#trust me you really should because i said so

[skipper1331]

We listen and we don’t judge // Alexia Putellas

a/n: short one

It was all over your foryou page - the 'we listen and we don’t judge' trend. So obviously you had to do it with your girlfriend.

After you had explained the rules to the Barcelona captain, you sat down next to each other at the dining table, your phone recording.

"Hello guys!" you greeted, Alexia greeting in her mother tongue, "today we‘re doing the we listen and don’t judge trend" you explained once again how it works for those who didn‘t know, "and I’m very excited how this turns out" you laughed, grinning at Alexia who held your hand underneath the table.

"Do you want to start, amor?" she asked.

"Yes okay." you thought about it for a moment before you came up with one, "we listen and we don‘t judge"

"Sometimes when you leave the house for training i eat the chocolate bars you get from the physio and when you ask where they are i tell you that you probably ate them already"

Ale chuckled before she answered, "amor, i buy them in the store. I know you like them. Since I’m injury free the physio doesn’t buy them anymore. It was a treat for every step of recovery"

"What? You didn‘t tell me that" you huffed, playfully.

"Yes because you always look so cute with the guilty mischief glint in your eyes when you tell me I ate them"

"Hey!-"

"We listen-" she cut you off, encouraging you to join the end of her sentence "and we don‘t judge" you said in unison.

"Sí, um, sometimes when I look through the newest football footage and you‘re nearby I make sure that you only see the best of me and my skills, so you’re impressed by me." she admitted with a shy smile, tracing patterns of the back of your hand.

leaning over to whisper in her ear, "I’m always impressed by you, don’t worry" before you said, "we listen and we don‘t judge"

"When we‘re going out and I ask if I should drive, I always hope that you say no because I don’t want to drive, I’d rather be the passenger princess with the privileges than the driver."

Alexia looked at you - indeed you often asked if she was sure that she wanted drive and that it wouldn’t be a problem if you sat behind the steering wheel but Alexia always had a feeling. Besides she loved driving you around.

"We listen and we don’t judge"

"When I’m in the supermarket and you ask me to buy something for you and it isn’t on the paper list, I forget about it most of the time. And when you ask where it is and i suddenly remember it, i tell you that the store didn‘t have it" she innocently smiled at you, the judgmental expression on your face obvious.

"Te amo, eh?"

"We listen and we don't judge" you replied.

"When we watch a movie I pretend to fall asleep, so you would carry me to bed"

"You cheeky girl" the midfielder kissed your cheek before her arm went around your shoulder, pulling you a bit closer.

"We listen and we don‘t judge"

"If you try to cook my mother's food, I tell you every time that it tastes delicious, even if sometimes it doesn't taste that good" she said, quickly adding, "because I really appreciate the effort" smiling.

"Yeah, that‘s fair. Your mum is an amazing cook"

With that being said, you continued little game for a bit before you said your good byes to the camera.

"I thought you‘d admit worse things" you said, smiling at the catalan, happy that her statements were harmless. You had seen many horrific statements on the internet which left you shocked and wondering how these people stay in their relationship.

"Why would I, amor? I like being with you and I wouldn’t ever judge you" she said with heart eyes. The girl so in love with you.

And truth to her words, there‘s never been any occasion where she had judged you. She trusted you in everything and besides, mistakes happen too, so why would she judge that? Nobody was perfect, she wasn’t perfect, neither were you. Even though she truly believed that you were the closest thing to perfection.

"Te amo mucho"

[lavenders388]

HII!!

could we please get some kang dae ho x reader??

something where he’s a bit of his usual himbo self and the reader is maybe a bit airheaded— something about two people being in love with one another while the world around them is burning is amazing.

