#had a split second of panic thinking i posted this on main for a second lmfaoooo

[blueberrybirdsworld]

Out of frame 4/4

Summary : Y/N and Lando Norris have been together for three years. Their relationship is real, steady, and full of quiet love but always behind the scenes. While fans know they’re a couple, Lando has never posted about her, avoids public displays of affection, and never mentions her in interviews. At first, Y/N understood. She believed it was about privacy, about protecting what they had. But over time, being constantly left out of frame has started to hurt.

Genre : angst, SMAU

Faceclaim : @suanbeiii

Main Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Group Chat: URGENT

Zak Brown : Everyone. Wake up. Emergency situation. I want you all on this NOW.

PR team : I’ve seen it. The Instagram post...

Marketing team: We’ve already hit global trending. "Lando Norris cheated" is number 1 on Twitter.

Zak Brown : Has anyone confirmed who the girl is?

PR team : I’ve checked everything. No tag. No follow. Y/N wasn't in Japan so it can't be her.

Andrea Stella : This can’t be real. After everything that happened in Japan? He goes and does this?

Marketing team : We’ve already been contacted by two sponsors asking for clarification. If he’s publicly cheated on a high-profile girlfriend, that’s serious brand damage not just for him, but for the team.

PR team : Y/N was his emotional leverage with the public. People loved her. He barely acknowledged her, and the fans still supported her. And now he’s replaced her with a mystery girl?

Digital team : Our comments are a war zone. Fans feel betrayed.

PR team : It’s the worst-case perception: him posted his new girl 48 hours after blowing Y/N off on live TV, and now he’s silent. Not even a clarification.

Andrea Stella : He’s destroyed his image.

Zak Brown : I’m calling him. Alone. Do not flood him with messages. Not yet.

The vibrating of Lando's phone had been relentless, like a jackhammer behind his eyes. Lando groaned, dragging a pillow over his face.

The name barely registered through the haze, but instinct had him answering, "...Hello?"

"Tell me you didn’t just post your new girlfriend to your public Instagram in the middle of a media firestorm."

Lando winced at the sheer volume of Zak’s voice in his ear. “Wait, what? I don't hear you well.” he mumbled, rubbing his face.

"The 4AM post you did Lando, while the internet is still screaming about your breakup with Y/N. Are you completely insane?!"

"Breakup? We didn’t break up. We're just in a... difficult moment"

"Don’t split hairs, Lando. She unfollowed you, deleted tagged photos, skipped Japan, and the entire fanbase has declared you single. You might think you're 'working through it' but from the outside, and from your last Instagram post, you’re very much done."

Lando sat up, the room spinning wildly. "I... I don’t even remember posting. What are you talking about?"

"Don’t play dumb, Lando. It’s still up. We can see you kissing and dancing with a girl in the club. No tag. No explanation."

Lando's headache pulsed behind his eyes, each word from Zak crashing like thunder in his skull. “Wait, what? A girl?” he echoed, frowning. “What girl?”

“Don’t act clueless. The girl in the photos you posted on your account. Romantic captions, it looks like a damn engagement shoot. After everything with Y/N? Are you trying to commit career suicide?”

Lando blinked, nauseous, his whole body clammy with cold sweat. “I don’t remember… I don’t remember anything after the second round of shots,” he admitted. “Wait. Oh God. Did I...”

He cut himself off. The blood drained from his face. “Did I sleep with someone?” he asked, voice small. “Did I cheat on her?”

“Is that your actual question right now? You don’t even know?!”

“I don’t know, Zak!” Lando snapped back, panic flaring. “I remember feeling horrible. I was drunk. I was missing her. I swear I didn’t mean to...”

“You made it look like you replaced the girl fans loved with someone else. Overnight. And you made it public. We’ve had to pause social media scheduling because your name is being dragged through the mud.”

Lando could barely sit upright. His hands were shaking now. “Oh fuck. Oh fuck.”

“You humiliated Y/N on TV, and now you’ve humiliated her online. If you actually spent the night with someone and then posted her? This isn't just scandal, Lando. This is career-killing shit. Sponsors are already reaching out.”

“I didn’t mean to post anything,” Lando muttered. “I swear I wasn’t thinking. I don’t remember opening Instagram. I just… I remember feeling like I messed everything up.”

“Delete it. Now. Delete the post. We’ll figure out the rest later.”

Lando rubbed his eyes. “Wait. No. Wait.”

He looked up suddenly. The pounding headache didn’t matter anymore.

“I remember now”

“What?”

Lando’s voice cracked. “It’s not a new girl. It’s Y/N. It’s her. Those are old pictures. From my birthday last year in Monaco.”

Silence.

“You’re telling me you posted your ex-girlfriend at 4AM, drunk, with no tag or explanation, two days after making a public joke about having multiple girlfriends?”

Lando’s throat closed. “ For the second time not ex-girlfriend, we haven't talk yet.  And I know it's not an excuse but I was sad, I was drunk...I thought she’d know it was her. I thought it would mean something. I just missed her so much.”

“Well congratulations. You’ve successfully convinced the world you’re both a cheater and an idiot.”

Lando collapsed back into the pillows. “Fuck.”

He covered his face with one hand, feeling bile rise in his throat.

“I didn’t cheat,” he said, barely a whisper. “But I think I just made her believe I did.”

"Delete the post. Text her. Clarify. Immediately.This is your only shot."

Lando nodded numbly. “Zak?”

“Yeah?”

“I didn’t mean to ruin everything, really.”

Zak sighed, sharp, tired, but quieter now. “Then prove it. Start fixing this. And we will talk about it in team meeting on Wednesday.”

Texts messages

Lando: Y/N I didn’t cheat on you I would never do that Not now, not ever Those pics are of us. From my birthday party last year I posted it because I missed you and also because I was very drunk But mostly because I miss you

Lando: It was supposed to be a gesture I thought maybe you’d recognize it And know I was thinking about you

Lando: I didn’t tag you because I didn’t know if I should After everything After the fight

Lando: I wasn’t trying to hide you God, you’re the last person I’d ever hide I was trying to say I still cared Without pissing you off more Clearly I did the opposite and I’m so so sorry

Lando: I woke up to a furious call from Zak and still seeing your texts made me feel even worse Because you thinking I cheated on you? That’s hell I’ve done a lot of stupid things but not that

Lando: I know I act just as shitty as someone you could do that, so it's my fault I'm sorry Y/N I know I’ve said it so many times it might sound empty now, but I swear I am I understand if you hate me now

Lando: Please answer your phone Let me explain properly

Lando: I miss you so bad And I fucked everything up But I didn’t cheat

Lando: I don’t care about privacy anymore I don’t care about timing or soft launches or who’s watching I want you back

Lando: Please Text me Call me Anything

Y/N: Lando...

Y/N: I just saw your texts The girl in the photos… is me?

Lando: Yeah… I thought you’d recognize yourself

Y/N: Oh my god Lando

Y/N: You absolute fucking idiot You just soft launched me like the worst boyfriend on earth Everyone thinks you’re cheating

Lando: I thought they’d get it… I don’t know. I just wanted to try. I didn’t know how

Y/N: Oh Lando… You really are terrible at this

Lando: So bad??

Y/N: So bad.

Lando: Can we talk please?

Y/N: Of course, call me, we have a lot of things to tell each other...

@landonorris

My bad I forgot to post her pretty face @your_usurname❤️ It was her, always been her, I love you Y/N, forever thankfull for these 3 years with u even if I'm the worst bf ever sometimes

@_user1

WAIT WHAT I WASN'T READY FOR THAT 😭

@_user2

this the softest hard launch I’ve ever seen

@_user3

“forgot to post her pretty face” is crazy when she’s literally THE face

@_user4

I was about to fight you after that last post but you’re safe now. barely.

@_user5

SHE’S GORGEOUS AND YOU’RE LUCKY. DON’T FORGET IT AGAIN

@_user6

we almost lost it thinking you were soft launching someone else 😭

@_user7

She deserves 1 post per week MINIMUM. Set a reminder.

@_user8

ngl this is cute but you had us STRESSED

@_user9

so you finally understood the assignment 🔥👏

@_user10

soft launch panic turned into hard launch 😮‍💨 thank you for the emotional rollercoaster

@_user12

she’s literally the moment and you forgot??? don’t ever do that again.

Texts messages

Lando: Did I fix it? Be honest. Am I still in trouble?

Y/N: You were in so much trouble You caused global panic My friends were ready to slash your tires

Lando: I deserve that I panicked!! I wanted to post something and forgot the golden rule: Always show off the face of the goddess I get to love 😔

Y/N: The caption was cute But we still have work to do to get past this I want this to work, but that means you need to change the way you are seeing this relationship

Lando: I know I fucked up, and I acted like an idiot Because I was being too stubborn to realize you were right And I treated you terribly So I will do better every single day, you have my word

Y/N: I literally thought you moved on 💀

Lando: I would never You're the one thing I don’t want to keep private anymore I want to learn. To do better. Really To show you off the way you deserve

Y/N: You’re lucky I’m soft for you

Lando: I’m lucky for having you Always have been

Y/N: I'm touched by your efforts I'm sure if we both make efforts to communicate more it will be possible

Lando: I know we will get past this I will do everything for it Can I call you? I miss your voice

Y/N: Yeah. Call me, you disaster romantic ❤️

Lando: Also, I return in Monaco in 2 days, please let me see you and say sorry properly

Y/N: Of course, I actually have a gift for you too

Lando: Wait, what? You have a gift for me?

Lando: Didn’t I mess everything up like… epically?

Y/N: You will see...

@landonorris 📍Monaco

She bought me a tee-shirt. Loving it 😌

@_user1

He really went from “privacy is key” to “LOOK AT MY HOT GIRLFRIEND” in 3 business days 😭

@_user2

He’s obsessed as he should be

@_user3

She’s the one that bought the tee… I love their dynamic actually

@_user4

Not to be dramatic but this healed something in me

@_user5

This is Lando’s soft launch redemption arc and I’m here for it

@_user6

He said “let me overcorrect real quick” and did 🫡

@your_username

📍Monaco

Beach days are the best days with him (he insist on last pic) 🐚

@_user1

THE CAPTION? The last pic ? you know Lando BEGGED for her to add it

@_user1 Wasn't ready for Lando peek-a-boo on last pic

@_user2

Okay but how did we go from soft-launch panic attacks to this? we’re so back omg

@_user3

Not Lando going full soft boy era after almost losing her 😭💗

@_user5

She’s glowing so hard it’s blinding he better treat her right FOREVER

@_user6

I need this kind of beach day or i’ll cry

@_landonorris

You’re unreal. Please never stop looking at me like that ❤️

@_user7 OH HE’S OBSESSED NOW @_user10 I swear if he ever fumbles again we’re rioting. LOOK AT HER.

@_user11 Omg Lando you’re so handsome I want you in my boat too 😩

@_landonorris Ma’am… I am very much taken. Back up 💀 @_user17 NAH THE WAY HE SAID THAT? He’s down BAD

@your_username

For those who don't get it : mine.

@_user1

The “mine” is so personal I actually need to lie down

@_user3

This post just healed me

@_user4

Not Lando going from no soft-launching to being owned in public 💀

@_user6

HIS BACK WITH THE KISSES??? MOTHER IS WINNING

@_user7

He is officially hers and he looks so happy to be

@_landonorris

Happily taken. don’t test me. 😘

@_user8

Lando I just wanted to say you look so good

@_landonorris No. She said I’m hers. Go away

🩶 The End 🩶

The series is officially over, I hope you liked it and enjoyed the journey!

Did you see the ending coming? And if you were in Y/N’s position would you forgive Lando?

Thank you for reading 💛 feel free to share your thoughts, i'd love to hear them!

@angelluv16, @httpsxnox, @anunstablefangirl, @chocolatemagazinecupcake, @mayax2o07, @freyathehuntress, @verogonewild, @lilyofthevalley-09, @esw1012, @its-me-frankie, @linneaguriii, @ezzi-ln4, @rlbmutynnek, @actuallyazriel, @sofs16, @thulior, @sltwins, @henna006, @stylesmoonlight12, @lilaissa, @sideboobrry11, @l3thal-l0lita, @lorena-mv33, @ispywlittleeye-blog, @lesliiieeeee, @sageskiesf1, @adynorris, @curlylando, @rebelliousneferut, @justcharlotte, @secret-agents-stole-my-bunnies, @emneedshelp, @lando-505, @yukimaniac, @sashisuslover, @f1norris04, @hi26loveie, @bunnisplayground, @nina481, @reallifemermaidprincess, @cars-and-frogs, @delululeclerc, @txmhxllqnd, @lydia-demarek, @destinyg237, @rhaenyrasversion, @sarascabiosa, @readz4u, @tvdtw4ever, @mynameisangeloflife, @teti-menchon0604, @suns3treading, @op814kitty, @prettyboyroseberg, @willowsnook, @ariesandwolves, @clarksgf, @knivesdoingcartwheels, @pinklemonade34, @fat-meh,@tiaajosephin, @landosbabe4, @easy4, @jule239, @mercrussell, @skylandori, @ryuucollapse, @nickie-amore, @fairyjinn, @seonaw,@strawberrylov-er, @linnygirl09, @dilflover44, @bell1a, @f1fantasys, @sillyfreakfanparty

[the-foundation-sys]

☆Endos

This is going to be half a rant about endogenics, and half me trying to cover points i think need to be mentioned. I'm aware some people call themselves endos due to not remembering their trauma or not thinking they have enough trauma, but for this post we're going to consider endos purely as non-traumagenic systems, and we won't consider that factor since i find it's very rare to see. Putting everything under the cut because i feel this will be quite long.

1. Endogenic's using system terms. I can guarantee that if endogenics weren't using system terms or claiming to be systems, they wouldn't get nearly as much hate. Because systems can only be formed by trauma, you can't be born as them nor can you will them into existence.

