#while also talking about how much of a menace when they were in high school

[ghostofhyuck]

Truth, dare, spin bottles. You know how to ball, I know Aristotle. ₊˚⊹ ᰔ

nct dream as your high school crush.

‧˚ʚ ───────── ₊‧꒰ა ୨ৎ ໒꒱ ‧₊ ───────── ɞ˚‧

AN: I've been obsessed with Taylor Swift's 'So High School' that it reminded me of my hs days lol.

Mark Lee

You know how everyone has that senior who's really, really popular and very active in school activities? yeah that's Mark. AND it's not only you who has a crush on him. EVERYONE has a crush on him, but who doesn't??? he's kind, smart, and loved by everyone. So his popularity is no surprise. You don't really have any plans on seeking attention on him, it's just the type of crush where you admire him for his personality and dedication to being a good student leader. 

Huang Renjun

Renjun seems like to be that crush of yours that's very unexpected. Compared to the other guys in your high school, Renjun stood out to you not only because of his pretty features, but because he's different from the others. You know how there's always an artsy classmate of yours? yeah that's Renjun and that's what make him unique. You probably dream of him all of the time, stealing glances on him while he quietly doodles on the back of his notebook. 

Lee Jeno

Your crush on Jeno is probably because of your high standards but really, Jeno checks all of your list. He's kind, handsome, and smart. Everyone has a crush on him and that's because he's really an eye candy to be fair. Aside from that, Jeno's introvert personality and quiet presence makes him more mysterious, that's why he caught your attention! He's well-behaved and unlike the other boys, he does well in class. Although you two don't interact that much, you feel like he's such a sweetheart!

Lee Donghyuck

Oh, this one hits different but I feel like Haechan is that crush of yours who also happens to be your best friend! And you can't help it! Not when he's really, really sweet to you. He gives you some of his snacks, lets you copy his homework, and yes, he's a huge menace who loves to tease you so much but he's protective of you especially when guys talk shit about you!!! You just can't help but feel butterflies whenever he's around, oh and the platonic skinship will have you panic and blush hard inside. 

Na Jaemin

Just like Mark, Jaemin seems like that crush of yours who's also everyone's crush. But he's a classmate of yours so you get to interact with him more. I feel like he's the president of the class, great sense of leadership and always make sure that the class is peaceful. He's also smart, always raises his hands to answer questions, and oh well! He also had that great smile but compared to the other crushes, I feel like Jaemin is that crush of yours who's really flirty especially when he learns that you have a crush on him!

Zhong Chenle

LISTEN!!! It was a school sports festival, you just finished playing your sport so you spent the time watching other game. Your friend suggested basketball, and behold, Zhong Chenle, who's one of the promising athlete in your school. You're not really that much fan of basketball but the way Chenle plays hits different. He's cool and great, and damn, his smug smile whenever he does a three-points shoot. You were just amazed by him, that's why it's no surprise that you went out of the gym with a crush on Chenle. 

Park Jisung

Oh oh!! This has to be a canon event lol, but Jisung's that crush of yours who's part of the dance club lol. Whenever there's a school event and they perform, your eyes are locked on him the whole time!! And you can't blame yourself because he's really great at dancing and you're just enchanted by his moves. (Plus his tall figure just make him stand out!!) He's also good-looking so plus points for that one, that's why your head always turned to him whenever you ran into him because, really, he's just so handsome!!!

Check Dreamies’ POV here!

[goldfades]

Could we get something with crashout queen about her upbringing, family, and background? Specifically as to why she gets so fierce and stuff, I'm thinking more of your personal head cannons if that's okay , I'd love to get to understand her as a character better 😌

ohhh i love this question bc i’ve been thinking about her backstory for a while now. like, how do you become the wnba’s resident hothead with a courtside menace for a boyfriend? it had to start somewhere. so here’s my personal little headcanon deep dive on the crash out queen’s upbringing and why she’s that girl:

first of all—new york born and raised??? that already tells you everything you need to know. like, imagine growing up in a city where you have to fight for everything—space, attention, respect. and she learned early that you either speak up or you get drowned out.

she probably grew up in one of those neighborhoods where the park courts are sacred. like, you had to prove yourself to even get a run. those courts? they don’t care if you’re a kid. you miss a shot? you’re hearing about it. you call a soft foul? “play through it.” so she learned how to talk back. learned how to win.

she wasn’t just good—she was tough. elbows out on rebounds, chirping right back at the dudes who didn’t want to pass her the ball. like, i fully believe she earned her respect the hard way. no handouts. no special treatment. just work.

her family dynamic is also so key here.

i imagine her coming from a loud, passionate family. like, the type where love is shown through roasting each other at the dinner table but god help anyone outside the family who tries it. you know the vibe—we can joke about each other, but no one else can.

she’s got older siblings who never let her win at anything. like, her older brother/sister would block her shots, steal her snacks, talk trash during pickup games. and that’s where the fire started. because when you’re the youngest, you either stay quiet or you get louder. and she chose loud.

her parents? i see her having a mom who is no-nonsense but deeply supportive. like, the type of mom who worked two jobs but still found time to pull up to every game—sitting in the stands with a folding chair, yelling louder than the coach. and a dad who taught her the game but also taught her the attitude. “if you don’t believe you’re the best on that court, why should anyone else?”

the competitive edge? the fierceness?

oh, that comes from losing. not the pretty, motivational kind of losing—but the ugly kind. and she got injured in high school at a crucial moment. maybe there were coaches who told her she was “too emotional,” “too much,” “too aggressive.”

and she took that personally.

so by the time she hit college ball, she had something to prove. every bucket, every steal, every shove—it was all part of her making sure nobody ever doubted her again. and when she hit the wnba? oh, it was on.

and she didn’t get recruited the way she thought she would.

so, uconn. the dream.

growing up in new york, uconn was it. the gold standard. the dynasty. every little girl with a basketball dream wanted to play there, and she was no different.

she worked her whole life with uconn in the back of her mind. every early morning workout, every late-night shootaround, every pickup game in the park where she had to prove herself against dudes who doubted her—all of it was fueled by the idea that one day, she’d wear that uconn jersey.

she wasn’t just good—she was great. one of the best guards in the state. fast, aggressive, unrelenting. the type of player who could take over a game and talk her talk while doing it. but there was always this whisper around her:

“she’s too fiery.” “too emotional.” “great player, but does she know how to be coached?”

and that’s where it started to hurt. because deep down, she knew what they meant. they didn’t want someone who would argue with refs or stare down opponents. they wanted someone polished. someone who fit the mold.

and as the recruitment period came around, she waited. she waited for the call from uconn. from the coach she idolized. she kept thinking, any day now.

except it never came.

instead, she got the offer from duke. and duke? duke was… complicated.

they weren’t at their peak. the program was rebuilding. they weren’t a powerhouse like uconn. people whispered that going there would be a waste of her talent. that she should hold out for a bigger offer.

but the thing about her? she wasn’t afraid of a challenge.

she was hurt—deeply—by uconn’s silence. she’d given everything with the hope of that offer, and it stung that they didn’t believe in her the way she believed in herself.

but when duke came knocking, offering her the chance to lead something new, to be the face of a rebuild? she said yes without hesitation. because if there’s one thing about her—it’s that she doesn’t run from hard things.

and the second she committed to duke, the narrative started:

“she should’ve waited.” “she’s settling.” “she’ll never win a title there.”

ohhhh, and that fueled her.

her freshman year at duke? absolute chaos.

she came in with something to prove—to herself, to uconn, to everyone. she took over from day one. dropping 30 in her first college game, flexing at the camera, talking wild on the court. the media loved the drama of it all—this fiery freshman carrying a rebuilding team on her back.

and guess what?

they won the natty. freshman year. (in this universe ofc)

against all odds.

duke, led by the girl no one believed in, became national champions. and it wasn’t just a win—it was a statement.

and then uconn came calling.

suddenly, after she’d proven herself, after she’d done what they never thought she could—they wanted her.

the coach she admired growing up finally picked up the phone. “we think you’d be a great fit here. we’d love for you to consider transferring.”

it should have felt like validation. but it didn’t. it felt like a slap in the face.

because where was that call when she needed it most? when she was begging for that chance, working her ass off in high school, waiting for them to see her?

they didn’t believe in her until she forced them to.

and here’s the thing about her: she’s loyal.

she didn’t take the easy route. she built something at duke. she led that program to a title when nobody believed she could. and now that uconn finally saw her worth?

she said no.

no hesitation. no regrets.

“they didn’t want me when i was grinding. they don’t get me now that i’m shining.”

oh, and when she faced uconn the next season? she torched them. 35 points, waved at their bench after hitting a dagger three, blew a kiss to the crowd. postgame?

