#there will be 2-3 months of Getting Stuff. we are just not there yet
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toseesoclearly · 5 months ago
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ST5 teaser/promo PSA
I don't think it's actually possible to get this fandom to calm down about anything, but I thought I would post anyways for general information sharing and the hope of convincing at least myself to try to just log off on the "WHERE IS THE ST5 PROMO" question until spring at the earliest. :)
Netflix typical promo timelines
Netflix usually announces release dates 3-5 months ahead of time. The earlier New Year's announcement of ST3 dropping July 4th was an outlier. There are other outlier examples among other Netflix shows so it's not out of the question we could get a release date sooner, just less likely. In the past, release date announcements have come with poster reveals and teasers.
Promo usually begins in earnest two-ish months out from release, with first look stills and/or a full-length trailer. After this point, regular content will be released by Netflix (character posters, more BTS content, the final trailer), the cast and crew will do interviews that may come with additional clips, and there will be a couple to a few bigger press features with new info/images.
Anything they release before the above points will be variable. You can make arguments for some patterns based on past ST season promo cycles, but ST5 has already been a fairly big departure (the usual "teaser" we get during filming being a BTS featurette, lots more BTS content posted to socials, no character descriptions or even names with new cast announcements, etc). Unfortunately for us, whatever was motivating the more extensive "pre-release date announcement period" teaser content we got for ST4 does not seem to be informing what they're up to this time around. So it's probably better to temper your expectations and expect that we'll be getting less instead of more.
The "end of January Netflix event"
The "Netflix event at the end of January that will feature Stranger Things" is probably Netflix's big 2025 promo event for their entire slate of movie and TV releases. Last year, it was called "Next on Netflix" and took place on February 1st. Sandman fan twitter accounts are saying that this year's version will take place on January 29. I don't know where that claim is coming from but it's in line with last year's timing so it makes sense. The "Next on Netflix" branding also seems to be carrying over.
you can see the compilation "sizzle trailer" from last year plus the other images & info released at Netflix's website here. basically: I don't recommend getting particularly excited for this, I think it's most likely that ST5 will occupy the "Squid Game" position at the end (probably shared with Wednesday S2 and Squid Game S3) with a 5-15 second clip that will feature a shot or two and a couple lines of dialogue.
At best, we'll get that plus another still or two and the season "logline" but I wouldn't hold my breath (peep The Umbrella Academy and Arcane's 2024 loglines which are basically "this show has existed and been a hit! now the next season is coming out and people are excited" and, even worse, "details coming soon" lmao)
A Super Bowl teaser?
The other big claim people have been throwing around is that we'll get a teaser during the Super Bowl (which this year is Sunday Feb 9). That happened exactly once, for ST2, so I don't know why there is so much confidence that it is inevitable this time around. Netflix doesn't have a super consistent history wrt running Super Bowl ads if you look at the past few years.
If anything, a bigger Netflix ad like the one they did with Will Ferrell & GM in 2023 seems like the most likely scenario for me if they're trying to make efficient use of expensive ad time. Based on the Christmas/New Year's "Netflix 2025" teaser we got, I wouldn't be surprised if, in the early part of the year, Netflix keeps emphasizing that Squid Game, Wednesday, AND ST5 are coming in 2025. I don't know if that messaging comes with new footage or not.
All that to say, the show is huge, the ST5 teaser will get a zillion views and a ton of attention regardless, so it seems most likely they'll just release it online as opposed to shell out millions of dollar to advertise something probably months and months out from release. obviously I would love to be wrong. :)
A few other FYIs
Unless it is part of a larger event (Netflix stuff like Tudum, Geeked Week, etc, or other big advertising opportunities like the Super Bowl or the Olympics), Netflix rarely releases promo stuff on the weekends.
When Netflix does drop something, it will probably be posted between 9am-12:30pm Eastern. that is true for like 90% of the promo content posted to the ST socials according to my nonscientific survey.
It doesn't happen 100% of the time, but for trailers and sometimes teasers, Netflix socials will post a little "the teaser/trailer is coming!" announcement the day before. (ST example 1, example 2, Squid Game example from last year)
TL;DR no one outside of the Netflix corporate offices actually knows anything and and no one can really even guess when we'll get anything promo-wise until we know the release date (which probably won't happen until the spring or summer, depending on if ST5 ends up being a summer or fall release).
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watchmegetobsessed · 13 days ago
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UNDONE II.
A/N: sooo 👀 i feel like we all wanted more of them, so here it is! and i think there could be maybe a part 3 as well, let me know if you agree!
WORD COUNT: 5.8k
WARNING: sexual content
SUMMARY: What happened between Harry and Y/N on that one night in his office can't be undone and it is now bringing them to a whole new territory.
MASTERLIST | SUPPORT ME! | PART I.
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Presenting was never Y/N’s thing. All the attention aimed at her, watching all of her moves and listening to what she is saying, it puts such a pressure on her that always gets her palms sweating and her speech stuttering. But today, as she presents her latest report at the bi-weekly meeting, she feels extra anxious.
And that’s because of Harry.
He has always been part of this meeting, he is sitting in the same spot as usual with the same gruff expression on his face while Y/N is talking through the numbers, but today his presence is entirely different to her.
Because just three days ago he watched her come as she grinded on him in his office. 
The memories still live vividly in her mind and that’s probably because she hasn’t stopped replaying them: sitting at her desk, making her third coffee of the day, on her route home, cooking in her tiny kitchen or lying in bed late at night, it’s all she thinks about. 
It’s a shame nothing more has happened though. 
The past few days have been quite hectic, mostly for Harry. An unexpected issue has been keeping him at work late, not leaving him any time to focus on Y/N and his promise to her. All they had was a couple longing gazes, a handful of hidden touches when passing by each other and murmured questions asking if they could postpone their meeting another day. 
Y/N understands it, he is busy, a whole department relies on him and great responsibility. That doesn’t take her disappointment away every time he apologizes when he asks to reschedule. 
Now that they are locked in a room with other people when the tension between them is palpable and Y/N is trying her best to control the ache for him in her chest and lower as well.
Once her presentation is over, a few questions are thrown her way, then she returns to her seat while feeling his burning gaze on her all the way. When she dares to look up from her notes he is still looking at her, but there’s a bit of softness in them now. Maybe even a tiny smile is hiding in the corner of his mouth, but maybe she is just imagining it.
People start flowing out of the room when the meeting ends, while Y/N and Harry are lazily gathering their stuff in hopes of having just a couple of moments alone, but that’s entirely crushed when the HR manager barges in and her eyes settle on Harry.
“Harry, can I have a word with you?”
Swallowing his disappointment, he shoots a short look at Y/N who just nods and leaves and it takes everything in him not to go after her. 
The past few days have been pure torture for him as well, having her so close yet he can’t even touch her. He’s been doing everything in his power to bend his schedule so he could at least put work down early enough that she is not asleep by the time he heads home, but he did not succeed. 
“Sorry to steal you away, but I wanted to chat with you about the new team lead’s onboarding,” Rita, the HR manager explains as they head to his office. He gives her a puzzled look. “You know, Rowan, the analyst lead you interviewed.”
“Oh… but that was so long ago, I thought he didn’t accept the offer.”
“He did, but he had a 2 month long notice period. He starts tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” his eyes widen. He completely forgot about it, though now he has a faded memory of Rita asking him about when he should start. To which he apparently said this week. “Uh, okay, tomorrow it is then.”
“He is coming at ten, I’ll do the paperwork with him and then bring him down here probably before lunch. He has the ‘meet the team’ event at two. Sam, Brian, Tate and Y/N already accepted, you haven’t, but it’s in your calendar.”
“Wait, who? Meet the team with…”
“Sam, Brian, Tate and Y/N. The analysts,” Rita repeats just as they step into his office. “Since Rowan will be their team lead.”
That’s right. Now Harry remembers. Rowan James is going to fulfill the Analyst team lead position that Harry has been substituting since what feels like forever, because they couldn’t find the right person. The vacancy has also been the only reason why Harry has been Y/N’s immediate boss since she’s joined the company.
But that comes to an end with Rowan’s arrival. 
***
It’s once again past nine when Harry finally shuts his computer off. His eyes hurt from staring at the screen all day and he already has a mile long to-do list for tomorrow. This week sucks, he thinks to himself as he stands from his desk, expecting complete darkness outside his office, but he is surprised to see a sliver of light at one of the desks.
It’s Y/N.
She is sitting at her desk, phone in hand as she scrolls with a tired look on her illuminated face. Harry’s chest warms at the sight.
Walking out he approaches her and he notices the nervousness in her eyes once she spots him, locking her phone. 
“What are you doing here so late?” he asks, grabbing a chair from the neighboring desk and rolling it over so he sits right in front of her. 
“I just… thought that I could… wait for you.”
“You should be home, resting.”
“You too,” she retorts and he can’t help the smile that tugs on his lips. She looks so soft and warm, he must reach out and touch her, so leaning forward he places a hand on her thigh and he doesn’t miss how she sucks on her breath at the contact. 
He grabs onto her with his other hand as well and pulls her closer, until he can reach her face and cup her cheek in his hand. She melts into his touch instantly and Harry realizes how much he craved to touch her for more than just a fleeting second. 
“Why did you want to wait for me, Y/N? Hm?” he murmurs lowly, leaning forward until his forehead meets hers. She just hums in reply, her eyes fluttering close. “Did you miss me?”
“Yes,” she breathes out.
“But I’ve been right here all week,” he teases her.
“But not… like that.” It comes out as a whine, her hands grab onto his shirt at his stomach, tugging on the fabric needily. 
“Like what?” His nose brushes against hers, his lips only a breath away from mouth. She squirms when one of his hands slips down to her neck. He is going insane at how responsive she is, just one touch and she trembles, giving away just how much she wants him. 
Fucking addictive. 
“I want you, like… last time…” 
It’s clear to him how bashful she is, talking about what happened between them, but he is eager to hear her say it out loud.
“What did we do last time?” He angles her face so his lips could press against her cheek while his other hand wanders down to her lap, sneakily slipping between her legs. He feels the heat instantly and when he gently presses against her clothed center, she moans shamelessly and Harry’s cock twitches in an instant. 
“We… we…” Now she is struggling, because he is slowly stroking her, teasing and playing with her.
“Come on, baby. Say it for me.”
“We… Y-you made me come,” she finally answers and Harry hums approvingly before gently biting her jawline, then presses a kiss to the same spot. 
“That’s right, how?” He pushes his fingers against her slightly harder and faster now, her hips start rocking at the same pace, eager for more friction. She lets go of his shirt and her hands grab onto the base of his neck as if she is about to fall and she needs leverage.
“I was… It’s…” Words get lost on her tongue, her thoughts are a mess and incoherent as she feels herself inching towards her orgasm. 
“Come on, Y/N. I want to hear from you. I won’t make you come now until you say it.”
To emphasize that he is serious, he retreats his hand and she hisses unhappily at the lack of it instantly. Her eyes pop open and he loves the fire in them, almost angry at him. It’s such a turn on for him, he would love to fuck her until she turns back into her soft, sweet, submissive self. 
“You made me grind on your hard cock until I came.”
Her words come out crystal clear, none of the shyness is there that kept her stuttering before. Harry’s grin grows wide and his hand returns between her legs to finish what he started. 
It doesn’t take long before her breath hitches as her orgasm blows up and when her lips part, he is quick to swallow her moans, kissing her so roughly it’s almost painful, but it just makes her climax even stronger. 
“You are so fucking beautiful when you come undone from my touch.” He keeps kissing her, softer and softer until he is basically just pressing his lips against hers while she is still trying to catch her breath. 
Once her head clears her eyes instantly snap down at his lap, the outline of his hard cock making his lust quite undeniably. 
“No, Y/N.”
“Again?” She almost pouts, her hands falling to his thighs, gently rubbing them up and down. 
“I told you. If you touch my cock right now, there is no going back, but this is not the right time and place.”
“But when?” she practically whines. 
“Friday? I’m hoping to finish at a human time,” he chuckles softly, placing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. 
“Okay,” she nods, defeated.
“Don’t be so sad. I promise to make up for the delay.” He flashes a devilish smile at her before kissing her hard, then standing up. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
***
Y/N arrives at work with a buzz and it’s not because of the end of the work week. Well, kind of, because that also means she is finally meeting Harry outside of the office. 
He texted her last night, assuring her that he will put everything down once the clock hits 5 o’clock and then asked for her address so he could send a taxi to pick her up and drive her to his place later in the evening. And now Y/N can’t wait for the day to be over so she could head home, have an everything-shower and then finally do what she’s been wanting to do not just all day but probably since her interview months ago.
Focusing on her work is harder now, but she somehow manages to get into the flow, so when her calendar’s reminder pops up about a meeting starting in ten minutes, she has to snap out of all those numbers and tables that sucked her right in. 
Then she realizes she is about to meet her new boss. 
She meets her teammates halfway to the meeting room and they walk in, finding Harry already in there with an unknown man. Harry’s eyes flicker at Y/N for a short second, but she can’t read anything in them as he stands from his seat.
“Hello everyone. I would like to introduce you to Rowan James, your new team lead,” Harry announces.
Rowan James is an objectively attractive guy, Y/N can’t deny that. In his tailored navy blue suit and crispy, white shirt, hair tousled just enough to give him that slightly unfinished look while still appearing put-together. His warm brown eyes swipe over the team before he walks over and shakes hands with everyone. 
His hold is firm, but not painful and he pays extra attention to listen to their names to learn them as fast as possible. If Y/N met him a couple of months ago or even two weeks ago, she probably would have had a fleeting crush on him. But now, as her gaze slides over to Harry all she can think about is what he has planned for her for tonight. 
She cannot look at other men the same way she did before him. 
“It’s so nice to meet you, I’m looking forward to having a one-on-one session with all of you.”
“I will be onboarding Rowan in the next weeks, gradually handing over all tasks, but I would like you all to evaluate the tasks you currently have and should be handed over as well.”
Y/N straightens her back as if she is sitting across from a teacher. Harry is radiating  authority, he has that expression on that’s all business, focused and professional. It could be scary, but for Y/N it has always brought an odd sense of comfort, because she knew whatever they had to handle, they would succeed no matter what if Harry looked like that. 
They talk a bit about themselves, hobbies, interests and then start to map out how they can all work together to make Rowan’s onboarding as smooth as possible. When the meeting is over everyone has their own action items and Y/N knows they got this. However, Harry seems somewhat… grumpy. As people start going their own way she tries to have a word with him, but he is busy instructing Rowan about something on his computer, so she leaves as well and carries on with her day. 
***
Harry feels off. 
He’s been having non-stop meetings with Rowan and everyone else he will be working with and he is trying his best to do a thorough handover while taking care of his own tasks as well, so it’s a crammed day. Rowan is nice, has good humor, a pleasant guy to be around and yet…
Something feels off. 
Harry can’t put his finger on it, the feeling settles in his chest and keeps bugging him all day, but realization hits him sometime in the afternoon when he sees Rowan sitting next to Y/N at her desk, looking at her screen.
It’s a simple scene, Y/N is talking about their ticketing system and how they usually assign tasks between each other, nothing unusual, but when he sees them share a laugh at something, everything clicks. 
He is jealous. 
Rowan is a good looking bloke, nice and smart, exactly like the kind of guy Harry imagines Y/N go for and seeing them work together just amplifies that thought in his mind. As he returns to his office and joins another call he is still musing over how he feels possessive over her even though she is not even hers. 
But he’s the one who’s made her come the last two times… Or is he?
The thought of Y/N messing around with someone else makes him feral. The call he is in is long forgotten, all he can think about is how crazy he is going over her and by the time he ends the call he knows he should clear the air out before he touches her tonight. 
***
She feels like before her first ever date in high school. Jittery, nervous, kind of lost. 
The taxi picks her up at seven, sharp, and then she is on her way to Harry’s place. Even the thought makes her stomach churn, it all kind of feels like a fever dream still. 
How is it going to be? What will happen? What if she messes up? Will he kick her out right after? 
When she gets out of the taxi in front of the luxurious apartment building, her hands are shaking and she thinks about just walking away, but she also wants this so much, she would regret not even trying. In the elevator she watches the numbers change, taking deep breaths after every fifth floor. And then she arrives at the twenty-seventh floor, the door opens and there she is, standing in front of his front door. Just when she is about to knock, it opens, revealing him. 
Harry stands there barefoot, in the same outfit he wore today, but the first few buttons are now undone on his shirt, revealing his tattooed chest, some hair and also a thin chain with a pendant that’s hidden from her eyes for now. 
“Come on in,” he softly murmurs, holding the door open for her. 
The place is somewhat what she expected, tasteful, expensive but not loudly, though it’s cozier than she imagined. Seemingly, Harry likes art, paintings, sculptures, books, there is something in almost every corner. 
Harry leads her into the open concept kitchen and she spots two wine glasses on the counter already. 
“Would you like a glass?”
“Sure,” she nods and lets out a shaky breath that catches his attention. 
“You don’t have to, Y/N. It’s all on you.”
He is talking about the wine, but at the same time, something else too. 
“I know. A glass sounds good,” she nods with a soft smile and watches him grab a bottle from the fridge and then pour some into both glasses, handing her one. 
She feels out of place and quite unsure what should be happening right now. Are they just gonna drink and talk? Or shouldn’t they just jump right into the fun?
“I wanted to talk to you first,” Harry says as if he could read her mind. He is leaning against the counter while Y/N is by the kitchen island, they have a decent distance between them, but it could be crossed with just one stride. 
“Okay.”
“I assume that since you’re here, you still feel the same way about… me.”
Heat creeps up her neck, to her cheeks and ears. She just nods, confirming his words.
“Good.” A tiny smile tugs on the corners of his mouth and it’s a relief, seeing this reaction, because he’s been acting quite distant towards her all day. 
Harry takes a sip from his wine and she mirrors him, doing the same, then he puts the glass down while she keeps it in her hands, just to busy them. 
“Are you in any type of relationship with someone else?”
Her mouth runs dry at his question.
“N-no. Are you?” 
“No,” he answers firmly. “Are you planning to be sexually active with someone else if we take this further?”
“I’m not a hooker,” she scoffs, finally understanding what it’s about. 
“I’m aware. But you’re an attractive, smart, wonderful woman who has every right to have fun with multiple men parallelly.”
She finds it hilarious that Harry thinks she is one, the type to hook up with more guys at the same time and two, she can get more than one guy to hook up with her. 
Because finding just one had been hard for her. 
Harry exhales through his nose and she notices a change in him. His shoulders fall and his expression looks almost… tortured.
“I don’t share, Y/N. If you plan on hooking up with others, then just tell me now, because I can’t–”
“I don’t want to hook up with others,” she blurts out. “I only want you.”
The vulnerability of her confession tightens her chest and the way he is inspecting her doesn’t change, but then she sees the fire in his gaze, though he is obviously trying to hold it back. 
“What about if you meet someone new?” he challenges. She narrows her eyes at him.
“Is this… about my new team leader?” Harry’s lack of answer talks for him. “I don’t want anything from him. I don’t want anything from anyone else.”
It’s hard for her to believe Harry is asking her all these questions because he’s jealous, but the look on his face clearly gives away his doubts right now. 
“He just seemed like… a great guy.”
“Yeah,” she nods, putting her own glass down before folding her arms over her chest. “He is a great guy.”
Harry’s jaw flexes and he nods, his annoyance and jealousy is now quite amusing to her, but she doesn’t want to push him more.
“But I don’t want him to bend over his desk and fuck me until I forget my own name.” 
The fire she saw in his eyes earlier is now a full on, raging wildfire that’s consuming everything around. His eyes drag down her body, taking his time without any shame as he drinks in the sight of all of her curves before his gaze drags back up to her eyes. She is throbbing just from his look.
“I need your consent, Y/N,” he firmly says. “I need to hear that you’re not here because you feel obligated, because I’m in a higher position. You have to say it before I touch you.”
“I’m here because I want you, it has nothing to do with your position or your power in the company. You have my full consent–”
That’s all he needed. He finally takes that one long stride and his lips smash against hers in a hungry, demanding kiss as his hands grab her face, pulling her into him even though she possibly can’t be closer as he is pushing her against the kitchen island with his hips. Suddenly, everything is forgotten, her nervousness and fears, his doubts and jealousy, it’s just their combined want and lust for each other. 
Harry loosens up his push against her just enough so that he can grab the hem of her shirt and get rid of it, throwing it to the side while her fingers start working his shirt’s buttons. Once his chest is revealed, she wastes no time gluing her palms onto his pecks, fingers digging into his flesh, loving the feeling of the muscles moving underneath them as Harry takes the shirt off. 
She gasps shortly when he grabs the back of her thighs and lifts her up into his arms while his lips start kissing and nibbling on the soft skin right underneath her jawline. Y/N can sense that they are moving somewhere, but her eyes are rolled back from the sensation his tongue is giving her against her heated skin. They don’t move too far though and Harry puts her back down to her wobbly feet, she is standing now on something softer, a rug, then pulls away and she almost starts protesting, but then her gaze meets his and the words die on her tongue. 
He doesn’t say anything, just reaches down and starts undoing his pants, pushing them down his legs until he can just step out of them, leaving him only in his boxer briefs. It’s an invitation, an unsaid one, but Y/N understands it clearly. 
Now is the time to do what I didn’t let you do before, his look says and she is more than eager to take on the task. 
She sinks to her knees with ease, her hands reaching back to gather her hair with the elastic she put on her wrist before leaving, but he is quick to stop her.
“I’ve got this,” he murmurs lowly, his palm closes around her hair and twisting it he makes sure he is pulling it just enough that he is not hurting her, but gives her scalp tingles. 
She grabs the elastic of his underwear, almost expecting him to stop her again, but when he blinks up at him, she only sees him expectantly staring down at her with slightly parted lips. So she tugs on the fabric and a moment later his cock springs free, hard and throbbing and fucking mouthwatering. 
She glances up at him again and wraps her hands around the base, feeling up the girth and length at first, giving him a few gentle tugs and judging from the way his hold on her hair tightens, he is very much enjoying her touches. Then she leans closer, eyes still up on his face as she sticks her tongue out and swirls it around the head. His cock twitches in her hands and he hisses at the sensation. Loving the reactions so far she gains confidence and then moves her head further forward, his cock sliding into her wet mouth inch by inch until the head hits the back of her throat and she pulls back. 
