#[meanwhile Shell's a...his a switch]

[eternally-racing]

how do you like your eggs? | lando norris

pairing: lando x reader (w/ best friend Danny Ric) 

genre: fluff 

wc:1.2k

summary: Lando’s determined to show you how much you mean to him by cooking you breakfast, even if he is horrible in the kitchen.

— — — — 

“You’re being way too loud, mate, you’re going to wake her up.” 

There’s too much rummaging through cabinets as Daniel asks Lando if he can get his sifter out from the cabinets. It sure as hell would be a lot easier to find if Lando actually knew what a sifter was, but as a boy who’s gotten most of his meals delivered to him and has become a creature of habit for the select few that he does make on his own, it’s safe to say that he is an absolute menace in the kitchen. 

After your boyfriend Lando had last minute decided to go to Australia to visit Daniel, you received enough facetimes and text messages from him begging for you to come visit that you had finally caved to spontaneity and flew into Perth the night before. 

Lando was nothing but a gentleman, and he wanted to do something special to show his appreciation for you going out of your way to spend time with him. Every sacrifice that you make definitely does not go unnoticed, and in the little time that he has during the offseason Lando likes to make sure that you know how much he loves everything that you do for him. 

And somehow that led to his master plan of wanting to cook breakfast for you. He knew that he was no masterchef, but Lando had hoped that having his former teammate help him out in the kitchen would be enough. It started as a plan to make a full English breakfast. Then Lando realized that Daniel’s fridge looked like he hadn’t gone grocery shopping since the two of them were teammates, so the plan got switched to just eggs and homemade biscuits. And after two failed attempts at making dough for biscuits that had only led to a colossal mess on the kitchen countertops they finally settled for making just eggs. 

“There’s a really great breakfast cafe down the road, Lando. I’m sure Y/N would like that just as much as..” Daniel’s voice trails off as he looks at what he used to be able to recognize as his own kitchen “whatever this is that you’re doing.” 

Meanwhile, Lando is at eye level with his bowl of freshly cracked eggs as he is carrying out what he can only describe as a “rescue mission” to fish out the pieces of eggshell that have fallen into the bowl. 

“Shut up Daniel, it’s a labor of love, you wouldn’t get it.” He continues to pick out a concerning number of pieces of shell.

“More like a labor of salmonella” Daniel snickers as he leans against the counter. 

The Aussie is quick to jump out of the way when Lando throws a piece of shell at him and misses, only adding to the mess in the kitchen. Luckily, he’s saved by the bell when you finally stumble out of the bedroom, sleep still clouding your eyes. 

“Good morning sunshine!” Lando yells from the stove as he’s finally gotten into action cooking said eggs. 

With the promise that in 2 minutes there would be fresh eggs for breakfast, Lando guides you to sit at the table. You hadn’t realized until this moment that you’d never seen Lando cook at all, let alone cook for you. He was a great sous chef when he asked you to be, but you weren’t sure of his abilities when left to his own devices. 

“Breakfast is served!” Lando says as he lays the plate in front of you. You raise your eyebrows in surprise, biting your tongue to keep your initial reaction from slipping out. 

“They’re poached!” your boyfriend exclaims with a smile.

Lando looks so proud and there’s no way you can break his heart over what is certainly a non-edible, definitely not poached egg that he has placed in front of you. 

“Thank you, baby” you smile as you pinch his cheek.

You can see Daniel posed behind Lando wildly shaking his hands and mouthing “DO NOT EAT” as he watches you toy with the runny eggs in front of you. You would do anything for Lando, including eating an icky egg, so you pick up your fork and dig in.

It’s definitely still raw, which you expected from its appearance, but there’s subtle hints of vinegar and sugar and something spicy that feels especially vile on your tongue. Your best attempt at a poker face cracks near the end as you try to swallow, but you’re quick to try and cover it up. 

“Wow, you did something really special with these Lan” you say, choosing your words very carefully as you try to wash out your mouth with a non-suspicious amount of water. 

Lando offers to try them and you figure there’s no point in stopping them as he piles some egg onto a spoon. You swear it barely even touches his mouth before he spits it back out right onto the plate. 

“Oh my god - you swallowed that??” The British boy doesn’t even dare to put his tongue back into his mouth as he tries to brush the taste off his taste buds. You can’t help the giggle that bubbles up inside you as you and Daniel start to keel over in laughter. 

“Mate - you let me serve this to my girlfriend?? I could have killed her or something with this!” Lando turns to Daniel in his rage.

The Aussie is laughing and is trying to rationalize that the egg is probably not deadly as he continues to gasp for air. It’s Lando who makes the next move to grab the plate and dump it in its entirety in the garbage.

“That’s a porcelain plate, Lando!” you exclaim from where you’re sitting. 

“”Please, it’s probably a biohazard at this point. I  think I owe Daniel an entirely new kitchen at this point anyways, so he can just add this to my tab.” Lando jokes as he pulls you towards the bathroom, gesturing towards the mess on the counters as you both walk away.

“Lando, she’s so in love with you because you couldn’t pay me to eat that shit.” Daniel says as he watches the both of you share the bathroom trying to brush the vile taste off your tongues with your toothbrushes.

Lando keeps the toothbrush in his mouth as he goes to wrap his arms around your waist, something that has you shrugging away since you’re pretty sure he’s drooling on your shoulder, and you tell him exactly that. From the side Daniel can’t stop laughing as he stares at you two. 

The British boy stays attached to you as he leans over to spit out his toothpaste, mumbling something you can’t quite understand.

“ I sdflksnjo sdlkgsnd” 

You almost choke on your spit listening to Lando’s babbling as you hunch over to do the same in the sink. 

“I was trying to say that I’m so lucky to have you baby. I love you.” 

You can't help but smile against Lando’s lips as you pull him in for a kiss. There’s still a vague taste of vinegar and egg that you know will linger for a little too long, but more than anything, he tastes like love.

---

author's note: this was just something fun and sweet inspired by Lando's recent interview about his Australia trip! Thanks for all the love :) Until next time! - Em 🤍

[frozenspraycans]

very unfortunately the best klance is post canon klance where lance becomes angry and bitter and more importantly mellowed out, closed off, believing that the universe finally had enough of him trying to take up any space whatsoever and has dearly punished him by taking away allura. of everyone in voltron just slowly disintegrating and not hearing from lance anymore especially after he withdrew out of the public eye. of keith frantically looking for lance one day, running to his family home and realising he was gone and spends the entire time worrying sick, because post canon klance completely switched roles in which keith decides that love conquers all and mature enough to get himself together and devote everything to lance, meanwhile lance has learnt the complete opposite. of lance snapping at keith when he shows up in his doorstep, vehemently rejecting and further hunching in on himself when keith attempts to come close.

and keith, missing how lance was, has to be patient for lance to trust him enough to come out of his shell. he wants nothing more for his boy to come back to himself again. to come back to him.

[princessedesfleursss]

please read this!

Hello I love your work! Can you please write a piece based on “Virgo’s groove” by Beyoncé for Carlos Sainz and female reader? I would appreciate if you do or even read this!

*hiii. tysmm, i'm glad you enjoy my work. here's the piece i wrote on what you requested, not sure if it's what you wanted but i hope you end up liking it!

CS55R1

Pairing: carlos sainz x fem!reader

Genre: blurb/ fluff

Warnings: making out, being horny, teasing and kissing, a smol bday date

It was Carlos’s birthday the day tomorrow and since he wanted to celebrate it back in Spain with his family, you decided to have a little birthday rendezvous with the birthday boy himself. Earlier this morning, you had sent Carlos a sneaky text with the address of the hotel room you were at. He had obediently followed the given place and knocked on the door right at the time you had asked him to be there.

He came in, his eyes ravishing your figure in the ‘barely-a-dress’ dress you were wearing. His hands, immediately went over to the back of your thighs, trying to sneak them up to your bum. Giggling in the middle of the kiss, you pushed yourself away from him,

“Not now, pretty boy.”

“Come on baby. It’s not fair you’re teasing me after asking me out for lunch.”

Smiling at him with a proud smirk, you sat him down at the set up on the balcony. Standing behind him, you glided yours hands over his chest and leaned closer to the shell of his ear whispering, “Consider me dessert.”

You felt Carlos let out a low a groan from within his chest at the mere thought of taking you right here before eating. 

“That is if you behave well, birthday boy,” you added another condition to what you promised him earlier. 

Sitting yourself down in front of him, you motioned him to start lunch. Upon opening the lid to the first dish, Carlos chuckled at your lousy but creative version of a birthday cake with a candle- stuck to a steak was a candle. You took out a lighter and lit the candle that was placed on the stake. 

Singing him happy birthday, you watched as Carlos blew out the candles and then looking back up at you with a devious glance enough to make you wet. 

“Stoppp looking at me like that,” you teased him. 

He simply shrugged and continued lunch. You began eating too as songs from the local radio made use by serving as the back ground music to your little date. Fond stories were shared over wine and for a while you and Carlos were not on the verge of jumping onto each other because you were both borderline horny. 

That was all until you decided to drag him for a dance. Moving the small table into the hotel room, you made space in the balcony.

“Baby come over,” you urged Carlos to move closer to you as you wrapped your arms around his neck and Carlos pulled you flush against his chest, an all too familiar move for him. 

You mouthed the words of the song that was going on, playfully moving your body in rhythm to the song. Carlos too played along, twirling you multiple time and bringing you in even closer to his body than before. 

“There's nothing that I want as much as I want you,” you sang along to the lyrics. 

Carlos leaned down to kiss you, and moved his face towards your neck, nipping at the skin and surely leaving love marks all scattered. Meanwhile you danced to the song and kept up with the lyrics while a turned on Carlos attempted kissing every inch of your body.

“And I need more nudity and ecstasy, oh,” you gasped as he turned you around, your back pressing his sturdy chest now. 

His hands snaked around your waist, and his lips went into a frenzy of kisses across the side of your neck. You moaned as he tried humping against you. 

“Carlossss, everyone can see us,” you warned him, the song in the background long forgotten. 

“I don’t care really,” he said as he lifted up his face to switch sides to kiss the other side of your neck, “All I want is you now baby.”

You let one of your hands reach backward to entangle in his dark locks and let the other rest on the arm he had around you. 

“Then have me,” you moaned back at him. 

Carlos lifted you off your feet and brought you into the hotel room, throwing you lightly onto the fluffy bed. Wedging a knee between your legs and caging your face in between his hands, Carlos pecked your forehead lightly. 

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too baby,” you reciprocated his words and caressed his cheek, “And a happy early birthday.”

He smiled down at you and went back to pepper your face with kisses. 

[novelmonger]

I am now (finally) embarking on the last of the LotR audio commentaries I never listened to before: the Production/Post-Production one, with Barrie Osborne (producer), Mark Ordesky (executive producer), Andrew Lesnie (director of photography), John Gilbert (editor), Rick Porras (co-producer), Howard Shore (composer), and Jim Rygiel (visual effects supervisor). A lot more Americans in this group than the previous ones have been. I feel much more out of my depth with this one in terms of figuring out who's talking, but let's see what new stuff they have to say for FotR!

The sound from when Sauron explodes comes from a bunch of sounds they recorded both inside and outside ships in the harbor, as well as the sounds of WWII airplane propellers.

The scenes with Gollum in the prologue were actually some of the last shots they filmed for FotR.

The farmers around the area where they filmed Hobbiton would warn them when people would turn up who weren't supposed to be there, with cameras and whatnot, as well as warning them when planes or choppers would be overhead, so they could prevent (as much as possible) from footage leaking before the movie was released. That warms my heart :)

They used the analogy of a "shell game" when talking about all the different techniques they used to keep the proportions of characters correct with their different sizes. Because they would switch up the techniques between shots, it helped sell the overall effect, because you're not just always looking at a scale double or a bluescreen or what-have-you.

In the scene with Bilbo and Gandalf in the kitchen, they used forced perspective, with the table cut in half so that everything is small for Gandalf and the right size for Bilbo. When Bilbo pours the tea into the teapot, Gandalf handles a small lid on his side, putting it on a little rod that holds it in the right position so it looks like it's sitting on the teapot. Meanwhile, the actual teapot is on Bilbo's side so he can pour the water into it. Also, when Gandalf is first sitting down at the table and turning to get his legs underneath it, if you look closely you can see that when he bumps up against it, the half of the table closer to the camera jiggles a little, but the other half doesn't because it was actually some 5-10 feet away.

In the shot at the party that pans down from the fireworks and the tree, the actual party with all the dancing and everything was shot in a set, so they had to go back to the Hobbiton location (which had already been cleared of the set at that point, I think) and match up that shot to get the tree, and then they composited it together.