The main thing that pisses me off with them is them using terms and roles that exclusively exist due to trauma. Even if endogenics were real and possible, they wouldn't have half the stuff systems do. They wouldn't dissociate, they wouldn't have amnesia, they wouldn't have protectors, they wouldn't have 99% of alter roles, they wouldn't have shit. (A post i saw once that this reminds me of is how people with dissociative disorders can give clear and in-depth reasons for why they're systems, but you'll ask an endo and they'll go "oh well the human brain's a mysterious thing we don't understand!")

Personally, I'm a trauma holder- one of the worst ones in our system, actually. Every single fucking day, multiple times I'm tormented by the severe trauma we've suffered to the point I've nearly been having panic attacks whilst in school purely because someone touched me or made a sex joke. Endogenics have NO FUCKING RIGHT to have 'protectors' and 'trauma holders' and 'persecutors' WHEN THEY NEVER HAD ANY FUCKING TRAUMA IN THE FIRST PLACE.

2. Glorification. I don't get why endos get away with faking dissociative disorders just because they're using a different term and have a big community. It's like a community of people faking PTSD and just putting it under a different name, and suddenly being protected by people. People are always being shamed for faking disorders, so why is it suddenly so different when endogenics fake dissociative disorders? Why is it suddenly endogenics being defended?

3. Endogenics with new terms. Again, like i said before, if they weren't claiming to be systems, having these new terms for themselves would be completely fine! But since they're claiming to be systems whilst using these absolutely absurd terms, it's far more harmful, and they have no right. What the fuck do you mean your 'alters' are 'syshopping into your partner system's headspace'? What do you mean you're 'trading alters'? THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE. You can't 'will your system into existence' or 'create alters', THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE. Maybe if you weren't claiming to have alters and if you weren't claiming to be systems, you wouldn't get so much hate.

4. Reasons for endogenics. I think there's a few reasons why endogenics think they're systems, other than the past mentioned systems thinking they're endogenics due to forgetting/invalidating their trauma.

The first reason would be that they may be faking purely for attention. They may have seen systems online and decided they want to be inside those communities, or decided being a system seems fun, so they've decided to pretend to be one for fun. They might be roleplaying being a system purely because they find it entertaining.

The second reason may be because of the amount of misinformation thrown around about disorders. People may mistake themselves for systems due to the extreme misinformation online- particularly in endogenic safe/neutral communities. They may think that their rapid moodswings and poor memory immediately means that they're a system- bonus points if they're actively exploring their identity and are split on multiple possible identities and names, so they think that they're a system. We know people who've thought they were a system due to identity confusion, extreme moodswings, identifying with different characters or having multiple names, but then later realised that they weren't a system and it was instead something like BPD, or that they didn't have anything at all.

The third reason may be that they're fictionkin and don't realise it (or they do realise it and are in denial). They may mistake their different kins as introjects, and they may think they're an OSDD-1B system, or a system with generally low amnesia. Or they may notice that they're likely fictionkin, but they refuse that fact because they think being a system is more unique and fun.

Overall endogenics really tick me off, i despise them, and i wish they'd move out of system communities and stop claiming they're systems.

-🩺

[darlingdreadwrites]

Everyday Is Like Halloween

THIS IS A SECOND PART OF AN AU. IF THIS IS THE FIRST POST YOU SEE, I SUGGEST YOU CLICK ON THIS (“MAIN STORY”) TO READ THE FIRST PART OF THIS AU!!

pairing: Eyeless Jack x GN!Reader

summary: After arriving at Mr. Mann’s Manor of Frights, you decide to go to the food booths first.

contains: EJ being kind, EJ cooking, free food!!

warnings: reader freaking out a little bit, reader eating barbecue (kept it ambiguous because there are veggie options)

word count: 1.3k

masterlist

“I want to find something to eat,” you tell your friends. They nod and tell you they will be heading to the haunted experiences.

After splitting up, you follow the mouthwatering scent of food through the crowds of people. You didn’t want to spoil their fun by admitting that you were too scared to go through any scares. And yet the knot in your chest tightened as the distance between you and them grew. The sounds of laughter and screams come from all directions of the manor grounds. The festival is packed, but you were focused on the scent of roasting meat, sizzling vegetables, and sugary treats. Your stomach rumbles as you near the booths.

You weave between people in crazy costumes and groups of friends taking pictures. It’s almost too much to take in all at once. The energy is chaotic, and everywhere you look, something begs for your attention. You’re almost too focused on just getting away that you don’t register that a man dressed as a deranged clown was trying to scare you. You couldn’t think past your groaning stomach and the heavy air pressing down on you. You have to remind yourself to breathe when the faces of the people around you become a blur.

You finally spot the cluster of food booths near the edge of the festival grounds, but it’s getting harder and harder to shake off the unease. Your panic spikes as you’re practically pushed forward by a loud group of people. You slip in between two booths, pressing your back against one of them and taking a deep breath. It’s pretty secluded here, perfect to steady yourself.

It’s then that you notice the smoky scent of barbecue coming from your left. Your stomach grumbles again. The sign reads “Meat Shack,” and the deliberately grungy look intrigues you – especially the humorous signs that make cheeky references to cannibalism. A small window on the side of the booth opens, and you jump a little when a voice calls out.

“Hey, are you ok?” He asks in a gentle tone.

You look up to see a partially masked face peeking out at you. The man wears a dark apron over a black hoodie and a midnight blue mask, a spatula in one of his hands. There’s something oddly comforting about the way he’s looking at you.

“Um, yeah… just–just needed a break,” you respond, your voice wavering.

He’s quiet for a moment, then nods in understanding. He can see the way your shoulders are tense, the way that you hug yourself. What concerns him most is how you seem to be breathing like a frightened rabbit.

“It gets pretty hectic here, yeah,” he says, placing a hand on the window’s edge above his head to get a better look at you. “You hungry?”

“I’ll fix up a plate for you,” he says after you nod. “For free.”

“No, no. I don’t–I don’t want to take advantage…”

But he had already started turning away to show you some of the options. He waves you over and, with tentative steps, you step closer to the window.

“Here, I’ve got some vegetarian options too.” He chuckles before delivering his next line. “I know it’s the 'Meat Shack', but…”

You manage to let out a laugh that sounds a little more nervous than you meant it to be. “I can pay, really. I don’t want to, like…”

“I’m sure you can,” he turns partially toward you to give you a small, reassuring smile. “That’s not what I offered, though. So, do you want meat or the veggie option? We also got a special sauce. You like spicy stuff?

You tell him your choice and thank him as he prepares your plate. You stiffed further as another shrill scream comes from somewhere nearby. You realize that the scare-actors aren’t just sticking to the main area, and the thought of getting spooked while eating makes you even more anxious. EJ, as he had introduced himself, seems to notice. He frowns.

“Tell you what,” he leans on the window after handing you your food. “There’s a garden out back that’s… a little more peaceful. Want me to take you?”

You’re surprised by the offer, but it was a welcome relief that you were grateful for. You nod and watch as he undoes the knot in his apron, slipping it over his head. You see that he has to squint a little to find a hook that you can see clearly. You think he might have some type of sight issues after watching him closely.

“Be right back,” he says under his breath, picking up a plate and walking to the back of the booth.

You’re not alone for long, because he rounds the corner toward you. He smiles down at you, and you take in just how tall he is. Not in an intimidating way either – he’s more like a gentle giant. The sound of aluminum crunching meets your ears, and you notice that you were unknowingly squeezing your plate. He tilts his head to the side, motioning you to follow him.

As you walk, the noises coming from the festival start to fade and are replaced by the chirps of nearby crickets. You go deeper into the grounds of the estate while the path twists and turns. You walk through a wrought-iron gate into a beautiful, secluded garden. It’s as lush and tranquil as you’d expect a rich family’s garden to be – filled with blooming flowers and twinkling fairy lights. It was the most beautiful garden you have ever seen, including a perfect bench to sit at. A stony path leads up to it, and it is placed in the middle of a half-circle of flower bushes.

You both sit down, placing your plates in your laps. You can feel his warmth as he settles next to you, but you can tell he’s far enough to not make you uncomfortable. He was thoughtful like that – a true gentleman.

“Is this okay?” he asks you earnestly. “I can sit on the floor, if you want.”

That made you want him to sit closer. You shake your head, turning your attention to uncover your food. “You’re good, don’t worry.”

The food is perfect – savory and smoky with just the right amount of spice. As you eat, both of you share stories. He tells you about his favorite moments at the festival over the years. Each story makes you laugh, and the anxiety you felt earlier is becoming a distant memory. He talks about his family, too, and how grateful he is to be a part of it. You can’t help but be drawn in by the way he speaks – a softness in his eyes.

After a few minutes, a question that has been lingering in your mind spills out. “If your name is Jack, why are you called EJ?”

“Well,” he pauses mid-bite and chuckles. “I’m not my dad’s first Jack. And, uh… my brother – Jeff – thought it’d be funny to nickname me Eyeless because of some sight problems I had. And EJ just kind of… stuck.”

You make a noise of acknowledgement and the two of you go back to eating silently. It was a serene silence, and not awkward in the slightest. He flips his mask to rest over his dark hair, letting you see more of his sun kissed skin. He looks back at you, having caught that your attention was on him. But you couldn’t look away, even if you were embarrassed. You could tell he was hot just by the way he acted and treated you, but him being physically attractive as well made your little crush on him even worse.

He smiles, tilting his head to silently ask if there was something wrong – if there was a reason you were staring at him. He was so kind to you, and you had never been looked at so softly before. You enjoy his presence, and it seems like he enjoys yours. You smile back, whispering a thank you.

“Anytime,” he murmurs, sounding also shy. He chuckles and looks back up at the midnight blue sky as he feels his face warm up.

[seullovesme]

slow dancing in the dark » irene

pairing ⥬ bae joohyun x reader

genre ⥬ angst

summary ⥬ you're in love with irene, but she's in love with someone else.

unrequited love

part 1 | part 2

you watched the girl talk so animatedly with the guy across from her. this was stupid. you should not have agreed to sit on the other side of the cafe from your best friend, who was currently on her date. she had asked you to stay in case something were to happen and of course being wrapped around her finger, you caved in and did as she asked.

it was clearly unnecessary because she was enjoying herself, and you were just sitting there like an idiot. an idiot watching the one she loves fall for a different person.

you weren't going to deny it for a second. you are in love with bae joohyun, the only woman who was ever able to increase your heart rate with a simple touch or make your head spin at the thought of her smile. she was your soulmate, someone who you knew would be there for you no matter the circumstance, your best friend. you watched her laugh at whatever that man said as if it was the funniest joke on planet earth. it made your eyes roll into the back of your head in annoyance, it could not have been that funny.

so lost in your own head, you didn't even notice their date coming to an end. joohyun stood up, the guy following after her, and she thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. it lit a fire in your stomach, the feeling of jealousy was something you were familiar with. after all, you were in love with possibly the most beautiful girl. but it was not your place to feel this way. it's not like you were her girlfriend or anything.

her date walks away with a huge smile on his slightly pink face, exiting through the main door of the cafe. you turn to your best friend who remained standing in the same spot, seeing her looking down and biting her index finger with a smile on her face as well. her smile was gorgeous, too bad she was thinking of another person as she gladly showed her pearly white teeth.

-

your eyebrows furrowed. you were lounging on joohyun's couch, mindlessly scrolling through your instagram that was ironically filled with image and pictures posted by couples. was the world playing some joke on you? you turned your phone off and put it down with a huff. how annoying.

the sound of clattering catches your attention and you stand up in a panic, making your way to the room of the other girl where the sound had came from.

"hyun, are you okay?" you ask in a worried tone as you opened the door, revealing your best friend picking up her makeup from off the floor. "ah, sorry if i disturbed you. i just dropped my makeup bag." she responded, glancing up at you once or twice in between words. you examined her figure, specifically her outfit.

"what are you so dressed up for?" you questioned. she completed collecting her items and zipped it closed before placing it back onto her vanity. she sighed in relief and grinned. " junmyeon asked for a second date and i said yes! i'm so excited to see him again after our first date. he's such a great guy and i really hope things work out between us, i've never met anyone quite like him."

at first you felt a little upset or hurt, but seeing how happy she was made it hard for you to maintain such a negative emotion. if you couldn't be happy, at least she was and if her being happy meant giving her up then you were content with your decision. hopefully he treats her like a princess, how she really deserves to be treated.

"i hope you enjoy your date joohyun-ah. i'll be heading to my place right now." you gave her a hug which caught her off guard for a split second, but she returned your comforting embrace. you closed your eyes and tried to memorize the feeling of her body against yours, and how great it felt to be so close to her. when you backed away, you looked directly into her dark brown eyes and engraved the image of them into your mind.

you thought you were being a bit over the top, but there was no way you'd be able to face her after this. not without experiencing those same butterflies you had when you were with her. she would be better off without being burdened by your feelings, and you were better off letting her go.

"i'll call you tonight like we usually do and tell you about our date when i come back home, y/n."

you nodded and turned to leave. once you reached the front door, you held the knob but the call of your name caused you to pause. "thank you for being there for me. i could have never asked for a better friend." your heart clenched at her words but you could only smile. it was just a reminder that you were just her friend.

"any time, unnie." you reply after facing her direction, seeing her stand a few feet away in a stunning red dress that you had bought her for her birthday. "let's call later?" she asked, and you nodded eagerly.

"talk to you later, hyun." you swung the door open and stepped out, closing it behind you. as you made your way to your car, you pulled out your phone and messaged a close friend that you were going to stay over for the night. after sending the text, you completely shut down your phone not planning to turn it back on later today, or maybe even for the rest of the week for that matter.

you'll probably also throw out the bouquet of red tulips you have in your car, there's no way you'll able to go with your plan and confess anytime soon anyways. not when she's found someone who makes her happier than you, it's just not possible. but her happiness over yours, right?

im contemplating on making a pt. 2 where they end up together or leaving it open like this

[kennedyslvr]

TENNESSEE WHISKEY, STRAWBERRY WINE — CHAPTER 11 (AO3)

coming up in this chapter we got: rodeo, and the first intro to some familiar faces from our girlies past (who are totally gonna be the main characters for a future sequel and threequel to this series.) idk i just wanted to write claire and chris as rodeo stars 😭

anyway—hope everyone had a good weekend. with a new week brings new exciting chapters, and i am so PUMPPEDD for the chapters im posting this week, for both fics. one fic is ending, but another is just getting started, folks!

go to ao3 to read the full chapter! 🤍 also: trigger warning for a panic attack. i tried my best to write it accurately, as our main man leon has a bit of trauma to contend with. if you don't want to read this chapter or wish to skip over the scene, i don't mind it.