“Fuck, you look so good with my cock in your mouth,” he groans as she slowly starts moving back and forth, trying to take as much of him as possible, her hand playing with the rest of his length and his balls, fighting the urge to reach between her legs and touch herself as well. 
She tries to change up the angle a few times, push herself some more and make him go deeper into her throat and every time she earns a deep, guttural groan from him, a clear sign that she is doing well. 
His hold on her hair tightens then and when she is going forward, he pushes on her head just a little more, until she is gagging on him and then he pulls her back and up onto her feet. She is still a mess, tears and her own saliva is smudged on her face, but he doesn’t hesitate to kiss her, hard and eager as his hands work the front of her pants. She is quick to give a helping hand and once the pants are pooling on the floor, he picks her up again and carries her into the bedroom this time.
She gasps when she is thrown onto the firm, but comfortable mattress and Harry is quick to climb on top of her, his lips smashing against hers. His briefs are still on, though his erection is free, Y/N blindly reaches down and pushes the fabric further down until she can sink her fingers into his ass, bringing him closer, his cock pressing against her soaking wet center. 
Harry pulls back so he can get rid of his underwear and then in all of his naked glory, he takes a few seconds to admire the sight of her sprawled out in front of him in her underwear, the fabric of her panties has a clear darker spot between her legs and her nipples are poking against the thin material of her bralette. 
“Fucking hell,” he breathes out, one hand wrapping around his cock, giving it a few lazy tugs
Y/N has never felt more beautiful and wanted in her life, the burning lust in his eyes, the heat radiating from his body, she is now questioning every previous experience she has had, because they didn’t bring her this kind of explosion in her veins. 
Harry climbs on top of her again, he kisses her, but he is a tad bit softer this time, like he wants to savor this moment. He slips one hand under her back and easily unclasps her bralette. She wiggles it off her arms and pushes it to the side right before Harry slides lower, his mouth finding one of her pebbled nipples. 
“Fuck!” she gasps, when he gently bites it. He flashes her a smug grin before pressing a kiss on it and moving to the other one. 
He takes his sweet time kissing all over her chest and stomach, then he moves down to her thighs, avoiding to even touch her anywhere near her underwear that’s the very last item she is wearing. With every teasing kiss he presses to her soft skin, she starts wiggling more underneath, desperate to feel more of him, but it seems like he is sticking to torturing him. 
“Harry, please!” she begs when his lips are so damn close to her cunt, but still not there. 
“Please what?” he asks, hooking a finger into the elastic, but not pulling on it yet. 
“I need more!” she whines, chest heaving, hips grinding. 
“More of what?”
“You!”
Her answer surprises him, not what he wanted to hear, but… it might be even better and enough for him to give up the game he’s been playing. Finally, he pulls her panties down, throwing it to the side and when Y/N instinctively tries to snap her knees together to cover herself, something she doesn’t do on purpose, he is quick to wedge his hands between them, forcing them apart, wide open so he has a great view of her cunt, glistening from her arousal. 
Harry reaches out and drags two fingers down between her folds, softly and almost shyly, as if he couldn’t believe he is touching her and she is this wet, all for him. Then he gets comfortable between her legs, his hands on her inner thighs to keep them open and he wishes he could record the moan she lets out once his mouth is on her cunt. 
She grinds her hips against his face, his tongue moving perfectly against her clit and then teases her opening. He pays close attention to her reactions, making sure to keep doing what makes her shiver or gasp for air. When the muscle on her inner thigh starts twitching he assumes she is close, so he pulls back, climbing off the bed all together, walking over to his nightstand to grab a condom. In the meanwhile, Y/N is trying to catch her breath and fight the urge to cry at the lack of him all of a sudden. Turning her head to the side she catches as Harry rolls the condom on and then he is back on the bed next to her. He kisses her, lazily but deep, their tongues melting together before he pulls back and gently starts to rearrange her on the mattress. She obeys like a doll, ready to do anything he asks from her just to feel him some more. 
Soon, she finds herself on all four facing the end of the bed, Harry kneeling behind her and when she lifts her head she notices there is a big mirror right in front of her, allowing her to see him clearly even despite the position. Harry’s gaze catches hers in the mirror as his hands grab onto her hips, squeezing them and before moving to the next step he leans down and presses a gentle kiss to her spine at her waist. 
“Let me know if it’s too much,” he tells her and she just nods eagerly, only wanting to feel him inside her already. 
When she feels his head poking at her cunt her arms shake for a moment. He wedges his shaft between her folds at first, thrusting back and forth a few times, gathering her juices before he grabs the base and positions himself to her center. 
Her mouth hangs open as he starts pushing in, watching his face twitch in the mirror as he tries to hold himself back from pounding into her without a care. Her walls are stretching, trying to shape to his size, painful and blissful at the same time. He pushes in halfway at first, stops for a few seconds, then pulls out and goes in again, this time deeper. He goes like this, inching further with each thrust until she is taking his whole length. 
He starts off slowly, but the pace quickly changes when he feels like she is used to him. His grip tightens on her hips as his thrusts get rougher, his hips smacking against her ass. Every time she feels like her arms and legs might give up she looks into the mirror and seeing him pound into her keeps her together. She watches as his skin starts glistening from the sweat and especially loves it when he moves a bit, finds a new, better angle and his head falls back as he moans her name. 
A sight and sound straight out of heaven. 
Harry notices that she is struggling to hold herself up, so leaning forward he circles his arms around her and pulls her up until she is kneeling as well, her back against his chest. She lets her weight push against him as he keeps fucking her in this new position. She looks into the mirror again, the sight of his hands gripping her stomach and breasts is so pornographic. Then he buries his face into her neck, sucking on the skin as she reaches back and rakes her hand through his damp hair. 
“I’m close,” she pants. She is practically sitting on his lap as he is fucking her from behind, the position is allowing him to reach a spot that’s rapidly pushing her towards the edge. 
“Go on, want to feel you come on my cock. Give it to me.”
His hands grope her breasts hard, his fingers might leave marks, but it feels so good, the pain paired with her nearing orgasm. 
When she finally tips over the edge her hands snap against his thighs, her walls grip his cock tight as he keeps moving. She is still riding the last waves of her orgasm when he follows, his thrusts fall out of rhythm and go even deeper if that’s possible as he releases himself into the condom. 
His movements become sloppy until he stops, but they remain in the same position, neither of them wanting to break the connection between them. 
Then gently, he pulls out of her, a disapproving whine bubbling from her throat that just earns a chuckle from him as he carefully moves them around until they are lying on the mattress again. Her whole body feels like noodles, sweat is drying on her skin, the coldness slowly wraps her in its arms, but she is way too sent to cover herself. 
Harry slips off the bed, he doesn’t fight the urge to kiss her swollen lips softly before he disappears in the bathroom. He returns with a damp towel and he carefully cleans her up while she just enjoys the sight of him taking care of her. He quickly disgards the towel and then leans down, hands on each side of her head as he holds himself up. 
Now she notices the necklace again, the cross pendant is hanging in front of her, along with a…
She reaches up to grab it and takes a closer look and when she realizes it’s a banana, she can’t help the soft chuckle.
“What?” he grins down at her.
“Has this been under your shirt all along?”
“Never take it off.”
Instead of a reply, she just hooks a finger into the chain and pulls him down until their lips meet again. 
“Do you want something to wear for the night?” he asks between kisses. She swallows back her smile, because his question means he wants her to stay. 
“No.”
“Good answer.”
Harry climbs back to bed and peels the covers from under her so he can wrap themselves, though she is enjoying him wrapped around her a lot more. Their limbs are tangled, her head is pressed against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat while he plays with her hair, occasionally kissing the crown of her head. 
“Good night, Y/N,” she hears him murmur and a moment later she is drifting off to sleep.
Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed and buy me a coffee if you want to support me!
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kirammanswoman · 22 days ago
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*ੈ✩‧₊˚ AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES *ੈ✩‧₊˚
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part 1 part 2 (wip) part 3 (wip) masterlist
three hockey player roommates that are in desperate need of a fourth roommate after their original one moved out on a whim. a professionally trained, braniac figure skater who needs to move. what’s the worst that could happen?
hockey!vi/ellie/abby x figureskater!fem!reader
warnings: reader is mentioned to be a lesbian!!!
a/n: im back n sorry it took so long, i forgot to say i was gonna make this n smau as well TEEHEE!! also ik i made a typo on the smau portion stfu ik…IF YOU KNOW WHERE THE ART FROM THE BANNER ABOVE IS FROM PLEASE LMK I FOUND IT ON PINTEREST AND CANT FIND THE ORIGINATOR
lowercase intended, unedited.
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the moment you woke up to your upstairs neighbor banging on his drums at 5 am for the tenth time this week,
you knew.
sitting up from your tousled bed sheets and wrinkled pillows, you dig through the thick comforter to find your pj pants that you lazily threw off the night before. you dont know whether it’s your upstairs neighbor banging on his drums to metallica at 5 am (he for sure hasnt slept yet) or your head, but something was pounding. as you walk over to your mini kitchen in your tiny studio apartment, formula sheets, periodic tables, and notes were sprawled across the floor from the previous night’s panicked “i have to review this now or else i’ll die of anxiety before i sleep” study session.
you took a step forward, stepped on an eraser. another step, a pencil. and one more, lo and behold you’re at your kitchen counter, after two measly, groggy steps. so small, so crammed, so stuffy.
yeah. you had to move out.
morning practices weren’t your favorite, like at all. you studied for chem the night before, now you’re getting rewarded with two hours of coach medarda nit-picking at your every move. every axel, every jump, every loop. all. of. it. being medarda’s prized figure skater out of the bunch of girls was great, i mean, you were olympic bound because of her. however, the physical repercussions that come with exhausting your body in order to move so beautifully on ice wasn’t fun. you hurriedly tamed your bed ridden hair, threw on your practice clothes, stuffed your pristine white skates in your bag and sped off. that is, before almost eating shit on your tile floor because you tripped over your air fryer that was placed on the ground because the counter was far too small to stuff it in a corner. you curse to yourself as you clutch your foot— your very important foot— and you hop outside to lock the door.
when you finally locked the door (which took ages bc the dusty ass lock is older than you are) you sped walked to your car with a one track mind, a throbbing foot, and a repetitive thought.
i have to move out. fast.
-
-
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE JUST PACKED UP AND LEFT?”
“meant it how i said it you loud dipshit. her room’s empty, abby”
“yeah ellie and i tried to stop her and get an answer, i even ran out to the driveway shirtless but all she said was ‘im sorry vi but i have to go, my last payment for rent will be in for next month’ and she drove off”
the three hockey players stood in their living room, now missing a roommate, thus, missing a fourth person for rent. their former roommate, korra, insisted that she had other matters to attend to and had to move out urgently. they were perplexed, clueless, and a little angry at the sudden decision, but lo and behold, they can’t do anything about it now can they.
“alright— okay, sit down you shitheads— and put a shirt in vi, we gotta figure this out.”
“she did give us at least some allowance of time to figure something out right?” ellie responded to abby, fiddling with her silver rings. abby nodded and bit her lip while thinking if their next move.
“okay— here’s the deal.” she sat down and signaled the other two to sit as well. “i’ll ask my dad to cover the payment for the month after next month if we dont find one in time—”
“wait wait wait— what do you mean find one in time? you’re gonna go looking for a new one like a fuckass model agency recruiter?” ellie raised a brow
“no you fuckin idiot, im gonna post something on the locker room’s bulletin that we’re looking for new roommates.”
“like that’s gonna fucking find us one abby” vi scoffed
“okay listen you fuckasses— i can guarantee” she cut herself off “vi put a shirt on for fucks sake—“ she said as she threw a shirt to vi as she hurriedly threw her shirt on overtop her nike bra “im the damn captain of the team— i’ll make the rest of them look at it and convince them if we have too.”
“so— we’re taking anyone?”
“no, just hockey players”
yeah. right.
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-
“ONE MORE TIME. CHIN UP.”
coach medardas demanding voice reverberated within the enclosed rink as you went through the last stretch of your routine again.
fuck fuck fuck ow ow ow shit shit shit—
was all you could think while repeating the final move of your routine for the fifth time now. as you hit your ending pose, medarda’s neutral face flickered a slight smile.
“good. much better. you’re free to go” she nodded you off. you thanked her and skated off the ice. everything hurt. every. single. thing. which was crazy considering you’ve been skating since 5 years old. never get used to it you suppose.
“how’s little miss perfect’s ice skating practice go?”
a voice breaks your thoughts off while you retrieve your stuff from your locker. you smile warmly at the girl with beautiful brown eyes and dark hair leaning against the door.
“hi D” you smile as you put your skates in your duffle.
“geez, medarda beat you black and blue again?” Dina asked as she walked over to one of the benches by your locker.
“black, blue, red, orange, green— the fuckin rainbow” you laughed
“ohhhh— i get it, because you’re a LESBI—” you covered dina’s mouth before she could finish.
“i swear to god—”
“no one’s here!” she muffled from her covered mouth, as she took your wrist into her hand and gently lifted it from her mouth. “plus i wasn’t actually gonna say it for real for real” she laughed.
it’s not like you had a problem with being a lesbian, fuck, if anything you thank every possible part of your existence for being attracted to women. it’s just—you had a reputation— and sometimes hiding a part of yourself was just easier to maintain that reputation. (a/n: this is fucking false, be so authentically you because you’re fucking beautiful, dont let anyone make you think otherwise. i love u.)
you shook your head at your best friends antics.
“sooo…find a place yet?” she said, fiddling with the charms on your duffle.
you sighed and scratched your forehead “no— skating and classes have been eating at my literal ass lately” you slumped at the space beside her
“babes, come on. that place is hella sketchy—“ she paused. dina never pauses. she’s always speaking, so this leads you to believe something’s turning with the gears in her head.
“anyway you need to leave soon— oh wait hold on!” she sprung up slightly. her eyes were wide and her smile was so bright it could blind people. oh no. you thought. she’s thinking. thats bad.
“you remember ellie? hockey player, short hair, green eyes, really actually very hot?” she perked up
“yea…? what about her—“ “they need a roommate!”
and there it is. a thought. from dina. she didnt even let you finish your sentence, so you didnt even let her convince you.
“no.” you deadpanned, glaring at her. “dina i refuse to room with the infamous women’s hockey trio league who probably disguised frat boys.” you started to pick up your stuff to walk out of the lockers.
“come onnnnnnn!!! its a perfect opportunity!” she walks a little behind you. “its literally falling on your lap!”
“no dina i wont—” “LOOK!” she said, as she abruptly stopped and basically yanked you by your ponytail to look at the bulletin board. with a yelp and a ‘what the fuck D!’ you stare at the slip of paper right smack dab center of the bulletin board.
“dina woodward, no.”
“dina woodward, yes.” she said as she ripped a piece of the tags hanging below with the email and number of whoever put the sign up.
what the fuck are you gonna do with her.
-
-
“see, i told you fuckers it would work.”
a sweaty, glistening abby was smirking at her roommates that were sitting on the bench. the Jackson University women’s hockey league sit at the rink’s locker room, packing up after a long practice. ellie and vi sit at the bench, staring up at at abby.
“okay?? and who is it?”
“ummm…a girl named (you)? dunno its kinda vague. she emailed ‘Good Morning, I am interested in potentially being a roommate. Let me know when and where we can discuss the details and we can decide if it’s a fit. Thank You.’”
“she sounds 45 years old.” ellie said
“and like a bossy-stuck up princess bitch” vi added, handing ellie her water bottle for her to drink out of it.
“okay shut up, she cant be that bad.”
“she’s a hockey player?” ellie asked, swinging the water bottle back like its a shot.
“she should be—“ she headed over to the bulletin board “it says here hockey players onl— oh no.” she said, while looking intently at the paper pinned to the board. abby’s eyes were hopelessly searching for where it says hockey players only.
the other two stood behind her, looking for it as well.
and alas,
nothing.
“you fucking idiot.”
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-
after a long day of practice and a three hour lecture, you were finally fucking home.
throwing your bags onto a nearby chair by your counter, you strip off your practice clothes and make a B line to the bathroom. the relief of the hot water hitting your sore muscles felt like you were meeting an angel. truly a spiritual experience. you wash your body and hair off of the dried out sweat after practice and put on your usual giant sleep tee and headed to heat your food in the microwave. this was the usual after you got home after a long day of practice and more lectures that were frying your brain. you finally had time to relax at home.
just as you were settling down on your couch next to your cat named Dog, an email notification pinged on your phone.
📧: Abby Anderson [email protected]
Good Evening, this is Abby. I saw that you emailed about a roommate inquiry? I was wondering if you could meet at the Bison Cafe to discuss the details. Also, please feel free to leave your number so communication is more seamless. Thanks.
you’re gonna punch your best friend.
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infamous-if · 10 months ago
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✭INFAMOUS UPDATE IS HERE ✭
238K -> 457K WORDS
Please read this post before playing! It's finally here! After five months of writing and rewriting and salvaging and crying and sweating and bleeding I finally finished sort of kind of! Firstly, I want to thank you for your patience and understanding over this duration of this rewrite. It was stressful at times but I'm happy with the end result and I hope everyone else will be too :)
This will be the last chapter I release without beta testers/other sets of eyes so expect errors. I can playtest until my fingers turn blue but I'm just one person </3 I'm bound to have missed stuff.
Please let me know of errors! I tested it a few times with no problems but we know how it goes lol
IN THIS CHAPTER THREE UPDATE:
drama
mayhem
chaos
some betrayal
some surprises
just...read it lmao
PROLOGUE - CHAPTER 2 CHANGES:
**chapter two was too large of a file to upload on dd so I had to split it last minute and I uhhhh dont know how that translates in the demo but it should work lol please let me know if its wonky!**
fixed up grammatical errors and typos
expanded some scenes and added some more choices
you can now choose that your mc has "changed" in some way (drinking, no longer drinking, partier, no longer a partier, negative, positive, attached, detached, or a general default. I was asked to add an MC who "gets around" or hookups a lot but I'm still debating on whether I'll add that since there's already quite a bit lolol)
you can choose to have changed your band's genre before/after seven
TECHNICAL CHANGES:
you will be able to explicitly state your sexuality in the beginning. this was a big ask and I apologize for not doing it earlier! I wasn't good at coding when I started and I knew I always wanted to make the genders separate from MC's sexuality but I didn't know how to do that at the start :) So you can still choose the genders of the ROs for story purposes and variety. IF YOU DO NOT SEE ROMANCE OPTIONS THAT IS NOT A BUG. You simply chose a RO gender that doesn't correlate with the sexuality you chose for your MC. Having said that, if you do see a romance option available and it's not supposed to be there please let me know! That means I may have missed it coding-wise.
the stats have been all fixed! I've added all the necessary variables and such. The stat portion of the game has been updated with the appropriate pages but they're not finished. Still, the stats should be fine.
You will now have confessionals in the stat page! The feature still isn't a thing yet because I haven't come up with the confessionals lolol but you can click on it to see what it's about. Essentially, as you progress through the story you will be able to see confessionals from the cast of Infamous throughout. They disappear and appear periodically so if you miss it, THAT'S IT! You won't get a chance to see them again until MC watches an episode where it's relevant.
There is now a: Discography page, Infamous wiki, botb cast and staff page, and other characters page for organization. Those are not finished but they're there!
I changed a few stat names but their functions remain the same.
You will be able to choose how you would like to be described (masculine, feminine, neither, both).
O is officially gender-selectable.
You can set the genders of the ROs at the start or wait till you meet them.
PLAY HERE
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ailesswhumptober · 1 year ago
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Prompts for AI-less Whumptober 2024
As promised, we're bringing you the official prompt list of AI-less Whumptober 2024 today!
We have 31 days of excellent whump prompts, with three prompts per day to pick from, fun themes, and 10 alt prompts to play around with. We hope you enjoy! Additional info + plain text versions of the prompts can be found under the cut.
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FAQ and Rules
What sort of content can I create for this event?
You can create whatever you want (fic, art, edits, etc). Any fandom is allowed, as well as OC stuff. NSFW is allowed, but please tag your content accordingly! The only thing not allowed is AI-generated content.
Do I need to make 31 things to participate?
Oh heavens no! You can make as much or as little content as you like, skip days when desired, or combine prompts (so for example, write something that covers a prompt from day 1, 2, AND 3). You don't have to do the days in order either, go wild! To be considered a 'completionist', you only have to make sure that at the end of the month, you've covered 31 prompts from 31 different days, but whether you do that in 31 works or just 1 is up to you.
What are these alts about?
If none of the three prompts of a particular day are your cup of tea, you can swap them out for an alt prompt of your choice.
What are these themes about?
Just a little bit of extra fun for the mods. Like last year, we'll be handing out various badges for people participating in the event. A full list can be found here, perhaps there is a special badge or two for people who can't be completionists but who do manage to finish every single day of a specific theme ;)
How do I tag and is there an AO3 collection?
It suffices to tag your work with #ailesswhumptober for us to see and reblog it! Please also tag nsfw, since we'll be using that tag too. Tagging the day is optional but does help the mods along.
There is an AO3 collection to add your fics to here.
That should be all. If you have any additional questions, check our pinned or hit us up in the ask box. Or join our discord maybe, whumping can be a great group activity!
---
Plain text versions of the prompts:
October 1 - Torture Tuesday
public torture/public use, stress position, “If you cry, we’ll go easy on you.”
October 2 - Whumperless Wednesday
Unfortunate fall, car accident, “Don’t move. You’ll be okay.”
October 3 - Trauma Thursday
Shared trauma, survivor’s guilt, “It’s not your fault.”
October 4 - Fright/Freaky Friday
Painful transformation, non-consensual body modifications, “You’re a monster.”
October 5 - Sensory Saturday
Overstimulation, migraines, “I can’t take this anymore.”
October 6 - Surprise Sunday
Multiple whumpees, self sacrifice, “I’m the only one who can do this.”
October 7 - Medical Monday
Field medicine, running out of supplies, “Hold on, we’re going to have to improvise.”
