#or at least inconvenient and upsetting things

[dumbassacademia]

When I was in high school all the incoming students had to do this thing where we were in special “pride time” classes (sort of like a study hour ig but like 30min) and on fridays like once a month we would have upperclassman assigned to our specific class and who would do some activity with us to teach us about life or whatever and then when I was an upperclassman I was one of those people so for background the activity I’m about to talk about was one that I did Several times throughout high school

Anyway the thing was there were like 8 signs that would be randomly given to kids in the class and they said like teacher, ceo, doctor, teenager, custodian, rockstar, athlete and something else I can’t remember but it doesn’t really matter (maybe research scientist?)

And then you were supposed to have different kids choose to line the people up in order of most importance to society

And like obviously there was lots of back and forth and that was the point, that everyone had different perspectives on importance and what society is about and whatever but I always put the custodian first and then would get so fucking annoyed because like literally every time someone would sort of like, accuse me of just saying that to seem woke or whatever? Like they’d be like “yeah okay of course but like seriously” and I always had to sort of half defend myself while also not bringing the whole class/conversation to a standstill (a common challenge of mine, I talk a lot)

Anyway the end point of the activity was to then have the people holding the signs all stand in a circle and hold hands because they’re all equally important and no one is better than anyone else just because of what they do or who they are

But I still think I’m right

[numetalkids]

*inhales*.....................DEEP SIGH

[uisceb]

Okay I want to talk about this moment between Morrible and Glinda for a sec because it adds such a wonderfully sinister layer to a scene that is otherwise a triumphant defining moment for Elphaba, and it sets up the dynamics for Part 2 so perfectly.

At this point, we are in the thick of “Defying Gravity.” Everyone’s attention is on Elphaba - and rightfully so, she’s up there declaring war on the Wizard, displaying incredible feats of magic, of course everyone’s attention is on her.

…Everyone, except Morrible.

Morrible has realized that Plan A was a bust, but rather than panicking, she’s already worked over Plans B through Z in her head and has realized that Glinda, not Elphaba, is actually the key figure here. Glinda is actually the best thing that could have happened to them.

Mind you, Morrible hates Glinda. She thinks Glinda is vapid and attention-seeking and completely without talent. It would be extremely easy for her to brand Glinda as an accomplice to Elphaba, have the guards drag her off, imprison her, never have to deal with her again, nice and neat.

Instead, while everyone else is focused on Elphaba, Morrible only has eyes for Glinda. She zeroes in on her, releases her, and comforts her, because she understands what no one else understands, which is that yes, that’s great that the Wizard now has an enemy to unify his people against, but they also need a symbol of hope, something that is the exact antithesis to Elphaba, something to keep everyone at extremes. 

The Wizard himself can’t really be a symbol of hope, because the key to his success is that he remains shrouded in mystery, and yes people think he’s wonderful, but there’s a level of uncertainty and intimidation to him. He is Oz the Great and Terrible, and everyone’s preeeeeetty sure he’s a good guy, but if you have someone like Elphaba out there - who Morrible knows from experience is very smart, very articulate, and has her own sort of magnetism - there’s a potential that she could turn at least enough people against the Wizard to make things very inconvenient.

So what they need, now that they have an enemy, is to have an equally magnetic figurehead representing the Wizard who embodies all these one-dimensional ideas of goodness, someone for the public to adore and fawn over so the association between Wizard and Goodness is crystal clear.

And by bringing Glinda along, Elphaba has unknowingly served that figurehead up on a platter.

Glinda is everything Elphaba isn’t, from personality, to appearance - Morrible has already set Elphaba up by calling her green skin an “outward manifestorium of her twisted nature,” which paves the way for Glinda, who is the perfect conventional beauty, to be an “outward manifestorium” of pure goodness. 

Morrible realizes they need these two lightning rods of Absolute Evil and Absolute Good in order to manipulate people - fear alone isn’t enough; the only way to effectively radicalize the populace is to make sure there is no gray area whatsoever, no room for question: you're either good, or you’re evil. And the Wizard alone isn’t a strong enough representation of “goodness” when by virtue of existing, he has to remain in the shadows. Glinda on the other hand? With her looks and her charm and her openness and her ability to expertly win over a crowd? Perfect for the role.

Now the tricky part for Morrible is taking into consideration that Glinda and Elphaba love each other. But we also know from earlier scenes that Morrible is a master at manipulating emotions. Right from the start when Elphaba is having trouble with her magic, Morrible casually brings up the “Animals should be seen and not heard” disturbance from class, spoon-feeding her just enough to get Elphaba upset, triggering her magic, after which Morrible makes sure to give her assurance and praise to keep Elphaba optimistic about her power.

She’s also aware that Glinda does have quite a bit of influence over Elphaba, because when Elphaba flees, Morrible immediately tasks her with winning her over, rather than simply relying on the guards or even going after Elphaba herself. She knows if anyone has a chance at roping Elphaba back in, it's Glinda.

Obviously, Glinda isn’t successful in getting her back, but while this puts a dent in Morrible’s plans to get control of Elphaba, it does give her an extra weak spot to exploit in Glinda.

So now, at the height of “Defying Gravity” when Elphaba has officially taken her stand against them, Morrible sees Glinda, and Glinda is at her most vulnerable, her most emotionally fragile. Not only is she heartbroken and in shock, she’s also just witnessed in real time exactly how easy it is to turn an entire nation against someone. She’s scared, she’s powerless. She’s just lost the love of her life her only friend, she has no one to turn to - Morrible has definitely picked up on the fact that even though Glinda has countless people who fawn over her, none of them can be considered a true friend except for Elphaba, which means Glinda is completely isolated. Glinda also has a very limited understanding of the bigger picture of what the Wizard is trying to accomplish, and because she’s never been a victim of the system the way Elphaba has, she is still desperately clinging to the idea that everything will be okay as long as she plays by the rules of the people in power.

She has been perfectly primed for Morrible to begin manipulating, not through violence or intimidation, but by offering her comfort when no one else would - when not even Glinda’s only friend would - when no one else is even paying attention to Glinda, because they have the very real and present threat of Elphaba quite literally hanging over them. In this moment, Morrible chooses Glinda, which Glinda has been striving for since the beginning. Elphaba has chosen her principles, the Wizard has chosen his enemy, but Morrible has chosen Glinda, and in this moment of being so alone and so afraid and so betrayed, that makes all the difference.

We also get kind of a parallel shot too - Elphaba really sealed her fate the second her hand closed around the broom. But here, Glinda seals her fate when she gives in and reciprocates Morrible’s hold on her.

THIS is the moment that sets us up for Part 2, with Elphaba and Glinda as our lightning rods for Absolute Evil and Absolute Good, but more to the point, it makes it clear that they’ve BOTH been used, they’ve BOTH played right into these respective roles Morrible and the Wizard need in order to be successful - even if it wasn’t how Morrible originally planned for things to go.

I just love it, because “Defying Gravity” is Elphaba’s song - it’s triumphant, and it’s heartbreaking, and it’s everything a defining moment should be for a character. But by injecting this little moment between Morrible and Glinda into the scene, we also get an underlying current of dread because we know we’re about to see the consequences of Elphaba’s defiance versus Glinda’s compliance and how both serve to benefit the Wizard/Morrible’s propaganda.

TL;DR - when I said "I want to talk about this scene between Morrible and Glinda for a sec" I clearly meant "I'm gonna write a whole essay. Like a nerd."

[wholemeallbread]

... TOXIC BOYFRIENDS AND EXES / ꩜

with ... nagi seishiro, itoshi rin, isagi yoichi x gn!reader

warnings ... cheating (rin), fem love interest (rin), lying (rin, isagi), parental issues-ish (isagi), nagi is just a bum (nagi), tiny emotional manipulation (isagi)

part one reo, sae, oliver

"SHE'S JUST A FRIEND" ꩜ ITOSHI RIN

you've known for quite a while that rin has had a... worrying childhood, to say the least. you're also aware that someone else has been his guiding light through his early teens, but is now long gone in the past. or that's what you thought. rin has been silent after hearing the news that his childhood "friend" recently moved back into town, but it's obvious that something else is going on.

especially when he's been visiting a certain house multiple times per week without telling you.

you've been aware of it for longer than he thinks. the moment you texted him "where are you?" instead of asking him to come home, he switched off sharing his location for good. he'll tell you he's just on a jog, but he's said it himself that he doesn't like bringing his phone because its too heavy. it becomes obvious when she starts coming to his games, waving and catching all of his attention while wearing one of his jerseys. you would know, because you accidentally stained one of them when you wore it.

even worse when his own brother that was miles away texted you, asking if you and rin were together. how did he even get your number? and why did rin not tell him you were already years deep into a relationship? oh, rin said he's stuck between the person he loves and the person he trusts? well, that shouldn't really be a question, should it? he should love and trust you, why is there somebody else that he could "pick"?

the break up was mutual. you could tell he was upset about it, but not as much as you, and you wonder why... maybe it's because he ended up in a relationship with said childhood friend only days later. you don't mean to pry in their business, but it's hard not to when you realise everywhere they go together, you've been with him before. this time, he's holding her hand, he's not hiding from the camera, he's smiling. rin has never smiled for you before. it hurts, it really hurts, but you're glad he didn't let things drag on. at least there's something left for you in his heart.

if he didn't love you in the first place, he should've just let you know from the beginning. it seems like you were some sort of test subject for his future.

BABY SYNDROME ꩜ NAGI SEISHIRO

nagi always puts in the bare minimum. you figured "maybe he puts in more effort for things he's passionate about?". well, one certainly is football; all of a sudden he has enough stamina to run a marathon and actually use his strength. since you're dating, he's passionate about you too, right?

keep lying to yourself. it's always you reaching out first, it's always you having to go to his house, it's always you waiting outside of his classrooms. on more than one occasion have you called him, been ignored under the thesis of "i'm too tired to talk, maybe tomorrow." and then being left on delivered for the next twenty four hours. and the cycle repeats over, and over, and over again. the last thing you wanted to end up being was a second reo (sorry to him, he's a lost cause) but when you're having to put his socks on for him like a toddler, unwillingly after he begs for help, that's where you draw the line. he's not a grandpa, and he's not sore. why would he need help?

it was unsurprisingly easy to break up with him. he let you go with ease, and it's not like he was going to argue to make him stay. one less person makes one less hassle, right? afterwards, it's inconvenience after inconvenience for him. now nobody wakes him up in the morning, or helps him with his missing homework, or does all of the work on group assignments so he can go "train". who's going to cook for him now? because it's not you or reo, and ordering takeaway is too much work.

nagi texted you to ask to get back together. you asked why. he said "it makes both of our lives easier". hell no.

MAMA'S BOY ꩜ ISAGI YOICHI

isagi is such a good boyfriend. honestly, you wouldn't be surprised if he was the one you ended up marrying. he's sweet, his parents are sweet, everything was perfect. was perfect.

you don't know where or when you messed up, but isagi's mom doesn't seem to like you that much anymore. was it how you got awkward and didn't know how to respond? no, usually his dad helps you through conversations. were you a bad influence? no, surely not. isagi knows his own standards, and sometimes his attitude is worse than yours.

nowadays, isagi looks a bit nervous when you ask to come over. your usual routine together was completely disrupted. you can tell he's subtly avoiding you or keeping conversations brief. he doesn't even hold your hand when you're walking around school anymore. this man willingly used to sprint from your period to the other side of the school just to make sure you got to your class safely, and now, nothing. and why is he wiping his hands with disgust when he's the one sweating buckets? he would've apologised if it was his fault, so it's something to do with you.