My hands ball into fists as I storm away from the truck, my breath burning in my lungs as my heart races. Bile rises in my throat, my vision blurring and my blood rushing like a river of lava through my veins, making my ears ring as I tune out the sound of the surrounding rodeo that I’m currently blazing a trail through in an effort to get as far away from my truck—and her—as physically possible.

I can still feel the warmth of her skin on my lips, the way her pulse had rapidly fluttered across her fingers as I held onto her like a goddamn anchor, losing myself for a split second and ruining everything I had spent years carefully constructing. That solid wall that kept my emotions at bay had come crashing down around me, all because she took my fucking hand and looked at me like that.

And I had gone over that line and caressed her hand like I was some kind of lover. Kissed it like we were anything more than what we currently are—and I didn't even know what we were. I think she might have thought we were friends, I thought so too. I want to be her friend—but I can't trust myself around her. I can't trust my body around her.

I need to get a grip on myself soon, or else I’m going to start running down a path I can't get off of. She’s a kid—but she isn’t. But she might as well be, seeing as we have a twenty year age gap. The thought makes me shudder, an itch crawling down my spine like a skittering bug.

The smell of hot dogs cooking on a roller grill brings me back to reality. I’m standing in the middle of the busiest section of the whole rodeo—the carnival, where kids scream over rides and candy floss and tired parents mull behind on dragging feet. Vendors holler out to hungry patrons, and the barrage of sounds and smells is overwhelming. A voice crackles over the tannoy above my head. “Okay, folks! In ten minutes we begin the bronco event!”

Suddenly I’m right back in that chute again fourteen years ago. My vision goes spotty as I stumble to a nearby bench and flop down heavily. I breathe out slowly, fanning out my black and blue flannel that clings to me like a second skin thanks to this heat—and this sudden panic attack certainly isn't going to help me much either.

Riding on El Diablo, folks, is rider number 27—Leon Kennedy!

The crowd cheers behind me in the present, and I clench my hands tighter against my jeans. My nails scrape against the rough denim, digging in as I’m lost within that memory in the past, unable to crawl my way back out as a low grunt of pain burns within my throat. My shoulder is killing me, and my heart seems to want to break out of my chest and run away from me.

Now, El Diablo is exactly like his namesake—a real mighty devil. Don’t let his scrappy little size fool you—he will have you off before you even take a breath, folks. But, this rider here thinks he can tame this beast—and I think he can do it too.

I never should have gotten on that horse. He had been a last minute addition given to me because my main horse—Roost, the wild Mustang that had been gifted to me as an eighteenth birthday present by my folks—had broken his leg right before the big show. I drew the shortest straw and was given El Diablo, and I thought I could do it.

My hands are sweating something fierce now, and I keep rubbing them on my jeans as my breathing grows more and more labored. My throat constricts around a swallow as my ears ring like church bells, drowning out the roar of the crowd watching the current show and forcing me to tune into the crowd that was there that fateful day.

The chute had opened at the drone of the klaxon and I flew out as quickly as I always did. I thought I had done everything right. I had my grip the same exact way as always, maintained my balance and control as well as I always did. But before I knew it, suddenly the horse wasn’t under me anymore.

Ouch! He’s gone, folks—Leon Kennedy is gone. God damn that looks nasty—get the med team out there!

My shoulder aches with the memory, throbbing like it had done when I had first broken it. I grit my teeth, pressing the heel of my hand against the pain that rages through me. The bumpy scar tissue beneath the fabric of my shirt feels morose against my fingertips, those phantom staples from the stitches rubbing against my shirt. Tears burn behind my eyelids, pressure building in the base of my skull and rippling all the way up my head, drowning me in this throbbing sensation that doesn't seem to want to stop.

[thebigoblin]

On The Dance Floor

tags: Not Scott McCall Friendly, Inspired by a Song, Oneshot, Alpha Derek Hale, Derek Hale Loves Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski Loves Derek Hale, Getting Together, The Hale Pack 2.0, Fluff, Minor Sheriff Stilinski/Melissa McCall

a/n: found this in my drafts tagged as "complete." figured i'll post this as a lil weekend treat <3 so cleaned it up a bit. i'll post this on ao3 tomorrow ig. also, real enemy is giving fics a fucking title.

now you can also read this fic on ao3.

White, marble tiles are eaten up by his black, formal shoes, his movements a little hurried as he veers off another corner of this event hall, almost braining himself against the wall. He stops just at the right moment, curses his clumsiness, and continues walking down the empty hallway to the dressing room. Everyone else is already in the main hall, sitting on the chairs, and Stiles Stilinski was there only moments before, so he knows they're waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Except, his dad is getting cold-feet, and despite Scott's attempts at being normal around his soon-to-be stepfather, and being a shoulder to lean on, the cold-feet is getting worse. At least, that's what Derek texted him, a short, concise depiction of whatever the hell must be happening in the dressing room.

And he trusts the Alpha, so he's quick in his steps and quicker with his breaths when he does open up the door and finds his dad pacing around the decently-sized room, his suit on, and complemented by a look of absolute panic on his face.

Scott is standing off to the side, like he always seems to be these days, and he's on the opposite side of Derek, far from him, like he always was and always will be. Some people don't change, and Stiles has learned that through experience he would rather not repeat.

"Dad," Stiles says, and that's all it takes for the dam to break. His dad gives a quick glance to Scott, his once-favorite son, and then pulls both Stiles and Derek towards him, his hands a little sweaty with dread. His dad knows being close and talking low wouldn't make a difference, but it's the principle of the thing, and for one split second he wonders what 16 year old him would have thought of this fact, of Derek being his dad's chosen son, and him himself being this close to his dad. And Scott not even being privy to the beauty of this relationship.

"What if she doesn't want me to? I love Melissa, I do, but Claudia- I don't know. I had a dream yesterday, Stiles, and she was just, she was just there! Just sitting on the beach, where I proposed to Melissa, right where Melissa was sitting. Was that, like, one of your supernatural dreams? Derek, you must know something about these sort of things. I don't think she wants me to—"

Derek cuts him off with a firm, "She wants nothing but happiness for you." He gives Stiles a quick look, asking silently if this is okay, because out of the four people in this room he's the only who didn't actually know her when she was alive. Stiles nods, and Derek continues, and his dad hangs onto every word out of Derek's mouth. "Today is a big day for you, and you're nervous, and it's okay, John. That dream was just a way for your subconscious to show up — this isn't the first time you've had this thought, have you?"

"No."

"That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Just your nerves."

Stiles smiles softly at his dad. "Mom loves you," he moves forward to bring his dad in for a patented Stilinski hug. His voice is muffled when he insists, "She loved you when she was beside you, and she loves you now that she's watching over you. And she loves Melissa, too. I know she'll be the one smiling the biggest when you say 'I Do,' today."

His dad holds on for a little longer, and Stiles knows he's holding back tears when his dad says, "Okay," with a rough voice. He pulls back, takes a deep breath, pats Stiles on the shoulder twice, the way he always does, and gives a wobbly smile to Derek. He says, "Thanks, son," to both of them before looking at himself in the mirror.

"You look amazing."

"I'm so glad Lydia's mom was able to modify your original suit into this," Stiles adds to Derek's compliment, and Derek nods, repeats the sentiment of his dad looking amazing.

Scott chimes in, too, and his dad gives him a small smile. The relationship with him is strained, and if it was any other day Scott wouldn't even be in Beacon Hills, but it's his mom's wedding day, too. Stiles allows this one day, and if he didn't, he can't really stop Scott from being here. This is his hometown, too. They have their differences, yes, but they also have a past, together and also not, stemming from this same town.

Stiles has no right to where Scott does or does not go.

Derek, on the flip side, with his red eyes and ancestral blood running through his veins, roots sprouting from this town's soil, has no such qualms. Derek and Scott share a past, too, and it defines their present more than anything else could have.

Stiles' dad says he'll be out in just a minute, can they wait outside please, and all three of them step out. Once the door is closed, Derek turns to Scott.

"When are you leaving?"

Scott is instantly angry. He has always hated Derek, no matter the truth. Logic was always Stiles' friend first and Scott's second, and without Stiles, Scott is just a ball of emotions being hit by the bat of daddy and authoritative issues.

Derek has a right to know. It is his prerogative. This is his land, his territory, his packmate's wedding. Scott was banished — run off, really, and now he's back. Derek has a right to know when he'll leave, irrespective of Scott's hesitation to tell him.

But, the years have done Scott good. Instead of yelling, making a scene, he takes a breath in. Stiles wonders what or who his anchor is, and promptly decides it's not something he cares to know. He watches Scott get himself under control, enough that when he speaks his voice is almost emotionless.

All or nothing. That was what Scott was, and still is. He's changed, but not really.

"Mom leaves for her honeymoon tomorrow, and I need to take stuff from home."

Derek raises his right eyebrow. "That's not an answer."

Scott gives a tight smile. "It is if you just learn to stop when you should."

Before Derek can say anything, Stiles is taking the two steps to stand right beside his Alpha, disbelief coloring his face and words as he lets out, "Are you seriously threatening him?"

Scott just looks at him. The look is unreadable. It hurts, this distance between them, when Stiles remembers fantasizing about being not two feet apart on a porch in their late, late years, drinking to the years and cheers they must have had in their shared lives. Derek shakes him out of that thought with a gentle touch to his hand, their arms trapped between their bodies, and he relaxes.

Derek looks at Scott. His eyes turn red, brilliant red, and he orders, "Leave by Wednesday afternoon."

Today is Sunday.

And his dad's wedding day. His dad, who chooses this moment to come out, looking much better, and happier, and assured. He looks at the scene in front of him, the three of them, Scott on one side, alone. Him and Derek, side by side, on the opposite side of Scott.

He claps his hands.

"Who is ready to cry today?"

*

They all cry.

The ceremony is simple, but beautiful. The whole town is here, the wedding off their Sheriff, and the nurse who is so lovely, so kind. They are an inspiration, they all murmur, Derek tells him; second chances at love are rare, and this is beautiful, and who knew there exists beauty in the depths of tragedy?

His dad cries when he watches Melissa come down the aisle, Ms. Martin on one side and Scott on the other. Her best friend and her son, and for once, Stiles doesn't mind Scott's presence.

Melissa is smiling, eye to eye, her wedding gown fitting her perfectly.

She stands in front of his dad and says, "Oh, John," with such reverence, it's hard to not cry. Stiles has to put his hand in front of his mouth, but it's futile. Derek, the jerk, repeats those words, the ones he is hearing from every corner of the hall, and by the time Stiles has a dad and a stepmom officially, he's crying happy tears.

Lydia hugs him and tells him now it's his turn to find her mom somebody, too, and he agrees, only half-listening to her. He's staring at the big, gigantic grin on his dad's face, a matching one on Melissa.

Everyone congratulates him and the newlyweds, and then it's food and chatter and toasts, and everyone is surprised when Derek gives the first toast instead of Stiles, and Scott is supposedly not giving one at all.

Derek's toast is short, but no less lovely. He calls John a great man, one with utmost patience, and of course Derek would find a way to make a dig at Stiles; he says he has no clue how John and Claudia had strength enough to be patient with Stiles around, and that perhaps it is that tenacity, that will, that has brought about the proceedings of today. Of not giving up, even when the world is stacked against you. Of staying strong, in the face of everything falling apart. Of falling apart but coming back stronger, steadier. Of finding love after all of that. And coming from Derek, of all people, it means a whole lot, and Stiles' dad hugs Derek post-speech tightly.

When they pull apart, Derek says into the mic, but with eyes on Stiles' dad, "She's just as proud of you as Stiles is. As I am."

And then it's his turn to give a toast, and he's not sure how he can outdo Derek; as he stands up in front of the mic, he realizes he doesn't want to.

He gives a few funny anecdotes of his childhood, of how his dad taught him to always have hope, because good people get good things, even if it takes long. And how Melissa was always there, a second mom to him right from the start, and how much he loves her and is glad she's still in his life, despite the years, despite the circumstances. The crowd gets intrigued at that, aware of the distance between Scott and his mom, and Stiles too; all of Beacon Hills knows about the rift, but only a hand few know the cause of it as well. So, for him to mention the distance, to publicly acknowledge it, is a big thing.

He moves right the fuck on, makes jokes and smiles and cries, admits he'll always miss his mom, but that he'd always hoped, deep in his heart, that when the grief becomes tolerable he'd be the one to make the two of them marry each other.

"You got there first," he jokes, "Had the ring all picked out even before I could start trying to convince you to ask her out. Honestly, that might have been the second best decision you've ever made." None of them have to ask what the first was. It's obvious; Stiles knows his mom's wedding ring sits inside his dad's shirt, on a necklace, his own beside it.

Melissa gives a toast, too. She reminisces the first time she met Claudia, how they became friends, and how, at the time, it was impossible to imagine a life without her.

Before her little speech, to everyone this was her and John's day, but it's clear to them now that it's not just that. To the newlyweds it's a promise to Claudia; Melissa's once best friend and his dad's first love. To be happy. To live.

There's more hugs, more cheers, the champagne popping, and a quick, impromptu speech by Scott, who was fuming at being outdone like this by not just Stiles, but also Derek.

His speech is not bad, per se. Angry jerks of his chin, wild eyes and noticeable pauses. It's not bad. It just looks bad in comparison.

Stiles will definitely rot in hell for finding this funny, but at least he won't be the only one. The whole pack is trying not to laugh, and Stiles has to hide his own in the lapels of Derek's suit, who in turn hides his laughter in Stiles' hair.

Stiles feels bad, once or twice. But Scott made his bed and he's lying on it.

And then, after that, there's the first dance. There's the open dance floor and little kids asking Derek sweetly if he'll dance with them. He's their favorite, and it's adorable, and Stiles takes a thousand pictures.

