#tried to look it up and the only thing i could find said it was a bug with the eevee rendering engine

[tywrites]

secrets that you keep (talking in your sleep) | mateo manta

pairing: mateo manta x gn!reader

word count: 1,267

warnings: implied smut, wet dreams, dry humping

a/n: i need this blanket viscerally. hope you fellow blanket fuckers enjoy <3

part 2

It wasn’t a rare scenario to find you in. Curled up on the couch, wrapped up in your fuzzy, yellow blanket ­- the TV on a low volume in the background, playing some overdramatic reality show. The only difference, however, was that you were sleeping.

You didn’t often fall asleep on the sofa, especially after receiving the dateviators. Knowing that every object in your house was sentient honestly made you feel quite self-conscious a lot of the time. You didn’t even want to think about going to the bathroom. Sleeping on Betty was still a bit new to you but she was so chill about it that it didn’t bother you as much. But you didn’t know Koa super well yet. Sleeping on him felt a bit… awkward.

But here you were, soft snores leaving your mouth as you laid in your slumber. The most awkward part of it was that you’d left your dateviators on. They were slightly slid down your nose, but still working. Since you’d been hanging out with Mateo, you’d had them on to be able to converse with him. But now, your head was slumped on his shoulder, the soft material of his duvet jacket acting as a perfect pillow.

Mateo didn’t mind in the slightest. He actually thought it was adorable, gazing on your sweet, sleeping form with a small smile. He gently brushed the hair away from your face, his hand stilling as you shifted. He definitely didn’t want to wake you up. After a moment, you stopped moving, now cuddled into Mateo’s chest as your own rose and fell in even, relaxed breaths. He chuckled at how clingy you seemed to be in your sleep.

“Wow, mi vida,” he said softly. “Guess the inanimals really took it out of you today,”

You’d both had a pretty busy day. All of the inanimals had needed grooming, Sinclaire had dropped off a pretty hyper Sudsy, and Davi had even done his usual disappearing act again. All in all, quite a chaotic time for you both. Mateo of course was kinda used to it. But you? Not so much.

Mateo very cautiously shifted your positions, taking great care not to disturb your rest as he moved you both to a reclining position on the sofa. He propped himself up against the arm, allowing you to lie fully down on top of him, your face snuggled against his chest. Pure comfort. He sighed in content, allowing himself to enjoy this small moment of peace with you. His eyes closed and for a second, he wondered if he could afford to take a quick nap himself.

His eyes shot open as a curious noise broke through the silence.

He looked down at you, a bit confused. He swore he’d heard you speak.

He waited.

Nothing.

With a small frown, he closed his eyes.

There it was again! It was definitely coming from you. Only, it didn’t sound like words. He observed your sleeping form, silently waiting for it to happen again.

“Mmm…”

Oh.

Oh.

A flush settled on his cheeks, turning his face a rosy red. Maybe he was wrong. You couldn’t be… moaning. Right? You’d fallen silent once again, your face burying itself even deeper into his plush chest. Once in the desired position, you let out a satisfied sigh. He tried his hardest to calm his racing heartbeat. Chill, Mateo. He told himself. You’re clearly imagining things. They wouldn’t be-

“Ohh.. fuck,”

He bit his lip as you let out another moan, louder this time and slightly muffled into his chest. Yeah, he definitely wasn’t imagining this. He suddenly felt kind of creepy, as if he was completely invading your privacy. He would never, ever, under any circumstances, want to make you uncomfortable. And if you knew what he was hearing right now… Mateo felt conflicted.

The noises were becoming more frequent and you seemed to be having a very… pleasing dream. He didn’t want to wake you up… You’d been working so hard today and you really deserved the rest! But you also deserved privacy. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the pure awkwardness that would fill the room after he woke you up.

He didn’t get that chance.

“Mm… fuck yes… Mateo please,”

He froze. Did you… did you just say his name? Blood pounded in his ears, his cheeks heating up adorably. You whined in your sleep, biting your lip subconsciously as you began to grind your hips against him, searching for any kind of stimulation you could find. All the while, you whimpered out the most erotic noises Mateo had ever heard. He couldn’t believe you were still asleep.