"hey, so... my mom doesn't want us together..." well, excuse you? he's stuttering, trying to come up with excuses, but you don't even want to hear them. having your healthy relationship broken up by his mom? and what if you married him hypothetically? would he willingly divorce if his mom said to do it? you know he still loves you, judging from his longing glances and half smiles in your direction. you know it wasn't completely his decision. but if he really loved you, then creating a barrier between the two of you when she wasn't even around didn't make sense at all. he would risk his life for you, but not disobey her loose commands.

on some random important day, valentines or whatever, he tries to ask you out. he wants to "start over". can you even be angry when he looks so remorseful? coupled with flowers, your favourite sweet treats and everything... oh, you swear you can see tears in his eyes. maybe you'll think about it.

[monogamia]

੭⠀ Some short scenarios of them seeing you wearing “someone else’s” jacket.

⋆⠀AUTHOR'S NOTES: Caleb’s part can be a little ooc since I still don’t know much about how he is after the accident.

⋆⠀FEATURING: Xavier, Rafayel, Zayne, Sylus, Caleb.

⋆⠀WARNING: English is not my first language, so it may contain some mistakes.

Linkon isn’t exactly a cold city, especially not in the spring. Maybe it was the wind or the rain that always threatened to fall but never came, but you felt as if even your bones were freezing. And precisely because it wasn’t a cold season, you hadn’t brought any coat to layer over your uniform.

Your only option was to wear the winter uniform jacket provided by the Hunter Association. They were ugly, made from fabric not as good as the uniform itself, and certainly oversized, given they came in a single, standard size for everyone. And so, you did just that—grabbed it from your locker and went outside to wait for your ride.

If you had waited inside, you might not have had to wear that jacket, but you didn’t want to be more inconvenient than you already felt by having someone drive you home. You wanted to delay them as little as possible.

𝜗ৎ ⠀⠀XAVIER

For someone so calm, he got pretty temperamental when he saw you wearing a coat that was definitely not yours—or so he thought, at least. It was almost funny how he didn’t realize it was just the standard Hunter jacket for cold days.

As soon as you walked out of the building, Xavier was already in front of it, scrolling through his phone. When he heard the click of your heels, he looked up and opened his mouth to speak, but his brows furrowed as his eyes fell on the jacket you were wearing. You found it odd that he didn’t smile when he saw you.

“It’s not that cold.” he said, though he quickly realized he had sounded rude. “That jacket doesn’t look comfortable. Where’s yours?”

You blinked, giving him a smile to mask your confusion. “This one is mine.” Xavier didn’t seem convinced, his hands moving to unzip his jacket. “I forgot my favorite one at home, so I had to wear the uniform jacket.” He paused for a moment, nodded, and then proceeded to take off his own and hand it to you.

𝜗ৎ ⠀⠀RAFAYEL

He’s so obvious about how he feels—it’s as if the mere sight of the coat is a personal offense to his existence. Rafayel wants you out of that crime against fashion as soon as possible. His eye even twitched when he saw you walking out wearing that thing.

“Very kind of whoever lent you this… thing, but what poor taste. We can’t exactly call it pretty, can we?” he said, letting out a dry laugh as he opened the car door for you to get in.

He didn’t even wait for you to explain, simply getting in and closing the door as soon as you sat down. As the driver began the route, Rafayel turned toward you. “Do me a favor?” His hand took yours and guided it to the hem of his shirt, making you hold it while he pulled off his sweater.

You raised an eyebrow, but he ignored you, holding the sweater out for you to take. “It’s definitely more comfortable than what you’re wearing.”

Although you accepted and removed the jacket to slip on his sweater, you couldn’t resist poking fun at him. “You do know this is mine, right?”

“That atrocity?” He glanced at the jacket now sitting in his lap and smiled. “Then I must say, I thought you had better taste than this.”

𝜗ৎ ⠀⠀ZAYNE

Zayne was checking his watch when he heard you greet him, and his response came two seconds late as his eyes landed on what you were wearing. But he didn’t say anything. And he didn’t plan to, either. After all, why would he be upset about you trying to avoid catching a cold…? That was the excuse he used to sweep away the hint of jealousy stirring inside him.

He opened the car door for you to get in, then walked around to the driver’s seat. Meanwhile, you kept chatting away. You knew there were times when he preferred listening to speaking, but he was even quieter than usual.

“Are you cold?” he asked, his hand moving instinctively toward the car’s heater, but you shook your head. Once again, Zayne took a deep breath and nodded, though the unease lingered.

Halfway through the ride, you took off the jacket, folded it, and placed it on your lap, as the temperature inside the car wasn’t chilly—even though the heater remained off.

When you arrived at your house, he got out first to open the door for you, and as soon as you stepped out, you felt something being draped over your shoulders—his overcoat.

“You don’t need to bother, Zayne. I’m already almost inside—” you tried to argue, but he only gave a barely perceptible smile and ignored your words.

𝜗ৎ ⠀⠀SYLUS

He almost burst out laughing when he saw you approaching, completely ignoring how embarrassed you looked. “Whose thing is that—?”

“I told you to wait at the end of the street, not right in front of the building. Are you trying to get arrested…?” you muttered, while he just bit his lip, trying to hold back the grin already spreading across his face. Still, a flicker of irritation crossed his mind at the thought that someone else might’ve had the chance to offer you a jacket before he did. “And stop laughing! It’s getting cold.”

You reached out for the helmet, but he didn’t hand it over. Instead, he placed it on the seat of the bike and turned around. Taking off his own jacket, he held it out to you. “I’m sure mine’s better than that one.” As much as it hurt your pride, he was right, and you didn’t refuse the offer. “Seriously, to lend someone something of such poor quality…”

“Lend?” you raised an eyebrow as you slipped on his jacket. “Oh. It wasn’t lent—this jacket’s mine.” Sylus smirked, finally handing you the helmet.

“Guess the hunter salary isn’t paying much these days, huh?” he quipped. “I’ve got an opening for a secretary if you’re interested.”

𝜗ৎ ⠀⠀CALEB

“Who?” was the first thing he asked, his eyes locking with yours before dropping down to the piece of clothing. He uncrossed his arms, his hand reaching out to pinch the fabric.

“It’s mine. Part of the winter uniform,” you said with a smile. Caleb mirrored it, the corners of his lips lifting just slightly.

He draped an arm over your shoulder as he guided you to where he had parked the car. “It’s way too big for you.” His tone was friendly, though you couldn’t help but sense a hint of bitterness in his words.

“It’s one-size-fits-all. I forgot mine at home, so I had to use this one.” Caleb nodded, and the two of you continued chatting as usual.

“This isn’t the right street,” you pointed out when he passed the turn that would lead to your house.

“We’re shopping first,” he said, giving you a quick glance before focusing back on the road. “We need to buy you some new clothes.”

[ghostfacd]

YES I KNOW THAT HE’S MY EX! | TOM BLYTH

pairing. tom blyth x fem!actress!reader

summary. you knew tom was your ex, and that you should probably stay away, but that’s never stopped you before

part 1 | installment of this au (please read for more context!)

ynuser :)

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user1 im loving the aesthetic

user2 THE BIKINI TOP IS SO CUTE

user3 put them toes awayyyy

rachelzegler i pay attention to things that most people ignore (this isn’t your car.)

➥ user4 PLEASE?? not rachel using yn’s own lyrics on her

➥ user5 IS THIS TOM’S CAR??

user6 i may be delulu but those r tom blyth’s mfing hands.

user7 he has her hair tie on; i repeat, tom blyth literally has yn’s hair tie on

When Tom had messaged you saying he wanted to talk, no matter how much you knew it was a bad idea, you decided to agree to it anyway.

The breakup had ended pretty badly. Although it was an agreement between you and Tom, that didn’t mean that’s what the both of you truly wanted.

The reason the two of you broke up in the first place was that Tom was talking too much about your future, which wasn’t a bad thing — but it overwhelmed you. You weren’t ready to settle down, not yet, at least. You and Tom had only been dating for a few months, and although it was all sweet and loving, you knew that getting engaged this early was like asking for a disaster to strike.

He was upset. Clearly. He loved you, you loved him, so why was it such an inconvenience for you to agree to take the leap in your relationship? That caused a blown out argument between you two, and by the end of it, you had agreed breaking up was the right thing.

You had a acting and music career to focus on, and Tom had an acting career that was just at the beginning of its success. You felt that it wasn’t right to put a distraction into his life.

“Is this a bad idea?” You ask breathlessly as you pull away from the kiss. You can’t help but stare into Tom’s eyes, which held a language of their own.

“Maybe,” he says, wiping the corner of your mouth. “But who cares?”

Who cares. Right. Well surely, it was a bad idea to meet up with your ex, much less kiss him, and although alarms were baring in your head that you probably shouldn’t—you go in for a second kiss, this time, Tom doesn’t let you go, cradling you close to his body.

“I don’t care if you don’t want to take the next step in our relationship, I’m fine if you’re not ready yet. I just want you, okay?”

And how could any girl possibly reject Tom Blyth when he’s begging so prettily? Certainly not you.

tomblyth and ynuser both posted an instagram story !

ynsbiggestfan THE GIRLS AND I AFTER SEEING THE STORIES ON INSTA

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user8 IM ACTUALLY DYING BC NO WAY WAS THAT A COINCIDENCE

user9 they’re connected they cant be far away from each other

user10 she’s my Heather 💔💔

➥ user12 fr i wish tom was that inlove w me

user13 so this is why rachel said that wasn’t yn’s car

➥ user14 ITS ALL MAKING SENSE NOW

sean.kauf photo dumpy

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ynuser pic creds ?? 🤬

➥ sean.kauf 🤓🤓

user15 wait im confused, is she together with tom again or is she with sean..

user16 Ykw i cant even be mad, if i was as hot as yn, i’d have two bfs too!

➥ user17 REAL SHIIT

tomblyth fun fact: the 2nd pic is sean third wheeling after forcing me and yn to speak to each other

➥ user17 TOM CONFIRMED IT IM DEAD

user18 all the yn haters must feel stupid asf rn after accusing yn of being with sean

➥ user19 literally cause all 3 of them are literally close 😭😭 like why would sean date yn, he’s literally friends with tom

user20 if yn isn’t dating sean let me have him omg

ynuser yes i know that he’s my ex but can’t two people reconnect !!!!!

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user21 this took the cake.

user22 time to cry again bc tom blyth is off the market

user23 she got him wrapped around her finger FR

user24 THE THIRD PIC OF THEM 🥹🥹

user25 THE CAPTION OUUU GIRLY IS BRAVE

tomblyth i only see you as a friend (the biggest lie i’ve ever said)

➥ user26 I CHOKED

➥ user27 THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS ARE CRYING RN

[lovegreenie]

Love, Copycat | NSH Riki | 西村 力

synopsis. 3 times you wonder why Riki likes copying you, and the 1 time you realize why

pairing. bsf! riki x fem! reader

tags. fluff, reader is oblivious, college! au, extremely self-indulgent, reader is a bit of a nerd, Riki indulges her nerdiness… a little too much, childhood friends to almost lovers (they’re getting there), attempt at comedic narration

essie's ✉️. “Soft Spot” by Keshi inspired this (I was possessed by it while writing this actually) Also please tell me someone has this as their love language too like it’s got such a special place in my heart:( And thank you to bestie @sweethoneyjays for beta reading !!

wc. 2.9k

Copycat.

It’s what you’ve always called Riki.

It’s his contact name on your phone, it’s the name you use whenever you talk about him, and it’s the name you call out whenever any minor inconvenience graces you with its presence.

Like right now.

“Mm?” He hummed in response when you groaned out your little nickname for him, his eyes never leaving the switch in his hands as he lay sprawled across your bed. 

All you could do in that moment was let out a sigh as you went slack against the backrest of your desk chair, your head hanging from its edge while you stared at the ceiling.

“I thought I’d love it, I truly did. It's a mystery, has secret societies, a commentary on classism and misogyny; everything I love in a book,” you said as you picked up the one on your desk and looked at it with contempt, “so why can’t I get through this one? It’s barely 500 pages.” 

