapping at yours. Buck pushes the toy in further and you feel the little head stimulating somewhere else, somewhere new and that’s all it takes. You fall forward grinding into the bed beneath you, your body writhing as you sob for them, cumming all over the sheets. Buck turns it up two more and you claw at Eddie, gasping loudly your entire body shaking and overstimulated 

“Shit shit shit!” You chant, fucking yourself against the bed, Buck grabs Eddie’s cock, stroking quickly in time with you, and he cums over your back, he grunts loudly, jerking his hips into Buck's hand over and over making Buck cum hands free, Eddie laughs as he reaches out, stroking him too, watching as his cum splatters across your back. He falls over on the bed next to you two dramatically and puts two thumbs in the air 

“That was awesome” 

You’re still wriggling in the sheets, gasping and Eddie sits up 

“Shit- shit sorry” He reaches over, pulling your toy from you and shutting it off, it leaves a sticky trail as he pulls it away, handing it over to Buck who eagerly takes it, licking your juices off and moaning around it, your eyes widen as he swallows part of it, fucking his throat with it 

“You taste so fucking good” he moans, putting the toy down on the bed and you giggle, rolling over so you’re on your back

“That was….” You pant softly into the covers and Eddie nods 

“Too fucking good… how you feelin'?” 

“Why?” You crane your neck to look over at him as Buck gets up, pulling your legs toward him as he strokes his cock slowly 

“Because we uh…had one more request-“ 

“What kind of request?” You ask curiously, watching Buck rub the inside of your thighs slowly 

“Both of us? At the same time?” 

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

DUMBASS DUO SHOWDOWN ROUND 3 BATTLE 2

JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA & OKUYASU NIJIMURA (JOSUYASU) FROM JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE VS SOKKA AND AANG FROM AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER

PROPAGANDA

JOSUYASU

JOSUYASU PROPAGANDA

Josuke is fairly decent, but okuyasu, you know how in math, if you multiply a negative number with a positive one it is always negative, that is josuyasu for you. Josuke has 6 braincells and Okuyasu has -6734. Their first meeting was okuyasu trying to kill josuke, then he shows up at his house a few days later and goes "hey lets go to school! btw your mom is hot!" Josuke punches a plate of spaghetti because he thinks the chef is evil, they both fight a middle schooler who stole their cash. Okuyasu got the third most op ability in his part but he is too stupid (and kind) to realize it. Somehow they survive their entire part. They are thus far the second jojo and jobro duo to not lose each other. the second one? THEM IN AN ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE! (okay but okuyasu is swapped for koichi in that one, but still).

Josuke normally is pretty smart, but somewhat silly, but Okuyasu. Isn’t incredibly bright but he’s the best jojo character idc. Okuyasu brings out josukes stupid and then they are just besties and totally bouncing off each other’s stupid ideas. Idk what Okuyasu does to josukes brain but I’m here for it

I saw the post title and without reading anything else immediately went to submit them, only to go back and read the full post and realize they were included by default. They are THE dumbass duo. Ever. The worst protagonists for a detective story, but they dumbassed around so hard they somehow caught a genius serial killer. No matter who wins, they’ll always be the number 1 dumbasses in my heart.

they are the best of friends, which of course means they met by trying to kill each other.

They’re both so stupid. Like josuke isn’t that stupid on his own but he’s kinda dumb and when you put him with dumbass incarnate okuyasu they multiply each others’ stupidness. Together they are a menace.

JOSUKE AND OKUYASU FOR THE WIN BECAUSE THEY SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT A RANDOM ITALIAN WAS EVIL BECAUSE HIS PASTA WAS TOO GOOD

Okuyasu and Josuke share a braincell and they lose that braincell at least 5 times a day

The majority of Diamond is Unbreakable is those two getting themselves and their friends into absurd situations. There's no way the sportsboys can compete with discovering aliens are (maybe???) real and immediately trying to use the alien(??) to cheat at dice. Then they burned down someone's house

#josuyasu are DUmbass Incorporated and i love them#its literally canon that okuyasu has one of The Most Powerful Abilities In The Entire JJBA Universe#but is too dumb and good natured to put it to world ending use

this gif

GIF by hellzfire

Aang & Sokka

They are both very intelligent individually, but when put together they lose all of their braincells

they are very intelligent in their own right but loose all their braincells together

independently they are very intelligent and creative. aang is an incredible diplomat and quick on his feet. sokka is a literal inventor and war strategist. leave them alone in a room together and they get so into the bit that they end up giving each other minor head injuries or write a fake letter that they sign with a blind girl's name. they also attempt to sneak a lemur into a royal banquet under aang's hat.

[nathaaaan]

Okay, random Amphibia AU! Because I’m bored and ideas keep coming.

Anne accepts the title of Guardian, thinking it’s no big deal, and that she’ll be able to watch over everyone from both worlds. The Guardian tells her to not interfere with the mortal realm, but mortal smortal, amiright? Anne doesn’t come down, unfortunately, but she watches from a distance. She keeps to herself, tending to other worlds until life flourishes, but when she’s not, she goes back to Amphibia to watch Sasha, Marcy, the Planters, and the others. Although, when Hop Pop dies, it finally dawns on her;

She’ll have to watch them all die.

She tries to tell herself that they’re in a better place, that she knew it would happen, and forces those thoughts out of her head, but they kept coming back. She forced herself to look away from that world and work on others.

And yet, she finds herself crawling back out of curiosity. Wondering how things are going, only to see Sasha sitting on her death bed with Marcy, and the remaining Planters by her side.

Refusing to accept this, Anne turns away, unable to watch. The sight causes her powers to activate, and almost out of instinct, she uses them and the fragment of time and space starts to collapse on itself. She tries to keep it all together, but it breaks and cracks everywhere before Anne is tossed into a void.

When she opens her eyes, she’s back at the beginning, where everything changed. The moment where she opened the box. Sasha and Marcy wait patiently by her side, waiting for her to open her gift. The two of them egg her on, and she can’t resist. She opens the box and she finds herself alone and soaked in mud with the box and her bag not too far from her.

Confused, Anne closes her eyes and tries to use her powers, and luckily they still work. She doesn’t feel different either. Calamity power’s would be harder to use if she had just gotten here. (She still has her god powers, yes.)

The first time through (aka the second) Anne goes through the original, canon series, and she starts to notice things she’s never noticed before. She starts to see the signs that were obvious now, but she was oblivious to them back then. (oh yeah, when she defeats the Core, she basically “revives” herself cuz the Guardian isn’t here anymore, that’s the only thing that’s changed). When the story ends, before the timeskip, Anne stops Sasha and Marcy in front of the portal and apologizes before activating her powers again and the world starts to break and crack around them. Everyone’s confused and scared, including Marcy and Sasha, but Anne just says;

“I can’t lose this again,”

When Anne opens her eyes, her flower crown is gone, and she’s sitting on the swing with the box in her hands. Sasha and Marcy patiently wait next to her, waiting for her to open her gift. When she does, she’s back in the mud with her bag and box nearby. Back at the beginning.

I actually really love this idea. If you think about it, Anne will eventually realize she can change her choices for different outcomes, which could lead to AU’s others have created with its own little twist on it. All of them would end the same way, Anne erasing that world and going back to the beginning. Maybe she does it earlier if she doesn’t like where things are going.

As long as she keeps her friends and found family alive, she really doesn’t care. Will she get tired of the same story over and over and over again? Maybe. Maybe she’ll get desperate for something new, even if it involves murder.

Maybe this entire situation will drive her insane and she takes over the world or something. I would pay to read this lol.

[velvees-archive]

Tags: Love Confessions, Getting Together, Found Family, Miles POV, Insecurity

and more!

this is my day 16 submission for @fictober-event, and my late contribution to unnecessary feelings day…which passed two days ago. woops!

Prompt: “No, I’m not okay”

inspired by my tumblr post here!