“yeah, that one was personal.”

iconic behavior.

but beneath all that fire? the rejection hurt. more than she let on.

because deep down, it was never just about basketball. it was about validation. about being seen. uconn ignoring her felt like the basketball world telling her she wasn’t “good enough” unless she toned it down, played the “right” way.

but instead of shrinking herself, she got louder. instead of changing, she leaned harder into who she was.

and this whole experience? it defined her career.

that’s why she’s fierce. that’s why she’s loyal. that’s why she rides for her people no matter what.

it’s why, when luka came along—chaotic, loud, unapologetic luka—she recognized that same fire. the same “i’m gonna prove you wrong” energy.

she didn’t need uconn’s validation in the end. she carved her own path.

her personality on the court vs. off the court is another layer.

like yeah, she’s fiery on the court—talks trash, gets techs, doesn’t back down. but off the court? she’s lowkey funny as hell. sarcastic, quick-witted, that classic new york humor. the kind of person who can roast you and have you laughing at the same time.

and honestly, that’s what drew luka in. like, everyone expects him to go for someone chill, but nah—he met someone who matched his energy, who wasn’t scared to check him. she’s the only one who could call him out for arguing with refs too much and then turn around and get ejected for her own argument three minutes later.

and the fierceness runs deeper than just competitiveness.

it’s comes back to loyalty. she grew up in a place where you ride for your people—no matter what. that’s why she and luka are so chaotic together. because she’s always going to stand up for her own, and luka? that’s her person.

like, imagine a press conference where someone tries to shade luka. reader just leans forward into the mic like, “you got something to say? say it directly.” and luka is sitting next to her, grinning like an idiot because he lives for this energy.

honestly, her upbringing explains everything.

growing up in new york taught her to be tough. her family taught her loyalty. the courts taught her grit. losing taught her hunger. and luka? well, luka taught her that someone could handle all of that fire—and match it with his own

[smytherines]

I didn't really have the ability to take screenshots, but my partner and I just rewatched npmd for the first time in a little while, and it feels like we don't give Curt Mega enough credit for being the filming day director for that show.

In high energy, plot-propelling numbers like High School Is Killing Me and Hatchet Town the camera pretty much never stops moving, accelerating the pacing and escalating the tension, and then when we get to The Summoning it's frenetically swirling side to side and up and down like a tilt-a-whirl. It's done subtly enough that it doesn't make you sick, but it's still a distinct nightmare circus sort of vibe that works so well for the song. There's a genuine menace in how it is staged and lit and shot that is very very cool.

The first time my partner and I saw The Summoning we had to immediately go back and watch it again, because the entire first time we were talking about how fucking cool it looked, how intense it is, how cinematic it is. It's a massive moment in the Hatchetfield series, and the way its shot lives up to that moment.

Speaking of, my partner wandered into the kitchen while on his phone, and I asked him what words he would use to describe the cinematography of npmd. He paused for a second and then started reading out a list of thesaurus entries for the word "dynamic," which feels like a cliche but yeah- dynamic is a pretty good word for it.

Curt Mega and Nick Lang did the editing, Nick Lang directed the show, the scene and lighting direction is pitch perfect, every aspect of the technical design works really cohesively. It is definitely the most visually ambitious taping of a Starkid show.

It's just really incredibly cool to have a group of people creating and acting and writing and directing and filming unique shows with unique songs, and they put them up on youtube FOR FREE. For anyone to watch.

(That's also why you should help fund tinlightenment if you can. Independent theater only exists if we fund it)

[a-dumb-sarcastic-bisexual]

Nimona headcanons just cause

Nimona and Ambrosius are both like sentient space heaters 

Nimona runs hotter than the average human being because obvi

But Ambrosius is a whole nother ballpark 

I just know this man hates summer more than the average person

Poor baby is just a miserable sweaty clammy mess and if anyone tries to touch him during summer he threatens to bite them

Nimona and Ambrosius always refuse to let the ac get higher than 60 degrees and Bal suffers 

Bal should be classified as a damn reptile 

Poor baby has terrible circulation

It’s bad enough that Ambrosius has dragged him to the doctor multiple times 

He clings to Ambrosius and Nimona in the winter because this man is constantly freezing 

I just know he’s a damn menace the second it gets a little chilly

This little brat will shove his hands up Ambrosius’ shirt the second he gets home to “warm up”

And he’s got a metal hand so it’s twice as cold

Ambrosius has been woken up from a deep sleep by freezing hands or freezing feet and will whine about how it feels like waking up in an ice bath

One time Ambrosius walked into the living room to find Bal chasing Nimona around while they were screaming “Frosty the snowman is trying to kill me with his icicle hands” 

Ambrosius is weirdly good with all kids he’s been described multiple times as a “natural parent”

Does he like kids…. That’s up for debate 

Like he doesn’t hate them if their parents raised them right but if that kid is a little bully then fuck no he doesn’t like them 

Nimona is also really good with kids 

He’s a little cautious around elementary school kids cause you know trauma and has weird beef with all middle schoolers 

Bal is fucking terrified of babies 

One time someone asked him to hold their baby and then walked off and which sent him into a panic attack 

He’ll go on hour-long rants about how fragile are and how he can’t be trusted with something that can suffocate if you don’t lay them down the wrong way

He’s okay with elementary school kids and doesn’t mind middle schoolers but he has massive issues with highschoolers for some reason 

A high school once asked him to visit and give a talk to the students and Ambrosius had to take his laptop away before he emailed them back saying “I’d rather chop my other arm off”

Honestly I think even though Nimona craves stability she also needs freedom 

So every couple of weeks she’ll go on little solo adventures 

She keeps the boys updated constantly about where she is but she never tells them when she’s coming back because she doesn’t even know 

Most of the time she’ll come back when she wants a homecooked meal (and when she misses the boys)

The boys are pretty used to this routine so they aren’t surprised anymore when they come home to a note saying she’ll be gone for a bit

They also aren't surprised when he climes through their window at 2 in the morning to wake them up and demand food 

Could he make it himself? Absolutely 

Does he want to? Fuck no where’s the fun in that 

Plus he knows no matter how much the boys complain about messed up sleep schedules and how he “gave them a heart attack” they'd rather be woken up in the middle of the night so they can make sure he’s healthy and fed 

When they do come home the boys “force” them into a sleepover in the living room where they eat a stupid amount of junk food and watch old horror movies  

And they call out of work so they can catch up and learn everything that can't fit in a text

[sam-loves-seb]

Weekly Tag Wednesday Thursday

SPORTS WEEK HELL YEAH (i'm a normal amount of excited)

thanks for the tags friends: @jrooc @deedala @nozenfordaddy @mybrainismelted @guinguin1984

Name: sam!

Something embarrassing that was popular while you were in highschool: drake ?

Did you play a sport in high school? hell yes brother (/gender neutral) i was a menace of a 4 sport varsity athlete: soccer, basketball, softball, lacrosse, and i was captain of my soccer team my senior year

Do you like sports? yes. very much.

Do you like sports AU's (now we're talking your language right?): absolutely

Are you active or do you play a sport: yes! i still play fast pitch softball in the summers on an all women's team, and i sub in for my friend's co-ed soccer teams sometimes (tho i'm trying to start my own team with my bff's fiance and our friends). i also run three times a week now that it's summer

...But like have you done team sports: yes many times, i love team sports tbh !!! i wish i still did more !!!

Okay choose your favorite sport if you had to watch one: women's soccer

Why this one: 1. i've played soccer my whole life it's my favorite thing in the world, 2. it's so much more fast paced and aggressive than boring ass men's soccer (sorry!) 3. i love women and i was raised on watching ten lesbians and alex morgan dominate the pitch constantly

If you woke up tomorrow a professional athelete, what sport would you play? soccer lmao

Would you fall for a teammate? oh absolutely i think i definitely have in the past (before i was out, i absolutely had crushes on some of my teammates and just pushed that waaay down)

Favorite sports media you've ever seen/read (book/fic/movie/TV show): how much time do you have ? major league, bend it like beckham, remember the titans, the longest yard, stick it, the cutting edge, moneyball, a league of their own, the sandlot, rudy, the blindside, she's the man, fever pitch, bring it on (all of them), etc. etc. i could honestly go on (and dare i put ted lasso on this list even tho i hated the "ending"? who's to say)

Do you like to wear sports jerseys cause they're cute? yes!!!

What's a weird sports related fact about you or story? when i was like 11 i fell pretty hard while ice skating with some friends on a friday night, but i didn't tell my parents when it happened because i had a big ski weekend (i used to race for a long time growing up) coming up and i didn't want to miss out, so i hid my injury and skied all day saturday on a team day trip up north and then raced on it sunday and just kept quiet, and then when i got home sunday night i was trying to do my math homework and it hurt so fucking badly trying to move that fucking pencil i started crying at the kitchen table and finally told my mom. she took me to the doctors the next day and long story short that's how i broke both bones in my wrist whoops

tagging anyone who didn't play cuz i'm a day late !!!

[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain Part 28

Hello! This is the last chapter before the epilogue. I'm so grateful for everyone who's still reading this little big story. Longest thing I've ever written. It caps out at nearly 60k words. I want to thank the people who have been reading this since day one and all the people that joined us for the ride along the way.

I love reading your comments and theories. I especially loved reading the freak outs over cliffhangers and the abuse I piled on our poor boys. But I am a sucker for happy endings.

Also a little treat for @goodolefashionedloverboi who wanted this way back in part 21.

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4 Pt 5 Pt 6 Pt 7 Pt 8 Pt 9 Pt 10 Pt 11 Pt 12 Pt 13 Pt 14 Pt 15 Pt 16 Pt 17 Pt 18 Pt 19 Pt 20 Pt 21 Meta Pt 22 Pt 23 Pt 24  Pt 25 Pt 26 Pt 27

***

“Steve!” Robin called out. “Your boyfriend is here!”

Steve came running out of the back room. His grin nearly split his face in two.

He lifted Eddie up and spun him around. Eddie laughed out loud.

“Put me down, you menace!” Eddie said between gasps of giggles.

Steve gently put him down. And then kissed him right in front of Robin.

Who promptly fake gagged.

“Shush you,” Steve said. “You should be grateful I didn’t let him keep me in bed this morning.”

Robin gasped. “Betrayal! And in front of my coffee no less!” She covered her coffee with her hands as if to shield it from the scene in front of her.

Eddie laughed. “Sorry there Birdie, it was a very near thing. I had to be bribed!”

She shook her head. “Go on, get! Before you ruin my coffee with your sugary sweetness.”

Steve and Eddie just smiled and walked back to Steve’s room, hands in each other’s back pockets.