The direction for that shot of Minas Tirith when Gandalf goes to research the Ring was to make it look like "Constantinople in the morning." This may be my favorite part of this commentary :)

They needed to scan actors' faces so they could have their digital doubles to work with for certain shots. When they brought in Ian McKellen to scan his face, they said, "We just need to scan your face in a neutral position." He said, "Neutral for me or neutral for Gandalf?" And he demonstrated his own neutral expression, and when he switched to neutral Gandalf, he looked completely different, pursing his lips and furrowing his eyebrows and sucking his cheeks in more. Truly the sign of a gifted actor who knows how to ply his craft.

In the scene where Frodo and Sam are trying to sleep on the road for the first time, originally they were going to end with some sort of animal sniffing around them. First it was a deer, and they also tried a rabbit and maybe some other animals (possible fox appearance???). But that part didn't even make it into the Extended Edition.

Something I never thought about that they had to pay attention to was, because Orthanc is made of shiny material, they had to consider the color and quality of the light reflecting off it. So when they filmed the real location, they would take the camera and pan around the location, then print out stills and put them up around the miniature when they filmed that part of the shot, so they could get the right colors to match each shot they would composite over it, so it would look like both were in the same place. Now that's what I call attention to detail!

On the night they shot the little chase sequence with the Nazgul in the forest, it was actually raining off and on, even though you can't really see it in the movie. That made the ground very muddy, so the Hobbits actually had to be carried back to their first position for each new take so they wouldn't get too much mud on their feet and clothes.

To get the sounds of the trees' "voices" when the orcs in Isengard tear them down, they actually used several animal sounds like whales, moreso than sounds recorded from actual trees.

Bob Anderson, the swordmaster for the films, said they needed to have five copies of every sword for every actor every day they were going to be fighting with them, because that's how likely it is for them to be broken (since the swords actors use for hitting each other are lighter and not made like a real sword). But Richard Taylor wanted to find a way to make the swords more durable, because there are a lot of swords in these movies. So Weta developed a technique to help the stunt swords redistribute the shock from hitting them against each other. They took polyurethane, which Mark Ordesky notes is the same material as skateboard wheels, and they made a sort of sheath of that under the surface of the hilt. None of the swords they made like that ever broke.

The tree that gets thrown down into the chasm in Isengard had to be a miniature so they could get it high enough to drop it as far as they wanted to (and so they wouldn't have to cut down a huge tree). But they had to add little springs and things to make the branches bounce and jiggle properly, rather than just break off, as they would if you just made a little model tree. Little details like that really sell the scale.

In the Nazgul horseback chase scene, they cleared a path for the horses to safely run through the forest. But then they would also get branches and put them on the car or whatever vehicle had the camera, so it would look like they were pushing through more dense foliage, while still keeping the actors and horses safe.

The Council of Elrond was the final piece of the sound mix they had to finish for FotR, and it was down to a matter of hours. One of the things they mentioned having difficulty figuring out what to do with was the moment when Frodo sets the Ring down on the plinth. Originally, there was going to be a murmur of the crowd watching, but it didn't seem to have the gravitas and stunned awe necessary for that moment, so they had to play around with a lot of things before Peter Jackson was satisfied with it.

When Gimli smashes the Ring with his axe, John Rhys-Davies was actually only holding an empty handle, and the axe head was added digitally later so it could shatter.

Barrie Osborne (I think?) commented on something at least Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, especially Dom, started to do in order to make it more believable that the primary actors and the scale doubles are the same people. He noticed that their scale doubles tended to move and walk in a certain way (I assume partly because most of them were Little People, so their physique and proportions are a bit different), and so instead of leaving it up to them to mimic his movements, he started changing the way he moved to match them. That's just really cool.

Originally, they were going to do a bit of a flashback when Boromir asks Aragorn, "Have you ever seen the white tower..." etc. It would have been shot in the same place as the scene where Aragorn is visiting his mother's grave, and would feature Elrond talking to Aragorn about how he's the only one who can wield Anduril and how he needs to take his place as the king of Gondor.

For some of the close-up shots of Gimli in the scene where they first head into Moria, they actually had to use a double - not a scale double! an actual guy who was the same size as John Rhys-Davies! - because John had such a bad reaction to the facial prosthetics that he had to go a few days in between each time he put it on. But he'd had the prosthetics on the day before, and they didn't have time to wait until he could put them on again. So they had to find a double, put on the prosthetics and costume, and then John stood out of frame and spoke the lines, and the double mouthed the words along with him. I would never have guessed!

THANK YOU TO WHOEVER WAS TALKING AND I'M SORRY I COULDN'T RECOGNIZE YOUR VOICE FOR SURE, but someone was talking about "cinematic dark." In other words, how to light a scene so you can see everything that's happening even though you're in a place with hardly any light sources, like in Moria where the only light comes from the torch and Gandalf's staff most of the time. Instead of making it all really dark (*pointed stare at too many movies these days*), they shot it as if there is a source of light, but always very far away, like it's filtering through miles of rocky caverns or something. What that meant practically was that they would only light the characters in silhouette or from the side, never the front. So it would still give the impression that they're in darkness, but you don't have to strain at all to make out what's happening. They also desaturated the colors so everything looked muted, similar to how your vision kind of goes black-and-white in the dark.

One of the fundamental elements for the Moria goblin screeches was an opossum screech. There was some kind of opossum research facility in Wellington that they went to to record what became the foundation of the goblin sounds. Then they took them and re-recorded them in some WWII tunnels to get the right echoey reverb effect. And then for the sounds of them moving, they took sounds from insects like grasshoppers, as well as rattling seashells from the beach against the walls of the tunnels to get a scuttling sort of sound for when they come pouring out of holes in the ceiling.

You know that one shot where Legolas fires an arrow at a goblin archer and the camera follows the arrow all the way into his forehead? I always assumed that whole thing was all CG, but no! Even that had a practical element to it! They set up a camera on a sort of zip line with a bungee cord and sent it down as fast as it could go towards an actual stunt guy in costume! Now that's what I call above and beyond.

They shot a scene that didn't make it into even the Extended Edition of the Fellowship arguing about what they should do next after they leave Moria, with some members having misgivings about going to Lothlorien. I wish we could see that, even though I understand why they needed to keep things moving. They didn't mention if they actually shot this or if it was scrapped by the time they got that far, but there was also a mention of the entry to Lothlorien being much more frantic, as they're chased by orcs and then rescued by a sudden volley of Elven arrows.

There was also once a longer scene between Boromir and Frodo as they're waiting to see if Haldir will let them into Lothlorien. He tells Frodo a story of him getting over the death of one of his comrades. Um...I wanna see these extra scenes!!!

They wanted Lothlorien to feel ethereal and maybe almost slightly in a different universe, because of the Elves and especially Galadriel, who can see into hearts and minds. One of the ways they did that was by diffusing the light on the set so everything seems kind of dreamy. Another way they tweaked things was by bringing out the blues and edging them towards lavender. Yes, yes, Lothlorien is supposed to be golden, but after hearing the explanation about how lavender is actually one of the hardest colors to get to look right on film (the word used was "fragile") and to look good against skin tones, and therefore you don't see it very much in the movies, I can appreciate the subtle ways they tried to make Lothlorien feel distinct.

Originally, they were going to have a scene where the Fellowship goes through some rapids on the Anduin and get ambushed by orc archers. Ultimately, they decided they didn't need that as a story beat at that point, and it would have been very difficult to shoot anyway. Makes me wonder if that influenced the infamous barrel scene from the Hobbit movies, like they dug up some old plans for that....

Except for one wide shot where they used a scale double for Frodo, the entire confrontation between Boromir and Frodo was shot just with Sean Bean and Elijah Wood, no special effects, just strategic blocking and using the slope and different angles to their advantage to always make it look like Frodo is smaller than Boromir.

If I understood Howard Shore correctly, he was inspired to use a boy's choir for Boromir's death when he saw Boromir, after falling to his knees from the first arrow or two, looking up at Merry and Pippin. Boys singing at his death gives a sense of lost innocence, which is appropriate both to Boromir trying to take the Ring as well as to the lost innocence of losing the Hobbits. So it's not just a lament for Boromir, it's also his lament for (as he thinks in the moment, because he knows he's dying) failing the Hobbits.

The original mix for Boromir's death had all the sound effects at full volume, which made the moment even more brutal. Mark Ordesky was saying that he (and probably some others) was thinking it might be better if they pulled back on some of the sound and let the music be louder. Peter Jackson said, "Well, let's try it," and as soon as they turned down the volume, the entire room basically agreed immediately that's how they needed to do it. It's meant to sound and feel almost like you're sinking underwater as Boromir is dying, because that's how it would sound and feel for him.

Oh my goodness, further proof that studio execs shouldn't have a say in the story of a movie. New Line wanted the movie to end with Frodo and Sam paddling across the river, and then an Uruk bursts up from underwater and grabs Frodo, pulling him out of the boat. The Ring somehow comes off the chain, and the Uruk is so enamored with it that he ends up drowning while trying to grab it. Then Sam somehow gets Frodo (and the Ring) back into the boat. Thank goodness they came up with the much better ending we all know and love. Because the people actually involved with writing the movie and telling its story knew that the ending of FotR needs to be about the breaking of the Fellowship, about love and loyalty in the face of great evil. So that's why they went with the ending they did: Sam falls into the water and almost drowns, Frodo saves him, and that paves the way for the incredible emotional high of Frodo leaving the Fellowship, but Sam going with him. And just like Frodo is thinking about how Gandalf talked about how he was meant to find the Ring, Sam is thinking about how Gandalf told him not to leave Frodo. It all ties together so much better.

The last shot for the film was Boromir going over the waterfall. It was in the final cut of the movie just as a previs shot, and Barrie Osborne said he assumed it was going to be a CG effect or something. But finally, while Peter Jackson was in London working on scoring the film - so pretty late in the production - Barrie called him and asked when they were going to shoot that scene. Peter Jackson had forgotten about it! So Barrie had to shoot it, and since they didn't have the actors in New Zealand at that point, they had to get Weta to make a silicon dummy to shoot instead.

[justastarlightsfuzzydream]

*slides this quietly* Enjoy!

Can't Get You Out Of My Head ~ Jack Torrance x Female!Reader

* [Y/N] = [Your Name]*

[Y/N] get back here you fucking coward!!" He roared as he chased after you. Meanwhile you were sprinting, trying to get away from him at all costs. Short breaths came out of your mouth vigorously, sweat appearing on your forehead and your back profusely, fear taking over you the most.

You didn't want to look back. But you can tell that judging by the sound of his heavy footsteps, he wasn't that far away from you. So, you picked up the pace.

Jack clenches his teeth as he continues to go after you. His knuckles turning white, gripping the axe tightly at the distance growing between you and him. The gash of his leg was starting to hurt badly his wife was responsible for but he wouldn't let that stop him.

Your eyes then lay on the hedge maze. An idea popped into your mind like a light switch. You head towards the maze before heading inside. There were twists and turns throughout the journey. You would go this way and there, attempting to give yourself a clue as to where you're going.

The bitter wind brushes against your skin. Your face, ears, and fingers were cold to the touch, and the tip of your nose showed redness slightly. Agony slowly pours into your legs as you ran and ran. Desperation soon catches up to you when you can hear Jack's rough voice echoing the snow-covered walls during this unbearable night.

Get back here!

[Y/N]!

I'm right behind ya!

You proceeded to run faster.

At one point, you couldn't handle it anymore. You had to rest. You immediately stop in your tracks, maintaining your balance before putting your hands on your knees. You began to breath in and out deeply consistently, trying to get as much of fresh air into your nostrils as possible. Energy slowly builds up within you again.

You can hear Jack somewhere, this time somewhat closer. You had to keep moving. Once you take your last breath, you start to run again. When turning a corner, you were face to face with a long pathway revealing many routes sitting across from each other. You looked around, struggling to pick which one.

You made up your mind, going to the last path. A large hand grabs your shoulder. Your eyes widen. You were immediately pulled backwards, your back hitting his broad chest as he puts the blade of his axe against your throat hastily. His arm wrapped around your stomach securely, keeping you in place.

His lips just a inch away from the shell of your ear.

"Gotcha!"

A devilish smile stretches across his lips.

You struggle to free yourself. This caused him to tighten his grip, not enough to suffocate you though. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Wouldn't want to ruin that beautiful neck of yours." He cooed. He slowly drags his axe against your smooth skin almost teasingly.

"What do you want?" You cried.

"Ah, right to the chase, I like that."

"I want you to give into me. You're mine and only mine."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, you know exactly what I mean."

Your eyes widen at that. Is he serious?!

You couldn't believe such words coming out his mouth. You couldn't believe a man like him is in love with you.

"You are truly crazy if you think I would want to be with you."

Without a second to lose, Jack turns you around and presses his axe on your cheek. His arm still sliding around you. "Listen here, you either submit to me or you die!! Do you understand?!"

You look into those hazel eyes of his, filled with madness and rage. You stood there silently. Jack gets more pissed off. "I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!?!"