Riki paused his game to walk over and sit on the ottoman you keep by your desk. You handed over the book for him to check out, and he mumbled as he read the title on the cover.

“Can’t you just do your assignment on ‘Babel’? It’s the same genre, has a secret society, explores the same problems, and it’s dark academia like this one, no?” He handed the book back to you after he finished reading the synopsis.

You blinked at him.

“You’ve read… ‘Babel’? As in… 1830s Oxford, the power of translation, daddy-issues-Robin ‘Babel’?”

There was a hint of confusion and amusement behind your surprised look, and a smile tugged at the corners of your lips. You never took Riki to be a book-worm in the nine years you’ve been friends, never once saw him pick up a book if it wasn’t for school.

At this point, you were less upset with your professor’s poor literary choice for your first assignment of the term, and more so delighted by the fact that your best friend had read what is probably your all-time-favorite book by your all-time-favorite author.

Unprompted.

Riki huffed out a little laugh as he got up and plopped back onto your bed, not before annoying you with a hair ruffle though.

“Yeah well it’s the only book you’ve been carrying around since last year. You’ve even filled it up with tabs and annotations” He resumed his game as he continued to talk.

“If it was good enough for you to keep around that long after finishing it, I figured I’d give it a shot.”

You didn’t know how to respond.

A comforting silence blanketed the both of you like it usually did when you guys would hang out, the sound of his game being the only thing filling in the space between the two of you.

All you did was stare at the switch-occupied boy on your bed, thinking his answer would make sense if you did.

You stared, and you stared, and you stared,

but to no avail.

You sat up properly and turned back to face your desk, opening the book to the page you left your bookmark on, and started to read like you weren’t just complaining about it a minute ago.

“Copycat…” You murmured to yourself, your reddened cheek pressed against the palm of your hand, elbow settled down on your desk.

Riki explained himself like that was the most normal course of action ever… and you know what? Maybe it is.

For him at least.

It’s then that you realize that you really shouldn’t be surprised at this point, not when it’s happened so many times before.

It is how he earned his nickname after all.

The birth of “Copycat” happened about two years into your friendship, some time in between grades 9 and 10, with your 9th grade second semester English finals being the catalyst of it all.

You were working on your paper during lunch break, stationed in front of one of the library computers as you scribbled down notes and did your research.

“I didn’t realize watching cartoons was considered data gathering.”

You pulled out your earphones and paused the show that was playing on the monitor. The sight of Riki and his teasing smile greeted you when you turned around in your seat.

“We’re tasked to do a literary analysis, Riks,” you gestured towards the computer screen while hitting him with a deadpan look, “and this cartoon is literature.”

Your retort didn’t wipe the playful grin off his face, instead it only served to widen it. Riki sat himself in front of the computer next to yours, setting his bag down on the floor as he switched on the CPU.

“What’re you in the library for?” You asked as you put your earphones back in.

“‘M also doing my English paper.”

“On?”

“‘Weathering With You’.”

“And yet you have the audacity to come at me for watching a cartoon for my finals,” you quipped and shook your head disapprovingly, earning a soft chuckle from him. “Tsk tsk tsk.”

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just call ‘Weathering With You’ a cartoon for the sake of our friendship,” Riki feigned offense, to which you fondly rolled your eyes.

“What’s…” He leaned towards your screen for a second to get a better look, “What’s ‘Voltron’ about anyway?”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, opened a whole can of worms.

You went on a tangent about how you have a love-hate relationship with the show, about how poorly the writers treated the plot and the individual arcs of two characters, and about how the main romance was bullshitted and didn’t even make sense—a tangent that lasted 10 minutes at the very least.

You were hit with a belated sense of embarrassment by the end of your little spiel, realizing that you just kept rambling on about the what-should-have-beens of a space lion cartoon.

You were about to either apologize or thank Riki for sitting through all of that, but he did you one better by asking;

“Is it cool if I watch with you?”

You were slightly taken aback; you weren’t expecting him to ask if he could watch your silly little show with him.

That’s how you two ended up spending the rest of that day’s lunch period in the library, sharing your earphones as the rest of Voltron’s season 3 played on the computer screen, Riki’s own research for his finals be damned.

Now, how exactly did this little library watch party serve as the catalyst for “Copycat”?

Well a week later, he came up to you saying that he watched the rest of the show. You didn’t think much of it besides being happy that Riki picked up one of your interests, now getting to geek out about the show with him; but then you noticed he started doing that with every other interest you’d mention from then on out.

You found out on a random Tuesday that Riki started liking a band that you absolutely love but only mentioned in passing; you were hanging out in your house, in the middle of Just Dance, when Riki brought up getting into that one movie series you talked about the week prior; and you were walking side by side one afternoon, Bisco in between both of you, when Riki told you that he picked up a hobby of yours.

“Copycat,” you muttered for the first time, right after he told you he tried that egg tart you really like from the bakery near your high school.

It was summer break. The both of you had just gone for a couple of rides around your neighborhood on your bikes, and now you guys were sitting curbside, cooling off with popsicles.

“What? You don’t like that I like what you like?” Riki asked as he took a bite out of his tangy ice lolly, a teasing lilt in his voice.

“No no, I never said that; I’m happy you’ve been refining your taste,” you quipped back with a smirk as you licked your own treat, “but that doesn’t make you any less of a copycat.”

The humming of cicadas filled the silence between the two of you, and for a while you simply appreciated the way the trees swayed and the way speckled sunlight hit the pavement you were sitting on. 

You didn’t think about how the both of you would still carry that silly off-handed nickname years later, well into your sophomore year of uni.

You never stopped to wonder why.

Why Riki kept copying you, to be specific.

It’s not like you minded, far from that actually—though you’d never admit to that and give up the fondly annoyed front you put up with him.

You were simply curious.

And so were Jake and Sunoo, apparently.

“No, because you’d have to strap Riki to a chair if you want him to actually watch something.” Sunoo explained, exasperation laced in his voice.

“That isn’t an exaggeration, by the way,” Jake chimed in, “we had to hold him down just so he’d watch ‘Love, Rosie’ with us.”

“You’re serious?” You laughed at the thought of Riki being held down exorcist-style just for a movie.

The three of you had been doing uni work in a cafe for about two hours at that point, hunched over your laptops and lecture notes while sipping on watered down iced coffee. Your much needed study break came in the form of Riki slander.

“I honestly don’t know how you do it.” Sunoo sighed as he closed his laptop.

“Hmm?” You hummed in response, not quite sure what he was referring to.

“You know, getting Riki to do the things you like with you.”

“Yeah whenever he gets into something new or recommends something to us, we ask him how he found out about it and he’d say ‘She likes it, so I thought I’d give it a shot too.” Jake added.

“Oh-”

You didn’t really know how to answer that, because you never had to ask Riki in the first place.

“Well if I’m being completely honest, I don’t. He just…” You vaguely gestured to nothing, “does it himself lol.”

The apples of your cheeks went pink and you tried to play it off coolly by pretending to write notes down, but it was too late because Sunoo already had a knowing smile on his face.

Jake was about to ask Sunoo why he was grinning from ear-to-ear when Riki arrived, immediately sitting next to you and greeting you with a pinch on your cheek. You pretended to swat it away but made no real effort to get him off you.

“Copycat,” You greeted with a blank tone, acknowledging his arrival without having to look at him, not with your face all red.

“Hello, Shortie.” Riki greeted back with a fond smile before he turned to face the two other boys at the table, “My dear hyungs.”

Jake went in for a dap, and Sunoo just rolled his eyes.

“Why’re you late? We’ve been here for two hours already.” Sunoo scolded, though there wasn’t any real bite to his words.

“Sorry, should’ve texted you guys; Sola needed help with homework, and my older sister needed a ride to her part-time.” Riki explained as he set down a box in the middle of the table.

“I also took a detour and bought snacks for you guys.” He added as he opened the lid. You looked at the box and sure enough, it was from that bakery you mentioned to him all those years ago. The sight of the egg tarts’ golden caps and the smell of their buttery crust felt like a hug from a dear old memory.

Jake immediately grabbed a tart, and Sunoo did a little happy dance before thanking Riki (he even threw in a “you should be late all the time if you’re gonna buy us snacks like this~”)

“Oh my God these are amazing.” Sunoo groaned as soon as he took a bite, face crumpling in what looked like anger from how good the tart was.

“Where did you buy these?” Jake asked, equally as impressed by the little pastry in his hands.

“A bake shop near our old high school,” Riki answered simply.

He pulled out a tart from the box and handed it over to you, a soft smile on his lips as he glanced your way. “These tarts are her favorite, and the bakery was en route to here so…”

Riki didn’t finish his sentence, instead opting to dig into an egg tart himself as he opened up his notes and started to work.

You were too surprised by his last statement that you forgot to take a bite out of the treat in your hands.

It tasted a lot sweeter and felt a lot warmer since you’ve last eaten it. And no, it’s not because the bakery switched up their recipe.

You started to understand why; why Riki kept copying you, for that matter.

And it only took one last push in the right direction for you to fully come to your senses.

“You’re not getting anything?” Riki asked. He followed closely behind you as you browsed the shelves of the music shop you guys were in.

“Not today at least,” You answered, eyes still focused on the jewel cases in front of you, “I just wanted to check the place out to see if they’ve got any of the albums I’m looking for.”

“I saw Big Thief and The Marias back there.” Riki mentioned.

“Yeah, I did too.” You smiled.

“They’re definitely on my list; I just need a little more time to save up so I can buy a few of the CDs I want in one go.” You explained as you placed back a Sade album on the shelf. “I kinda want to have more than one album on hand with me; more variety, y’know?”

The both of you left the music shop empty-handed that day.

On a bus ride home from uni about two weeks later, Riki asks you if you’ve saved up enough to buy the albums you want.

“Not yet, almost there though,” You answer simply before sporting a cheeky smirk, “Why? Want to buy them for me instead?”

“Please, if I had that kind of money, it’d go straight to my Steam wishlist.” Riki mused.

“Ahhh yeah, Hades 2…” You sucked in a breath.

“Exactly.”

There’s a momentary silence between you two, filled up by the humming of the AC unit and the thrumming of the engine.

“Why’d you ask anyway?” You asked, looking out the window.

“Hmm? Oh- uhhh…” Riki stammered for a bit as he rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a CD before handing it over to you.

You looked at the jewel case in Riki’s hand and then at him.

“What’s this?” You asked as you slowly took it from him and scanned the front cover. 

It read, “Love, Copycat,” with a drawing of you below it.

Before he could even answer, you realised what it was.

“I uh… made you a playlist,” Riki said in a hushed and bashful tone, a contrast to his usual confident and playful demeanor. “I thought I’d make you one while you saved up for the albums you want. You seemed pretty excited about using that CD player.”

You felt a pang in your heart when you looked up to see the sincerity in Riki’s eyes and in his shy smile.

“I added all your favorites—Clairo, The Japanese House, Adrienne Lenker.” He tapped the case in your hands, and his timid grin made way for a little pride to shine through, “I even drew a little portrait of you for the cover.”

You couldn’t stop looking at Riki. You were consumed by the thought of him going through the effort of buying the blank CD and jewel case, curating the playlist, downloading the songs, burning them into the disc, and making a custom cover—a hand-drawn portrait of you.

And then it hit you, all in one go.

Oh.

I’m stupid.

All those shows he watched, those hobbies he tried, those songs he listened to—all those interests he wouldn’t have been within a 10-foot radius of if it wasn’t for you;

He wasn’t copying you.

Riki did all that for you.

To say that he tugged at your heartstrings would be the understatement of the century—he straight up yanked at them. You only realized then that Riki had your heart in the gentlest of  chokeholds, and you wished he’d never let go.

Thwack.

A flick to your forehead.

…Okay maybe you did wish he’d let go, just this once.

You rubbed the spot Riki struck as you stared daggers into him, “WHAT THE HELL MAN?”