October 8 - Torture Tuesday
Rope burns, gagged, “You’re so much prettier this way.”
October 9 - Whumperless Wednesday
Hypothermia, heatstroke, “You look pretty pale.”
October 10 - Trauma Thursday
Self worth issues, pushing away a loved one, “You don't need to earn this.”
October 11 - Fright/Freaky Friday
Hallucinations, truth serum, “Why would you even say that?”
October 12 - Sensory Saturday
Isolation, sensory deprivation, “Can you feel me? I’m right here, whumpee.”
October 13 - Surprise Sunday
Whumpee using themself as bait, defiance, “Take me instead.”
October 14 - Medical Monday
Seizures, concussion, “See if you can follow my finger with your eyes.”
October 15 - Torture Tuesday
Waterboarding, removing body parts, “Don’t break down on me yet.”
October 16 - Whumperless Wednesday
Drowning, hostile environment, “I don’t know how anybody could survive that.”
October 17 - Trauma Thursday
Abandonment, misunderstanding, “Why did I even think you cared?”
October 18 - Fright/Freaky Friday
Mind control, possession, “Everybody will end up despising you.”
October 19 - Sensory Saturday
Disassociation, losing a sense, “I wish I could get you back.”
October 20 - Surprise Sunday
Enemy/Stranger to caretaker, accidental de-aging, “I’m absolutely not qualified for this shit.”
October 21 - Medical Monday
Drugged, ambulance ride, “This will make you feel better, okay?”
October 22 - Torture Tuesday
Forced (to kneel/watch/hurt somebody else), whipped, “Do not look away.” October 23 - Whumperless Wednesday
Fever, passing out, “Hey?! Stay with me, okay?!”
October 24 - Trauma Thursday
Deconditioning, relapse, “It’s normal that you need more time.”
October 25 - Fright/Freaky Friday
Humiliation, betrayal, “How could you?!”
October 26 - Sensory Saturday
Electrocution, burning, “This is going to sting.”
October 27 - Surprise Sunday
Before vs after, Alternate universe, “Well, there’s a first for everything.”
October 28 - Medical Monday
Internal bleeding, needles and stitches, “I didn’t think the wound was that bad…”
October 29 - Torture Tuesday
Ownership, branding, “Everybody will know that you’re mine.”
October 30 - Whumperless Wednesday
Poison, delirium, “You’re not making sense.”
October 31 - Trauma Thursday
Panic attack, facing a phobia, “You need to get out of here!”
Alt prompts:
1) Pistol whipped
2) Co-dependency
3) Animal bite
4) Zombies
5) White room torture
6) Shock collar
7) Pulling teeth
8) Kidnapping
9) “You always make everything worse!”
10) “If you weren’t around, I’d be long dead by now...”
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kxsagi · 2 months ago
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slept through 12 of my 30 timers but the other 28 timers woke me from my coma-like slumber
I have come, with a Request 😋 Ahem.
Blue lock boys with a Reader who they're really publicly even close with, and not just friends kind of close, but so close that everyone automatically assumes they're dating, and the blue lock boys don't deny it because they are like head over heels.
But in truth, while they do all the couple stuff with reader and even live with her, reader is completely oblivious and calls it normal best friend stuff and the blue lock boys are absolutely frustrated. preferably with sae, rin, kaiser, otoya and whoever else you want (•⩊•)
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“𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦”
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a/n: this concept is so juicy omg i am here for it 🤤
also sleeping through your timers is so real i fear
ft. itoshi sae, itoshi rin, kaiser michael, otoya eita, bachira meguru, mikage reo, isagi yoichi, nagi seishiro, shidou ryusei, ness alexis, karasu tabito
itoshi sae
“we’re just best friends” you say, as sae spoons you on the couch like it’s the most natural thing in the world. 
he’s been in love with you for years, but the second you moved in together and started calling it “platonically sharing rent,” he realized god was testing him. 
cooks you breakfast every morning. lets you eat off his plate. lets you steal his clothes. still gets annoyed when you call him your “best bro.” 
one time you kissed his cheek in public as a joke. it trended in spain with the headline “sae itoshi’s mysterious lover.” 
he didn’t deny it. 
“what do you mean we’re not dating?” he finally asks one night, deadpan, while you’re brushing your teeth. 
“wait, you thought we were?” 
he has never known heartbreak until this moment. 
and yet he still brings you a blanket and tucks you in after. 
he’s in too deep. 
itoshi rin
touch-starved menace who lets you touch him because it’s you. 
he doesn’t do this with anyone else. no one gets to poke his cheek. no one gets to play with his hair while he’s gaming. no one gets to walk around in his clothes except you. 
he has confessed 3 times. you thought all 3 were jokes. 
“rin, i love you,” you once said while drunk and clinging to his arm. 
he nearly passed out on the spot. 
when you said the same thing to your cat 2 seconds later, he nearly passed away. 
he can’t even get mad at you. he just sulks for days. 
his entire team thinks you're dating. he gets called “whipped” on a weekly basis. 
refuses to correct anyone. actually glares at them harder if they imply otherwise. 
he will keep living in this delusion until you finally realize the truth and kiss him for real. 
kaiser michael
he literally introduces you as his girlfriend. and you just go with it. 
“oh that’s just kaiser being dramatic 😄” – girl. be serious. 
buys you matching necklaces and has his arm around you 90% of the time. you’re practically in his lap in every photo. 
fangirls ship you. he absolutely has a folder of fan edits of “[yourshipname]” on his phone. 
he flirts with you constantly. you flirt back. neither of you break character. 
you once called him your “platonic soulmate” and he nearly choked on his own spit. 
“you think soulmates are platonic now? you’re gonna kill me.” 
makes up fake anniversaries just to celebrate them with you. 
“happy 6-months-since-you-moved-in day.” 
“thanks, roomie 🥰” 
he screams into his pillow every night. 
otoya eita
biggest fake boyfriend energy ever. if he’s not dating you, then what IS he doing? 
you sleep in the same bed. you call him “babe” when you're joking. his hand is always on your waist. and you still insist you’re just besties. 
he’s so down bad it’s physically painful. 
once introduced you to someone as his “partner” and you were like “awww you mean like crime partners 🤭” 
he cried. 
flirts with you shamelessly. you think it’s all jokes. it’s not. he’s suffering. 
everyone is convinced you’re in love. otoya included. 
but when he finally tries to kiss you during a movie night and you pause to ask “wait are we doing couple stuff or friend stuff rn?” 
he literally malfunctions. 
“i’m gonna die alone.” 
still cuddles you to sleep tho. he’s not gonna pass that up. 
bachira meguru
he’s your best friend! your little monster boy! your cuddle buddy! your ENTIRE BOYFRIEND WHO YOU SOMEHOW HAVEN’T NOTICED IS IN LOVE WITH YOU. 
everyone around you assumes you're dating. he draws you into his selfies, brings you to press events, and kisses your forehead like it's second nature. 
and you? you just giggle and say “haha he’s just silly like that!” 
he’s not silly. he’s desperate. 
literally introduces you to his mom as “the one.” 
still doesn’t correct you when you say “we’re just roommates lol.” 
he’s a patient man. he will wait. 
but one day he absolutely grabs your face and is like, “just to be clear. if i kiss you right now… are we still ‘just friends’ orrrr…?” 
pray for him. 
mikage reo
treats you like royalty. buys you flowers. gets you jewelry. lets you use his black card. 
“my best friend deserves the world <3” 
SIR. 
sometimes you joke like “lol you treat me better than any boyfriend ever has!” and he’s like “good. because i’m better than any boyfriend.” 
he said what he said. 
his dad thinks you’re engaged to his son. 
honestly you act married. he picks you up from work. he brings you coffee. you share a bed in hotels. 
still you call it “normal roommate behavior” like you're not literally couple-coded in every single way. 
one day he just looks at you and goes, “you know you’re in love with me, right?” 
“what? no i’m not! i just like your face and your money and your company and your laugh and –” 
oh. 
isagi yoichi
this man is the most boyfriend-coded best friend to ever exist. 
he makes you snacks, helps you study, ties your shoelaces, and sleeps with his head on your lap. 
“aw thanks yoichi! you’re like the perfect bestie!” 
he dies a little inside every time. 
you share a blanket when you watch movies. he always lets you pick the show. he even paints your nails once during a rainy day. 
he’s one emotional breakdown away from fully confessing. 
but every time he tries, you say stuff like “we’re such a power duo omg, can’t believe we’re not dating lol!!” 
he laughs. nervously. 
he’s literally praying you realize it on your own. 
until then, he’ll just keep living the boyfriend life in silent agony. 
nagi seishiro
doesn’t understand how you don’t already know he’s in love with you. 
you sleep in the same bed. you share showers (not at the same time but STILL). he lets you feed him. 
you call it “roommate bonding.” 
he calls it “slow torture.” 
“you’re comfy,” he mumbles while clinging to you like a human pillow. 
“awww, besties for life 🫶” 
his soul leaves his body. 
he doesn’t want to put in effort to confess, but he will if you keep playing dumb. 
“hey. if i kissed you, would that be annoying?” 
you: “uh… no?” 
“cool.” 
and then he does it. 
that’s his version of a love letter. 
shidou ryusei
the most feral “not-boyfriend” ever. 
he’s not subtle. he wants to bite you, kiss you, claim you. 
and yet… you think he’s just “really passionate about friendship.” 
“you’re so weirdly loyal to me it’s cute.” 
loyal? LOYAL? he’s planning your WEDDING. 
lets you wear his chains. lets you ride on his back. lets you slap his abs and call him your “emotional support psychopath.” 
and still you won’t date him. 
“babe. we live together. we sleep together. you’ve literally shaved my jaw for me. what do i gotta do to make you realize?” 
you blink. “huh? realize what??” 
“i’m gonna eat drywall.” 
ness alexis
poor boy’s heart explodes every time you say “roomie bestie 💕” in public. 
he is in love with you in seventeen different languages. 
cooks for you, folds your laundry, sends you good morning texts from the other room. 
kaiser makes fun of him relentlessly. 
“isn’t she your girlfriend?” 
“i-i wish 😭” 
you once kissed his cheek and called it “friend appreciation.” 
he almost fainted. 
tried to write a love letter. ended up crying into it because he didn’t know how to start it without sounding desperate. 
“what’s the german word for ‘i think my best friend is my soulmate and it hurts’?” 
lives for the day you finally realize and hug him a little longer than usual. 
karasu tabito
king of fake chill. acts unbothered. is actually dying inside. 
he calls you “babe” for fun. you call him “bestie bae.” it’s a sick game. 
he flirts. constantly. you think he’s just being a clown. 
you’ll sit on his lap, steal his fries, and call it “classic friend behavior.” 
“girl. we slow-danced in the living room at 2 AM last night. what part of this is FRIEND behavior??” 
“bonding 😇” 
he wants to scream. 
his mom literally thinks you’re dating. she sends you gifts. he lets her. 
karasu tries to play it cool, but the moment you show any sign of returning his feelings, he’s ready with a full slideshow called “why we should date immediately (with charts).” 
your obliviousness is his villain origin story. 
© 𝐤𝐱𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢
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bonsubear · 3 months ago
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Reader loves Invincible but hates Mark┃Mark/Invincible x Fangirl! Reader ┃#2
a/n: I hope I didn't make reader too unlikable :P I’m literally just pulling these out of my ass with no outline. Also I just wanna keep these silly hsdhah
potential ooc warning cause I’m not confident I portray characters correctly ;;
#1, #2, #3
WC: 2.4k
“Mark, why are you whining about spending some time with your mother? You should be ecstatic, you know.” His mom playfully nudged at him as she pulled into the parking lot of the mall, the parking lot completely packed left and right with cars. “I’m getting scared you’re forgetting about me. I thought you’d be momma’s boy forever.” Debbie sighed, shaking her head as she unbuckled her seatbelt. A light smile on her face.
“You’re using me as a porter, mom.” Mark flatly replied, unbuckling his seatbelt. “I’m happy to spend time with you but it’s obvious you’re using me as free labor.”
“And that’s my right! I carried you for nine agonizing months, I get the perks of having you. Besides, you can think of this as—I don’t know—training.” She shrugged.
“Training?” He deadpanned. “Training for what?”
“Weight training or whatever you want to call it. It’s not like you’ll get tired from a couple of bags.” She nodded, pointing out his viltrumite strength. Debbie pushed the car door open, exiting and Mark simply sighed as he followed his mom’s lead.
His mom suggested (more like she demanded) that he accompany her to the mall. Apparently, a couple of stores were having a sale, and she wanted to check out the potential good deals. Mark is completely fine with this, but it’s pretty evident that he’ll be stuck carrying around all the things she’ll most likely purchase.
“What are you even looking for?” Mark asked, walking next to his mom.
“Anything! So many things are on sale right now at Always21 and f.a.e. We can get some stuff for your dad, couple of my coworkers, and you.”
“I don’t want anything.”
“Don’t say that so soon, we aren’t even in the mall yet.”
His mom was standing next to the escalator, with Mark just right beside her. Just as he had predicted, he was being used as his mom’s personal porter as his hands and wrists were full of different bags of different colors and sizes. 85% of the items were for people Debbie knew like her coworkers or friends while the rest were for her, his dad, and him.
Mark eyed the bags, raising his brow. “How many babies is your coworker having again? This seems a lot for a baby shower.”
“She’s having quadruplets. She’s going to need all of those things—babies grow out of their clothes in a blink of an eye.” Debbie chuckled as she looked at her son’s face, being reminded when he was a chubby little baby who would outgrow his clothes practically every week.
Suddenly, her phone began ringing in her pocket and she was quick to check the caller ID. She released a small groan, shaking her head. “Mark, I have to take this. It’s work. You can put those stuff down and go walk around, I’ll find you later, okay?”
“Okay, choosing work over spending time with your son—got it.” He quipped, the corner of his lips raising as Debbie swatted at him. Mark rolled his eyes playfully, setting down the bags near the bench that his mom took a seat on as she brought her phone to her ear with a furrowed brow.
He strayed away from his mom, walking as his eyes passed various stores. His eyes lazily bounced from one store to another, not really paying close attention to the people in them.
An elderly man sitting at the edge of the wall of a Vicky’s Secret.
A mom struggling to get her two screaming children off the floor of a Smallso
A bald guy staring a little bit too hard at a mannequin who was only wearing underwear inside an Aged Navy
You staring at an anime figurine inside Trendy Topic
A kid trying to reach their hand inside a gumball machine—wait, you?!
Mark Grayson immediately halted, tripping over his feet. His sudden action caused some people walking behind him to curse at him, but he pushed past them as he turned to poke his head back to look inside Trendy Topic. Rubbing his eyes, he saw that you were squinting at a figurine as you stood still like a statue. Obviously deep in thought. The punk rock that was playing in the speakers of the store surrounded you while you softly bit your lip, staring at the figurine—searching for an answer to your problem.
Wow, you looked great. You were wearing a casual baggy shirt and pants, the articles of clothing mismatched and contrasting each other in the ‘worse’ ways—yet is it weird to say that you still looked amazing?
Mark could’ve sworn that he heard his brain take a picture, saving it in his memory files with the rest of the mental images he saved of you.
Blinking, he realized that his feet were already moving towards you. His pounding heart matched with his footsteps as he walked closer to you, his body immediately acting on a weird impulse while his brain tried to come up with things to do once he finally got to you.
Shit, what do I say? Hello? Hey? His mind raced as his eyes flickered from your face to the figurine you were looking at. Thinking of buying that? Is that weird to say? Is that a good opener? Oh man, this is actually the first time I’ve ever seen her outside of school as just me. Me, Mark. Not Invincible.
Grayson had seen you multiple times around the city as Invincible while fighting or simply flying around the city. It was a coincidence that he would see you a few times then and there—totally not because he would keep an extra eye out for you and find any excuse to talk to you.
He totally didn't make sure whenever there was danger nearby he wouldn't be the first one to warn and whisk you away to a safer area, hearing you sing praises in his ear about how much you loved him. He also totally didn't pretend not to notice you as he stayed afloat in the sky yet close enough to the ground so you could point him out and call him with that sweet voice of yours.
No, pfft, totally not. What kind of superhero would he be if he did those down right pathetic things?
"Holy fuck! How long have you been standing there you creep?!" You yelped in surprise, shocking him too as he snapped out of his trance. You looked up at him with your gorgeous eyes, clutching your purse close to you as you stared at him as if he had two heads. "Did you stalk me? Fucking pervert." You hissed, taking a step back as if he had the plague.
"What? No! Uh—I saw you just for a second and wanted to say hi."
"Hi, now buzz off. Don't you have a loaded gun that you should be pointing at your head right now?"
Mark felt a chuckle swell in his throat, his lips quirking up in an amused grin. He should be offended at the harsh things you verbally threw at him, but he couldn’t get it out of his mind how you were all over him as Invincible yet so guarded off toward him as Mark. If he were to reveal his secret identity to you right here and now, how would you react? Embarrassed? Flustered? Hell, what if excited?
He quickly raised his hand to cover it, if you saw him smiling you'd get pissed—
"What are you smiling for? Eugh."
Never mind, you noticed.
"Are you interested in that figure? Uh, I saw you looking at it through the window." He smiled, his eyes shifting to look at the anime figurine that was out on display with the copies underneath it.
"Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy." You scowled, eyeing him as if he was going to mug you at any second. Mark really couldn't help but continue to compare how you act towards him and his superhero alterego Invincible in his head.
You acted so outgoing and bubbly whenever he was dressed up in his hero costume, shamelessly fangirling over him by saying things like, "please sign the marriage papers already!" or "let me take you out on a date, I'll give you my whole college fund!" Yet acted like Mark was the dirt on your shoe whenever he was in his civilian attire.
"Is that a no?"
"... I might be interested in it." You teared your eyes off of him, looking back at the figurine. You glanced at your wallet, and Mark noticed how your eyebrow twitched just slightly. He pursed his lips as he took a second to piece the puzzle pieces together before speaking again.
"Don't have enough money for it?"
"!!!"
You coughed, your cheeks tinting slightly in embarrassment as you took a look at Mark's face—a sly smirk on his lips as he stared down at you. You shivered, he's so freakishly tall. "None of your business, jackass. Go die."
He hesitated before seizing the opportunity to take this as a chance to get closer to you. In school there was never opportunities since you refused to be in any group in him, never needed help with studying, declined exchanging notes—but this? Mark knew you were weak to obtaining new items.
"I can buy it for you." Grayson smiled innocently, trying to appear as friendly as possible. He picked up a box, turning it over to see the price tag. 24.99. "I've never seen this anime before. I'm more of a comic book guy."
"Why the hell would you buy that for me?" You barked, raising a brow as you took a step forward. "What are you tryna get at?"
"Nothing! I just want to do a nice thing for you."
"Your trying to get in my pants, aren't you. Your not getting this fucking cookie, it's for Invincible."
"W-What, no?!" He yelped, his cheeks flushing at the fact you accused him of trying to get into your pants and the fact you were so shameless about basically saying your—uh, as you put it, 'cookie,' was for Invincible aka him. "I, I just want to help you! Nothing weird!?"
"Your a pathetic pervert, I bet you were cooking that up while salivating behind the window, huh? Diabolical."
"No!"
"Then why!"
"I—you—" he stumbled over his words, his eyes darting to the Invincible phone charm that dangled. "Your a huge fan of Invincible—I'm a huge fan of him too! Two Invincible fans got to stick together, right?" He chuckled, sweat dropping at how stupid his reasoning sounded.
You stayed silent for a moment, quirking your brow. "... Your a fan of him?"
"Y-Yeah! A huge one!"
“Prove it.”
“I have pictures of him I can share with you.” Pictures?!
You blinked, and he internally screamed as he was certain that he just screwed up and made him look like an even bigger loser in your eyes. “… What kind of pictures?”
“Like, uh, so many of them. Up close ones, pictures of him back when he just started it without his official hero suit, um, and y’know the works!”
“…How up close are they?”
“Practically selfies?”
“…”
A pregnant silence passed between you, the punk music playing in Trendy Topic filling the air as you stared into his sweating face hard like you were dissecting whether he was telling the truth or not. You took a step towards him, your hateful eyes having a sparkle of something else inside them.
“Really?” Your voice chirped. He immediately recognized the tone of your voice being the same as the one you use toward Invincible, so sweet and filled with admiration. Shivers ran down his back.
“Yeah, yeah.”
You coughed, turning your face away. “I guess even losers can recognize peak.” You mumbled to yourself, but with his heightened hearing he heard it loud and clear. “How many of those pictures do you have?”
“Multiple?”
You squealed, jumping towards him. “Show me them, show me them!”
Oh no. “I don’t have them on my phone—I only have physical copies.” Nice one, Mark!
“That’s even fucking better.” You were practically shaking. With no warning, you grabbed on his arm, holding it tightly as you led him to the cashier register, Mark having a firm grip on the figurine box. “I’ll let you buy that for me if you give me some of those photos!”
Mark sat with you on a bench outside Trendy Topic, the figurine he had just bought in your lap. “I’ll only kind of believe you’re not trying to sleep with me if you prove that you actually have those photos,” You squinted, “If you don’t, let’s just say whenever you see me walk faster.”
“I did not buy that to sleep with you! I am… a super big Invincible fan.” He cleared his throat trying to pretend enthusiasm for himself. “And when I found out you were also one weeks ago, I figured you’d finally want to be friends with me.”
“In your wildest dreams. I’m only tolerating you right now for the photos that you may or may not have.”
“I do have them!” I don’t.
“Well whatever it is, I’ll believe it once I see them.” You huffed, reaching your hand out. “Give me your phone.”
He handed it over and watched you open his phone and into his contacts, entering a series of digits.
“I have to go so text me when you can hand the goods over. Don’t jizz your pants just cause you have my number.” You harshly pushed his phone back in his hands. “My hatred for you is on a slight pause, so don’t mistake this for friendship. Merely an alliance.”
His ears perked up at the acknowledgement of you profound hate towards him. “I don’t understand, why do you hate me?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know!” You huffed, standing up. You jabbed a finger in the air, “I know it must come easy to you, but don’t act dumb. Unless you’re a secret blond under that thick hair of yours.”