Derek is in a sharp suit, and the juxtaposition of him dancing with young children, in princess dresses and printed suits — one kid had a yellow, minion-print suit, and honestly, that kid, Darren, pulled it off well — all colorful to his black shirt, black blazer, and black pants, is just so...

Good.

Derek's whole face is lit up, the golden glow of the lights all around them putting him in an ethereal spotlight, his eyes soft, mouth curved up, and nose adorably scrunched as he tries to decipher the babbling of a two-year-old.

The mom of the kid comes to get the boy, profusely apologizing, but Derek just smiles and says it's okay. It was no issue, it's okay, no need to apologize at all.

"Right," she says, eyes flicking between Derek and Stiles. "I'll let you get back to your partner then." And it's clear she means him.

Derek doesn't correct her, and neither does he. She leaves, and in this corner of the room, it's just them now. Most kids are tired, now, and most guests have left. It's mostly just the closest friends of Melissa and his dad, and the pack, of course, who are here.

Derek turns to him, his eyes still soft, which somehow get more soft when he looks at Stiles. It takes his breath away, and he lets out a squeaky, "Let's dance?" He's almost 25, the "adult" age according to the internet, and he still acts like a high school kid with a fucking crush.

Derek just makes him feel that way.

Derek, who is going to be 30 in less than a week, the big decade, the big, bad wolf. Derek, who blushes, his cheeks pinkish red behind his stubbled face, and puts out a hand.

Stiles takes the offered hand, his heart dancing inside his ribcage. And onto the stage they go, to the applause of the pack, and his dad's, "Finally!"

Stiles blushes, too. It's just their luck to get on the floor when it's a slow dance song.

Derek wastes no time, like he can't think or he'll explode, and puts his left hand on Stiles' waist, his right on Stiles' shoulder. Stiles puts both his hands around Derek's neck, and the alpha leans into the touch. This, the blatant trust, the welcomeness of it, is what bolsters Stiles.

They move to the slow beat, their eyes on each other's like white on rice, and everything else just doesn't exist. It's just them, and only them. No one else exists, not when they do, this close.

They move closer still, their hips touching, their foreheads against each other's. Noses touching close.

"Hey," he says, and grins when Derek does.

"Hey," Derek says back, so close that Stiles feels in his bones the word shape itself in Derek's mouth.

The music changes, then, and Stiles recognizes this one from the very first beat of it. Of course he does. It's Derek's favorite song ever.

"Did you bribe the DJ to play Apocalypse?"

Derek laughs, a quick, short one, and Stiles watches the movement of it, the beauty of Derek Hale laughing. "What if I did?"

Before Stiles can say anything, the line, "kisses on the forehead of lovers," comes on, and Derek takes a step back, only to kiss Stiles on the forehead.

Stiles' breath stops in his throat. Derek closes the gap between them again, and sways them to the beat. Stiles just follows his lead, his face having stuck itself on an astonished smile, and by the time the song is over he's just hugging Derek, tight, close, forever and ever and ever close.

Derek hums the song right in his ear, and it's perfect, Derek's breath on him, his grip, his eyes on him.

Stiles takes a step back and just looks into Derek's eyes.

"Hey," Derek says softly. They don't need words. Just this, a moment to themselves, where nothing but them exists.

Stiles doesn't even have a clue what song is playing. All he hears is Derek. His unspoken trust and devotion, his soul half of Stiles', Stiles' own soul half of Derek's. Their mingling breaths, because they're still close, just a hair apart from being one.

"Hey," he repeats, and they're both moving forward, Derek's hands on Stiles' waist, his own around Derek's neck, and they kiss.

It's gentle and slow, like time doesn't exist, could never take from them, this moment infinite, their love defying the laws of the universe and stopping time.

Because this is it. This is love, theirs and theirs only, part of its definition somewhere in the noises Stiles is making, part of it in the way Derek is touching him, moving his hands around Stiles' body, up and down, up and down, caressing him close and closer still.

Because isn't that what love is? Finding meaning in another?

After what feels like a lifetime, Derek pulls back. "Your lips, my lips, apocalypse," Derek hums against his lips, and they're so close, one breath two beings close, Stiles feels the movement of Derek's lips against his.

He lets out a small laugh. Derek swallows it down with another kiss, this one urgent, and time stills, again. Nothing exists, but this, and this moment only. Them. Arms around one another, devouring lips, tight grip, closed eyes, and peace.

They pull apart, foreheads resting against each other's, and Stiles opens his eyes to Derek's soft gaze. On him, through him, for him. He smiles, takes Derek's hand in his, dislodging it from its previous position on Stiles' waist, and brings it up to kiss the open palm of this man, who is radiant in this moment, glowing, almost, with happiness.

"Best day ever," Derek says, and he hums only the tune this time, and this time, Stiles sings the lyrics.

"Your lips, my lips, apocalypse."

"We did think it would take, like, a severe life or death situation for you two to get your shit together."

The sudden reality of a third person existing, and slowly, the reality of them being in the middle of a public dance floor in front of people has them flinching and moving apart.

"Kind of glad that didn't actually occur," Lydia continues, unperturbed.

"Definitely glad," his dad agrees.

"I do prefer you two getting together on my wedding day instead of my ER room, actually." Melissa adds.

Derek and Stiles both stare at their pack — Lydia, grinning eye to eye, a wine glass in her hand. John and Melissa beside her, their hands clasped, laughing at Derek and Stiles' wide-eyed gaze. Isaac clicking a hundred pictures of them, Erica with her full-red lips and a plate filled with food. Boyd beside his wife, hand on her shoulder, and Jackson leaning against Danny, smirking at the two of them. Cora is looking at them, that Hale look of absolute mischief. Kira and Malia have probably gone home — and nope, here they come, with a...

"Is that a banner?" Derek asks, aghast, and Stiles is right there with him. Because that fucking banner reads STEREK WINS.

"What the fuck?"

Peter comes out from the shadows, and Stiles tries to be happy about the fact that his appearance surprised everyone else present too, not just him and Derek.

"Thanks for making me win the bet. Really appreciate the $5."

"Bet?!"

His dad answers his unasked question. "We all figured you two would get together sometime during our wedding. Maybe during or after. It was just a matter of when." He points to where Malia and Kira are putting the banner up, right beside the one that says, JUST MARRIED!!! "Most of us figured the week following today, but Peter, Lydia, and Kira are the only ones who doubled down on the day being today itself."

"We're going to share our anniversary!" Melissa exclaims, happy.

Derek and Stiles just stare.

Derek turns towards him. He cocks an eyebrow up. Stiles nods with quick movements of his head.

"We, uh, are gonna go," Stiles says to the hall at large. "Have fun with your... bet, I guess. Dad, Melissa, love you guys, the rest of you, fuck off." Everyone laughs.

"We'll talk about anniversary plans later, Melissa," Derek says, and Stiles finger guns at her before realizing how stupid it looks.

Luckily, Derek picks him up, fireman carry style, and swoops him away.

Stiles groans against Derek's back. "Doofuses. Serious doofuses."

"Us or them?"

Stiles thinks. "All of us," he decides. "All of us, Derek. How the fuck were we so stupid to wait so long to get together?" They don't need to really discuss it — the kiss was just a precursor. "And why the fuck do they have to be so... ugh."

"They're still laughing," Derek says, as if that would help. "Doofuses," he agrees.

And then they're in the Jeep, Derek's camaro probably to be taken home by Isaac, and they're alone and when Derek drops him gently on the seat, Stiles lunges up to kiss.

"You make me fucking feral," Derek admits against his lips, and hey, Stiles loves where this is going. "I love you."

The words are nothing, really, but an arbitrary combination of English lexicon. But there is a meaning it — so many touches, so many moments shared between the two of them. Time spent in presence or in thoughts. All of it, leading up to this. These three words that make Stiles giddy.

"I love you too, and we really were doofuses."

"Wanna be doofuses on my bed?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

Stiles speeds it out of the parking lot of the event hall, and they do, in fact, act like doofuses on Derek's bed.

They make-out, they throw down their clothes, and they pour out their hearts with every touch, every caress, every moan; they kiss and laugh and confess, touch and worship and love.

They map out each other's bodies and lean in, snuggle, and sleep.

If all apocalypses could be so lovely, it would be great, really.

[sweettoothvn]

Hello, can you post the script about your latest audio pls ? For those english isn't their main language.

Sure thing! ^^

The setting is in a science lab and Tenylia is complaining about her day to her sister Becca who is not listening.

Tenylia: “Mr. Ravenar always makes the Bodross Biology class such a pain in the ass. I know I’m both halves of a freak of nature, but damn what do I need to know about gene mutations for??”

Becca does not respond so Tenylia keeps yapping.

Tenylia: “And THEN he rambled on and on about the silly Myconia and which one is more deadly than the other and what likes to be comfy around Jinns, I almost passed out at least twice– uh, thinking about it I might’ve because my head kissed the desk for a split second– anyway, it could kill a man if you weren’t already a nerd for the subject in general and I have a solid C, so I’m not a complete failure”

Short sarcastic 5-second pause on Becca’s device before it starts buzzing again

Tenylia: “But also if it weren’t for Eddie I have no idea how I would be able to get through it. Oh, speaking of him, I hope he’s been doing okay lately. He’s been more tense ever since he met this one guy at the Wild Witch. The dude’s a total creep by the way. You should see the way he acts around Eddie. It's… uncomfortable…”

The sounds of tech buzzing and small zaps from a pen to a board answers mostly between them

Tenylia: “On a better note though- I’m relieved that this guy seems to be distracted by something else– or rather someone else. But at the same time, I feel bad for them cause now he’s acting creepiER and hyperenergetic like he piped down a two-ton pack of steroids”

The sounds stop

Tenylia: “I see him lingering around Botanique sometimes and just… watching… He doesn’t even buy anything. He just chats with the newbie for a bit then pretends to leave. But he doesn’t. They don’t seem too bothered by it… or…. Or even worse….maybe they don’t know? What makes this awful is that they haven’t been in the Intrepid for a month and they’ve managed to capture the attention of a Gilvan?! Worst of all– a very sick one… in the head I mean. I’m just hoping he doesn’t do anything drastic like… I dunno… break into their apartment…?” 

Something snaps and Tenylia looks over to Becca, only to flinch as she sees her sister’s facial expression

Tenylia: “Did… uhm… Did I say something wrong? H-how about this, I’ll change topics-”

Becca cuts her off immediately with a serious tone, almost threatening.

Becca: “Who.”

Tenylia: “Pardon?”

Tenylia asks meekly, having not caught what her sister had said

Becca: “Who.”

Becca says more sternly

Tenylia: “Oh! T–That’s- I-I don’t think I should be talking anymore– this was a bad idea knowing how you–”

She stammers over her words, they crack a bit as she is clearly nervous and regretting having brought up the current topic. The sound of a chair creaks as Becca gets up from her chair and starts to approach Tenylia who backs away anxiously.

Becca: “Who. Are. You. Talking about?”

She says slowly, clearly not messing around as she wants the information that Tenylia is refusing to give up.

Tenylia: “Why are you suddenly so interested?!”

Tenylia blurts, feeling like a cornered animal. Becca grumbles under her breath and leans away from her sister with a sneer. Dragging a hand down her face she sighs then speaks with a frustrated but cold tone.

Becca: “....Forget it. I’ll figure it out myself.”

Tenylia begins to panic, stammering again before rushing off after her sister, her voice fading out.

Tenylia: “NO NO NO! BECCA DON’T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!! LEAVE THEM ALONE!!”

[tired-of-being-nice]

day 3: pinned down

sliding in riiiight under the wire with my second ever first ever febuwhump post! hopefully this won't be a pattern (it will be)

i thought it'd be fun to do a sort of sequel to my actual first ever febuwhump post :) the guys. the lore has become more coherent since i wrote that so sorry if theres inconsistencies

cws: restraint, referenced blood & injury, referenced torture, amnesia (unbeknownst to pov character)

This is not the worst night Coren's had in recent memory, but it's pretty damn bad. Too many people to catch, too many of them fought back— Coren hates it when they do that, it always ends up leaving everyone worse off, they've tried to explain this to their quarries but they never seem to get it. They're technically supposed to be on patrol for the next few hours, but things had finally calmed down, and they thought maybe a couple minutes' rest couldn't hurt. A couple minutes turned into... more than that, and now they're lying on the ground curled up in a ball, trying to breathe as deeply as they can without hurting their probably bruised ribs. Most of them feels bruised. Their lip is split, and it's gonna take forever to wash all the blood off once they get back home...

Someone kicks them in the ribs, and Coren hisses in pain—yup, definitely bruised now—and curls up tighter. "Back off," it says, trying to sound as intimidating as it usually is. "I'm- 'm very dangerous, and I've had a bad night, so you..."

"Yeah, I can tell," an all-too-familiar voice says. "Hey, Coren."

Coren groans and tries to roll over to face away from them, but has to stop halfway due to a protest from their shoulder (dislocated?). "Ugh. Not you."

"Oh, yes, it's me," Milo says cheerily. "Hm. Now, what to do with you..."

"You could leave me alone," Coren suggests, without any real hope. Maybe if they try really hard, they can get to their feet long enough to get over to a wall, and then they can...

Milo grips their wrists, and Coren yelps in shock as they are abruptly pulled out of their curled-up position and laid flat on the ground, staring up at Milo. Their instincts, belatedly kicking in, tell them to try and pull away, but Milo's grip is surprisingly strong. They have it firmly pinned in place, and as this realization sinks in, Coren tries increasingly hard to struggle free, panic temporarily overriding pain.

It doesn't work—they're not strong enough like this and they're not thinking straight—and Coren finally stops and goes limp. Even that trick doesn't break Milo's grip; they're still holding it firmly in place, staring at it with an unfathomable expression.

"Well?" Coren says with a huff. "Gonna kill me, or what?"

"Kill you?" Milo says, sounding genuinely shocked. "Of course no— why would I kill you? That would defeat the whole point!"

"The whole...point?" Coren says, blinking.

"You know. Interrogating you."