Once they got to the room, Eddie was all over Steve. Hands tangled in his hair, lips on that perfect mouth. Gripping the back of Eddie’s shirt was all he could do to keep upright.

“Baby,” Eddie whined when they finally broke apart. “I missed you so much. I promise to never leave you like that again.”

Steve nuzzled their noses together and sighed happily. “I know, Eds. I missed you too.”

Eddie stepped back to take off his shirt and Steve scanned over the expanse of his chest.

Eddie caught the look and grinned. “No new tattoos, sweetheart. I don’t trust anyone else but you.”

Steve blushed. “That’s nice to hear, beautiful. But I was just ogling my boyfriend.”

Eddie laughed. “Yeah, okay that’s fair.” He walked over the chair and straddled it, resting his head on his folded arms.

“Let’s get this bad boy done, shall we?” Steve sighed happily.

“Sure thing, darlin’,” Eddie murmured. “Can’t wait.”

Steve started up his gun and got to work. All the while they chatted about the lighter stuff of the last three weeks. Eddie caught up on all the shop gossip.

“Honestly,” Steve said, “if Robin doesn’t pick soon, she’s going to be in the world’s most awkward polycule.”

Eddie laughed. “She’ll figure it out. But I guess Birdie really has a thing for redheads.”

Steve chuckled too. “Oh, yeah. Pretty much always had. Except once with Nancy back in high school. But that was more a ‘everyone had a crush on Nancy’ thing then a specific crush.”

Eddie hummed. “You said you had a thing for curly haired smart people with soulful eyes. You were talking about me too, right?”

Steve huffed out a laugh. “Oh yeah. I’m not a subtle person when it comes to my crushes. Pretty much everyone figures it out before I do. Except in your case. I’ve had a crush on you since high school.”

“Me too, Stevie.”

“It’s about time we got our heads out of our asses, then.”

Eddie murmured his agreement and they settled into a comfortable silence.

*

Robin was still going to kick Eddie’s ass for making Steve sad for two weeks, but after hearing it from him how much he hated touring and how much he missed Steve, she forgave him for the most part. He sounded like he had been more miserable than Steve and that was honestly saying something.

So she went to Corroded Coffin’s return concert at the Nightmare Holes and cheered loudly for them.

She also knew she had to chose between Chrissy and Vickie soon otherwise they were going to have a cat fight.

But Robin didn’t want to chose. She liked the attention from both girls plus it would be super awkward if she chose Vickie and Chrissy stayed at the shop. But it would also be awkward working with Vickie at the front desk if she picked Chrissy.

It was a mess.

But then a lightbulb dawned over her head. Maybe she didn’t have to chose.

She spoke to them on their way to the club and ended up dancing with both of them all night.

*

Steve waved at the rest of the band as Eddie dragged him to his car, eager to get back to Steve’s apartment.

Steve laughed as Eddie shoved him into the passenger seat of his own car and got in the driver’s seat.

“Someone’s in a hurry there,” Steve teased.

“Stevie darling,” Eddie said. “I am vibrating out of my skin here with anticipation and if I don’t see that tattoo of yours soon, I’m might go absolutely feral. Do you understand?”

He laughed. “Yeah, baby, I hear you.”

Eddie breathed out and drove to the apartment. They walked up the stairs and once the door was closed behind they were all over each other. Hands and mouths all over as they tumbled onto the sofa.

Shirts were the first to fly, Steve careful with Eddie’s still healing tattoo.

“Baby,” Eddie whined. “Is your tattoo healed?”

Steve wiggled underneath him. “For the most part, it’s been about two weeks.”

Eddie let out another whine. “This won’t hurt you?”

Steve shook his head. “The scab is already gone. I heal fast.”

Eddie undid Steve’s jeans and slid them down his legs. He looked up at Steve for permission for the final layer of clothes to be removed. Steve nodded and lifted his hips for Eddie to slide off his underwear.

Eddie gasped when he saw it.

His thumb gently rubbed over the tattoo. It wasn’t very large, about the size of a half dollar. It was a simple heart with bat wings and a little crown.

“Baby, is this us?” he asked, breathless.

Steve nodded. “Yeah, do you like it?”

“I love it, sweetheart,” Eddie whispered. “And when my back is done, I am going to get it done on me, too.”

Steve’s eyes glistened with happy tears. “Okay, yeah. Suddenly I need that.”

Eddie kissed him deeply. “Me, too. I need you so much.”

They got Eddie’s pants and underwear off and Steve moaned at the long, graceful lines of his boyfriend’s lean body.

“Fuck, Eds,” Steve murmured. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

Eddie threw his head back and moaned. They had to be careful with Eddie’s still healing back, but they managed to make do and had a great time.

Once they had cleaned up and dressed, Steve began making dinner.

“So how did your meeting with Murray Bauman go?” he asked as he fried up the chicken for fajitas.

“It went great,” Eddie said. “Cec is still going to bring the contract to one of his law professors to make sure he didn’t miss any hidden bullshit, but yeah. It seems like Corroded Coffin is going to make an EP.”

Steve hummed. “And that different than a full record, right?”

“Yeah,” Eddie said, nodding. “It’s about five songs. But it’s what most new artists get. The record company doesn’t want to spend a boat load of money on an LP only for the band to not go anywhere.”

“That makes sense,” Steve murmured. “And you guys are going to keep working at the Nightmare Holes?”

Eddie nodded again. “Yeah, and if the record hits big, we can renegotiate our contract with Rick to get more money each week.”

“That’s great,” Steve said with a smile.

“And you and your genius schedule is going to work out great,” Eddie said with an answering grin. “They’ll even send a car for us every time, too.”

“Wow,” Steve said. “That’s awesome. Looks like I’m going have a rockstar boyfriend.”

“A perfect compliment to my tattoo artist boyfriend.”

Steve came over to where Eddie was seated at the table to kiss him. “Perfect indeed.”

They had dinner and sat down to watch a movie. They curled up on the sofa and just enjoyed each other’s company. Like they had so many times before.

Other than the sex, they were still Eddie and Steve. They still enjoyed the same movies, food, and music that they did before they got together.

They were just finally on the same page.

Once the movie was over, Eddie pulled out his guitar.

“You ready for this, baby?” he asked as Steve turned to face him on the couch.

Eddie played the first song he wrote on the road, the one that made Jeff and the others cry.

Tears streamed down Steve’s cheeks, too. “I’m sorry you were so lonely, Eds. I’m glad you’re home now.”

“Me too, sweetheart,” he murmured. “But I think you’ll like this one more.”

And he play the most beautiful, heart-stoppingly romantic song Steve had ever heard and it was for him. About them. And he was crying for a completely different reason now.

“Sunshine,” Steve said through his tears. “That was amazing. They both were. Thank you for sharing them with me.”

Eddie kissed him fiercely over the guitar. “Just you wait, Stevie. You’re going to get a life time of sappy love songs.”

“And I’ll cherish every single one.”

They got ready for bed and snuggled up together, falling asleep in each other’s arms.

*

The next morning led to morning sex, showers, and breakfast, never too far apart.

They were getting ready for a walk in the park when they got to witness a Robin Buckley walk of shame.

She opened the door and jumped when she saw them. “Shit!”

Eddie and Steve shared a glance.

“And what time do you call this, young lady,” Eddie teased.

Robin blushed all the way to her roots. She pulled out her phone. “Uh...11:13am?”

Eddie cackled as Steve grinned.

“And which lovely lady did you go home with last night?” Steve asked.

Robin’s blush deepened. “Both?”

Eddie and Steve glanced at each other again.

“You want to repeat that?” Eddie asked.

She shrugged. “I couldn’t decide. And Chrissy had hit on Vickie before, which lead to us talking to Vickie and once it was made clear that it wasn’t just a one time threesome she decided she was down for poly relationship.”

Eddie and Steve both held up their fists for her to bump and she fist bumped them both at the same time.

“You go girl!” Eddie crowed.

“Hell, yeah, Robs,” Steve said. “That’s awesome!”

“Where are you two love birds going?” Robin asked.

“Just for a walk in the park.”

“Have fun.”

***

Epilogue

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[elegantagent]

Howdy! I have not blogged in a while and I thought this time I oughtta review some of the gunpla kits I've built over the past few months

1. Master Grade Z'gok

This one was a really interesting build, for an old school MG (before the late 2000's with the release of the 2.0) this has mostly a completely intact inner frame

hehe he looks like the robot from Incredibles

And the greeblies are pretty nice for such an old mold. The articulation is about par for the course of a kit from 2002, but this is made more as an interesting display piece rather than something for posing and play.

Another interesting bit about this kit is the rubber gaskets used in the build. I suppose it's to get in the style if an aquatic/amphibious build, and it works well, they're very interesting parts, but since this was a gift delivered from an online store the runners containing the soft rubber parts had warped in the Texas heat. With some sanding and dry brushing this model looks menacing.

2. Perfect Strike Freedom

As par for the course with the high grade line, the perfect strike freedom is a simple build with decent articulation with polycap joints and some pretty annoying mold lines and nubs. This was a good break for me from some of the more complicated builds I had been working on around this time, (ZZ ver ka, Z'gok) and it was quite fun. I didn't have to care about the details or interesting additions from the designers because the kit was delightfully simple. I had fun painting little details on the eyes and barrels and scopes. I wasn't spending too long on details, besides resurfacing and painting up the shoulder joints in order for them to look more mechanical and less toylike. And a pretty decent deal of such a large kit. If you do want one for your own, I do reccomend pairing the purchase with an action base of some sort or ,if you have the means, to manufacture your own.