“I seriously don’t—“
Before he could interject you already turned on your heel and walked off, leaving Mark sitting on the bench staring at your disappearing silhouette.
He internally groaned at himself—as soon as he gets home he needs to take pictures of himself.
Though, he couldn’t help but get giddy at the fact he had your number now.
Always21 = Forever21
f.a.e = e.l.f
Vicky’s Secret = Victoria Secret
Aged Navy = Old Navy
Trendy Topic = Hot Topic
Smallso = Miniso
837 notes · View notes
tldrthor · 6 months ago
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promises we intend to keep | steve rogers
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Summary: The Avenger's spend time with their comatose friend, Cap's sanity slips from him as he spends every night by her bedside. Is blind faith enough?
Part 2 to things we shouldn't have said (prev. classic enemies to lovers stuff) // He sounded like an idiot, but he couldn't care less. // word count: 4.3k
enjoyed? please like/reblog! you can find my masterlist here <3
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“Hi, (y/n).” He settled himself into the chair next to the bed, the familiar antiseptic smell filling his nostrils, the beep, beep, beep of her heart like music to his ears. He had hated it at first, but now, it was evidence that she was still here. There was still hope. “I’ve got a break between meetings so I figured I’d come down and say hello.”
He leaned back, watching her peaceful features as unmoving as they had been for nearly a month now. He frowned at the wires connected to her neck and chest, knowing that if she was awake she would’ve hated that. Part of him wanted to rip them off, but his more rational thinking prevented him from doing that.
Dr. Cho’s words circled round his mind, as they hadn’t stopped doing since she spoke them all those weeks ago. “She’s not out of the woods yet. She died twice on the table, and requires all manners of intervention going forward. We’ll only know the extent of the damage when she wakes up –” The doctor had paused for just a second, trying to soften what was only certain to be a killing blow. “–If she wakes up.”
Every time he remembered those words, his knees felt as weak as Bambi on ice. The nausea he used to feel every time he entered this room had faded, and the shell-shock had worn. She still occupied every moment of his thoughts, awake or unconscious. Not that he had been doing a lot of sleeping.
He opened the book at the page he had last left off at, when Sam had come downstairs and dragged the Captain to bed himself last night. “Just to recap,” He spoke to her regardless of her response to him. “Laurie confessed to Jo, but she rejected him. Beth is still sick and boy, that’s rough.” 
He cleared his throat and began reading aloud.
================================================
“(Y/l/n), I’ve had enough now.” Natasha charged through the doors to where (y/n) lay. She threw herself down in the chair, leaning her head on her asleep friend’s shoulder, trying to gain what little emotional support she could from her usual source of sanity amongst the chaos of the compound. “The boys are driving me crazy. I think you’ve made your point; Cap is sorry – he’s very, very sorry, borderline depressed – so you can come back.”
She smiled a charming, pleading smile. But no one was there to see it. She dropped the smile after a few seconds.
“(Y/n), it’s hard without you here. No one’s the same, and Steve won’t accept any missions so we can’t even escape. Sam and Bucky are about to tear each other apart, and Cap just wallows in the gym whenever he’s not here with you.”
More silence. 
“Anyways, Cap said that he wants someone here as much as possible. And we haven’t hung out in a while, so if you don’t mind we’re going to watch the new season of Love Island together.” She kicked off her shoes, stretching her legs over the hospital bed and getting comfortable.
================================================
The next visitor didn’t say anything as he walked through the doors, hovering by the foot of the bed. He uncomfortably brought his hands in and out of his pockets, shifting from one leg to the other. 
He eventually moved beside the bed, reaching a hand out to her forehead, to get rid of a hair that had found itself there. He stood there, staring, in silence for a while longer. He swallowed, took a breath, and spoke out loud;
“Kid, I don’t know if you can hear me.” He paused. “You probably can’t.”
He paced around the room, continuing; “I just want you to know, I got your little letter. Really, more of a stunt, very childish – anyway. I want you to know that if that’s your wish, I’ll help you out in setting up. But I also need you to know that you’re going to have to tell me that to my face. So you’ll have to wake up.”
“Also, I’m your boss and your sick pay is running out, so chop chop.” He joked to himself. He basked in the silence for another second.
“It’s not the same without you, (y/l/n). Hope to talk soon.”
“Mr. Stark, Mrs Potts is requesting your presence in the kitchen.” FRIDAY chimed in right on time. He muttered a be right up, taking one last look at his young teammate, and walked out the doors. 
================================================
A month to the day since she was shot, Steve couldn’t sleep. Before the whole debacle, he would’ve just gone to the gym and fought it out of his system. But now, he couldn’t bear being anywhere but in the medical bay. He couldn’t even count the amount of times he had woken up in that chair, neck in excruciating pain, the book on the floor. Or, the amount of times Bucky or Sam or Natasha had come downstairs and marched him back to bed.
He couldn’t help it. The thought of her waking up alone, not knowing where she is, was his greatest concern – scratch that, his greatest fear was her not waking up at all.
He didn’t take the time to change into proper clothes, instead deciding to head down in his pyjamas – ones that she had complimented him on, once upon a time. Red flannel pants and a matching henley – she had described it as ‘lumberjack chic’ and then explained that that was a good thing. He hadn’t realised back then, but Steve now thinks she might have been flirting. He cursed how much of an idiot he was before this disaster.
He wished desperately he could turn back time to then. Before he decided the only way not to love her, was to hate her.
“It’s me, again.” He spoke, taking his familiar spot on the chair next to the bed. He yawned, getting himself more comfortable, flicking the blanket they had all collectively decided was required over his legs. “Now, where were we?” He picked up the book again, reciting words from the pages until it fell from his hand, loud snores from his mouth filling the room.
================================================
When he awoke again, he was in the same familiar pain he always had when he spent too much time in the chair. This time he had fallen forward, his head resting on the bed and… his hand entwined in hers.
He sighed, giving himself the luxury of just a second feeling what he would never have. Her hands were soft, and smooth. Not like his own. They were warm, and comfortable, and something about her fingers holding onto his just felt right.
It wouldn’t be respectful to linger for longer than that, not without her knowing, but as he tried to pull his hand away –
Was that a twitch?
He stared at her hand, now more awake and alert than he had been all month. There was no way, he was definitely just going delirious through stress, or lack of sleep, or maybe his age had just caught up with him because –
A second twitch.
“Oh my god.” He glared daggers into her hand, as if that would do something. Maybe he really was losing his marbles. This was just wishful thinking. His heart feeling like it was about to thump, thump, thump right out of his chest. Do it again. Please, do it again. 
When it happened for a third time, and he saw it with his own eyes, he could only make a noise that could really only be described as a squeal. On his feet in an instant, his hand finding its way to her cheek, cupping her face.
There was no other sign of life. He stared and stared and stared. “Wake up, (y/n). Wake up, I’m here.” He pleaded. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he considered them; “If you wanted to prove a point, consider it proven. You’re not a liability, you’ve never, ever been a liability.”
“Just wake up. I am so, so sorry for everything.” His thumb stroked her cheek, his eyes staring at her face looking for anything that might indicate she was coming back to him. “Just wake up.”
Nothing.
He sat back down, defeated. He had gotten his hopes up, and it all came crashing back down. He placed his hand firmly back on hers as he leant his head on the bed, wet patches forming on the sheets as saltwater leaked from his eyes.
====================================
“Cap, we’re not saying we don’t believe you —” Sam was interrupted.
Steve turned away from his friends, growing more and more frustrated with every sentence uttered. They didn’t believe him. She had moved. She was coming back, but no one would listen.
“You don’t believe me. I promise her hand twitched.” His jaw tensed, his stare as far away from his friends as he could get.
“Stevie, we believe that you felt something, but you have to admit, bud, you’ve been hardly sleeping and pushing yourself too far. Nothing was picked up on monitors, how would that be?” Bucky reasoned, sitting in the same chair where Steve had been so convinced she was waking up, just hours ago.
He had called them to the room as early as he deemed was responsible that day, and they had come running. Only to find their friend still asleep, and the captain with red eyes and bags under them that only seemed to get worse and worse the more they looked.
Sam sighed, hand reaching up to rub his temple. He had had a pretty consistent headache himself for a good couple of weeks. “Steve, I completely understand. We all want her back, but you can’t keep torturing yourself over this. She’ll wake up, just give her time.”
“Sam, it’s been a month – the doctor said if she was going to wake up it would take around a week.” Steve pleaded, the tears welling in his eyes again. He didn’t care anymore about hiding it from them. They already thought he was crazy anyway.
Sam placed a hand on his back as he wiped the water with the back of his hand.
“We’ll wait as long as it takes, but it has to be we. You can’t be here all the time, Steve. It’s no good if she wakes up and you’ve killed yourself from lack of sleep.”
“I don’t want to miss the moment she comes back.” He whispered.
Sam and Bucky made eye contact, pitying looks cast between them. 
Bucky decided to speak, seeing Sam’s heartbreak at trying to reason with their normally solid friend. “Steve, you have to go to bed – don’t argue – but I’ll stay with her. I promise that if anything happens, I will let you know in an instant.”
Steve’s lips drew into a tight line, his eyebrows furrowed. Bucky continued; “Come on, just give me a couple hours, Stevie. I’ll chat to her, we’ll listen to music or something. I promise I’ll take care of her.”
“Come on.” Sam put his arm round Steve, gentle but firmly leading him away. He stole one last glance, as Bucky pulled out his phone to put on some music.
When the boys were finally away, Bucky turned to her. “You’re causing quite a ruckus, tiger. You always liked your sleep, but this is a bit much.” He laughed, leaning back in the chair. “There’s not much to say, kid – I know that the others have been talking your ear off. We need you back.”
He scrolled on his phone a little. Looking for the playlist she had shared with him – one to blend their music tastes. It was originally just for a mission they had to go on together, but turned into one of his favourite ways to bond with her. Music. He laughed again at the name: ‘Golden Oldie and the Wunderkind’ He remembered the day she had made up the name, they hadn’t stopped laughing for hours.
He clicked shuffle, smiling as I and Love and You by the Avett Brothers came over the speakers. “I know you like this song because it reminds you of Stevie.” He teased, but let it play out. He didn’t quite let himself sing, but he did mouth the words to his favourite verse;
That woman, she’s got eyes that shine, Like a pair of stolen, polished dimes. She asked to dance, I said ‘it’s fine– I’ll see you in the morning time’.
What he didn’t tell her, didn’t dare to say out loud, was that ever since he had mentioned to Steve that she liked the song, Steve had listened to it at least once a day. Particularly after they had their usual fights.
These idiots have a lot to figure out when she wakes up. He thought to himself.
================================================
Bucky got a few hours with her, listening to their playlist, occasionally chatting about the song choices. He briefly tried to read the book on the side, but when he saw it was Little Women, he put it right back down again. 
“Sorry, tiger. Not my vibe.” He chuckled.
The doors opened slowly, revealing a slightly-less-haggard Captain America. He had put actual clothes on, looked like he had slept at least a little bit and had even showered. Bucky gave a nod of approval, folding his arms and leaning back in the chair again.
“You feeling better?” Bucky asked his friend, who simply nodded in response. 
Buck stood, knowing that Steve wanted to be alone with her right now. To not have the pitying looks thrown at him that Bucky couldn’t help but cast. He understood, he had been there.
“See ya, punk.” He gave a hearty smile before leaving.
Steve took his rightful seat, sighing before starting the same routine they had done over, and over, and over again. He was growing so sick of this chair, and the bed, and the beeping from the machines that didn’t seem to be helping at all. 
He got through around half a chapter of Little Women, until he realised that Beth was going to die. He didn’t know how he hadn’t remembered, he had heard his mother reading this book all the way back in ‘35. He closed the book, finding death far too triggering, given the current situation. 
Just closing the book wasn’t enough, it was like it burned him to hold it. He threw it across the room in a moment of fury. Frustration swept his whole body as he spiralled, down and down and down. He was ashamed of how out of control he had become. He had always been so rational, so measured. He was always the one people came to when they needed grounding – yet he didn’t know how to ground himself.
He rested his head on her arm, his sweaty palms holding her hand with a ferocity hitherto unseen from him. Like his damn life depended on it.
Maybe it did.
“Come on, (y/n),” He pleaded with the air. With God. With her. “I know you’re mad at me, just wake up and we’ll have another shouting match. Just like before.” A brutally defeated tone weighed down his voice, rough and gravelly from the effort of his bargain. He enclosed her hand in both of his own, leaning his head against them.
A cough. 
He froze for a second, hiding behind her hand in his. The coughs continued, dry and painful sounding. Was there someone else in the room?
He took a moment to steel himself, peeling himself away from her hand, and staring at her, mouth agape like a fish out of water. “Oh my god.”
“Water.” She croaked.
He jumped up, the chair going flying backwards. He didn’t notice. With shaking hands, he poured the water from the jug on the bedside table into one of the plastic cups. He held it up to her dry, cracked lips, watching as she drank the whole cup.
“Be careful.” He spoke, instincts kicking in. “You’re on fluids, don’t overload your kidneys.”
She finished, her head laying straight back down on the pillow. He could see in her very brief movements that she was weak. He couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing. Her eyes were barely open as she turned her head in his direction.
“Captain?” Her voice was rough as sandpaper, like she was straining just to get her singular words out. He just stared, incredulously.
“I’m here, sweetheart.” The pet name rolled off his tongue like he had always said it, and he didn’t even notice. “Oh, my god. You’re awake. I’m here. Don’t worry, I’m here.”
He had practiced over and over again, what he was going to say to her when she woke up. Thought about it for entire nights when he couldn’t get to sleep. His plans had been poetic and perfect – they were not ‘oh my god you’re awake.’ He sounded like an idiot, but he couldn’t care less.
Her eyes opened, slowly, and she looked around the room. “What happened?” The words were still a struggle to get out and he could tell. He wanted to tell her to rest, to save her voice for later, to recuperate. But he hadn’t heard that sound in so long, that he let himself be selfish – just one more time.
His own mouth when dry at her amnesia. She knew who he was, which was good. But not knowing how she ended up here was a bad sign. 
“What do you remember?” She was growing restless at lying down, and she was in so much pain. It felt like her whole body was made of stone, but she used all of the strength she had in her to try to sit up.
She was met by gentle hands, guiding her up and placing pillows behind her to support her. Hands that belonged to her once arch-nemesis, who looked at her now like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.
She was so confused. 
“I remember arguing in the forest.” Her eyes were wide with what Steve could only decipher as panic. “I don’t remember anything else… Why am I here?” The scared tone in her voice broke Steve’s heart all over again, but it could not take over the elation he felt at the fact that she was there.
He took a deep breath, briefly considering what he should tell her, considering all the events of the last month, in particular, that day. One of the worst days of his life.
“You were shot through the chest.” He began. “It knocked you out instantly, we barely got you here alive.” He ran his thumb softly over the back of her hand, unable to make eye contact. “You- you’ve been asleep for a month.”
He decided not to tell her of the fact she had died on the operating table. That could wait.
“A month?!” She shouted, resulting in another coughing fit. He helped her drink some more water, making soothing noises as she did so. It all felt so surreal. Every minute of every day since that moment, he had wished for this. And now it was happening. She was awake, and talking. 
Her voice started to clear; “Are you okay? Were you hurt?”
“No. Please, don’t worry about me. You saved me from being shot right before you went down – it was my fault you got hurt.”
“I don’t think that’s right.” She contorted her face into a puzzled expression, looking down at his hand, clasping hers. She said it as a mix between a statement and a question – “We’re holding hands?”
“Yes, um. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up and your hand twitched a couple of days ago so that’s why – sorry, I’ll stop-”
As he tried to untangle their hands, she closed her fist and prevented him from doing so. He watched her chest rise and fall quickly, her eyes wide.
“Please, don’t.” Her words were like a child’s as her nostrils flared. She was uncertain. He wasn’t sure he had ever seen her uncertain before, not even a flash of hesitance had danced across her features as far back as he could remember. “It feels nice.”
Maybe, he just wasn’t paying enough attention.
“Then I’ll keep holding your hand until you ask me to stop.” He promised. A gentle, sincere smile took over his features, which she tried her best to replicate. He observed her face, drinking in the colour in her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes. 
It was a stark contrast to how they had last left off – the image replaying over and over again in his mind of her clinging to life, blood leaking from her mouth, her nose, her chest. The inky, sticky red coating his suit and his hands and his shoes. So much blood, endless. Sometimes he still felt the slick heat of it all over him. He wasn’t sure that he would ever be able to scrub that feeling from his memory.
“Where are the others? Are they okay?” (Y/n) asked, looking around the room at the various bunches of flowers and cards littered upon every surface. Steve had completely forgotten the others existed in his complete shock at her return.
He winced, knowing he should have called for them immediately. “They’ll be so happy to see you.” He spoke directly to her, and then to the ceiling; “FRIDAY, let everyone know that (y/n) is awake.”
“Yes, Captain.” The irish lilt came from above.
It was mere seconds before the doors came barrelling open, the entire team funnelling into the relatively small room, crowding around the bed and exclaiming various different versions of ‘Oh my god’, ‘You’re awake’, ‘Holy shit’. The room was absolute chaos with an unmusical cacophony.
This was allowed to go on for a few minutes, before the on-call doctor, someone (y/n) had never seen before, rounded the corner. “Okay, okay!” He shouted, “This is too much for the patient, I want everyone out – you can come in smaller groups.”
Everyone grumbled but did as they were told, each taking their chance to say ‘call if you need anything’, ‘see you later’ or ‘we’ll come back with sweets’. Bucky ruffled her hair and Natasha pressed a kiss to her cheek, muttering about how a certain Captain would be looking after her. She didn’t really understand what it meant, but a blush spread to her cheeks anyway.
As the last of them filed out, Steve turned to her and asked; “Do you want me to stay?” A certain vulnerability sewn into his question.
“Yes.” She answered far too quickly. “Please, Captain. If that’s okay.” Her voice seemed to get smaller and smaller as she spoke. “I don’t want to be alone.” Her grip on his hand tightened, both a demand and a question contained within it.
How on Earth could he say no to her? Her wide, gorgeous eyes searched his face for an answer, which he gave by settling further into the chair, pulling it even closer to the bed, if that was even possible. 
“Like I said, as long as you want. I’m here, you’re not alone.”
They sat in silence for a while, the Captain not taking his eyes away from her face. 
“(Y/n).” He had to tell her, now or never. He wouldn’t risk something like this again, things going unsaid. “I hope you know how sorry I am for what I said, all those weeks ago. It’s not an excuse, but I realised all this time I’ve not hated you, I’ve …”
She looked at him, her lips parted. Her messy hair splayed in a way where the fluorescent lights caught it, making it look like a sort of pseudo-halo. He knew it, right there and then. This was it.
“I’ve loved you. Since the moment we met.”
A shocked expression on her face moved slowly, her open mouth contorting into a soft, loving smile. She squeezed his hand, bringing her other arm over to hold it as well. Just more contact. That was all she needed.
“Steve, I feel the same.” She was still playing with his actual name, not ‘Captain’ or ‘Rogers’ or a sarcastic ‘Cap’. He couldn’t believe how it sounded coming from her – like it was a new name altogether. Like a song he was discovering for the first time.
He couldn’t help it now, he beamed. “You do?”
She nodded, licking her lips. They were so cracked, and dry. But she didn’t care.
“I– I can’t lean over to you, but… I would love to kiss you right now.”
He didn’t waste any time. Up and out of his seat in an instant, crossing what little distance was left between them. His hands reached her cheeks first, cupping them ever so softly. They breathed together, just for a second, his eyes flicking to hers almost to make sure she knew what she was doing. 
And then his lips were on hers. The kiss wasn’t like she had imagined – it wasn’t dramatic, wasn’t angry, wasn’t sudden. It was calculated and gentle and passionate. It was everything she could ever have hoped for.
They pulled apart, Steve knowing that she wasn’t strong enough to hold her breath to kiss her as long as he wanted to. His hand stroked her cheek, his eyes staring into hers. He rested his forehead against hers for a second, before moving up and pressing a kiss to it.
The look in his eyes was one of love, happiness and admiration.
“I think I’ve wanted to do that since we met.” He admitted, breathless from excitement. They smiled at each other wordlessly, growing used to the looks between not being ones of glaring and daggers, but of kindness, and warmth.
The only sound was the steady beep, beep, beep of her heart rate – a sound he had definitely decided he loved. They stayed like that for hours, before she started to fall back asleep – to rest, this time.
“Will you be here when I wake up?” She asked, as she slipped back into slumber.
“I promise.” And nothing on Earth could stop him from keeping it.
================================================
TAGS -- I've tagged everyone who requested a part two! You guys really keep my motivation up so I hope it's done you justice <3. This will be the last part for now, but I'm thinking of setting future domestic fics in this universe!
@haven-in-writing @marvelouskatie @veryaverageapple @ironwinnerwonderland @ohdrey89 @waqtzayaontmblr @shygamergirl01 @starkenobi @ynstark
p.s. please please listen to 'I and Love and You' by the Avett Brothers if you haven't before -- it's so Steve and is such a lovely song.
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quinnkaneki · 6 days ago
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Haikyuu characters as parents/soon to be parents part 1 <3
pt 2
This part includes Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime, Kuroo Tetsuro, Kenma Kozume and Keishin Ukai.
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→ Oikawa Tooru — During pregnancy ^^
• He talks to your belly daily.
“— and when you learn to walk I'm gonna teach you how to serve a ball right into uncle Iwa's face!”
• He preorders baby stuff the moment he finds out, it doesn't matter if you're only 3 weeks pregnant.
“What about this pink crib? Ah wait, we're not sure if they're a girl yet.... Woah, babe, look at these panda pjs.” *adds to the cart*
• Baby proofs whatever he can, safety comes first.
“Tooru... Why is the living room tv remote in styrofoam?” You look up at him.
“So our little one doesn't get hurt...”
→ After pregnancy
• Awestruck, can't believe he has a little family of his own.
“I'm the one who just gave birth, why are you crying?”
“It's just... She's perfect,” He says while gently caressing her cheek.
• Proudly sends monthly updates of his baby to Iwaizumi.