An errant strand of jet black hair bobs to and fro as he pores over Miles’ face. "Edgeworth? You with me?" He’s surrounded by an emulsified blurb of noises: easy laughs, accompanying shouts, a beat. Miles isn’t feeling quite up to a lengthy conversation about his rationale, not when he’s insisting to himself that Wright is happy, he is happy, that the fire brewing inside of him is a fluke, and that perhaps it was time for him to move forward with his therapy sessions— “I was asking why you did it.” If he were to tell Wright that he already knew the answer: that he'd been spurred into action due to his creed and his pursuit of justice, he knows he’d only be propagating a half-truth—a secret by omission. In other words, a lie. “I wanted to help you,” he says, earnestly. Wright's shoulders rise and fall, an even rhythm. He takes a deep breath in, and the silence scatters. “Why?” - Miles Edgeworth does not long for more than he’s already been given. Sometimes, though, he thinks about it.

a few days ago, i proposed that narumitsu hits even harder when miles is the one hopelessly pining over phoenix following his disbarment. i also happened to want to explore phoenix working through the “prosecutor miles edgeworth chooses death” fiasco in jfa.

hence, this fic.

fic screenshots:

misc commentary/musings under the cut! :)

one day, i’ll stick a fic landing. it won’t be today, but one day...

very fun idea that became more convoluted as i tried to parse through dialogue, leaving me with 3 pages of unused scenes and dialogue exchanges. i can’t tell if i really hate this fic or really really hate this fic. regardless, it’s out there now, so no takebacksies :)

i’m happy with how the setting came out though! purposefully isolating miles from the rest of the group while they were in the karaoke bar was dirty work on my part but necessary for setting the tone of the story. phoenix is a bit mean here but i think that smarminess is integral to phoenix wright, especially when he’s confronted with his repressed abandonment/dependence issues.

did i sacrifice characterization for liberal dialogue choices though? absolutely!

about the title. it was originally supposed to be called “kill the lights” but i switched it to save me a seat because i think it gets the point across better!

i still don't think i've gotten the angst worms out, mostly because this fic doesn't follow my narumitsu getting together hc + the way i feel their characters are in canon. miles is a bit too self aware and eloquent w his feelings, while phoenix is too nice and too mean at the same time. there's always the next fic tho, thankfully! and maybe once i’ve gotten characterization down, i can share my actual hc

i have a few other fics i want to pump out before i start playing the great ace attorney and my lack of object permanence catches up on me. i’m thinking of making a low stress fic (lie, writing is never low stress for me) from an outsider’s pov. you’ll never guess who the outsider is tho, i promise

[euphoricfilter]

i would like to share this smut fic idea that’s been rotting my brain for days now

(cw: smut, dom! jimin, sub! reader, both wearing skirts while they fuck and a little bit of spanking, use of a dildo. mild talks of body image)🕺

likely to be titled: ‘the feminine pact’

this is half a product of a tiktok i saw and half part of the conversation that was brought up last week… maybe two weeks ago about how femininity and dominance can coexist within the same sphere

and a mildly self indulgent fic to heal my weird mindset when it comes to clothes and how undeserving i feel of actual nice things or ways i present myself

☆ jimin and you who have been in a long term relationship, both know you’re each other’s lasts and neither have any plans to break it off as you are both very much obsessed with one another and hold too much love for the other to even think of someone else in more than a platonic sense

☆ i’m thinking maybe you stumbles across a pretty little dress or skirt, something super feminine and so far out of what you would normally wear. and maybe jimin notices you’ve been looking at it for a little longer than you usually would and asks why you don’t buy it

☆ you’d shake your head and tell him it wasn’t really for you (and jimin would pick up on the double meaning). you’ve both talked about self image and self depreciation before so he knows it’s more than just not thinking it’ll fit your body— you feels undeserving.

☆ and so, as the best boyfriend he is, jimin would obviously order it for you. but he wouldn’t stop there; he’d buy one for himself too!!

☆ and maybe you would cry, a little overwhelmed, scared, worried even. but so very much in love with jimin and how much of a sweetheart he is that you don’t know what else to do but cry and cling onto him with a blubbery thank you tumbling off your lips between hiccups

☆ jimin wouldn’t have been oblivious to talk of his own frowned upon femininity. not exactly the perfect man, too lithe and too pretty. probably having grown up in a household that held ‘typical’ masculinity above everything. and so, his own personal growth would play a part in the story too!! as he discovers that it’s okay to be a mid-point. that being a ‘good stereotypical’ man isn’t the be-all-end-all and that actually accepting femininity as a part of himself makes him feel more comfortable in his own skin

☆ and hence forth the femininity pact!

☆ you’d probably both talk about it again because communication is important for the both of you! how when you wears skirts or dresses you feel strange in her own skin. and jimin talking about his own little fantasies of just, not being restrained to what has been expected of him and exploring a part of him he hadn’t felt comfortable to explore before

☆ and then comes the conversation of how you’d even approach this. starting off small. glittery pink eye shadow and hours spent watching make up tutorials from youtube, streamed on the tv so you can really take in what is being said

☆ learning how to do eyeliner, with you sat on the counter in the bathroom as jimin leans closer to the mirror. and maybe he learns how to do it a little faster, less chunky, maybe even learning how to do it with eye shadow. and then each morning, he does his own and then yours

☆ once the dysmorphia becomes somewhat more bearable with the make up, still a new feeling for the both of you. then would come the clothes. probably one of the biggest challenges

☆ both of them starting with cute tops, an easy start but still a little daunting. jimin would make sure you’re always matching, always changing before you do and then helping you into your clothes. kissing each insecurity he knows you have before helping with your buttons or zipping up a skirt

☆ and of course, jimin would find you utterly beautiful. it’s not that he hadn’t seen you as anything but before. but this, this was something new.

☆ and so, he’d fuck you with the both of you wearing skirts.

☆ glittery eye shadow clinging to the pads of his fingers that leave a shimmery path of pretty love down your body as he pulls your shirt over your tits

☆ his eyeliner a little smudged— print of your lipstick painting his cheeks, maybe dark red, or a blush pink.

☆ maybe he’d fuck you on the bathroom counter, make up and skincare clattering to the floor as he thrusts up into you. silk pyjamas pulled over your thighs and jimin’s pooling at his ankles, calling you pretty and perfect and so utterly his— he wants to stuff you full of his cum until it’s dripping down your thighs and you’re a total mess with zero thoughts except him.

☆ and maybe the days you needed that little push, swallowed by your own self deprecating thoughts and ugly emotions that made you feel shitty. jimin wouldn’t have it. tugging a skirt up your hips and then laying you over his thighs, deft fingers coming down to slap your ass until tears cling to your waterline and slick soaked the crotch of your frilly panties

☆ and maybe he gets a little carried away while the two of you are out. dragging you into the bathroom, kissing you until your lips are smudged and sticky with lipgloss that he re-applies after fingering you. your pretty glittery nails digging into his shoulders and raking down his back

☆ and being the little menace that he is. he’d buy you a glittery pink dildo. all cute and fun until he makes you bounce on it in front of him. his cock straining under the dress he’s wearing.

☆ and you’re not allowed his cock until you’ve made yourself all pretty and messy for him. pretty pussy a little puffy and used before he slides between your walls and claims you as his all over again. making sure you lick his cock clean of your juices and stuffing his fingers back into your cunt so his seed doesn’t spill out of you.

☆ just jimin fucking you in a skirt and the both of you being pretty people that learn to love yourselves and pretty things

[pookasluagh]

Master Fic List

Figured it was about time to create an index of my stories. Titles link out to AO3. Double asterisks indicate that there are at least a few illustrations included in the fic.

Complete

This Phantom Life ** Aziraphale (Zee) Marsh is a widowed hermit who secretly writes bestselling romance novels under a pseudonym. His life is rigorously controlled until his new downstairs neighbor arrives. Anthony Crowley causes something to come alive in Zee that he hasn’t seen in over twenty years, but Crowley brings his own dark secrets. (E, 87k – human AU)

Tender Morsels What if the Fall had nothing to do with Good and Evil? What if angels and demons were split for other reasons? When Aziraphale and Crowley fumble through their first drunken kiss, something changes. Can they find a path forward together when all of heaven and hell think of fraternizing as an act of treason? (M, 61k – Aziraphale/Crowley through the years, canon-adjacent)

Aziraphale’s Bucket List ** A month after Aziraphale follows the Metatron into Heaven, he’s gotten himself reassigned to earth. He’s finally free to express his love…but Crowley isn’t ready. Aziraphale comes up with a Plan. (E, 61k – post S2 canon-compliant)

Rapture on the Seas ** Zira and Crowley do not have a meet-cute. Their first accidental crash into each other results in enmity, and now they’re assigned to the same dinner group on their two-week transatlantic cruise. Of course, they’re also dating anonymously online, and planning to meet up soon… (E, 89k – human AU)

Daughter of God The last thing Crowley expects is to be approached by a young girl who declares him her adopted father. Okay, maybe the last thing he expects is for her to somehow miracle up a tortured Aziraphale, and call them both her parents. But Jo is the daughter of God, and she kinda does what she wants. (E, 45k – post S2 canon-compliant)

New Skin for an Old Wolf Separated on different planes of existence, neither Aziraphale nor Crowley are at their best. Both Heaven and Hell are scheming, and a new kind of Armageddon is at hand. One that will take the combined power of angels, demons, and humans to overcome – if they ever start talking. (T, 89k – post S2 canon-compliant)

Temptation A night with Aziraphale and Oscar Wilde awakens a particular desire in Crowley, and he doesn't seem able to rid himself of it. (G, 4k – historical canon-compliant)

WIPs

The Regret List ** Aziraphale’s life is perfectly fine, thank you. Sure, he’s divorced and almost fifty, and his family is as challenging as ever, but he loves his job, his home, his friends. There’s nothing more could he want. Except, perhaps, to undo his life’s biggest regret, and repair his lost childhood friendship with Anthony Crowley. (E, human AU, updated weekly on Fridays)

Dead Right ** In order to keep the family bookshop, Aziraphale must marry by his 45th birthday. He’s introduced to Crowley, and the two make an arrangement to enter a (platonic) fake marriage until the business is secured. It’s a sound idea…until their feelings for each other grow, and both try to hide it. (E, human AU, updated weekly on Tuesdays)

[fanaticsnail]

Okay the yandere doffy has me thinking many thoughts!