Mateo could barely think straight, the noises you were making going straight to his head. And… straight to somewhere else. His body ran hot when he realised just how tight his usually comfy sweatpants had gotten. His cheeks burned with embarrassment.

“Mi amor, you’re gonna be the death of me...”

He had no idea what to do. Hearing you whine his name like that… It was insanely difficult for him to hold back from waking you up to hear exactly what your dream was about. He tried to take deep, calming breaths, raking a hand through his messy locks. But then, a thought struck him. The others; his fellow objects. They could probably hear you right now. I mean, you guys were literally laying on Koa. The idea of that, of them knowing how badly you wanted him… god, it drove him crazy.

You were still going at it, practically humping his thigh at this point. He honestly couldn’t stand it any longer. If you didn’t wake up soon, he’d be giving you one hell of a wake up call.

“Mateo, I need you… please,”

Ay dios mío, the way you were begging so sweetly for him – it drove him crazy. He felt like he was ready to burst. You two had never actually… done anything before. Your relationship was sweet, romantic and caring. Not that he’d never wanted to! It was kind of an awkward thing to bring up and you both were always so busy. But knowing that you’d been dreaming about it… god, he needed you too. Badly.

He gently placed a hand on your cheek, his thumb slowly stroking it, attempting to coax you from your deep slumber. He knew you slept better when you were with him, but he’d never seen you so deep in your sleep. It didn’t take too long to wake you, your eyes slowly fluttering open, blinking in the light of the TV.

“Fuck, did I fall asleep?” you asked hoarsely, rubbing at your eyes.

He chuckled nervously. “Yeah, you did. That tired, huh?”

You smiled up at him. “Must’ve been…” You yawned, stretching your arms. “God, I had the best dream,”

His eyes widened, looking at you curiously. Did… did you know you were talking in your sleep?

“Oh yeah?”

You nodded. “Yeah, it was…” You trailed off, a subtle blush rising to your cheeks. “...good, really uh, good,”

He couldn’t hold back the knowing chuckle. “Uh huh, I could tell…”

You looked at him, confusion evident in your eyes. It was only when he purposely rolled his hips up against your own that you realised what he’d meant. The hardness pressed against you left very little to the imagination. Your mouth dropped open and your body burned all over.

“H-how… how did you…”

He smirked, cupping your chin with a soft but firm hand.

“Anyone ever tell you that you talk in your sleep?”

[rhaenicette]

i love all of ur fics, coming from a black girl (haitian) myself it’s a bit hard to find black reader fics. so glad i found ur account i love ur work:))

could i possibly request gojo coming back from his mission n black reader wants to help him relieve stress

thick!black!reader helping gojo relieve some stress after his mission by some sloppy head. ><

gojo came home quiet this time.

not playful. not cocky.

just jaw clenched, body beat up, sweat clinging to his skin under his torn uniform. he left his shirt on the floor, blindfold hanging off his neck, and sat on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees, breathing hard.

and you knew.

you knew when you saw him that he needed you.

“c’mere,” you whispered, stepping between his legs.

your fingers ran through his messy white hair, soft. slow. “let me take care of you, baby. please?”

he looked up—eyes bloodshot, lips parted. that pretty mouth had no words. just breath.

“…you gon’ be good t’me?” he asked, voice soft like a broken thing.

you nodded, already sinking to your knees. “always, ‘toru. jus’ sit back and let me do it, ‘kay?”

you pulled his pants down slow. it was almost antagonizing.

gojo’s big ‘n girthy dick flopped out like a threat. full. curved. already heavy in your palm before it was even fully hard.

you couldn’t bottom it out if you tried, and you had—multiple times. it always ended the same; almost choking, crying, creaming, and him damn near apologizing while he ruined you.

“fffuck, sooo big—” you murmured, stroking it gentle, drool already pooling in your mouth.

gojo twitched.

“yeaah?” he breathed. “too much for that pretty lil mouth, mama?”

you nodded, your sultry eyes on him while kissing the tip. “too much… but i want it. need it. been missin’ this dick.”

he whimpered at your low and seductive voice.

and when you finally took him in—just the tip—gojo cracked.