You quickly nodded, only because you didn't want to die. You didn't want your body chopped up into little pieces. Jack slowly smiles, delighted at your answer.

"Good. Smart girl."

He leans in to your ear again. "Now, what should I do with you?"

You remain there, not wanting to know. He chuckles lowly at your silence. He slowly drags his axe against your leg in a rather teasing manner. "Ya know...."

"Ever since we met, back at the lobby, I couldn't stop thinking about you. When I would go into your room at night, staring at you as you slept. "

"The way you look when you were sleeping. Your gentle breathing, your chest rising up and down, the way your lips were slightly parted. I could hardly control myself."

Your eyes widen.

You couldn't believe he was stalking you while you were asleep. You wonder what other places he has stalked you while you didn't notice. Another malevolent smile stretches across his lips. He starts to pull you back to the hotel. His hand gripping your arm as you were forced to follow him.

Jack takes you to a small room.

He locks the door behind before looking at you slowly. You can see insanity and a hint of lust surrounding his eyes as he begins to take a step towards you. Meanwhile, you backed away. He continues, taking a step and another step, closing the gap between you and him little by little.

You backed away, falling on the bed unknowingly. He grinned, seeing you this vulnerable and helpless. He closes the distance by grabbing your shoulders and shoving you against the mattress. Jack gets on top of you, trapping you as he puts his large hands at each side of your head.

You look at him fearfully. Jack stares down at you, still grinning. He raises his hand, touching your chin with his index finger and thumb, getting a clear look at you. He leans down to your face, his warm breath fanning your neck, making you flush. "You drive me crazy sweetheart and I'm going to give you what you want."

A deeper shade of redness covers your cheeks when he starts to kiss your throat and neck softly. Your lips releasing a low whine as sign for him to continue. He pulls away before staring at your soft lips. You look at him, seeing those eyes of his now covered with madness and carnal. He was quite handsome.

The way his hair was dishelved, a strand of hair falling on the side of his forehead. A small trail of blood still residing on his head. And those lips....curved into a malevolent smile.

"Something you like doll?" He chuckled, noticing how you were staring at him. Your cheeks flush in redness again before looking away. Jack gently tilts your head to face him once more. He slowly drags his eyes to your lips again. The next thing you knew was his lips crashed against yours, sealing you into a hungry kiss. Your eyes widen.

Eventually, you shut your eyes before kissing him back steadily. Jack smiles through the kiss before going deeper. You slide your arms around his back, pulling him closer to your body. Breaking the kiss, he leans into your ear.

"You're mine, all mine."

For the rest of the night, it was something you can never truly forget.

[rist-ix]

Thoughs on bloom being the one with an obsession towards valtor first? (a switch to honestly all fics I've read)

S-Tier trope, I’ll take ten.

I think the reason fics (my own at least) tend to position Valtor as the one who falls first and harder, is that Valtor doesn’t really have a lot of obstacles towards that mindset. His villainy isn’t defined by some external moral structure or selfless goal — he wants power for power's sake, and basically just seems to do what he finds entertaining/fulfilling at the moment. His quest for world domination is kind of just to prove that he can, not because he has a grand vision for the future. If his desires were to change or shift towards a different goal, there would be no larger consequences for him if he indulged in that. Except for maybe the Trix rebelling, but he doesn’t seem very attached to them anyway.

Bloom meanwhile is motivated not by her own ambitions or personal desires, primarily. She's much more reactive rather than aggressive, responding to Valtor's attacks because he is upsetting life she's already built for herself with her friends. She's defending a moral good, on the large scale, and her friends' happiness on a smaller one. That's not to say she doesn’t have a more selfish investment in this fight! Where it does get personal for her is her wish for knowledge about her home, her parents and her past, something Valtor is irrevocably tied to.

The point I’m making is that, for Bloom to fully indulge in her — very canonical! — obsession with Valtor, it would have to keep its adversarial context, or she would be betraying her own moral code and loyalties. Valtor, on the other hand, loses nothing by committing to the bit. So it’s much easier to approach their dynamic with him being the aggressive pursuer, since it works well with his established priorities and goals.

That being said, just because it would require more set-up and b-plots does NOT mean a reversal of their roles wouldn’t work. On the contrary, it would be DELICIOUS in my opinion, and there's 2 ways it could go down I can think of, right now.

1. Hard Denial

Bloom keeps her moral code and personal loyalties intact by pouring aaaaaaaaaall of that festering obsession into pure! sleep-deprived! animosity! She is non-stop pursuing him to the ends of the world, drawing the ever-growing concern of everyone around her for her well-being, because fighting the good fight is good and all, but for god's sake, Bloom, chill. But she can’t! Because she hates him so much, and she just HAS to find him, and every second that she doesn’t spend throwing spells at him is a second of her life WASTED. Out of her way, gayboys, she's about to liberate her divine self from this mortal shell!!! Read: bite and gnaw at Valtor's shield spell while snarling obscenities that would make even the Ancestresses gasp. Valtor is both confused by the intensity and a little charmed.

Any and all thought is focused on the enemy she has to destroy, to the point he becomes the center of her universe. And if she lies awake thinking about him, that’s just because she is planning his demise, don’t u dare suggest otherwise!

2. The Angsty One

Bloom goes all in on her newfound fixation, fully self-aware, and thus has to deal with her moral code and other relationships suffering. I'm a firm believer in the Winx being inseparable ride or dies no matter what for each other, but since Valtor is very directly opposed to both Layla and Stella, aligning with him, defending him, or even going easy on him would definitely throw a wrench in the works. I'm too much of a wimp to write actual, substantial conflict between the girls, but I do think it would make for a GREAT plot. Alternatively, Bloom might split from the group for a while without telling them to go stalk do reconnaissance on Valtor, and learn more about their shared origins.

Anyway, great ask anon!

[angellesword]

BAGGAGE | JJK (11)

Summary: Drowning in debt and blood, Jeon Jungkook knows he's better off alone, lest he brings people down with him.

But one drunken night changes everything.

In a blink of an eye, Jungkook found himself drowning not only in debt and blood, but also in dirty diapers and judgmental stares from you, a.k.a his long-lost love and the guardian of the son he didn't even know existed.

Genre and warnings: best friends to lovers, co-parenting, idiots in love, slow burn—really slow burn, mutual pining, angst, fluff, implied smut, kissing, minor character death, slight getting back together, cursing, blood, stabbing, loan sharks, OC cusses excessively so watch out.

Pairing: dad! Jungkook x adoptive mom!Reader

Word Count: 4.5k

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Baggage Chapter List

*****

Days passed like a blur, and as much as you wanted to ask your former best friend a question, you couldn't. For once, it wasn't because of Jungkook's indecisiveness or his lack of trust thereof.

Admittedly, Jungkook was trying. There had been many instances when he subtly implied that he was willing to reveal a part of himself to you. However, you learned to be vigilant, becoming suspicious about Jungkook's intention. You felt like Jungkook was only leading you into asking questions he wanted to answer, leaving the ugly truth at bay.

You wouldn't allow that. You would soon aim for questions that were hurtful to Jungkook and satisfying to you.

Forgive and Forget, my ass. You sneered. You were momentarily blinded by your pity for the shitty bastard, but it didn't mean bygone would be bygones. Your promise to Jisoo was to introduce Soobin to Jungkook, which you did. Meanwhile, Jang Min suggested co-parenting your kid—something you were skeptical about but had already dived in.

"Egg!" Soobin puffed out his slightly red cheeks as he peeled the shell of a boiled egg. He was slumped on your living room floor while Jungkook lazily sat on the couch, his gaze switching between watching over Soobin and reading a book.

Your eyes narrowed as you observed the two boys. You stood close to them, but Soobin and Jungkook couldn't see you. You were working upstairs and only went downstairs to get a glass of cold water and briefly check up on your son. These days, Jungkook was the one babysitting Soobin. There were no issues involved, and Soobin seemed to like hanging out with his biological father.

"You know I am a natural when it comes to kids." Jungkook grinned when he said this. You clicked your tongue and called him a cocky bastard.

It was scary how easily you two fell back into your old bickering habits despite the betrayal and years of not seeing each other. If you were to be completely honest, this was also why you didn't dare ask Jungkook a question. He only let down his guard when you were not discussing his past. You were afraid Jungkook would bolt once things became intense. This wasn't an ideal setup, as you felt you were back to contradicting yourself again. Back then, you said you wanted your sister to leave you alone, yet your heart skipped a beat and was filled with grief every time you thought Jisoo stopped breathing.

The hideous cycle had returned. You felt like you were on a precipice again; a part of your brain screamed to jump while the other part coaxed you to step back. You couldn't decide, so you remained rooted in your spot—just like how you let Jungkook invade your space, acting as if you were a careful host who humbly offered tea and biscuits to your guests.

"You done, buddy?" Jungkook casually flipped the page of his book, eyes glued on the printed words.

Soobin shook his head and focused on peeling the egg. The kid's way more patient than you could ever be. You’d probably throw a fuss or give up on eating the egg. You never learned to tolerate things like this, though seeing Soobin remain calm proved that you raised your kid right. 

It didn't mean you’d let Soobin starve, though. You sauntered toward the living room. Jungkook's languid gaze fell on you at once. He even had the decency to straighten his back and smile at you.

"Really," you snorted and ignored Jungkook's beaming face. "Why are you giving the poor kid a hard time peeling an egg?"

It wasn't Jungkook's intention to terrorize Soobin, so he stopped you from helping the 'poor' kid. He explained, "No, don't. Let him be. It's good for his motor skills."

"Motor skills," you repeated, scrutinizing how truthful the bastard was being. But Jungkook's reason didn't matter. He was right. Peeling an eggshell was good for Soobin's development. The only downside was that Soobin was so focused on the activity that he didn't bother to cling to you. All he cared about was the egg. You were a little unused to this.

You sighed, "I think he's hungry."

"Oh, please," Jungkook begged to differ. He went back to reading as he snorted. "I just fed him string cheese, chocolate pancakes, fries, and dumplings." 

That much food?  You frowned.

Soobin was not a picky eater and would devour anything. Unfortunately, he'd been indulging in food a little too much. You turned your disappointment to Jungkook, though.

"Don't keep feeding him unhealthy food."

Jungkook's response was a noncommittal hum. You two had always been liked this before. You would rant to Jungkook, and then he simply played it cool. Old habits were hard to break because you started going off on how to live a healthier life. On the other hand, Jungkook kept his mouth closed as he was busy reading his damn book.

"Jeon." You scowled when you noticed that he wasn't looking at you. "Are you listening?"

Everything happened fast. You went near your ex-best friend and snatched his book. What had gotten this bastard so hooked that he shamelessly ignored you?

"Hey, rude." Jungkook's lips protruded to hide his embarrassment from being caught. He was playing it cool, but you busted him:

You believed Jungkook was reading a nonsensical book, but you thought wrong.

"A guide to eating healthy French food," you murmured the book title.

Jungkook didn't answer and simply cast his gaze to Soobin, finally helping his kid peel off the eggshell—this was better than looking you in the eyes. He didn't know what to say, alright? Jungkook only wanted to make things simple for you. He knew he was freeloading here and didn't want to keep it that way.

That said, Jungkook thought it would be better to ease your workload by helping you in any way possible. Jungkook noticed you had been busy with work and didn't have time to cook. Fortunately, Jungkook had experience cooking, so this should be easy for him to handle. The only issue was he didn't know how to prepare a hearty French meal. It was different from what he had when he was in—

"Ratatouille." You cut off Jungkook's musing and immediately went to your point. "It's one of Soobin's favorite foods, second only to spring crab rolls."

"Mm." Jungkook hummed. He had forgotten his initial thought as he was engaged in your explanations.

"There is always fresh produce in the kitchen. If you want to cook, that's fine. We'll have no problem if you incorporate vegetables into whatever you want to cook. The pudding, though..."

You sighed when Soobin and Jungkook whipped their heads at you at the mention of pudding. "Once a day is enough. I only bought strawberry-flavored this time. Don't look at me like that! It's not an excuse to finish them in one go. I am warning you both."

Soobin lost interest at once. He pouted his lips and started eating his boiled egg. 

Meanwhile, Jungkook smiled innocently at you. "Yes, Mam~!"

Yes, Mam. He said, his noodle arm going into a salute. It was silly, really. However, you felt your cheeks heating up. It was the way Jungkook said it, okay!? His voice was naturally sultry. It didn't help that he said those words with a hint of teasing—making you think that you were best friends from the past. Nostalgia was not something you were fond of, though. You groaned at Jungkook. "Don't tease me, or I'll smash your sorry face. My students are giving me a hard time already."

Getting a glass of water was an excuse just so you could have a break from being a professor. You were on leave for days, but you couldn't forever escape your fired-up students, even when your classes were held online.