“*sends video* SHE SAID HER FIRST WORD AND WE GOT IT ON CAMERA, I REPEAT, SHE SAID HER FIRST WORD!!!! LOOK AT MY BABY GIRL IWA-CHANNNN”
• Becomes a princess.
“Daddy! Stop moving, you're gonna smudge your lipstick!" Your daughter argues while adding the final touches to his make up.
“Don't you think this skirt is too short sweetheart?”
“Nuh uh! Mommy said it makes your butt look big!” You snicker at her words and snap a photo of him in a skirt and crop top.
“I'm so sending this to Hajime.”
→ Iwaizumi Hajime — During pregnancy ^^
• Cooks for you everyday.
“C'mon sunshine, breakfast is ready, wake up.” *kisses your forehead*
• Makes sure you're up to date with your doctor appointments.
“Okay so, Friday is your next doctor's appointment and we find out the gender then.... Excited?”
• Spends an entire week painting and decorating the baby's room.
“What'd you think sweetheart? Should I move the crib to the other side of the room or do you like it here?"
→ After pregnancy
• Just like Oikawa, he breaks down in the delivery room.
“Are you okay Hajime?”
“I am sweetheart... He looks just like you”
• Accidentally uses a bad word in front of him.
“If a creeper gets into my house again, I swear to God Shittykawa—”
“Shittykawa! Shittykawa!”
“Woah, woah, woah— don't say that! Don't repeat what daddy says!”
“Pfft, good luck explaining that to Y/N Iwa-chan.”
• Enjoys telling him random stories from high school.
“There was this one time uncle Tooru and I stayed back really late after school to practice volleyball and didn't tell anyone. His cousin got really worried cause he wasn't picking up her calls so she drove to the school to check if he was there...wanna know who his cousin is?”
“Who?!”
“Your mom.”
→ Kuroo Tetsuro — During pregnancy ^^
• Pregnancy photoshoots every month.
“Andddd into the album it goes,” He says while writing ‘7 months’ under it.
• Literally your personal servant. Pillow too uncomfortable? Sayless, he won't let you raise a finger.
“You okay, baby? You keep stirring.”
“Mhmm, my pillow is just too high-” *gently adjusts your pillow before you can*
• Drives to the store at 3am just to satisfy your pregnancy cravings.
“They were out of mint chocolate chip ice cream so I got cookies and cream,” He says as he enters the car.
“Did you get my cheese?”
“I got your cheese, love.” *kisses your cheek*
→ After pregnancy
• Takes your daughter on afternoon walks.
“Look at the kittyyyy!” he coos, adjusting her on his hip to see the kitty, “kinda looks like uncle Kenma, doesn't it?”
• Family outings.
“If you don't go to bed right now I'm cancelling our trip to the Zoo tomorrow.” Kuroo bluffs.
“But dadddddddy, one more episode please!” She pouts and shifts her gaze over to you for help.
“Daddy already spoke honey, don't you wanna see the giraffes?”
• Living room forts<3
“Daddy this side is gonna fall!” Your daughter panics while trying to keep the makeshift wall up.
“Leave it to me sweetheart, go help mommy with the popcorn.”
→ Kenma Kozume — During pregnancy ^^
• Thinks you're joking.
“Wait so...you're actually pregnant..?”
“I am Kozume, this isn't something I'd joke about”
“....wow...just wow,” he embraces you. “I'm ready to take on whatever comes our way, as long as it's with you.”
• Limits his game time
“Kenken?”
“In the kitchen!” He shouts.
“Woah, what's all this?”
“your breakfast...thought I'd treat you, tho beware, I can't cook.”
• Counts down the days till delivery.
“6 more weeks.” he mutters.
“6 more weeks till what?”
“Till our little angel is here.”
→ After pregnancy
• Immediately buys her a switch.
“I customized it with her name at the back, look” he shows you “i added pink hearts too”
• Has a personal hair stylist
“Mama what do you think? Bow or no bow?" She places the bow in Kenma's hair then removes it before looking up at you.
“Definitely bow.”
• Falls asleep with her in his arms while gaming.
“D/N! D/N? Kozume?” You enter the gaming room and melt at the sight in front of you.
→ Keishin Ukai — During pregnancy ^^
• Quits smoking and drinking.
“They're gonna grow up in a healthy environment and I'm gonna make sure of that.”
• Refuses to let you around the team.
“No can do darling, they're too rowdy and I need you to rest.”
• Closes the shop early.
“You're home early.”
“I missed my wife.”
→ After pregnancy
• Surprise, you have twin boys!
Teaches the kids how to cook but it usually turns into a food fight. “Both of you, in the shower now” He sternly commands as he begins to clean up.
• Family movie nights.
“Okay so mommy voted barbie and I voted-”
“Barbie!” They both yell.
“Guess we're watching barbie..again.”
• Teaches them how to fish.
“Daddy look! I caught a big fish!”
“You idiot, that's not a big fish, that's a sardine.” his brother says.
“But I still caught a fish and you didn't!" He teases.
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I absolutely love Oikawa \⁠(⁠๑⁠╹⁠◡⁠╹⁠๑⁠)⁠ノ⁠♬
First time publishing on Tumblr, hope you guys enjoyed :3
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jsooly · 6 months ago
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taken in by the sullys (3) / sully family x human!daughter/sister!reader
synopsis, fifteen years fly by and your family just keeps growing as you fight the stigma of being the clan leaders' human child... aka moments between you and your infant/toddler siblings
(1) / (2) / (3 - ur here! ☆) / (4*)
+ chapters with an * beside it means that it’s following atwow plot line as opposed to disconnected scenarios
+ takes place just before atwow! this is a much longer chapter T-T
neteyam
moments before he was to connect with eywa, you sat quietly next to him as jake and neytiri bustled around to prepare for the ceremony
you leaned over the side of his cradle, poking his blue skin. he squirmed before focusing his eyes on you. you could tell he was intrigued — you were different than all the faces he'd seen today.
you lowered your voice, whispering to conceal your conversation from jake and neytiri.
"hey." you nodded to him. "i'm y/n. i'm your big sister. well, not real big sister, but still." you shrugged.
you stepped onto the side of the wooden frame, getting some height over where he lay. "you're pretty big for a baby, you know. you're as big as me already. but that doesn't mean you don't have to listen to me, you know." you wagged a finger in his face.
he tilted his head, and you weren't sure if he was getting any of what you were saying. you continued anyway.
"mom says i'm better than the other na'vi kids my age. i can already hunt and fight. she says i have an unnatural gift." you whispered.
"but..." you sighed, stroking his head softly. "i guess i can teach you, too. and it's okay if you suck. i'll be there to protect you."
neytiri and jake exchanged endeared looks, their backs turned to you and the newborn to give you the privacy you thought you had.
if there was one thing you had to let go of quickly, it was your pride
the clan practically worshipped little neteyam — firstborn son of the fierce neytiri and legendary jake sully? they celebrated for weeks
though young, you were still aware you were different, that you didn't exactly belong among the na'vi... but you didn't mind the dirty looks if it meant staying around your family
plus a new baby brother was more than enough joy to offset the feelings of exclusion
you were fluent in na'vi long before neteyam came along, and you took charge teaching him to speak, walk, even string an bow
perhaps you took charge a little too well
"y/n." jake warned. "put him down."
your brother was only a few months old, yet you were manhandling him as if he'd grown enough to withstand the rough grabbing and pulling.
you were surprisingly strong for a human kid your age (you can thank neytiri for that), allowing you to hold neteyam in your arm with ease.
"no." you said simply.
jake gave you a look. of course you had to enter a rebellious phase right when neteyam was very fragile.
"y/n."
you groaned. "what?"
"don't make me get your mother."
"i'm teaching him."
"he doesn't need to be taught right now, sweetheart." jake said gently, approaching you with caution and attempting to take neteyam off your hands.
"he's just lying around all day!" you rebutted, swerving away from him. the flush of speed made neteyam chirp softly in excitement as he gazed up at you. you smiled at pat his head briskly. "might as well fill the time up with something." you mumbled as you stroked his bald head.
"that's a good idea, but how about something less dangerous?" jake grinned widely, trying to sell his point. he held up a ball and some toy blocks. "huh? come on, what d'you say?"
you gave him an unimpressed look, not bothering to answer him as you swiftly turned around and exited the tent. ignoring the sharp noise of protest from jake behind you, you smiled proudly at your brother and nuzzled into his head.
"you're gonna be a great olo'eyktan one day, brother." you assured him. "but first, we gotta get away from dad and teach you how to walk n' stuff."
he babbled in agreement.
in the year when it was just you and neteyam, you bonded inseparably
he was always behind you, like a puppy chasing a little duck around
there was a time when other clan members were a bit concerned that he was spending more time with you than other na'vi children
"neytiri, listen to reason." one omaticaya woman told her.
neytiri was sharpening weapons with some of the other women, all sitting in a circle in a time where they were supposed to be exchanging stories and dreaming about the future. but some chose to gossip and condemn.
"i am listening, though i would not call it reason." neytiri shot back.
"your son is descended from great lineage. consider having him romp around with his own kind instead of an unwanted child."
neytiri hissed, slamming her arrows down. the other women ducked their heads to avoid her anger. "that child is very much wanted. in a million years, i would not believe i would grow so close to a human child, but it has happened. i chose to stop lying to myself long ago."
the woman scoffed, looking around the circle incredulously. "are you hearing what you are saying? we fought hard to eradicate the sky people from our land and you have one growing among us."
neytiri glared. "once, the great mother brought a sky person into our lives, and look at the good that's come of it. eywa watches over this child in the same way. she is special."
despite neytiri's argument, the other women continued to nudge their kids into neteyam's daily routine
for a week, you barely saw him
you stayed in the hut, like usual, watching them play in the grass outside
you rarely emerged from the safety of your home in fear of the judgmental looks you'd receive—it was fine, until you had a brother to miss.
"why don't you go out there?" jake crouched beside you. "m'sure neteyam would appreciate a familiar face."
you gave him a weird look that clearly said no.
he sighed and brought your head into his side, hugging you tightly. in these moments, he didn't know what to say to you. he had no qualifications for being a father, for shaping a young one's whole life, and it was becoming all the more real to him in this instance.
he was about to speak up when you mumbled, "i know they don't want me here."
jake cursed internally. "they... they just misplace their hatred and anger, baby. that kinda stuff is for adults only. they should know better than to denounce a perfect little angel like you." he smiled, pinching your cheek gently.
silence filled the room once more.
you looked up at him, fighting with feelings of unease you couldn't name. "... you want me here, right?"
jake's heart split in two. he cupped your face firmly, holding your gaze. "y/n. 'course i want you here, baby. you're my first little girl, and i would never give you up, not for anyone. i don't care if our life is a little different because you're around. besides, you've more than proven your ability to hold your own."
his declaration warmed your heart until you felt like there was a furnace of love burning inside you.
"i was once human too, you know. you remember, don't you?" he paused as you nodded. "see? for you and us, it's not about being human or na'vi. it's about being our little girl and us being your parents. that's the type of thing where it doesn't matter what you are. you could be... i dunno."
"a worm?"
he chuckled. "yeah. you could be a worm and i'd still love you to death."
a thud caught both of your attention. neteyam grunted as he propped himself up again.
"huh?" you glanced out the window. the other na'vi kids were still out there. you hopped off the windowsill and rushed to his side, helping him stand. "what are you doing back here? your friends are still outside."
he just made a face of distaste, shaking his head.
"looks like he prefers big sis instead." jake grinned, squeezing your shoulders as he passed by. "you two be safe—y/n, no funny business. and don't think about starting a fire."
he left you two playing as he went to have a word with some clan members.
kiri
since both of you were adopted, you related to kiri in a way. you were determined to make sure she didn't feel different, especially in light of her affinity for eywa and natural things
when you and the others would go out to play, kiri would run off
you'd find her lying on the ground, embracing the earth
"kiri!" you gasp, falling to your knees beside her. you carried lo'ak on your back as neteyam toddled beside you. "you can't just run off like that on your own!"
she sat up in a daze, blinking slowly. the grass around her fell back into a lifeless state but the seeds of eywa still hung around. you gently pushed one from ticking your face.
she looked a bit sheepish, averting her eyes as she stood up to follow you. you frowned and sighed, helping lo'ak off your back. you took her hand and flopped back onto the ground.
"you know what... a couple more minutes couldn't hurt." you groaned as you stretched. you tucked your arms under your head, getting comfortable. kiri smiled and reclined beside you.
in that moment, it was as if all the energy in space aligned and you were plucked from your physical form and woven into the stream and cycle of all the energy and consciousness of pandora.
early on, you knew kiri wasn't a fighter
as in, not a let's ride into battle on the back of an ikran guns blazing type of fighter
you started teaching her about the different herbs, plants, and fruits around pandora
she sucked in everything you taught her like a sponge and soon enough it got to a point where you two were learning together
you entered the tent with a thick book clutched tightly against your chest. "kiri!" you whispered urgently.
she perked up, dashing across the room.
you let the book drop onto the ground with an oof, flipping it open. "look, kiri, it's your ma's journal!" you grinned, showing her dr. augustine's signature. you figured you'd leave out the part how you swiped it from norm and max's lab.
her face brightened at the familiar name, staring at the journal in wonder. she flipped through it, but couldn't recognize any of the text. it was all written in english, with bits of na'vi scattered here and there.
"read to me?" she asked, nudging the journal to you. she snuggled into your side as you read her birth mother's findings and conclusions to her.
jake and neytiri found you two sleeping soundly against each other.
lo'ak
lo'ak was an instigator from day one
literally came out the womb quarrelling with everyone
mo'at let a lengthy exhale escape her lungs. neytiri had just given life to her second son, lo'ak, and the boy just would not stop crying. despite all her years as a mother and tsahik, nothing she did soothed her youngest grandson.
"is he hungry?" jake offered, earning dark glares from both his wife and mother in law.
"jake."
"don't you think we tried that?"
he shrunk away, holding neteyam in his arms. he leaned against the wall beside you, giving you a shrug that said hey, i tried.
you pursed your lips, a paradoxical mix of concern and annoyance bubbling up inside of you at lo'ak's wailing. you stood, ducking under mo'at's arm and climbed onto the side of neytiri's bed. she was still talking to mo'at while rocking lo'ak in her arms.
you studied him as he cried, your patience declining by the second. with a sharp but gentle tug to his neural braid, you directed his attention to you. "what are you so upset about, lo'ak? you literally just got here." you whispered urgently.
almost surprised, his cries died down to hiccups and whimpers. you sat back as the adults in the room peered over the newborn.
"ahhh, there he is. poor baby, it's alright." mo'at smiled, stroking lo'ak's head gently. neytiri cooed softly, kissing his bald head repeatedly.
lo'ak found you very cute, though, and was extra gentle when playing with you
you were 11, and neteyam just turned 7, and both kiri and lo'ak were 6 (kiri just a couple months older than lo'ak)
so you had a whole litter of hyperactive kids
you were an overworked big sister lol
and lo'ak was a middle child through and through — with neteyam being the eldest and kiri being a special case, lo'ak didn't get a lot of chances to stand out
thus starting a rebellious streak
but he always got a loooot of love and attention from you
"these are the ones you want, lo'ak?" you hummed. you swirled the bowl around, watching the beads roll at the bottom. "i like the blue."
he fell into your lap with a grumble, his back to you. you just snickered. "what'd you get grounded for this time?"
he scoffed and crossed his arms. "don't wanna talk about it."
"okay." you pat his shoulder before taking out his old braids.
a beat passed.
"all i did was follow neteyam outside. so what if i tried to use his bow?" he complained.
you smiled as he ranted—it was like clockwork.
"it's not like he tried to stop me, either. i didn't even come that close to hurting anything. my aim was off." he complained. "besides, weren't you doing stuff like that when you were younger than i am?"
"yeah," you answered, massaging his scalp. "but i actually sat through all my lessons."
he scoffed, stewing in silence.
you softened. "sorry. don't want a lecture, huh?" you continued to do his hair, and slipping in the beads he wanted.
"next time, you and i should go together." he muttered. "i'm done hanging around little mr. perfect."
"bold words from the kid who looks up to little mr. perfect." you gave him a knowing look and he huffed, avoiding your gaze.
you pat his head and made little jazz hands. "tadaaa. all done!"
he didn't move from your lap.
"lo'ak, i'm done—"
"i know." he muttered softly. you understood what he needed. you laughed and hugged him tightly. he wasn't so little anymore—none of them were. your laughter was infectious and he started to smile, too.
"house arrest isn't that bad. you can hang out with me while the others gotta train with mom and dad." you said, self-satisfied.
he smiled, rolling his eyes. "i guess."
you stood, rifling through your trunk of stuff. "maybe bow and arrows aren't your thing. wanna try a gun instead?" you held one up.
lo'ak's ears stood up, his eyes wide. "y/n!" he exclaimed, looking around as he lowered his voice. "how do you even have that?!"
"dad taught me." you grinned, swiftly removing the bullets. can't be too safe. "just don't tell anyone, okay?"
he matched your grin, nodding fervently. he ran to your side and eagerly watched your demonstrations.
tuk
for 7 years, it was just you, neteyam, kiri, and lo'ak. then all of a sudden, neytiri and jake announced they had another on the way
everyone was excited of course, and the debate on whether it was going to be a boy or girl was lively
you, personally, hoped for a baby sister
you had two baby brothers already! and they were handfuls.
when tuk finally came, lo'ak and kiri were 7, neteyam was 8, and you were 12
she learned to walk and speak faster to keep up with everyone
this set the precedent for how she hangs out with each other too
"tuk." lo'ak groaned, stopping to wait for the youngest sully. "you were the one who said you could keep up."
"i can!" she whined, clumsily hopping across the small gap between branches.
lo'ak rolled his eyes, walking off to join neteyam in the front. kiri was off... somewhere, connecting with the energy of everything probably.
you shook your head at your brother's behavior. you offered your hand to tuk, pulling her up onto the branch.
"they're so mean to me," she fussed. "they never wait for me."
"i know, tuk. give yourself a year or two and you'll be as fast as them in no time."
she grumbled, strolling alongside you. "you're smaller than i am. how do you keep up with them?"
you blew a raspberry. "lots of practice."
she started skipping, the branch teetering under her steps. "i just wanna hang out with them."
"they don't do anything cool anyway," you whisper to her conspiratorially. "it's all about shooting arrows and training these days. come on," you held out your hand. "i got something better for us."
she beamed and slotted her hand in yours. you both ran off together, all giggles and whoops of excitement.
you got to the end of the path, leaping off the branch and into the waterhole below.
she screamed, coming to a halt at the edge of the branch. "it's too high!"
you surfaced, wading onto shore. "don't worry, tuk, it's deep enough to break your fall!"
"i'll miss the water!"
"trust me!" you yell up to her. she made a brief sound of protest before stepping back. screwing her eyes shut, she ran with all her might and jumped off. she screamed all the way down.
you laughed at her, blocking your face from the splash. she surfaced with a gasp, laughing brightly.
"i did it!"
the early years were the easiest. but once the sky people returned, everything was different.
!! from now on, i'm gonna make alternating parts—one storyline following the events of atwow and the other just a compilation of fluff/comfort scenarios. for example, the next part is gonna be plot based and then the following part is just gonna be silly goofy moments. and it'd keep alternating til the atwow plot is done !!
thanks for reading!!
taglist : @dae-dreamer @delirious-dolce (for some reason you couldn't be tagged, i'm sorry!!)
© jsooly ‘25
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scarabies-real · 7 months ago
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PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT JUNCOS IT'S A NEED
YOU’VE ACTIVATED MY TRAP CARD!!!
YOU’LL REGRET THIS!!!!!!!
Okay so dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) are one of the most fascinating and overlooked species of songbird in the US because they are, generally, fairly plain looking and common. They’ve been called Snowbirds throughout the Eastern US and they’re often disparaged because spotting a junco means it’s about to snow. However, this is often not true because many places have resident populations (meaning they live there year round) and they are subject to a sort of confirmation bias—you’ve heard they’re a winter-only bird so you’ll only notice them during winter, similar to American robins that are known as a “first sign of spring” bird even though their seasonal movements are very complex and they often have resident populations.
Onto why they are FASCINATING, or at least why I think so (and I am correct always obviously) there are many, many different subspecies of dark-eyed juncos. And we have NO IDEA how many there actually are! It is highly debated and depending on who you ask there’s anywhere from 14-15 recognized subspecies, with 2-3 different large groups and 3-4 smaller ones. I’ve even heard people say as little as 9 and as many as 17. I have watched seasoned professionals with tenure get up in arms about this. It’s incredible.
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Here’s an example of some!
Read Top to Bottom/Left to Right: Rocky Mountain (Cassiar) Junco (cismontanus), Pink-sided Junco (mearnsi), White-winged Junco (aikeni), Slate-colored Junco (hyemalis), Gray-headed Junco(caniceps), Red-backed Junco(dorsalis), Oregon Junco(oreganus)
If you live in the east of the us, the little guy in the middle (slate-colored junco) is going to be the one you see the most, and if you live in the west it’s the bottom right (Oregon junco). Usually. Very broad, and there are many subspecies within the Oregon group that often get (incorrectly, but understandably) labeled oreganus when they are likely something else.
It’s extremely difficult to identify junco subspecies in field and without particularly great photos most people are left shrugging and putting them in slate-colored or Oregon groups.
This range map is incredibly simplified
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And THIS range map is. Well. Yeah. Don’t get me started on intergrades.
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There’s several subspecies within the Oregon group and a large, unresolved debate about whether or not the Oregon group is actually its own species separate from slate-colored, with several subspecies.
Their systematics is a MESS (loving) and we’ve just recently moved the Guadalupe Junco to be it’s own species!
MY research has centered around this
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You see this little guy right here?
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This absolute little stinker that took me forever to photograph because they were being scared by hawks?
Yeah, that’s a Cassiar Junco.
Probably my greatest, rarest observation to date. And most people would write it off!
(Not sharing downloaded image bc location stuff lol. When I say rare I mean RARE.)
The Rocky Mountain Junco, also known as the Cassiar Junco, (Junco hyemalis cismontanus) is a presumed subspecies within the slate-colored group.