“WHAT??? You were zoned out for ages,” Riki laughed, “had to make sure you were still alive.”

You shook your head and scoffed before your eyes landed on the jewel case in your hand, another wave of silence—this time bubbling with tension—washing over the both of you.

You hesitated for a moment, but for once everything was clear to you—how you feel, what you should do.

So you threw all caution to the wind and rested your head on Riki’s shoulder, a quiet “thanks” making its way past your lips.

Though you might’ve not seen it,  Riki bit back a smile in hopes that it would quell the pounding in his chest. Slowly, he reached for your hand and gently intertwined your fingers together.

Riki’s voice was barely above a whisper, it was only for you to hear the smile in his words.

“Took you long enough.”

[asilentsongbird]

Original post

"You have been charged with evading arrest. Do you accept the charges against you?"

You really don't know what to say. Especially since it's Neuvillette asking you.

You had been quietly, secretly dating for a few months. Neither of you were ready to talk with others about your relationship, and Neuvillette was always worried someone might use your relationship to their own advantage.

You shrug at your boyfriend, unsure of what to do. He lets out a sigh, as though this whole thing is an inconvenience. It sort of is.

He knows as well as you do that the charges won't stick. Because out of all the places you were last night, you were in the perfect place for an airtight alibi.

You were in Neuvillette's arms.

"I suppose?" you manage, feeling quite put on the spot.

It can't be helped, really. Though you had been to the Opera House before, you had never been there as a defendant. Most of the time you came here to pick Neuvillette up when he worked too late.

"Then we shall proceed."

Your shoulders slump slightly. Well, at least you'll get to see the Fortress of Meropide.

"Though typically at this time we would go over the charges and discuss evidence, I will have to intervene on this trial. The defendant could not have evaded arrest," Neuvillette said calmly, arms crossed over his chest.

To anyone else, he looks like the picture of ease. It's kind of nice being so close to Neuvillette right now, it allows only you to see the tips of his ears turn pink.

"Oh? And how can you say that?" Furina demands, looking quite upset that she isn't going to get a show.

Somehow, Neuvillette manages to stay composed as he answers, "Because she was with me last night."

Oh, poor Neuvillette looks ready to die from embarrassment. He was never going to live this down.

"I KNEW IT!"

You cover your face with your hands out of embarrassment, though it was a bit funny to see Furina leaning over the balcony of her chair, looking beyond happy that Neuvillette finally said something.

"Yes, well, if that is all, then I will dismiss this case," Neuvillette said, clearly embarrassed.

"IT MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT ALL!"

From the excited look on Furina's face, and the exasperated one on Neuvillette's, you had a feeling that this really was far from over.

Oh well, at least you don't have to keep anything a secret anymore.

[pnutbutter-n-j-elyy]

HELLOOO first off love your writing and how you write the characters!

I don't know if you requests are open or not, if they aren't then just ignore this

Can you please do a reaction of whoever you want in stray kids being used to dating gold diggers they usually pay for everything and when they don't their s/o would get mad

So when they cancel your date to a very fancy restaurant because they were sick they expected you to be mad but instead you came to his house made him soup and took care of them the whole time :))))

Plus points if they're touch starved and love having you physically babying them and play with their hair

Midas Touch | Seungmin

Seungmin x gn!reader

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Seungmin wasn’t sure what to expect when he sent the text.

He stared at his phone, the screen glowing with your contact, hesitation gnawing at him. Cancelling plans was never easy, but it was particularly hard when he thought about your excitement for tonight’s dinner. He could still remember the way your eyes lit up when he mentioned the reservation at that fancy restaurant downtown- a place he was far too familiar with, thanks to his past relationships.

Those relationships had been…transactional, to say the least. Each time, Seungmin found himself with people who seemed more interested in what he could give them than who he truly was. The constant gift-giving, the endless high-end dates- it was what they expected. And when he couldn’t provide it, when life happened and plans were cancelled, it always led to the same disappointed reaction.

The expectations weighed on him, but with you? He wasn’t sure what to expect. Would you be upset like the others?

With a sigh, he hit send:

I’m sorry, I have to cancel dinner tonight. I’m not feeling well.

He pressed his phone to his chest, his free hand tapping on his knee lightly while waiting for the inevitable “Oh, really? Can’t you just power through?” or the disappointed silence that followed whenever he wasn’t able to meet those expectations.

But your response came much quicker than anticipated.

Oh no, poor thing! I’m coming over, sit tight <3 !!

His brow furrowed as he re-read your message. You were coming over? No protest, no irritation at the lost reservation? He blinked at his phone, almost unable to believe it. The kind of reaction he was so used to- the irritation, the sigh of inconvenience -it didn’t come like he expected.

An hour later, there was a soft knock on his door, and when he opened it, there you were, holding a bag that smelled like fresh soup. Your face was laced with concern, your nose red from the harsh cold as your eyes scanning him over like you were already assessing his health.

"Y/N, you didn’t have to come all the way here," Seungmin murmured, already feeling a little guilty for dragging you into this. His voice was hoarse, and he cleared his throat.

But you just gave him a soft smile and stepped inside. "Of course I did. You’re sick, Seungmin. Who else is going to take care of you otherwise?"

That simple question left him speechless.

He wasn’t used to someone wanting to take care of him- he was used to being the one who was expected to provide, to look after others. He watched as you took off your coat, making yourself comfortable in his space without a second thought, moving toward his kitchen like it was second nature to you.

For the next few hours, he watched in disbelief as you fussed over him. You made sure he drank water, helped him eat the soup you'd brought, and even tidied up his apartment a little, though it wasn’t necessary since he was a clean man. And each time you checked on him, each time you brushed your hand over his forehead to feel for a fever, or when you gently ruffled his hair, something inside him sparked- or rather melted.

It was strange, this feeling of being cared for. He realized how touch-starved he truly was, how much he craved this kind of closeness without even knowing it.

How much he actually loved it when it came from you- as he hated it from others.

Every time your fingers skimmed his hair, he felt a warmth that had nothing to do with his fever. When you tucked him in on the couch, playfully patting his arm and settling beside him, he leaned into your touch without even thinking about it.

And that’s when the weight of it all hit him- the difference between you and everyone else who had been in his life before.

He’d always thought his value was in what he could give, how much he could provide. But with you, it wasn’t about that. It never had been.

Seungmin’s thoughts drifted to the legend of King Midas- the man whose touch turned everything into gold. For Midas, his gift had become a curse; no matter what he touched, it lost its warmth, its life. He realized he had been living like that -surrounded by gold, by riches and luxury, but none of it held meaning.

But you…you weren’t like that.

You weren’t interested in the gold, in the material things he could give. You were interested in him. Your touch wasn’t a curse; it was warmth, real and alive. It brought him back to life in a way that no extravagant date ever could.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Seungmin’s voice came out quieter than he intended, a mix of vulnerability and genuine curiosity. "I thought you’d be mad that I cancelled. Especially since it was a nice restaraunt...expensive..." He trailed off, his puppy eyes trailing up to your face to gauge your reaction.

Were you...truly not upset about this at all?

You turned to look at him, eyebrows furrowing like you couldn’t believe he’d even ask that. "Mad? Why would I be mad? You’re sick, Seungmin. Of course I’m gonna be here. Besides, this is cheaper anyway! A nice little stay-in date. The second cheapest soup in the store is the best soup." You stated matter of factly. "Paired with some kimbap and drink of your choice-" You held up your finger in an "okay" sign and winked. "This is even better than if we ate out!" You saaid clapping once as you reached for food.

He blinked at you, a little taken aback by the sincerity in your voice.

"You...mean that?"

"Mhm, why wouldn't I?" You asked, stuffing the closest thing into your mouth, not looking at Seungmin, rather focused on your convenience store goodies.

"It’s just…I’m not used to this."

"What do you mean?" you gently tugged the blanket over him, sliding yourself under the corner as well, your fingers brushing his arm as you adjusted it.

"I’m used to…" He hesitated, feeling a little exposed. "People getting upset when I can’t…provide. Fancy dates, expensive gifts. That kind of thing."

You smiled, soft and a little sad, as if the idea of anyone expecting that from him was ridiculous. "I’m not here for any of that. I mean, yeah, those things are nice, but I’m here for you, Seungmin. I like you for you. Not for what you can give me."

He swallowed hard, the words sinking deep into him. He had heard it before, in half-hearted reassurances from past partners, but this -this felt real.

You meant it.

And it hit him harder than he expected. His heart hammered in his chest.

Is this what real love felt like...you guys hadn't exchanged that word yet...but...

In this moment he felt the urge to.

"I guess I just don’t know what that feels like," he admitted, his voice softer now, his gaze dropping to the blanket covering him, as he fought that temptation.

You reached out, running your fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp. "Well, now you do. You’re stuck with me, even when you’re sick."

He let out a soft laugh, the kind that shook his chest and made him wince slightly from his sore throat. "I think I’m okay with that."

And just like that, Seungmin felt something crack open inside him -a part of himself that had been so tightly guarded, so afraid of being hurt. But with you, he felt safe. Safe enough to lean into your touch, to lay in your lap to let himself be cared for without fear of what you might want in return.

I think I'm in love.

No...I am in love.

As you continued to softly play with his hair, Seungmin’s eyes fluttered closed.

He realized that this was what he had been missing -this golden touch that wasn’t about wealth or status. It was about love, about care, about someone being there for him even when things weren’t perfect or glamorous.

He had spent so long being afraid of turning everything around him into something superficial, something gilded and lifeless. But with you, it wasn’t about gold or riches.

It was about your golden touch -the one that brought him comfort, warmth, and something more valuable than anything money could buy.

When Seungmin finally drifted off into a fevered sleep, the corners of his lips were curled into the softest of smiles. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly cared for.

He truly felt loved.

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@abovenyx @wolfs-archive @oddracha

@iyeeeverydee @parisanmorovati @seungmincenteric

@panbish-1209 @fxiry-vtt @sseawavee

@shuporanporang @amarecerasus @softkisshyunjin

@whoa-jo @meanergreener @rikibun

@ayyonoona @shinywombatcrusade @y4yayael

@skzstan12345 @mariteez @allys-reads

@jazziwritesthings @skzstannie @yongbokkiesworld

@kkkeopi @neverendingstay @moony-9

@minsungsthirdwheel @everlastingspring143 @joyofbebbanburg

@leezanetheofficial @tr-mha-fan @bubbly-moon

@night-storm7 @missmajdastark @axel-skz

[devildomwriter]

Spring in the House of Lamentation

Spring in the Devildom meant many things. At last, it was getting much warmer, the birds were getting louder, and the days much longer.

The most sinister of flora was beginning to bloom, the fanged flowers popping up beneath every window, and the strangling daffodils blossoming between every crack in the pavement.

This was fine by you. What was less fine, was the bugs.

It wasn’t so much seeing them everywhere, hearing the buzz of their wings, or feeling the prick of their little teeth as they searched for blood and sometimes your very soul. The main issue was the brothers’ reactions to these bugs.

Maybe hundreds of thousands of years in the Celestial Realm—a realm where only cute and useful bugs existed—made them especially weak to Devildom bugs. All you knew was that high-pitched shrieking coming completely out of nowhere on a daily basis, sometimes right beside you, was completely unbearable.

In a house of demons, only you—the human—and Lucifer paid the bugs no mind, as the other six fled for their lives. Sure one or two Devildom mosquitos could kill you, but were you scared to see them? No. Not really. Were the brothers? Damn right, they were.

You could be playing a video game with Levi full of a million jump scares but what made you jump from your seat was his genuine high-pitched scream as a blood-red millipede snuck under his chair to hide in the dark.

You and Mammon could be driving at speeds that would have you arrested in the human world and he wouldn’t flinch, but the second a giant gnat gets into the car he very well may swerve and crash.