~Flowers in December~

<3 Kang Dae Ho x Reader

requested 💌

authors note: i am amazed by the amount of requests and also so flattered!! I am so happy to get back into writing not only for myself but to be able to make other people happy to see their ideas come to life!! i apologize if this has some flaws i cant wait to get more practice in and promise the next will be better!! feedback is always appreciated! thank you all so much!!<3 -matcha

~~~~~~~~~~~⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆~~~~~~~~~~~

...

~takes place during the second night~

"we should all take turns keeping watch over the group" player 456 urged as the warning for lights out echoed throughout the room, the rest of the group silently agreeing- trusting the man who claimed to have been in one of the previous games, leaving as the sole survivor. you were, as were many others, reluctant to believe that he had done all of this before, but after his help in the first game and joining his team for the second, you grew to trust him; and the other members of your group. the man that had been assigned your partner for keeping watch was coincidentally a member you were drawn to specifically- at first because he was close to your age, his boyish face making you feel a little less scared and alone in the second game, and eventually you appreciated his outward personality and kindhearted confidence, a stark contrast to the situation you both were in. as you sat together, although trying to protect your group from whatever could happen in the dark room, you felt even safer. "how in the world did you pull that off?" you broke the silence with a whisper, referring to him playing gonggi in the previous game. "my hands were shaking so badly i could barely even hold my ddakji." he laughs, a bit louder than he should have given the people sleeping, but it made you smile. "i told you all i played with my sisters!" he chuckles. "you said you know how to do it yeah," you retorted, stifling a giggle at him being unaware of the compliment. "you didn't tell us you were amazing at it, that was a surprise." he turns away, embarrassed of how deeply your compliment made him grin and scared you'd see him blushing even in the dark. "thank you y/n." he says bashfully as he regains his composure. the silence returns; the reality of where you're both having this conversation threatening to creep back in. his gaze softens as he turns to you again, "you did really well with your ddakji you know, doing it the first try is really impressive, especially given the circumstances." you smile, a toothy grin as not only are you proud of yourself but you appreciate the compliment; especially from him. the kind, authentic way he states how good you did has you unable to find a response. "t-thank you" you say, blushing and still smiling. "it helped that nobody was there, i get nervous when people are watching me." his demeanor changes. he nervously runs his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry if i made you nervous, y/n" he says sincerely. your confusion shows on your face until you realize what he means. "oh no don't worry! i meant the crowd, like how everybody was cheering for the other teams! i didn't want them all to see if i messed up. you watching me helped actually. it made me less nervous." the silence returns; comfortingly. you've forgotten where you are, you've forgotten what would have happened if you'd messed up, all that's on your mind is the man sitting next to you. when you look back he's staring at you. smiling. "thank you for being on my team." you say to him as he turns away, trying to hide how long he was looking at you. you've never seen him speechless before. "if we work together nothing can stand in our way." he said to you just as he said to jung bae before the game. "i am truly honored you feel that way." you half-joke. "what are your plans for tomorrow?" you ask as if youre speaking to him in a normal situation. "oh wait im sorry!" you laugh. "well i bet they're the same as mine then!" you joke about your forgetfulness as well as making light of where you find yourself. like hes done for you, he also had forgotten the events of the day and what followed tomorrow. the two of you talking made him feel as though he was living a good, normal day. it was greatly appreciated by him, your bubbly nature being a moment of solace.

a/n if this is buns at all please lmk what i can do better!!! ⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆

[nomie-11]

Vi x Reader - I Love You, I'm Sorry

masterlist!

“Really, Vi?” You practically spat, face to face with a girl you thought you knew. “You’re running with the enforcers now? Since when were you a bluebelly?”

The grimace on her face was set in firm lines, hard and unyielding and so unlike the Vi you once knew. This was her—same powder blue eyes, same fiery pink hair, same cheekbones, same lip shape, but your Vi would never betray you like this. 

“This is for you, this is for Zaun,” god, even the words tasted like a lie on her tongue, but she wouldn’t admit it. “Jinx is a danger to us both topside and here in the undercity. You should know that!”

“Is that the lie you’re telling yourself to justify this!?” You were practically vibrating with anger, fists clenched tightly at your sides. “I loved you, Vi. What are you doing?” 

Vi’s face twisted, a crack of pain breaking through her tough facade. “I—” she started, but her words fell apart. 

The silence that stretched between you felt louder than the pounding of your heart. You could barely breathe, your chest heaving with rage, disbelief, and heartbreak. 

“You loved me? Don’t you dare use that in the same breath as selling me out,” you snapped, stepping closer to her. You didn’t care about the enforcer shadowing her, a step behind with one hand hovering near her weapon. All you could see was Vi, standing there with a badge at her hip and gilt in her eyes. “I trusted you. You swore you’d never betray us. Never betray me.” 

“This isn’t about betrayal!” Vi shot back, her voice trembling as she raised her hands, trying to calm you or herself—you couldn’t tell. “This is about stopping you before it’s too late. You’ve gone too far, Y/n. The arson, the—” she hesitated, jaw tightening. “The murders. Working with—”

“With Silco!?” You laughed, a dry, bitter sound. “That’s what she told you, isn't it?” You gestured sharply to the enforcer—Caitlyn—her perfect Piltover uniform untouched by the grime of Zaun. “Let me guess, she spun some story about me being a terrorist, and you just ate it up because she’s got a fancy accent and a badge.” 

“That’s not—” Vi started, but Caitlyn’s voice cut through her hesitation. 

“She’s dangerous, Vi. You know that.” Caitlyn’s tone was level, professional, but her gaze flicked to you with a mix of wariness and disdain. “We need to bring her in—now.” 

“Jinx and I have done more for this city than you ever could! We’ve brought hope back to Zaun and you’re trying to rip it to shreds! What about my parents? What about your parents!” Your heart cracked, splintering into sharp, jagged pieces. You took another step forward, daring Vi to stop you. “So, what’s it going to be, Vi? Do you believe her?” You pointed at Caitlyn. “Or me?” 

Vi hesitated, her fists clenching and unclenching at her sides. Her eyes locked onto yours, and for a moment, you saw the girl you fell in love with. The girl who once fought for Zaun, for her family, for you. But then she looked at Caitlyn, and everything shattered. 

“I love you,” Vi whispered, her voice breaking. “I’m sorry.” 

The words hit you like a blow to the chest. Your vision blurred, not from tears—no, you wouldn’t cry—but from a red-hot fury that burned through your veins. “No,” you growled, voice low and venomous. “Don’t you dare say that to me. You don’t get to say you love me and choose a Piltie over me.” 

“Y/n,” Vi said, stepping toward you, but you backed away, shaking your head. 

“Stay the hell away from me,” you spat, your voice trembling with anger and heartbreak. “You’re no better than the blue bellies who raided Zaun and tore our families apart. You’re just like them. You’re a traitor.”

The words cut deep—you saw it in the way Vi flinched, the way her hand wavered before falling uselessly to her side. But you didn’t care. Let her feel a fraction of th pain she had inflicted on you. 

Caitlyn stepped forward then, gun in hand. “Surrender peacefully, or this ends the hard way.”

A bitter laugh escaped your lips. “You think I’m going down without a fight?” Your hands flexed at your sides, ready to grave the blade hidden beneath your coat. You knew it wasn’t a fair fight—two against one, with Caitlyn’s hextech rifle and Vi’s hextech fists—but you didn’t care. If this was how it ended, you’d make them work for it.

The fight erupted in a blur of movement. Caitlyn fired, but you ducked, the bullet ricocheting off a metal pipe. You lunged at Vi, and for a moment, your fists collided with hers—like old times, but with none of the playfulness, none of the love. 

“Y/n, stop!” VI shouted, blocking your strikes. Her voice was desperate, pleading. “I don’t want to hurt you!”

“Funny, because you already have,” You snarled, landing a blow that sent her stumbling back. But Caitlyn was there, quick and efficient, slamming the butt of her rifle into your side. Pain exposed in your ribs, but you didn’t falter. 

You wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. 

It wasn’t long before they overwhelmed you. Caitlyn had you pinned, her knee digging into your back as she cuffed your hands. Vi stood over you, blood dripping from a cut above her eyebrow, her expression a mix of anguish and regret. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” you hissed, struggling against the cuffs. “Don’t you dare look at me like that.” 

“I—” Vi started, but you cut her off. 

“You made your choice,” you spat. “You chose her. You chose Piltover. You chose everything you once swore to hate. And for what? A badge? A chance to play hero?” You laughed bitterly, the sound hollow. “Screw you, Vi.” 

Her face crumpled, and for a moment, you thought you saw tears in her eyes. But you didn’t care. Let her cry. Let her feel the weight of what she’d done. 

As Caitlyn hauled you to your feet, you fixed Vi with a glare, your voice cold and unyielding. “You’re dead to me, Vi. Don’t ever forget that.” 

-------

If you enjoyed this one shot, please check out my other series!

[tevaselmundogiraalreves]

BUDDIE FIC RECS PART 2

Okay heres more fics cause ive been reading so so much lately, i cannot and will not be stopped. Heres the first list. I will most prob keep on making lists cause i honestly cannot stop reading. Once again, in no particular order:

Songbird by @colonoscopys - Goes first cause i just finished reading this one. FREAK EDDIE IS MY PASION. I said it already but at one point eddie eats bucks hair. Its awesome! FreakxFreak DumbxDumb

a bleeding sun on a silver screen by @hoediaz EVERYONE ALREADY READ THIS ONE RIGHT? IF NOT WTF ARE YOU EVEN DOING GO! ACTORS AU YOU WILL NE FAMOUS FOREVER.

chess inside my chest by @buick118 - HELLOOOO THIS ONE FIXED SOMETHING INSIDE MY CHEST "heart clipped in the backseat with his headphones already secured over his ears." I NEED AN EXPLANATION FOR THIS WRITING ❤️‍🩹

Two, Three Times in a Row by leslie_knope i honestly have no words for how much i love this fic, i reread it all the time, like ive reread it so much its embarrasing. Some of the best smut ive read.

wanna do a bad thing twice by @coldbam BUCK IS SUCH A FREAK GOD HE IS SUCH A FREAK

(You know what actually there are 2 more fics were buck is the freakiest hes ever been so ill put them right below ⬇️)

slow motion, double vision in rose blush by @saryasy Eddie Diaz. His friend. His Eddie. Has kissed a man. Which is strange because Buck is sure as hell he'd remember kissing Eddie.

Me at Buck: FREAAAAAAAAK

Also special mention to that flashback WOW!

i can tell just what you want (you don't want to be alone) by @tallsinspace Buck loses it every single time this is so awesome, it was so FUN reading INFIDELEDDIE this hiatus 🫶🏽

songs and poems and promises by @lesbianrobin buck summer of disatisfaction turns around thanks to eddie god they are so in love! Also special mention to chim well and maddie lets fucking goooooo

we keep this love in a photograph by @burnthatbridge its just so so freaking beautiful. Buck chooses eddies pics for his dating app after he comes out...

the tortured poets department by @colonoscopys once again the kind of fic that you wanna reread again and again.

"The first time Buck touched him, Eddie blew an ambulance up."

still sitting in a corner i haunt by @cal-daisies-and-briars i just love this one so much, should reread it, trust me its worth it.

we're not in love (but the sex is good) by elless. Idk i loved this one. Buddie are not even friends they just want the benefits as soon as they meet. The transition from that to them actually getting to know each other so naturally and start caring about each other is so beautiful.

in the passenger seat by @livingincolorsagain Evan Buckley was put on God’s green earth to drive Eddie Diaz around.

Just BEAUTIFUL.

tying you to me by @hoediaz ONCE AGAIN PERFECT TYPE OF WRITING. Buddie meet each other after 5x11. SO ORIGINAL GOD.

the soft animal of your body by @hattalove . This is a coda to another fic but can be read on its own. Just beautiful beautiful love making. I think i commented that i felt like they were making love with the words they were saying to each other just sitting on the kitchen table talking.

we could follow the sparks, i’ll drive by @markofalover bucks kink should be people calling him mr. diaz and thinking hes eddies husband.

Wait for me there by @kitkatpancakestack Childhood friends reunite after 8 years. I just really really loved this one. Those flashbacks to the past are so beautiful.

wanna be your endgame by literalmetaphor gotta be honest dont see this happening in canon at all cause the second eddie confesses buck would go down on his knees lets be honest. BUT this was so great! I loved it.