One would think that Kyouka, a quiet student of yours, would keep her mouth shut during lectures, but no. She had a lot of questions that made you think you needed to study more. Your other student, Junichiro, was well-behaved in class, but you could hear his sister constantly yapping or appearing beside him.

Sometimes, you don't know why you chose to be a professor. If it weren't for your love for the academic world and seeing your students succeed, you would never dream of discussing business-related topics with these people. The pay wasn't that good, so you had other sidelines, too—you were a financial adviser, a management consultant, and a business owner. You delegated jobs to other people as much as you could. In all honesty, being a professor took the majority of your time.

"You're teaching college students. No need to spoon-feed them." Said Jungkook as if he wasn't taking his sweet time gently feeding Soobin the boiled egg. Jungkook originally wanted to let the kid eat on his own, but Soobin was like a vacuum that would devour a whole egg in two seconds. Jungkook didn't want you to worry more.

"Just give them a difficult business case to crack and then have them present in front of the class. You don't even have to listen to the report. Just pick a random student to grade their classmate's work. Easy."

Your mouth fell open by how easy Jungkook's solution was. You had almost forgotten how much of a genius and lazy this bastard was. Sadly, you couldn't deflect Jungkook's suggestion, as he was absolutely right. You spent the better half of this semester indulging your students to the point that they all fell apart when you filed for leave. It's time that they move on their own.

"Fine." You conceded. "I'll do that."

Jungkook beamed. "I solved your problem. What about my reward?"

"There's no reward, Jeon."

Jungkook had the audacity to whine. "Don't be unfair."

I'm being unfair!? You were tempted to hit Jungkook in the head, though you surprised yourself when you snorted spuriously.

"What do you want?" It's bad. This is bad. You cannot give into Jungkook—

"Soobin really wants more pudding. Will you allow him to eat one more cup?"

Oh.

You blinked. Your parted lips turned into a purse. Jungkook's eyes shrunk, totally getting your reaction wrong. He tried to remedy the situation, "I mean, half a cup of pudding works too. But if he can't, then it's okay. Right, kid?"

Jungkook turned to Soobin. The small child nodded at him and opened his mouth to ask for more eggs.

Silence lapsed between the three of you.

"Half a cup." You compromised. Jungkook's ears perked up. He turned to you with a smile on his face.

"Thank you! Kid, come on." Jungkook’s body had healed, but he still couldn't exert much effort to carry Soobin. He offered his hand to his son, though—a compromise. Soobin gladly took his father's hand, bits of yolk stuck to the side of his mouth.

For some reason, your heart warmed. You said nothing and watched the father-son duo happily skip to the kitchen.

******

The beginning of better days passed by smoothly. Soobin was spending quite a lot of time with Jungkook as you wrapped up the semester and dealt with your business clients.

At this point, one could say that Jungkook had unknowingly become Soobin's babysitter. Weirdly enough, you didn't mind.

"That's normal, you know."  Jang Min's lazy drawl from the other line echoed in your ears.

You two had been video chatting for hours now. This was the only time you had a proper conversation in weeks. You dealt with your work while Jang Min busied himself with business affairs. Until now, Jang Min had no idea when he could fly back to Korea.

You missed him. You spent the better half of your video call telling your boyfriend about your life now that you were living with your former best friend. You didn't want to leave out any details, even the unnecessary ones, as you did not want Jang Min to feel like you were hiding something.

Jang Min wasn't the jealous type. But it didn't mean you would cross his boundaries. You used to be head over heels with Jungkook and Jang Min being unbothered by it, but it wasn't an excuse to leave some details out.

But really, there was nothing worthwhile. You just felt bad that you didn’t mind allowing Jungkook to spend time with your son almost 24/7. You were wondering if you were being too lenient with the shitty bastard. The part of you that was betrayed howled for acting like nothing wrong happened before—like Jungkook didn't hurt you, and he wasn't prone to bolting.

Jang Min reassured you.

"It's normal to want to let Soobin be with his biological father. You deserve a break, too, Cолнышко мо." Jang Min's eyes dropped. He was in bed, looking all cozy. You almost melted by how comforting your boyfriend's tone was, but it faded when Jang Min spoke again.

"The kid's been burdening you for years. It's time Jungkook-ssi handles his son."

"What do you mean by that." Your mood dampened. You furrowed your brow in annoyance. "Soobin is not bothering me."

'Bothering' was putting it off lightly. Only dense people would not understand the connotation of your words. But Jang Min was never one to canoodle anyone when he thought he was right.

"Of course he is." Jang Min's gaze was patronizing. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing. It's just impractical. You're a young woman—"

"I'm a mother." You cut him off sharply.

Jang Min tilted his head as if he were studying your mood. "Hmm." He hummed thoughtfully. "You are. You will be. But Soobin is Jungkook's responsibility. I mean, isn't that the reason why you agreed to co-parent with him? It's a trial run to see if he is fit to solely take care of Soobin in the future."

This was not a conversation you should be having over the phone. In fact, this was not a conversation you two should be having at all.

You felt the veins in your head pulsating. Heat crawled to your face, utterly shocked by how absurd this whole thing was.

First, Jang Min unknowingly called Soobin a fucking burden. He said everything was a trial run as if Soobin were a guinea pig. It's all so—

"I'm hanging up." You refused to believe what you heard from Jang Min. You thought hanging up on him would lessen the fury rapidly firing in your heart.

No one was allowed to disrespect your relationship with Soobin. The kid was your child. Your sister, although fucked up, gifted you a loving boy. Soobin would never be reduced to anything other than being your son.

Jang Min uttered your name when he noticed the frost in your eyes. "I'm just trying to—"

"Stop." You were not going to allow disrespect. Not anymore. "I'm trying hard to control my anger here, Jang Min-ssi. We both know how I am when I'm mad, so for the sake of our relationship, I am hanging up."

Calling him Jang Min-ssi was a warning. Luckily, the Russian dude finally got it.

"You know I love you, right?"

"I know," you said through gritted teeth. "And I feel the same way with you; this is why I'm hanging up. I'll call you when I've cooled down, but the next time we talk, I expect you to leave your opinion about my relationship with Soobin. It's not going to change. Ever."

Jang Min seemed to want to say something but ultimately decided against it. The silence was palpable, and you couldn't take it any longer. You didn't want to keep looking at your boyfriend's face either.

"Talk soon. Bye." So you cut the line. It took you a while to realize your heart was beating loudly against your chest. You were about to sleep but didn't think you could anymore.

You were too upset.

Against your better judgment, you got out of bed, grabbed a bottle of your expensive wine, and sauntered toward the veranda of your home. You were used to solitude at times like this, so you were taken aback when you spotted Jungkook slouching on the veranda's chair.

"Oh, hey." Jungkook was as surprised as you, though he quickly recovered and teased you. "Why are you here? Are you stalking me~?"

"This is my house, asshole." You didn't miss the chance to bite. 

Jungkook shrugged casually and made some room for you beside him. The wordless action didn't go unnoticed by you. You sat down next to your former best friend, unscrewing the cap of your bottled wine, and, without any preamble, gulped the expensive liquor.

"Want some?" You offered carelessly, even though your heart was going wild.

Please say no.

"No." Jungkook obliged. No No thanks, just straight out no. He was firm with his choice. "I told you before. I don't drink anymore."

Why. You were tempted to ask, yet all you did was stare at Jungkook as you chugged more wine. You wiped your lips after, eyes still burning holes at your traitor of a best friend.

Jungkook was thinner compared to years ago. He looked older, too—as if time had been cruel to him. There was a hint of danger and exhaustion in his chestnut eyes. He improved these past few weeks, though. Spending time with an innocent child really clipped one's ragged edge.

Jungkook had been eating well, although it wasn't enough to replenish his damaged body. He could only hide in the expensive clothes you bought for him.

"Is there something on my face, dearest friend?" Jungkook was getting bold with the way he addressed you—as if he knew when to call you that without any repercussions. He was right. You were busy staring at him.

Jungkook looked much better than the first time you two met, but...

You sighed. But you weren’t sure if looking better meant he could take care of Soobin.

It wasn't an option, but Jang Min's harsh opinion got into your head. You would never give Soobin up, but you couldn't help but think if Jungkook was fit to care for a precious child.

"Do you always wear that clown costume to work?" There was no warning when you asked this. It was your first question to Jungkook, after all. He expected things to escalate soon since you and him had been in a truce these past weeks. Nothing good lasted forever.

Jungkook had predicted that this day (and question) would come, though it didn't make admitting the answer easier.

Still, he did it. He wasn't lying when he said he wanted to come clean to you—it might not be all at once, but one truth would not hurt.

Right?

"Not always, only on special occasions." Jungkook licked his lower lip and avoided looking at the wine. Tempting. It was a good thing you two didn't have a similar taste to alcohol. Jungkook preferred whiskey (neat) and soju.

"I man up the cash register. But it doesn't make much difference." Jungkook's face was unreadable—like he was merely speaking of a story he got to know from other people. "Kids throw ice cream at me when I wear the clown costume. Older people threw fries or coins at me when I was at the counter."

Most were rude to people taking their orders. Jungkook had learned to live with it. He should return to working at that fast food restaurant soon (if the manager takes him back). Jungkook had been absent without proper notice. He tried not to think about his future, indulging in how good things were to him.

But it's time to wake up from this little fantasy and face reality.

You were living in denial, though. Your eyes flicked at Jungkook, refusing to believe that the scars near his eyes were because of rude customers.

Still, you found the courage to ask.

"Is that why you have scars near your eyes? Because the customers were rude to you?"

Please say no.

"No." Jungkook shook his head. You were relieved. Fate was listening to you —it was the second time now. "I got them from somewhere else."

Jungkook used to cover his right eye with a bandage to hide his scars, but it was futile, and he didn't have enough money to buy bandages.

"From those men?" You tried to keep your voice steady, wishing Jungkook was kind enough to answer another question despite promising only one.

"Violent men, yes." Jungkook didn't disappoint, but he was vague about his response. You didn't push any further, fearing what you’d find out.

You chugged your wine, the warm liquid grazing your throat. It felt good but didn't last long as your heart bled while asking another question.

"Will..." You gulped. "Will those men come back?" You two had avoided this topic for so long. You had a panic attack regarding Jungkook's safety before, thinking he was unconcerned by the whole ordeal. Truthfully, Jungkook seemed nonchalant about it even now.

"You shouldn't worry." Jungkook's hands were in his pockets. He looked defensive—secretive. You couldn't help but clench your fist, tone scathing when you mocked the bastard:

"Who said I'm worried about you? I only care about Soobin."

The implication was clear. You were suspicious Jungkook would bring misfortune to you and Soobin.

Jungkook puffed out a breath, hands shaking. He forced down the lump in his throat and tried to look at you as genuinely as he could.

"I won't let them hurt you and Soobin." He wanted to hold your hands, but he knew he couldn't. He lost that privilege a long time ago. Jungkook could only settle with verbal words. "I promise you that."

"Your promise means nothing to me, Jungkook." But even his promise lost its value. Jungkook could see it in your eyes. You did not trust him.

Jungkook felt a piece of what you had gone through for the first time because of his betrayal.

Distrust. Pain. Horrible pain.

But unlike you, Jungkook didn't have the right to get mad about your lack of trust. This was heavily justified.

"I know." Jungkook stuttered a breath. "I'm sorry."

Fuck you. You wanted to scream. Instead, you chugged your wine until your face was hot. This was all new for you. You spent years making yourself believe that Jungkook was not worthy and was incapable of saying sorry.

I slept with your sister. He said before, face devoid of any emotion. Jungkook did not bother to tell you he was having trouble with the authorities and even called you pathetic for looking after him.

And now this? It gave you a whiplash at how fast things were changing. This was not the Jungkook you knew, making you panic. You desperately held on to believing that your former best friend was the villain.

"You said you're sorry, right?" You flicked a complicated gaze at him. Jungkook mirrored your action, but his chocolate eyes were languid. He nodded at you.

"Then prove it to me." Your lips twisted into a menacing grin as you offered the bottle of wine to Jungkook. "I'll bury the hatchet if you drink this wine."

Jungkook's expression changed at once; his shoulders sagged. "I told you before. I don't drink anymore."

Liar. You seethed quietly. He was drunk the first time you met him after many years. You didn't care if it was a moment of weakness for this asshole.

"You can't make an exception now? Come on, bastard. It's just wine."

You chugged on the bottle again before clumsily pushing it to his chest. Jungkook was like a rock, though. He didn't move, allowing you to push the bottle close to his thumping heart.

Your insistence was to no avail. Ultimately, you grew frustrated and ended up drinking the whole bottle yourself.

"Ugh," your head throbbed as you felt your body temperature heating up. Jungkook knew you were drunk. He inevitably grabbed the bottle and placed it on the floor. You didn't protest, merely burying your flushed face to his chest.

Jungkook called your name helplessly—as if he was a poor kitsune who lost his wits and tricks after falling into the hands of a Goddess.