Depending on who you ask! Some believe it to be a subspecies, some believe it to be an intergrade between the slate-colored junco and Oregon junco, and others believe slate-colored and Oregon juncos to be distinct species making the Cassiar junco a hybrid. I will not give my opinion here yet since this is, technically, research I am currently doing but…let’s say I am observing breeding behaviors for a reason :)
They are incredibly rare, with most sightings taking place in the Northwest. Though they are spotted across much of the lower 48 a lot of these sightings are thought to be mistaken identity.
Looking at eBird range maps they fall within 0-2% sighting frequency, and all but disappear during summer months.
Is this because they are mistaken for slate-colored and written off? Or are they truly this rare? And if so, why?
There’s so many unsolved mysteries about this group of forgotten birds and especially the Cassiar junco.
Recently I’ve been looking into the research in gonadal growth delay in migrant populations vs resident populations and oh my god I could infodump a whole post on that but I’ll spare you. For now. If you express further interest there will be no saving you. It’s so cool man (said like siren song)
I am incredibly excited to focus my field research on them this winter (especially now that I have…connections) and I am very fortunate to live in a place that seems to get them more often than others.
Three cheers for Cassiar!
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starlightervarda · 2 years ago
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I can't sleep so Star Trek TOS/SNW dashboard simulator
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🪆 chekovsgunman Follow
to this day I can't understand why they're called the Three Musketeers if there's FOUR of them? Did Dumas just forget his own main character???
🪴 plantdad Follow
You've got to be kidding me
🪆 chekovsgunman Follow
I know right? A mistake like this would never happen in Russian literature!
5,324 notes
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🩺 therealmccoy Follow
After months of taking care of everyone else on this giant tin can I really earned this shore leave. Now I get to drink, relax, flirt with some lovely ladies and sleep until noon 😎 Just what the the doctor ordered!
🩺 therealmccoy Follow
Update: A fucking purple tree ate five crewmen. Again.
955 notes
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🖖 iamspock Follow
Despite being among humans for close to a decade, I still find their tendency to overcomplicate and avoid aspects of social situations to be confusing at best and infuriating at worst. So much time is wasted on tedious matters such as who gets to 'make the first move' or 'not come off too strong'.
For example, everyone aboard my vessel is keenly aware of Lt. Uhura and Engineer Scott's 'budding romance'. But their need to extend their oddly avoidant courtship ritual, rather than outright state their interest in one another, is pointless, as well as frustrating to witness.
Why do they do this? Why not 'get it over with', as they say?
I encourage answers from all cultures, human or otherwise.
💅 janicethemenace Follow
I'm sorry Scotty and Nyota are WHAT
💉 xtinechapel Follow
DELETE THIS
💖 ofmanytongues Follow
SPOCK NOOO HE DOESN'T THINK OF ME LIKE THAT 😭
🔧 scott-free Follow
But I do! I thought you knew and were just being nice about it!
💖 ofmanytongues Follow
DMing you rn 😳
🖖 iamspock Follow
You're welcome.
24,103 notes
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🌟 j_tiberius_k Follow
PSA: If you visit Antares VII, stay clear of any yellow plants, their pollen can have some...inconvenient effects on the biology of humanoid peoples.
My XO and I suffered through troubling symptoms until it was almost too late. Thankfully, we figured out a cure in time.
🪴 plantdad Follow
I can only find info on the symptoms. What was the cure? 👀
🌟 j_tiberius_k Follow
Do I really have to say it?
6,322 notes
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💊 mmmbenga Follow
The galaxy if Klingons didn't exist
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⚔️ glorytotheempire Follow
Wow. Humans are openly advocating for our disappearance yet Klingons are the bad guys? I thought your federation stood for peace.
💊 mmmbenga Follow
Cry harder you genocidal wrinkly-faced bitch I hope your planet gets sucked into a black hole
#If you think a joke is on par with what they do then book an MRI because you might have brain damage #fuck Klingons and anyone that sympathizes with them
35,007 notes
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😎 ortegaaaas Follow
So I can either skim through this asteroid belt on Warp 2 for 3 hrs or on Warp 5 for 15 mins
🚀 mitchiemitch Follow
Erica no! That's not how navigation works!
😎 ortegaaaas Follow
FLOOR IT???
🚀 mitchiemitch Follow
ERICA NO
😎 ortegaaaas Follow
HOW ABOUT WARP 7 FOR 15 SECONDS?
💖 ofmanytongues Follow
ERICA YOU'RE GOING TO CRASH THE SHIP
😎 ortegaaaas Follow
I AM GOING TO HARNESS LIGHT-SPEED TO ZIGZAG THROUGH THE VOID
🚀 mitchiemitch
ERICA P L E A S E
112,517 notes
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🐴 sirsilverfox Follow
I know some species are very private, but you'd think they'd share the important stuff, esp when we should trust each other by now.
How are we supposed to enjoy my weekly dinners if you all don't tell me what to watch out for :/ This is the third time this happens to the same person and I had to get the answer why from our CMO
💫 numerouna Follow
Wait what did I miss while I was gone
🐴 sirsilverfox Follow
Spock got wasted on my chocolate fudge cake and hit his head on the counter ://///
2,904 notes
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aphroditesmoon · 20 days ago
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smoke signals (part iv)
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lighthouse keeper!sevika x selkie!reader
summary: sevika is content with her life, the loneliness that comes with her job is inevitable. but then one day, as she reaches the peak of mundanity, almost turning into insanity, you appeared. cold, quiet, clueless, sea-sent you, like a wish fulfilment for her.
warnings: selkie!reader, reader has selective mutism in beginning. makeout (no smut yet)
a/n: a long awaited chapter, idk who will read this still but if you've been an og, thank you for your patience <3
taglist: @lilredbird101 , @djstinkyfartz @vellichor-and-flowerpetals
wc: 6k
part 1 part 2 part 3
---
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Your whole life has been spent disregarding the feeling of fear that crept in your heart as you travelled. Because that's just the way you were. Ghosts could lurk beyond closed doors, and you'd find yourself kicking them open and challenging them upfront despite the fact that your heart is beating outside of your chest.
Little bird, your mother use to call you. The irony of being compared to an animal of the sky as you remained below wasn't lost on you. But that was how she saw you. Free, unafraid to soar.
And so that was how you continued to live as you cherished the memories of her, untethered to anyone or any place, uncommitted. And the freedom feels oh so good for a while. But as it goes for anything you do for too long, it will start to hurt soon enough.
But now that you've had a taste for stability, you're not sure if you could live without it anymore. It was inevitable, you know. The way you had imposed yourself on Sevika was so sudden, your presence had existed without any sort of grounding. Floating around her, making yourself fit in places you shouldn't. You'd be as easy to get rid of just as you were as easy to be taken in.
You're not so sure when the eviction would be due, but what you do know is that today, the process had begun.
You can hear Sevika conversing with the old man, Vander, as you remain seated at the corner of the boat, letting them unload her stuff in. The waves are peaceful today, the sailing would be smooth and wind gentle, you predicted.
Casting a quick glance behind you, you found that the older woman had already been focusing on the back of your head. Her piercing eyes don't move after being noticed but instead intensify. Whatever words being said by the man next to her was clearly being ignored.
In this very moment, you wished you could read her mind. While she assumes that you could already.
Sevika turns back to Vander once he finished asking his question, leaving you to the sea again. "What?" She asks him.
Vander sighed and shook his head in a fatherly manner before repeating himself. "I said, what the hell have you gotten yourself into, woman?"
Sevika responded with her usual annoyed grunt and looked away from him.
"I left you alone for a month and you've already found yourself in new trouble."
"She's no trouble, and I'm in no shit. So check yourself, Vander." She didn't mean to sound so defensive, and it wasn't like she didn't understand what he had meant with 'trouble', but she's also actively trying to avoid the facts that are currently staring right at her face.
"Oh, no? So when we get to land, you'll be handing her over to the arms of those wretches with no problem, aye?" Sevika shoots him a glare.
"I...have not come to a definite conclusion."
Vander raises a brow at her.
"You can't keep her Vika, that's kidnapping." He says matter of factly.
She snorted at the possibility of you ever being her unwilling captive. "Never said anything about that."
Vander relented and dropped the subject with another defeated sigh. She knew she was acting like a child, avoiding the truth and refusing to make the call.
She doesn't know why its so hard, she had come to this decision weeks ago when you had first appeared outside her door, and the fact that you had given her little to no information about yourself since then, just makes this issue even more complicated.
But how can she give you up to the enforcers when she knows that even they won't make an effort to really return you to wherever you came from? At first, the plan was to get you out of her hands. But now, the idea of sending you straight into the lion's den is absolutely unbearable.
The only person she'll ever really care about, and now she's forced to let you down?
She wonders if you know what this trip would really mean, you seem to be lost in your own thoughts for more than expected and she isn't sure if it's because of the change of scenery or the addition of another person in your presence that will soon be multiplied overwhelmingly.
A part of her wants to go over to you and wrap a comforting arm around your shoulder, but she's not sure if she should. im fact, she's not sure on how she's supposed to act around you at all, feeling like no matter what angle she tries to come from, the killing blow of her oncoming betrayal will be seen as just as traitorous in your eyes.
But god, what else is she supposed to do? Sevika's mind has reached a blank wall.
Impulsively, Sevika approached Vander with a question. "Say old man, you don't mind if we stay over at your place for a night or two, do you?"
Vander seemed surprised but not displeased. "Uh, sure. Why not?"
Sevika thanks him in a whisper and feels relief in her lungs as she's gifted with more time to come up with something better.
"The kids will be glad to see you." Vander added with a short laugh.
"The kids." Sevika breathed out, reminiscing about the last time she saw them, which was 2 months ago. "How are they?"
Vander shrugged, "They're well, and stubborn as usual." Vi and Jinx are your typical growing young adult and teenager. They had somehow inherited both Vander's bravery and stupidity despite not really being his children.
"The bar however, suffered many losses because of those damned pirates from last month. The kids have been helping me fix things up, but it just hasn't been the same." And that was the other issue when it came to the town, the random and consistent attacks from the pirates.
Thieving is a repetitive crime in town, but the damage that these pirates have done is incomparable.
The Black Fury pirates are notorious for their crimes all over the map and some might even call them legendary. They had only recently been invading Zaun during their little pit stops. They are well armed and not afraid to use their weapons. Even the enforcers have been unable to do anything about the sudden attacks.
Sevika can only hope that they won't be back here anytime soon.
She watches as you turn to face a different direction as the boat is finally reaching land. The silence of the journey is now being replaced by loud chattering voices of fishermen, sailors and townsfolk.
Once Vander managed to tie up the roads as the bottom of the boat meets the sandy ground.
People looked, but not at any particular interest towards the three of you as you cleared up your bags and tools out of the vehicle and made your way deeper into the crowd of lively people.
You survey your surroundings with an eager but patient manner, finding comfort in the way the voices mesh together, overlapping over eachother to the point that you wouldn't be able to make clear on anything.
You enjoyed calmness and peace, especially for these last couple of weeks. But anyone who knew you (not that there are many), would know that you truly thrived in loudness and bustling spaces that most humans find themselves in.
You jolted when you felt Sevika slip her fingers around yours, clasping your hands together. When you looked up to her as you continued to move behind Vander, she only cocked her head at the crowd and said; "can't lose you now."
You continue to gawk at corner shops and messy stalls selling cheap jewelry and greased up food as she leads you on. You could still feel her turning around every few seconds to look at you, as if afraid that you'd somehow disappear despite already being in her grip.
You didn't mind it at all. In fact, you were kind of glad for it. You were glad that she deemed you worthy enough to look back for. And you also seemed to enjoy the feeling of her strong calloused palms holding onto your colder, and much smaller ones. Buzzing warmth spread all over your body from the contact.
Although she tugged on your arms, she never pulled on it and let you walk at your own pace while you regarded the people with a keen eye, frowning deeply when you came upon a spray painted symbol of the Black Fury pirates on the passing walls.
The image had seemed to spook you for a little bit as Sevika noticed that your admiration for the dirty streets has been overtaken by something else. Your focus now shifted on arriving safely to Vander's home.
"We're almost there." Sevika mutters to you, translating your sudden gloominess to being tired and overwhelmed.
Sevika herself is not that big of a fan of chaos in the town. She favors bars and restaurants, sure. But the idea of having to be around so many people for too long have always put her on edge and increased her irritability.
She's more of a homebody, she'd say. But seeing how in awe you were of the vibrant streets and market had somehow forced her to see certain things from your point of view.
She took note of certain things that you looked at for longer than usual. The way your lips part open in pleasant surprise when being offered fresh fruits by stall sellers you've passed by in a flash, the way your eyes crinkle at the sight of rock-kicking children chasing around a dusty black cat.
And of course, the way your eyes lit up as you're met with the holy fish market, all in it's glory of sea water smell and middle aged mothers doing grocery shopping for their families.
The bar was much less full than you expected, probably because it was still morning. Only very few and sober customers were inside by the back booths being sheltered by the dim yellow lights above them. The moment you set your foot inside, you were greeted by two teenagers that came from the counter seats, welcoming the old man and Sevika with expecting smiles.
"Oh, well if it isn't the scary big shark coming to grace us with her prsence." The shorter, blue haired girl spoke.
She gave a half hug to Sevika before she slowly noticed your existence, quiet and careful behind her. "And, who's this?"
"A friend." Sevika spoke, too quickly for her own liking.
"Oh that can't be true, I thought Vander's your only friend." The redhead, who you assumed is the blue hatred girl's sister, responded.
Sevika rolled her eyes and dropped her bag on the floor before walking away with you still holding her hand. "I need a drink." She called out to the bartender as she seated herself down on the stools with you. “Of course you do.” The red head snorted.
"Whiskey neat for me and uh-" She glanced over at you and back at the bartender. "Do you got...juice-?" The bartender cringed. "Apple juice, that's it." He answers.
"Sure." Sevika sighed and nodded her head.
You didn't argue, but when your drinks came, you had slyly grabbed for hers first and tipped it over your lips before she could stop you.
Sevika stared at you with horror, watching you slam the glass back on the counter and began tearing out your throat with a violent and continous cough, hunching your back.
"Great." She groaned aloud. "Get me some water." She demanded from the bartender.
She lightly patted your back as you continued coughing up, amusement painted all over her face. "Your stubbornness is admirable, but it'll also be the cause of your death."
You chugged down the glass of water with relief while ignoring her words.
After enough time have passed, Sevika forced through the obvious elephant in the room and spoke first. "We'll be staying over here for tonight."
That part was clear to you. You looked widened your eyes in question, and then what?
Sevika wasn't sure either.
So instead of answering you, she changes the subject. standing up and clearing her throat, she then says; “I'm going to go put our stuff upstairs. But then after that. I was thinking that I could show you around, give you a little tour. How about that?"
You were unresponsive at first, mouth agape and brows furrowed in confusion. But then after a minute, you purse your lips close and gave a single nod. Sevika moved around you and grabbed the bags from the floor before disappearing up the stairs and away from your sight.
---
You're not sure how to feel at this very moment. It wasn't just Sevika and the impending doom of knowing you're about to be removed from her life. It was also the stupid symbol painted red on the fading pale walls you had witnessed a few minutes ago.
Sometimes it felt like no matter wherever you went, no matter how far you're willing to travel, the symbol will always follow from behind, haunting you for the rest for your life.
The last time you had a run in with the pirates was a year ago, at an unpopular island far away from Zaun. The incident has no significance to you.
What had really shaped your life was your first run in with them, as a baby.
There is truly no running from your past. Your mother had only managed to escape your father through death.
It was the classic selkie tale. Your poor mother had been kidnapped and forced into marriage with the pirate king of the Black Fury as he held onto her coat, making sure she'd be unable to escape.
She suffered for years by his side, and even after you came along, the sorrow and yearning for the sea never ended for her. And when the opportunity to snatch back her coat and her freedom appeared, your mother did not wait to claim the waves as hers again with little you following along.
Your peace didn't last long though, for they were relentless in tracking her down to the very ends of the worlds. And found her, they did.
You still remember pushing into the pulsing wound on your mother's chest as blood swims out freely after you've managed to remove the arrow from her skin.
He never tried to come for you. You're both glad and offended for that. You're glad that there's no target on your back, but you're offended that he perceives your existence as having so little value, being able to be so unaffected by the fact that he had robbed a child of its mother.
Sometimes it even feels like mockery when you keep bumping into them in every crook and corner of the earth you run to.
A wicked reminder of what he had ripped off of your arms. And even now, your father somehow manages to find his way into your life, mocking you as you're about to lose another person you care about.
You try to play it off for the whole damn time, but as you're sat at this squeaky stool, throat sore and apple juice untouched, all you really want to do is break down into tears.
You hear Sevika's faint footsteps nearing you and felt her hand on your shoulder seconds after.
Tilting your head up towards the woman, you're met with a certain softness in her face that she only reserves for you. She is silent at first, analysing your expression and trying to figure something out but not knowing what it exactly is.
"You ready?" She asks you then. You lifted yourself off the seat and beckoned at her to lead the way as a response.
You don't miss how she made sure to keep you on her right side and away from the open street. You noticed the flex of her palms and almost reached out for her hand first but managed to hold yourself back.
You would rather die than show to anyone else but yourself on how truly desperate for connection you really are on the inside. And so you waited for her fingers to find yours, but disappointingly, they don't.
"I thought I'd take you to the market first." Sevika says, breaking the silence. "It's less hectic this hour. If you think it's full now, wait till you see how it gets in the afternoon." It wasn't often that you'd get to see a nervous Sevika, and it was even less often that you'd get to see her rambling.
"It has like a shit ton of stuff you'd like- not that I really know what you like besides fish." She added with a short laugh. "But you're a girl, and girls usually like jewelry and sweet treats and shit, so yeah.",
“Shit” You repeated after her quietly before humming to yourself while keeping up with her steady pace. It hasn't even hit 12pm yet, but the sun is already scorching, it's heat being so strong that you're sure your skin could stretch and break under the direct streak of it.
You were grateful for the worn out roof shielding you and Sevika from the sun momentarily, but as you begin sweating from your forehead down to your back, reminiscence of the cold and welcoming sea comes in flashbacks at the back of your mind.
Being able to be one with the water again seems to be your only source of comfort for today. You find yourself peeking your head out to search for the sea once you reach the market entrance that's close to the shore.
Sevika waits for you to enter first, keeping herself close from behind. It was honestly hard for you to truly be immersed in the little shops when you can't help being incredibly aware of her presence.
It had never mattered before if she was watching you. But as of right now, you just couldn't shake off the feeling of having your every little movement be judged under her observation.
You wondered if the version of you she saw in her eyes, is the real you. You wondered if she truly sees you or if she's just seeing a skewered, misinterpreted version of you.
Well, at this point, it doesn't really matter now, does it?
Slowing down your steps, you start to notice a pattern in the stalls. They all are selling around the some thing for different prices.
One thing that looks attractive in this stall, will surely be found in a couple stalls upfront in a more expensive pricing range and maybe more choices of colour.
You lingered at the small jewelry stall that focuses on beaded bracelets and charms as a small purple bracelet attracts itself to you. It has a small seashell shaped charm in the middle with lilac and white beads around it.
The old lady selling it only offers you a warm smile as you window shopped on her collection.
"Do you want it?" Sevika asks. You quickly shook your head no but saw that she had already pulled out a few coins out of her left pocket before pouring them onto the old woman's hand.
"Take it." She cocked her head to the bracelet hanging right by your eyes. You pulled it off its hook and slipped it around your wrist with ease, grinning to yourself as it fits you perfectly.
"It's your color." Sevika complimented as she guided you forward, her hand stays on the small of your back.
"Thank you." You whispered gratuitously. She doesn't react as she doesn't hear you, but it doesn't matter as she will always know the words you never speak through the way you look at her. It's almost like you're interlinked with her.
---
The two of you spent the next 2 hours just walking hand in hand, trying out fruits on a stick and testing cheap perfumes on your wrists before picking your favourites and not buying any of them at all.
The conversations are kept short between you two, but it remained intimate somehow, real and vulnerable in a world that is anything but.
Sevika tells you about her favourite foods and how this market has been standing tall for over 30 years since she was still a child.
She had even graced you with a story on how she used to participate in thieving activities, pickpocketing topsiders that roamed the street and didn't know any better.
"Sometimes they don't even realise anything's missing." She tells you with a snort.
"It was all fun and games until one of them catches you in the act, though. These topsiders, they like to get the law involved. And contrary to popular belief, those ass kissers don't perform based on fairness."
You frowned at yourself. "You got caught?" You ask her, each syllables sounding mouthy as you spoke them. You can’t imagine Sevika ever getting caught with anything.
Sevika snickered. You don't miss the way her eyes widened slightly when she heard your voice, it always takes her by surprise. "The real question here is, how many times did I get caught?" By the bitterness in her tone, you're gonna assume it was a lot.
You feel your feet ache while walking on the street, exiting the market as it starts to get more crowded at the hour.
Sevika mentioned lunch and you could hear your stomach growl at the mention of grilled fish.
Bending down to rub the soles of your feet, Sevika stops at her tracks when she notices that you're no longer beside her. She sees you and poses a questioning look. "You good?" She asks.
You hummed lightly and decided to take the oversized slippers completely off. They never fit right since they belonged to Sevika, but either way, it has always been your nature to be barefeet.
You let out a relieved sigh and smiled at the feeling of your feet being met with the hot pavement that has been sunbathed for hours.
Sevika is amused at your antics but says nothing when you shoved the slippers into her arms before resuming your journey.
The place she takes you to next is familiar to Vander's bar, but has more space and people inside. The door rings with a small bell as she pushes it open. Sevika leads you to a small booth before heading over to the counter to order for you. It’s almost instinctive at this point. The need to take care of you. The ability to know your needs before you do. She came back soon after, sliding into the seat next to you instead of sitting opposite you.
“I um, got you the seafood set.” You nodded absentmindedly, pretending to care. There is an intense silence and awkwardness that builds itself between you and her. Sevika cracks her knuckles in anxiety, avoiding looking at you for a solid 4 minutes before eventually tilting her body to face you. You turn to face her too, pursing your lips into a small line as you wait for her to speak.Sevika opens her mouth and stutters. “I-I_” her mouth closes again, this time with her eyes too as she winces at her verbal failure. Your hand reaches out to lightly trace over her left hand that sat on the edge of the table.