Before I begin i must bring attention to the fact that Mr Mingo is based off of the title character from the tale of Don Quixote. Which is originally a cautionary tale towards chivalric romance storys that were popular at the time it was written (the 1600’s). And in the story Don Quixote is a man disillusioned with these chivalric tales (hes batshit crazy). Don Quixote decides to become a knight amd chooses a courtly lady to be his love. Expect he doesn’t know her name (and shes just a servant) so he calls her Dulcinea, which roughly translates to sweetheart. (Also our beloved Corazon is named after Don Quixote horse, Rosinante)

So like, personally, i cannot see Doffy as being anything other than a yandere. He just exudes crazy possessive energy, and just crazy in general lol. But i wont condemn Reader for being blinded by his kind facade at first, but then slowly realizing (as it becomes too late) that this guy is fuckin nuts.

So keeping these things in mind, i absolutely see Doffy calling the reader Dulcinea, but whether or not he actually remembers her name or not is up for interpretation (with all the code names hes given his subordinates i wouldn’t be surprised if he just doesn’t know/remember their real names).

Now i reveal my trap card, Corazon!

If this takes place before all the crazy sad stuff then i can seriously see Cora feeling kinda responsible for the Reader. Like shes just as innocent as any of the kids hes kept from joing. And maybe she even latches on to him once she realizes that Doffy isn’t that cool of a dude. And we all know intense situations bring about intense emotions, so of course Cora develops some feelings for Reader.

But oh does he feel guilty about it! Reader is already being manipulated and gaslit by Doffy and having a mix of intense emotions and feelings for him! This is no time to be adding another layer of confusion for her with Cora’s budding feelings as well.

I AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS SO SO MUCH. THIS IS AMAZING.

Okay okay okay, so there's a few ways I could go about this.

You are naive and truly do not know what a despicable human Doflamingo is and slowly and uncertainly begin to grow in love for him. Everyone pities you because of your misguided notions that Doflamingo cares for you, because to the outside: it looks like he's manipulating you. In actuality, he truly does love you, but nobody believes him.

You are fully aware the sway you have over Doflamingo. He loves you, and you use it to your advantage. He gaslight, gatekeep, girlbosses you and keeps you trapped in Dressrosa until he believes you truly love him in return: which you can never truly do because he is such a horrible person.

You know he is obsessed with you, but truly do not realise that he is because he loves you. Even if he confesses, you never truly believe it: especially considering he has killed everybody he had claimed to love (exception of his mother).

AND I'M SORRY, DID YOU SAY CORA'S BUDDING FEELINGS TOO??? 👀👀👀

Because I'm so there, you have no idea.

I am also very much digging the fact you called him Mister Mingo because I'm now rolling about it. I call him "Mingas" in my house, and my toddler calls him "Kormingo" 💀.

[bridenore]

HD House Magic fic recs

Here are a few Harry/Draco recs featuring house magic. Listed in alphabetical order, as always.

Changing with the season by @harryromper [36k]

Harry’s determined the first time he hosts the extended Weasley clan for Christmas will be a success. The Grimmauld Place advent calendar has other ideas … until Draco shows up to help.

The Claiming of Grimmauld Place by @bixgirl1 [74k]

When Grimmauld Place begins fighting against Harry’s ownership of it, he decides he needs help to train the historic home — but little does he expect that it’ll be Malfoy who’s most suitable for the challenge. However, as Malfoy and Harry get closer, Harry comes to understand that expectations aren’t always the best path by which to guide his heart — and in the process learns just what is needed to make a house a home.

Coffee, Cakes and Doorknob Snakes by Omi_Ohmy [40k]

Harry’s house is trying to kill him, and only one person can help him: pity it’s Draco Malfoy.

Make Yourself by @anyaelizabethfic​ [103k]

Harry just wants to be safe within the freshly painted walls of Grimmauld Place, with his friends around him. But when he hears Draco Malfoy has been spotted at the local soup kitchen, he can’t help but encourage a different type of stray to come under his roof.

Martyred by @doingthechachaslide [82k]

Harry Potter only wants one thing: to take care of the people he loves. After Teddy’s abrupt departure from his role as Andromeda’s caretaker, Harry decides it’s finally time to step up and handle the job himself. Castoff Manor, an old Black family estate, has never seemed as sinister as the stories make it sound, but it’s there that Harry stumbles upon ghosts, haunting family secrets, and a familiar, snarky blond gardener hell-bent on chasing him out. Maybe if Harry sticks around long enough, he’ll finally learn why all of Andromeda’s previous caretakers have fled without looking back.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker by @firethesound [11k]

Sometimes, Harry can't help but wonder why such strange shit always happens to him.

Stately Homes of Wiltshire  by @waspabi [57k]

Malfoy Manor has mould, dry rot and an infestation of unusually historical poltergeists. Harry Potter is on the case.

Title & Possession by @kbrick [49k]

Harry Potter’s life is going well in the aftermath of the war. Sure, his house is dark and run-down and might hate him (while his house elf definitely hates him). But other than that, things are good. Except, yeah, okay, Hermione and Ron are no longer on speaking terms. Worse, they keep trying to get Harry to pick sides. But otherwise, Harry couldn’t be happier. Well. Except for the fact that Ginny is being super weird about their relationship and never wants to have sex or talk about the future. But other than that, Harry is perfectly fine, thankyouverymuch. At least, he is until Draco Malfoy sues him for ownership of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Then Harry really isn’t fine at all.

The Unknown Door by @amywaterwings [60k]

There is something wrong with the Bellcrest. The heart of the place beats rotten. Everyone says so. Where Draco is a magical property manager, Harry is a recluse, and they’re definitely not hiding from their problems in the run-down flats of the Bellcrest. Not at all. Not one bit. It goes as well as one might expect.

The Unplottable Time Conundrum by @writcraft [45k]

When the past starts bleeding into the present at Grimmauld Place, an old academic article pulls Draco Malfoy out of his life of luxury. Haunted by the memory of a fleeting post-war kiss and thrust into the ghostly spaces inhabited by Unspeakable Harry Potter, Draco’s easy life is about to get a whole lot more complicated.

What Dreams May Come by @firethesound [36k]

If Harry had to get called into work on his day off, at least he was able to get Malfoy called in too.

What We Pretend We Can’t See by @gyzym [131k]

Seven years out from the war, Harry learns the hard truth of old history: it’s never quite as far behind you as you thought.

Who Will Guard the Door by musamihi [36k]

The day his father is sentenced, Draco takes the Mark and is given his impossible task. Thorfinn Rowle, assigned to be his mentor, is less interested in assisting him than in satisfying his own appetites. As Draco sinks further into failure and watches the war sweep his parents away from him, he takes refuge in the Manor – a member of the family he never knew he had. But the Manor suffers its own wounds during Lord Voldemort’s residency, and the Chosen One may be the only force that can heal them.

You open always (petal by petal) by birdsofshore [65k]

Harry’s not the kind of person who pays for sex. He really isn’t. Until he is.

I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did!

[shewhowillrise]

@kizzer55555

Idea for Therebefore // Hereafter

Bc I used hunger games as the title my mind has decided to use the series as a way for Jason and Bruce to communicate

When Jason is first getting used to being Robin, Bruce finds out he loves books. When Jason gets hurt on patrol, Bruce reads him a book from a chair next to the medbay bed.

Then one day Bruce notes Jason is reading in the medbay a new book.

“Do you want me to read it for you?”

“You wouldn’t like this one,” Jason says, not looking up from the words. Bruce smiles at that. It means more than just Jason being engrossed in the story, but that he trusts Bruce enough to put his whole mind into the pages without worry.

“Why do you think I wouldn’t like it?” He inquires with a raised eyebrow. He’s read Jason romance novels, spy thrillers, coming of age, and others he can’t quite place on the genre spectrum. Jason has a wide range of taste for stories and it’s opened Bruce’s mind up to more than his rigorous straight and narrow thoughts.

“There’s needless killing,” Jason states, looking up at Bruce with his own eyebrow raised as a challenge.

Bruce hums at that and sits down in the chair anyway, holding out his hand. Jason’s lips purse but he hands over the book.

“I was barely starting chapter three, so I don’t mind if you start over,” Jason says, is demeanor showing casual but Bruce hears the excitement in his tone. Jason mentioned once that Bruce does the different character voices beautifully to Alfred, the two not knowing Bruce was around the corner.

Bruce clears his throat, “Part One, The Tributes,” he begins.