"I hate you." You were as fierce as ever. You tried to scratch Jungkook, but your hands were shaky.

Jungkook heaved shallow breaths,  posture rigid—a poor attempt to mask his pain. One would think he was desensitized by all kinds of hurt. However, everything that left your mouth also left a dent in his heart.

"I know." But Jungkook couldn't even refute you. You have every right to hate me. He muttered to himself as he helped you get to your feet and inside the house.

You were an annoying drunk, slurring swear and unintelligible words. Jungkook didn't mind, though. You had lowered your defenses, and this was something Jungkook had longed to see. However, he refused to take advantage of your drunkenness, so even when he wanted to bring you to your room, he didn't.

It was a courtesy. Jungkook has already invaded your space by shamelessly living in your home. He couldn't possibly thread into your bedroom. It was too much—too personal. He couldn't take or peak at something that belonged to you alone. And so Jungkook settled you into the couch. Youwere still murmuring words, eyes glazed over. Jungkook left you for a while to retrieve a blanket. You liked curling yourself into a ball while sleeping. You couldn't get comfortable without a blanket covering your feet.

Jungkook wasn't the same. He slept in worse places before. He could survive a night without a blanket. Besides, Jungkook didn't think he could sleep—for he was busy indulging himself in looking at your sleeping figure. He didn't dare do more, though. He had the urge to cup your cheeks and kiss the seam of your lips.

But he didn’t.

You weren't his—Jungkook knew this, yet it didn't make it hurt any less.

It was his fault.

"Kyouka...." You mumbled in your sleep. "Resht. It'sh jus' an exam. Don' push yourshelf too hard."

Jungkook smiled lightly at that. You were still thinking about your beloved students even when you were drunk. It was amazing, really. He knew you had a lot on your plate right now (you wouldn't get drunk without a reason, no matter how much you liked expensive wines.) Still, you thought of other people's answers and were willing to set aside your worries for others. You were just so...

Softhearted. Jungkook thought, feeling his heart throbbed. You were so good—to him, Soobin, and your students. It made Jungkook realize something:

Jungkook couldn't drink, and his pathetic life meant so little. However, he was willing to offer his life for you. Because really, this poor world would feel colorless without you orbiting it.

*******

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Baggage Chapter List

A/N: What do we think about this chapter? :) Tag suggestions are encouraged!

[ourolite2]

⬭ 𓈒  ݁ mise en scène   alhaitham + black ( chubby afab ) reader. one-shot coded! nsfw/smut. written in third person, male oral, sarcastic usage of "princess", switch! reader, dom! alhaitham, cock-warming, brat/brat tamer coded, lowkey bunny coded reader too, impact play, implied dacryphilia, edging, orgasm denial, slight degradation, not-so-slight condescension, overstim + sleepy aftercare fluff.

"𝒞'mon, babe." An annoyed tone overtook that of what was meant to be sultry, as Alhaitham glanced along another paragraph in his book while resting along the upper part of the grandiose bed, while his persistent lover eyed him from below. Her ass wiggled and bounced behind her like a cat prepared to pounce as she pressed him with redundant queries and testy teases. "Read my movements instead, hmm? Them pages ain't finna make you cum, you know that... Tuh.. Do you know that?"

Not caring much for a response to her question (particularly because she knew her boyfriend wouldn't grant her one), Y/n's plump, mocha lips resumed wrapping around the rose resembling tip, tasting his unasked-for arousal coat her tongue and pool at her throat as she filled herself to the brim with his warmth. Her cheeks sealed his sensitivity tight in her mouth like a butterfly in a honey trap, adding onto the analogy as she watched his fingers flutter across the next page of his book like fragile wings, knowing the rest of him was just as delicate and immobilized, despite his overall silence.

Randomized grunts of overwhelm were the only responses audible, though poorly disguised to be those of annoyance and inconvenience as Y/n restricted the lower space of his dick, squeezing and stroking around the supple skin and it's pulsating interior with her velour-like palm. Meanwhile her other hand trickled inchmeal up his thigh and trailed leisurely along his abdomen. The happy trail there tickled her fingers a bit, causing her to giggle with her mouth full, inevitably causing her two clement, cherubic cheeks to reverberate around the sage's repetitive twitches and innate jumps and shoves.

By now, it's evident that he's not processing a thing in this book, deduced by the slight part of his lips and the gentle pant relieving itself between them with every suck and squeeze she pressures him to undergo. The covers are nearly closed front to back and drifting out of his grip, likely willingly, but of course he has that uselessly immovable nature of his. Indurated in his dick as much as his head, he'd rather lift the book back up and pretend to still peruse his useless passages than pay praise or even scrutiny to Y/n, even knowing he could cum within the next three minutes. The man still dares to have the imprudence to utter meaningless teases in a scenario that should have him speechless and writhing.

"Expecting desperation from me only shows what you're trying to hide about yourself, princess." That sobriquet. Sarcasm or not... God, isn't he so attentive. Y/n hums around him, feeling that warm, sweet ache between her own pudgy thighs increase and leak between her brown lips. She's straight to the point in proving him right, huh? Needs more so much to the point where she's humping into that longing sensation ever so gently, not wanting to lose too much composure. Though such is merely fanciful as she begins senselessly imagining Alhaitham's two fingers poking her cute new panties to the side, prodding her sticky folds apart, and then rubbing ringlet motions over her pretty, puffy clit until she's squirming for release.

Her body takes more initiative than her literacy will allow her as she detaches from his sloppily glossed and veined dick, giggling so preciously as she crawls up toward Alhaitham and his fabricated glout. Leaning near his neck and taking hold of his book in the most grabby, demanding manner, Y/n tosses the band of papers and ink to the floor before moving his iconic headphones to his neck, resting the set out of the way as her lips graced the shell of his ear in a ticklish tone. "M' I desperate, smartie? That's it? Then if you're sure that's the case don't have me waitin' on you."

Judging by the way his model of a lover slips her own panties to the side in preparation, she's apparently taking it upon herself to decline seeking succor in patience and pleading. Aligning his blushed tip at her panting, slippery lips, Y/n lubricates his peachy skin with squelches and smacks from the pent up arousal dribbling helplessly toward her outer folds. "Since I need to continue my research, and vexing you will only be a hindrance to my progress, I guess as the Acting Grand Sage.." His mind swirled briefly around warm sin and temptation as he spoke, chuckling between a pause as he sunk his warm palms and spread fingers into her squishy love handles. Her aroma is as intoxicating as forbidden flowers on a Sunday morning, and that sweet delicacy her body owns is like putty in his hands. How could he not ponder over how bendable, mendable and breakable she must be under his influence? "Despite my busy schedule, I'll have to fit you in."

The tip licks along her soaked pussy, barely spreading it open as he takes his time to her obvious displeasure, before delving into her clenching hole and stroking himself into her with a firm hold on her hips, as if he's simply using her to beat his dick at whatever pace he prefers. However, Y/n has had him pent up for hours at work before, so he's really not so conveniently persuaded to indulge in her antics at the drop of a thigh garter. In actuality, he'll claim that he's doing this in order to shut her up, rather than for his own pleasure. In spite of this, he's beyond aware that she'll only become more of a drooling, huffing, blubbering show, yet he forces her up and down quicker and quicker, causing the saliva at the corner of her mouth to trail down her cheeks which jiggle so adorably with every bounce, matching the look of the rest of her rubenesque figure.

"S' better than a book, baby? Me? Yeah? Mhm?" Her voice is disrupted with irregular breaths and muttered fuck's, and drenched with the mellifluous taste of honey. It rolls so sweetly off the tongue that she just can't seem to shut the fuck up, and if she were to do so Alhaitham wasn't sure if he would be more pleased or distressed. She's so fucking tight around him, taking it upon herself to clench when she needs not and to run her hips in a circle to deepen the uncharacteristically ruby tinge on the tip of his nose and surely the entire head of his dick. It's pushing so deep, as if with every plunge she feels the warmth in her clit and her lips and her walls excel. So stimulated and torrid and glistening in speckles of sweat down her breasts, upon her neck, behind her knees-- it's as if she's already drenched, already full, already close. "Tell me I'm all you- fuck.. Fuck me- close! Baby, Alhai, m' need you, pl- fuck. Deep-deeper-!"

"Rarely a challenge, so I'm not surprised.." Aware of Y/n’s delirium and failure to remain coherent, he forces her into place on his lap, pulling her in deeper the more she gyrates around him in resistance. She’s still wiggling and whining, but his voice gives her goosebumps when he leans beside her ear to inquire on what she’ll do the next time he’s occupied. It's vital that Y/n answers. Alas, she’s stubborn.

He lands a smack to her ass as she replies with fidgety insolence: “Fuck you, fuck me, like this-,” She rotates her hips to demonstrate before beginning to hump forward and back due to her puffy, under-stimulated clit. “-Like this, like that, right.. right there.” Leaning over Alhaitham’s shoulder to catch her breath erratically right beside his ear is as draining as it sounds, not to mention the squelches and smacks coming from between her thighs. With every writhing motion the friction of her thighs, let alone the feeling of her ass plopping and slapping incessantly, is enough to make a grown man groan. At least it should be.

Rather than desperation, he’ll hit her ass again, rolling his neck slightly to relieve its stiffness and ease his impatience, as she muffled a whine in response. Inquiring on what the fuck he’s testing her for, Y/n pouts slightly while being expected to maintain eye contact with him, rather than complain and roll her eyes over the increased sting still permeating.

“Is the princess going to pout now? I’m sure I can exonerate your temperament problems if you can choose your next words carefully.” He speaks with ease, disregarding the discomfort of Y/n's position as his lover pulsates helplessly around him. He knows his words only enhance her agitation and poked out lip and puffed out cheeks as she clenches more than she'd likely admit. She's gripping onto his shoulders and contemplating wrapping her hands around his neck as she mumbles a curse and half an insult in response, followed by yet another spank. And another.. and another, and another, until her eyes are watering, until her eyelashes are fluttering, until one more hit could have tears dripping along those chubby little cheeks of hers. Holding her chin up with his thumb and forefinger to observe her sniveling, slobber-lipped face, Alhaitham- the 'sweetheart'- grants her the courtesy of wiping the drool away as it kisses the underside of her pretty, fat, carob hued lips. Though, it'd be sinfully uncharacteristic of him to hold any kindness and patience any higher than necessary, so he threatens her with what no bratty beloved wants to hear. "Hmm. You've had many poor attempts at behaving today.. Rather than lacing my words with rhetoric, I prefer speaking factually. I guess.. I just won't be able to reward you."

Nearly immediately, Y/n gyrated incessantly in retort, clawing at his shoulders while his fingers still held up her quivering lips and wrinkled chin. Due to his hands' proximity to her face, he found no other solution but to bluntly tap her cheek twice with the back of his hand. Though, when this didn't work, he pulled her off of him and slammed her back inside, allowing the impact to demonstrate what friction she's reprimanding for herself if she continues. Still having little to say in return to him, he strings along more words to chime through her fuzzy, hot little head instead. "On the topic of speaking factually, it's painfully clear that you're doing this because you enjoy being degraded and tamed. However, when your defiance starts to bore me, I'll just find something else to mess with, since you're obviously capable of fixing this yourself."

"So mean to me, Alhai.." She whines, sniveling more than before as her arousal leaks around him, still warm and suffocating- if not more than before. "Wanna be good, okay? I'll--" Amid her breathy claims, a trail of warning taps reverberate against her ass, followed by much harsher, louder smacks the more she whined and attempted to speak in between each landing. His hand was out of view behind her, but from the sting against his palm he knew it was less palid than rose-related. The only thing stopping her skin from being the same of course was the naturally deeper shade, though this couldn't eliminate the intensity of the aftermath. She attempts to ask what she did wrong through choked moans and apologetic sobs, and he's placidly alacritous to give her a reason.

"Didn't ask you if you'd be 'good', that's subjective to your definition of 'good'. What will Y/n do the next time the Acting Grand Sage is busy?"

Her mind and body are too overrun and overheated to think of a means to answer mistakenly; too dolorous and defiled to notice that she's begging him between her compliance to not interrupt him again. Words slurred with another trail of drool which Alhaitham doesn't bother wiping away, since it's already leaking against her bouncing tits and open neck as he begins fucking into her. A thrust more, quicker with every apology and plea, with every moan and whine and sign of gratitude. "Thank you, baby, thank you, thank you.. Fuck. S' good to me, s' much- fucking much-"

Squeezing him so tight, she can't help it. Making a mess on his thighs, coating a soapy white ring of cum around him- who's to say whose it belongs to? Perhaps it's self-explanatory; the head is dribbling and drooling with excessive pre-cum, rubbing off all over her gummy walls, provoking twitches to correlate with the heightened frequency of clenches and throbs from her pretty pussy. Can't keep it in, she knows that familiar warmth building at her clit and starting deep inside is so close to releasing, and Alhaitham doesn't take it as a deterrent to ease up, but as a motive to speed up. "This.. is a lot. You'll have to.. take it." His breaths interrupt him, followed by light groans, and that's what brings her over the fucking edge.