"Oh," Coren says, closing their eyes. So that's the game, is it? "Alright. Go ahead." Best to get it over with.

Milo seems thrown by this for a minute, but recovers quickly. "Okay. Uh. Who am I?"

Coren opens its eyes again and squints at Milo. "...Is this a trick question?"

"No, I mean..." Milo hesitates. "Like, what do you know about me?"

"Uh." This still feels like a trick question. "You're Milo. You work for one of my company's main rivals. You're kind of weird."

"Have we met before?"

"Yeah, a couple times. We met at this function thing when our bosses were trying to pretend to get along and you made a weird face at me. Then I saw you a couple times after that. You threw rocks at me one time. You're not the only one," they add hastily, "I'm not holding a grudge, don't worry. But it was kind of weird, because I wasn't even chasing you or anything. So like, what did I even do to you?"

Milo half-laughs. "You have no idea."

"I guess not, no," Coren agrees. They wait politely for a couple minutes. Milo is just kind of staring at them with an incomprehensible expression on their face. They're being bizarrely gentle— Coren's wrists barely even hurt. 

"Are you going to ask me anything else?" Coren says eventually. 

Milo startles, as if they somehow forgot that Coren was there while looking right at it. "Uh. No. I guess not."

They don't let go of it.

Coren sighs. "You're really weird." Torture would have made sense. This is worse; it's confusing. They think they feel a headache coming on.

"It's alright," Milo says with a sad smile. "You probably won't remember this conversation in a couple days, anyway."

"Of course I will," Coren mumbles. "Don't know what you're talking about." It closes its eyes and resolves to ignore anything else Milo says. It's too tired to bother talking to people who don't make any sense.

taglist (sorry i forgot to use it for like all of whumptober): @whumpsoda @snakebites-and-ink @cepheusgalaxy

[thebiscuiteternal]

Hey there,

Then maybe something for your OTHER beauty and the beast SangYao (?) AU?

I didn't even notice at first (I do love the snake one too), but I meant the one where Huaisang is on the run from wen soldiers, and stumbles into cursed Meng Yao's/Jin Guangyao's gothic mansion

(For those wondering, nonnie means the second concept in this post. Also, this ended up being a two-parter because I couldn't decide on POV and @micchikureshima made a good case for "por que no los dos?")

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

Meng Yao had long gotten used to the sound of water. With little material to use and no tools at all, his attempts to repair the roof of this place had amounted to practically nothing, and the house was in an area that practically invited rain.

So it wasn't the drumming and trickling from the holes in the roof that roused him from his dozing.

It was voices.

Immediately, he was on his guard. While it had been, according to his tally scratches on the wall of his room, over a year since the last time his father had sent opportunistic idiots his way, he wasn't stupid or hopeful enough to think the man had given up on getting rid of him.

Seeing no reason to make finding him easy, he gathered the shadows around him and let the fangs and fur come, then crept out the door to peer over the balcony.

His 'guests' were almost always rogues or outer disciples from some minor sect, looking to make a name for themselves and gain a little more prestige for their leaders at the grown-ups' table. The last time he'd made a notation under the day's tally mark for anyone from a major sect had been...

Well, he could refresh his memory later. It had been a very long time, at any rate, so he was more than a little surprised to see not one or two, but six cultivators wearing the white and red flames of the Wen sect gathered in a knot just inside the doors to the main hall.

For a moment, panic clawed its way up his throat, the fur down his spine and tail bristling on end. Had his father finally gotten so fed up with his existence as to pay for legitimate assassins? And he'd never had to fight this many before, what if they-

Wait... no... their attention was focused on something else. One of them viciously kicked a bundle of sodden green and grey clothing that lay on the floor, and Meng Yao couldn't help wincing when he realized that the 'bundle' was, in fact, a boy.

Wait... green and grey...

Why were a bunch of Wens chasing and abusing a Nie? Here? Admittedly, he couldn't keep track of anything like intersect politics when he couldn't even go out to the front yard, but according to what he'd heard on the way to meet his father, all of the major sects were in some sort of coldly polite stalemate. Had something drastic changed outside?

He didn't have time to ruminate on the question, as one of the cultivators finally looked up from their target, and then nudged another.

"Hey. Isn't this the house? The one Jin-zongzhu's always complaining about?"

The second man craned his neck to look around the main hall, then pulled a scroll sealed with a waterproofing talisman out of his sleeve and opened it.

A map.

His jail was on maps now?

Apparently so, because the man holding it grinned. "It is. Damn, today might actually be a good day if we could hand the little bitch and Jin-zongzhu's eternal gratitude to Wen-da-gongzi."

"Let's get to it, then," the one who'd kicked the boy -the one he assumed was the leader- said as he bent down and dragged the boy up by the hair. "Spread out in pairs and start laying-"

Oh, no.

No, no, no.

While it might have been easier to pick them off once they split up, he absolutely couldn't risk giving them time to start setting traps. The closest anyone had come to killing him had been the prick who'd decided to turn one of the few rooms that still had solid flooring into a maze of wire snares and then had chased him into it, and he was not putting up with that nonsense again.

A low growl building in his throat, he jumped up onto the balcony railing and then launched himself at the still speaking human, snapping his jaws shut on the man's neck before he'd finished giving the order.

The man immediately fell backwards under his weight to land on the floor hard, dropping the boy in the process, and he wrenched his head to finish tearing out the throat before whipping around to go for the next.

He'd managed to catch them off guard, but by the time he'd downed the second one, the last four had all drawn their swords.

Pulling the shadows from all the corners of the room, he dropped down through the floorboards and the reformed himself at their backs to maintain the element of surprise.

When the last cultivator fell dead, he stood in the doorway, head down, teeth bared, fur bristling, panting for breath in an effort to calm his defensive instinct back down. When he'd finally regained his composure, he slowly reconstructed himself back into his human shape before approaching the boy and rolling him onto his back to take a better look.

Huh. He'd be pretty if it weren't for the black eye and the dried blood under his nose. Despite having been roughly manhandled, his hair still held a number of intricate little braids and his clothing, though ripped and dirty and soaking wet, was of high quality.

A member of the inner family, maybe?

Curiosity ate at him, and the only way he'd get answers was if he made sure that the boy recovered enough to wake up.

Deciding he'd deal with the bodies of the other 'guests' later, he easily scooped the boy into his arms and headed deeper in the house towards one of the fireplaces he knew could still be used.

[yourfriendlyneiborhoodartist]

Hi my name is Alen Ott, this is my first time posting my writing for the public. there is a link to the google doc of it if that is more your speed but i just wanted to say i hope you anjoy this short scarry story.

<3

The Corn Maze Incident.

By,Alen Ott

Edited By, Sora Snyder And Madison Morey

Characters :

Mary rogers: Main character

Amy: Mary's friend       

Sarah: Mary's friend    

Joshua: Mary's son

Alice: Mary's  daughter   

Ghost child                  

Police officer               

Male Voice

ENJOY

“Can you tell us about the night at the corn maze ms.rogers?” the police officer said with great worry and concern. 

“No, I can't do this anymore.'' Mary said in a mix of anger and grief as she got up from her chair throwing her bag around her shoulder. A tiger mask and a fox mask suddenly fall from her bag. She stared at the 2 masks in horror and threw her bag to the ground as she backed up now trembling.  ”I didn't ... .why….why were they in there?'' Mary proclaimed in a loud whisper. 

“Please we just want to get to the bottom of this” the police officer stated with a look of pity on his face.

”...fine.” Mary said as she sat back down not going to pick up her bag or the masks. 

“It all started when me and 2 friends from high school decided to go to a pumpkin patch with my kids Joshua and Alice...”

 “God, I can't even remember the last time I've been to a pumpkin patch, ” said Amy, a woman with short brown hair and brown eyes. 

“I think it was our freshman year field trip,” said Mary, who has dark blond hair and gray eyes . 

“Maybe your freshman year field trip, I was still in middle school. You guys got lucky, my freshman field trip was to the history museum." Sarah said with an annoyed tone to her voice. 

The 3 women walk and 2 kids run through an archway with big orange letters at the top reading "PUMPKIN PATCH (now featuring our new corn maze!) ”. Upon entering they saw a man at a desk who was yelling ”COME EXPERIENCE OUR NEWEST ATTRACTION THE GREAT CORN MAZE, KIDDOS GET A FREE MASK! ”.

 “Can we go, can we go!?” the 2 children said semi in sync. 

“Sure i don't see why not'' Mary said while patting their heads. The 2 kids ran over to the desk where there was a wide variety of different animal masks.  Alice picked up a fox mask while Joshua picked up a tiger mask. The 2 kids put on their masks and all 5 walked inside the corn maze.

 ”I hope this doesn't take long.” Amy jokingly said towards sarah. They walk around for what feels like forever.

 “How long is this maze?” Sarah said annoyed. 

“Mommy my legs hurt.” said Alice, clinging to her mothers leg. they heard what sounded like the giggle of a child. Joshua ran in the direction of the child while Alice was still clinging to her mother. 

“JOSUA GET BACK HERE ,PLEASE STAY WHERE I CAN SEE YOU” Mary yelled in a concerned tone, but it was too late when they turned the corner to find Mary's lost son he was gone.

 “Ok everyone split up, we have to find him” Mary said with determination in her voice. 

”Can I go with Sarah,” Alice said. A young adult clearly younger than the other 2 pulls down her hood to reveal her long black hair and almost teen-like features. 

“Of course you can hun,” said Sarah, kneeling down to Alice's level. Alice hugs Sarah and everyone goes their own way. It felt like they had been looking for hours. The sun had even started going down when Mary heard loud fast footsteps in the dry grass behind her,its sarah. 

“I DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE WENT I TURNED AROUND FOR 1 SECOND AND POOF SHE'S GONE '' Sarah screams in a panic. 

“It's alright don't worry we will find them” Mary says with empathy for the worrying scared Sarah while hiding panic in her voice. They walk around a  while longer with no sight of Amy or the 2 kids. until the 2 women turn the corner and there they see it… 

“...Mary…you need to see this.” said Sarah with a trembling voice almost in tears. Mary turns around to see the body of a boy with dark brown hair in a tiger mask lying in the dried grass which is now soaked in the boys blood. It was unclear how he died but he was surely dead. The 2 women were frozen in horror. 

Mary stepped towards her child lying in the grass and kneels down next to his body, trembling.,“....My baby…..oh my baby..who..did this to you…” the grieving mother said, choking back tears. She kissed her son's head and said ”I love you my baby ... .rest easy now..” 

As much as Mary wanted to stay with her child she knew she still had a child alive who needed her protection from whatever did this to her son. She grabbed Sarah's arm and dragged her away with tears filling her eyes. They walked for a while in silence Mary Still holding back her tears. 

 As Sarah was about to say something the 2 were startled by the sounds of a woman screaming. They both ran to the source of the sound and there they saw it. Amy was collapsed crying on the ground as a young girl with dark blond hair and a fox mask hangs from a tree above.

”No…NO NO NO!” Mary is now in a panic, both of her children had fallen victim to whatever was in that maze with them, Mary grabs her friend's arms and runs searching for an exit, help, something until eventually they get to a 3 way intersection. Mary froze unsure of what to do, tears filling her eyes as she loudly sobs mourning the brutal loss of her children.

 Suddenly through the left path appears the vision of a boy in a tiger mask. The 3 girls are shocked. Shortly after from the right path appears a little girl in a fox mask. Mary is frightened at the sight of her dead children standing in front of her. When all of a sudden there is the flickering vision of a young child in a bear mask. 

“I couldn't help them,” the child said in a quiet, almost whisper-like voice. “But let me help you.” as the 3rd child flickers in and out of view the 3 women hear the man from the desk again.

 “COME EXPERIENCE OUR NEWEST ATTRACTION THE CURSED CORN MAZE, CHILDREN MUST GRAB A MASK” suddenly the 2 girls beside Mary disappear. Everything goes black…. 

“And then I woke up in the hospital….”

thank you for reading my story i really hope you enjoyed it.

[syntharts]

charity commission for @hellbentwidow!

[darkaviarymc]

Blame @/wixelt for this post that I had to angstify because I'm me. So here's some... Xisuma angst? Xisuma angst.

Now with A03 link.

The smell is always the first thing Xisuma notices when it's about to happen. The sharp scent of ozone and minerals permeates the filters of his mask and leaves a metallic tang in his mouth that makes him want to spit.

Next comes the electric chill in the air. The cool crackling of Their presence travels up his spine, leaving his bones too stiff to shiver.

He locks eyes with Grian from across the deepslate paths of the shopping district. An unspoken conversation happens in a matter of seconds.

I'm sorry.

I know. It's not your fault.

I wish I could stop it.

Me too.

No one else can sense it, something Xisuma is greatful for. This ability to sense Their presence is unique to creatures of the Void.

And Grian...

Well. Grian.

The next day Grian is gone, along with Scar, Cleo, Tango, Impulse, Pearl, Bdubs, and Etho. They hadn't taken Ren or Mumbo this time, but the forlorn expression they both wear and try to cover with forced casual smiles isn't lost on Xisuma.

It's not as if there is anything any of them can do. They take what They want from whoever They want it from, and whenever They want it. No amount of protective barriers or Void magic can ever stop Them.

He stands in the streets of Scarland on the first night. On top of an Atlantian seahorse on the Second. In the lobby of Deep Frost Citadel on the third.

All he ever wanted was to build a world with his friends.

What good is that world if he can't even protect them in it.

He stares at the sword in the Dwarven keep for hours on the fourth night. The fifth is spent taking shelter from the rain under the petal of an alien flower.

The denizens of the void once worshiped the Watchers as gods. Now Xisuma's only prayers to Them are helpless pleas to return his friends from whatever land of death they've been taken to this time, to free them from the cycle of suffering.

The sixth and seventh night in the basement and main structure of the monolith are the loneliest by far.

He gets a message from Doc on the eighth day telling him that Mumbo hasn't been sleeping. Neither has Xisuma, but he doesn't think that's important.

He'll sleep when his friends are safely home.

He goes to Mumbo and finds him knelt in a strange circle of red candles with a stack of heads in the center. Eight heads to be exact, one for each hermit taken to the death games by the Watchers.