It’s almost three years after the warehouse when Bruce is at Jason’s bed side again, book in hand, that Jason hears the soothing baritone of his dad reading. He had collapsed at the manor a few hours after being there.

“—orities in District 13 were against my coming back. They viewed it as a costly and pointless venture, given that—”

“Bruce?” It still hurt to speak, but he needs to know…know if this isn’t home anymore.

“Yes Jaylad?” And Jason could feel tears welling at that alone.

“Want. Stay,” He begins, but stops when the chair next to his bed creeks.

“Okay,” Bruce says, “we’ll inform Phant-”

“But,” his hands are trembling, which Bruce noticed he guesses, seeing as his dad holds them in his big warm hands. Jason closes his eyes. He can’t handle seeing the disappointment, the hate that is sure to be in his father’s eyes the moment he confesses.

“I…” He stutters, if he doesn’t say anything, he could have the comfort of home, at least for a little bit. But, but maybe if he voices it now, Bruce won’t hate him as much as he would for hiding it.

“Killed. I killed. Many,” Jason confesses, but only starts sobbing when his dad’s arms wrap around him, holding him to his chest again, “sorry. So. Sorry,” he pleads, it hurts. Hurts more than pleads for his life he’s yelled for the past two years, but he has to try.

He doesn’t know how long Bruce has been rocking him as he sobbed, but it’s long enough that the sun is setting and his tears are dry.

“To hate the boy from District 1, who also appears vulnerable in death, seems inadequate. It’s the Capital I hate, for doing this to all of us,” Bruce quotes, “Rue’s death has forced me to confront my own fury against the cruelty, the injustice they inflict upon us.”

Jason stills. He remembers the part in the book. The part Bruce stumbled on when first reading. Katniss’s first kill. He remembers sitting there, cast on his foot, a challenging look at Bruce.

She had no other choice, Bruce had said, she’s not the one that turned herself into a killer, can’t hate someone for something they have no control over, to simple survive.

Jason relaxes in his dad’s arms, and for the first time in years, cries in relief.

[slamdunkhcs]

the solitude of ryota miyagi

While I consider Slam Dunk a perfect series, with amazing characterization, I believe that the weakest aspect of the story is the lack of backstories. While a backstory is not needed for every character, it would have added much more to the main characters and their development. The main team members of the series are already very well developed and they had plenty of development (especially throughout the Sannoh match). However, Ryota Miyagi, Shohoku’s point guard, seemed like a static character in comparison to his other teammates.

While he isn’t a badly written character by any means, we didn’t see much of his story throughout the manga. His main thing was being the short boy who had a crush on Ayako.

During his introduction arc, Miyagi was overshadowed by Mitsui, who had his whole backstory revealed in that arc. In comparison, all we knew about Miyagi was that he was a problem child who liked Ayako, and became friends with Sakuragi.

Throughout the rest of the series, we don’t truly see much of Ryota’s struggles, aside from his height leaving him at a disadvantage. This issue is shown throughout the Sannoh match. The readers are shown how Ryota is concerned about if he can even match up to Fukatsu, but we aren’t shown much of Ryota’s inner thoughts compared to Akagi’s thoughts of comparison.

More of Ryota’s story is revealed in a spin-off chapter that was released after Slam Dunk’s serialization, titled Piercing. We finally learn more details about Ryota’s life, such as how he had known Ayako since he was young and about his brother’s disappearance. This added some depth to Ryota and potentially explains why he’s a problem child, but it is still rather vague and left many questions unanswered.

However, over 20 years later, Ryota’s story was finally revisited. In The First Slam Dunk, Ryota is the main character and we finally learn about his background and even his inner thoughts.

What shocked me the most was learning just how passionate Ryota was about basketball. Aside from Sakuragi (who himself became serious about basketball towards the end of the series), I felt Ryota was the most casual about basketball. He had even explained to Sakuragi that he wasn’t sure he wanted to play basketball in highschool until he saw Ayako. However, it’s shown Ryota had played basketball since he was a child, and his older brother had taught him. And despite Ryota’s mother disliking basketball (due to it reminding her of her late son), Ryota continued to play it.

His family life which is hinted at in Piercing is fully revealed in the movie. Ryota’s brother is confirmed to be dead, and we truly see how much it affected Miyagi. While in the manga he doesn’t seem depressed or anything, we learn how it deeply affected him and led him to become a delinquent. He was even bawling in his cave hideout that he used to visit as a kid. And the fact he wrote to his mother that he wished he was the one who died instead speaks volumes.

Ryota had always come off as a very nonchalant person. While he did get pissed at times, he didn’t seem like he had serious issues. Ayako even states to him that he always looks like he’s fine. I think that this shows how strong Ryota was mentally, he always looked okay in front of his teammates and the average reader wouldn’t figure he had anything too serious going on,

As stated in a lyric by Taylor Swift, “No one sees when you lose when you’re playing solitaire”. Ryota seems to keep his problems to himself, similarly to Sakuragi. It seems like nobody in the team has any idea what happened, aside from maybe Yasu and Ayako. And Miyagi doesn’t act depressed either. However, I believe that his background reveals that Ryota tries to keep his feelings and struggles under control.

Something I think is notable is Ryota’s friendship with Sakuragi. It’s shown that they don’t get along, until they open up to each other one night regarding their bad luck in love. Their entire conversation that night wasn’t revealed (and I believe there is a possibility they could’ve talked about things outside of their love life), but it still shows that Sakuragi was the first one Ryota opened up to on the team. Additionally, Ryota was the first one on the team that Sakuragi confided in about any struggles he was facing. As a result, I believe that this was why they were able to become friends so easily.

While Miyagi is already a stand out character in Shohoku, the additional information regarding his background makes him an even better written character.

[loveroftoomanyfandoms]

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, Chapter 3

Pairing: Platonic Steven Grant x Reader (for now)

Rating: T

Word count: ~2600

Story Summary: Steven meets a beautiful woman in the Egyptian exhibit at the British Museum...

...Too bad she's his new boss.

Tags/Warnings: Canon Divergent since Steven still works for the British Museum post-canon, No Jake Lockley, developing friendship, boss/employee relationship (of sorts)

A/N: Here's chapter 3! I'm still not quite sure how long this will be, but hopefully I'll have an idea soon since I know where the plot's going.

If you'd like to be added to the taglist for this or any of my stories, please let me know!

Title from the song of the same name by The Police.

“...So, what do you think?”

Steven turned as Christina walked up next to him. He had been in his new position for a few weeks and was attending his very first members-only museum gala. “There's quite a lot of people here, isn’t there?” he replied.

Christina shrugged. “Usually it’s the same bunch of trustees and benefactors wanting to brag about their ‘generous’ donations while simultaneously making sure of where said donations are going, but yeah, there’s definitely more members here than usual.”

“Have you seen Dr. Y/L/N yet?” 

Christna shook her head. “No, but I’m sure she’s around here somewhere.”

She waved at someone. “Oh, if you'll excuse me, I just saw one of my old professors from uni. I'll catch up with you later, okay?”

Steven nodded. “Yeah. Laters, gators.”

Once Christina had left, he continued looking around the room. Maybe I should walk around, see if I spot her.

Good idea, Marc replied in his head.

Steven took a single step before someone moved out of his line of sight, revealing Dr. Y/L/N.

She had traded in her usual business attire for a silky floor-length purple dress with a shimmery beaded bodice and a pair of high-heeled shoes. On her left wrist was a wide, flat, silvery bracelet that reminded Steven of the bangles that Egyptian queens were frequently depicted wearing while a double-layer teardrop diamond necklace rested at her throat.

Steven’s breath caught. Gods, she’s beautiful.

Stunning, Marc agreed.

Dr. Y/L/N was engaged in conversation with an older gentleman that Steven vaguely recognized as one of the museum's trustees -- or from what Steven could tell she was actually being talked at while she discreetly looked around for an escape route.

She smiled as Steven caught her eye, then while the man speaking to her was briefly distracted by a passing waiter she made a face before quickly schooling her features back into a blank mask.

Steven chuckled and shook his head as the man turned back to Dr. Y/L/N and began speaking again while she pretended to be interested.

Go help her, Marc said.

How?

I don't know, make something up. Say you need to talk to her about something important.

Steven downed the glass of champagne he had been holding just to have something in his hands and set the empty glass down on a nearby table. “Right, off I go then.”

He walked over towards Dr. Y/L/N. “Dr. Y/L/N, there you are!”

“Ah, Steven!” Dr. Y/L/N replied, looking relieved. “Cohen, this is Steven Grant, our absolutely brilliant Visitor Engagement Specialist here at the museum. Steven, this is Cohen Robbins, one of the museum's benefactors and member of the board.”

“How do you do,” Cohen said, shaking Steven's hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, sir,” Steven replied. 

“Steven has been instrumental in improving the museum's visitor numbers,” Dr. Y/L/N continued. “Just in the past month that he's been in the position we've more than doubled our guided tour numbers and increased memberships by 20%.”