“mmh—shit,” he whined, thighs tensing. “b-baby—fffuck, you’re so—nghh, ma, you don’t know what that do t’me…”

“yes i do,” you whispered, pulling off with a wet pop.

“know exactly what you need. you needed me the second you stepped in that door.”

you spit on it. let your hand slide slick over that fat length while you suckled his reddening mushroom head, tongue swirling slow. then deepened.

and when he hit the back of your throat?

he moaned pathetically. loud. high. desperate.

you looked up and he was red in the face, head tilted back, hands in his hair like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

“ma—mama you gon’ m-make me nut—f-fuck—already? already?—”

“shhh,” you mumbled around his dick, not even letting up. you stroked the rest of him fast while your throat worked the first half, gurgling, nose buried in the base of his shaft.

“d-don’t stop,” he begged. “please, baby. p-please don’t stop, i need this—hah!—need you…”

“i gotchu, ‘toru,” you said sweet. “let it out.”

that’s when he lost it.

gojo came hard, damn near sobbing, legs trembling while you swallowed it all. his brows were furrowed and his mouth agape. you rubbed his thigh while he cried your name, body locking up, his whole soul melting into the bed.

and he didn’t let you go.

even when you pulled off, he held your face to his trembling thigh.

“you always do me so right,” he mumbled, eyes wet. “fuck, ma—i love you.”

“love you too, ‘toru,” you said softly. kissed his thighs, his pelvis, his stomach. “y’need a bath?”

he nodded. “only if you come in with me.”

you giggled. “always.”

thank you sweets!! m’so glad u love my ficsssssssssss! don’t be afraid to request more mama i gotchu!

[nogutsnogloria]

summary: robby hasn’t had a proper conversation with you since you started on his shift. a small encounter makes him want to change that.

michael robinavich x reader

warning: medical inaccuracies, reader is shy, smoking and drinking mentioned

a/n: medical case may or may not be based on a true story of my life.

robby didn’t know much about the new nurse, all he knew was anything he learned from dana and even then the information was “sweet girl, good nurse, keeps to herself otherwise.” boy did you ever keep to yourself. robby thinks he’s maybe heard you say ten words to him total since he met you months ago, nine of them clinical.

you had just finished up a triggering case for you and dana knew it so she stops you right before you’re about to hop into something else and tells you to go get some air. you nod and head out through the ambulance bay. not expecting anyone else but when you turn the corner you see robby there lighting up a cigarette.

“do you want a cigarette?” he asks looking at you. “oh, um no thank you. i don’t smoke.” he huffs out a bit of a chuckle at that. “good. never start.” you smile at him “you got it boss.”

he looks you over and he can see that you’re a bit shaken by something. “you okay?” you look at him like a deer being caught in the headlights. “yeah, yeah um that cva we just had hit kind of close to home.” you end it there because you don’t want your first real conversation with your hot senior attending to be a trauma dump of sorts. you exhale out a breath “well i have patients i need to check on. better get back in there.” you turn on your heel and walk back in.

robby finishes his cigarette and heads in immediately going to find dana. she can sense something is up just by the look on his face. “what’s up cap, you look like you need to ask me something.” he’s watching you. “she told me the cva hit close to home, but shes as collected as can be running his follow-up vitals right now” he says to dana pointing his chin in her direction. “yeah robby she’s a real nurse, she can keep it professional. i don’t think i could pull her off that case if i tried. especially with that guys daughters right there worried about him.” he looks at dana with a quizzical look. “look robby i already said too much, i am sure she’d tell you if you asked her.” she leaves him at the desk with that.

robby is trying to look casual after shift waiting outside the woman’s locker room. your busy finding your headphones in your bag you don’t see him sneaking up on you. “i know you said you don’t smoke, but i was wondering if i could buy you a beer.” you clearly weren’t expecting him and jump at his words. hand over your heart you turn to him. “jesus dr. robby! you can’t sneak up on a girl like that. i spook easily.” you smile at him to let him know that you weren’t really afraid of him, just startled. you think about his offer. “i could go for a beer.” and you follow him out of the hospital to the pub down the street.