3. HGUC Kshatriya NZ-666

This decently aged high grade is actually a pretty decent build for skilled builders, there's a lot of work to be done to make it feel nice, but the size and bulk of the kit alone just makes the build satisfying. One thing I found pretty unsatisfying were the sleeves decorations on the wrists and chest. I do not own an Airbrush, nor do I feel like splurging on such a tool at this moment. But i tried my best at a pseudo reverse wash technique using white paint and my panel scriper. As you can see in the above photo, did not work out too amazingly. I also neglected to build the arms entirely, as I will be completely unable to pose this kit with the binders open on my shelf. The thing is just that huge. The high grade box is literally the size of a Ver Ka box. It's so extra i love it

4. Wing Zero Endless Waltz Ver Ka.

I'm not a huge fan if after colony designs, or the show it comes from, but the Katoki Redesign of the Wing Zero gundam is absolutely insane. It's extra to the highest degree. Double beam rifle, four feathered wings, unnecessary knee bend mechanics, and meshing gears for christ sakes.

This is really the kind of thing I was expecting from a katoki kit when I built the ZZ. Something super interesting and special for the builder, through each part of this build I wanted to go above and beyond, marking panels, washing crevices, and even drybrushing down all the grey mechanical details, I love this kit a whole lot. It's an amazing build, and I might go watch Endless Waltz just because of how much I enjoyed this kit.

Anyways those are the kits I have built over last few months. I love talking about my hobby so like, idk do whatever if I should keep blogging about this stuff

[sillyteecup]

Nothing is fair in love and war

Roman Reigns x black!o.c

Warnings:

18+

Strong language

Mentioned violence

Angst

A.N: Soooo this based on a post I saw by @msbigredmachine talking about how no one came out to help our boy Roman because of how much of a menace he's been since 2020. I also happened to be listening to Careless by FKA twigs and Daniel Caesar while writing this. Anyway, thank you for reading. Enjoy❤️

Raised in a Christian Household, Leti and her family would always start the day with the Lord's prayer, and then again in the mornings at school with her classmates and teachers, and then again before the end of the day with the same classmates and teachers, and then again at the 7 pm Bible study she would go to to satisfy her mother. She knew "Our Father," word for word and bar for bar. It was etched into her brain, and had become a core memory she would never be rid of.

Her mother would be thrilled to learn that at least that part of her religious teachings survived.

The thing about Leti's relationship is with Our Father was that as she had grown older, life had pushed her into a direction where she found herself agreeing less and less with the prayer. Every proclamation slowly began to contradict her thoughts and opinions. Her character gradually morphed into one that opposed the prayer almost entirely. One line however, stood out the most to Leti.

"And forgive us for our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us," was a proclamation that never resonated with her. Her father knew that. Her mother knew that. Her old friends at school knew that. Sami Zayn knew that. And now Roman was about to find out that forgiveness was not in her lexicon.

The man in question had been pacing in frustration, chugging down a bottle of water to cool his high temperature. It was his third night back on Smackdown and he had already been jumped by Solo and his little merryband of evildoers, or the Bloodline as they refer themselves to. As much as Leti held no current respect for Roman, she still held the sentiment that Solo and Solettes were unworthy of the privilege of being a part of the Bloodline, let alone spear heading it. They didn't deserve the luxury of representing the family. Not after everything they had done to disregard everything Leti, Roman, and the twins had built while Solo mostly stood there like an overgrown cinderblock that got tossed around every now and again in every solo match. Still, with that very sentiment, Leti held not a single shred of sympathy for Roman. He got what he had deserved.

"You're just gonna sit there and say nothing?" he demanded gruffly, glaring at Leti who was sitting on the couch and scrolling through twitter. In a fashion true to her nature, she rolled her eyes and remained silent. She was no longer on his time and would speak when she felt like it.

"Leti, I'm talking to you," Roman said, irritation growing at the silence.

A silence that never wavered as Leti still refused to budge.

"Leleti Reigns-" Roman had begun to yell causing Leti to put her phone down.

"Norwood. Leleti Norwood," she corrected coldly, glaring daggers at him. The hurt in his eyes was gone as quickly as it had come, as it had been replaced with rage.

"So that's how you wanna act huh?" he asked, disbelief mixing into his low tone.

Leti clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. Roman never seemed to understand the concept of consequences. His brain always just zoomed into victim mode. It truly was a shame that she had even managed to be able to see past that flaw four whole years ago.

"You brought it onto yourself," she stated, hazel eyes narrowing to slits. It was about time someone finally humbled him from the little power trip he thought he was gonna be taking since he had been back.

Roman's jaw ticked at her words. The truth always dealt a brutal blow when you hated hearing it. "And I plan on fixing it," he told her as he began pacing again. This time he was likely plotting his game plan.

Leti's left eyebrow arched at the statement, "How? With a superman punch? Or will it be a spear?" she inquired. The venom in her tone did not go unnoticed by Roman.

"I don't know, but maybe if you made yourself useful instead of sitting over there and acting like a fucking child, I could come up with something feasible," Roman hissed as he stalked towards her.

Leti rolled her eyes at the man towering above her, not feeling intimidated in the slightest. She had become all too familiar with his little scare-tactics and had become impervious to them. "And why the hell would I want to do that?" she questioned evenly.

"Loyalty. Loyalty to the Bloodline; your loyalty to me-" he had begun to explain before being cut-off by a bitter chuckle from Leti.

"Surely it must be drugs or some shit because while my loyalties lie with the Bloodline, I have none left for you. Not after that cowardly shit you pulled at Mania," she said bitterly. Leti was observant. She knew Roman almost as well as she knew that prayer. The quick parting and closing of his lips and the flicker of his eyes from the ceiling to the ground as a means of hiding what could possibly be tears, meant that his facade was on the verge of shattering.

All the cracks from the twins betrayal, his loss at Mania, his cousins' betrayal of his legacy, Leti's change in demeanor since he had returned, his cousins using his own numbers game against him, and now this very moment, had finally caught up to him

"It hurts doesn't it?" Leti asked, features fixed in anger. "Being alone? That shit stings no?"

Roman's jaw ticked again as he licked his lips, eyes still everywhere but on hers.

Leti rose from her place on the couch and proceeded to glare right into Roman's skull. Despite the glaring height difference, her gaze still burned through his mind.

"You don't get to run away for four whole fucking months then come back and expect everybody to treat you like some martyr for cleaning up the mess that you fucking made. Just because the fans are buying into it, doesn't mean I or anybody in this damn locker room is, " Leti snarled as she poked him in the chest with the long nail on her index finger.

"This isn't some fucking fairytale or superhero movie where you're suddenly absolved from your bullshit because you're 'doing the work'! This is real life, and in real life, there are consequences. And you haven't even cracked the tip of the iceberg," she said, chuckling at the last statement.

With a quick exhale, she bent to grab her phone and quickly moved to leave the dressing room. Right as she turned though, she felt a calloused hand grab her bicep, stopping her from leaving. The familiar feel of his palm sent her into an emotional frenzy on it's own with all the memories it brought back. The pleasure they once held, was now replaced with pain.

"Don't turn your back on me. Please," she heard him plead softly. Her snapped to face him. His eyes held nothing but remorse for his actions, and fear that he was about to lose her on top of everything else he had lost. Unfortunately for him, he was four months too late.

"Or what? You'll leave again? Run away like a little bitch after a loss so you can sip margaritas and fuck all kinds of bitches on rotation at some private resort on a cute little island? Huh? Not call or text to let me know you're okay or at least fucking alive while everything goes to shit? Answer me Roman! Fucking answer me!" she had begun to yell, having yanked her arm from his grip. He remained quiet, lips pursuing into a thin line as he understood that anything he could say now would only add to her rightful anger.

"You gonna leave me here to watch Jimmy and Paul get decimated huh? You gonna leave me here to get powerbombed through a table by Solo and his fucking goons all because I stayed loyal to you, huh? Loyal even after you abandoned us! Abandoned me! The woman you claimed to love, the only fuckin person that stuck by you through everything Roman!" she cried, shoving him with every statement.

Roman however did not fight back. At least he knew he deserved it. He closed his eyes to try and fight back tears while he took deep breaths to stop himself from breaking down right there and then. The truth always dealt a brutal blow, but Leti knew how to make that shit cut into one's flesh.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in an attempt to control his voice.

Leti's features morphed into an expression of pure hatred. "That's too fucking bad, because you're four months late," she hissed. With one last glare, she turned to leave. This time Roman allowed her to storm out of his dressing room for what he knew would be the last time.

Out of the many things he had come to learn about Leleti, one of his favourite things was that forgiveness just wasn't a part of her lexicon.

If only he had known that there were no exceptions to the rule.

[moniairis]

Dear Mom in Heaven...

A little thing going rent free in my head since I made this test and ended up as a Coward Villain. I was a bit tired when I took it. Very tired when the ideas of the Oc's started. And very much tired when I post it -so my self-doubt is too exausted to think. So, let's go ! I have now a love triangle between a tired timid PhD student who messed up like nobody else and has poor ethics, a wanna-be big menace, and a hero guy who secretly just want a normal life.

Here a page of "Alex's diary" - a poor guy who ended up in the wrong place. It's more of a little teaser, I'll need to talk about these Oc's one day.

Warnings: Captivity, mention of bullet injury and getting shot, mention of unethical creature born from experiment, swearing.

--------------------------------------------

Unknow date, probably still in March of 2056.

Dear Mom in heaven,

I’m sorry I couldn’t visit you recently. My current situation is just an excuse -I didn’t come to visit your grave for a long time. To be honest, I thought you wouldn’t want to see me. You used to say to me that I must be good -that good people are rewarded by God. That even in hardship, God loves us and watch over us. That following the path He carved for us while being good to other was the way to happiness.