Steven’s face flushed at the praise. Dr. Y/L/N had loved his revamped tour and had approved it as the new standard as soon as Steven could train the rest of the Programming staff.

“It's all been thanks to Dr. Y/L/N’s incredible leadership,” he replied. “I'm just grateful that she's given me the opportunity to show her what I can do.”

He cleared his throat. “In fact, I actually have important museum business to discuss with her now, so unfortunately I need to steal her away. Quite urgent, you see, can't wait till tomorrow.”

“Apologies, Cohen,” Dr. Y/L/N said. “I'll see you at the next board meeting.”

Steven began to lead Dr. Y/L/N away. “I was thinking about what you said regarding our next special exhibition and I've come up with something that I really think you'll --”

He dropped the act as soon as they were out of earshot. “Everything okay? You looked like you were in need of a bit of a rescue.”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded with a smile. “I was, actually. I knew that events like this require a lot of schmoozing benefactors and listening to them talk about their art and car collections, which totally isn't my scene but unfortunately came with the job description, but I swear if I had to listen to Cohen blather on about his prized Vermeer painting for one more minute I was going to go insane. You're a lifesaver, Steven, thank you.”

Steven huffed out a laugh. “Happy to help, ma'am.”

“Are you enjoying the gala so far?”

Steven nodded. I am now. “Yes, ma'am.”

He had been surprised to see the invitation to the gala in his email inbox a few weeks before and in questioning Christina, he had learned that while the galas were open to all staff (which he never knew since Donna had never bothered to let the gift shop staff know) the Curation and Programming department heads in particular were encouraged to attend in order to show solidarity and support for the museum -- and to be on hand to answer any questions about the exhibits. It's not actually required, she had said, but we get overtime for it so it's worth it.

Dr. Y/L/N smiled. “Good. I'm glad.”

Steven gestured towards the table that was acting as a makeshift bar. “May I get you something to drink?”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded. “Yes, a glass of champagne would be lovely.”

“Be right back.”

Steven walked over to the bar and requested a glass of champagne and a bottle of water, then headed back over to Dr. Y/L/N once he had received them.

He handed her the glass of champagne. “Here you are, ma'am.”

“Thanks so much, Steven.” Dr. Y/L/N grinned. “The one upside to these parties… getting paid to dress up and drink fancy champagne.”

Steven took the opportunity to admire her once again. “You look lovely tonight, by the way. Very reminiscent of an Egyptian goddess.”

“Thank you.” Dr. Y/L/N briefly glanced down at her outfit. “That's actually kind of the look I was going for.”

She paused. “You look really nice as well.”

“Thank you.” Steven had "borrowed" a tux that Marc had stashed in the back of their closet after a mission. It had been a bit wrinkled when Steven had pulled it out but luckily there were no bloodstains, so after a bit of dry cleaning it was as good as new.

Dr. Y/L/N took a sip of her champagne. “Oh, I meant to tell you, that teacher from the school group you gave a tour to on Wednesday emailed me this afternoon and absolutely raved about you, said it was the most engaged she's ever seen some of her students and that they were still talking about it yesterday in class.”

Steven grinned. “Oh, they were a fun group, asked some good questions.”

“She also wanted to know if she went ahead and booked another tour for next term if she could request you as her class's tour guide.”

Steven nodded. “Yeah, that's not a problem. I'll make a note when she sends in her tour reservation to schedule myself for it.”

“Okay, I'll email her back on Monday and let her know.”

“Okay, great.”

“You know, that was actually the fourth message we've gotten about how great your tours in particular are just in the past two weeks alone. I need to watch out -- another museum might get wind of how amazing you are and try to steal you away.”

Steven grinned and shook his head. “No chance of that, ma'am. I plan on staying right where I'm at.”

Dr. Y//N nodded with a smile. “Good to know.”

“--Ah, Dr. Y/L/N, there you are!”

Dr. Y/L/N turned as Helen walked up. “Good evening, Helen.”

“‘Evening, ma’am. ‘Evening, Steven.”

“Good evening,” Steven replied. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but it’s time for your welcome speech, Dr. Y/L/N.” 

“Oh, it is? I'm sorry, I had no idea of the time.” Dr. Y/L/N turned back to Steven. “Would you mind holding my champagne for me, please? I'll be right back.”

Steven nodded and took her glass. “Absolutely, ma'am.”

He watched Dr. Y/L/N head over to a makeshift stage and clear her throat as the music that had been playing softly over the museum's intercom system faded into silence. “Hello, everyone,” she said. “For those of you that don't know me, my name is Y/F/N Y/L/N and I’m the director here at the British Museum. On behalf of myself and the entire museum staff, I'd like to welcome you to this evening's members’ gala.

“For years the museum has been the cornerstone of enlightenment and knowledge and it is only with your continued support that we are able to present such a large and wonderfully diverse collection of artifacts for exhibition. It's an honor and a privilege to be part of the growth and development of the museum and its collection, and from the bottom of my heart I thank you all for being here. Enjoy your evening.”

Steven politely applauded along with the rest of the crowd, then watched as Dr. Y/L/N made her way off the stage back towards him.

He handed her her glass of champagne. “That was a lovely speech.”

Dr. Y/L/N smiled. “Thank you.”

“It really is fascinating, though, innit? I mean, the history of the museum.”

Dr. Y/L/N nodded. “Oh yeah, very. And to think it started with someone's private collection.”

Steven took a sip of water. "So you never did say what brought you to England, if it was strictly for work or..." He trailed off.

Nice segue into finding out if she's single, Marc said in his head.

"Well, the short answer is strictly work," Dr. Y/LN replied. "But the long answer is that I got a dual Master's degree in history and linguistics before getting my doctorate in Archeology and had originally planned on being a real-life Indiana Jones, but then the university museum offered me a position as their director and I almost had to take it. I enjoyed it immensely but I’d always wanted to come to England, and a couple of months ago a museum job board I’m part of had posted that there was an opening for the director of the British Museum, so I figured why not at least apply? Honestly never thought I'd actually get it, although I'm really glad I did."

Steven gave her a small smile. “I am too.”

Dr. Y/L/N shook her head. “Sorry, I’ve been blathering on about myself for too long. Tell me about you.”

“Oh, er, well…” Steven licked his lips nervously. “There’s not much else to know besides what you’ve read on my CV, really.”

“Nothing? You don’t have any family? Friends? Things you do for fun?”

“Well, there was my mum, but she’s…” Steven trailed off. “She’s gone now.”

 Dr. Y/L/N gasped softly. “Oh. Oh, Steven, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright. It was a while ago.” Steven shrugged. “I’ve got a goldfish, at least. Gus. Gus the goldfish.”

“Gus the goldfish…” Dr. Y/L/N nodded with a smile. “I like that.”

Steven took another sip of water. “I don’t suppose you have any pets.”

“No, I considered getting a pet of some sort, but my hours at the university museum were always so long that I would’ve felt bad leaving whatever sort of pet I chose to get home alone for hours on end.”

Steven nodded. He wasn’t exactly sure which iteration of Gus he was on thanks to Marc. “That’s understandable.”

“Maybe one day. We’ll see. So, what do you do when you’re not working?”

“Actually, I’m studying hieroglyphics at the moment.”

“Oh wow, that’s so cool!”

Steven grinned at Dr. Y/L/N's enthusiasm. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to see if I can translate whatever’s on Akhenaten’s coffin so I can add it to the information on the display placard, although it’s probably just something like ‘here lies Akhenaten, who died from eating spoiled lentils’.”

“Want to go find out?”

Steven blinked at Dr. Y/L/N in surprise. “What, really? Right now?”

“Yeah, why not? I don't think anyone will even notice we're gone.” Dr. Y/L/N gave him a cheeky grin. “Come on, I promise I won't tell the boss.”

Steven chuckled, then nodded. “Okay then. Let's go.”

They quietly made their way upstairs to the 3rd floor and into the Ancient Egyptian hall.

Steven crouched down next to Akhenaten’s sarcophagus so he could read the inscription that had been etched onto the side. “Alright, let's have a look.”

“Well?” Dr. Y/L/N asked. “Does it say he died from eating some bad lentils?”

Steven chuckled. “Actually, no. It says ‘Here lies Akhenaten, beloved of the Aten, great of kingship in Akhetaten, who has elevated the name of the Aten, the perfect one of the manifestations of Re, who is beneficial to the Aten.”

Dr. Y/L/N crouched down next to him. “So he was a sun worshiper.”

Steven nodded. “Specifically the sun disk, Aten. He tried to force monotheism and make Aten the only worshiped god, which backfired spectacularly. He wasn't very well-liked and is sometimes referred to as the ‘heretic pharaoh’.”

Dr. Y/L/N winced. “Ouch. No wonder his sarcophagus isn't as nice as some others.”

“It appears that it wasn't even made for him originally -- it was made for a woman and was either second-hand or retrofitted to him.”

Dr. Y/L/N turned towards him. “So what happened after his death?”