He can feel it, Mumbo says. Something about having a piece of Grian's soul.

They go to Grumbot Cave together on the eighth night. But no sooner than the sun sets does the metallic taste and cold jolt wash over Xisuma again. From the way Mumbo cringes, he realizes Mumbo senses it as well.

Something about having a piece of a Watcher's soul.

A figure materializes in the center of the room, a vibrant glowing purple with two sets of wings covered in eyes. In its arms is a half conscious Grian, who the other Watcher is gracious enough to gently pass into Mumbo’s outstretched arms.

Watching with defiant eyes

Feeds to us his mournful cries

A curse unbroken, sorrow spoken

By his hands, his trusted dies.

"Wait!" Xisuma calls out as the winged figure fades, but it vanishes without another word or explanation.

"Dammit!" he curses, clenching his fists to his sides.

Grian groans as he wakes, then his eyes shoot open, flashing purple for a split second before jumping out of Mumbo’s hold on him.

"Grian..." Mumbo reaches for Grian, and Xisuma takes a careful step towards him.

"You're home," Xisuma reassures his panic-stricken friend. "You're safe."

For now, he thinks.

"Scar and Bdubs and Cleo. I need to find Scar and Bdubs and Cleo!"

"You've all gone through Hell, my friend. Why don't you take a breather first? They'll still be there once you've calmed down."

Xisuma hopes his gentle grip on Grian’s shoulder is comforting despite the cold metal of his gauntlet. But although Grian flinches at the initial contact, he makes no effort to escape. Instead, he just falls to his knees. There are no tears, only Grian’s trembling and Mumbo’s soft affirmations of safety.

There are no tears. At least none visible. Behind the tinted visor of his helmet, Xisuma weeps silently.

Because he's lying. Mumbo is lying.

His hermits aren't safe. They will never be safe as long as the Watchers are determined to slake their thirst for fear and grief with their deaths.

He can comfort them in the moment. He can help them rebuild and move on. But They will always come back, and as much as Xisuma knows his hermits appreciate his unending love and support, he also knows that it doesn't matter in the long run.

Even now, as Grian’s trembling subsides and his breath evens out, Xisuma feels completely, utterly, unforgivably useless.

[spectrallik]

How to Make a Typeface without Really Trying

⚠️this post contains dangerous levels of jank⚠️

| ⇇ first | ← previous | next → |

Did any of you get occupational therapy as a kid? Were you diagnosed with a condition that causes spatial reasoning deficits (difficulties writing, drawing, organization, or even balance)? If you did, the image I am about to show you may bring back some disturbing memories. You've been warned...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (photo credit: National Institute of Learning Development)

What you are looking at is a common spatial reasoning puzzle given to OT patients. You are given a bunch of squares, monochrome on one side and split diagonally with white on the other. Your goal is to assemble a pattern from a book using just these blocks. They start with simple shapes like squares before slowly progressing into convoluted fractal hellscapes. Oh, and in my case, it was timed.

For six years I had forgotten my least favorite exercise, until I wanted to figure out if I could somehow digitize Kesper's writing system. I thought to myself "it's just a bunch of parabolas and diacritics, how hard could it be?" I didn't know how fonts actually worked, and that my old nemesis had evolved into its final form. When I opened Fontstruct's editor for the first time, I got hit with a lot of bad memories...

Don't panic... (image credit: CmsuMules08 on Youtube)

The blocks were back. But now there were far, far more options than just monocolor or split. Curves, mini triangles, squares within squares, shapes at odd jagged angles... so many options. And as I got deeper into it, the bodging began.

The original sketch page, from a more innocent time before I knew what I was doing.

Problem #1: Solving the stupid puzzle

How was I supposed to make this work in the grid? Well, I cheated. Fontstruct has a copy+paste feature, and a 90° rotate feature. So, while there were 20 main glyphs, I just had to design one. After that, I could design the diacritics separately and put it all together with pasting and rotation. But this meant that the one glyph I designed had to be perfect. I knew trying to use the curved tiles would give me a massive headache, but I also didn't want it to be too bland. Through trial and error, I figured out a solution.

/d/

I just used the monochrome and diagonal tiles and didn't bother with the fancier ones. It gave me the perfect aesthetic -- the jagged edges and 45° angles gave the whole thing an industrial, nuts-and-bolts feel. When typed at 12pt, that jaggedness made it look like an old-school raster font. It looks the part for an alien writing system.

Problem #2: Kesper isn't Hebrew

The Hebrew abjad was my main influence, and I wanted it to be right-to-left, so I built the typeface on a Hebrew layout. But, Kesper doesn't have exactly the same sounds as Hebrew. Plus, its keyboard layout is so radically different to QWERTY (/a/ is ש!?) that I just decided to not bother. Macs are equipped with a Hebrew QWERTY layout that matches the Aleph Board ב Standard, so I just used that. This mostly lined up the Hebrew characters with their Kesper sounds and latin counterparts. But there were a few problems:

Typing /k/ and /x/ both result in כ. Typing the diacritic doesn't work right (we'll get to that later), so I assigned [k] to ך, which is SHIFT+k. I had to do the same thing to /f/ and /p/, resulting in ף being used for [p]. This is a bit awkward, but a native Hebrew speaker could easily figure this out.

א was already taken (I'll get to that in a second), so to represent /'/ I used ק /q/ which wasn't being used for anything. Uvular, glottal, close enough right?

ו was already taken too, so to represent [v] I used the character assigned to /w/, which is ש. Similarily, י was also in use, so I used the character on /y/ for [j], which is ט. You'd think this would cause problems since Kesper has sounds that match those glyphs, but its all fine because...

I used whichever glyphs were on /c/ and /j/ to represent [ɕ] and [ʑ]. I wasn't using the Hebrew glyphs on those keys anyways -- צ isn't a sound in Kesper and ח was already covered by ת. So, in total, there are 7 "out of place" glyphs in Kesper. 2 of them are acceptable substitutions in Hebrew, 1 is an OK substitution in a pinch, and 4 only make sense from a QWERTY perspective. It's bodged to shit, but it could have been much worse.

Problem #3: Fontstruct Hebrew is broken

Fontstruct was designed for Latin QWERTY, and other systems that can work as left-to-right alphabets. Hebrew is a right-to-left abjad, and so everything breaks. The big issue are the dagesh/niqqud marks which flat out do not work. Big problem, since I was hoping to use the niqqud for vowels. So, what did I do? I bodged it by abusing left space.

So, glyphs are laid out on a plane, right? But, here's the thing, you can write below or to the left of where a glyph is "supposed" to be. These are usually reserved for things like unique accent marks or embellishes. In a left-to-right font, whatever you put in left space ends up above (or on top of) the previous character.

In Hebrew, left space marks end up above the character you type after it, instead of the one before. The diacritic initially appears over a blank space until you type the next character, which appears below the diacritic. In other words, it is still a bit broken. One day I'll figure out how to fix it.

Kesper's Latin alphabet, lowercase only.

The last thing I needed to figure out was what to do about the numbers and punctuation. I ended up being simple with it - the numbers A-F are assigned to, well, A-F in Latin. You have to switch between Hebrew QWERTY and Latin QWERTY but that's no problem for me. I just have a keyboard change bound to CAPS LOCK. Since punctuation keys are different in Hebrew and Latin, I just simplified my punctuation so there's less of it overall.

Finally, I added latin characters inspired by the language's design. It's typed with all lowercase, and acts like small caps in practice. Good for titles and such, not so good for actual writing.

Well, that was a mess! The next post will be much simpler, I promise.

[prettyoddfever]

i don’t know if you keep up with panic now, but did you see that the pre split band was sort of mentioned in brendon’s new single local god? If you know about this, who do you think the song is about?

I figured the song just sounds like Brendon's reflecting on someone who once played a part in his life (possibly even a version of himself if you want to read it that way). I'm def not saying the song is about Jacob Kirkegard or anything, BUT give me a second to explain more about Jacob just to show how lyrics are so open to interpretation.

So we started seeing pictures in early 2007 of Brendon and Jacob hanging out (some pictures are in this tag I just made... I’ll try to tag other pics later). I heard that they had been in a small band together or played music together or something like that when they were younger. Then Jacob became the bass player for Brown Eyed Deception sometime around the end of Brendon’s sophomore year of high school. Brown Eyed Deception played some local Vegas shows that year with bands like Name Taken and The Higher. For context, Brendon met and joined The Summer League in spring 2004... so Jacob was doing much cooler things in 2003-2004. Brown Eyed Deception kind of toured unsigned in 2004–2005 and they were seriously good. Kyle Lobeck was in Brown Eyed Deception too! The band turned into YouInSeries and released a record in 2006. Jacob hung out with a lot of guys who were in successful bands (many Vegas bands got signed after P!ATD's success) but he sort of slid between everything. Part of my info here is coming from fandom gossip in 2007-2008 and info that Vegas kids shared, so I’m def not saying that this post is on the same level as my Panic knowledge btw. Anyways, I heard Jacob was super kind, but it was like becoming a star wasn't really a goal of his?? Here’s part of Kyle’s myspace post when YouInSeries broke up around the start of 2008: “...After starting this band 5 years ago with my best friends in my garage, it seems as though YouInSeries has finally ran its course. We were in the process of writing songs for our second record when I was informed that some of us were not compelled to continue with this lifestyle anymore. It saddens me in such a way that its hard to express in words. I really wish we could have recorded our new songs for you guys to hear.” No idea where Jacob falls into that.

P!ATD never had the chance to create a local fanbase. They just put their demos on purevolume, got signed by Pete, and then had an international fanbase before they’d even recorded AFYCSO. I’ve mentioned over & over how they were hated on because they didn’t pay their dues... that was seriously like a main theme of 2005-2006 that got really old (even Jon Walker said he initially hated P!ATD before he met them). Jacob played in a local band that absolutely paid their dues over the years and had some decent respect from teens (just saying, I'm from several hundred miles away and I had actually heard of Brown Eyed Deception in high school... like I found them online and burned some of their demos onto a mix cd, so they were at least at that level). Maybe the local experience that Jacob had is better than the fame he didn't seek? lol who knows... but the lyrics could fit someone like him:

Again, I’m not saying this song is actually about Jacob! I’m only pointing out how lyrics are so open to interpretation. The first verse and the song in general doesn’t fit Ryan Ross at all, but I’m sure someone will still try to make that work too.

[obeymeluv]

QUICK! KISS ME! [Bros x Reader]

A lead-up blurb before I go to bed.

School is killing me. This has been in the drafts far longer than I wanted.

No offense if your name is Bethany. It’s a name I picked at random.

The follow-up piece will have the kiss scenarios.

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Some of Asmo’s friends may have used you to get into a special makeup event, but it’s okay! They bought you a lip gloss as a thank you! The shade ‘Sealed with a Kiss’ was not what you thought it’d be

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Being one of the first humans in the Devildom could be uncomfortable and sometimes down-right dangerous! It also had its perks. To you, that meant being close with the Seven Lords of Hell (and Diavolo). To other lesser demons and classmates, you were kind of a ‘get out of jail’ free card.

Were they late to class? Oh, just helping the human out!

Caught sneaking in food or drink when they weren’t supposed to? It’s to split with the human, of course! They thought you’d love to try it!

Everyone was keen not to overuse it and you’d actually made good friends this way. It was starting to feel less like an excuse and more of a way to be included. You were the friendly, reliable human that had won hearts and saved some asses. As a thank you, one of your closer friends (a repeat offender for lateness), invited you out to an exclusive makeup release. She was a VIP member and had early access an hour before the store opened to the Devildom public. 

The fact that she chose you, a human, over some LITERAL century-old friends caused a bit of tension but she could care less. “I’ve seen them every day for over a hundred years. You get one year, and we’re going to make it awesome!” Bethany breezed through the store at a dizzying pace, picking through concealers and opening a box of mascara to look at the packaging. She moved at a pace only demons could manage; you thought you saw her by the nail polish display but when you looked again she was throwing sheet masks in her basket. Hooking her arm with yours, she picked up some foundation on the way back to the coveted display of lip glosses and lipsticks.

You weren’t totally versed in the differences between Devildom makeup and human world makeup. In all honesty, there didn’t seem to be a difference. Bethany swatched powdery cream lipsticks on her wrist and followed with ribbons of liquid lipstick. Every now and then she dotted them on your arm; she was adamant about finding a shade the both of you could wear as your thing.  

“This one,” she decided, waving the tube at you and booping your nose with it carefully. “This is our color!” she took you by the hand and joined the checkout line. She had two in her hand but refused to let you so much as hold one, wanting to pay for it first. It wasn’t technically breaking the purchase limit rule; if they tried to nag her she’d just say she was holding onto it so another demon didn’t bully you out of it. You didn’t know if it was her VIP status or the fact that her defense made sense, but you were able to check out without a problem.

A few sour faces and mean glares met you outside but Bethany ignored it all, eager to have a Devilgram-worthy celebratory snack break (snack victory? You know, since you got the makeup?) The plan was to eat, hold down a table at the nearby cafe while her other friends shopped, and have group makeovers (or try-ons) before calling it a day. That plan was interrupted three bites into a croissant sandwich when Lucifer summoned you back to the House of Lamentation. He’d gotten wind of all the girls you’d be with and didn’t feel totally comfortable letting you hang out with them,

Had Barbatos seen something? Did Lucifer feel spurned that you weren’t hanging out with the Seven Lords of the Devildom? He gave no answer, simply asking you to stay put while someone came to escort you back to the house. Bethany was put off by the turn of events but few people dared to complain about the Seven Lords due to their connections with Diavolo (she was no exception). “If we can’t get the full makeover, we’re getting the selfie!” she declared, deftly breaking the seal to her Sealed with a Kiss gloss and swiping it on with help from the front-facing camera on her D.D.D

You busied yourself with opening your tube. Before you could ask for her phone (since the camera was already open), she took the tube from you and tilted your chin up. She dabbed the center of your lips playfully before carefully tracing your lips with the color. The heat rose in your cheeks and she smirked. Being part succubus, she could draw energy from emotions like embarrassment and the feeling of being flattered. Her fingertips pulsed under your chin as she drew on that energy. 