After you left me all alone, I thought you were wrong. There is no God in this world. Good people can only die alone and in pain. The weak are crushed by the strong. So I had to be strong to survive and avoid that fate. With this power I have -what you called a gift- I did a lot of bad things. And you would be upset to know I don’t really care. But the thing is, in this world without any God, this is the reason I was able to live this long.

But now, I think you were right. There is a God. He just hates my guts.

I don’t know how many times I spend here. A few days? A week? It’s mostly dark, here. The shutter of the only window is closed. And I’m scared of what is behind. Nothing is normal here. Nothing. Perhaps, this is hell. I died, and this is the hell I was sent. But “She” told me I was lucky -the bullet didn’t stay in my shoulder, and I did not bleed out. My luck, I swear.

You must be confused Mom. I know. Me too. This is why I asked “her” to give me something to write -to kill some time. She seemed surprised that I spoke. But gave me a pen and a cheap notebook with cardboard cover I haven’t seen since high school. She even allowed me to have a lamp -she put it so far away I can’t grab it. It must me to prevent any suicide attempt that could fire up this place while she’s not here. Most villain hold their secret base dear, after all. I’m not sure where I am. I barely hear anything. Just engine sounds and vibration. Cars? Underground? Are we only still in town?

Anyway. I screwed. If the heroes find me, I’m dead. If the boss finds me, I’m worse than dead. But any options feel better than staying here. Chained to a bed. Watched by some hell spawn created by “her”.

I know I should have stayed in bed that night. But the boss told me to go find a crystal we located in a residential area. And guess what? By the time I arrived, the thing had already fused. I had to fight a damn evolved horror in the middle of the night while making sure it doesn’t hurt anyone -you understand, there were kids in those houses. Obviously, I beat it. I’m strong now, Mom. But the fight woke up the whole neighbourhood. And also kinda messed up the road and gardens. So yeah. The heroes came -accusing me of destroying everything. We are in 2056. We have the damn CCTV for this! Never mind, they’re always late anyway. So I fought the heroes -five against one is not fair. But I almost won Mom! But just as I was about to win, Hero Leo made his entrance -yes mom. That Prince-Charming-Always-Right guy. The only S-Rank Hero of the town just HAD to come back early from his meeting in New York. My luck, always.

He beat my ass. And just HAD to give me a whole speech about bad things and innocent people -clearly the innocent people there would all be dead if I had waited for him. But while I was busy tanking his attacks and call out his nonsense, I got shot in the shoulder. By a REAL bullet. Yeah. Talk about a fair fight. But he lowered his guard -surely thinking I’ll be easy after the bullet shot me. And I took the opportunity to ran.

I don’t know why, but I couldn’t teleport to H.Q. I ended up in a forest, or a park, near some old abandoned place. “She” found me there. I don’t know what kind of horror she is planning for me.  I can’t even use my ability since I woke up. “She” mumbled about an “agent” in the bullet that was still “inhibiting” my ability. I didn’t know it was a thing -perhaps the boss can spare me if I can tell her about it.

First, I must escape. But for that, I’ll need to survive “her” and her hellspawns. I always knew we had some crazy mad scientist in the villains. But her? It’s a whole new level. She must be new, or unregistered. Because there is no way I wouldn’t have heard about such a piece of work. She has some fucking dinosaurs. Two little raptors, like in movies! They run everywhere. I thought I would be their dinner when they came in this room for the first time. “They are herbivore” she said. She made grass-eater raptors, you think I’ll believe it? But the twin raptors are cute compared to that thing.

Mom…if there is demons in this world, they look like this. I can’t be sure of what that thing is. It changes, Mom. One day, it will crawl like a snail. Other, it will have some sort of wing with feathers. Another, it will walk on two legs. New day, new form. But its look, Mom. It tells me everything I need to know this thing is dangerous. “She” even gave it a name, and calling it “her child”. She’s crazy I said! I’ll admit, it plays good before “her”. Perhaps because “she” created it. But it hates me.

Last night, it came into my room. I don’t even know how -the door was closed. It stared at me for an eternity with its “eyes” -two glowing red lights in the darkness. That pressure I felt…even the boss’ aura isn’t that heavy. I felt more pressured by that hellspawn than by one of the strongest S-Rank Villain in town. I don’t know why, but it wants me dead. It’s smart. It has thought. Thought of killing me.

I must leave it there, Mom. She’s coming back. She’s never here for a long time anyway. She’ll surely check on me and leave the room. I’ll write again later. I need to leave a mark here. I don’t know what awaits me, but I can perhaps let the next one have an idea.

I love you, Mom. Please, from heaven, protect me. I can’t swear I’ll live a better life. But at least, I’ll have the opportunity to try.

Your dear and only son,

Alex

[kookie-doughs]

Daddy Cupid: The Asshole

Modern!Donquixote Doflamingo X Reader

-When your father grows weary of your single life, he takes it upon himself to play matchmaker. With him knowing the entire city, he embarks on a mission to find you the perfect match.

Chapter 6: Youre just so annoying and a menace

Sitting in the back of his car next to him, you felt a rush of emotions following the events at the police station. Your gaze was distant, lost in your own thoughts.

Why did you do this? What are you doing? Why is he still holding your hand?

"Why were you there?" Doflamingo's voice broke the silence.

"H-huh?" You looked at him, caught off guard by his question.

He pouted, looking out the window. "Are you not only stupid but also deaf? I asked what you were doing at the clinic? Did you hurt yourself again?"

"Oh, that's Marco's clinic. I was eating lunch with him when a guy came. I now realized I haven't seen your brother since we graduated high school... I didn't recognize him," you explained, your voice tinged with regret.

However, there was no response from Doflamingo. When you turned to look at him, you saw his deadpan expression. He had lost his pout and had also let go of your hand.

Oh you're so stupid how could you forget?! He has a crush on you you've been thinking about that fact for a while and you forgot it now???????? He needs your comfort right now he's scared for his brother and you're right here breaking his heart talking about your lunch date with another man that his dying brother ruined!!!!

Wait a minute... It shouldn't matter who you had lunch with, and you didn't have to tiptoe around Doflamingo because of his feelings. You should be able to have a normal conversation with him without worrying about it. It's already a lot from you that you're taking him to his brother right now.

Right.

"Look, I get that you might not be thrilled with the fact that I was out with someone else, but that doesn't matter. Why would I have to care if you don't like it? Stop sulking about it. I'mnot comforting you." You looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction.

But to your surprise he was looking at you with his usual expression around you. His cocky eyebrow raise and shit eating grin.

You couldn't help but feel confused and slightly embarrassed as Doflamingo burst into laughter. His reaction was unexpected, and you couldn't figure out if you had said something wrong or if there was a different reason for his laughter. You sat there, waiting for an explanation, your face flushing even more in embarrassment.

"What?????" You burst out not able to handle anymore of his laughter.

Doflamingo's smile widened as he gazed at you. "You were worried about my feelings, weren't you, sweetheart?"

You blinked, a mix of confusion and a tinge of embarrassment washing over you. "No. I said the exact opposite of that."

He leaned in a little closer, his eyes never leaving yours. "The fact that you had to say that implies you might be more conflicted about it. Have you been thinking about me often lately? Your response seemed like you've been thinking about me more than you'd like to admit."

Your face turned an even deeper shade of red, and you stuttered, "Y-yeah, well, so what if I was? You're the one with a crush on me. I've only thought about you for a few weeks, and you've been pining for years." You huffed.

Only realizing you might have said too much a little too late.

Doflamingo chuckled, and you couldn't help but be irritated by his laugh, which sounded like a villain about to hatch a nefarious plan. He definitely is planning something bad right now.

"I'll take the few weeks as a win, I'llturn that into months, then years." he said, smiling and resting his head on your shoulder, closing his eyes. "Thanks, I needed to clear my mind. Maybe you should join that one friend of yours, the clown. You seem good at elevating spirits. You've got the look down, too; you just need a talent."

Naturally, his favorite way of relieving stress was annoying you. In response, you pinched his ear and shot him a defiant glare. "You look more like a clown than me."

The car came to a stop, and you couldn't wait to get away from Doflamingo. You ran out and into Marco's clinic, seeking refuge in his room. Marco looked at you with confusion. "I can't tell if you came back because you missed me or because you're in trouble."

You smiled at him, trying to look innocent. "The first one, I swear."

A knock on the door interrupted your conversation. You knew who it was and immediately hid behind Marco's desk. Marco held back his laughter.

"Sorry, I think my dog ran in here. Have you seen her?" Doflamingo's voice rang out.

You almost stood up to confront him, but you didn't want to spend any more time with him. "Maybe I should leash my dog next time to prevent her from running. She's not very smart, after all."

"You're so annoying!" you glared at Doflamingo.

"There she is. Come here, sweetheart," Doflamingo cooed.

Marco burst into laughter. "Don't laugh at me! Get him away!"

"Baby, come on, don't make me get your leash," Doflamingo smirked.

"You're stupid if you think I'm going to come over with that."

"I think your puppy wants to get picked up. I'm still on call, and your brother is upstairs," Marco chimed in.

"Marco! You're supposed to be on my side! Why are you handing me off to that thing? I'm so telling Edward on you!"

Doflamingo swept you up without warning, making you squeak and cling to him. Marco quickly clarified, "I didn't betray you; I'm just the type to not get involved! Don't tell Dad."

You grumbled, "Traitor."

Doflamingo chuckled as he carried you out of Marco's room. "It's not betrayal if he never pledged loyalty in the first place."

Marco watched you two leave with a grin, relieved that you were safe and with your pink-clad companion.