the two of you find a place to sit and the waitress comes to take your order. robby can’t help to notice how polite you are to the waitress, even outside of work you are making sure people feel comfortable in your presence. “you know i think you and i have doubled our word count to each other today.” he says with an amused smile on his face. “yeah, well my motto has been speak when spoken to, the last hospital i worked in we were basically only allowed to talk to the doctors if it was involving a patients care. it’s a hard thing to unlearn.” robby nods and makes a note to figure out where you came from before working at the pitt.

the waitress comes back with your drinks and placed them on the table. you take a sip out of yours and put it down on the table in front of you, pulling at the label of the bottle. robby can’t not ask it’s really the whole reason he’s sitting in the bar with you, at least that’s what he’s telling himself. “so you said that cva today hit close to home. i just wanted to make sure you were okay after that. i didn’t really have a chance to check in on you, that’s a part of my job.” you continue to peal at the label on your beer. chancing a look up at his face you decide to tell him the truth.

“my dad had a stroke about three weeks ago. my mom was out of town visiting her sisters so i went over and we had dinner. i was just about to leave and when he was saying goodbye to me he wasn’t making sense, mumbling and slurring his words. i didn’t even run an assessment like i maybe should have i just called 9-1-1. and when i told him an ambulance was coming he yelled at me. the words came out clear as day and i thought i maybe made a mistake.” you smile at robby and he just blinks at you. “having seen this situation so many times before i couldn’t believe how i just froze, not that there was much i could do from home but…” you trail off. robby rests a hand on top of your arm of the hand that has now basically peeled the whole label off your bottle. “hey there’s a reason we aren’t supposed to be a part of a loved ones care when they’re in the hospital. worrying is a completely normal response you saw something wasn’t right and called an ambulance, i would say that he had pretty good care right off the bat.” you nod at that. “is your dad alright now? any thing long term?”

you shake your head with a smile. “we got really lucky. his doctor suspects that the time between first symptoms and clot buster administered was about forty-five minutes, he had full speech back by 11:30 that night and was discharged two days later. now he’s just grumpy because he can’t drive for a couple more weeks. my poor mom needs a vacation when he gets the okay to be behind a wheel again.” robby nods at that with a smile. “and you? anything long term with you?” you take another drink from your bottle. “i think im doing fine and then a case like today comes in. that guy was definitely in worse shape than my dad was, but then my mind starts racing and asking questions like what if i didn’t go there for dinner, what if i picked up a shift that night. sorry i shouldn’t dump this all on you. i have a therapist for that.” you look up apologetic with a forced exhale. “don’t worry about it please, im enjoying learning about what makes you, you” you meet his eyes with a small smile. “i am enjoying this too.” you meet his eyes.

“this hospital isn’t like your old one. the doctors here appreciate the nurses input, we welcome it. or if you just want to ask how our weekend was is good too. we like to make sure everyone feels apart of the team, no weird power dynamics if i can help it. i for one would enjoy hearing your voice a lot more.” you blush at that. “i will try. but like i said im usually a speak when spoken to type of girl.” robby leans in resting his head on his palm. “then i guess you’re going to be sick of me asking how you are”

[the-oblivious-writer]

It's Only Love

Shauna Shipman x Female Reader

One-shot

summary: what starts as a routine calculus tutoring session in a quiet library becomes something deeper when shauna's academic frustrations give way to vulnerable conversations about trust, fear, and what it means to be worth staying for.

warnings: college/modern/no crash au, established relationship, fratboy shauna x tutor reader, academic stress/anxiety, brief reference to past breakup and self-harm (punching a wall), the label "girlfriend" being thrown around, mild intimacy, and themes of self-doubt and abandonment fears.

note(s): this one-shot is long overdue but better late than never ig. this was originally gonna be an angst/no happy ending but i figured i'd give you a break.

The library's third floor was practically deserted at seven PM on a Thursday, which made it perfect for your weekly tutoring sessions with Shauna. She'd claimed the corner table by the windows weeks ago, spreading her textbooks and notebooks across the surface like she was marking territory. You'd learned to arrive a few minutes early just to watch her ritual - the way she'd arrange her pens in a perfect line, check her phone twice, then immediately look annoyed at herself for the nervous habit.