Pivot Tables by rainbowninja167 Does it show that i love reading buddie being so freaky and so kinky. Ill just say this: educational sex. Buck brings on the clipboard. Obsessed with this one.

I Broke What You Gave Me, But You Kept Giving More by rcdwings. memory loss buck cant remember his husband. Listen im not always a fun of memory loss fics but i loved this one i loved the twist.

there's a word for it, I'm sure by @ithilien-writes i have to reread this one asap cause i loved it so so much they are just so in love with each other but cant admit it so they just start having sex about it. And god they love esch other.

i could give you fifty reasons by @marviless buck FLIRTS with eddie cause he just want ti help. God this one was so much fun. I remember laughing out loud. I gotta reread.

beating the horse by @doitbuckley Eddie is moving to Texas. Buck finally figures out what he wants. Perfect read to the end of 8a.

In the Back Seat, Windows Up by @semperama SEX IN THE BACKSIT OF THE TRUCK LETSFUCKINGGOOOOOO

Play Me For Keeps by @semperama this one made me feel so MANY things in less than 1k words I WAS WONDERSTRUCK HONESTLY SMILING FROM EAR TO EAR

would you lie with me and just forget the world by @colonoscopys reread this one recently GODDDDD if you havent just go read it right now!!! Childhood friends to lovers for the win always.

your beauty (not just a mask) by @aashiqeddiediaz these next two fics GOD well i have a thing for mirrors and sex in front of mirrors apparently so... this i top tier for me. This one is the shorter one in front of the bathroom mirror 100/10 no notes.

my mirror (staring back at me) by @aashiqeddiediaz this one is longer. Mirror in the bedroom......... Eddie notices bucks insecurities and well he does smth about it ❤️‍🔥 such a fave of mine. It has everything!!!

Dreaming of a White Christmas by rosebuddiekin . Oh boy!!!... just gonna leave the blurb here cause no words could ever be enough: "Buck accepts a challenge to be edged in his and Eddie's own version of the 12 Days of Christmas and loses his mind a little more with each one." (Btw if someone knows the author please lmk. They put a link to their tumblr on ao3 but it doesnt work for me.)

[vyl3tpwny]

genuine question: why is genesis so low on ur topsters?

also, if you can: could i hear why hawaii: part ii is rated 3.5 on ur rateyourmusic? (as opposed to like. anything higher)

(p. s. your music inspires me to be the sincerest version of myself, and for that i thank you. the impact you've had on my life is unforgettable.)

genesis isn't rated low. my number one album of all time is genesis' "the lamb lies down on broadway", for about 16 years running. my topster is organized by relative colour, it's not perfect but it just looks nice!

—

when it comes to talking about music, what i like and like about it, almost 100% of the time i NEVER want to discourage people, talk down to artists, or claim my opinion as fact. the only time i will actively talk down about art is if it's purposefully harmful (see artists like: Tom Macdonald, etc).

with that said, music by miracle musical - and by extension tally hall - often does this thing where there are a handful of really impressive, well written songs that just blow me away. but then the rest of the album outside of those handful of songs are either just ok/catchy or don't interest me very much. the tally hall gang's highs are very high, and equally their lows are just sort of pace-killers for the albums.

it's dynamics like these that prevent me from liking some of my other albums for similar problems! i think albums like queen of misfits and glitter are bogged down by an absurd amount of boring filler that could have just been left out or reworked to be more interesting, it makes it hard to ever listen to those albums front to back. ironically i don't feel that way about fairytails, my 40-song long ass album, almost everything in it still feels rather purposeful to me. i listen to my own music a lot, and once i've finished a project i tend to try and listen to it and enjoy it from an audience perspective rather than an artist one.

while i'm on the topic, i don't necessarily agree with even rating hawaii pt. ii 3.5 because in the past few years i've completely lost interest in the idea of weighing albums by arbitrary scores. nowadays i like to just give 4-5's to albums i like and then ignore anything else. it doesn't really make sense to me to assign a number score to something with good faith, other than to show that score to other people. interfacing with art is not a black and white process. despite the so-called 3.5/5.0 score i gave hawaii pt. ii whenever that was, the reality is that record has influenced me and i've enjoyed it. honestly that's what matters the most. we can sit here and talk album dynamics, technicalities, compositional proficiency, lyric profundity, and """""consistency"""""" (which is a word music critics love to throw around without actually realizing what the fuck they're talking about) all day, but what matters the most is:

Did you like the music? (Yes/No)

Did it inspire you in some way? (Yes/No) [Optional]

Does it seek to do harm? (Yes/No)

Do you respect the efforts and goals of the artist? (Yes/No) [Should always be the inverse of Question 3; i.e; if you answer No to 3, then you should answer Yes to 4]

honestly if you answer yes, yes, no, yes, then it's a good album. i really don't care. not every piece of art has to push the envelope to new heights and be the most innovative thing in the world - i mean wouldn't that be extremely fatiguing and overwhelming? everyone wants to be a critic and tear down shit that doesn't click with them within the first viewing/listen these days, i don't know why, it's probably an ego thing, bred by the echo chambers in the corners of the internet. but a lot of music criticism can be COMPLETELY discarded in favour of "this just isn't for me", and a lot of people go leaps and bounds, doing mental gymnastics over internal compensations, to just avoid saying the dreaded phrase of "this just isn't for me".

trust me, i'm someone who has immense experience with tearing other people down to compensate for my internal insecurities, it happens extremely often which is why a lot of art criticism makes ZERO fucking sense. it's never about making meaningful commentary about anything, it's always just trying to justify in the format of a dissertation - the subjective experience of "this just isn't for me".

so. do i like hawaii pt. ii? yep. is it a perfect album? no. why did i rate it 3.5? probably because at the time i wanted someone somewhere to perceive me as Very Articulated and Well Educated In The Realm of Discussing Art In Front of Other People, in Order to Appear Superior in Intellect and Refined in Taste, Because I'm Insecure Just Like Everyone Else.

[howlsofbloodhounds]

I have a couple of questions, the main two being: 1: what ships do you dislike/hate? and why? 2: are there any ships you enjoy/like? and why? I am an anti-shipper myself, so hearing other ppls opinions on ships is interesting to me.

Only ships I really hate are like, incest, pedo or zoophilia, and Killermare and Bad Sans Poly.

I hate Killermare because it is trafficker/kidnapper/abuser x victim/captive and that is just..baked so completely in their narratives I find it ridiculous to ignore it.

I hate the narrative that Nightmare ever genuinely saved Killer, he didn’t—Color was the one putting in hard work and tears trying to protect, understand, befriend, and earn Killer’s trust. He was the one being threatened with death and stabbed and attacked for trying to help like he was asked to— by Killer himself—to help. He’s the one constantly risking his life and safety and well being for Killer’s freedom.

I hate how certain shippers treat this ship, how they treat Killer, and how they definitely treat Color—like Color’s somehow the bad guy because they want to pretend that Nightmare is somehow good for Killer’s safety or that Killer would ever be happy with him. Or as if Color only has selfish intentions and motives for Killer. Even more so when they pretend it’s one sided and Killer doesn’t grow to feel the same eventually—even when they’re extremely rough and certainly not friends in the beginning.

As if Killer wasn’t the one asking Color to save him. As if Killer didn’t say he kinda likes Color, and Nightmare had to tell him to literally shut up—as if Color isn’t the only one besides Toriel Killer has admitted to liking before, compared to when he said he doesn’t like anyone when asked. As if Color wasn’t the only one Stage 1 Killer ever felt comfortable asking, pleading with, for help—trusting him enough to admit he wants to be saved.

As for ships i enjoy, there’s Colorkiller obviously—but I also enjoy them as a friendship, or queer platonic, or them in general. Lifeafterdeath most definitely. Reapertale Chara x Core!Frisk (I don’t know. if they have a ship name) is wonderful.

Epic Sanses poly, Delta x Color, Epic x Color, Ccino x Color, just other Color ships in general i like. Chromatic Crew poly could be interesting.

But honestly what I really want is more of Killer in platonic relationships.

Color is special to him and this is just an undeniable fact, and Killer doesn’t strike me as the type to be very interested in friendship outside of what he managed to build with Color—but i think he should have more social connections, even if they aren’t what he has with Color because he does not trust most people at all.

I’d love to see more of Ink and Killer. Not really as a ship, but as pals—I feel they’d understand each other. Ccino and Killer and Lust and Killer and Color too. I’d like to see Ink and Color content as well, and Color and Dream.

I feel I’d be interested in seeing more Killer and Horror content, but there’s barely any outside of Bad Sans Poly or MTT Poly—and even in those ships there’s hardly anything.

I’ve found myself turned away from most Killer and Murder dynamics because, similar to Kross and killermare, these two always have to have some sort of “sexual tension” or something and it’s actually just beating eachother half to death or being lovey dovey and so in love. (Or when Killer is portrayed as a desperate whore for dust’s attention and begging him to love him or something.)

I think I’d find them more interesting in fandom depictions if 1. It wasn’t always just about how “hot” they are together and how “hot” is it that they hate eachother or whatever, and 2. people focused more on how they’re different rather than how they’re similar.

[honeyjars-sims]

Part 2 Prologue #1: Growth Mindset

Author's Note: I made some changes to my plans so the next few posts will be the prologue to Part 2 of Safe Harbor. They will fill in some gaps from the last chapter and set things up for the next chapter!

I’m preparing for my therapy appointment but this time instead of making the drive to Evergreen Harbor, I’m logging into our meeting on my PC. 

“So how are things going in San Sequoia?” Khadija asks me once we’re both settled in.

“It’s going great,” I tell her. It’s a little weird seeing her on the screen instead of in person, but before long our conversation feels as comfortable as ever.

“I’m glad to hear it! Is everything going okay with your roommate? I know you were a little apprehensive moving in with someone you don’t know that well.”

“Yeah, Paul’s pretty cool. I figured he would be, being Lucy’s brother and all. And everyone in the community has been welcoming.”

“So no secret cult activity?”

“Nope,” I laugh. “If anyone’s performing any rituals, they’re doing a good job of keeping it under wraps.” My impression of my neighbors so far has been that they’re mostly wannabe bohemians–they like the idea of a homesteading lifestyle but don’t want to fully commit to a life without modern luxuries. Pretentious, maybe, but not harmful.

“It sounds like you like it there.”

“I do. It’s different, but it’s fun. I’ve been helping out with the animals; you know, cleaning the chicken coop and milking the goat, stuff like that. I even helped hatch a chick!”

Khadija laughs. “I have to say, I never expected you to be out in the field doing labor.”

“I didn’t expect it either, but it’s not that bad. I guess I’ve been doing a lot of new stuff lately. Paul convinced me to join a yoga class and I think it’s helped me relax. And would you believe I’ve been doing cross-stitch?”

“Cross-stitch? I wouldn’t have pictured that either, but it sounds nice.”

“Yeah, it takes a lot of patience because I messed up a lot at first, but it's kind of relaxing in a way.”

“Relaxation seems to be a big focus for you right now.”

“I guess so. I’ve been trying to find new ways to regulate my emotions like you suggested. Honestly, I’m feeling really good right now.”

“I can tell. I’m really proud of your progress, Johnny. I can see you’re really putting in the work.”

“Yep, even when it comes to the hard stuff, like having to talk to Lacey, I’ve been able to work through my feelings and do what I need to.”

“Oh yeah, how did that go by the way?”

“It was okay. I just told her what I said to you, that I think she’s a really great person and I value her friendship, but I just don’t have romantic feelings for her. And I apologized for leading her on.”

“How did she take it?”

“Pretty well, I guess. I could tell she was disappointed, maybe even hurt, but she was cool about it. Work was a little awkward for a bit but I think we’ve worked past the worst of it.”

I'm glad that Lacey and I are still friends, but I do feel bad still about how everything went down with her. She's everything that I thought I wanted, but for some reason, it just wasn't clicking for me. The whole thing makes me more empathetic to what Lexie went through when she broke up with me; it really doesn't feel much better to be on the other side of things.

“Well, I’m proud of you for doing the right thing, even if it was difficult. I think it says a lot that you’re trusting your own feelings and not getting hung up on what you think you should do. I’d like to see you do that more often. How does that sound to you?”