Her eyes reopened as she lets out a deep exhale. “Hi.” You mumbled, starting the conversation for her. Her nose flared as a choked laugh escapes her. “Hey.” She responded.
“Do you know why we’re here?” She asks gently as she tries to read you. You say nothing, your whole body freezing at the question. Sevika lets the silence lingers for a few moments before she starts again. “I need to get you back home, sweetheart. I can’t keep you with me forever.”
Why not? You wanted to cry out to her. But instead you just stare at her, reactionless.
She keeps looking at you like she’s waiting for you to break, and when you don’t, she’s even more scared because she can’t tell how you’re feeling.
“Can you tell me anything? I could just give you to the enforcers, but I'd rather not do that.” It sounded like a threat, Sevika thought and silently cursed herself for it.
You turned your gaze downwards towards your lap, thinking to yourself. Then, you looked back at her and imitated writing on paper. Sevika got the message instantly and scrambled off her seat to find a piece of paper and a pencil. She returns victorious and slides the material towards you.
You hesitated with the pencil in your hands, knowing that whatever comes next will be a direct result of your confession. But you’ve reached the end of your rope, there’s nothing to grasp on anymore at this point anyways.
Sevika frowned as she watched you drawing a circle instead of writing. Her confusion fully formed into terror as you finished your sketch and slid the paper back to her.
She felt her throat tighten as she stares down at the drawing. “Do you know what this symbol means?” She asks, meeting your darkened gaze. You raised a brow as if to ask back; “do you?”
Sevika then pulled the paper into her hand before scrunching it into a ball, squeezing it with her fingers. “You’re with them? The pirates?” You shook your head and made an expression of disgust. “No? So you ran away from them?” She attempts again. “That’s how you ended up in the waters? Because you tried swimming away from them.”
Obviously that wasn’t an accurate representation of what happened, but that would be the easiest way to explain it to her. “I escaped.” You whispered out, voice cracking. Sevika’s intense look faltered as she stuffs the ball of paper into her jacket pocket and moved closer to you. She wanted to say something comforting, reassuring, but she wasn’t even sure if she was in a place to promise you anything at all.
The moment abruptly ended when the waiter appeared out of nowhere, placing two plates of hot meals before the both of you. In a flash, Sevika recollects herself, calming herself down as she returned to her initial seat and insisted you eat first before any more discussion is continued.
You were starving, and the sight of well cooked fish distracted you as quickly as a shark does its prey. Sevika had to force herself through every chew, her appetite had disappeared at the sight of the Black Fury symbol you had drawn out. She had so many questions, so many worries. Were you a fugitive then? Would you be killed if anyone from the crew spotted you? Would she?
Sevika watches as you devour the meal in such a short amount of time. How long had you been in the sea before you reached her lighthouse?
The ship couldn’t have been sailing anywhere near it, she would’ve seen it if it had. Your entire existence is a fucking mystery. She was intrigued as well as concerned. She has this strong nagging feeling in her chest that begs for her to protect you, a part of her that has long known what she refuses to admit. And that is the fact that she cared for you, more than one should for a stranger, or even a friend.
She wanted you too. Gods, she wanted you like nothing else. And that feeling scares the shit out of her.
And yet, attraction and all things emotional and possessive aside, the survival focused part of her is whispering in her ear to let you go. To give you up as soon as she could.
You have brought colors back into her life. You made her feel things she wasn’t sure she could still feel.
Think of all you’d lose if they discovered that you’ve been harbouring a fugitive. She urges herself.
Nothing much. She argues back. And it’s true. Sevika has already lost everything important to her. Everything except…you.
To know the exact shape of your hand against hers and never be able to feel the vreases of your palm and grip of your fingers again would feel like death itself. Even now, considering the idea of giving you up, made her feel broken, like all the air in her lungs have been ripped out of her chest. The Gods have already taken everything from her.
Once the heart is sure of what the mind isn’t, the pull would be hard to stray away from. How would she live now, in the cold and unwelcoming walls of the lighthouse?
Now that she has experienced what it was like to be warm again. Now that she knew exactly what she wanted from life. Because isn’t that what life is all about? To finally have wants again, and to live for the hope of it all.
Would it be selfish for her to ask for this one damned thing?
Just to be able to have you at arms length, always. To never know what it’s like waking up everyday being sure of your absence. I’m not asking for the whole world. She thought to herself.
But losing her would be the equivalent of losing herself and all the parts she have just learned existed in all the shabby, worn out corners of her deep and dark heart. It would break her. Is she so truly and very sinful that she deserved that?
The conversation was not brought up again by either of you once you were done eating, and the walk back was quiet as her hand held onto yours for the whole time. Her tired heart could not carry the conversation again, it would have to wait for the next day to come.
Now all she wanted was to hold you, to never see a world without you in it. And it is as if you feel the same way, with the way you lean into her touch and lets her keep you close.
Midnight strikes on the clock as Sevika wakes up with a gasp. Her arm reaches for you instinctively but finds only emptiness by her side on the small bed.
Her paranoia is halted as she finds you by the window. As you always are, even in the lighthouse. Sevika smiled to herself as she admired her view. She gently pushes herself the covers off and walks herself to your small standing figure.
Once you two arrived back at Vander's place, you had quickly went upstairs while she discussed the new information with Vander.
His face turned grim once he saw what was drawn on the crumpled piece of paper she had pulled out of her pocket.
Sevika knew Vander. He would never tell her to give you up, and yet she could still see through his facade and knew that he was afraid.
Neither of them had a solid answer on what the right thing to do is. It's all about perspective at the end of the day, isn't it?
Right and wrong. It all depends on whose perspective you're seeing it from.
You didn't flinch when she grasped your shoulder and remained unmoving as you stared off at the small view of the sea. There’s longing in your eyes. Your brows are knitted together as you stare away. “You miss it don’t you?” She mutters softly, snaking an arm around your waist.
Sevika sighed out softly as your back fell against her chest. “I miss it too.” And she did. She especially missed the mundane days of daily cleaning and fixing while you lurked near her like a little shadow, thinking you're subtle when you're not.
Your fingers wrap around hers as they remain on your waist, an acknowledgment.
“You know, at first I only ever took the job as a way to punish myself.” You frowned at her words, still looking out.
“I wasn’t a good person before you, never claimed I was” She murmured against your shoulder, grazing her lips gently on the cotton of your shirt. “I don't even think I'm a good person now.” She's not. She's selfish with the way she refuses to let you go.
“The lightkeeper before me went mad.” Sevika spoke.
“A shipwreck happened by the rocks, and no boats or help came until only two months later. He tried to find survivors by himself but failed. The bodies, their mangled and bloody state, it haunted him.” You tilted your head slightly, your gazes connecting as her head found safe haven in the crook of your neck.
“The stench…they said it covered the whole tower. And when they finally found him, he was just a shell of a man, out of his fucking wits.”
Your chest tightened at the visual imagery of her story. “When they explained what happened, I thought to myself; oh that’s perfect, just what I need.” A bitter laugh followed after her words. Your frown deepened as you felt sadness enter your heart.
“What a masochist, I know.”
“But then, as the months passed and routine formed, I realized it wasn’t so bad after all. It's isolating, sure. But I've always managed to feel alone even in a room full of people. The only difference now is I can see it as much as I feel it.”
“And then…” She trails off. “And then my first body appeared. You.” You twisted your neck up to lock eyes with her. “And gods did you haunt me as much as that poor man was haunted.”
There was sadness in the way she carried herself tonight. The way she held onto you like she'd never see you again. Was that the plan, then?
To lay everything out in the open one last time, in case the opportunity doesn't present itself anytime in the future?
You couldn't say anything even if you wanted to. There was desperation in the way you gawked up at her, yearning that clawed on your chest. And so you did the second best thing you could next to talking and closed the distance between you two.
Sevika had no hesitation once you’ve captured her lips with yours. Her metal hand found its place on the side of your face, cradling your cheek softly as her right arm brought you closer to her, gripping your waist with need.
The kiss was hot and passionate. You fit against her like she’s been moulded specifically for your body. Her tongue darted out and wetted your bottom lip. Gasping out softly and melting into her arms, Sevika snuck her tongue inside your mouth. You held onto the back of her head like holding onto reins and pulled on her hair. making her groan into the kiss.
Sevika is tireless now, her craving for you is carnal. Turning you to the side until you back bet the glass window, Sevika only broke off the kiss to attach herself on your neck instead. Her arms travel lower until she’s able to lift you higher and position herself in between your thighs as your legs wrap against her waist easily. Her grip on you is bruising, but you wanted all of it, the pain and intensity, everything that came with her.
Sevika tries to be gentle as her teeth finds the sensitive point of your neck, but as you whine against her, all of her composure fell apart. She bit into your neck and sucked into it, eager to mark you. Your nails dig into her back, making her moan into your skin.
She needed to become one with you, needed to be the one to make you fall apart. Needed to be the only one who knew how you'd look and sounded like in such a vulnerable position.
And she knew that you needed it too. Sevika would give you what you wanted, even if it's the last thing she'd do.
The next day, Sevika was woken up by the harsh streak of sunlight and you were nowhere to be found.
167 notes · View notes
etheralisi · 1 year ago
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I’ve been thinking about in-universe media so. Heh. Why don’t we tumblrify the ending of the rottmnt movie
Update: here’s part 2 and 3+3.5
💫silent_swirl Follow
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Nice knowing you guys
🥐ittybittyypastrypuff Follow
Wtf??? Where do you live?
⏱️lordoftimeandspace Follow
You can’t just ask someone where they live
💰rhymeonthedime Follow
op must be from new york. i’ve been trying to text my sister who lives there all day and when she finally gets back to me, it’s to send me a photo of her being chased by some weird??? fleshy???? car? i think the pink stuff was growing inside of it?
🥐ittybittyypastrypuff Follow
The hell is happening in your city?
🔥guess-ill-die Follow
The end of the world
🐛lugbugg Follow
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🎙️do-re-mimimi Follow
Where else would you learn that?
14,056 notes
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🚀jj-sails Follow
Alien invasion???? This is not how Jupiter Jim said it would go
267 notes
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🦙dramallama Follow
So who had alien invasion on the 2020 apocalypse bingo card
🤠see-you-in-space-cowboy Follow
At this point no one is surprised 
#give it two months. somehow something will find a way to top this
12,435 notes
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⚔️ bluejitsu Follow
I lived bitch
🌑faded-moonlight Follow
Context?
⚔️ bluejitsu Follow
No ✨
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🎨 asprinkleofrazzmatazz Follow
Sorry everyone  ::> ︵ <:: No more art until my hands are healed up. Doctor’s orders
🧸bear-with-me Follow
Are you okay? 🥺🥺💞
🎨 asprinkleofrazzmatazz Follow
♡ ♡ Achy. But I realllllly want to drawwwwwww
#I have so many ideas right now #currently trying and failing to draw with feet #but I am determined 
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👾aliens-among-us Follow
Time to storm Area 51 again
#they can’t stop all of us #look I just want to see aliens in person okay #if they can’t invade my city then what’s the point #I know they have to be keeping some of those pink blobs in there
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🟦 outoftouchoutoftime Follow
Hello
🏒 hockeyordeath Follow
JUNIOR! HELLO
I SEE YOU HAVE DISCOVERED THE INTERNET
🟦 outoftouchoutoftime Follow
It’s Sensei’s fault
⚔️ bluejitsu Follow
#I?????? #don’t just look at me it was purple too
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🛸 atomiclass9000 Follow
I smell the scent of betrayal in the air.
#not science posting #blue I’m looking at you
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✍️writingprompts Follow
You are a time traveller sent back to stop the apocalypse before it ever began. Only problem is: you aren’t sent back far enough.
🟦 outoftouchoutoftime Follow
Relatable 
💥zipzapzoom Follow
Umm???
4,522 notes
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🕜has-lou-jitsu-been-found-yet Follow
Day 3667 of me posting: no
🪽angelofhell Follow
Wow this blog is dedicated
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🐝 dizzee-bee Follow
Why do aliens always invade NYC? What’s so special? Why don’t they ever invade Las Vegas huh? What about Boston? Where are my aliens in D.C? So many cities and you’re telling me they chose New York? If aliens really did invade I bet you they wouldn’t even come near it
🐝 dizzee-bee Follow
This post… aged
🐾 ultimate_cataclysm  Follow
Pay up op
1,356 notes
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🦊redfoxtrott Follow
there’s something weird going on in this city. remember that time at the stadium? suddenly it’s a free for all on world domination i swear
🪩glitter-jam Follow
I thought the whole stadium thing was a publicity stunt
👋saysayonara Follow
I thought that was a rogue cosplayer 
#for real though. What even happened to them?
11,388 notes
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🌎yes-the-earth-is-flat Follow
Wow. So tumblr thinks it can gaslight me int thinking aliens exits huh? Well think again
🌎yes-the-earth-is-flat Follow
Stop bringing up my username. You know im right
2,488 notes
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🏒 hockeyordeath Follow
NO, MY KEYBOARD IS NOT STUCK LIKE THIS. EVERY LETTER I TYPE IS AS IT IS MEANT TO BE SAID. WITH PURPOSE AND VOLUME.
🏒 hockeyordeath Follow
IF MY USERNAME COULD BE IN CAPITALS YOU KNOW IT WOULD BE 
🛸 atomiclass9000 Follow
I can help with this
#give me one minute and some flavourless juice
122 notes
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💃disco-girl Follow
My apartment was almost flattened by a giant freakin robot a few years back. And now aliens????? I’m moving
#guys I’m just. So. Done with all of this
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🎙️do-re-mimimi Follow
So did the aliens just up and leave? What’s the story here?
🎩man-with-a-top-hat Follow
There have been various sightings of lights across the sky. I have not been able to find any reliable sources on the cause, but the general consensus is the lights pushed the aliens back where they came from. 
🦇batarang Follow
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This photo of some person swinging around the city has been making rounds on twitter
🐚seashellsshesells Follow
Pretty lights and vigilantes? 
5,993 notes
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❌cant-think-of-a-user Follow
So what are we calling these aliens? They need a cool, alien sounding name ‘cuz all I’ve been seeing around is ‘land squids’, ‘brain goop’ and shoutout to that one discord user who used the words ‘pink gelatinous parsnip’ to describe them.
👊punch-moodi Follow
Have they ever seen a parsnip before?
🤏deadly-nerve-pinch Follow
What about Utroms? They kinda look like the aliens from Jupiter Jim’s Last Trip to the Moon 9
❌cant-think-of-a-user Follow
Isn’t your fandom super dead?
🤏deadly-nerve-pinch Follow
Say that to our 80+ movies. Your faves could never 
🚀jj-sails Follow
Fandom still going strong 💪 
🍎almond-apple Follow
Why does everyone keep on calling them aliens? Are we sure they’re not just failed government test subjects? Haven’t there been mutant sightings in NYC before?
❌cant-think-of-a-user Follow
Sorry, mutants???
👾aliens-among-us Follow
Nah it’s defo aliens
❌cant-think-of-a-user Follow
#so far 3 votes for Utroms and 22 for parsnips #sigh
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🫎duck-duck-moose Follow
Children are terrifying 
💤needsomezzzzzzz Follow
Agreed. But I feel like there’s a story here
🫎duck-duck-moose Follow
Was walking back from work, and I was like nearly home right? I turn a corner and there: a sea of cheering girl scouts. Who are they cheering on you ask? Their… cult (?) leader? Tearing one of those aliens apart with her bare hands. And the kids are just laughing and some are even joining in? They must have nerves of steel
💤needsomezzzzzzz Follow
Woah
🌽 sherlock_corn Follow
@  HOCKEYORDEATH Hey look at this
372 notes
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💀outoftouchoutoftime Follow
Set a profile picture because apparently everyone’s blocking me thinking I’m a bot?
🥊 red_hotsoup Follow
Sorry CJ
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asprinkleofrazzmatazz said: Spread the sunshine ☀️ Post this in at least 5 ask boxes to let them know they make you happy
🥊 red_hotsoup Follow
Aww, hey Orange
⚔️ bluejitsu Follow
Hey, where’s my ask
⚔️ bluejitsu Follow
Orange?
⚔️ bluejitsu Follow
Oh 
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asprinkleofrazzmatazz said: Spread the bugs 🪳 Post this in at least 5 ask boxes to let them know they’re bugging you
⚔️ bluejitsu Follow
Two can play at this game
🎨asprinkleofrazzmatazz Follow
Jk ☀️☀️☀️
29 notes
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🛸 atomiclass9000 Follow
I remember the good old days on tumblr. Back when my brothers didn’t know the name of my account. Back when they didn’t bug me in my inbox
🍞shortbutsweetbread Follow
Then make another one?
🛸 atomiclass9000 Follow
Gasp. And leave behind a username such as this? I’m attached.
🌽 sherlock_corn Follow
What about your sister?
🛸 atomiclass9000 Follow
You’re fine
⚔️ bluejitsu Follow
Favouritism 
128 notes
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🐱sophinophie Follow
Whoever you heroes are
Thank you.  
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❤️🧡💜💙
#I don’t know how you did it. Or what you even look like #but one thing is for sure and that’s that you are heroes 
189 notes
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legandairy-horror · 11 months ago
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Does anyone else feel a strange sort of dread waiting for new deltarune chapters?
It sounds crazy right? I admit it's a weird feeling for sure, and I'm not even 100% sure if dread is the right way to describe it. But as more info is revealed and the next chapter inevitably gets closer and closer to releasing I can't help but feel a strange sort of, melancholy? Longing? The only way I can describe it is "when you know the goodbye is coming". The strange somber feeling when you know you’re going to have to leave stuff behind, but aren't quite ready for it yet.
warning: words. Homestuck
In 3 months Chapter 1 will be 6 years old, and in 2 months Chapter 2 will be 3 years old. Deltarune is ostensibly in Early Access but this release schedule puts new chapters closer in time scale to whole sequals if anything, which they most assuredly are not trying to be. This has created a strange situation in the fanbase that I don't think I've ever truly seen anywhere else. One where, In the time between chapters It feels like everyone has had their own chance to decide what Deltarune is to them. To create their own version of this story, to write their own themes that they want to see explored, to imagine their own events and plot twists they want to see play out.
@lynxgriffin Paper Trail Comic Being an Alternate Story following off of chapter 1
@lilybug-02 The Chara Timeline Being one of many interpretations on the popular Asriel & Chara roommates headcannon.
@huecycles Andromeda Chapters being their interpretation on the full game
The innumerable Deltarune Theorists and analysts like HalfBreadChaos, Andrew Cunningham, Stuffed Alpaca, etc. etc.
@vyletbunni Deltatraveler being a whole ass fangame based around a chapter 2 meme that it has long since outlived
And that's kinda the thing isn't it? Once more deltarune comes out, a ton of these projects will just become outdated, it's an inevitability. So what will happen to them? will they become forgotten? maybe, maybe not, it's impossible to tell. but either way it feels kinda sad to think about yknow? that one day all the time and effort spent and all the memories made might one day just cease to exist.
There's a lot more I could say on this topic if given the chance but to keep this tumblr post from morphing into a 2 hour long video essay in text form let me leave off with this.
In the age of the internet and social media there will always be a fan of something. Nothing truly dies quite like it used to anymore, regardless of whatever influencers want you to believe. But that doesn't mean things stop changing, that there wasn't a past that has since been left behind. I'm a Homestuck fan. more specifically I'm a Late Homestuck fan, one who came in after the comic had already ended and it's peak in popularity was long behind it. The fandom's still around all these years later. But it'd be foolish to admit that, 8 years after the comics controversial end, the inescapable trend of new fans replacing old fans has left the fandom wholly disconnected from the monolith that it once was. the only remnants of which lie in decades old discourse and fanfiction. Like old relics of a long forgotten city, waiting to be excavated under a fine layer of dirt.
Before I close out here I just want to make it clear: I'm not saying that we should be trying to return to some nebulous "glorious past" that never really existed. I'm not trying to deride Toby Fox for not working in the sweatshop hard enough to produce more content™, or whatever you wanna try and spin-doctor this post into. It's just a thought that creeps into my head every now that I wanted to share, see if anyone feels the same, yknow?
Besides it's not all doom and gloom. For those of you OG Homestucks who read till the end. You remember Heinoustuck? Guidestuck? Nightfall? Fucking Ke$haStuck? yeah those are still going by the way! after years of inactivity they've now started back up again. some under new authors and some by the same author but still!
You could say a lot about that but to me at least, it makes me feels hopeful in a way. That, even if not everything will survive. we'll at least have some mementos to remember what came before.
726 notes · View notes
chaoticdreamersthings · 1 month ago
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Glimpse of us - Part 4
No tears left to cry
!!!WARNING! RPF BELOW!!!
Pairing: Joost x Fem Reader
Description: Months after the party, you and Joost meet again, and he asks for one last chance.
Please read the previous chapters for context
Warnings: angst, that’s a heartbreaking chapter, I am so bad at labeling my own stuff I’m so sorry
Author’s note: the last part!! Thank u to everyone who read it, I hope you liked it! Please reblog my work if you like it!!
Also maybeeeee…. MAYBE I have an idea for a sequel
Word count: 5.5 k
Part: 4/4
PART 1 || PART 2 || PART 3
You watch the red leaves falling slowly from the trees as you sit at your desk, trying to write something for work. Instead of being productive, you have a whole breakdown in your head, thinking about how fast time goes — how it was just summer, and now you’re here, wrapped in the coziest sweater you own, wondering how many Mondays are left until Christmas. The last few months have been anything but calm, yet you still feel a little disappointed, as you thought you would have more going on in your life by now. The thought of going back to your home country has crossed your mind more than once, but you’ve gotten so used to living here, that you couldn’t bring yourself to move. The lack of love life was one of the reasons you feel like there’s nothing more for you in Amsterdam, but the great friendships are definitely something keeping you here.