The funny thing was that he climbed a whole lot of stairs carrying you, and neither of you said anything about the fact he was carrying you with your arms around his neck.

You entered the room and saw the same man who was brought in during lunch. He was awake and looked at you two in confusion.

"What?" his brother mustered weakly.

Doflamingo set you down softly, and only then did you realize Doflamingo had rushed to his brother's side and was checking on him.

"Not much," his brother replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I don't care if you just scrape your knee or if you just stubbed your toe. If you get hurt, I'll worry," Doflamingo's voice was filled with concern. "You're my only family here." He sighed deeply and pulled his brother close to his chest. "You had me worried. I thought something extremely bad had happened. I was this close to contacting mom and dad." The relief in his eyes was undeniable as he held his brother close.

"I'm fine," the brother reassured.

"Alright," Doflamingo took a seat next to his brother and gestured for you to join them. He said, "I'll introduce you. I think you've forgotten each other."

"Y/N, this is Rosinante. Rosi, Y/N."

"Y/N? Like from high school? The one you liked?" Rosinante inquired with a warm smile. "I thought there'd be no way she'd be with you."

Your face flushed as you exchanged glances with Doflamingo, who couldn't help but laugh.

"Why wouldn't she be with me?" he teased.

"You're an asshole," you both replied in unison.

"Doesn't matter, she's with me now, right, sweetheart?" Doflamingo cooed, pinching your cheek.

"Why? How?"

"Don't bother trying to figure that out. I'm not with him with him." You cleared up.

"Ah, so he's still pining for you," Rosinante remarked, his tone carrying a sense of teasing.

Doflamingo grinned and nodded confidently. "Yeah, but she's been thinking about me for weeks, so I think I'm actually winning this battle."

You rolled your eyes and huffed, feeling a mix of exasperation and embarrassment as the two brothers exchanged.

You crossed your arms, feigning annoyance. "I hope you trip and twist your ankle, Doffy."

He smiled with a hint of mischief. "Not a very smooth way of flirting, sweetheart." Doflamingo laughed, enjoying your playful banter. "I can tell when someone's just playing hard to get."

You sighed dramatically, "I'm doing the opposite; I'm threatening you."

"I think I see it now... yeah, you two should just kiss and move on, this is disgusting." Rosinante remarked.

Doflamingo grinned mischievously. "I would do that, but I don't think she's good at kissing, and I don't really enjoy unskilled ones."

"Oh yeah? I'm great at kissing! Yo-" You were about to continue, but the words caught in your throat, knowing where that conversation could lead, and you quickly cut yourself off, your face turning even redder.

"You were saying something. What was it?" Doflamingo smirked.

You couldn't believe how Doflamingo was managing to fluster you. You stomped out of the room, your face still red, and you could hear his laughter echoing behind you. Fanning yourself, you tried to regain your composure. This whole situation was incredibly weird. How was this guy, who had been such an asshole for years, making you feel like this?

Are you seriously developing a crush on someone who's life's purpose is to annoy you?

Developing a crush on someone who has spent years annoying you can be a confusing and unexpected experience. Feelings aren't always logical, and sometimes, people can surprise us by revealing different facets of their personalities. It's essential to take your time to understand your feelings and consider whether there's more to this person than meets the eye.

Maybe you're right sentient monologue from fourth wall...

Wait why are you trying to make sense of this?You've hate Doflamingo you've always hated him. Stop trying to defend his assholeliness.

I understand that your feelings toward Doflamingo are complex and rooted in a history of annoyance and dislike. It's entirely valid to feel that way.

I mean yea, he was that kid who swiped your juice box in elementary school, but is he not also the one who went the extra mile to trim a massive chunk of the flower bush in the school garden for you, and got in trouble for it?

He was indeed the guy who copied your homework just to get you both in trouble, but is he not the one who took you to Burger King at prom, got you those paper crowns, and declared you prom queen.

He was not just an insufferable asshole who had given you a hard time for years, but underneath that rough, insufferable exterior, he is harboring a deep and genuine feelings for you. He's an asshole in love with you.

Your eyes widened as you leaned your head against the door, a profound realization washing over you.

"Oh..."

He's been in love with you for so long, denial about that part can't continue.

The door swung open, and your head that was resting against it caused you to start falling backward. Before you could tumble, Doflamingo reached out and caught you, preventing you from falling.

"Dumbass." He flicks your forehead.

You stared at him, and the realization hit you like a ton of bricks. Your heart's beat grew louder.

This was another story. One you couldn't accept. You'll be denying it as long as you can– there's no way you were seriously falling for this man.

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Taglist?

@gayer-than-the-gayest-gay @nykie-love-anime @angstylittleb1tch @valen-yamyam16 @melodyidk @anicega @littlegreekgirl1 @rebeccawinters @manduse @alextheknight707 @h0n3y-l3m0n05

[flyingwargle]

your character analysis of Suna Rintarou ?

p.s: loved cranes born from love take flight

thank you, anon, glad you enjoyed it!

fun fact: i hated suna while reading the manga and refused to watch the inarizaki match because of him until last spring. what happened? sunaosa happened. anyway.

(i tried to stay with canon as much as possible, but there's only so much we know, so i couldn't help but intertwine some headcanons into this.)

i view suna as a shadow that yearns for the spotlight. we see that he's ambitious and skilled because he was scouted for volleyball, and he moved from aichi, which is not easy for a high schooler. he's the only one that can do a cross-body spike, and on top of that, his read blocking is terrifying. we can assume these were developed to make up for the fact that he's shorter than most middle blockers. he's known as one of inarizaki's main scorers, and wrecked havoc against tanaka and tsukishima, putting him in an antagonist position. it makes sense that he went pro in the future, as no other character does what he can.

but i like to think that the road there wasn't easy.

we see that his dedication isn't as feverish as, perhaps, atsumu's. suna slacks off when victory is near. he finds corners to cut. out of all the second years, he's the only one with a standing serve (although, in his defense, it's pretty nasty). he is skilled, but compared to atsumu or aran, his toes are at the edge of the spotlight, waiting for it to swivel onto him. you have the best high school setter and participant at all-japan youth camp on one hand, and a top 5 ace on the other. who is suna? just some guy.

thus, leading to the word that i heavily associate with him: hunger.

it's fanon that atsumu and aran go pro straight out of high school. for suna, it depends - some portray him also immediately going pro, some show him working his way up. i personally like the latter because it makes sense. despite his skills, he lacks height and power. he lacks the talent to make him desirable. he can train all he wants, but always falls short because of this. it makes him yearn. it makes him question what he lacks. it makes him wonder if going pro is even the right decision, when he spent high school waffling between slacking and being a menace.

it makes him a character that's hungry for the pinnacle, but ends up a step behind. whereas someone like osamu enjoys the process, suna is someone who'd rather skip all of that, and nothing shows his shortcomings better than when he's left backstage while atsumu, aran, and so many others at his age thrive under the spotlight.

so what does he do? he preserves. he yearns. he hungers.

and he is eventually awarded for it.

--

to talk a bit about his character arc in cranes born from love take flight, there's the added layer of responsibility as an older brother, to protect his sister, while also overcoming the scars carved into him by his father. suna thinks by ignoring the past, he can move forward, but trauma isn't easily healed, and he'll find that the only way to overcome it is acknowledge it, and learn to accept it.

origami hearts focuses on osamu, but the final installment pivots back to suna, where a lot of what i talked about will come into play. i hope that this gives a little insight on how i view him, and that it makes sense 😅

[eternalyraven]

I was tagged by @aether-wasteland-s thank you very much I LOVE talking about my characters and their world. This was very fun.

I don’t really do the tagging thing but any of my writing friends who want to do this are welcome. Also @aether-wasteland-s if you wanted to do it again with other characters.

Rules: use this headcanon generator to make headcanons for your OCs! Then talk about how accurate they are.

So I actually made headcanons for 18 of My Eternally Out Of… verse characters than I picked my 6 favourites. Let me know if you want me to post some of the others.

1. Raven/Chance is awful with technology and doesn’t know how to use a smartphone.

*cackling* while she would definitely pretend not to know in order to troll her teammates and students because she loves her old lady shtick she definitely knows technology. However she is a menace to the tech department because she does have a habit of destroying and misusing tech. This is simply because she while she learns quickly and has had access to advanced technologies for longer than most people she also has a philosophy of “why not try this” and a high level of chaos. Actually when it comes to smartphones in particular it might be a case of she can learn easily but doesn’t really care enough into putting any effort into it.

2. Kelso Fox believes in ghosts and insists on trying to summon one at every sleepover.

I swear I didn’t fix this I swear I didn’t! Kelso is psychic and he didn’t know it until he was adult. He thought everyone had imaginary friends who seemed to be real people. He learned as a teenager not to bring up the pirate he talked to at the docks or the second guidance councillor at the school who no one else knew about but he didn’t fully realize they were real. However when he was younger he would absolutely talk about them at sleepovers.

3. Molly Browne could easily win the hunger games.

Hhhmmm, on the one hand if she was in wolf form absolutely but on the other hand she is a very empathetic person. Actually yes, yes she could she is fierce, sneaky and driven to survive so yes I can see it. Especially in her wild younger years before she became a (semi) respectable innkeeper.

4. Mystique speaks only in meme references.

Well, on the one hand I can’t really see her being a meme person or having the temperament to do this in general. However I can see her learning memes just so she can do this to embarrass Aquial (and maybe Ben). Hhhmmm, I’m going to have to lean towards no because she would probably see it as too silly and I can not see her being on social media voluntarily. She gets enough of hearing random things from reading people’s minds, she doesn’t need it in her computer too. Plus I can kind of see her falling into the first headcanon. Except of course for the medical technology she needs for her job but even that she prefers to leave to the other medical staff.