Getting energy sucked could feel like a lot of things -- being light-headed, getting a rush of excitement, all prickly and tingly like your whole body was pins and needles. Whatever it was, it usually faded into drowsiness and kittenish contentment. She probably only touched your chin for seconds but the wash of coziness had you melting against your chair, your cheek cradled in her palm. 

Did she take the pic? What was happening? It felt like Asmodeus had materialized out of thin air, helping you stand and making small-talk with Bethany before pulling you away, out of her aura that was trying to suckle the vestiges of happy energy you offered.

“And what shade did you get on those pretty lips, hm?” the cotton fell out of your head and ears, allowing you to really hear Asmo now that the aura effects had worn off.

“Uh,” you fished around in your bag and looked at the packaging. “Sealed with a Kiss.”

Asmodeus stopped so abruptly it’d almost yanked you back to him. The two of you were barely tangled at the pinkies and now he’d completely laced your hands together. He held your hands captive, drawing them up in surprise and basically dragging you into his torso. You were forced to look up into glittering pink eyes and if you didn’t know any better, they looked a little panicked.

“How long ago did you apply it?”

“I don’t know.” you blinked helplessly at him. That energy suck thing had a way of making your brain tune out and turn to pudding. That aside, who knows how long Asmo stood there and talked to Bethany while you were being siphoned?! “Bethany applied it, not me.”

Asmo clicked his tongue, huffed, resigned himself to only holding one hand. and started scrolling on his D.D.D to find that selfie Bethany posted. You were being dragged along like a child as Asmo’s shoes clicked towards the House of Lamentation. It amazed you how well he could navigate his D.D.D with his long, painted nails. 

Whatever he was looking for, he found it.

Asmodeus tucked his D.D.D into his pants pocket, scooped you up in a way that terrified and amazed you (two people being supported by one set of heels?), and flew to the House of Lamentation. He didn’t always use his wings, as he preferred to decorate them and maintain them with oils, but the fact that he was flying made you nervous.

What had he found? What was the deal?

“Asmo--” you started nervously, the flapping of his wings nearly drowning you out as he pushed himself. Flying against the wind didn’t help. Your hair was a mess and the wind was in your face; the Devildom was always a little chilly but now it was enough to make your face tingly.

“She gave you enchanted makeup. There is a reason humans don’t use enchanted makeup.” Asmo’s pretty brows furrowed as he cut a hard angle and glided over a portion of the square. The tell-tale thicket of trees that lined the winding path back to the House of Lamentation were on the edge of the horizon.

“What’s going to happen?” should you ask that? Did you really want to know?

“You’ll feel something in your lips--some people felt tingling, some people felt pulsing, it can be anything, I think--and then they’ll seal shut.”

“SHUT?!” you yelped. It was enough to make Asmo wince. The startle carried over to his wings; they shuddered and locked; the two of you dropped for a heartbeat or two before he corrected himself.

“If I can’t get some makeup remover on it first.” Asmo panted, tucking his wings in and preparing for a quick descent. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t thought to teleport first--the panic? Trying to one-up Bethany by walking home and being extra cute with hand-holding?--but a quick touch down could roll into a simple skip teleportation and everything should work out!

“But my lips are already tingly!”

“Ugh, Bethany! I can’t believe you! I mean, I can because it’s you, but really, Bethany?”

“Asmo, focus!” you’d already skipped several feet ahead, clearing the front yard in two teleports. The third put you in the foyer. “I don’t want my lips to seal shut!”

The House of Lamentation was huge but when the occupants had supernatural hearing, that exclamation turned heads. 

“What’s this about your lips sealing shut?” Lucifer appeared at the top of his stairs, his head already shaking.

“DID YOU MAKE A PACT WITH A WITCH?!” Mammon screamed down the hall, clearly not far behind.

Asmo scoffed, lowering his D.D.D with a pout. He was halfway up the main stairs, fingers working at lightning speed. “It’s the lip color!” he explained, stomping his foot. Noisy people were just so annoying! If everyone was talking he couldn’t explain! How rude! 

“All this over some makeup?” skeptical Satan peered over the banister, book and arm casually propped up on it.

“If two people apply the color and kiss, they’re locked in a makeout session until it dries down. When one person applies the lip color, they can use it like a cheat sheet to see who secretly wants to kiss them,” his words tapered out from authoritatively informed to quiet and shy. “It’s from their ‘Liquid Love’ collection.” he muttered into the stunned silence of the room.

You were trying to open your lips and ask why. The magic had already taken hold. Asmodeus could see you trying to move your lips and strain your chin. Luckily, demons could read minds. “It’s because Bethany is stupid.” Asmodeus rolled his eyes. “Ambitious, but stupid.”

“Please explain, Asmo.” even when using the dear nickname Lucifer couldn’t hide the demand. His demon aura was creeping up his body and slowly becoming jagged and suffocating.

“Bethany has had a HUGE crush on our little human here, and wanted to seal it with a kiss, so to speak.” Asmo’s cheeks got pinker and pinker as he explained. Mostly because he was mad he didn’t think about it. His heart did something funny at the thought of you kissing someone else. Lucifer also looked like he wanted to murder someone about now, and Asmo had to remind himself that he was being looked through, not looked at.   

“Just grab a napkin and wipe it off.” Mammon shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Asmodeus shook his head angrily. “It’s too late now. We need to find someone for them to kiss! Someone’s lips will break the seal on theirs...that’s kind of the point of the enchantment.”

“So they just pick someone to kiss?” Levi’s face was turning tomato red. Would it be him?! It would at least be one of them, right? What if your person wasn’t in the House of Lamentation and you NEVER SPOKE AGAIN?!

“Sort of.” Asmo patted your shoulders with his gentle, smooth hands. He started to rub them like he was trying to warm you up. Partly in encouragement and partly to get your attention because he could feel your brain spiraling down into panic. “They basically follow their mouth.”

“So that lip color is like a crush detector?” Satan abandoned his book at the top of the stairs and was now perusing articles on his D.D.D as he sauntered down the steps. It sounded like he’d found the one that sent Asmo flying to the House of Lamentation.

“Basically.” Asmo sighed. It was the stupidest way to confess to someone, he thought. Demon to demon, it was fine. Demon to human?! NO! The whole thing gave him a headache. The fact that Bethany thought she could just steal your little lips and be greedy with them was the biggest annoyance of it all.

“So,” Satan’s green eyes cut sharply from his phone to you. The corner of his lips curled up in a smart little smirk. He knew it was wrong to find your predicament so funny, but this was a very human thing to get mixed up in. “Who do your lips want? Who do you feel yourself being drawn to?”

[buttterknifeee]

Deep Six- Teen Titans x Aquagirl!Reader

Request: May I request an insert in the episode Deep Six where the titans meet Aqualad?

Masterlist

Summary: Robin makes you accompany this guy name Aqualad and Beast Boy. Will you be able to handle them or will their bickering tear you apart. Also you're a katara kinnie (i know ATLA didn't exist then but still) This episode is Season 1 Episode 8!

Pairings: Platonic!Aqualad x reader, Robin x reader if you squint

Word Count: 4314

A/N: this time i decided not to split up the episode and post it as one! I made them meet for the first time here, so the Aqua kids don't bond much yet, but if you want to see more, feel free to request! (click here for guidelines) Also yes I also ended this one with "anyone up for pizza" thats all i know how to do to end a fan ficbskghs

“Ahhhh, don’t you just love the ocean?” you admired the shallow sea, the blue water flowing by you. The others prepared for launch, reading off the status of the T-Sub.

“Main power online.”

“Oxygen tanks at maximum”

“Defensive system active”

Beast boy hums confidently. “And your new secret weapon is ready to rock.”

Cyborg rolls his eyes through the headset. “Only time you qualify as a secret weapon is after eating a tofu bean burrito.” You stifled a giggle as Beast Boy yells in protest.

“Uh, 'scuse me, bud. Can you breathe underwater? Uh-uh. Can you be any fish in the sea?”

You shrugged your shoulders and smirked. “Cyborg can’t but I can. And I can breathe underwater without being a fish so I guess I’m just as much of a secret weapon as you, BB.”

You found out that you could breathe underwater a few days after you and the others formed the Teen Titans. You were surfing for the first time since that day when you fell off your board. You had accidentally inhaled underwater, and to your relief, you found that you were able to breathe in the ocean water with no problem. You offered to swim outside the sub on your own, but the team didn’t want you to get hurt, so you were stuck in the small confines of your own pod of the T-sub.

Robin ignores you three’s bickering. “We have to find out what this Trident guy is planning,” he says. “If it takes forty barrels of toxic waste, I doubt it's environmentally friendly.”

The engines warm up, the vessel humming to life. “Titan Launch!” Robin exclaims and the T-sub shoots through a tunnel and into the Jump CIty Bay. You watch in awe at the ocean life around you. Now that you had a connection to the ocean, your perspective on ocean life had changed. You clutch your seashell necklace as you continue to take in the view of the ocean, ignoring Beast Boy showing off his teeth and Cyborg turning off his mic as a result. Robin’s voice snaps you back into reality.

“Sonar contact. Beast Boy! Aquagirl! Ready to go?”

You gave a quick smile. “On it.” You unbuckle your harness and the dome unlatched, allowing you to swim out. Beast Boy gave a mischievous smirk.

“Dude, I was born ready. Try not to be jealous.” He aimed the second comment at Raven, who looked at him indifferently. Beast Boy quickly swam out of his pod and transformed into a whale.

“He just put on three hundred thousand pounds. I am so jealous.” she notes sarcastically.

You and Beast Boy made silent eye contact before swimming towards the cargo ship, examining its destroyed remains. He turns into a shark to keep investigating, and you follow his lead. You couldn’t help but feel that you were being watched, as you swam around the ship. Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you see a green figure; not a bright green like Beast Boy’s but a sicker, murkier green. You point at the green man as he swam away, and you and Beast Boy immediately bolt after it, the T-sub following behind.

Your black scuba shoes propelled you forward, and you aimed blasts of water towards the figure, but it kept dodging your shots. The monster, whom you now assumed was Trident, fired his weapon at you and Beast Boy, and when you dodged, it hit the T-sub. You forced yourself to continue to chase after Trident, hoping that the vessel was also capable of dodging his shots.

You and Beast Boy were nearing close to catching Trident when a voice rang in your head. It wasn’t yours, nor Beast Boy’s; it was clear, belonging to someone no older than you were.

“Your friends are in danger.” you heard. You and Beast Boy both stopped in your tracks, looking at each other in shock. You realized that the T-sub was no longer following you.

“Our friends are in what? Whoa! How did you say that? Dude! How did I say that? Hey!” Beast Boy also says in your mind. You turn to see the T-sub being attacked, and shot off without waiting for Beast Boy.

“Dude, questions are for later! Let’s go!” You order, not even entirely sure how you were able to talk either. You approach the vessel, which was being destroyed by Trident, who you swore you were just chasing.

Suddenly, a figure knocked Trident down. Trident and the mystery person fought each other, moving so quickly that all you could see of the person was a blur of black and blue

You turn your attention to the T-sub, which was slowly sinking into a fissure on the seafloor. Water was filling up fast and a look of panic settled on your teammates faces (except Raven, who seemed to have accepted death). Your eyes glowed blue as you outstretched your arms towards the damaged vessel. Focusing on the water around the titans, you forced the leaks to cease and the descent into the fissure to stop. Your muscles burned as you kept your stance; holding the vessel in place underwater was similar to holding it up on your arms above ground. Beast Boy raced to help as you struggled to keep grip when suddenly, two whales came and carried the sub on their backs.

You let go of the ship and breathe a sigh of relief. Beast Boy sees you almost passing out and comes to your side, now in the form of a squid. Instead of comforting you, he complains about the whales' help.

"They got it? How come they got it?"

A familiar voice rang in your head again. "Because I asked for their help." The voice belonged to the guy who was fighting Trident before. He comes to your other side and supports your other arm, putting it around his neck.

"You talk to fish? Yeah right. And let go of her!"

"You guys need help, and I'm talking to you right?" He glared at Beast Boy, keeping his grip on you.

Beast Boy was about to reply when you held your hand up in front of his squid face. "Beast Boy, I'm a solid five seconds from collapsing. I'm fine with the help."

The guy in blue gave a small smile. "And it's called telepathy. Let's go."

The three of you swam into a cavern. As you entered, the T-sub was floating on the water's surface and although it was extremely damaged, it managed to keep your teammates safe. You nodded to Beast Boy and the other teen and they let you go as you approach the other titans.

Raven asked, "where are we?"

"My place," the mysterious teen answered. "I told the whales to bring you here."

Raven and Starfire both blushed and gave bashful thank yous. You stared at them. Are they… in love with the new guy???, you thought, confused.

Beats Boy seemed angrier than ever. "He saved you?" He yelled, turning back into his human form. "Hel-lo? I was there too, you know."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "Were you? Because if anything I remember Aquagirl keeping us from drowning. What, you stopped Trident from kebabbing us with that souped up shrimp fork?"

"Way to go!" Robin said sarcastically. Beast Boy stuttered a response, but the blue teen interrupted.

"Aquagirl, huh? Well, I'm Aqualad. Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier, we Atlanteans like to keep a low profile."

You shake his hand, now taking in what Aqualad looked like. He was half a foot taller than you, with slicked back hair and black pupils. He wore a bodysuit with blue scales and black accents. He had nice features, but you couldn't figure out why the other girls were drooling over him, so you kept that thought to yourself.

"You're from Atlantis? That's so cool!" You say.

He nodded. "So is Trident." He opens up a hologram from a table in the cavern. "He's the worst criminal in Atlantis, with an ego to match."

He continues a sideshow filled with pictures of the sickly green monster. "Trident claims he's perfect in every way so he thinks he can do whatever he wants."

"Any ideas what he wants to do with all that toxic waste?" Robin asked.

"Whatever it is, it'll be bad for both our worlds. He's already gained some kind of new power. It's like he can be everywhere at once." Aqualad says.

"Noticed that," Raven says sarcastically.