Beelzebub did not at all mind the big bugs, to him they looked like drool-worthy food, especially the gelatin-like slugs bigger than your feet (which you always had to return to the wild—feeling pity for them.) He did however mind the marching ants that snuck in through the crack Satan made in the wall during one of his fits. He couldn’t sit still with the intrusive thought they’d be crawling all over him or worse—eating his food. While Beelzebub didn’t scream loudly like his brothers he would look extremely upset and come find you for help, sometimes bursting through your door causing you to shriek instead.

Belphegor was possibly the worst. Although he slept all day, he was up late through the night so you’d often wake with a start to a tall shadow leaning over you, asking you if you could also see the horrific bug in the corner of his room, and can you please do something about it?

Satan didn’t scream but he did startle, sometimes it’d cause sudden loud noises as walls broke or vases shattered. Everyone was always too afraid to come check if it was a bug because there was a big possibility he was just angry and they did not want to get in the middle of one of his fits of rage.

Asmodeus was worse than everyone. Horror movie screams rang through the halls, loud enough to shatter glass that continued until Lucifer came to take care of the issue and hand his brother a bill for new cups.

Lucifer has time and time again tried spell after spell to rid the home of bugs. He even tried human world pest repellent and inhumane traps but none of it worked. Somehow, much like the rats to the castle, the bugs returned and you heard his endless complaints about it at least three times a week.

Little everyday things like these were your biggest issue with spring. In autumn you had a bit of break and in winter especially despite the Devildom rarely getting cold, it was still the time of year for the little bugs to rest.

Despite all these inconveniences caused by the most minor of creatures, the one thing you agreed with the brothers on is when the arachnids came for a visit. In the Devildom there were no such things as cute jumping spiders or dancing little scorpions, just giant pointed monsters that wanted to eat you.

In these moments you were reminded that this truly was hell…but at least it wasn’t yet summer. That’s when things were at their very worst.

[hxney-lemcn]

Right Here — The Chain x gn! reader

summary: for one reason or another, you find yourself down in the dumps and your Link finds himself comforting you in his own unique way.

tw: mini crashouts, childish arguments (Wind)

a/n: if Sky's seems specific uhm...yeah there's a stupid spider in my bed (probably a jumping one) that has been biting me in the night and I'm legit about to crashout.

wc: 3.6k

Master List

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Sky

You were fed up. This was the fifth time you had woken up to an itchy red bump somewhere on your body. It seemed that the wildlife had it out for you, and you were getting irritated. Sure, you were camping outside, but your legs were typically under your blanket, which meant the irritated skin of your calf that had been bit was from something that had snuck in with you. It was silly, a small little inconvenience, but each new bite made you want to pull your hair out. You stared at the swollen skin for a few seconds, if looks could kill you would have blown your leg up. With a rough start to your day, now every little inconvenience made you extra frustrated and your eyes would sting, begging to let your frustrations out in some way. You refused, determined to get through the day without shedding a tear or snapping at the others…but it seemed you weren’t hiding your emotions as well as you thought you were.

Sky had approached you as you glared daggers at the piece of clothing that you just could not sew properly for the life of you. A concerned look was etched onto his face as he gently halted your hands from pummeling the fabric. 

“Let’s go take a break, okay?” Sky smiled softly, pulling you up and letting you put your chore away. Twilight nodded at the two of you as you passed, Sky telling him you’d both be out for an hour or so. Finding a nice enough area, Sky laid down, spreading his arms out in a starfish position, opening an eye in confusion when he didn’t feel you next to him. Patting his chest, he motioned for you to lay on him, wrapping you up snuggly when you finally joined him. With a gentle murmur, he asked what was wrong, mentioning that it isn’t good to hold in your feelings. After a few beats, you broke, explaining why you had been so frustrated.

“It’s silly, I know,” You sighed, face completely hidden in the fabric of his tunic. 

“I don’t think so,” Sky replied, hand gently carding through your hair. “If something is making you upset then it’s not silly at all.”

It was then that you finally let yourself relax, at least someone else understood your plight.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Legend

You weren’t sure why every little thing had been annoying you that day. From the way the sun was shining in your eyes, to the way Epona’s lead would clink clank with every step, all the way to how Wild would brush against your side unknowingly. Best way to put it was you were in a mood, you had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. You honestly just wanted some peace and quiet, some time to decompress and to process everything that has happened. You stared at the ground like it had personally insulted you and all you cared about. Gosh your legs were aching and you really needed a nap, but the sun was still high in the sky and Time showed no signs of slowing down. Just great. 

You nearly found yourself snapping at Wind when he barreled into you, a half assed ‘sorry’ tossed your way as Four chased after him. You felt your scowl worsen, repeatedly chanting in your mind that he’s a kid to try and calm yourself down. You didn’t even notice that you had fallen to the back of the group where the less rowdy Link’s were. Hyrule glanced at you worryingly from your left and Legend rose a brow from your right. You didn’t want to talk to either. Thankfully, they seemed to understand and you at least got as much quiet as you could with the group. You weren’t sure how long it was, but suddenly a waterskin had entered your vision, Legend looking annoyed as he stretched it out towards you.

“What?” He snapped, violet eyes squinting. “You haven’t drank any water since we started walking.” He was right…perhaps that was why your head felt like it was going to split open if the sun shone on you for a second more. You nearly inhaled the entire thing, more thirsty than you initially realized. Legend merely tsked before snatching the empty container back, handing you a small snack as well. “Seriously,” The hero grumbled, shaking his head like a disappointed parent. “You should take better care of yourself, we can’t have anyone falling behind.”

“Says you,” You rolled your eyes, but grateful for the care. You had only taken a few bites of food and you were already starting to feel a bit better. 

“Thank you,” You murmured, his ear twitching being the only sign he heard you.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Time

You weren’t sure how the boys adventured so much. Your bones seemed to constantly ache from the lack of support at night and your muscles were constantly in knots from all the physical work you do. You felt like you were constantly dragging your feet wherever you went, praying that tonight would be the night you could sleep at an inn. It seemed the 35th day the goddesses had answered your prayers (you’re not actually giving them that credit). You nearly cried tears of joy at the sight of the town in the distance, your feet and arms ready to fall off from all the walking and fighting. As much as you like listening to Time talk, his words were in one ear out the other as he ordered everyone to do a particular task, eyes raking across the different buildings and signs. 

You didn’t question Time guiding you through the town, eyes drooping at the thought of a soft bed cushioning your body. You were on autopilot mode, letting Time take the lead as he held a door open for you, watching you with a soft gaze as you waited for him by the reception desk. He managed to get five rooms, meaning that everyone would have to share a room. Without a word, he led you up the stairs, catching you as you tripped, and with a sigh he scooped you up into his arms. He couldn’t hide his smirk as you softly whined, muttering gibberish about how you could walk on your own. He couldn’t deny the hint of pride in the fact that you were depending on him, no matter how small the matter.

Opening the door to one of the rooms, he gently set you on the bed, watching how you melted into the sheets. He had noticed you growing more and more fatigued over the past few days…perhaps they should settle for a day or two to recuperate. Time sat behind you as you turned onto your side, his calloused hand gently kneading into your shoulder. Your argument against his ministrations were short lived as he found a particularly nasty knot, working it out gently. Fondness filled him as you melted into his touch, now fully laying on your stomach as he continued to message your aching muscles. Once he finished, he managed to wiggle the blanket out from under you, laying it across your body before he left to give the other boys their room keys when they eventually got back, a soft look on his face that they didn’t question.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Hyrule

You felt a bit down in the dumps. Not any specific reason…or maybe it was a bunch of things slowly accumulating, whatever the reason, you found yourself keeping your head down. The sky was gloomy, seemingly reflecting your dour mood. You had been walking in the back of the group, feet dragging across the ground slower than the rest, you just needed some time to stew. Hyrule noticed your despondent mood earlier in the day, but he wasn’t sure how to approach you. Your body language was so closed off and you seemed to want to be on your own, so he respected that…until you continued to fall further and further behind. Hyrule tried keeping his distance while also staying close enough to keep an eye on you, but it wasn’t till you had fallen so far behind he had no other choice. 

You watched from the corner of your eye as Hyrule approached you, the traveller not saying a word as he stood by your side. Hesitantly, he reached his hand out, pinky barely touching your own, and in that moment you felt just the tiniest bit better. Slowly, you linked your pinkies taking in the small respite his touch gave you. Sure, you still weren’t feeling the best, but with Hyrule by your side it gave you a tiny boost. 

Later, when camp was set up for the night you found yourself clinging to the travellers side. The two of you sat a bit farther off from the others, but close enough to still feel the heat of the fire. Your hands had barely left the dark blonde hero’s, and he didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, in fact he seemed quite happy to be stuck so close to you, even if you weren’t in the best of moods. 

“Thank you,” You sighed, squeezing his hand slightly.

“Don’t mention it,” Hyrule replied back, scooching a bit closer to you. “If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask.” You bit your lip as an impulsive thought sprung to the forefront of your mind.

“Can…can I hug you?” You whispered, embarrassed at such a bold question. 

“You don’t need to ask,” Hyrule smiled bashfully, a rose tint barely covering his cheeks. Wrapping your arms around his torso, you finally felt true comfort when he held you back. A content sigh left your lips, things already seemed to be getting better for you.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Twilight

You had been so caught up in the whirlwind of leaving your home to join a group of heroes on their adventure you hadn’t had time to process just how homesick you would feel about your beloved pets you left behind. The longing to run your hand through their fur consumed you, your concern for their well being growed by the day. You didn’t leave them completely alone of course, they were now in the care of someone you trusted, but that didn’t stop the sharp tug that had been slowly consuming you. You tuned into the background noise of chirping birds, ignoring the loudness of the multiple Link’s that were strewn throughout the camp. Your hand mindlessly played with the grass beside you, worry tugging at the back of your mind. 

You were bursted out of your bubble as a fluffy head placed itself on your legs, bright blue eyes staring up at you. You immediately found yourself perking up, abandoning the grass in favor of petting the giant dog of a wolf. Wolfies fur wasn’t as soft as it looks, but you didn’t mind in the slightest at the happy face of the groups ‘pet’. 

“You always know when I need a pick me up, don’t you boy,” You smiled down at Wolfie, petting his favorite spot right behind his ears. “Thank you, you don’t understand how much you mean to me.” You didn’t catch the way the animal’s heavy stare didn’t fully match that of a wolf’s intellect, instead opting to nuzzle his furry head. “You are just the cutest, sweetest little thing,” You continued to praise, pressing kisses to his face. “I’m going to miss you when this is all over…maybe you can stay with me, I’m sure the others won’t mind a new friend.” Wolfie let out a small whine, but you weren’t sure why he seemed upset, it’s not like he could understand you…

Later that night, you didn’t miss the way Twilight kept sneaking glances at you, finally gathering some courage to sit next to you.

“Are you feeling better?” He asked, blue eyes watching you cautiously. “I noticed that you seemed down earlier.”

“Yeah,” You agreed, bumping his shoulder placatingly. “Wolfie makes for a good therapy dog.”

“Yeah?” Twi asked, his smile widening. “I’ll be sure to tell ‘em that.” 

“Be sure that you do,” You chuckled lightly, leaning into his side as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders. 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Four

You were gonna lose it. Genuinely. You stared in abject horror and frustration at the broken necklace that lay on the dirt ground. It was one of the few things you carried from your world. Sure, perhaps it was stupid to carry something you found important on a dangerous mission, but it was something you refused to part with. You didn’t even notice the tears falling down your face as your hands shook. You were so static brained, just focused on the fact that your favorite, most important item had broken, that you didn’t even notice Four approach you wearily. It looked like your entire world had shattered in front of your eyes and Four was afraid he was going to make it worse somehow…but he also couldn’t stand to watch you cry.