Convulsing and clenching, Y/n can't keep either of her fat fucking lips closed- not the ones dabbled in drool or the ones drenched in cum. She's begging him to slow down, feeling the orgasm overrun itself with pleasure and numb her walls and weaken her body. So relieved and exhausted, princess is still exerting broken, mellifluous noises from her tainted little mouth, which still has the taste of Alhaitham's dick residing within it. Does he care?

"Look at you. Proving yourself useful." He patronizingly compliments Y/n in her fucked out state, knowing she's hardly processing anything as his twitches and warm cum use your hole as he nears his own climax. He's so much more intense now. He's being selfish and inconsiderate, bucking his hips so harshly knowing you can barely manage any penetration at all in your state. The last thing he needed to hear was you whining and begging him to hurry up and cum, even demanding him to cum inside as to give your aching pussy a break as soon as possible. Baby, how could he say no? Rather, how could he stop himself? A trail of focused grunts muffle themselves in the crook of your neck as he feels himself finish; the warmth of his arousal rushing inside where it belongs, before leaking out due to you being too full to hold any more of him.

"That's a good girl." Y/n's head rested against Alhaitham's rising and falling chest as he complimented her once again, though she had become fatigued and hardly able to speak with her now sore throat. So much begging and retorting came at a price. Despite her exhaustion, she begins to roll off of him, awaiting the usual mutual aftercare and such, though he physically denies her procedure. Rather, he holds her steady and places his heavy hand on her head, silently gesturing her to stay close to him a while longer. "I'd like to avoid any disruptions, I still have three sections to review. Rest now.. if you move anywhere else I'll be prompted to clean up the mess immediately." As he states this, Alhaitham gently turns to reach for his book, then whirles the pages toward the back of it as Y/n sighs against him and her breathing slows. He's lucky she doesn't have the least bit of energy left to argue on why taking care of her should be his first priority.

However, once she's fast asleep, the scholar cuts his reading-time a chapter short so he may begin his hidden objectives amid her unconscious state.

Gently moving her body along its side, knowing his remaining arousal and hers are bound to begin leaking beyond her pudgy folds, he wipes his thighs clean with a cloth before using her personal feminine wipes to clean off her clit. Then the tighter areas on either side of her hole, and every other area where she's managed to soak with her own magnificence. If she were awake, Alhaitham knew he wouldn't be able to take his sweet time, or have a few moments of serene silence to cherish her without obtrusion or movement of any sort. He needed this time for himself; to listen to how soft she breathes, to leave delicate butterfly kisses along her belly pudge, pussy pudge and all her rolls. To smile as he analyzes her cellulite and her lighter brown stretch marks, and traces his fingers along her hip dips, only finishing the moment by whispering sweet secrets about how he feels about her. Ones which he'd be too self-conscious and vulnerable to utter in even her presence without a slight alcohol intake as a means of excuse. Yet still, he's aware she already understands his emotions and his behavior, she somehow always knows what he's truly thinking and feeling; none of it is logical. Realistically, he can't fully compute why he behaves so secretive and shy about this himself, other than the cliche observation: love.

Well, she is the one he adores more than all under the sun and moon. His adored and adoring, no matter the amount of banter and brazen sarcasm they torture one another with through morning coffee and bed-time routines. As he slides on her favorite, stretchy shorts and ties a bow on the side of her now-secured bonnet (he found the side bow to be incredibly more adorable), Alhaitham kisses her forehead and cheeks in another attempt to show how much he loves her, wondering if it'll translate in her dreams. Words often fall short, he knows, and perhaps that's why he's not so sensitive with how he uses them, but his actions will never falter in showing how much devotion he holds for her.

Sliding beneath the emerald and aureate sheets of their shared bed, the man can't help but chuckle from knowing how Y/n's certain to complain in the morning, only before realizing she in fact was taken care of, with his book still rightfully neglected. "It's every day with you, isn't it, princess?" Before nodding off in dreamy thoughts and an uncharacteristically reminiscent imagination, her beloved finally dims the light and rolls on his own side, knowing he'll be playing fox and bunny once again with her tomorrow, and forevermore.

⑅ leman productions. all rights fucking reserved, do not plagiarize.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1969-71 Continental Mark III

Iacocca’s Lincoln: The Inside Story of the 1969-71 Continental Mark III

Lee Iacocca is remembered as the father of the Ford Mustang and the Chrysler Minivan, but there was another Iacocca vehicle that changed the Motor City: the Lincoln Continental Mark III. 

In auto industry lore, the design studio guys hate it when the people from upper management start fooling around with their work. Nothing good can come from that, or so the story goes. But there’s at least one instance that cuts against the grain of that familiar Motor City tale. It was Ford senior executive Lee Iacocca who originated the two signature styling features of the Lincoln Continental Mark III: the classic stand-up grille and the faux tire bustle in the deck lid.

It’s no exaggeration to note that these visual features created a design theme and defined the Lincoln Mark Series brand for decades. Years later, lead designer L. David Ash would recall��that neither he nor Styling VP Gene Bordinat had conceived these two now-famous design gadgets; no, in fact it was all Iacocca. “Neither one of us would have done it on our own, I’m sure,” Ash remembered. “I have to give Lee credit for that.”

As vice president of the Ford Motor Company’s car and truck group—top product boss, among other duties—Lido Anthony “Lee” Iacocca had at least two problems on his plate in the autumn of 1965. First, sales of the Ford Thunderbird had flattened out after a promising start years earlier. Meanwhile, Ford’s flagship Lincoln division wasn’t setting the world on fire, either. While the Elwood Engel-designed 1961 Lincoln was a style maker of the decade, it was nearing the end of its product cycle. Actually, Lincoln was a perennial problem for Ford senior management. According to Bordinat, it had never turned an actual profit since Henry and Edsel Ford acquired the company from the Lelands in 1922.

So a plan was hatched to build a new, small Lincoln on the same platform as the Thunderbird, which was switching to body-on-frame construction for 1967 (in part due to limited production volume). This would help the Thunderbird fill out production capacity at the Wixom, Michigan plant, and it would give Lincoln an entry in the rapidly expanding personal-luxury category, joining the Buick Riviera, Cadillac Eldorado, Olds Toronado, et alia.

The original body design by Ash and his staff, at one point named the Lancelot, was clean and elegant but lacked visual punch, one could argue. Iacocca’s fake-Rolls grille shell and spare-tire bump fixed that, creating a distinctive and memorable look. It was said that the chrome grille shell was the most expensive such piece in the industry, with a unit cost nearing $200. Ash and crew completed the theme by hiking up the rear quarters and deck lid two inches, scrunching the roof down into the body for a classic ’30s profile.

From its exterior appearance, you might never know that the finished design shared its greenhouse with the Thunderbird coupe, or its floorpan, black metal, and 117.2-inch wheelbase with the T-Bird four-door. When Henry Ford II saw the clay model in the studio, he reportedly said, “I’d like to drive that home.” With the Ford family’s seal of approval secured, the new car was christened the Continental Mark III, establishing its lineage with Edsel Ford’s original 1939 Continental and the Continental Mark II of 1956-57. At that point the previous Mark III, IV and V models of 1958-60 were conveniently forgotten—today it would be called a reboot.

Introduced in April 1968 as a 1969 model, technically (Lincoln division downplayed model year designations, trying to present the car as “timeless”) the Mark III was panned by the critics but embraced by the car-buying public. “The buffs may not like it but the people with money will,” Bordinat wisely predicted. The Mark wasn’t big for an American luxury car at just over 216 inches long and 4,800 lbs, but it was big enough, with solid road manners and a comfortable ride. Interior specialist Herman Brunn covered the seats with rich, pre-creased leather, like the easy chairs in a men’s club. Noteworthy technical features included an all-new 460 CID V8 and Sure-Track, an early form of antilock braking developed by Kelsey-Hayes.

With a base price of $6,758 compared to $4,807 for its Thunderbird cousin, the Mark III was quite a moneymaker for the Motor Company, spawning an even more popular and profitable successor, the Mark IV (shown with Iacocca below). The Mark series, which comfortably outsold the Eldorado and effectively doubled the Lincoln division’s volume at times, continued on all the way to 1998 and the Mark VIII, and Iacocca would to on to further glories, including the Chrysler Minivan.

[purpleapplebird]

WxS Fixer: Computer Viruses, Invasion, and Trust

The more that I look at the WxS Fixer MV, the more I feel that Rui is being depicted as, or at least is analogous to, a computer virus.

(All translated lyrics are from MML!opinions!Fun!Chocolate! on the Vocaloid Lyrics wiki)

Exhibit 1: "permission..."

The main thing that I noted from the following two shots is the word "permission…" like when a program is asking to be run on a computer.

The first verse has Xs and ?s, showing that the program (Rui in this case) is asking for permission but is being blocked out.

The 2nd verse, meanwhile, has =) and glitch effects surrounding Tsukasa, as if the program has successfully hacked in / been given permission to run.

(The smiley faces are also a neat nod to the lyrics, though they also remind me of the "YOU ARE AN IDIOT" virus LMAO)

Exhibit 2: "this is right" -> "hello, world"

The first few pictures are from the 1st verse. The words "this is right" at the bottom are initially normal, but in the next few shots, the letters "h" and "t" turn purple and shift downwards. The apple is also changing color here.

In the 2nd verse, "this is right" appears yet again with the imagery of the changing apple, but at the very end we see a shot of Rui with "hello, world"* in purple. Notably, this is also right before the shot of Tsukasa mentioned earlier with the smiley faces and glitchy parts.

*(For those who don't know, a "hello world" program is a computer program that prints out the words "hello world", used to showcase a programming language's syntax. It's often the first program one writes when they are learning a programming language.)

Exhibit 3: INVASION

I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. Tsukasa's "INVASION" text is purple while Rui's text is just white, as if Rui IS the invasion while Tsukasa is being subjected to it.

Exhibit 4: Changing colors

AKA Easily the most discussed part of the MV. The text progressively gets more purple and, at the very end, Tsukasa and Rui switch their initial colors. The ending makes me think that though Rui is the invader / fixer (haha), he has also been influenced by Tsukasa.

My thoughts? Well, this 2DMV is fucking awesome. Like, if you're going to give me one of my favorite Vocaloid songs even prior to PRSK with my two favorite PRSK characters AND give them at 2DMV of said song, I'm going to overanalyze the shit out of it.

To me, the MV shows how much Tsukasa and Rui's relationship has developed from the main story to now. Though Tsukasa is the one who invites Rui to WxS, Rui at first joins for more self-fufilling purposes (getting a chance to do the best show)* and Tsukasa is more apprehensive and suspicious of Rui, though he also doesn't back away from the challenges Rui throws at him due to his goal to become a "world future star".

*he also initially joins more to get Nene to break out of her shell as opposed to anything for Tsukasa's sake

As Tsukasa and Rui become more familiar with each other, Tsukasa wants him and Rui to trust each other more, as seen in the Potato event. Tsukasa becomes the one who wants Rui to go all out while Rui is apprehensive.

By Smile of a Dreamer, it's clear that Rui isn't just in WxS to just "put on the best show" anymore. He's doing it for the friendships he's formed there and to be with people who see him for how he is as opposed to a weirdo. Tsukasa and the rest of WxS are willing to take risks for Rui without turning on his back, something that Rui learns in Potato event and RMD.

In that case, Tsukasa blocks out Rui at first, but, through working together in WxS, Tsukasa ends up accepting Rui for how his is, letting Rui's stage directions influence / "invade" him to become a better actor. In turn, Tsukasa's acceptance changes Rui as well, breaking him out of the shell of loneliness he built for himself and making him more willing to trust others.

[evajellion]

Paper Mario TTYD roleswap AU

hypothetical drivel I'm putting here for funnies- pretty cut and dry, basically an alternate universe similar to the ones I've seen for Super Paper Mario, except all the party members swapped their roles while retaining their personalities

the AU is gonna include Hudson due to the uneven amount of party members, so I'm sorry, ppl cannot escape the 🐝

Peach <--> Mario

Actually no real changes to their character here, other than Mario being the kidnapped one that gets used as a vessel by the X-Nauts. Allows for more interaction since Peach isn't stuck with the "silent protagonist" curse.

Koops <--> Goombella

Koops is a meek explorer following in the foot steps of Kolorado. His father lives in Rogueport and often tells tales about the Crystal Stars, which encouraged him to go ask around.