“Polytheism was slowly reintroduced, and he was largely forgotten about until the discovery of his tomb in 1893.”

Dr. Y/L/N shook her head. “Geez. Imagine going from being an all-powerful pharaoh to getting stuffed into a second-hand coffin upon your death and left to the annals of history.”

Steven nodded as he stood. “Yeah.”

Dr. Y/L/N went to stand as well, but wobbled as she straightened.

Steven instinctively grabbed her hand to keep her from falling. “Woah there. Are you alright?”

Dr. Y/L/N looked down at their joined hands then back up to Steven���s eyes, an unreadable expression on her face.

She blinked a few times then nodded. “Yeah, yeah I’m okay. Thank you.”

Steven was filled with relief. The last thing he needed was to have Dr. Y/L/N be hurt, especially while they had snuck off to go look at an exhibit. People would talk. “Oh, good.” 

He let go of her hand and took a step back. “We should um, we should probably get back downstairs, yeah?”

Dr. Y/L/N cleared her throat. “Right, yes. Yes, of course.”

They headed out of the Ancient Egyptian exhibit and back down to the gala on the first floor.

Dr. Y/L/N paused at the foot of the stairs. “I um, I probably should go speak to some of the benefactors since the gala is almost over, but just so you know, I really enjoyed our conversation tonight.”

Steven smiled. “I did too. Enjoy the rest of your evening, ma’am.”

“You too, Steven.”

Steven watched as Dr. Y/L/N walked away. If he got to spend every gala like he did this one… he definitely wouldn't mind having to attend.

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

DUMBASS DUO SHOWDOWN ROUND 2 BATTLE 3

Josuke Higashikata & Okuyasu Nijimura from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (ship name: josuyasu) vs Cole Brookstone & Jay Walker from lego ninjago (ship name: bruise)

REMINDER TO CHECK OUT THE PROPAGANDA UNDER THE CUT!

JOSUYASU PROPAGANDA

Josuke is fairly decent, but okuyasu, you know how in math, if you multiply a negative number with a positive one it is always negative, that is josuyasu for you. Josuke has 6 braincells and Okuyasu has -6734. Their first meeting was okuyasu trying to kill josuke, then he shows up at his house a few days later and goes "hey lets go to school! btw your mom is hot!" Josuke punches a plate of spaghetti because he thinks the chef is evil, they both fight a middle schooler who stole their cash. Okuyasu got the third most op ability in his part but he is too stupid (and kind) to realize it. Somehow they survive their entire part. They are thus far the second jojo and jobro duo to not lose each other. the second one? THEM IN AN ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE! (okay but okuyasu is swapped for koichi in that one, but still).

Josuke normally is pretty smart, but somewhat silly, but Okuyasu. Isn’t incredibly bright but he’s the best jojo character idc. Okuyasu brings out josukes stupid and then they are just besties and totally bouncing off each other’s stupid ideas. Idk what Okuyasu does to josukes brain but I’m here for it

I saw the post title and without reading anything else immediately went to submit them, only to go back and read the full post and realize they were included by default. They are THE dumbass duo. Ever. The worst protagonists for a detective story, but they dumbassed around so hard they somehow caught a genius serial killer. No matter who wins, they’ll always be the number 1 dumbasses in my heart.

they are the best of friends, which of course means they met by trying to kill each other.

They’re both so stupid. Like josuke isn’t that stupid on his own but he’s kinda dumb and when you put him with dumbass incarnate okuyasu they multiply each others’ stupidness. Together they are a menace.

JOSUKE AND OKUYASU FOR THE WIN BECAUSE THEY SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT A RANDOM ITALIAN WAS EVIL BECAUSE HIS PASTA WAS TOO GOOD

Okuyasu and Josuke share a braincell and they lose that braincell at least 5 times a day

The majority of Diamond is Unbreakable is those two getting themselves and their friends into absurd situations. There's no way the sportsboys can compete with discovering aliens are (maybe???) real and immediately trying to use the alien(??) to cheat at dice. Then they burned down someone's house

#josuyasu are DUmbass Incorporated and i love them#its literally canon that okuyasu has one of The Most Powerful Abilities In The Entire JJBA Universe#but is too dumb and good natured to put it to world ending use

this gif

don't ask about the weird space

BRUISE PROPAGANDA

They both come up with the dumbest ideas on the team and make jokes all the time

They got into a love triangle/fight because they were just dumb and missed each other. Also they’re canonical besties who are so fucking stupid but also love each other so much

They’re both just so silly… anxiety dumbass and emotional support dumbass…

They ended up in jail once because they broke a dangerous criminal out with good intentions, had a fight over a girl but in the end said that they were more upset about losing each other

part of the bruise propaganda being "they fought over a girl but actually they just missed each other too much" is RIDICULOUSLY funny to me they also were paired off at the start of season 8, resulting in jay mimicking cole, cole getting INCREDIBLY annoyed because jay doesn't understand how vows of silence work, and then the two of them getting into an argument which leads to an entire monastery of monks breaking their vow of silence. they singlehandedly caused an entire monastery of monks to break their vows of silence because they're that stupidly annoying. jay also got really jealous that the princess they meet in season 13 was interested in cole. like bro literally said "the princess seems interested in cole. i mean, he's my best friend and all, but, cole??" vote bruise.

[my-mt-heart]

Thoughts on the Opening Minutes of TBOC

Below the cut in case people don't want spoilers. Also issuing a trigger warning because I'm including screenshots of the sides for that Daryl and Isabelle scene so I could go over what changed (and more importantly why it changed). Please keep in mind that if you are excited about everything you've seen this weekend, you deserve to hold onto it. I kindly ask that you just keep scrolling because this post isn't for you. If you're open to some critical thinking, maybe this will resonate. Either way, please allow everyone the space to feel what they're feeling. It's all valid.

The first thing I want to flag is that, though I didn't watch the opening minutes on AMC+, I'm aware that they used a Daryl thumbnail and kept the title as TWD: Daryl Dixon. If the purpose of S2 is to highlight Carol's return and focus on her side of the story, why isn't AMC trying harder to sell her? She can absolutely carry a show and boost the ratings, but they'll only be able to capitalize on that if they promote her to the fullest. The deliberate choice to exclude her where it makes a difference is baffling to me, or at least it would be if I didn't already know they care too much about catering to a specific male demographic who don't connect with Carol or even Daryl for that matter.

Melissa is amazing in all her scenes. She can communicate so much about Carol's headspace as she looks out at the broken boats, contemplating the distance between her and Daryl. The performance is so simple and yet so charged. Not a doubt in my mind that she is meant to co-lead this show, that there is no show without Carol’s side of the story to ground Daryl’s. The problem is that the writing just isn’t matching up. There should be substance to all of the material Melissa’s given, and at least in the opening minutes, there just isn't. I hate that the beat of her finding what she thinks is Daryl's walker got cut because that's a much clearer visual of what's at stake for Carol. She can't lose him. I love how Daryl's bike and crossbow are used to highlight a spiritual connection between them, but I hate how lazy it feels without insight into how and when Carol picked up those skills. Yeah, I can make headcanons for myself, but I'm so tired of twisting myself in knots to find the connective tissue when its the showrunner's job to give it to me so that the story flows better.

Same goes for Daryl's scenes. We understand that Daryl has "people" back home and Carol is "one" of them as it says in the script:

One of those people. CAROL PELETIER. Riding Daryl's motorcycle. As we left her (Ep. 106).

And we're meant to take the transition from Daryl saying "wondering if they're still thinking about me" to Carol on his bike as reassurance that "people" he's thinking about are not only thinking about him as well, "people" are also on their way to find him. But it doesn't tell us what Daryl's relationship with Carol means to him and without that, the storytelling becomes really uneven. Carol is putting all this effort into finding him because she misses him and she worries about him while Daryl stays ambiguous. It just makes me sad for Carol, more so when Greg Nicotero says that Daryl has no idea she's coming and that he may be too attached to his manipulative French family by the time she gets there. Is it baiting? Yeah, maybe, but I don't like that TPTB are making us sit with the unsettling feeling that Daryl might have to choose between her and the new family, trying to use our anxiety to get us to watch. It's unethical. I'm not okay with it.

Over a year ago, a page from 201 leaked online, and a few fans managed to save it before it was deleted. It included two scenes. The first, I already mentioned above, a scene where Carol is riding Daryl's bike, sees a walker that looks like Daryl, and fearfully goes to see if it really is him before riding off again. It got cut. Shouldn't have, but scenes that Caryl fans would enjoy are always the first to go for some reason. The other one made it to screen. It's the scene where Daryl and Isabelle are talking and he doesn't know if he's meant to be at the Nest/in France. It reads like this (trigger warning):

DARYL: How's that Kool-aid taste?

But Isabelle doesn't get the reference.

DARYL (CONT'D): I'm not sure this is where I'm supposed to be.

Isabelle scrutinizes Daryl. And even though she's afraid of the answer, she has to ask.