“Good, but a little scary,” I answer. 

“A little fear is understandable as long as it’s not keeping you from growing. I think you can work through it, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I think so.” I wasn't sure I'd ever get to this place, but for once in my life, I actually feel like I can handle whatever's coming my way. And I can't wait to take it on.

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[whereispearlescentmoon]

I think about this a lot and I also think it’s why portraying Cleo as some kind of badass calculating threat is kind of disingenuous. Not to say she isn’t badass, she is, but often they’re kind of all bark and no bite. Cleo is ruled almost entirely by emotion, and is a big softy despite their sarcastic nature. Their alliances are built on love and trust, the idea of having someone to spend a season with rather than actually doing well strategically. There’s barely even a concept of “Someone here should win” just “We need to keep each other safe”.

You already went over the kind of breakdown Cleo had in their last Third Life episode. But I think having someone betray their trust in the very first season really sets up why Cleo is the way they are about alliances and betrayal. It’s completely unacceptable to them, there’s no coming back from it. Because Cleo loves their allies, they aren’t strategic tools, so she could never betray one.

Cleo abandoned a really solid alliance in Last Life without even stopping to see whose side Lizzie would take after the BigB thing because she felt so hurt. And then went back and burned the whole place down. The whole “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you” “Aw you could have trusted me” exchange. And like, yeah you can trust Cleo. Cleo doesn’t betray people, Cleo is loyal and caring. But she also goes completely scorched earth when they feel like someone has thrown their loyalty and love in their face.

Cleo, for all their talk of chosen soulmates and cheating, did end up softening to Martyn and working with him in Double Life. The whole don’t die sword thing as an example, and her calling for him when she died. The hostility towards Pearl in DL was often in defense of Scott, again love and caring over the strategic value of having an additional alliance. And of course there’s the convo with Pearl at the very end of DL that shows that even if they were hostile towards each other all season, Cleo does actually care for Pearl.

Cleo: Are you alright Pearl, you’re sounding… unhinged?

Pearl: I’m doing great.

Cleo: Are you sure you’re doing great? I don’t feel like you’re doing great.

Said with like, actual sincerity on Cleo’s end.

Limited Life is also a big example. Cleo willingly acted “motherly” towards Bdubs and Scar. She burnt down the bad boys mansion in an act of pure impulsive emotion after a minor slight. They got really mad when Scar died, like silent rage going into killing mode mad, and seemed happy to be reunited in death even if it meant not winning.

In their last Secret Life episode there’s a little convo at the beginning with Etho that’s great and shows again that Cleo’s mindset towards alliances isn’t about strategy or winning, but about trust and love.

Etho: Now I’m gonna uphold my alliance still even regardless [of the task]

Cleo: *clealry taken aback* I didn’t actually think that was an issue. That was- I thought that was just taken for granted.

Etho: I know I thought, it’s just good to say these things just incase there’s any doubt.

Cleo: I’m not killing you. If it’s just you and me left then you can kill me, it’s fine.

And then we get Cleo’s heartbreaking commiseration with Pearl at the end of Wild Life after Scott died. Cleo has never had to be alive without Scott in the Life Series. What is there to do without him? But Pearl is hurting and lost too, so Cleo figures that someone has to make a decision and that decision is that at least they can still try to kill Joel.

you know was thinking about life series cleo and. for all they're frequently portrayed as the Reasonable One on their team. and indeed position themselves as the Reasonable One on their team! we must remember she died like, second, in third life. after losing two lives in a single episode. because on that last life she got bloodlust and decided to go try to stab ren when he still had like, several allies around him,

[paigesbasketball]

Echos of the Fallen

Chapter 1: A ghost in plain sight Shadow the hedgehog x reader Warnings: cursing/slowburn

Failure. Ghosts. Revenge.

If you had asked me to describe my life, those three words would sum it all up. Three words that captured the entire meaning of my existence. I wasn’t alone; I had a trusty team. Sure, I didn’t tell them everything, but I didn’t need to. They trusted me, and I trusted them enough. They were the closest thing I had to family, even if my real family had disappeared. My life took a turn for the worse once they were killed. I was put into foster care, bouncing from home to home… No mobian wanted a sad, broken girl who watched her parents get killed. The last thing my mother told me was to run. I was frozen as I watched a G.U.N. agent take her life.

When I aged out of the system, an old lady took me in and taught me to fight. She said she was too old to have kids, but she was fine with having me. I was quiet, did what I was told, and in return, she taught me how to defend myself. She would always say, “I will never leave a child in a world where they don’t know how to defend themselves.” Years with her taught me a lot. And when she died, I knew much more. She claimed that nobody should know who I really was if I wanted a fresh start. So that’s what I did. I went to a black site and bought a fake name and identity. As far as anyone knew, the old girl was dead—she died in a car crash. My "end" was my beginning. That’s when I found the closest people to my heart today… or what was left of it.

Scar: She's a high-level fighter, not better than me, who was kicked out of the agency for "playing too rough." I loved her from the start. Unless she trusted you, she played by no rules. I saved her from being homeless, so I guess that earned me her trust. Zero: A top-tier hacker who used his talents for the wrong reasons—greed. I don’t blame him; he was in a bad place, and he thought it was his last resort. Too bad the state doesn’t take fraud lightly. He did time, but got out on good behavior after helping the FBI. Once he was out of jail, I took him in. He started seeing me like a mother, and I made a promise to protect him. He was only 17. Viper: She was our supplier. I didn’t know much about her, but she had been jailed, and she knew everyone, though nobody knew her. She helped me out of a tough spot, and I’ve never had a reason to doubt her since. She was like that cool party girl who always knew what to do. Nova: She was our chemist. The weird part was she never went to school. I grew up with her in foster care, and when she expressed how much she loved chemistry, we clicked instantly. But she never went to school... She learned everything on the dark web. Part of me wishes she went to real school to make something of her life, but I knew she didn’t want to be normal. She hated normal. Her mother threw her into foster care because she was "weird." She didn’t like typical girl things, and her mother couldn’t stand it. Good thing we loved her for it.

September 28th, 5:00 PM

“Guys, come on, we’ve got 30 minutes,” I say, irritated. We have a mission to kidnap a G.U.N. agent for information—Carson Palo. A mid-tier lieutenant working for one of the higher-ups at G.U.N. The timing couldn’t be better—during the annual fall ball. G.U.N. hosts this event once a year, desperately trying to gain more money for their corrupt ways.

“Yo, Zero, we on the list?” I ask the finger-typing boy on his computer. He dramatically rolls his eyes.

“An art like this takes time, ladies,” he says with sass.

I roll my eyes. “You know what else doesn’t take long? Getting arrested,” I reply, matching his sass.

“Viper, how are we with G.U.N.?” I ask, turning to the cool-headed supplier.

“Looking good, Capt,” she says immediately.

At the Event

Scar and I make our way further into the event, both using fake names thanks to Zero. We spot our target, but not before I catch the eye of Shadow the Hedgehog. He stares at me, as though he’s never seen me before, and starts questioning the nearest person about my appearance.

I speak into my earpiece. “Girl, I think it’s time to wrap it up. A red-and-black hedgehog won’t stop staring at me. I think he’s getting suspicious,” I say, trying to get out of his line of sight.

Scar responds immediately. “Did you ever think maybe he finds you attractive? Or is growing old with multiple Chaos your thing?” she teases.

I roll my eyes. “First of all, Chaos are adorable, and second, I am not interested in anyone at the moment,” I say, scatter-brained, trying to move out of his view.

“Yeah, um... you trying to run from him isn’t working like you think it is. Just trust me, he’s hot on your tail, and looking hot, dare I say—”

I cut her off, “Get to the damn point.”

“Stop responding and listen. He’ll hear you. Keep walking until I say so.”

I follow her instructions, trying my best to avoid Shadow’s gaze. After a few seconds, Scar continues. “Okay, he’s seriously not giving up. I need you to distract him for, like... hmm... five minutes. Trying to seduce our target is hard, but I think I almost have it. The area you’re in is good. Turn around in three seconds.”

“Get me his name,” I whisper quietly.

I stop, take a deep breath, and turn around to be met with a handsome hedgehog staring back at me. Scar wasn’t lying.

Okay, five minutes. Four minutes, fifty-nine seconds…

“Hi, how may I help you?” I say to the grim hedgehog.

“Who are you? This venue is for G.U.N. agents only, and I haven’t seen you… ever,” he says, staring deeply at me, waiting for me to crack. Sadly for him, he wasn’t going to get that satisfaction.

“Well, I think the reason you haven’t seen me is because I’m new to the office,” I say smoothly.

“Wrong,” Zero’s voice cuts through the earpiece. “You don’t even work at G.U.N. Your persona is Danny’s wife.”

Shit.

“Hmph,” he mutters, looking at my name tag, which conveniently rests near my chest.

Fuck. I’m making Scar buy me an apple pie for this later... Two minutes remaining.

I slap him and raise my voice to draw attention. “YOU PERVERT STARING AT MY BREASTS! WAIT UNTIL I TELL MY HUSBAND ABOUT THIS!” I yell, playing the damsel in distress.

A few men rush to my aid and confront Shadow without even questioning who I am. Idiots... Men always want to be heroes without thinking.

One of the many reasons I prefer Batman over Superman. I wink at Shadow playfully as I make my escape out the back entrance. But a woman stops me.

“Ms., are you okay? Do you need to talk to someone?” she says, concerned.

I quickly form tears in my eyes. “N-no, I just need to be alone right now... T-thank you though. I just feel so violated.”

I rush out the door. It's been five minutes.

“Scar, I just put on a fucking performance. You better be done,” I say with venom.

“Yeah, I’m done. Calm your tits,” she says, letting out a snicker.

As I walk toward the van, I ask, “What’s so funny?”

Zero intercepts. “I don’t know what was worse—watching that ‘performance’ or watching an unscripted telenovela.”

He and Scar burst into laughter as I get into the van.

“Just erase me from the camera footage and shut up,” I say, taking out my earpiece.

“Is he out?” I ask Scar, curious.

“Like a light, thanks to this stuff Nova gave us.”

“Alright, time to do my favorite part. Interrogate.”

Back at G.U.N. (Shadow’s POV)

“Wow, Shadow, when I told you to flirt with a girl, I didn’t mean to violate them,” Sonic says, and Shadow shakes his head, brooding.

“I wasn’t looking at her breasts. I was reading her name tag because something was off about her. Yes, I admit, I initially followed her because I thought she was attractive, but I would never treat a woman like that,” he says, spitting with venom.

Sonic adds, “Ah, I believe you, buddy, but who was she? I’ve never seen her.”

Shadow rolls his eyes while sipping his drink.

“She said she was Danny’s wife.”

Sonic looks at him, confused. “What?”

“I didn’t further pursue after that,” Shadow says.

Sonic’s voice takes on suspicion. “Well, I don’t think Danny would care, considering he doesn’t have a wife.”

I nearly spit out my drink.

“WHAT!? Then who the hell was she, and how did she get past security?” I ask, confused.

“Well, wanna find out, buddy?” Sonic says with a grin. “An adventure with my buddy Shadow the Hedgehog sounds fun.” I scoff at the blue blurs enthusiasm.

All I cared about was one thing: Who the hell was that girl?

[pacifymebby]

I Just Ride // Chapter One

Danny's Girl

You listened with trembling fingers to the dial tone, the chirps of a phone ringing out at the other end of the line. You were barely holding back your sobs, you'd only managed to calm yourself down this much because you knew you would need to be able to get your words out if anyone answered the phone.

But nobody was answering the phone and you were running out of coins for the payphone. Running out of hope too.

"Hello?"

You gasped when you heard a mans low voice on the other end of the phone. You didn't know who he was, only that he wasn't Danny and it had been Danny you'd been desperately hoping would pick up the phone. Because there was no one on this earth you needed to hear, needed to see in this moment more than your Danny.

"Um... H... Hello.." you sniffled, "hi, is... Is d..."

"You alright sweetheart you ain't soundin very clear right now..." Said the man, he was speaking with a thoughtful kind of slowness, so calm it made you feel a little more calm yourself. It wasn't quite enough to quell your tears but it was enough to help you take another breath and speak slower, without stuttering.

"I need to speak to Danny... Is he, is he there? He told me if I needed to find him I should phone this number.."