His eyes landed on the silver chain you gingerly picked up, the pendent’s bail had opened to allow it to fall off. Four was not a jeweler by any means, but the job looked simple enough. He just needed to close the bail around the chain, make sure it doesn’t open again and without bending the metal to the point of breaking. He would have to be more gentle, the metal was thinner than a blade after all, but it was something he was sure he could do. Anything to get that forlorn look off your face. 

“Hey,” Four softly spoke up, hand shakily rising to clasp around yours. “Don’t worry, I can fix it.” Your hopeful eyes met his own, a newfound hope filling your heart.

“Really?” You asked with a sniffle. 

“Of course,” Four nodded, looking at you with determination. “It’s easy, I only really need some pliers and once we get to a village I can get some tools to solder it for good so it can’t come off again.” 

“Thank you thank you thank you,” You chanted, pulling the hero into a tight hug, shaking him back and forth for good measure. Just as he promised, it took him only a few seconds to clasp the pendant back onto the chain, he didn’t have pliers, and his tongs were a bit big for the job, but he managed with careful, skilled hands. He felt proud at your joyful smile when he handed you the fixed necklace, once again finding himself wrapped in your grateful embrace. 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Wind 

It was stupid. He was stupid. He was a child, you were an adult. You knew you should take what he says with a grain of salt…but Wind had managed to hurt your feelings with his careless remark. You know he didn’t mean it, you know he was just joking, but it still managed to stab at your heart. So, you did the most adult thing ever. Gave him the silent treatment and sulk in the corner. You ate your food alone, ignoring the concerned looks the others sent your way. You brushed off the others' worry as they tried to approach you, you didn’t want to admit that Wind had hurt your feelings. You just needed some time to unravel your feelings and get over it.

It didn’t help that Wind was acting business as usual. Did he not realize his words held meaning? That they could hurt as much as a sword? It hurt you even more, furthering the cycle. It wasn’t till Wind gently hit your back in frustration when you ignored him for the second day straight, whining about you not paying attention. It was hard to keep it up, you really wanted to turn around and gently smack his head in frustration (you didn’t actually want him hurt), but your stubbornness held out. 

“Enough,” Warriors groaned, pulling Wind back by his tunic, stating both your names blankly. “Both of you stop acting like children and talk it out.”

“I didn’t even do anything!” Wind exclaimed, crossing his arms with a scowl. “They just started ignoring me.” You continued to stay silent, also crossing your arms in defiance. 

Wars said your name in a warning tone and you found yourself snapping, “He doesn’t even know what he did.” You hated the way your voice wobbled, tears stinging your eyes. It was then that Wind looked scared and guilty, his angry stance faltering.

“H-huh?” Wind stuttered. “Wh-what did I do? Wait, don’t cry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it!”

“It’s nothing,” you huffed, wiping the stray tears that managed to fall. Suddenly you felt the wind nearly get knocked out of your lungs as the boy hugged you tightly, tears brimming his own eyes.

“No it's not!” He shouted with a pout. “I’m a hero, I’m not supposed to make you cry.”

You let out a watery chuckle, finally relenting and explaining how what he said that day had hurt you. Pulling away, Wind looked at you with determination, vowing to never hurt you again and if anyone did they’d have to deal with him.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Wild

You have been craving your favorite food for who knows how long, and it’s gotten to the point that if you eat anything else you’re gonna throw a table. It’s not fair how a craving can consume you, but you couldn’t get the taste off your tongue and you felt like crying every time you were reminded of it. Perhaps it was the home sickness that made you want to have it so much, but you knew deep in your soul you just needed one portion and you’d be okay again. It was such a frustrating feeling, feeling downtrodden at having to try something new every day. No shade to Wild, every meal was a delectable treat, but it has been too long since you had your favorite comforting meal. 

Wild didn’t even know your trouble, simply thinking you weren’t in the best of moods, and what better way than to cheer you up with something you want to eat?! So he approached you as you sulked, asking what you wanted for dinner. You looked confused for a second before your face lit up, excitement thrumming through your veins. This was it, this was finally your chance to get that damned food that had your mouth watering. You nearly pounced at him, asking if it was possible to make the dish. Wild beamed, nodding and giving you a thumbs up.

“Wanna help make it?” Wild asked, hair swaying as he tilted his head. You didn’t hesitate to join him by the fire, cutting the things he asked, adding spices and seasonings you favored, and nearly drooling at the intoxicating smell. Wild was very amused with your demeanor, happy that you finally seemed to be perking up. And of course he was correct! A good meal of something you like fixes most problems (he got lucky). 

Wild didn’t even have to ask, lifting a small spoonful of the dish towards your lips for you to test. You didn’t hesitate to take a bite. You let out a groan of satisfaction, the flavors you cherished bursting on your tongue even better than when you normally have it (or it’s been so long you forgot how truly good it was). Wild smiled, taking your reaction as an A+, and started to prepare serving it. He should make it more often if it has you beaming like that.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Warriors

You weren’t sure why, but it seemed that no matter what you did you couldn’t look the way you wanted. You tried styling your hair differently and it didn’t work out, tried out a new outfit but it didn’t seem to fit right, you even tried adding accessories but it just didn’t match. So to say you were feeling a bit downtrodden would be an understatement. It seemed that every time you tried to branch out of your usual style it wouldn’t go well, you’d always catch something that made it look slightly off. It frustrated you to no end, especially when others could pull off the exact look you were aiming for. Not that you were angry at them or anything, but you did envy their style. 

You huffed, ruffling your hair and setting it back into how it normally looks. You give up, perhaps change was just not a thing for you. 

“Need some help?” The familiar voice of Warriors sounded behind you, eyebrow raised and looking mildly entertained by your predicament. Crossing your arms you looked over towards the hero who takes the most time to get ready, mulling over his offer. He may not know how to exactly style your hair the way you wanted, but he had a better shot than you since he could see what he was doing where you couldn’t. With a small resigned sigh, you agreed handing Wars the needed items to achieve the look. You explained in detail what you wanted, trying to guide him to the best of your ability when he got confused. It was pretty relaxing all things considered. You hadn’t had someone brush your hair for you in a long time…it was nice. 

After some time, Wars finally finished, feeling proud of his masterpiece. Looking into your small mirror your eyes widened. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but by the goddesses it was so much closer than all the monstrosities you had done in the past hour or so. You turned your gaze towards the knight who smiled sheepishly.

“I know it’s not that good-”

“Are you kidding!” You screeched, nearly tackling him to the ground with a wide grin. “It’s perfect! I’ve been trying to do this for ages and you get it on the first try. You gotta do my hair from now on.”

Wars wouldn’t argue with that, he’d like the excuse to run his hands through your hair once more.

[thus-spoke-lo]

cw: gn!reader. angst. light physical roughness towards reader. mention of sex but nothing explicit. alcohol use [reader]. dressrosa spoilers. wc: 1.3k

The sun set over Dressrosa, just like it did the day before, and the day before that. You stood on the balcony overlooking gardens and stared out across the island, watching the sky turn technicolor, a nightly performance that somehow felt like it was just for you.

A door closed softly behind you; Doflamingo strode across the bedroom and ducked out onto the balcony, placing a hand on your upper back and giving your neck a quick squeeze.

“Enjoying your show, darling?” he grinned, leaning down to kiss along your earlobe and down your jaw.

You nodded and forced a smile, gripping the railing a little tighter, trying to keep your anxious thoughts at bay. You’d heard the phone calls, seen his barely-suppressed anger that only seemed to grow after he’d left for Punk Hazard and returned. Doflamingo tried to keep things from you when he could, but this was unavoidable—this was impending war, at least in your estimation.

He clucked his tongue and sat upon the stone bench beside you, pulling you in to stand between his legs. “What’s wrong, sweet bird? You seem upset.”

“What will happen to me, love?” The question came barreling out faster than you anticipated, unable to stop it as it landed with a thud. The years had taught you never to question him on certain things—his strength was chief among them.

“What do you mean?” His eyebrows furrowed behind his sunglasses, his grip on your shoulders tightening.

“I mean what will happen if—well—”

“That’s nothing you need to be concerned about, little bird,” Doflamingo spat, cutting you off, knowing precisely what it is you’re implying. “This situation we find ourselves in is merely a momentary inconvenience.”

The phone calls you’d overheard, the conversations on which you’d eavesdropped, the information you’d begged and bribed out of his guards—nothing seemed to indicate it would be a mild “inconvenience;” Doflamingo had a temper, but mundane troubles didn’t seem to rattle him the way this had. You steadied yourself and breathed in deep before adding, “You’re not answering my question.”

He took your chin and held it between his thumb and forefingers, his massive hand engulfing your face. “Are you doubting my ability to keep you safe? Hm?”

“No, of course not, I’m just—”

He squeezed your jaw, his hand almost shaking as he leaned forward, the tip of his aquiline nose touching yours, his hot breath spreading across your face as he spoke, bits of spittle landing on you with every enunciated word. “Are you suggesting that one little brat and some upstart pirate crew pose any threat to me? To us?”

You shook your head, a whimper clawing its way up your throat, as you grasped at his wrist, trying to wrest yourself from his painful grasp.

“Good.” He released his hold on your chin and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss where his thumb left an indent in your flesh. “You know I would never let anything happen to my little bird."

That night, Doflamingo made love to you as he did most nights, but something felt changed. He pulled you closer, he kissed you harder, and as you laid there afterwards, your cheek pressed to his chest, listening to his heartbeat as his long fingers danced over your sweat-dappled skin, you would swear you sensed something in him you didn’t think you’d ever truly felt before.

Fear.

----------

The sun sets again, just like it did the day before, and the day before that. Brilliant hues of gold and lavender spread through the sky and the ocean reflects them back, soft waves beating upon the shore. You sit curled up on your porch, a blanket wrapped around your shoulders, a glass of wine on the table beside you, wondering if that day was the last time you would ever see a sunset with Doflamingo again. It’s a thought that haunts your waking hours and invades your dreams.

It’s quiet here, far removed from the buzz and busyness of Dressrosa. You still aren’t quite sure where here is exactly; you weren’t allowed onto the deck of the ship for your journey, nor were you ever shown where this little slice of idleness lies on a map. The journey could have been a day or a week or a year for all you had known; as soon as you were hurriedly smuggled on board, a man had jabbed your upper arm with something that made your blood burn before it gripped you by the shoulders and pulled you under into a deep and dreamless sleep. At night, when visions of Doflamingo, bloodied and beaten and restrained with seastone, flash in your mind again and again as you writhe in sweat-soaked linens, you wish that man had left you with a supply of your own injectables.

A soft breeze picks up and carries upon it the scent of citrus trees, the ones belonging to your neighbor down the road that you’d only waved to a few times. It was still unclear to you just how approachable you were allowed to be under the circumstances. You occasionally walked into town, covered in scarves and layers of fabric to hide your form, just to bask in the warmth of other living beings, and inhale the scent of fresh-baked bread at the market, and take home a few homemade goods to carry you through the week. Men who never spoke to you dropped off supplies now and again, more than enough to sustain you and you alone, but nothing could compare to the sound of friendly voices and the feeling of carrying home a loaf of crusty bread knowing it would soon be slathered in butter and jam and inhaled within minutes, just like you used to insist upon doing back on Dressrosa, even when the castle was fully-stocked with anything your heart desired.

He found that strange and charming about you, your insistence on going about your same routines despite the privilege your position afforded you. Midnight trips to the late-night café for their house coffee, staying up until just before dawn to watch the bakers prepare their days offerings, flour settling like snow upon their shoulders. Doflamingo thought you a little mad at first for your commitment to the customs of a common citizen, but even he would grow fond of being dragged into town just to get that fresh-squeezed juice that the market only had on Tuesdays.