ISABELLE: You don't think you could be happy here?

DARYL: I dunno. Could you?

ISABELLE: ...Yes. I could.

If...what? A charged beat. It's clear there are feelings. They hold a look.

DARYL: The longer I'm away...the longer they're waiting for me. Wondering if I'm still alive.

Isabelle nods. Sympathetic to the fact that he has people as we cut to:

On screen, Daryl's dialogue is slightly different. There is no Kool-aid reference (thank god) or a "dunno" line to suggest he's conflicted. His last line addresses an insecurity that he's been forgotten, which ties back to Carol saying on the radio that he didn't need to worry about her, the implication in Daryl's head being that she was fine without him. His line sets up the transition to Carol, who is definitely not fine without him. Overall, I think the revisions make Isabelle's feelings more ambiguous (though there are enough cues to interpret that they're there if anybody chooses to, especially with the score) while Daryl is more adamant that he wants to go home. They aren't in the same frame when they "hold a look," which reduces the "charged" energy between them. So this is a good thing, right? The changes mean we got riled up for no reason?

No. The changes happened because we got riled up. There is such a thing as sanctioned leaks to allow studios to gauge audience reception before releasing content they aren't confident about, sort of like a focus group. Whether or not that's what this one was, the noise demonstrated that shading the scene as written would've hurt their viewership. That's why it's so important to be vocal about how we feel, even if it's perceived as "negativity." That's why I raise concerns. That's why I'm taking the time now to give my feedback on all the SDCC content even though I'm feeling pretty broken. It's hard and it’s scary because other fans are mean sometimes, but it's the only way to encourage AMC to course correct, whereas silence and/or finding the bright side in everything gives them permission to keep gaslighting their audience.

The one thing that can’t be helped is Zabel's and Nicotero's intentions. Zabel said in an interview he didn't intend to make Daryl's and Isabelle's relationship romantic. That was a lie. The intention to shipbait is right there in the sides that were approved for production, and it's right there in the SDCC trailer, which I will address in another post. I don't trust storytellers who think ageist tropes are necessary to get people to watch despite the significant portion of Daryl's fanbase who don't view him as the ZA's James Bond. I don't support storytellers who think they have to stick to an outdated formula instead of doing proper research on the characters to see what works for their unique stories and unique fanbase. I won't stick around for S3 to find out which lucky actress gets to be the new shipbait or which parts of Caryl's story get retconned. I can't make sense of a stagnant friendship narrative for them because that's not the narrative I followed on the flagship show. These guys make me too afraid to watch S2 even, which hurts because Caryl’s story is so important to me. I want to see it continue, and I want Melissa to get the praise she deserves. But I also want Caryl’s story to be in the right hands. It is with Melissa and Norman working as a team. Notice the difference in the quality of their interviews when it was just them and Louis getting to speak on their characters vs when Zabel and Nicotero were there to chime in (frequently)? I did, and it just makes me confused about the future of these characters.

Note: I apologize for the quality of the screenshots. They were blurry to begin with, but I also didn't want to post the whole page with the watermark in case it wasn't a sanctioned leak.

[whimsywillowwrites]

Thank you for the tag @winekita!

I'm a little worried about spoiling the upcoming chapter, so I'll share something new! 💖

This is an OC who sells her soul to Nora Jean. I'm not too sure if she will show up in the actual fic or not since she doesn't really serve any purpose for the story. DSaONPT already has a lot going on, and I'm worried including her would make the story too cluttered? I love the idea of her annoying Alastor to death though lmao. She may end up getting her own oneshot in the future, who knows. ┐(°ヮ°)┌ Anyway, here you go!

“What do you want to call yourself?” “Chaos.” The receptionist snorts. “What?” Rebecca demands, defensive. “What’s so funny?” “Nothing. It’s just a popular name.” "You’re lying,” Rebecca says. "Kid, we got over a thousand Sinners down here who decided to call themselves Chaos.” Well that won’t do. How will Rebecca stand out amongst this cesspool of sinners if she has a name just like everyone else? “Okay, what else is popular?” “For goth kids like you? Ebony, Sabrina, Bella, Shade, Shadow, Bloody Rose 666 ..." “Damn, okay. How about Nightshade?” "Pretty common too.” "Belladonna? Malice? Dark Angel of Woe?” "All taken.” Rebecca should have known better. She is now in a world full of like-minded folk who have all staked their claims on unique and menacing titles. She will have to think harder. Her eyes drift to an assortment of confiscated weapons behind the receptionist. A bloody bone saw sticks straight up from the pile. “Okay,” Rebecca says. “How about … Raven Bloodysaw.” The receptionist squints at her. “Raven is also pretty popular but … Bloodsaw is different.” "Oooh, I like that. Dropping the y! Bloodsaw.” Rebecca makes a wide sweeping gesture as though envisioning the name spread out before her big bold letters. “Strikes fear into your heart, right?” "Sure.” “Sweet. Maybe I should spell Raven with a y.” “No,” the receptionist says. “Okay, fine. How about we add a cool sounding middle name then?" Rebecca's middle name is Bernice which she hates more than anything. Seriously, what demon wants to bang a Bernice? "I've always liked the name Amethyst. Let's go with that."  The receptionist grunts and goes to write it down, but Rebecca immediately stops her. "WAIT!" she screeches. "It has to be spelled differently. We’ll spell A-Y-M-E-T-H-I-S-T!” A wide grin spreads across her face. “Unique, right?” “That’s one word for it.” “The other word you’re thinking of is sexy, isn’t it?”  A demon in the back pipes up. "Hurry up, you Edgar Allan Poe-wannabe. I got places to be!" A lightbulb goes off. "That's it!" Rebecca says.  "What's it?" the receptionist says. "Edgar Allan Poe. My new name is Raven, so I must honor him by adding him into my new title." A collective groan is heard from the line. "Fine," the receptionist says. "Your name shall be Raven Edgar Allan—" "No," Rebecca Who Is Now Called Raven says. "My name shall be... Raven Aymethist Evermore Bloodsaw." "Uh-huh," the receptionist says. "And you're sure that's what you want to be called for the rest of eternity?" "Hell yeah."

Tagging any other Helluva-verse writers who wanna join! ( ˊᵕˋ )ﾉ~♡

[artfulusername]

You know what I'm going to do? I've gotten to a fun point in this ficlet (okay, it's going to be longer than that). I'm going to go ahead and post Part One of this unnamed thing.

Enjoy!

Title TBD

John Constantine felt like a proper idiot standing outside of Nanaue’s favorite sushi place. He had a large tray in hand and realized that he had no idea where his ex was staying these days. King Shark rarely strayed from Hawai’i of late, but there was still more ground and ocean to cover than he’d considered in his haste to see if there was something to Dream’s nonsense.

The King of Stories could have just as soon been making the whole thing up to get rid of an inconvenient third wheel. John wouldn’t put it past him. So, there he was. Wishing he could smoke and cursing his cousin’s name for rendering him unable to do so. Instead, he rolled the toothpick around with his tongue and held the tray one-handed so he could fish his phone out from his pocket.

He scrolled through the local news. Maybe there was a pattern of missing persons. Nanaue wasn’t as prolific with his meals as he had once been, but maybe there was a trail he could follow. Perhaps he should have been more focused on the area around him. Maybe then he wouldn’t have been so fucking startled when a hand clamped around his bicep, jostling the sushi for a moment before John balanced it properly again.

Great. He was getting jumped or kidnapped. His usual bloody luck. Why had he come to Hawai’i again?

His fingers tightened around the edge of the tray, the plastic digging uncomfortably into the pads of his fingertips. “Oi! What’s this all about?” He turned his head to look at whoever had snagged his arm. His gaze met a well-muscled chest in a tight black t-shirt. And then it lifted. Ah. Shark tattoo on his throat. That was certainly a sign.

By the time his eyes met his assailant’s through dark sunglasses, a leaden weight sank in his stomach like an anchor. “Boss wants to see you,” came the rumbled answer to his question. At least his ex had good taste in minions. If he lived past walking through the front door, he’d say as much.

“Well, isn’t this a coincidence? I came here to see him. Got an offering and all.” He lifted the tray as much as he was able. “Take me to your leader.”

Not even a smile.

John was still amused even as he found himself unceremoniously shoved in the back of a cushy black SUV. If he was being driven to his doom, at least he was going out in style flanked by a pair of men who’d put half of the Justice League to shame. There were certainly worse fates.

“Is it going to be a long drive? Sushi doesn’t keep well. Hadn’t really thought beyond getting it. Probably should’ve sorted out my destination first.” Drumming his fingers atop the plastic to fill the silence in the car, he swallowed past the lump in his throat. Sure. He had options. He could reach into his coat and pull out all manner of tricks to get himself out of this situation. But he had to try first.

He rested a hand on the tray, holding it steady. The other hand lifts just a few inches in the air. Not too fast. Nice and slow. He didn't want to unsettle his escorts. Still, the silence was suffocating. Something had to be done. 