"Oh," said the voice with a little sigh, "he did did he? Well I'm sorry sweetheart but if you wanna sweet talk your boyfriend you'll have to do it on somebody else's fuckin bill..."

"No!" You cried suddenly, a shrill choked sound escaping you and piercing Johnny's ears on the other end of the line, piquing his interest because suddenly you didn't sound so much like a girlfriend who wanted to rack up his bills, suddenly you sounded scared. Scared like a young girl in serious trouble.

"No!" You cried again, "please it's not like that it's not, I need Danny, I need..."

"Help? Yeah?" He asked you, thinking your fearful whimpers over in his mind. Wondering just who you were, wondering why you'd phoned his club in the middle of the night, what could have possibly happened to you to leave you so desperate and distressed.

"Yes!" You sobbed your panic catching up to you, another wave of tears choking you as you shook and cried into the reciever...

"Well alright sweetheart, Danny ain't here right now but I can get him for you, and I can come get you too, if you tell me where you are..."

Your heart plummeted at the news Danny wasn't there, that he wouldn't be coming to save you... That your only real option here was to put your trust in the hands of a random stranger, but what choice did you have? The only thing you did know for certain was that you couldn't stay here, alone, shivering in a smashed up phonebox whilst police sirens wailed two streets over. Trying you best not to cry because everybody knows that all the wrong men are drawn to girls in tears.

"Wha'da'ya say honey? You gonna tell me where you are, I'll come save you hey?" Asked the voice on the end of the line. There was something about his tone that sounded a little wiley, a little troublesome... That scared you. But there was something else too, something which drew you in... A softness you could sense, a gentleness. He was cooing to you down the line, trying to lure you in and as you blinked back your dewy tears you knew you had no other choice.

"Hey honey..." He said again, "you still there?"

And then you heard the dreaded pips beginning to go alerting you to the fact that you were running out of time. That if you were going to ask this stranger for help it really was now or never...

So without waiting a moment longer, your eyes squeezed shut in a panic, heart thudding in your chest, you blurted out the street name, hoping to god that your words made it through the line clear enough. And well if they didn't there was nothing you could do because no sooner had you choked out that last syllable had the tone flatlined and your call cut out.

As the line when dead you let the receiver fall and clatter against the machine, dangling limp from the coiled wire. You clutched your hand over your mouth to muffle your tears and then you sank down against the glass wall of the phone box all the way down to the floor.

You were wearing white, a delicate little babydoll style thing that you felt oh so stupid in now as you sunk down to the dirty floor and tried to swallow down your sobs.

It had been awful see. Your whole evening had been truly awful and you'd used your final dollars to call for Danny... Now you weren't even sure any good would come of that call after all.

You'd been working your close shift at a bar two streets away from where you were curled up on the floor now. It was a real dive of a joint, the kind of place that attracted what your mother way back home would have called "good for nothings" the kind of people your father would have shaken his head at and told you to pray for. "People like that y/n," he would have told you earnestly, "they've strayed too far from the lord and only a miracle will help them find their way back... For some of them you know, for some of them well, it's just too late..."

Well the scene you'd found yourself inadvertently caught in the middle of that evening had left you clutching your little gold crucifix necklace and uttering a prayer of sorts. You hadn't exactly been a good girl in a little while, but that night had seen you recite every word of the lord's prayer. Your voice is shaky and faithful.

See you'd left your parents home for the city, lured in by the glow of the lights each night, the clubs and bars, the people who seemed to be so different, more free... Your parents were good, salt of the earth small town people, law abiding, church going, god fearing citizens and whilst they'd always offered you love and shelter, you hadn't felt like you were really living... Hadn't felt like the life they were dreaming up for you, was any kind of life at all.

So you'd fled your tiny home town out in the sticks and moved to Chicago, found yourself a day job cleaning houses and snagged yourself some work as a barmaid for the nights. It was hard, exhausting even, but it was a taste of freedom you'd never had before and at least spending so long out of the house meant it was hard for you to really notice the abysmal living conditions in the roach ridden room where you were currently staying...

Now, two weeks ago you'd been sunbathing in the park close to your home, half asleep between shifts when you'd met Danny. He'd been reading not so far away from you and every now and then you'd caught him watching you over the pages of his novel. So you'd smiled at him, and you'd lowered your sunglasses to flutter your lashes the way you'd seen all the pretty girls on the silver screen do so many times before. That day you'd been wearing a little gingham two piece, your legs kicked back behind your head, your hair in two sweet little plaits hanging over your shoulders. Well, making eyes at Danny like that you'd felt like one of those pretty girls from the silver screen.

And when he approached you, stopped just in front of you and asked if he could photograph you for his college project, you'd blushed and cocked your head to one side. You'd felt so clever when you'd asked, "you say that to all the girls huh? Bet you've got a real collection..." He'd blushed and backtracked, tried to explain himself and you'd thought he was oh so sweet. You'd never met a college boy before and you felt so coy, so cool at the center of his attention as you'd spun him a slightly more mysterious, one which made your evenings spent cracking bottles of beer open for Chicago's most sleazy sound a little more glamorous.

Well, you didn't feel so glamorous now. Didn't feel so cool either.

In truth you felt real stupid and real helpless. The loneliness which had been creeping up at you slowly since you'd left home, really settling in tonight. It felt like a slap in the race, a real sharp stinging one. A cruel reminder that thanks to your own darn stupid actions, you were for the most part all alone in this unforgiving city. Hardly knew a soul.

If Danny hadn't have smiled at you that day in the park well, he was the only person you really knew and your little dates spent kissing in the park, holding hands getting all cute, they were as close to any kind of human connection you had had since you'd moved.

Without Danny you wouldn't have had a single number to call for help. Wouldn't have had anyone to turn to because nobody you shared that pit you lived in would have noticed if you didn't make it home from work.

No, in that moment, sitting on the floor shivering in your little white dress, you felt terribly terribly alone.

That's when you heard tapping on the glass. You looked up hesitantly, your heart soaring for a moment at the thought that perhaps this was some concerned citizen come to see that you were okay. You had after all been hiding in there now for awhile, and people would have been able to see your shadow curled up on the floor there...

You wiped at your tears hurriedly, trying to brush yourself up and stand, but when the stranger rapped on the glass again your heart plummeted and you shrunk away in fear, scolding yourself for giving yourself away so easily.

"Hey lady! Hurry it up there some of us got people to call, places to go, c'mon wha'da'ya doin in there?" They barked at you through the glass, their fist beating the door so violently that it shook and you whimpered, your eyes on the holes that had already been punched through. What would it really take for someone to make another?

So you stood quickly, scraping your knee on broken glass or a bottle cap or something as you tried to push yourself up onto your shaky legs and dust yourself down. You dabbed at your face with your dirty hands realising all too heartbreakingly late that all you'd done was smear dirty fingerprints across your cheeks and smudge your make up something awful.

"Wait your turn!" You tried to bark back, tried your best to be as loud and ferocious as you could so as to show this cold stranger you weren't to be messed with, but you knew when your voice cracked that you hadn't succeeded.

"God damnit lady get outa there!" They snapped back banging their fist on the glass once more.

Their temper startled you and you flinched back, your hand hovering over the door about to let yourself out. Your fear a stubborn lump in your throat you just couldn't swallow down. But then as they started rapping on the door again something snapped inside you, your temper flaring up because you really had had enough. After everything else you'd seen that night, the punches you'd narrowly avoided as you'd fled the chaotic scene in that smokey bar, this stranger poking and prodding at you, well it was the last thing you needed. It was more than you could handle.

So you drew in a deep breath and scrunched your eyes tight shut and as you barged out of that little telephone box you let out a scream of frustration loud enough to startle your stranger and see that they went stumbling back into a lamp post.

You wrapped your arms tight around yourself as you hurried forward, struggling to make a decent pace in your wedge sandals. You weren't exactly sure where you were going to go, knowing that you needed to stay on that street, stay close by so that if by some miraculous twist of fate Danny's friend (at least you hoped he was a friend) had come to save you, he would be able to find you.

You could hear whoever had been trying to get into the phonebox shouting at you from across the street, but you didn't look back to see the offensive hand gestures they were making. You were just glad they were only shouting. That they hadn't been some enraged lunatic with a gun they could start firing at you with. Those were the kinds of "crazies" your mother had always talked about. People you hadn't really believed in until three of them had started a punch up in your bar, smashing windows, firing shots, starting fires.

As you took shelter in a doorway and shrunk into the shadows you gazed across the street, your eyes set just above the rooftops, at the smouldering glow and the heavy smoke cloud which was still steadily rising above the buildings.

How long could a building like that burn for anyway?

You leant against the doorframe, the adrenaline of your little outburst already fading away, leaving you twice as lonely and twice as cold as before.

You'd left all your belongings at the bar when you'd fled, your little denim jacket and the purse which had had your house keys and your cash in it. That's why you'd been left with no choice but to phone Danny. Why you couldn't just go home.

And anyway, you didn't want to just go home. You were pretty sure you'd seen a man die tonight. You were pretty sure you'd seen hell open it's doors for a moment, the devils flames spilling out into the earthly world... How could you go home after that? No, you didn't just want Danny... You needed him. You needed the sanctuary of his arms around you, his kisses to your forehead. Though you weren't exactly sure he'd want to kiss you the state you were in just then.

What did it matter anyway, Danny wasn't coming...

Time dragged, every minute seemed to eek itself out longer than the last as you stood there shivering, tears in your eyes. You were doing your best to hold them in now, scared that another stranger could be even more cruel than the last, but every now and then one would spill over. Another salty streak of mascara and dirt trickling down your cheeks.

And that's when you heard it. Finally, after waiting so long alone in the dark. You heard the hum of an engine, the spitting thrum of a bike, and you knew it must be Danny's friend.

You saw the headlights warm as he turned the corner and began to slow down. He was looking for you. Heading for the phonebox which would probably now be empty. Your heart got stuck in your throat at the thought he might leave without you having seen the empty box and you dashed from your hiding place in a panic. A choked up little "hey!" Escaping you before you lost your voice.

Luckily for you that choked out little cry for help was enough for your stranger to hear you. For him to recognise your desperate tone, that sorry shake in your trembling voice. He left his engine grumbling but raised his hand to wave you over.

Something about the way he sat back on his bike, one hand resting in the pocket of his jeans, the other suspended in a still wave to you, seemed so calm and so cool that for a moment you didn't even question that the man who had come to your rescue was one of Those men... A biker... Another subset of Americans your mother had warned you about. Another kind of person you'd not yet encountered out in the real world...

"You Danny's girl?" He asked when you got a little closer. Close enough to see the grease on his hands and his jeans, to see the cigarette hanging idly from between his lips, the deep wrinkles in his forehead that told you he was much older than you... You hesitated. Stopped still in the middle of the road, your little white dress dirty and rippling in the slight night breeze.

"Uhuh..." You managed, your voice timid despite your best efforts to appear anything but.

The stranger turned his headlights on you and spotlit you and in that moment all his suspicions were confirmed. That you were very young, very naive, and very much in trouble deep.