Goombella is a spunky heroine who wants to save her old teacher, Professor Frankly, who went missing after touring a class near the castle in Petal Meadows. (the dragons all switched places in this)

Mini-Yoshi <--> Flurrie

Mini was an egg found by Jabbis, hatched and raised in Boggly Woods. He's very aggressive toward anyone who wants to harm his adoptive family, so he's pretty pissed off when he learns the X-Nauts allied themselves with the Punies. (Jabbies and Punies switched places here too, but Punio and Jabble are still friends)

Flurrie is a former wrestler from the Glitz Pit who retired, but had the spark reignited in her when she learned about the "identity thefts" happening. After which, she reenters the spotlight and travels with Peach, inspired by how tough she is under her ladylike demeanor.

Bobbery <--> Vivian

Bobbery is a grave keeper living in Twilight Town. There is a curse that drains the life energy of just about everyone in the village, thanks to a monster living in the Creepy Steeple. He hasn't left his hut ever since his wife's passing, but after seeing Peach's plight, comes out of his shell to aid the Princess who lost all her allies to the curse.

Vivian is a Shadow Siren with a heavy emphasis on the "siren" part. She uses water magic to crash the ship that Peach and the others are traveling on, in order to guard Keelhaul Key. She changes her mind later on, unable to tolerate her sisters cruelty toward others.

Ms. Mowz <--> Hudson

Ms. Mowz is an actress who starred in films adapting romance novels. She was waiting for her next big hit playing in Poshley Heights when she saw shenanigans happening on the Excess Express, and noted that Zip Toad was acting strangely.

Hudson is the infamous "Honey Syrup Thief", a bumbling burglar who is wanted throughout Rogueport. She has her own shop when she's not playing the role of thief, where she supplies ingredients to others… the X-Nauts are usually her most frequent target.

Grodus <--> Crump

Lord Grodus is the second in command of the X-Nauts, his body mostly consisting of cybernetics, which he can use to attach himself to robotic creations. Compared to his leader and the other minions, he's overly serious and ambitious. He doesn't stand for his own failures.

Sir Crump is the leader of the X-Nauts, but is strangely laid back. He makes it pretty clear to Mario that he wants to use him as a vessel to take over the world, rather than hiding it from him.

Beldam <--> Marilyn

Largely the same, but their abilities have swapped (ice and lightning) and Marilyn uses her large stature to push Beldam around, who is nothing more than a sniveling snitch and a coward instead of a scheming manipulator.

They also have no ties to the X-Nauts, unlike the original game.

Doopliss <--> Grubba

Doopliss is a Duplighost who thinks identity theft is so cool that he's going to steal the abilities of the strongest wrestlers in the Glitz Pit after imprisoning them.

Grubba meanwhile, is a Spike who drains the essence of everyone living in Twilight Town for the sake of keeping his youth.

Neither Doopliss nor Grubba join forces with the Shadow Sirens after they are defeated and Vivian abandons, due to their parts in the story. Instead, Sir Crump willingly hires the two of them to work with Grodus after learning what happened in their encounters with Princess Peach.

Luigi <--> Bowser

Luigi is now the one with random intermissions, trying to locate his brother.

Bowser goes on his own adventure with party member partners and rather than kidnapping Peach, tells her everything that has been going on… well, his twisted version of events, at least…

idk what to do with Flavio and Rawk Hawk, maybe we'll make them switch places /j

or they can stay as they are since they are fan favorites

[thoraeth]

Words: 2500

A/N: This chapter turned out long af so it's splitted in two parts. I'll see you next Sunday with the juicy fluff 🖤✨

Summary: Cornered by the lack of money, Captain Romi gets into business with the Cross Guild. As the jester worries about his new exlpoding item, things are about to blow up in his face for a whole different reason.

Chapter 4 (PT1) - Ignition

<CH3 CH4(pt2) | Read on Ao3

One hour. Two hours. Four hours have passed.

Kneeling before the cockpit’s closed doors, Meg and Torres are shooing away an irritated Allen from a small box. When Ava appears behind their back, her voice startles them:

“There you are! What’s going on?”

“Shhh!” Torres hisses, alarmed.

“Give the stethoscope back!”

Allen is throwing himself at the box; a quick quarrel and Meg snatches the instrument away from him, pushing it back against the doors’ metal.

“Shut your holes, everyone, they picked up.” the woman whispers.

They all gather around a tiny screen on the doctor’s stethoscope: it’s showing a dark control room. There, a slim guy with black hair and headphones is connecting a Den Den Mushi to a computer; a woman with glasses and a blue-haired man nervously pacing around him.

As the snail's eyes light up, a croaky voice comes out of it.

“You fucking son of a bitch, where are you?!”

Inside the cockpit, Sir Crocodile’s voice explodes with all his wrath.

Buggy runs to the radio “Hey, handsome! Long time, uh? Did you get the papers?”

“Come back to Karai Bari! Now!”

“I will…Eventually.” the jester sweats nervously, his voice lowering and rising again. “Meanwhile, could you read those papers? Pretty please!”

“You’re in no position…you…and…where… Not now, Hawk, I'm on the phone!”

The snail turns to the side, mimicking the scarred man's anger as he seems to be talking to someone far away.

“He sent what?! Buggy, loan’s the last word your filthy mouth should utter!”

“Oh, Crocky. I know our previous ventures weren't all sunshines and rainbows, but you gotta trust me, my Egghead pals did the math this time!” A malevolent grin darkens his face.

“You heard me right. E-g-g-head.”

The radio snail falls silent, paper rustling coming from the other side.

“A device flying across the Grand Line? Clown, they’re scamming you.”

“No scam, sir.” Romi joins in, her voice stone cold. “I’ve been working on The Drifter for years. I'm Romi Hodges, mechanical engineer and…former Labophase trainee.”

“I see.” The Den Den sneers. “Well, Miss Hodges, would you be so kind as to follow the Yonko on his island? I'd like a word.”

“Nice try!” Buggy pushes Romi away “I'm the one who does the talking here, all you have to do is sign the contract.”

Then, slapping the slug shell vigorously, the pirate hangs up.

When the radio rings again, the computers all around it wake up, papers falling on the ground, spitted out of a beeping printer.

“I can’t fucking believe I’m doing this.” Crocodile growls “Miss Engineer, you sure of your numbers? They seem over-optimistic, to say the least.”

“Enough with the boring stuff, we’re gonna own the Grand Line!” Buggy shouts enthusiastically. “Not even celestial assholes can touch us, it’s all legal!"

“Needless to say, clown, that your interest will be sky high, this time. You're not fooling me twice.”

“Oh, c'mon Crocky, help a friend out.”

“And I expect my share, first day of each month.”

“Ugh, deal. But I'm staying here on the Egghead ship.”

“That’s the funniest joke I've heard from you.”

“I mean it. Tell Galdino to make a wax dummy or something, no one will even notice.”

“You out of your fucking mind? Bug-”

The pirate hangs up again, a nervous smile on his face. “Hey, navigator. Back to the Belts, quick.”

At Romi's light touch, the man adjusts his headphones and rapidly types his commands on a keyboard.

“Thanks, JoyJoey. And apologies for the loudness.”

The Captain gently pats the man's shoulder as she reaches for a lever switch.

When the cockpit’s doors slide open, the upset faces of the rest of the crew startles her.

“What have you done!” Meg cries out. “Dealing with the Cross Guild?!”

“Crew, lunchroom meeting in five.” The Captain states.

“They will eat us and spit us out!”

“Enough with the shouting in here. Go, it's an order.”

The whole crew reaches their meeting point, no words uttered but dirty looks speaking volumes.

Sinking back into a chair, Meg breaks the silence first:

“Let me get this straight, Romi: a pirate comes along suggesting we join his pirate alliance and you accept without flinching. So much for years of laying low!”

The woman inhales deeply, rubbing her glasses against her shirt.

“It was a tough call, actually: two weeks ago, we used our last savings. I've been racking my brain these days, trying to find a way to spare you the bad news.”

“Romi, we're in this together.” Allen says softly

“And then food supplies were running out too!” the Captain continues. “Having extra people on board, never touching land…it blew up my forecasts.”

She puts her glasses on again.

“Abandoning the Drifter is not an option, nor is it to let my mates starve. If I'll have to deal with pirates to keep us going, so be it. I take full responsibility.”

Buggy's hand floats around the room, handing Meg a bunch of paper sheets.

“There. Read it yourself.” the pirate says “And have a little trust in your captain's big brains.”

The Challengers take a seat around the table and immerse themselves in the reading. They all discuss the fine lines under Romi's attentive glaze, asking questions and passing the papers around.

Ava is trying her best to conceal a huge smile that’s been stretching her cheeks since leaving the cockpit. She gets up first, lost in thoughts.

“At the end of the day, I’d be mixed up with Cross Guild anyway.”

The woman moves next to Buggy, nudging him playfully with her shoulder.

“Still here? Your men must be soaking their facepaint in tears.”

“Someone insisted I go back to crafting but…no labs in Karai Bari.” the jester winks.

Eventually, papers and numbers are replaced by food and drink on the dinner table, printed sheets crowded in a corner far from the plates.

“By the way.”

Buggy is pointing his fork to the crew, his mouth full: “You think nobody would notice a fucking rocket flying over their heads? Everyone in the Grand Line will want a piece of that cake.”

Romi nods vigorously “Damn right. The Navy will knock on our door no doubt, and y’all know they don't ask nicely.”

“Say no more. To Captain Hodges.”

Meg makes a toast with a bittersweet smile and everyone raises their glasses.

“To Captain Hodges!”

As the tension of that morning gradually melts away, everyone’s thinking about the upcoming projects and how to spend their future money.

Romi's sitting between Buggy and Ava, a glass of ale dangling from her fingers.

“We better make the Drifter fly asap.” She clincks her glass against theirs.

“Ava, how about you move into my room now? You’d have my data archives at hand while Mr. President here gets his private quarters.”

The blonde stares at Romi for a hot minute before stuttering an answer.

“It seems…uhm…convenient.”

Buggy clicks his tongue.

“Bad idea. This one will annoy you in the middle of the night with the most random questions.”

“Come again?” Ava smirks, leaning forward on the table.

“Terrible roommate.” The pirate continues “A ruthless hair brush thief who only leaves chaos and destruction behind her. I'll spare you this horror, Captain.”

He mimics a toast before chugging his ale.

Romi takes a sip and rolls her eyes.

“Whatever guys, nevermind.” she mumbles, her words echoing inside the glass.

That morning, the crew rallies inside lab 01.

Romi paces back and forth in front of her mates, rehearsing aloud every detail of what is about to happen. Her eyes shine in anticipation and excitement, her heart pounding in her chest: it’s test day.

“Everyone in position. Get the data collectors going. Jester, the floor is yours.”

On a large platform, the Drifter lies dormant. Buggy approaches the vehicle, placing a metal box on the ground; he snaps it open and digs his hands into some soft material.

A transparent sphere comes out with a bold ‘x’ painted on its surface; a glowing, dense liquid sloshing inside as the ball moves.

“Let's put this baby to use.” the pirate grins. “This time it's gonna work.”

“Six time’s the charm.” Ava chuckles, while keeping the Drifter’s tank open for him.

As soon as the glowing sphere rolls into the vehicle, Romi saddles up and starts the ignition sequence.

A low grumble comes from the thrusters and the dashboard animates under her fingers.

Goosebumps all over, she observes the front hollow wheel drawing a shiny ring of light. One high-pitched hiss and the Drifter gets off the ground.

"Woohoo!"

Romi cheers loudly while the crew’s excitement grows by the minute.

She fumbles with the commands and steers the vehicle towards the exit, its engines revving full force.

Everything is going exactly as planned when a sudden, scorching heat wave reaches the woman's back, followed by the unmistakable sound of an explosion. Panic spreads as black smoke fills the room.

"Goddamnit!" Allen shouts “Is everyone ok?”

The doctor grabs his medical kit and runs to the rest of the crew, his ears ringing painfully.

He reaches the Captain first: bent over on the floor, she's punching her tights, tears down her furious face. She’s screaming, out of control.

"Breathing is ok. Motility looks fine.” Allen rattles off the essential checks as fast as he can.

“Doc, help!”

He jumps on the platform, following the jester's shrieks.

The pirate has not one scratch on him but Ava, on the other hand, is resisting the Drifter’s weight, her face covered in blood.

Buggy and Torres are trying to lift the wrecked vehicle away from her, but she’s holding on to it, shouting into the smoke:

“Romi it's ok! We'll fix it!”

“Let go, idiot!”

Buggy is shoving Ava away when the Drifter's bulk in his arms suddenly feels heavier.

“Torres, what the fuck you're doing?”

“No, no, no, no…” The man mumbles, his amber eyes fixed on Ava's face.

“Don't you dare drop it!” the woman shouts

“Y-your face!”

“It's nothing, I'm fine!”

“I need to throw up…”

“You were in the Navy, for god's sake!”

“And why do you think they made him a sniper?” Meg snarls, helping them lay down the Drifter slowly.