With a flick of his wrist, the radio leapt to life. Taylor Swift. What the fuck did he do to deserve a Swifting?

"I say 'I hate you,' we break up, you call me, 'I love you.'"

"Not a good omen," he muttered and flicked his wrist again. The station shifted. He'd accept the instrumental solo from Kansas' "Carry On My Wayward Son." It felt kinder. No less ominous, but at least it felt like something he could work with.

The driver and the guy riding shotgun exchanged baffled looks, but at least the radio stayed on. Thank goodness for small victories. John drummed his fingers on the tray's plastic covering. “Are we there yet?”

Yeah. He earned the press of a gun's barrel in his ribs. Fair play. No one liked hearing that question. “I'll take that as a ‘maybe?’” The gun dug a little more deeply into his side. That was going to leave a mark if they weren't careful.

The driver looked at the gun-toting goon in the rearview mirror. At least that's what John assumed from the glance. “Boss wants him intact. For now, at least.”

With a grumble, the gun-toting goon lowered his weapon. It rested meaningfully on his lap instead. At least his chances of being shot if they hit a bump had lowered. John appreciated the adjustment of the odds in his favor, however slight the tweak had been.

Look. With the way his day was going, he was going to take whatever he could get. The flight had been crap and then it had taken him forever to find some place selling the right kind of sushi. Getting shot would just be the icing on this shit cake.

He let out a breath and let the classic rock wash over him. At least he didn't have to wait too much longer. The car pulled into a parking lot and the goons pushed him out of the car. He held tightly to the tray, pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too jostled.

Everything looked just the way it did when he took it out of the restaurant. Sure, it probably wasn't going to put him back in Nanaue's good graces. But, hey, he could at least give it a shot. At the very least they could enjoy some fine fight before everything went to shit.

Honestly? John wasn't sure what to expect. It had been some time since he'd been around here. It looked like his ex was doing fairly good for himself. The building was nice. Big windows. It wouldn't have been his first choice, but he didn't blame Nanaue wanting to take advantage of the view.

It certainly was gorgeous. Lots of lush vegetation to enjoy. He tried not to gape as the goons walked him into the building. At the center of the building was, predictably, a multi-story aquarium. Filled with colorful fish, it was certainly an eye-catching centerpiece. 

A goon elbowed him to get his attention. “Right. Yes. Nice digs you have here. I'll have to give your boss my compliments.” He offered a crooked grin. It was not returned.

They wound their way through the open, finely-furnished space. John felt every hour of his flights in economy. He could have sprung for business class, but it likely wouldn't have helped much for the level of grime he felt clinging to him. At the very least he could have showered before sushi hunting.

Foresight was not always his strong suit.

It was too late to do a sniff check now. At least he had the sushi going for him. Little good it would likely do considering how he left things. Maybe he should have gotten two trays. Or three. Or maybe something else entirely.

Nanaue wasn't looking his way as they approached. He was staring out of one of the large windows at the frankly breathtaking view of the ocean. Yeah. That explained why he picked the building. From what he could tell, it looked like there was even an easy route down to the beach. His ex had good taste in real estate even if his taste in men was a bit crap.

“You definitely have balls to show your face around here.” The rumble of Nanaue's voice always hit John like an ocean wave, leaving him weak-kneed and inwardly flailing.

He couldn't help himself. “You'd know.” Clearing his throat, he decided a clarification was in order .”About my balls, that is.” It wasn't his best choice. He saw that now.

Nanaue's head dipped. Whether it was in disappointment or amusement was hard to tell. Things could go either way. He offered no additional response. John could accept leaving him speechless.

“I brought sushi? The place has a 5-star rating on Yelp.” Yes, he checked reviews. He still felt a little weird about it. “Looks like it's a favorite of locals. That must mean it's quality.”

“You never really gave a shit about sushi before.” There was amusement in Nanaue's voice. “Why start now?”

That was a good question. It was one he should have anticipated. A smarter man would have had something smooth prepared. All John could manage was, “Because you like sushi?”

Nanaue finally turned and made a sharp gesture at John's escorts. John braced himself. Any moment, he'd be riddled with bullets. It just felt like a getting shot kind of moment.

And then he wasn't shot.

And then they were alone.

John held the tray up as an offering. “Sushi?”

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Taylor Swift Song Titles (2) Masterlist

part one

and all at once, this is enough (ao3) - manchestereyes

Summary: He'll never admit it, but Dan really likes mornings--especially ones where he gets to make Phil coffee.

And I might be okay (but I’m not fine at all) (ao3) - elusive_eventuality

Summary: It wasn’t that Phil was keeping Dan from seeing their daughter, it’s just that he didn’t know if he could handle seeing him for the first time in six months knowing they’d made a mistake by breaking it off.OR:Dan and Phil are divorced and have been for six months when Dan asks to see their daughter.

clean (ao3) - whenyouheldtheknife

Summary: you're all over me like a wine-stained dress i can't wear anymore. || a prose poem about dan & phil, again from dan's perspective, and their relationship.

Drop Everything Now (Meet Me in the Pouring Rain) (ao3) - manchestereyes

Summary: Phil never planned for a rainstorm to intrude on Dan's second ever visit to Manchester--but maybe that's exactly what they need to push them closer than ever.

Exile (ao3) - danrifics

Summary: I think I’ve seen this film before And I didn’t like the ending

Fade into View (ao3) - nic0ler

Summary: Phil works as a receptionist and he loves it. Dan works as an editor for a fashion magazine and he kind of hates it. Dans really pretty and Phil notices. Dan doesn't notice Phil, until one day, Phil makes himself noticed by everyone.

I Know Places (ao3) - bookcallipitter

Summary: Songfic based off of I know Places by Taylor Swift. Story of Dan and Phil and their love.

I know you, hands under my sweatshirt (ao3) - midorijpg

Summary: or, something something about having bad days and growing up and realizing you don't (completely) fit in couches anymore.

In another life you still would’ve turned my head (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Dan comes across old black and white photos of two queer men messing around, one playing with the other's hair, just like he did in a recent video with Phil. He gets caught up in the emotions that he would have fallen in love with Phil in any universe. He crawls into Phil's lap and tells him exactly that.

Just Grab My Hand (And Don’t Ever Drop It) - lookslikefairytale

Summary: Dan, the line between love and friendship was always sort of like a grey area.

Let Me Tell You Now You're the Lucky One (ao3) - manchestereyes

Summary: predictable, /prəˈdiktəb(ə)l/ adj. expected, especially on the basis of previous or known behavior

It was laughable just how predictable these YouTube conventions had become. Dan knew their fans were well aware of his and Phil’s antisocial habits. He also knew he wouldn’t change a thing.

Lover. (ao3) - formlessbIob

Summary: “Darling, you’re my lover.” A series of Dan and Phil ficlets, based on Lover by Taylor Swift.

Meet me in the pouring rain (ao3) - HeartbreakHowell21

Summary: Dan and Phil are on a picnic date when it starts to rain. Little did Phil know, it was a dream of Dan's to be kissed in the rain. Phil thinks he's joking but starts to believe it when Dan sings "sparks fly" by Taylor Swift.

never too late (to be brand new) (ao3) - manchestereyes

Summary: It's the final show of the tour, but that doesn't mean everything has to end. Maybe, just maybe, Dan and Phil both have a few tricks up their sleeves.

new year’s day (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: “i want your midnights

but i’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on new year’s day”

phil had his heart stolen by a boy with dimples. but life isn’t that simple, is it?

Out In Plain Sight (ao3) - dizzy

Summary: They made the video, and it felt like a good idea. They felt brave, sitting in their bedroom. They felt like the moment was right. Prompt: i know places - taylor swift (for phan <3)

Stay Here Honey, I Don’t Wanna Share - tobieallison

Summary: strangers to lovers based off of Taylor Swift’s delicate.

This Love is Alive (Back from the Dead) (ao3) - twoheadlights (fizzfic)

Summary: in an alternate world where taylor swift does not exist it isn’t easy singing your feelings to the whole world. ask phil lester; he would know better than anyone else. and it isn’t his fault he has a lot of feelings. it isn’t his fault he likes writing them down and it isn’t his fault that people seem to relate to him. he could never in his wildest dreams imagined one quite like dan howell to change his mind about everything.

'tis the damn season (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan is the coffee shop regular at the shop Phil just started working at. Phil quickly learns that Dan is a bit of a Grinch who refuses to try the shops' holiday drinks, or anything new really. Phil's determined to change Dan's mind about the holiday drinks.

You Are In Love (ao3) - PJismysmolbean

Summary: Dan had never been one for romance. With his sarcastic sense of humour, constant dark thoughts, and fear of his own sexuality, he had assumed that he would be alone his whole life. When he met Phil, he had been in a very dark part in his life. Dan might not even be alive if it weren’t for Phil. Phil changed him. Phil saved him. And despite everything Dan had believed when he was younger, Dan was in love.