"Well hey," he said, his eyes flickering over you, taking in the mess the night had made of you, "what happened to you?"

AN// this is kinda just a little intro I've had sitting in my drafts for so long... If you want me to tag you in future updates please let me know x

[frozenjokes]

it’s so over

convex week day 3 - embers/frost - prev/next

this one follows the prompt because he’s fire boy and he’s water girl trust @convexweek

Cub wasn’t used to being around this many people, much less talking to them, and so far from his sun he was cold, it was loud, and all of these things were making him quite irritable.

Apparently being on fire at all times was a ‘bad look’ and Cub should really try to ‘cool off’ lest people get the ‘wrong impression,’ but maybe Cub wanted to be on fire, maybe he was cold and angry and didn’t want to be touched not even on the shoulder, seriously would people mind their own fucking space, Cub didn’t care about the court of public opinion, he just wanted to be left alone.

His lawyer was alright at least, a star called Mumbo who took a similar form to Cub, which Cub assumed was common practice; it’s not like he attended many court hearings in his lifetime, being the sun was a full time job. Mumbo looked a lot like a human through the lens of someone who had never actually seen one, and only had it described to him from a friend whose cousin’s wife’s ex husband’s sister in law’s dog saw a human once, so, fairly accurate and appropriately unnevering. Long, lanky body, arms, legs, fingers, tiny eyes, squareish head. Despite looking like he might unhinge his jaw and swallow Cub whole at any given moment, Mumbo was well mannered and just a touch anxious, but he seemed to know what he was talking about at least, which would have been nice if some of the things Mumbo said didn’t make Cub want to leap over his desk, rip out his tongue and then gouge his own eyes out.

“Listen Cub, I think you have a pretty strong defense here. Besides being generally unpleasant, based on the more major accounts against you, I don’t really think you’ve done anything illegal per se, but the bigger problem here is that no one can stand you.”

“I don’t care.”

Mumbo knit his fingers, expression strained, “Well you should care, because Scar is going to build his case around well disguised personal attacks, and where he’s very charming, you are not. Scar is looking to win the public opinion and sway the judge and jury that way, which, given his long history of successful cases, you should be concerned. Scar is going to try to strip you of your position and possibly all future positions in desired systems, so if you don’t want your current fill-in to be the new Earth sun, you’d better pull it together.”

Cub frowned, deep. He really didn’t want that. She was so annoying, and so smug too, like come on, Cub wasn’t going to be gone for very long.

“I just don’t understand how Scar even has the grounds to sue me. My moons aren’t even moonionized, complaints ledged against me are few and far between, and I don’t go out of my way to be a dirtbag unless moons go out of their way to make themselves a problem to me.”

“These are all good points, but with moonion popularity on the rise and Scar being the moon that spearheaded that movement in the first place, I really wouldn’t come out and start talking about how anti-moonion you are.”

“I’m not anti-moonion, I don’t think suns should get to blow up their moons, that’s not cool, but I don’t think I should have to go out of my way to be nice either when I think I’ve made it extremely clear to the entire galaxy I don’t want anything to do with anybody because everyone sucks.”

“That’s certainly a stance.”

“It’s how I feel.”

“I wouldn’t bring that up in court either. Insulting the jury is a bad idea.”

“How do I get them to not dislike me then. I’m going to say right now that I will not put out any fires and I will not smile.”

Mumbo pursed his lips, fingers knitting tighter, “Well, I definitely don’t think you should smile in court, no, but it might help you not to look like you intend to kill everyone in the room and then yourself.”

“This is my resting face.”

“Your resting face sucks.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“I would advise against telling the jury to go fuck themselves.”

Cub leaned back in his chair, exhaling a vent of hot air through his nose. He would try very hard not to tell the jury to go fuck themselves, but he could not express this thought out loud, so he chose silence.

“Right then,” Mumbo, apparently, was not one to let the silence lie, “Well I want to discuss a few other points with you, things I’m positive are going to be brought up in court, so please try to be receptive and honest with me, and remember that my job is to help you. First, for the more ambitious stars, Scar is going try appealing to them by making the argument that you hate your position in that extremely desirable system of yours, and the only reason you’ve commandeered it for so long is out of spite; you don’t want it, but you don’t want anyone else to have it either. I know it’s rumor, and I will make this argument in court, but that doesn’t necessarily-“

“No, that’s true.”

Mumbo gawked, at a momentary loss for words. “Seriously.”

“Well, mostly. I do like that system, I want to keep it. I like the Earth. But I will never give it up, never, because all those stars with their grubby little hands want it so bad, and they can’t have it because it’s mine. ‘You’re so sad looking for a sun, you should try smiling, you don’t act very much like a sun, you should really smile more, why don’t you blink, Cub?’ They will never see the Earth like I do. A moon would have an easier time witnessing my system’s life, and that’s perfectly fine, I like moons, it’s the stars that are having their penance paid. If you had a star on your back every day of your formative years telling you you’d look more sUnNy wiTh a sMiLe you’d be a soulless hermit too.”

When Cub looked up, Mumbo’s head was in his hands. “Don’t say any of this in court. Actually, do not speak at all in court, just let me handle it. If you must speak, deny deny deny. Lie. Anything but your true feelings please.”

“Are we done then?”

“Yes, we’re done.”

Cub got up from his chair, stretching. He felt a little calmer now; who knew it could be nice to talk about your feelings? Maybe it helped that Mumbo’s office had a similar fire to Cub’s sun back home, not nearly as hot as Cub preferred, but almost pleasant when compared to most other shared moon/sun/planetary environments. The familiar yellow orange of the walls and furniture made Cub feel at home, safe and relatively blended in, though that was only coincidence. Mumbo had a whiter fire to him, and stood out quite a bit against the backdrop. Cub couldn’t imagine wanting to be seen.

Just as Cub was about to leave though, the door to Mumbo’s office burst open and in walked a very jolly looking moon with half a face, his silver cold brilliant against the bright fire, but in a world of constant light, Cub couldn’t stop gaping at the inky dark that soothed his strained eyes.

“Mumbo Jumbo! Wow, you look terrible today! Tough case?” Scar grinned, leaning nearly all of himself over Mumbo’s desk, dark eyes utterly jubilant. Cub was so starstruck, he hardly grasped the implications before Mumbo spoke.

“Scar, I’m seeing a client right now, I told you to knock before you-“

“What client? I heard no talking, no one’s in the waiting room, and no one’s here. Y’know, Mumbo, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you just didn’t want to see me.” With a frown to match Cub’s own, Mumbo moved his files out of the way before Scar swooned directly on top of his desk, turning over with unnatural grace to lay on his stomach and kick his legs. “So.” Scar said, all movement stopping to accentuate the word before he started back up again with his legs, “How’s it going.”

“Bad. You literally have no case and it’s going bad. But Cub’s right there, he can tell you himself.”

Scar turned around and screamed, exactly the way he had when they’d first met, rolling off the back of the desk and directly into Mumbo’s lap. Emotionlessly, Mumbo scooped Scar up and set him on his feet. Cub still couldn’t stop staring.

“I think it’s against my best interest to speak to you,” he mumbled, silently pleased when Mumbo gave him a thumbs up. “Not unhappy to see you though.” Cub didn’t know where that last bit came from, but he wasn’t embarrassed either. He was speaking his truth, as he’d always done.

“That.. so..” Scar eyed Cub suspiciously, stalking around the corner of the room like a bobcat across from a cobra. “I hope you’d forgive me if I said I didn’t believe you.”

“That’s fine. We were done anyway, I just like a place that feels like home. Do.. whatever it is you were doing.. intimidation tactics or..”

“No, no, I really didn’t mean to intrude. I will knock next time, Mumbo, especially when your clients are.. so difficult to see.”

“You still won’t,” Mumbo sighed, as if resigned to the fate. “Cub, when Scar follows you out, keep your mouth shut. Not a word.”

Scar scoffed, mock offense, “I’m not going to follow him out, Mumbo, geez!”

“Well, the last reason I had to stay was the temperature, but you’ve gone and taken it down, so I’ll be going now,” Cub shrugged, giving Mumbo a small nod, “Bye.”

“Goodbye, Cub,” Mumbo sighed, and Cub was not at all bothered by the strain in his voice. Very good, very good, he was not here to make friends.

But just as Cub was leaving this star to travel to the one he was staying at nearby, Scar cut past, stopping him over the vast expanse of nothingness all around them. Scar looked brilliant on this backdrop, the light reflecting off him less intense, and the dark holes in his form as beautiful as they were unnerving. Cub very rarely looked at people’s faces when he spoke, but with Scar, he couldn’t stop staring. Maybe that’s why he missed the first thing Scar said.

“Hello? Hello hello? Earth to Cub, anyone home?”

“I’m here. Was leaving, though.”

“Humor me for a moment before you go then, will you?”

“I don’t think I mind, but my lawyer might.” Scar must have found this funny, but to Cub his laugh sounded fake. Though, so did his scream, and regardless of how exaggerated it sounded in Mumbo’s office, Scar had absolutely been frightened.

“Well then, Cub, I just came down to tell you that you do something many suns do that I fucking despise,” Scar continued on sweetly, never wavering, “Would you like to know what that is?”

“I don’t really care, honestly.”

“Well I’m going to tell you.” Scar clapped his hands together and Cub flinched at the noise, which seemed to please him. Bits of frost floated like dust off Scar’s fingers, and Cub got the sense that Scar’s anger was real. “I can not stand it when I meet a sun in their domain and I’m treated like the scum of the galaxy; useless, unimportant, insignificant, but after I reveal myself, after I drag them to court, suddenly everything’s so civil, almost nice, like I’ve earned your faux respect by evening the playing field, by meeting you face to face as a fellow, and not someone to stomp beneath your heel. I’ve forced you to care by bringing you here, yes, but when you’re bordering on friendly after showing me how you really feel, that makes my blood boil. So let’s cut the shit, alright?”

Cub stared, not that he wasn’t staring before, but this time it was a more confused kind of stare, one he made when someone had said something that didn’t make any sense. “Do you think I’m treating you differently?”

Cub squinted against the wave of icy fury that surged off Scar, his crooked smile forced and eye twitching. “Do you take me for a fool?”

“A little bit. I think this whole endeavor is a pointless waste of my time, but the only difference between then and now is that then you were an obnoxious pest looking for a fight, and now you’re still a pest, but there’s nowhere I can avoid the company of others, so I’m not too fussed. Comparatively, on the scale of bullshit I’ve come across after being forced to leave my sun, my encounters with you rank relatively low. You are cold, which I hate, but you’re also easy on the eyes, which is a huge relief everywhere.”

“I- I’m what?” The fierce chill that radiated from Scar’s form faltered, and Cub didn’t know what was wrong with him, but this was much better.

“Cold. Not as bad now, but it’s honestly cold everywhere here, so I’m eager to get going. Only thing keeping me speaking to you right now is that the star’s going to be so damn bright everywhere, and it’s rare to get reprieve like this. You forget what it’s like to rest your eyes, and then you remember, and you never want to leave.”

“I- Oh! Oh, right, I..” Scar bit his lip, glancing back and forth as if looking for an escape, “That.. That makes more sense. That makes a lot of sense actually, I did think you were looking at me weird, but not because- you know, it’s not very nice to stare.”

“I don’t particularly care, if I’m being honest.”

“You might give someone the wrong impression with a look like that.”

“Let them think what they think.”

Scar stopped for a moment, looking at the ground. He seemed to feel a little more awkward looking at Cub now, but that didn’t stop Cub from staring at him, gosh, his own eyes had never felt so free of strain.

“You know, Cub, I take back what I said here. I think you’re callous, but I don’t think you’re pretending. The circumstances then and now are different enough that if I really try to worm my way into this horrible little brain of yours, I almost see where you’re coming from.”

“Please get out of my brain.”

Scar laughed that fake laugh of his, but for some reason this one rang true, and Cub might have smiled, maybe, something unnatural definitely happened on his face, but he was too caught up in Scar’s infinite dark to be disturbed by it.

[phpruitts]

'Thank you,'

Phoebe smiles again, and nods, but there was nothing that she had said that wasn't completely true. Rafael did look out for her. He gave her rides, took her out to dinners with crystalline glasses and carpaccio and expensive wines, but far beyond that, easily the kindest, most important thing to Phoebe ... Rafael did not look at her with condescension or judgement.