5. Frank Elsinger can hug you and will.

LMAO, no, *cackling* no I can not see the stuffy and closed off Elsinger hugging anyone. I think Raven may have tried just to see what he would do and he gave her a pile of paperwork to do. Nope mr rules and regulations, Mr standoffish and aloof would never voluntarily show any kind of affection like that.

6. Fuzz gets into Twitter discourse.

I was going to say no when I first saw this but than I thought about it and realized I can absolutely see him getting into all the discourse. Constantly arguing with anyone who he feels like. Trying to put jerks in their place and getting some really good burns in. Also making excellent points as well as out there thoughts that are true but no one believes. I have no clue who introduced him to Twitter but once Elsinger finds them there is going to be trouble.

[flamingskull28]

Here are the two new characters and the other half of the misfits (if I could draw, they would look different. maybe someday I will post what they look like in more detail. Also, I may add more things to their descriptions as the story progresses.)

Tony

Born and raised in inkopolis, he grew up in house by the pier. He was always labeled as a problem child due to his desires to be "cool" in the eyes of others leading him to adopt a Greaser like aesthetic and tone. When he got into high school, he found a group of like-minded people who, all together, became a major menace to the local area. Vandalism, shoplifting etc, they even made a "gang" which was just them but with an edgy name. Overtime they got into more and more trouble and began to do more than petty crimes. muggings, breaking and entering, and actual crimes. Tony, trying to fit in, went along with this even having to serve a month in juvey for assault. After a while, he began to back pedal on the "gang" idea after seeing how they weren't 'cool' they were just criminals. But despite his attempts to persuade his friends, they stayed on their path and pressured him into staying as well. He reluctantly did so, not wanting to be alone with no friends, despite the pleads of his parents. When the octolings started coming to the surface, he noticed that his friends were incredibly racist to them. Always singling them out and mocking them, with everything else they were doing it started to break him, not wanting to have no friends but not wanting to be a part of the gang. One day he spotted them cornering an octoling girl and mocking her, for how she looked, who she was, telling her that her kind should go back underground. eventually trying to beat her up, having enough he steps in and defends her. His "friends" don't take kindly to this and attack him. He tells the octoling to run but to his surprise, she begins beating seven bells out of them. He joins her in fending them off, still being surprised that someone being backed into a corner a few seconds ago was now fighting like a soldier. After the gang ran off and they began talking, she thanked him for (trying) to help her and told him her name was Vanessa. They became friends after this, hanging out and playing turf together (he was also surprised by her combat ability's there too) and making his fear of having no friend's a distant memory he also begins to develop feelings for her but fears losing the friendship so doesn't confess.

Age:16

Weapon: heavy splatting

personality: a mix of outgoing and laidback, with a "it is what it is" look on most things and a but childish.

fun facts:

He forced the accent he has so much, it became how he talked.

barely passing high school (its summer currently so he doesn't have to worry about that right now)

Has an octarin tattoo on his shoulder, Vanessa told him it meant "warrior of the shadows." but it actually means "Mark of the gullible fool" (she thought it was funny to trick him, which it is)

does community service to try and make up for some of his time in the gang.

basically, my only character on good standing with their parents

Will eat almost anything you give him

-----‐------------

Vanessa

Backstory: [REDACTED] please contact an official with class 8 access to view this file.

Age: 16

Weapon: splattershot

Personality: a bit shy to most but can quickly open up. Is the type with deep thoughts and a lot to say. Loves gossip.

Fun facts:

Is a super fan of off the hook, has almost all their merch and a signed copy of ebb and flow (oddly enough she will refuse to go to any fan meet and greet or backstage event where the band is. She refuses to talk about why)

Is a near master of hand-to-hand combat and stealth.

Loves anything strawberry flavored

Is an only child, but is unable to contact her parents since they stayed underground. (..... well that's the official story.)

Hates salty stuff

she is trans but is not public about it

[agaypanic]

UNPOPULAR OPINIONS ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA, GO

okok idk how unpopular these opinions are gonna be tbh

Malcolm in the Middle: i lowkey hate craig, i think he's creepy ESPECIALLY in earlier seasons. you'd think that after your MARRIED coworker tells you that she doesn't like you back and there's no way in hell that she'd ever be with you, YOUD TAKE A FUCKING HINT. also while it's on my mind, i remember writing a reese x reader where readers is basically allison in that episode where craig gives her and reese a ride to the concert but he ends up ruining their date, but anon asked for them all to have a good time together and it was SO hard to write! bc if i had paid for concert tickets (most likely really expensive) for me and my bf and my ride purposefully made me miss the concert because he had a "better" plan for "our" date, i would've blown up the car

Malcolm in the Middle: i honestly didn't like the series finale. the only endings i really agreed with were malcolm's and francis' (malcolm was totally meant to go to harvard by any means necessary, even if it meant working a million jobs between classes to cover that tuition. and although he's probably still a bit of a menace, i love that francis got his act together and got a steady job). i think reese deserved a better ending, i think he could've had a really good culinary career instead of being the janitor at his high school. and i know it was probably for a gag/twist ending but i don't like that they made lois pregnant again. GIVE THE WOMAN A BREAK!!

The Naturals: i've made tiktoks about this (which yall don't know about bc you dont know me outside of this platform teehee) but i hate the way lia treats cassie. sure she got kinda better at the VERY end of the SERIES (4 books). but imagine your mom has been missing and presumed murdered for YEARS and (spoliers for books 3-4 teehee) finally the police find her body but it's not actually her and then you find out your mom is actually alive and a captive/prophet for this murder cult AND THAT YOU HAVE A SISTER THAT WAS CONCEIVED INSIDE THAT CULT. NOW imagine that while you're going through all these events, some bitch keeps telling you to keep that shit to yourself bc other people in the group are having more pressing issues and that the group is at problem capacity. BITCH ALL OF YOU HAVE ISSUES, INSTEAD OF WORKING FOR THE FBI YOU SHOULD GO TO THERAPY

Charlie's Angels: im a really big fan of the 2000's charlies angels movies but was a bit disappointed when i watched the 2019 one. dont get me wrong, its good. i just kinda wished there was some more callbacks to the 2000s movies. like imagine my disappointment when the new charlie wasn't revealed to be dylan (which would've given her character a good ending bc dylan couldn't imagine herself leaving the angels, it would make SO much sense if she ended up heading the agency. even making her a bosley would've been good)

That 70s Show: this isn't really that unpopular but the last season honestly sucked. drew gooden made a pretty good video talking about it (i love drew gooden ugh). imo, moving to africa and then breaking up with donna made no sense for eric's character. especially after donna dropped out of college to stay in point place with him! hyde and jackie breaking up? horrible. jackie and fez getting together? why???? (also the timeline for that 70s show makes no sense at all. theres this channel that did a kinda indepth vid on it and tried pinpointing when the show actually would've ended based on the episodes (mainly the holiday episodes, i think making the holiday specials really screwed over the overall timeline))

i cant think of any more opinions teehee

[sharpaymichelle]

VOGUE meets with sharpay evans to discuss her life and family!

interviewer : you're known as a triple threat. a singer, dancer, actress - what can't you do!

sharpay evans : yeah, it's definitely been amazing having the recognition for all my hard work ... but i can't cook. i literally almost burned down my kitchen once, fun fact.

interviewer : before we talk about your rise to fame, you lived in albuquerque, new mexico briefly. what was that like?

sharpay evans : i did. when i moved there when i was sixteen and was there till i graduated from high school.

interviewer : what made you end up in new mexico?

sharpay evans : my past really isn't super hidden. i was just hanging around the wrong crowds and getting into trouble in my early teens. everyone thought it would be best that i just get a break from the nepo scene so was sent to live with my uncle vincent, aunt charlotte and cousin tiara.

interview : you boomed into the spotlight at the age of eighteen with your debut album, the new classic, and became known as the pop princess. what was that like?

sharpay evans : you know, i grew up in this industry. my parents really guided me every step of the way once they knew i was serious about my career. i'm really appreciative of my fans and even being given that title is such an honor.

interviewer : speaking of your parents, you're the daughter of hollywood actress derby evans and musician and producer vance evans?

sharpay evans : does this count towards one of the questions?

interviewer : yes, i guess it does, haha. what was it like being raised by them?

sharpay evans: my mother, oh my mother. she is an amazing human being and dealt with so much between me and ry. again, i caused a lot of trouble for her and she wore my trouble on her sleeves while still being a famous, well-known actress providing for us. growing up, she would take us to set with her and we'd be playing on the lot or in set school. if we were lucky, we were able to watch her scenes and i still remember being constantly fascinated by everything she did. if you didn't know, there's an indie film she did once where she had to have a kid casted and my mom advocated so hard to have me play her daughter because she knew i had the talent to be an actress even at such a young age. my mom has always believed in me. i won't lie about the fact we went through a rough patch during my teens and briefly after i broke up with my ex but i admire who that woman is every single day. i mean, there's a reason i wrote don't tell my mom on heartbreak/her and included one of her voicemails. if i ever have kids, i hope to be half as patient and loving as she is. i also just hope i don't have menaces like i was, haha.

sharpay evans : now my father, he is the reason i developed such a passion for music. looking back, i was so in awe of his life touring and him making music in the studios. i don't know how but like my mom he just saw a natural talent in me. i mean, he was gone a decent amount growing up but that was his career and he did what he needed to do to provide for us and i think that also took a toll out of him especially once i started rebelling. i remember when i came back from new mexico essentially a new person he just held me for a really long time and cried. mind you, this is a rock singer who i don't even think i had seen him cry before that very moment. my dad struggled with his own demons for years because of the industry but never really talks about it even with me till this day. i think for us, we just have a mutual understanding that, no matter what, we're here to lean on one another for support and that at the end of the day we're family. he has guided me in so many ways in life and that memory is probably, if not, my favorite of ours. i know he is proud of me.