The sun dips below the horizon, and a chill settles in the night air. It’s time to head inside, time to make yourself dinner and read one of the countless books that were packed inside this house, or perhaps drink yourself into a stupor so you could skip wallowing in melancholy and time-travel to morning, when the sun could keep you company. And then you can do it all over again—wake, and sob until your lungs hurt and your core aches, until you’re so full of yearning and wanting that you’re numb inside. And you’ll think of him, think of him in better times, think of him wrapping you in pink feathers and grazing your skin with long fingers and kissing you, kissing you with desire and longing, and a softness that took you by surprise every single time.

You’ll think of him and you’ll hold hope within your aching heart that you’ll see him again—see him walking up the sand, a grin stretched across his lips, tanned arms outstretched to welcome you home to him. And you’ll hold onto that image, hold it so tightly inside you, hoping that it will keep the grief from spreading like poison and killing you before you can ever feel his touch upon your skin once more.

[gf2bellamy]

hiii lovely! i’ve been absolutely adoring ur work and was wondering if you’d consider writing some sort of hurt/comfort? like reader had a bad day and kind of blows up at spencer, and because spencer’s a Smartass he’s good at help king rewarded through it? :)

misdirected — spencer reid

pairing: spencer reid x reader ( no use of y/n) content warnings: established relationship, reader being upset , also reader feeling guilty for lashing out a/n: hiii ! hope you like this <3 also omg him in this gif he looks so good

You pushed open the door to your apartment. The moment you stepped inside, you let out a heavy sigh. You dropped your bag onto the floor, the thud echoing in the quiet apartment. Shrugging off your jacket, you hung it on the hook by the door, your fingers brushing against another jacket already hanging there. You paused, your eyes narrowing slightly as you recognized it immediately, Spencer’s. You bit your lip, staring at it for a moment longer than necessary.

Today had been one of those days. The kind where nothing went right, where every little inconvenience felt like a personal attack, and where you were pretty sure you’d used up all your patience before noon. You weren’t in the mood to talk, to explain, or to be around anyone, really. And yet, here you were, standing in your apartment, knowing Spencer was somewhere inside.

You could hear the sound of the shower running. For a brief moment, you were grateful. At least you had a few minutes to collect yourself.

You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath, and then turned back to grab your bag from the floor. Slinging it over your shoulder, you made your way to your bedroom, the only place that felt like a sanctuary.

Though, if you were being honest, it wasn’t just your sanctuary anymore. Over the past few months, it had slowly become Spencer’s too. His books were scattered across your nightstand, his sweaters mixed in with yours in the dresser, and his favorite blanket, the one he insisted was scientifically proven to be the coziest, was draped over the foot of the bed.

You opened the dresser and grabbed the first sweater your hand landed on, not even bothering to check whose it was. As you pulled it over your head, you realized it was Spencer’s.

You slipped your own sweatpants on, then glanced down at your feet, noticing you’d grabbed two different socks. One was a plain black one, the other a mismatched striped one. A habit you’d picked up from Spencer.

You made your way to the living room, and sank into the couch, pulling your knees up to your chest.

You stared into nothing, your thoughts swirling as you replayed everything that had happened today. Today was one of those days where it felt like the universe itself was conspiring against you.

You groaned loudly, brushing a hand over your face as if you could physically wipe away the frustration. Your mood was sour, and you knew it. You weren’t exactly the best company right now. 

As you glanced at the coffee table, you realized how chaotic it looked. There were books stacked randomly, mostly Spencer’s, of course, along with a half-empty mug of tea, a notebook with scribbled notes spilling out of it, and a few random pens scattered about. The sight of it made you frown slightly. Normally, the clutter wouldn’t bother you, but today it felt like just another thing that was out of place, another reminder that nothing was going right. 

You leaned forward, searching for the remote to turn on the TV, hoping to distract yourself with some show or movie. But of course, the remote was nowhere to be found.

You sighed, slumping back against the couch in defeat. It felt like the world had it out for you today, and even the smallest things were determined to make your life harder. 

You didn’t hear the sound of the water stopping, nor did you notice Spencer’s footsteps as he walked into the room. It wasn’t until he was standing in front of you, a towel in his hand as he dried his damp hair, that you realized he was there. His smile was soft, almost tentative, as if he could sense your mood. 

“Hey,” he said, his voice gentle. “I didn’t know you were here.” 

You looked up at him, your expression tight. You were trying to be nice, you really were, but the anger and frustration were still bubbling under the surface, threatening to spill over.

“Hi,” you answered shortly, your tone dry. 

Spencer raised an eyebrow, his gaze studying you for a moment. He didn’t say anything right away, and you were grateful for that. Instead, he finished drying his hair and draped the towel over the back of a nearby chair.

You couldn’t help but notice the way his damp hair curled slightly at the ends. He looked so normal. So calm. And it only made you feel more out of sorts. He didn’t push, didn’t ask what was wrong. Instead, he just sat down beside you on the couch, leaving a little space between you, as if giving you room to breathe. For a moment, the two of you sat in silence.

Finally, Spencer spoke, his voice quiet. “You look like you’ve had a day.” 

It wasn’t a question, and you didn’t take it as one. You let out a humorless laugh, shaking your head.

“That’s one way to put it,” you muttered, your arms crossed tightly over your chest.After a moment, he reached over and gently placed his hand on your knee, his touch light.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, his tone careful, like he was tiptoeing around the edges of your mood. 

“No,” you said shortly, shifting your knee so that his hand fell away.

You bit your lip, closing your eyes for a second as you tried to rein in the frustration bubbling inside you.It wasn’t his fault, you knew that, but right now, everything felt like too much. Even his kindness felt like it was pressing against the walls you’d put up. 

“Where’s the remote?” you asked abruptly, your voice sharper than you intended. You leaned forward, digging through the cushions and moving a pillow aside.

Spencer watched you carefully, his eyes tracking your every move, but he didn’t say anything right away. 

“I’m not sure,” he said slowly, like he was trying not to set you off further. “I saw it on the table the last time I used it.” 

You let out a frustrated groan, your hands dropping to your sides.

“Yeah, well, look at this table,” you said, gesturing wildly toward the cluttered surface. “There’s so much stuff. How am I supposed to find anything in this mess?” 

Spencer’s gaze flicked to the table, then back to you, his expression unreadable. He didn’t respond right away, and the silence only made your irritation flare. 

“Why do you even have, like, five books here?” you continued, your voice rising slightly as the frustration spilled over. “Do you really need all of them out at once?” 

You didn’t mean to snap at him, not really. But the words tumbled out before you could stop them, and once they were out, you couldn’t take them back.

Spencer didn’t react. He didn’t get defensive or argue back. Instead, he just sat there, his expression softening as he looked at you.

“You’re right,” he said quietly.“It’s a mess. I’ll clean it up.” 

You stood up abruptly, the guilt of how you’d spoken to him now pressing heavily on your chest, mixing uncomfortably with the anger from your awful day. Without a word, you walked to the kitchen, needing a moment to yourself. You leaned against the counter, your hands gripping the edge as you stared down at the sink, trying to steady your breathing.

Spencer was sweet, too sweet sometimes. He didn’t deserve the way you’d snapped at him, and the realization only made you feel worse. 

Back in the living room, Spencer stayed seated on the couch, his fingers tapping rhythmically against his thigh. He wasn’t sure what to do. He hated seeing you like this, frustrated and upset.He wanted to help, to fix it, but he also knew that sometimes the best thing he could do was give you space.

Still, it didn’t stop him from feeling a little helpless as he sat there.

After a moment, he stood up and quietly began tidying the table, stacking the books neatly and placing the scattered pens and notebooks into a more organized pile. He glanced toward the kitchen. You were still leaning against the counter, your back to him, and he could tell by the way your shoulders were tense that you were still upset. 

It was late, later than you’d realized. The exhaustion of the day was finally catching up to you, and you decided there was no point in staying up any longer.You stopped tapping your fingers on the counter, pushing yourself away from it as you left the kitchen without a word. As you passed by the living room, you glanced at Spencer.

He was still sitting there, a book open in his hands, but the table in front of him was now clean and organized. The sight made the pit in your stomach grow heavier.

He’d tidied up, just like he said he would.

You walked to the bathroom, forcing yourself to go through the motions of getting ready for bed even though you had zero energy to do anything. Once you were done, you trudged to your room and plopped down on the bed, your head sinking into the pillow. You stared up at the ceiling.

The quiet of the room felt suffocating, and you realized how much you hated falling asleep without Spencer beside you.

Time passed, minutes, maybe more, as you turned from side to side, unable to get comfortable. Just as you were about to give up and grab your phone to distract yourself, you heard footsteps approaching your room.

They were soft, hesitant, and then Spencer appeared in the doorway. 

He stood there for a moment. He was holding a book in one hand, his other hand resting on the doorframe as if he wasn’t sure whether to come in or not. His hair was slightly messy and still wet. He looked at you, his expression soft but uncertain. 

“Hey,” he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I, uh… I was wondering if I could sleep here tonight. With you, I mean. If that’s okay.” 

You didn’t respond right away, your eyes still fixed on the ceiling. But after a moment, you nodded, still avoiding his gaze. Spencer didn’t need more than that. He stepped into the room, closing the door gently behind him before walking over to the bed. He set his book down on the nightstand and climbed in beside you, his movements careful.

Usually, you’d curl up against Spencer, your head resting on his chest as you listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat. His arms would wrap around you, one hand gently tracing patterns on your back while the other held you close.

You’d fall asleep like that, tangled together. But tonight was not like that.

The pillow under your head was definitely not as comfortable as Spencer’s chest, and the absence of his arms around you made the bed feel colder.

You missed the way he’d kiss your forehead before you both drifted off, the way he’d whisper little things to you, sometimes random facts, sometimes just “I love you”, until you fell asleep.

Then, quietly, Spencer broke the silence. His voice was tentative, like he was testing the waters. “I’m sorry you had a bad day,” he mumbled.

You didn’t respond right away, your back still turned to him. But then he kept talking, his voice a little steadier now. “I, uh… I read this study once that said physical touch can help reduce stress. Like, hugging or cuddling. It releases oxytocin, which is sometimes called the ‘love hormone.’ It’s supposed to make you feel calmer, more connected. I know it’s not a fix for everything, but… maybe it could help. If you want.” 

His ramble was so sweet that you couldn’t help but smile slightly, even though he couldn’t see it. You turned around to face him, finally meeting his eyes. In the dim light, you could see the concern etched into his features. He looked so earnest, so genuinely worried about you, that it made your chest ache. 

“I’m sorry,” you said quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. “For how I acted earlier. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I was just… overwhelmed.” You paused, your fingers nervously picking at the edge of the blanket. “And thank you for cleaning up the table. I know I was being… a lot. You didn’t have to do that.”

Spencer shook his head immediately, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair away from your face. His touch was gentle, his fingers lingering for a moment before he let his hand fall to the bed between you.

“It’s okay,” he said softly. “You don’t have to apologize. I get it. Bad days happen. I just… I hate seeing you like this. I just want to help.”

You looked at him for a moment, your heart swelling with affection.

“You do help,” you said, your voice cracking slightly. “Just by being here. You always help.”

Spencer’s expression softened, and without another word, he opened his arms to you. You didn’t hesitate this time. You moved closer, letting him pull you into his embrace.

His arms wrapped around you tightly, one hand resting on the small of your back while the other cradled your head against his chest.

“You’re still a little damp,” you murmured, your voice muffled against his chest as you felt the coolness of his skin where the shower hadn’t fully dried. “You’re going to catch a cold.”

Spencer chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest and into yours. “I’ll be fine,” he said, his lips brushing against the top of your head. “I’ve got you to keep me warm, don’t I?”

You smiled faintly, your fingers curling into the fabric of his t-shirt.

“Thank you,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “For… everything.” Spencer didn’t say anything in response. He didn’t need to. Instead, he just held you a little tighter, his fingers gently tracing circles on your back.

And as you drifted off to sleep, wrapped in his arms, you realized that no matter how bad the day had been, it always felt a little better when it ended like this, with him by your side.