She was an ant, really, in a world as big as Rafael's. But that never seemed to influence the way he treated her. Or looked at her. Or spoke to her.

And to Phoebe, that alone was everything.

Rafael wraps an arm around her shoulder, tugs her in close on the couch, and then—

'There’s a lot you don’t know about me,'

'I don’t know if I want you to find it all out, to be honest,'

Phoebe straightens minutely. There was something subdued in his voice, a little quiet. What did he mean by that?

Work, maybe? Beyond his position in his father's business, handling expansions and investments and shareholder meetings, Phoebe would have to be stupid not to understand there were other aspects of Rafael's career. Serious stuff. Illegal stuff. Phoebe made a point to keep her nose out of where it didn't belong, but she would have to be blind, really, not to suspect that the Dahar's influence extended deep into the city, in avenues that went far beyond hotels or casinos.

But Phoebe had known this from the beginning. When Rafael had first started flirting with her, Phoebe was well aware who he was, and the more time they spent together, the more glimpses Phoebe would get— little things, because Rafael shielded her well, but just the deference he was shown, men coming to him at the club and speaking vaguely about shipments and meetings.

Yeah. Phoebe knew. And there were probably so many more things Rafael had shielded her from, and wouldn't want her to see, and even if Phoebe's mind could fill in the blanks, she just didn't ... care.

Phoebe didn't care if Rafael's daily workload could fill an episode of sensationalized tv.

Rafael was still the person whose first response, when he met Phoebe was, was kindness. But it was still hard to admit this much, wasn't it? It probably took a lot for Rafael to voice that kind of fear.

Her palm brushes along his cheekbone.

"Well. You don't have to share everything with me. If it's something you don't want to do." A beat. "But, uh ... I trust you. I always feel good with you, like safe, in a way I've never felt with other guys. So you should know I won't care about whatever you tell me. I'll still look at you the same."

A smile pulls at her lips, gentle, something flickering warmly behind her eyes as she stared at the man who cared for her so well.

Rafael liked how things were now; Phoebe too. There was nothing that Rafael could ever share with her that would change her opinion of him, or dampen the feelings she felt in her heart.

And Phoebe. Well. If anything, she felt like the fraud here, the one with a thin veneer glossing over an ugly past full of things dark and shameful. The syringes and the evictions and the crunch of glass and all the awful little apartments with awful silences and even more awful yelling, the nights spent with strangers, exchanges that left Phoebe feeling empty and awful. The man who she'd stayed with for weeks, months, who sometimes frightened her so bad she wanted to vomit. And the highs, and the things she did to keep those highs. Years and years of sacrificing everything for her highs.

Yeah. What if she told Rafael all about those things, and he rightfully felt different? Maybe saw her as pathetic, or gross, or someone he just didn't want to associate with.

Rafael had always been so kind to her, completely lacking in judgement, but the fear was still there.

Anxiety churns in her gut. Phoebe looks at that anxiety and does what comes natural now: she tucks her arm into one of Rafael's, and leans her abdomen into his solid frame.

"If it makes you feel better ... there's stuff, about me, that I worry would change your opinion of me."

It seemed obvious, but it hadn’t really occurred to Rafael that Phoebe saw him as something other than just … an intimidating rich asshole. This illusion that there was depth to Rafael felt… strange. It didn’t really seem possible to him. It had felt pretty impossible until Phoebe, and now… well. There were a lot of questions that Rafael wanted answers to, but they wouldn’t come from Phoebe.

Even though she’d offered to help, he had to figure some of it out on his own.

Rafael was nice to her right away. There was just something about Phoebe that drew him to her like a magnet. And over the months, those feelings had only become more intense. As the time went on, there was nothing that Rafael wouldn't have done for her.

“Thank you,” Rafael simply said.

It was endearing that Phoebe was willing to put up a fight about his kindness. She hadn’t seen him at work. Not in the office, but ... his real work. She hadn’t seen him in the hour before he showed up at her apartment. Fists aching and covered in blood. Making a call to dispose of a body on Christmas Eve.

He wrapped an arm around Phoebe, pulled her in close.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he told her. There was. Good and bad. Maybe she assumed, and there were rumors, but she didn’t really know. “I don’t know if I want you to find it all out, to be honest,” he said, voice quiet.

Would she think of him differently? If all of the rumors were true?

“I like the way things are right now,” he said, voice quiet.

It felt like a scary thing to admit.

[thevoidstaredback]

Phantom didn’t like going to Gotham. He made that very obvious on his way out right before he asked the House to take him to the top of the WE building in Old Gotham. There had been a brief moment of surprise about him knowing the layout of Gotham, but it was quickly shoved back behind the shock of Captain Marvel actually being a whole ass child! Not an adult like everyone thought or a child in only appearance, but an actual I’ve-only-existed-for-barely-fourteen-years child!

Billy would be fine. If he wanted out of the situation, the House would get him out. Though, he trusted his Fraid his team to not push Billy too far or hard. They all knew what he was capable of  when he’s Captain Marvel, so they’ll keep their petulance to themselves. Probably.

Honestly, Phantom wanted to get this meeting done and over with as soon as possible. Neither he nor Batman had set a time, so he was going to show up on top of the building and hope for the best. It was night in New Jersey, so he knew the Bat Clan would be out and about. It was now only a matter of getting Batsy’s attention. However, Phantom knew that Lady Gotham would get her knight to him sooner rather than later.

He was right, obviously, when Batman and Nightwing showed up no more than ten minutes after he did. He’d drawn another door on the wall, leaving the handle off, so he was ready to flee if he needed to.

He really hoped he wouldn’t need to.

“I’m not accepting Red Robin’s apology,” Phantom said as soon as the two had stepped closer to him, “Nor am I accepting one on his behalf. The sentiment is nice, though.”

Batman and Nightwing seemed to somehow both relax and tense up at the same time. Probably because he’s not accepting apologies at this time, as well as the fact that he used RR’s hero name instead of his real name.

Batman nodded. “Understood.”

“Fantastic,” Phantom clapped his hands together, “What’d you call me here for, Mr. Batman, sir?”

Nightwing smiled at the way of address. “We wanted to know if there was anything we could do to clear the air?” He offered, “We don’t want any bad blood between either the teams or the members of each team, so we’d like to do what we can to get back into good graces.”

Phantom sized the two up, crossing his legs as he floated in front of them. “Is this because Constantine hinted at a potential war between my home and yours?” Neither needed to answer. He sighed. “I assume you looked over the entire PowerPoint John made up?”

“Yes,” Batman grunted.

“Then you should know that asking anyone who is Dead, Undead, or Undying about anything pertaining to their death is taboo, yes?”

“Yes,”

“I’m gonna let you two in on a not-so-secret secret, m’kay?” Phantom rolled his neck, his body fuzzing at the edges. “The Infinite Realms does not take kindly to Her King being hurt, but She does not act against or without him. Red Robin asked about things that do not concern him, acting upon the impulses of his mentors, friends, and coworkers. This does not excuse him, but I will not be acting against him.” The two seemed to both sigh in relief, but he knew they didn’t. “Reparations will be up to you to enact accordingly. However, if there is a second slight from any of you, the Realms and Her people will act accordingly. That may be a war, or it may be isolation. I have no way of telling.”

Nightwing bowed his head slightly. “Thank you for the warning,” his voice was shaking minutely, “It will be passed on and held to word.”

“Good.” The heavy air that had taken over the rooftop suddenly lifted, allowing the two humans to breathe easier and regain their voices. “Anything else you need me for?”

“Yes,” Batman said again, obviously going off script if Nightwing’s expression was anything to go by. “Have you been to Gotham before?”

Phantom grinned from ear to ear. “I have, actually! When Nightwing here was just a tiny baby Robin.”

Nightwing blinked. “Oh?”

“Yep! You were so cute! Though, blue looks much better on you. Better for stealth, too.”

“Oh, um, thank you?” He seemed slightly confused, but was flattered.

“Gotham is healthier than then, too.” Phantom looked past them and into the shadows of the building behind them. “She holds you and your cauldron in high regard.”

“‘Cauldron’?” Nightwing asked.

“Gotham?” Batman demanded.

Phantom nodded, not looking away from the City Spirit behind them and across the street. “You won’t see her unless she wants you to, but she works to protect you as you protect her.” He bowed his head to her and she did the same. Batman and Nightwing turned to see what he was looking at, only seeing shadows. “She protects her own.”

Batman turned back to face Phantom. “What can you tell me about her?”

“Nothing that you don’t already know.

Silence overtook the rooftop, none of the three moving to leave or advance. Phantom was observing his two hosts, while Batman and Nightwing were stuck in their own heads.

Phantom had said that he’d been to Gotham when Dick was Robin- freshly Robin, if ‘tiny baby’ was interpreted correctly. But, Batman was sure he’d remember anyone lookin like Phantom coming into Gotham, even if it had been so long ago. But, had it been Phantom that had come, or had it been his civilian identity? Probaby him as a civilian, seeing as Phantom wasn’t a hero until recently. Unless Tim’s file was to be believed, which he had no doubts about, then Phantom had been a hero for far longer than any of them knew.  “The question now was where had the missing time gone? Phantom claimed to be thirty-eight years old, but Tim’s file had said that Phantom had acted as a hero nearly one-hundred-twenty-four years ago, with the first sightings of Phantom going as far back as the earliest recorded history. It required further research.

“I know that look, B,” Nightwing whispered beside him, “Looking into him is what got us into this mess in the first place. If you want answers, you’re gonna have to suck it up and ask him.”

Batman grunted softly. He knew that! He wasn’t going to betray Phantom like that after his own child had. Especially since the consequences of doing so were such a coin toss- ha. No, he wouldn’t risk his family, Gotham, or the world like that.

“I hate to cut this short,” Phantom landed both his feet back onto the rooftop, pulling a piece of chalk from his front left pocket, “but Captain Marvel is visiting the House of Mysteries and I’d like to talk to him some more before he heads back to Fawcett.”

“Captain Marvel’s with JLD?” Nightwing asked, the question coming out before he could stop himself.

“Yep! The only way into the House is by invitation from one of the residents.” He drew a circle inside of the chalk rectangle that was on the wall behind him. “Thanks for having me!” The door closed behind him, the chalk dust falling off the wall and clumping on the ground.

“What the..?” Nightwing wondered.

“Magic,” Batman growled.

Part 13 Part 15

[transmascaraa]

Okay hear me out on this one. Imagine gaming with like a really shy s/o? Like gaming always does the talking and everything and they are just standing behind him AHH. I think it would be cute. If you can write please do<3 if you don't want to feel free to ignore it💜🫶🏻

Have a lovely day🫶🏻🫶🏻

bf!gaming headcannons!

don't worry, he'll take care of everything...

bf!gaming x shy!gn!reader

author's note: 10/10, love the request. HOW DO YOU GUYS GET SUCH GOOD IDEAS??? I LITERALLY HAVE NONE😭 anyways i'm glad that people actually like my work<3 btw i just looked at my followers and i'm at 94 help i'm freaking out is this a dream idk anymore i think i'm dreaming help

"don't worry, my dear. i'll take care of everything...."

-you're shy.

-like REALLY shy.

-but you had gaming, your bf.

-he did all the talking for you, not wanting you to worry a tiny bit.

-he wasn't the most extroverted extrovert, but he was extroverted enough to talk for the both of you.

-so, let's say, as for example, you have yo introduce yourselves.

-you'd be too shy, but he'd do it for you.

-"i'm gaming, and this is my dearest, [name]. nice to meet you." while you nodded, giving a look of approval to gaming.

-it was easy for him, wasn't it?

-not scared, not ashamed, just himself.

-you were the complete opposite...

-but it didn't matter anymore ever since you met him.

-well, he made you forget about it.

-he never wanted you to be sad.

-he never wanted you to worry.

-so he got rid of at least 5 worries of yours by helping you socialize.

-at some restaurants, he ordered for you.

-"i'll have sesame chicken, and they'll have [insert food here]." no need for you to do anything, but you just nodded.

-it felt unreal, really.

-he was there for you.

-he kept you safe.

-he helped you throughout life itself.

-and being shy was a little bit of a problem for you.

-well, it used to be.

-now he's there to fill that gap.

-you're glad to have him, aren't you?