interviewer : do you think there was anything they could have done differently?

sharpay evans : i think they did the best with what they were equipped to do. they were first time parents dealing with a kid who liked to party and you know... participate in not so great things. i struggled sharing my parents with the world as i got older and really was having a hard time understanding the nepo scene even though i grew up in it. my dad constantly was on tours or my mom was filming movies so the attention was diverted away from me and ry. i now know i should have probably just verbalized my problems rather than defaulting to some ... illegal activities. although i don't necessarily agree with some of the choices they made, i don't hold them at fault for it.

interviewer : at least you're honest! well first, i hope your twin brother, ryan, is doing great! how did he handle all of this?

sharpay evans : he is actually! he's currently doing some acting gigs on broadway right now. if you didn't know, he is actually older than me by one minute. but to answer your question, he took everything pretty hard. he came with me to new mexico for about a year but i told him to go back home to california. he found me on the floor one time after a situation and rushed me to the emergency room. like i think i traumatized him and i still feel so bad about it till this day. he's my heart that's walking on the outside of my body and the fact i hurt him so bad was devastating. ryan genuinely means everything to me. he suffered together, cried together, laughed together. we talk every day and even now, not living in the same state as one another is literally so difficult. he's just such an amazing person who dealt and cleaned up so much of my mess. i genuinely love him more than life itself.

interviewer : if we can back track to new mexico. you mentioned an uncle, aunt and cousin , what were they like?

sharpay evans : oh they're everything i hope to have in a relationship. my cousin well... lets just say i understand.

sharpay evans : my uncle vincent, i don't know if you know, was a child actor way back when but he met my aunt at a relatively young age and from what i'm told, knew from the very moment he laid his eyes on her that was his soulmate. she was just a waitress in los angeles living paycheck to paycheck wanting nothing to do with the celebrity lifestyle. when they turned eighteen, they got married but she was wanting to leave california and without hesitation, he followed her anywhere and left his career. he's now a criminal defense lawyer and is actually really happy doing it. crazy enough, the second i got to his front step i rolled my eyes at him and he literally locked me outside in the rain for twenty minutes and i had to sit on the curb until my aunt came home from work realizing what he had done. he was a strict man with me but i think i needed that type of role in my life. he wanted me to have structure and rules to know that every action and decision i made had consequences. i guess that was the lawyer in him. my uncle vincent really is such an amazing man and i'm really lucky to have a role model like him.

sharpay evans : my aunt charlotte, again she was just a waitress when first meeting my uncle but now is a transplant coordinator at a hospital. i have never in a million years met a more down to earth and genuine human being before. we weren't really raised around my aunt or uncle and it wasn't because of any bad blood but really because of time scheduling. i mean, it worked out because i built a relationship with everyone on my own accord but i can genuinely say that my aunt charlotte is like a second mother to me. there's also a reason why her voicemail is on heartbreak/her. she was concerned about my well-being just as much as my mother and not hearing from me was extremely concerning. she knew i was okay but still wanted to hear from me. it was actually my aunt who convinced me to try out for drama club, get into choir and re-enroll in dance classes while i was in high school just to keep out of trouble and keep me pre-occupied. she always had my best interest at heart and knew that i needed compassion along with compassion.

sharpay evans : tiara is my younger cousin. she is relatively ... similar to me in my personality. i think that's why we tend to buttheads frequently. i get it - i took a lot of her parents attention away when i moved to new mexico. it was exactly the problem i was facing with my own parents and hollywood. we just ran into issues when she constantly was trying to sabotage my life and that's not me being dramatic. she literally tried to steal my role in my play on opening night. thankfully, i managed to put a stop to it and we talked it out but i think when i left she was just excited to finally have her house back and be considered a single child again. i love her, i really do and i want her to have the best life possible but i hope she grows into herself just like i did at some point.

interviewer : wow. it seems like new mexico really helped you, huh?

sharpay evans : honestly, i think i'll always have a deep appreciation for my aunt, uncle and even cousin. they molded me into who i am today. without them, i can genuinely say i don't think i'd be even here doing seventy - three questions with vogue.

interviewer : and what's it like being in the spotlight now compared to then?

sharpay evans : i wasn't prepared back then. i was literally a kid and the tabloids were absolutely ruthless towards me. i had no business being in the spotlight when i barely was in any projects and hadn't even released any music yet. thankfully, now, i have such an amazing support system between my mom, dad, ryan, my uncle vincent, aunt charlotte and even tiara and my pr team. everyone's primary goal is making sure not only myself but my image stays protected and safe. i feel so much more confident now being in the celebrity spotlight between making music and acting compared to back then.

interviewer : well, thank you so much for sharing yourself, your family and your house with vogue. is there anything else you want to share?

sharpay evans : yeah, stay tuned for my next album! now get out!

[taylorxmontero]

full name: taylor gabriela montero

nicknames: tay (by everyone) montero (by mostly everyone) sergeant (good way to get her attention, also a good way to possibly get punched)

born: new haven, connecticut

age: 29

birthday: 5/2/95

gender: cis female

orientation: homosexual

occupation: former army sergeant / current army reserve

faceclaim; camila mendes

——–

scared of nothin' and i'm scared to death

i can't breathe and i catch my breath

but I keep chasing that same old devil

down the same old dead end highway

——-

bullet points and other things:

Lived in more places than she can count

Both sides of her family were in the army

Settled in North Side for a reason when choosing where to live

Very much aware she probably has PTSD, isn't diagnosed, she isn't looking for one

Middle child of three; only girl

Fueled on energy drinks and sarcasm

Is an overall general menace to society with a chip on her shoulder and a bone to pick with God

full biography

trigger warnings; PTSD, death, violence, talk of guns, blood

She was an army brat. Anything else after high school wasn't an option. Her destiny was set in stone the minute she graduated. There was no other choice. Taylor graduated high school one week, and she shipped off to basic training the following week.

Having been groomed from a young age with years of working out in the backyard and Nerf gun wars with her brothers apparently would come in handy, because she basically cruised through basic training. While the others struggled, Taylor succeeded. It made her a good target for drill sergeants, but she took that in stride…they'd obviously never met her father.

She was three weeks into her first deployment when she first fired her weapon at the enemy. In the dark of the night, an unauthorized person coming towards where she and her crew were camped out after learning of a possible incoming threat. Security detail, they had called it. It was a clean shot and she hated how good it felt watching the enemy drop. She received praise, plenty of it, earned herself a soft spot against one of the hardest lieutenants in her company. It helped her raise rank fast. (She suspected nepotism helped as well.) Was Taylor a kiss-ass? Maybe. She was also resourceful; she knew what she had to do to survive, to embrace the suck and get her squad mates through. If it rose her in the ranks, she'd at least have support.

Despite having fired her weapon, cleared areas, done security detail, it wasn't until close to the end of her deployment where things started to go south. It was hot, the convoy was sweeping a nearby area. The car wasn't far behind them. They thought they'd cleared the area. She would've bet money, her life.

Then the IED went off. Then the gunfire. Anyone still standing was getting picked off. She was bleeding, she didn't know if it was hers. She fired blindly, grabbing a wounded comrade and pulling them behind what was left of the vehicle. Her eyes scanned the area for anything, anyone. Bullets cracked the air by her head. Everything spun around. She couldn't catch her bearings. Her staff sergeant stood, he said something about them being the only survivors. Then again, another crack.

He dropped, and she was alone. Alone, possibly surrounded. In the fog of war, she grabbed a sniper rifle, prayed her marksmanship would come handy. Slowly she managed to pick off a few before she was able to radio for help. The next convoy found her leaning against the destroyed vehicle, covered in blood that wasn't all hers, staring straight ahead. She hadn't been the only one who lived, but she might as well have been; the remaining soldier was discharged for medical reason later.

Her first deployment ended after that. Something about needing mental clearance before her next deployment. So she did what she did best; faked it. Watching almost her entire unit go before her eyes and almost dying wasn't good enough for her father to not fulfill her deployment duty. It felt like as soon as the clearance was in her hands, she was on her way back out, skin a little tougher, edges rougher.

There was a lot more blood the second time around. There were more bullet casings spent. She was out for blood this time, always staying within rules of engagement but jumping at an opportunity. It wasn't until her best friend was killed in front of her that the PTSD dam began to break. That was one death she'd always blame herself for. Knife to her neck after getting ambushed, she hadn't had time to grab her sidearm. Her best friend had time for four final words; take care of them before the knife cut skin and spilled blood and a bullet found it's way through a heart. Two, one could argue; an actual bullet and a metaphorical one.

She started going through the motions after that. Robotic, almost. The promotion she earned tasted bittersweet. She'd broken. The rough edges turned into glass shards and everyone knew it. The senior soldiers, they all knew. They could tell. She wasn't the soldier she was in basic. She'd seen things, and it was affecting her, and it was probably a matter of time before she snapped on someone who wasn't a recruit acting out of line.

Family legacy be damned, when she returned home she immediately requested a move to the reserves. When her father laid into her, she set the phone down, and looked for cities as far away from a base as possible. Listing her choices on a dart board, she landed on Reno. Double bonus; it was away from family too.

She packed the little she had left and booked a plane ticket, signed a lease in the smallest, crappiest apartment she could find. The last place her father would dare to look. Only thing left to do; fake it and hope she made it before her demons followed.