It’s been four months since the day Joost walked out of your apartment, and in all those months there hasn’t been a single word from him. Not even a single message, not even a drunk call. You knew this would happen, but it still didn’t stop you from spending the next day crying on the floor with a bottle of wine, still hoping for at least a glimpse of him: a drunk late-night message or a surprise appearance at one of the places you usually go. But nothing came. Just the quiet ache of waiting for someone who had already left.
He had never gone this long without talking to you, so you finally came to terms with the fact that maybe this was actually the end. This time, however, you didn’t reach out. You didn’t send the first message, didn’t break the silence with hope. You just accepted that even after the intimate weekend you shared, he still couldn’t bring himself to show up in the way you needed. And if that wasn’t enough to make him change, then you doubt anything ever will.
Clara opens the door - you hadn’t bothered locking in, knowing she was on her way. She takes one look at you, you and shakes your head. She’s seen you in situations like that so many times. And though a part of you feels pathetic, you know there’s no one else you would ever let see you in this state.
“Come on, baby” she says softly, sits next to you “You can’t let him do this to you every time, Y/N. He was nice that night, he took care of us, stepped in before we talked to that fucking creep — but that doesn’t mean you can invite him over and play house, like you’re some perfect little couple.” she looks at you with sadness in her eyes. “You’ve got to hold on to your decisions. I know it’s hard, but you can’t keep tossing them aside the moment he shows up.” 
You can hear the guilt in her voice — she knows she shouldn’t have let herself get that drunk, not with him around - shouldn’t have left you so vulnerable, going back to his arms. She liked Joost — everyone did — but the intense emotional crashes he left you with were something she couldn’t accept. And she just couldn’t keep watching you suffer because of him.
“I know” you say, your voice weak. Every word she says — you know it. You’ve heard it a hundred times, from her, from others, from that quiet voice inside your own head. But it still doesn’t change the fact that in that moment nothing could have stopped you. Because when those light blue eyes were piercing through you, nothing else existed. It was just you and him. You always let the hope that this time it would be different win over your rational side. You were always ready to let go off your boundaries if it meant holding on to even the smallest chance with him. 
God, that sounds pathetic. You’re pathetic. You look at Clara, trying to read her face, wondering if that’s what she thinks too, if deep down, she’s tired of seeing you like this. But if she is, she hides it well — her eyes hold no judgement. 
“Fuck, why does he have to be such a dick? You two were perfect together, but every time it gets too good, he just shits all over it. I don’t get it.” She shakes her head and takes the wine bottle from your hand, taking a long sip before continuing.
“I was really rooting for you two. From the very beginning — since the day you met him at that club.” She sighs. “But you deserve better. I don’t think he’s a bad guy, but he’s just not good enough. Not for you. He’s not bad but you… you’re AMAZING. You deserve someone who worships the ground you walk on. Someone who treats you like a princess, like a treasure he’s afraid of losing. And he doesn’t.” She shakes her head “And he should! You know what I mean?”
You didn’t know why he acted that way either, but you’d stopped trying to understand him. In the beginning, when problems between you first started, you tried to talk about it — tried to suggest reasons for his behavior — but each attempt only seemed to push him further away. So you stopped. Stopped bringing it up, and eventually, even stopped thinking about it. You accepted things the way they were: him, unable to change the parts of himself that were slowly destroying your relationship - until it all fell apart. 
None of it had to happen. If he’d addressed the issue from the beginning — his fear of commitment, his tendency to disappear whenever the conversation turned to the future or anything remotely serious — it might have been different. But instead, he’d vanish for days after every difficult conversation, then return like nothing had happened. And every time, you forgave him. That cycle went on for months.
“I’m just… so disappointed, you know?” You whisper, resting your head on her shoulder. At least she is able to offer you the kind of quiet comfort that asks for nothing in return. It’s not the same as him — but it’s something. You have no idea what you’d do without this girl.
“I know” she says, gently wrapping her arm around your shoulders. „But we’ll get through it together, okay? I hate seeing you cry over him, but if that’s what it takes, I’ll wipe your tears a thousand times.” She gives you a pale smile, and you return it. “You did the same for me.” She says quietly.  “I remember.” 
Before, every memory of him made your heart race, and tears would sting your eyes. But this time, something was different. That afternoon you and Clara chugged two bottles of wine and fell asleep on the floor watching Sex and the city and ranted about how much you hate men — that was the only time you cried about it. 
The next day, you felt completely dry, like there was nothing left to cry with. Maybe, as Miss Ariana Grande once said, you really had no tears left to cry. Maybe there’s a limit to how much disappointment one person could cause, and he had finally reached it. Whatever the reason, you left it behind that day. And for the first time, you didn’t look back.
You didn’t even think about him that much anymore. Now and then something small would spark a memory — his laugh, a place you used to go, a song — and a soft wave of sadness would pass through you. But it was a different kind of sadness. You didn’t cling to the idea of him being the love of your life. You didn’t lie awake hoping he’d call, not even in the middle of the night. You didn’t wish for an accidental meeting on a street corner or in your favorite cafe. 
You didn’t think about the sex, or the romantic things he used to do. When a memory flickered, you slowly redirected your thoughts. You missed him the way you miss an old friend who was close for a while —  before she drifted away, or turned out to be not quite the person you thought she was.
You could see it now for what it was: something that felt good for a time, but could never be what you once believed. And maybe that clarity was the key. You couldn’t even imagine him back in your life anymore. The damage was too great, the wounds too deep, and your resentment was too strong. It was over — not in the dramatic, romantic sense — but in a final, irreversible way. And as painful as that truth was, you knew now that you could survive without him. More than that — you knew you’d be better off.
The workday finally comes to an end. You close your laptop, stretch your arms toward the ceiling and decide to get some air. A walk, a coffee, and a donut from your favorite bakery — small things, but they always made you feel better. The weekend is approaching and you have some plans with your friends — maybe you’ll even agree to that date that the Tinder guy suggested. 
You’ve already been on two dates. They didn’t lead anywhere, but they gave you a sense of moving on — something you desperately needed. And more than anything, they confirmed that this time, it really is different.
The sky is already getting darker — you hate how in fall the sunlight fades so early. It always makes you feel a bit more nostalgic and down, giving you too much time alone with your thoughts. And lately, that’s exactly what you’ve been trying to avoid - especially after that party few months ago.
The walk to the bakery isn’t long, but it starts to rain on the way back. Of course it does, you think. It’s Amsterdam. You really should have seen it coming. You take off your jacket and throw it over your head, regretting not bringing an umbrella. You focus on getting home as dry as possible, though you already know that’s a lost cause. Thank God you didn’t have any other plans tonight. Just a quiet evening ahead, a blanket, some trashy reality TV, and the sweet reward of a donut that somehow survived the rain.
You reach your building and are just about to take the stairs when you a familiar voice pulls you out of your thoughts.
“Y/N” 
You look up, frozen in place. You hadn’t been paying attention to anything around you — you just wanted to get home and out of your wet clothes. But here you are, face to face with those blue eyes again. He’s completely soaked, his blonde hair dripping, droplets hanging from the tip of his nose. Being from here, he should’ve known to bring an umbrella — but maybe the dramatic effect was part of his plan to make you forgive him.
“No” you say, loud and firm, before he even has the chance to say anything more than your name. You shake your head in disapproval. You didn’t spend all these months without him for nothing. You won’t let him get into your head again, won’t let him disappoint you again, or make you do things you’ll regret again all over again.
“Y/N…” he repeats, trying to reach for your hand, but you take it away, like it’s been burned. Damn him! Who does he think he is — showing up like this without a warning? Not a message, not a call. What did he expect? That you’d fall into his arms again? That you’ll forget the months of silence, of absence, of everything he broke and never cared to fix? 
Whatever he’s here for — sex, some half-hearted apology, or a delusional idea of picking up where you left off — it doesn’t matter. It’s too late. Way too late. You feel the anger rising in your chest and for the first time, you realize — it really is different now. You don’t want his attention. You just feel pure, burning resentment.
“No. We are not doing this. Go away. And don’t come here again” you say, your voice filled with hurt, disappointment and anger. You’re furious, but you won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing you scream or cry, Not this time. You’re done being the girl who breaks apart in front of him. Today, you keep it cold. This time, you’re walking away, and you’re doing it dry-eyed, and absolutely sure. 
“Come on… i know you want to…” you stare at him as those words leave his mouth. And he has the audacity to say he knows you want to? That’s how low he thinks of you. That he can show up out of nowhere and tell you what you want — like you’re some stupid girl he can manipulate with a few words. That motherfucker. 
“I don’t want shit from you. Not anymore. Please, move off the stairs and let me go home.” The words come out colder than you expected, and you’re sure he notices it — as he should. You’re not having any of his bullshit today. You won’t give him an inch of room to talk you into anything. You’re standing your ground, showing him that things are not how they used to be.
“Listen to me… i came to…” his voice is shaking, losing all his confidence. 
He didn’t expect that reaction, you can see it in his eyes. He thought a little sweet talk, maybe some gentleness and vulnerability, would be enough to pull you back in. But it’s not working. 
It’s not that you’re angrier than ever. There were so many times you cried and yelled, when your fights escalated to ridiculous proportions. But this time? This time, there’s only cold detachment. You’re over it. And he's never seen you like this. And that scares him more than anything else. For the first time, he gets the feeling that he might have lost you for good. 
“I don’t give a fuck what you came here for! Leave me alone” you try to pass, but he doesn’t let you. For a brief moment, you consider hitting him in the face — he deserves it for all the hurt he’s put you through, and you know deep down, he’d probably agree. But you don’t believe in violence. You don’t want to give him any sign of losing control. 
You look at him instead, his hands raised, his eyes wide, begging for something — for your attention, your forgiveness, anything. Oh, how the tables have turned. It used to be you, trying to manipulate him into staying, desperate to hold onto whatever scraps of him you could. And now it’s him, begging for something he’ll never get from you again.
And then you laugh. But it’s not just a laugh. It’s a dark, bitter sound — filled with all he resentment you’ve been carrying for so long. You can’t help it. It’s the one response to how ridiculous this entire situation is. You’ve spent all this time in the same endless cycle — crying, trying to heal your broken heart, only for him to show up, promising you the world, and then disappearing without a trace. 
It’s a joke. He leaves, comes back, leaves again, and you’re stuck in this never-ending story. How funny, how ironic is that you got everything you thought you wanted, but now you don’t want it anymore.
“You scare me.” He says, his voice barely a whisper.
“Yeah? Good. I should scare you.” You’ve never been this bold with him before. But something inside of you has snapped, and now there’s nothing left for him. No more chances. 
You stand there, looking at him, watching as his beautiful blue eyes lose their power over you. That hold he once had on you? It’s gone. Completely. And for the first time in a long time, you realize that it’s something you never thought could happen. But here you are.
You’re soaked through, your clothes sticking to your skin, but you don’t care. The rain doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters now is getting to your apartment and forgetting this ever happened.
“Y/N, just listen to me, please, then you can hate me and never speak to me again, but…” he says, his voice desperate, but you don’t let him get any closer.
You step back, your hands raised, a clear boundary between you.
“No, Joost.” You say firmly “There’s nothing more to say. I’ve heard it all before. You don’t get to make your excuses, and you don’t get to have another chance.” There’s not even a sign of hesitation in your words. 
“Please, just let me…” he says, reaching for your hand, but you pull it away again. “I love you, please…” his voice is shaky, filled with desperation. You see him panic — his usual charm and control are going away, realizing nothing he says is working on you anymore. He never thought he’d see you like this.
You look at him, and you can’t believe it — but he looks pathetic to you. Tears in his eyes, a desperate grip on your hand. You were not the only pathetic one in the relationship between you two, though you always saw yourself as the one desperately clinging on. You feel a little sorry for him, but he brought it on himself. 
That night — that last night you spent together — you begged him to stay. You opened up, let your bare emotions speak, showed him how much he meant to you and how badly you wanted things to work. For months after the breakup you hoped he would come back, apologize, beg. That he would stand exactly like this in front of you. 
But now it’s too late, it’s not romantic or heartwarming. It’s a pathetic attempt to crawl back to hurt you again. There’s nothing left. You don’t believe him anymore, and nothing he could say would change that.
“Who do you think you are?” You say — not loud, not trembling, just calm and controlled “How many more times are you going to do this? I don’t want to be on this rollercoaster forever. I don’t want to keep waiting for you to come back, or constantly live in fear that you’ll disappear without a word, or tell me out of nowhere that you can’t do this, or you don’t want it, or whatever else it is this time. I’m sorry. I know you have unresolved issues, I know you’re struggling with things you don’t even say out loud — but I can’t keep hurting myself because of that.” 
People passing by glance at the two of you, some look concern, others just curious. You wonder what it must look like from the outside. Dramatic? Messy? Pathetic?
“I’m not doing that. I won’t let you do the same thing to me again. Because I know it won’t stop. I asked too many times. You never listened.”  
A sudden sadness creeps into your voice as you remember how much you actually wanted him to be the one, and how many things you let slide before - things you shouldn’t have. You really loved him - and in a way, you still do. But a real partner, someone who truly loves you, should give more than just hot and cold behavior. 
“It’s different now, I started working on it and…” you cut him off before he can go further — you already know what comes after that. 
“You think a few months of self-work can undo years of damage? That in four months, you’ve somehow become the man I spent all that time waiting for? I doubt that.” You shrug. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not able to forgive you for what you’ve done. That last time I really hoped… I really hoped you’d stay.” Your voice softens, almost breaking under the weight of that memory. It weighs on you — not just because he left, but because you let yourself believe he wouldn’t. Every time he killed your hope, it hurt more than the one before.
“No, I’m trying., for you I…” he sounds so desperate you feel a mix of embarrassment and sadness for him.
“I don’t want you to do that for me. Do it for yourself. But this” you point your finger at him, and then at yourself “this is over. I’m done.” You sigh. “I'm really sorry.” 
And you are. Sorry that something so full of potential, something that once felt destined, was ruined not by lack of love, but by his inability to nurture it. Sorry for how this story ended — because it had everything it needed to become a beautiful love story with a happy ending. But he was the one who wrote a different, disappointing and sad one.
“Y/N, please…” you see the desperation in his eyes, and you can’t help but feel bad for him. You know the feelings he has are real. But it doesn’t matter. Not anymore. You felt that way a thousand times, just like that last night you spent together. He still left, even seeing how vulnerable you were, how you showed your feelings without any hesitation. You can’t keep putting him first - his needs can’t always come before yours, no matter how much you love him and want it to work.
“No” you hear your voice crack, the weight of letting him go finally sinking in. It was inevitable, but letting go meant releasing so many other emotions that were tied to him, the first person you truly loved. And even though you knew it had to happen, it still hurt more than anything that had ever happened to you.
You thought you were over this. You thought you were ready to leave him and never look back, but as sure as you were of your decision, you realized it wasn’t as easy as you imagined. His vulnerability, the way he confessed his feelings without you asking for it, was unexpected. It’s something he didn’t usually do. As much as it made you want to cry, you remained certain that letting him go was the only way forward. Even if it felt like your heart was breaking into a thousand pieces, you knew it was the right thing to do.
“Is that your final word?” He asks, still a hint of hope in his voice. You can barely stand it. You wish you could disappear, wrap yourself in the comfort of your bed, bury your face in a blanket, and never speak to anyone again. But you know this needed to be done. You owe it to yourself to get that closure, even if it means you‘ll be drowning in sadness for the next few days — or weeks.
“Yes” you say quietly, all your confidence slipping away. The thought of him actually leaving, not begging for another chance, and never coming back terrifies you. You didn’t want to do it — but there’s no turning back now. You made your decision and now you have to face everything that comes with it.
“So look in my eyes and tell me you don’t love me” he says, his voice trembling with desperation. You recognize it for what it is - last one, toxic attempt to hold on. And yet you can’t deny that you’ve done the same before. You’ve stood in his place, begging for words, begging for a sign, while he looked away, unable to meet your eyes. Now, it’s you who looks to the side, avoiding his gaze. You can’t answer that question — not honestly. Not because you don’t feel anything, but because you do. But the feelings can’t erase the damage or make staying any healthier.
“I’m not doing that.” You say quietly. It wouldn’t be fair — to him, to you. And deep down, you know he understands that too. 
“You see? You do love me. Why won’t you just… give me a chance?” His voice trembles, and he looks like he’s on the verge of crying. You’re not sure how much more of this you can take. If he cries, really cries, you’re not sure you’ll be able to keep pretending you’re untouched by this. 
“Because I already did. You had endless chances, Joost. Every time you came back, I gave you another chance. And each time I was disappointed. I love you so much it’s destroying me. But I don’t want that anymore. I don’t want to be destroyed. I want peace. I want stability. I want to be with someone who doesn’t make me question their love every day — who doesn’t pull me close only to push me away the next morning. I’m done. I’m sorry.” You try to stay calm, but all the emotions from the past are boiling inside you. You’re close to crying too, but you focus on your breath, holding the tears back.
“I won’t…” he starts, but you cut him off.
“You will.” You interrupt him gently. “I know you think you won’t now, I think you mean it. But it ’s happened too many times for me to trust that. Even if this time was different — even if you never left again — I’d still wake up every day scared that you might leave, or decide — again — that we shouldn’t be together.  You’ve done it so many times, Joost, I can’t even remember what it felt like to be with you without the fear hanging over me.”
You take his hand — not because you’re second guessing, but because If this is goodbye, you don’t want it to end in anger or be filled with words you’ll regret tomorrow. You owe him at least that — a proper goodbye. Your love story deserves a gentle ending. 
“I love you” you say softly “but this… this will be the best for both of us.” 
You try to smile, but it looks more like a grimace. No one warned you it would be this hard. No one told you that you would have to be the strong one — the one who walks away.
“I’m sorry.” He finally says quietly, and pulls you in for a hug. 
You resist at first, but when you see the tears shinning in his eyes, you let yourself give in. You step closer and let him hold you tightly. It feels just like It always did — safe, familiar. You rest your forehead against his chest, close your eyes and take a deep breath. That same vanilla cologne mixed with cigarette smoke fills your lungs, a scent so distinctly him you’d recognize it anywhere in the world. It’s a scent of a thousand memories, of nights you thought would last forever, of heartbreak and comfort tangled together. His arms still give you that sense of belonging, but this time you know — it’s the last. Your heart doesn’t scream take him back. This is closure — not reconciliation. Even as the warmth of him fills you, even as his hand gently presses to your soaked back, you don’t feel the urge to stay. There’s no spark of hope, no craving for one more chance. Just a quiet certainty that it’s over.
“I’m sorry.” He whispers, his voice trembling “For all the times that I hurt you, all the times that I disappointed you, all the times you cried because of me… it was never my intention, I’m just fucked up like that, you know?” 
He doesn’t meet your eyes, and you don’t force him to. You still press your head to his chest, taking in the familiar scent of him, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat — it somehow grounds you, offering a moment of calm in the chaos. His words sting, but you know you need to hear them. He needs to say them. 
“I know it’s too late, and I can’t do anything to fix it, but believe me — I would. I’d do anything to go back in time and fix it” his voice cracks, and your eyes start to fill with tears again. You blink fast, trying to stop them from falling. “I was scared” he admits, and this time, he almost chokes on it. “Terrified, actually. Of how deep my feelings for you were. I was scared of how close we got. I was scared of how much you loved me. Every time you looked at me like I was your whole world, or told me you wanted to be with me forever… I just froze. I didn’t feel worthy of that love. I didn’t know what to do with it.” He pauses.
“I’m so sorry, I fucked that up.” You feel the pain in his words — real, raw — but you also know: no matter how much you understand him, this time, you have to choose yourself.
You waited a long time for this apology — but now that it finally came, it didn’t bring any relief. In fact, you didn’t feel much at all. You were at peace with your decision, and taking him back wouldn’t make things right. As much as you still wished the best for him, you knew you couldn’t lose yourself in that relationship again.
“Well… it’s done now.” You say, your voice barely above whisper. You want to hold him and tell him that everything will be alright — but it won’t be, and you both know it. “I’m sorry too. Maybe I pushed you too hard. I just… I really wanted us to work.” 
You close your eyes, and lean into his tall body, letting yourself sink into the comfort of his arms one last time.
“We still can…” he whispers. You feel his arms tighten around you, just slightly, as if he’s trying to hold on to the possibility of keeping you. 
“No.” 
You pull away, just enough to look at him. His light blue eyes shimmer with tears, his soaked hair clinging to his forehead — somehow you hadn’t even noticed the rain has stopped. He’s still holding your hand tightly, not ready to let go, even though he knows he must. You’re not going to look back, and he can’t make you stay. 
Why was it so hard? You know what you have to do, but each glance at him, every memory that flashes through your mind, cuts open a new wound in your heart.
You move in slightly, just enough to softly press your lips to his. It’s a gently kiss, barely there. For a moment, you feel the pull — the temptation to deepen it, to lose yourself in him again with a long, passionate kiss. But you stop yourself. You know exactly where that would lead, and you can’t afford to go there. Clara was right — what you need now is willpower.
“Goodbye, Joost” you whisper, gently pulling your hand from his as you turn and walk toward the entrance of your building. Every step feels like you’re cutting your heart open, like you’re the one holding the knife and twisting it deeper. This wound won’t heal quickly. 
The way up to your apartment is a blur — your emotions are boiling over, leaving you numb to everything around you. You finally reach your door, grip the handle, step inside, and shut it behind you. The moment it closes, the tears come. You weren’t ready for this wave of emotion, for seeing him again. You’ve made so much progress, but nothing could’ve prepared you for facing the person you once called the love of your life. It was a final goodbye — one you never truly believed would come. And now, your tears carry all that weight. You don’t expect them to stop anytime soon. 
As much as you loved him, as much as you wanted to do what he asked — try again, be together, happy and in love — you knew it will not happen. You didn’t believe he could keep his promise. 
Maybe someday, somewhere down the line, your paths will cross again, and you’ll find each other changed but still in love. Maybe… just maybe… this isn’t the final chapter. 
This wasn’t the right mindset to have. The next step toward being okay was letting yourself believe that love still existed — just not with him. And if the two of you were truly meant to be, life would find a way to bring him back.
You hated to admit it, but no matter how hard you tried to push it aside, a small part of you still secretly hoped it might happen.
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