"As long as we're after the same guy, maybe we can help each other." He looks at the six of you.

Your eyes sparkle. "Of co-" you begin, but Beast Boy pushed you out of the way.

"Whoa, hey, no, we're good. Got the whole Trident thing under control. 'Sides, I'm sure there's a school of minnows somewhere that need your--" He rejects Aqualad's offer, much to you and the other's dismay. Robin pulls him back, and the six of you group huddled.

"We're at the bottom of the ocean," Raven notes.

"Our sub is Swiss cheese." Cyborg adds.

"I almost died back there," You say.

"And we cannot breathe water," Starfire mentions.

Robin is the first to break away from the huddle. "We'll take any help you can give us." He says to Aqualad.

Aqualad nods and has some amphibian guy named Tramm fix the T-sub. He turns back to us. "While he's helping you, I'll track down Trident. " He turns to go into the ocean again, but Beast Boy intersects.

"You mean I'll track down Trident," He says, pushing him a little

Aqualad pushes him back a little harder. "That's ok, I can handle it."

"Thanks, but I think I should do this."

"Seriously, I can take care of it!"

The five of you watched as their quarrel turned into an all out brawl, and suddenly you couldn't take it anymore.

"GUYS," You yell, causing a wall of water to shoot up next to them to grab their attention. They both stared at you wide eyed. "Stop. The. Fighting." You say with a stern expression.

"Why don't you two both go track him down together?" Robin offers, but the two teens cross their arms and scoff.

"I usually work alone." Aqualad says.

"Yeah. Me too."

"You do not! You're part of a team!"

"And you hang out with Tramm the fish boy! What's your point?"

"Hey! Arguing isn't going anywhere. Listen, Aquagirl can go with you. That'll make sure you stay on task." Robin commands, and you perk up at the sound of your name. You quickly pulled him aside.

"What the hell man?? They obviously don't like each other, you should have seen how much they fought on the way here!." You argue, and Robin looks at you through his masked eyes.

"You're the only other person who can survive underwater, they're gonna need you. Besides, you're great at handling conflicts; you'll be fine." He says with a smile. You blush a little at his comment, and sighed.

"Alright Rob, you can count on me” You return to the rest of the group and the three of you jump into the ocean.

As you headed towards the bottom of the ocean, you decided to ask Aqualad a question that's been bothering you.

“Hey Aqualad,” you say telepathically. “Before you said that you were able to communicate with sea animals. How come you’re able to communicate with me?”

“I don’t know actually,” Aqualad admits, still swimming next to you. He points to your necklace. “I’m guessing it's because of your necklace.” He stops to examine it. Beast Boy groans and stops as well. It glowed a little in his hand as he read the ancient text off of it.

“The Shell of Poseidon,” He read out loud. “I recognize this from the library in Atlantis. Only Atlanteans can use its powers, so you must be Atlantean then, right?”

“Woah! I’m not Atlantean, I’ve never even been there,” you sputter, absolutely shocked at what the teen said.

“Well, you must have some blood in you,” he shrugged. “Hey, maybe we’re cousins or something.”

You grin. “Aquacousin? I like the sound of that!”

Beast Boy interrupts your moment. “Ok, haha, family is fun and all, but while you were floating around finding out parts of your identity or whatever, I’ve actually found something on my sonar so, try to keep up.” He swims off, leaving you two to follow him. You expected to see the sea monster, but instead came upon a group of dolphins.

“No offense B.B. but these don't look like Trident to me.” you smirk.

Aqualad swims up to the dolphins, focusing on his telepathy. The dolphins swim up together and Aqualad turns to you and Beast Boy.

“They told me where to find Trident. Try to keep up.” He mocks Beast Boy, then swims with the dolphins. You look at Beast Boy, who seemed pretty grumpy, and turn to follow Aqualad.

You tailed behind as the two boys raced each other, Beast Boy turning into various aquatic creatures to catch up with the equally competitive teen. Then you see it. In front of them, Trident swam into view. You and Aqualad stop on instinct, but Beast Boy keeps going.

"Beast Boy! Stop!" You both yell, as he barrels straight towards Trident.

"What's the matter?" He taunts. "Am I too fast for y-"

You winced as you watched him crash into the sea monster and fall to the floor.

"Heh… how's it going," Beast Boy says telepathy to the monster towering over him. Trident growled.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself, you inferior fool!" He pointed his well, trident at beast boy and fires; Beast Boy barely dodges it.

Aqualad tackles Trident and they fall off an underwater ridge.

"Oh no you! This time he's mine!" Beast Boy yells, following Aqualad to the ridge.

"Beast Boy wai-" you yell, but was cut off by something grazing the side of your head. You turn, and see Trident swing his weapon at you. You dodged his next swing, wondering how he was able to get to you right after being attacked by Aqualad. You send him flying across the ocean with your water powers, when you hear Beast Boy yelling. You turn to see Beast Boy in squid form latched onto Aqualad's face. You could see Trident swim away from the corner of your eye as you swam to pull Beast Boy off of Aqualad. Aqualad glares at Beast Boy, his face peppered with red dots from Beast Boy's accidental attack.

“I said, ‘incoming’” he defends himself. Aqualad ignores him and points to another figure swimming into a grotto.

“He’s getting away!” Aqualad swims away, Beast Boy following.

“Wait-” you say, confused. Didn't you just send Trident flying in the other direction? How did he move so quickly? You reluctantly followed your friends into the cavern. You joined them as they observed the two tunnels that split off into two different directions.

“What are we gonna do now?” you think out loud.

“Maybe the question is where were you guys?” Aqualad snaps, turning to the two of you. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion while Beast Boy swims forward to be face to face with Aqualad.

“Where was I? Fighting Trident by myself!” He jabbed a squid tentacle into Aqualads shoulder.

“You barely laid a tentacle on him! At least I managed to break his weapon!”

“Dude, that's just wrong. I so broke that fork thing!”

“BOYS!” you yell. “I also fought Trident and I sent him in the opposite direction, and now he's here. There's something going on…” The two began to think, but then perked their heads up. They then point at opposite tunnels.

“There he goes!” they yell at the same time. You stare at the two of them in even deeper confusion. Beast boy swims up to you, making eye contact.

“I saw him! He's that way! I'm right, he's wrong! End of story!” He crosses his tentacles. Aqualad pushes Beast Boy aside so that you were now staring at his dark pupils.

"I'm telling you, he's this way!"

"GUYS, we can just split up," You say flatly, pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration. "Aqualad I'm sure you can handle yourself, so I'll go with Beast Boy."

"Aw sweet!- Heyyy…" Beast Boy says to your backhanded comment. Aqualad nods and swims off into the tunnel.

You and Beast Boy were alone in the tunnel when you sighed.

"B.B., why do you keep picking fights with Aqualad?" You asked, still looking ahead. Beast Boy turns to you, acting shocked.

"ME??? It's not my fault Mr. Pretty-Boy-Know-It-All keeps showing off!" He whines.

"Dude, he's just trying to help us. Maybe you should-" you were cut off by a loud booming voice.

"Worthless scum! You cannot beat perfection!" Trident bellowed from behind you. You and Beast Boy turned, already in a fighting position.

"How many of you fork things do you have?" He mumbled as you charged forward.

You dodged his energy bolts, Trident in return dodging your attempts to push him farther back. Beast Boy turns into a turtle, pulling his arms and legs inside. Trident threw his weapon and it bounced off of him, flying into you and sending the two of you hurtling through the water.

"I always win!" You hear him say as you regain your stance. Beast Boy turns into a giant crab, grabbing onto Trident's weapon.

"And I thought Aqualad had a big ego!" He yelled telepathically.

"BEAST BOY GET BACK!" You yell. He swiftly let go, and you shot a jet of water towards Trident, sending him flying into a cavern wall. The cavern shakes, and a mass of boulders come crashing down. All you could see was a crushed trident sticking out from under the rocks. You breathed a sigh of relief until you felt a searing pain in your leg. You look and see a burn mark; Trident probably hit you before you buried him in a pile of rocks. Beast Boy looks at you, a worried expression in his eyes (despite being in the form of an ocean animal).

“I’ll be fine,” you grimace. “Let's find a way out first.” You painstakingly swim until you find a cave similar to Aqualads. You drag yourself towards the land as Beast Boy turns back into his human form. Right after you pull yourself up, you see Aqualad jump out of the water. He sees the two of you, and runs to meet up with you. He and Beast Boy begin to talk at the same time.

“ I just saw Trident!... No, you didn't!... Yes, I did! Cut it out!”

“I don’t care what you say! I fought Trident!” Beast Boy yelled, a vein nearly jumping out of his forehead.

"That's impossible!" Aqualad counters, his fists clenched so tight you thought you saw blood.

They both seemed to be prepared to fight each other. You jumped in between them, holding both their heads back as they flail their arms, trying to get a hit at each other.

"You know," You begin, silencing the two boys. "When Robin asked me to join you guys, I didn't want to. You two are heroes that just met each other and you were already fighting! But he told me that I could handle it and he's right! I can handle the both of you; but it seems to me that you guys can't handle each other. So here's what's gonna happen: I'm gonna heal myself because oh right! I got BURNT and you two are gonna talk it out." You let go of the boys, and they watched as you limped over to the edge of the water, plopped yourself down, and started pulling the ocean water to your leg. You listened in a little as you concentrated the water on your leg. It only took a few seconds to heal your burn, it was only surface level and you had gotten better at using your healing powers. They were still talking as you noticed what was in front of you: hundreds of Trident clones and yellow Trident capsules-eggs attached to the ceiling.

"Uh guys…" you say, rejoining them, but they had seen it too.

"One Trident is bad…" Aqualad says.

"... but this is…" Beast Boy adds.

"... an entire …" You say.

"...ARMY!" One of the tridents finishes your thought.

They all charge, and the three of you brace or impact. You raise your arms and a wave of water takes out a small group of the monster clones. You dodge their attacks, shooting jets of water at their heads. You see Beast Boy get flung into a machine, and an egg hatching sequence begins on the screen. You regroup with the other boys in front of the machine.

"Oops," Beast Boy said sheepishly.

"Great," Aqualad groaned as the clones began to close in.

"We need a plan," You mumble.

A group of the clones began to speak.

"My brilliant plan is already a success"

"If one of me was perfect…"

"Why not make more?"

"You can never have too much of a good thing"

"Once my army conquers Atlantis…"

"I will declare war on the surface world! Everyone on the planet will bow down before me"

"And praise my perfection!"

Aqualad whispers to the both of you as the clones cheer. "Any bright ideas?"

Beast Boy whispered back. "Just one. Try to keep up." He turned to the clones. "So if you're all perfect, which one of you is the best?" He asked.

One of the tridents answered. "I am!... Huh?"

As soon as you understood what Beast Boy was doing, you grinned. Aqualad stepped up.

"Come on. You can't all be the best." He says.

"One of you must be better than the others," You add.

One of the tridents step forward. "I am the original!I am the best!"

"You are not the original"

"I am!" Multiple tridents yell at once.

"Nonsense you inferior fools! I am perfect! I am Trident! "

You watch in amusement as the clones turn on each other and the fight turns into a full on brawl. The fight eventually ends, and all the tridents laid on the ground, defeated. Aqualad turns to Beast Boy.

"Great idea," He says. You noticed that there were no hints of sarcasm in his voice. Whatever they said to each other earlier must have made them work better together, you figured.

"Kinda got it from you," Beast Boy says."Now we just have to stop those from hatching." He points to the yellow pod filled ceiling. Right as he said that, the screen on the machine behind you hit 0 on the timer and the word "begin" flashed on the screen.

"Too late!" The three of you yelled at the same time. New Trident clones were breaking through their membrane "eggs". Beast Boy instinctively turns into a hippopotamus and tramples the crowd, creating a path to the ocean. You and Aqualad sprint behind Beast Boy, dodging the clones' outstretched arms. You all dive into the water, the Tridents close behind.

"We can't let them escape! We need to find some way of sealing the exit!" Aqualad yells telepathically.

"Right now, I'm just worried about getting to the exit." Beast Boy replies. You didn't look back, but you could feel the clones closing in. As you got closer to the exit you saw a familiar looking silhouette.

"The T-sub!" You exclaimed as you swam out of the cave. The clones stop in their tracks in confusion.

"Huh?" You hear one of them say.

You moved out of the way as the sub sent beams towards the entrance of the cave. The Blast caused a pile of rubble to fall, blocking the exit. You smile at your team who's cheering (along with Aqualad’s friend Tramm) inside their pods. The three of you turn bad to observe the T-sub’s work.

“Good thing Trident likes himself so much, 'cause I'm thinking he won't see anybody else for a looong time.” Beast Boy says.

You find yourself on the surface again, on the shore of the Titan’s Tower. Raven and Starfire both continue to look at Aqualad with heart eyes as Robin steps forward.

“Consider yourself an honorary titan” he says with a smile, holding out a familiar black and yellow communicator for him to take. “We couldn't have done it without you. Thanks.”

“Right back at you. It's good to know there's people up here I can trust.” Aqualad looks at you and Beast boy. He says goodbye to Raven and Starfire, who blushingly say it back. He then turns to Beast Boy.

“What can I say, dude? You're the best.” Beast Boy says.

“Nah. You're the best.”

“Yeah, you're right. And if you ever want me to prove it, I'm always up for a race.”

“Just try and keep up.” Aqualad laughs, patting his head. He finally turned to you.

“Aquagirl, it's been really nice to meet you. Next time you’re near Atlantis, give me a call and I’ll show you around. There's so much to show you,” he stretched out his hand for a handshake, but you pulled him in for a hug. He was surprised at your gesture, but soon returned it. Raven and Starfire looked at you with pure envy as you pulled back with a smile.

“I’ll take your word for it, Aquacousin” you say, making a reference to your nickname for him earlier. He laughs, then waves goodbye. The six of you wave back as he swims back into the ocean. Robin gently put his hand on your shoulder.

“You did a great job today Aquagirl. I knew I could count on you.”

“You know you can always count on me, dude.” you say with a smile. “Now I’m kinda hungry. Anyone up for pizza?”

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co