[bloodibambiidoll]

ok so hear me out. rafe and weird!girl get into an argument and rafe calls her weird or says something about her being normal for once and my girl gets all upset as she should.

Nonnie, are you in my walls? I’m very much having a day like this. This is heavily based on the day I had today and writing it made me feel sm better. Slight angst. Fluff. 1.8K words. NO MINORS!! (Note: weird!girl is autistic coded bc I am autistic)

You were extremely overwhelmed. It feels like every single thing is out to get you today. Before you and Rafe left to go on your first grocery shopping trip since you moved in together you got into a bit of a disagreement over the list. You are extremely picky. You have set safe foods that you like to stick to and you don’t like to stray from them. But Rafe on the other hand would eat almost anything. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that you wanted to live off of freezer waffles and chicken nuggets when he hired a professional chef for the two of you.

“Baby, why would I buy you the cheap freezer shit when I can have it made from scratch all fancy n shit?” It wasn’t about the price, you know that. It was just that Rafe wanted you to have the best of everything he could possibly give you and sometimes you just wanted the simpler things. Something that he’s still trying to understand.

“It’s just… I don’t want that. I want the ones from the store. That I always get. The ones I like.” Your lips were formed into a pout as you looked down at your lap and played with the rings on your fingers.

“Aight, Bats, if that’s what you want.” He shrugged and kissed your forehead before leaving you to finish getting ready. It was what you wanted. But you could tell it wasn’t what he wanted so you felt bad. You didn't want to be an inconvenience.

So after that you got in your head that you were too much for him. You spent the entire card ride to the grocery store thinking about how a normal girl wouldn’t want specific foods. A normal girl would be more than happy to have a personal chef make them anything and everything they wanted. A normal girl would be able to go to those fancy restaurants Rafe likes because she’d actually like anything on the menu. He tried to take you once and you spent the entire meal picking at your plate of chicken and veggies, so he never tried again settling to go places that had things you actually liked.

Then at the store you were so in your head that if you hadn’t made a list you probably wouldn’t have gotten a single thing you wanted. You couldn’t stop feeling like you were a burden to him because you needed him to buy you an entirely different grocery list from his own. You kept trying to put things back. Or tell him you didn’t need things that you did, in fact, need. You could tell Rafe was getting frustrated with you and it only made you want to shut down even more.

It didn’t help that the grocery store was easily one of your least favorite places. The lighting was awful. There were always so many people everywhere not looking where they’re going. The freezer section was always so cold that you spent that entire section of the shopping trip practically shaking. It was so goddamn loud. People talking. Kids crying. The squeaking of the old grocery cart wheels. So going there when you were already feeling overwhelmed was a recipe for disaster.

You fully lost it when you were checking out. The cart was extremely disorganized because you were too checked out to keep it in order the entire trip. The store you were at had it so you bagged your own groceries so the fact that the cart was a complete disaster made bagging them incredibly difficult. You were struggling to keep up with the cashier and also bag the groceries efficiently. He kept pushing the conveyor belt button, rolling the groceries that you haven’t bagged yet to pile up on top of each other at the end of it. The cart was full of bags and you weren’t even half done so you had to run and grab another one, only letting the pile grow further.

Rafe bought a case of beer and it the midst of you trying to frantically bag everything in a timely manner the cashier also asked you for your I.D. Which only frustrates you more. You don’t even drink beer. And it made you have to pause bagging again to dig in your purse. The cashier kept looking from the card to you and back again, like he thought it was fake.

“I know I look nothing like that, that was 7 years ago.” You didn’t mean to sound snippy, but you were pretty much at your limit.

“Baby, it’s fine, he’s just lookin’ for the date.” Rafe shot you a look and it only pissed you off more.

“Well he’s looking at it like it’s fake or some shit!” You scoffed as you slammed a full bag into the cart. Which only earned you another look from Rafe.

On the way home he hardly talked to you, instead he decided to blast trap music when you were clearly already overstimulated so you decided to put your headphones on and drown him out.

“Bats, the fuck is going on with you today, huh?” Rafe is towering over you the minute you enter the kitchen, backing you up against the counter.

“I just don’t like the grocery store. And you made me feel bad about the food. And everything was just so loud in there. And I felt like you hardly talked to me the entire time. I’ve felt like an inconvenience to you all day!” You snap at him as you stomp your foot in frustration, glaring up at him.

“All we did was go to the fuckin’ store. You’re seriously that worked up over it?” Rafe scoffs, running a hand through his hair.

“Yes! I am! The grocery store is extremely stressful for me and you’re not being considerate of that!!”

“That’s ridiculous, people go to the grocery store every day. It’s not a big deal. I don’t know why you can’t just be fuckin’ normal sometimes.” Rafe throws his hands up, letting them fall against his thighs with a smack. The minute the words leave his mouth your bottom lip starts to quiver as tears brim your eyes. And he knows he fucked up. Immediately he knows he fucked up.

“You know what? Why don’t you go find a normal girlfriend then!?” You push against his chest, running past him to your shared bedroom. You slam the door behind you, sliding down it as the tears in your eyes begin to spill down your cheeks. You knew it.

“Baby…” Rafe’s voice travels through the thick wood as he lightly taps on it. “ I’m sorry… that was- I shouldn’t have- Bats, can you open the door, please?”

“No. Go away.” You whimper as you curl further into yourself against the door.

“Baby girl, please? Just wanna talk. Lemme see you.” He turns the knob, pushing on the door lightly causing you to shift forward slightly. “C’mon, get away from the door, let me in.”

“Why don’t you go find a normal girl to talk to.” You snap at him before trying to push back against the wood but he’s so much stronger than you that it doesn’t even budge. Rafe shoves his foot into the crack of the door, pushing it until he can slip through. It slams shut behind him from your weight, causing you to yelp. He drops to his knees in front of you, taking your face in his hands. “Baby, look at me.”

“No.” You shake your head, subconsciously nuzzling into his touch. Your lips are quivering so bad your teeth are chattering as tears flow down your cheeks and Rafe kind of wants to kick his own ass.

“Listen I- I shouldn’t have said that, okay? I didn’t - fuck baby, I didn’t mean that shit. I was just frustrated. Doesn’t make it okay though, never wanna make my girl cry.” Rafe runs his thumbs down the apples of your cheeks, wiping away the salty tears that continue to fall. “I think I’ve gotten pretty damn good about knowing how you work. But with us living together now there's gonna be new shit that I’m gonna have to pick up on. I’m so sorry princess.”

“I just - I - just wanna be enough for you. Don’t wanna be a burden.” Your body tries to curl in on itself even more but Rafe doesn’t let it, he grips onto your hips and pulls you into his lap. He wraps his strong arms around you as he starts to rock you back and forth.

“Want you to listen to me baby, aight?” He takes your jaw in his hand, tilting your head towards his to get you to look at him. When you do it nearly cracks his heart. He hates that he made you feel like everyone else always has. “I never should’ve fucking said that shit. I didn’t mean it. Not even a little bit. I wouldn’t change a single thing about you, okay? I fuckin’ love you and all your weird little shit. Your weird little shit just makes me love you more. I’ve never known anyone like you. You’ve taught me so much. I guess I’ve just still got some shit to learn. But I’m trying, Bats. I’ll never stop trying.”

“You really mean it?” You sniffle as you look up at him through your teary eyes and Rafe has never felt more bad than he does at this moment. If he saw anybody else making you cry like this they would be so fucked and here he is, doing it.

“Of course I fuckin’ mean that shit, baby girl. I’m sorry for losing my patience with you today. I never, ever, wanna hurt you. Never wanna make you feel like all these other douchebags on the island do. Kind of want to run them all over, including myself right now.” Rafe lets out a dry chuckle when he sees the corner of your lips tilt up slightly. His large hand runs down the back of your head, smoothing down your hair as he continues to rock the both of you. “You know I love you more than anything, right?”

“It’s okay, Rafey. I know I can be too much sometimes. But I do know that you love me.” And you do. Especially right now. Rafe never opens up to you like this. And you kind of want to blow him right now.

“Hey, you aren’t too much, aight? Don’t ever let anyone make you feel that way. Including me, put my ass in check baby. God knows I need it.” He smiles down at you before leaning to place a gentle kiss on your lips. “Want me to put some nuggets in the air fryer for you and we can watch that movie you’ve been trying to get me to watch?”

“Mhm, that sounds perfect daddy.”

All things Rafe & his weird!girl here

[mymoshangthoughts]

things i think about:

what if mobei jun has a type? what if he doesnt bow fealty to luo binghe because he's impressed by strength or beaten into submission or whatever. what if he noticed what an absolutely pathetic lil crybaby worm luo binghe can be and he's just Weak for a certain type of person okay

luo binghe crying in the endless abyss before he darkens and mobei jun just like "play it cool, no need to be nice, but ohno he's so pathetic, and ohno im attached"

and i fully mean this for pidw mobei jun as well LOL. you cannot convince me that bing-ge isn't also just as pathetic as bing-mei, he's just doing a better job of hiding it pffff

anyway, mobei jun just absolutely Torn Asunder by these pathetic two-faced men. he can't help it, they look so worthless and they're also such vindictive assholes and mobei jun has a Type

anyway onto the moshang of it all but like, what if shang qinghua catches onto the fact that mobei jun actually had a bit of a Thing for luo binghe (past tense) and he's like "oh fucking goddammit, well, this is inconvenient for everyone, but what my babygirl wants, my babygirl gets" and he proceeds to make various attempts to cause a bingqiu divorce, or at very least open up their marriage, because "if my king wants bing-mei, my king is gonna GET bing-mei! i dont owe cucumber-bro shit"

only, to mobei jun, shang qinghua's attempts to divorce bingqiu is making him think that shang qinghua has feelings for them and now he's Very Upset because look, he had a crush on luo binghe, but shang qinghua is endgame for him and now qinghua wants to be with someone else????

misunderstandings abound lmfao also shen yuan might beat the shit out of shang qinghua when he learns about his evil machinations lololol "IM IN A VERY HAPPY MONOGAMOUS MARRIAGE YOU ASSHOLE"

shang qinghua, lowkey after he fails to get bing-mei for mobei jun he's just like "i mean... cucumber bro mentioned something about the multiverse 🤔 maybe i can get my babygirl to bing-ge?"

mobei jun: ....please stop

(ofc shang qinghua is highkey heartbroken the whole way BUT HE IS DETERMINED OKAY, HE WILL SEE THIS THROUGH)

[osarina]

maybe it’s just my imagination but dazai’s hair looks longer in those storm bringer panels and now i’m thinking of dazai who’s too lazy to go get his hair cut, so it just keeps growing and growing. chuuya makes fun of him and tells him to at least style it bc he looks dumb, which makes dazai more adamant about letting it just be an inconvenient mess, and pmreader like side eyes him bc it’s in his eye all the time and lowkey worrying on missions if he can’t see properly bc he already covers one eye, but she lets it be bc ykw she kind of digs the longer hair. and then on a mission dazai almost gets himself shot in the head because his hair was in his eye and he didn’t see the gunman, and she’s like alright ok that’s enough. she full on has to wrangle him into her bathroom to trim his hair herself because he had a meltdown at the idea of going to a barber, but it becomes a monthly thing for them — sometimes he bribes her into washing his hair too bc he likes the feeling of her nails scratching his scalp. he’d get so giddy about it that he’d wait in the bathroom like an hour before she even got home and she would just roll her eyes at him (it made her all warm inside) but it became something he rlly looked forward to

anyway i also am thinking of when he defects and how he probably just didn’t take care of himself at all. never shaved, was always drunk, and NEVER went to get his hair cut because it made him even more angry and upset because it makes him think about her, but he finally had to before going to the agency because he didn’t want to look awful for a first impression, and getting his hair cut goes from being something he looked forward to, to something that he dreaded more than ANYTHING so he’d avoid it as long as possible bc it would just always make him yearn for her