As the dense fog begins to dissipate, the doctor lets Torres run away, focusing on the others.

“Romi was lucky. Just bruises and a nasty headache.” His tone is reassuring. “This young lady, on the other hand…”

“Ouch!”

The second he touches Ava’s face she cries out on top of her lungs. Her nose is getting swollen and black, cheeks and chin covered in blood.

Allen opens his kit and cleans her face while Buggy moves frantically around him.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” He whines, peeking out from the doctor’s shoulders.

His floating hands hold Ava still as a metal strip gets applied on her bended nose.

“This will do for now.” the doctor smiles. “Wait a little for the painkillers to kick in then go get some rest. I'll check on you in a couple of hours.”

Allen gathers his tools and reaches Meg, who's carrying a miserable Romi on her back.

With the doctor's assistance, the three of them leave what's left of lab 01.

Watching the sad spectacle, Buggy reaches for two desk chairs then turns them upright.

“Come sitting.” He orders in a flat voice.

“I'm good.”

“Doc said you need to rest. Sit.”

Ava throws herself into a chair, puffing. “How about we use the purple paste instead? Like, a tiny crumble.”

“That’s a great idea… if you want to send your nose on the fucking moon.”

Buggy sits in front of her and falls silent for a bit. “I really thought it would have worked this time, you know.”.

“We’re almost there: it’s just a matter of fine-tuning, at this point.”

“It blew up in our faces, Ava! I’m out of my league, I'm afraid.”

“Well, so is Romi with her Drifter and, frankly, so am I when I get my hand on any cable in here. We’re all learning as we go.”

“How romantic. Sadly, Croc’s breathing down my neck kinda ruins the vibe.”

“Oh, forget about that buttface: one day we'll build a gigantic robot and seize his gold! ” Ava giggles “It will destroy him! While spitting fire.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Buggy leans forward, laughing.

“We'll name it RingMaster, Mark One!” the woman continues, chasing the jester's chuckles as the bad mood seems to leave him.

In the middle of that rambling, though, her smile fades away.

Those clear eyes, his childish grin…Ava finds herself weak, once again.

“It must be the adrenaline. The painkillers, probably.” She thinks, as tingles start running under her skin.

Squinting, Buggy takes some time to inspect the dark metal strip on the blond’s nose.

“Does it hurt?” he asks.

She feels her cheek burning as her gaze tumbles down to his chin.

“I feel nothing. Just a bit light headed.”

“Friggin’ Egghead stuff.”

A slight tilt of her head and a kiss lands on Buggy's lips. A long shy kiss, followed by another peck, and then another.

The jester is stunned: Ava's skin smells too good, her lips, her hands on his jaw, too soft, too inviting. Suddenly overwhelmed, he does not move a muscle.

“Lord, no.” His heart is pounding out of control, dark thoughts crowding in his mind.

“Please, make her stop.” Buggy falls into pure panic. “It had to be fake! She swore to part ways!”

The vivid image of Croc and Hawk laughing flashes before his eyes, he could almost hear them: “you should thank us, clown.” And Ava, clinging to his arm with her shiny wedding band. He'll be stuck with her, forever.

As Buggy snaps out of his visions, he pushes the woman away. She stands up, distraught, her big green eyes darting left and right. “I…I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me.” She whispers in a shaky voice. Lowering her head, Ava dashes out of the room.

Buggy’s head pops off, falling into his hands. “Shit!” He shrieks “Shit! What was that?!”

Hoping to calm his inner chaos, he runs hiding in the chemistry lab for the rest of the day.

It’s been dark for a while when he eventually takes courage and heads back to his room.

“You go straight in there as if today never happened.” The man rehearses. “No kaboom, no smooches, nothing. Just good ol’ chatting.”

As he opens the bedroom’s doors, Buggy sighs in relief. Ava seems to be…not there.

He takes off his clothes and paint, hurrying under the shower, planning to be asleep before his roommate comes back.

The jester dives on his pillow and shuts his eyes: ears pricking up, he expects the sound of her steps at any moment.

Buggy waits for hours on end, wakeful, but no one comes in that night. Staring into the dark, he feels his heart sink.

[scribblebluwu]

A few lil ref sheets I did for myself for the Sasha/Goldenflower kits and the Goldenflower/Tigerclaw kits ^^

In this AU I switched the dynamic in TNP a little, while Bramble ended up going to shadowclan in TPB, Tawnyflower brings Squirrelpaw along the journey begrudgingly, and falls in love with Feathertail, and holding the “leader” position of the chosen cats.

Crowfeather still takes on her suffix, as they had more of a friendship than romance, as Feathertail kinda coaxes him out of his shell to get along with everyone and especially Squirrelpaw.

Meanwhile, Mothstrike and Leafpool have a sort of enemies to lovers vibe, as Leafpool is helping out Hawkfeather, she’s initially very intimidated by his sister. Leafpool def catches feelings first, and Mothstrikes pretty aware of that, and enjoys kind of egging her on, shifting the “fire and tiger” omen (now renamed the “fire and gold” omen) onto Mothpool, instead of Bramble and Squilf.

After Mothstrike dies trying to kill firestar, leafpool waits in her dreams every night, and every half moon hoping she’ll walk in her dreams (which, sadly she doesn’t)

[karizard-ao3]

https://www.tumblr.com/karizard-ao3/729086354304204800/what-if-mikasa-is-a-foreign-exchange-student-from?source=share

I’m dying. I need to know what happens next. She spends a year with Eren’s family and they fall in love and maybe date? But she has to return home, doesn’t she? Eren’s crazy enough to go after her in Hizuru

First things first, as soon as they get home Eren wins her over by undoing all of the damage that he had done to her room. She, of course doesn't know that he has filled her room with little booby traps so she just thinks that he's switching out their mattresses and getting her a new pillow and whatnot because he's considerate. He's contributing to this misconception by saying things like, "Oh, take my mattress. It's nicer" (read: it is not full of needles). Thus, by the end of the weekend she fully believes Eren is a sweet and kind person, even though everyone else knows he's actually a douche. He does get more bearable the more time he spends with Mikasa, though, because he can't help but be his best self around her. Meanwhile, he's helping her come out of her shell.

It takes a while before he can drum up the courage to make a move on her, of course, but it helps that Mikasa very much wants the full Paradisian high school experience, so Eren is taking her to homecoming and football games and all the other hokey shit he would never do otherwise. He does it under the guise of being a good host but real ones know what his actual motivations are.

He finally drums up the courage to kiss her one night when they are at the drive in movies (Eren only has his learner's permit and he wasn't supposed to take the car, but what does he care?) and that's that.

It's a miracle Carla and Grisha don't catch them sneaking into each other's rooms at night.

As the end of the school year and the end of Mikasa's visit draws nearer she starts getting really weepy and depressed while Eren is preparing to take her and go on the run so they can't be separated.

Luckily, Mikasa's Paradisian dad, who initially transferred to Hizuru for work, gets transferred back to Paradis and Mikasa ends up staying, although no longer in the same house.

[battiegutz]

ok still not able to draw turts rn but i am gettin a bit of th fixation back so heres some rise headcanons;

donnie is average at best at video games but will play them for hours (the purple game was designed for him so im gonna say that it was specifically designed so he could beat it) meanwhile leo is cracked at games but will get distracted and switch between like 8 games within half an hour

mikey will often serve food for his brothers at different stages during the cooking process to accommodate their sensory issues and allergies, raph and him are usually the only ones who eat the "fully completed" recipe

raph hates cooked vegetables and thinks all vegetables should be crunchy as god intended. he has also eaten an entire watermelon in one bite before (with great difficulty)

leo and donnie convinced mikey that freddy fazbear was real when they were little but splinter made them apologize after mikey had a nightmare abt him appearing in the sewers and cried to raph abt it. donnie initially refused to apologize because "thats stupid the water down here would mess up his circuits" but mikey cried again and he felt rlly bad abt it

leo got into medicine because of april, one time when they were kids playing in the sewers she fell and scraped her knee and since she was like idk 6 and 6yr olds are stupid she started wailing and was like "the poopy water down here is gonna infect my cut and then theyre gonna cut my leg off and i wont be able to see you guys EVER AGAIN" nd leos like. WHAT!!!! just wholeheartedly believes her and donnies in the corner trying not to throw up. she was fine she just went home and washed it and got a bandaid but th turts were so scared bc she was like a day or two late to their usual playdate nd they thought she died. leo asked for "healing books" on his next birthday

mikey saw ppl getting duct taped to the wall online nd thought it was so cool he asked raph to do it but they had to have him face against the wall to not harm his shell and halfway thru he was like "this suck actually let me out" nd raph was like "no lol" nd left him up there for a while

leo fully believes quicksand is a common problem he will have to face

they would film their own "youtube videos" as kids bc they wanted to join in on the whole youtuber craze but didnt post them anywhere for obvious reasons. april had a great time showing them to jr post-movie despite all their embarrassment

they tried the ice bucket challenge on mikey and he almost went into brumation

donnie thought spongebob was real as a little kid and was super mad at splinter for like a day when he told him it wasnt

mikey will climb on top of raphs tail and have him drag him along (alligator tail raph real) raph will sometimes swish his tail and mikey has to hold on for dear life

[liliallowed]

What if the shifting mound (princess) and dust sans met or switched places. All I think about is them.

tbh I head canon dust as more of a long quiet and the chaotic/destructive nature of the player as the shifting mound bit yeah it does also feel funny to swap dust next to the princess in the worlds!

first of all... the script would break. obviously. and maybe dust somehow ending up in that world actually breaches the constructs design if either player or dust interfere cuz the two sleeping gods are not supposed to have any visitors.

if the princess and Bird boi end up in the Undertale universe? that'll be more likely. since aus tend to be more lenient with outcodes than a literal god prison.

the meeting circumstances aside, when faced with the choice to save the world and kill an unknown entity, dust ironically... couldn't care less!

if it's not his world? so what? he doesn't care for the humans that'll die. and he's no savior. let it die! he'd turn around and walk away... only to end up back at the road to the cabin.

it's going to trigger him. and it WILL TRIGGER his reset phobia BADLY.

"fine. if this place INSISTS? he'll just get it overwith and then leave."

he won't do it for the world but he WILL do it if he feels trapped.

once confronted with the "princess" he gets a sense of sick familiarity from her. not HER personally but her KIND. like being faced with a powerful being veiled in a weakened shell and a humanlike vessel.

not

another

fucking

anomaly

he's going to bash his head against the wall with an annoyed groan. he's also probably going to stab the talkative crow that follows him around and kill him on the spot.

(rip narrator)

then he's going to ask what she wants, and how this world works and HOW MANY TIMES they've already had this conversation before. he won't bring the blade, he has plenty of weapons to work with. (and the knife brings bad memories.)

the princess would first think he's a grim reaper or something... them she'd question his sanity...

oddly enough? it doesn't FEEL like he's lying and it FEELS like something is familiar but not him. not her other half. not her... missing parts? something outside of the construct. her mortal vessel would be concerned, a bit scared and maybe even get a bit aggressive and defensive... but he doesn't KILL her. he can pin her down and interrogate but he WON'T kill her because he fears it'll end up resetting.

the shifting mound itself would be EXTREMELY intrigued... and probably instantly just take him away to ask stuff curiously about the outside or if he knows how to get out. she'd ask for so many new possib- /STAB/

yeaaaah no. he's dealt with time bending people before and he ain't afraid to collapse the entire world for the sake of pissing them off. if he has to use the ol, special attack of literally doing nothing to bore the anomaly to death? so be it!

she'd see the contrarian ego and the stubborn ego in him, but also the broken ego from quiet and parts of her own other vessels.

so familiar yet so completely different. this vessel was sharpened like a fine blade to fight. yet damaged in the process.

refining iron again and again till something broke. something dud this to him on purpose. it wasn't an accident.

she knows that feeling through her adversary vessel but doesn't relate to it deeply. she can't understand it from a mortals perspective. because to her all that pain is simply just an experience or a fleeting dream.

it's not real. nor will it ever be. she's a god. she wouldn't know.

also she'd probably try looking where the hell her husband/mortal enemy vanished to.

she's not sure if she can direct her branches to open a path to dusts universe since it's not just hopping timelines or multiverses.

it's hopping entire DIMENSIONS. two completely different stories.

meanwhile:

player: YOU SUCK AT THIS YOU NERDASS BIRD!

quiet(stubborn):SHUT THE FK UP YOU EIGHT GRADE SYNDROME LOSER WITH A GOD COMPLEX I WILL KICK YOUR ASS EVEN WITHOUT MY GOD POWERS

player: COME AT ME BICH I ALWAYS COME BACK!

quiet: I WILL ALWAYS COME TO BARGAIN!

player: YOUR LV ISN'T EVEN ABOVE FIVE YOU WHIMP!

quiet: WTF IS LV!? (*angry bird noises*)

[the two immortal anomalies get along well]