~~~~~

atp idc if they're short i'm crying this is so cute to me

i hope this is about what you wanted @mariaace <3

thanks for the request!

[triglycercule]

can the mtt commit more crimes that just murder please i know theyre the MURDER time trio but ppppleasse,,,, please,,,,,,

they'd be terrible to be next to on the highway. horror's going 160 mph amd has long past gone over the speed limit. dust's out for BLOOD and by blood i mean your tires. he's somehow sniping those round rubber wheels from the high moving vehicle with the precision of a master fruit ninja player. if your car explodes or flips over in the process that's not his fault. and then to make matters worse for everyone on the highway killer's in the backseat scratching up the doors and windows of your car with a knife everytime horror gets close to another car and oops he accidentally just disfigured your face also did i mention theyre all drunk during this

ok so theyve all got the classic face WHY DONT THEY ABUSE IT!!!! horror gets to do a little paper mache to cover up his head hole and then wearing glasses. killer i dont know what the FUCK he can do to get rid of his perpetual tears but let's just pretend that theyre conveniently gone for now. and then all dust has to do is put down his hood! anyways identity theft is cool. imagine how much they could totally fuck up classic's reputation with this. set up fake tinder profiles and then scam people for their credit card info/free dates (while ordering every expensive thing) and stealing wallets. walking into various grillby's's around the multiverse and telling terrible jokes. like ACTUALLY bad jokes. and then of course just being a huge piece of shit at the bar. god theres so many things they could do pretending to be classic. which one of us is hikaru looking ahh except the only difference between the three is the color of the stains on their clothes (either gray (dust) black (killer) or red. well faded red (horror))

ROBBERY!!!! ROBBERIES PLURAL!!!??? train robbery gas station robbery bank robbery GOVERNMENT robbery (what would you rob the government for?? documents??? idk) anyways. mtt robbing a train except its just a really shitty plan and they dont know jackshit about what theyre doing. killer's taken over the conductor's cabin and now he is booking it. how fast are trains allowed to go idk but the maximum. anyways meanwhile horror's on the tracks fucking up the rails with his strength or whatever (listen i know he's weak but picking and choosing what hcs i believe in is my art) and dust is there to teleport him away before the train crashes into him and turns him into a trolley problem victim. and then of course that shit doesnt fucking work and the train just ends up flipping over and catching on fire or something (killer survives because of course he does he's killer). and then in the end dust just has to flip the entire train over and they just stroll into the part that actually HAS the money

and then they go out and get ice cream. sometimes the murderers need to take a break from murdering and just do NORMAL crime yk???

[hilacopter]

torn between not being able to trust goyim to not be antisemitc anymore unless they really prove me otherwise and going "I guess we'll get along" when they find out I'm Israeli and still treat me like a human being