Tonight was no different. You spotted her from across the room, dark hair falling like a curtain as she hunched over her calculus homework. Even from a distance, you could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her free hand kept fidgeting with the sleeve of her oversized sweatshirt - one she'd definitely stolen from some frat guy's closet, though she'd never admit it.

"Starting without me?" you asked, sliding into the chair beside her.

She glanced up, and you caught that micro-expression she always wore when she first saw you - relief mixed with something softer that she tried to hide behind a smirk. "Figured I should at least pretend to attempt these problems before you see how hopeless I am."

"You're not hopeless." You pulled your own notebook from your bag, deliberately brushing her arm as you reached across the table. "You just think in different ways than the textbook expects."

"Right." She rolled her eyes, but shifted slightly closer to you, her knee bumping against yours under the table. "That's a very diplomatic way of saying I'm bad at math."

The thing about Shauna was that she wore her intelligence like armor - quick wit and cutting observations designed to deflect before anyone could find the soft spots underneath. But you'd been doing this long enough to recognize the pattern. The jokes always came right before she had to admit she didn't understand something.

"Show me what you've got so far," you said, leaning in to look at her work.

Her handwriting was surprisingly neat for someone who claimed to hate the subject, though you could see where she'd erased and rewritten the same equation multiple times. The frustration was evident in the slightly harder pressure of her pencil, the way certain numbers were traced over until they were bold against the page.

"This is where I got stuck." She pointed to a derivative problem, her finger hovering just above the paper. "I know I'm supposed to use the chain rule, but every time I try to work through it, I end up with something completely different than what's in the back of the book."

You studied the problem, acutely aware of how close she was sitting. Close enough that you could smell her shampoo - something floral that didn't quite match her deliberately careless image. Close enough to notice the small scar on her knuckle that she'd gotten from punching a wall freshman year after a particularly brutal breakup.

"Okay, so you've got the right idea with the chain rule," you said, reaching for your own pencil. "But you're overcomplicating this step here. Can I?"

She nodded, and you started writing out the solution step by step, talking through each part of the process. This was the part of tutoring you actually enjoyed - not just the math itself, but the way Shauna's face changed when something clicked. How her eyebrows would relax and her mouth would form a small 'oh' of understanding.

"Wait, so you're telling me I just had to multiply by the derivative of the inside function?" She grabbed the pencil from your hand, her fingers brushing yours in the exchange. "That's it?"

"That's it."

"I've been staring at this for an hour." She shook her head, but she was smiling now - a real smile, not the carefully constructed ones she used in social situations. "God, I'm an idiot."

"You're not an idiot." You bumped her shoulder with yours. "You're just stubborn. There's a difference."

"Oh, is that your professional tutoring opinion?"

"That's my girlfriend opinion."

The word still felt new enough that saying it out loud gave you a small thrill. You'd been officially together for about six weeks now, though the flirting and tension had been building for months before that. It had started innocently enough - Shauna needed help with calculus, you needed the tutoring money, and the math department had paired you up. But somewhere between explaining derivatives and watching her celebration dance after acing her first exam, innocent had stopped being the right word for whatever was happening between you.

"Your girlfriend opinion, huh?" She set down her pencil and turned to face you fully, one leg tucking up under her in the chair. "And what does my girlfriend think about the fact that I've been procrastinating on the rest of this problem set all week?"

"I think," you said, matching her position so you were facing each other, "that you've been avoiding it because you're scared you won't understand it."

Her smile faltered slightly. "I'm not scared of math."

"No, but you're scared of not being good at something." You reached out to play with the drawstring of her hoodie, a gesture that had become automatic over the past few weeks. "Which is different."

Shauna was quiet for a moment, her dark eyes studying your face like she was trying to decide how much truth she wanted to acknowledge. This was familiar territory too - the way she would retreat just slightly when conversations got too close to real feelings.

"Maybe," she said finally. "But can we focus on derivatives before we psychoanalyze my academic anxiety?"

"Fair enough." You grinned and turned back to the textbook. "But I'm billing you extra for the therapy session."

"Add it to my tab."

The next hour passed easily, falling into the rhythm you'd established over months of these sessions. Shauna worked through problems while you provided guidance and encouragement, occasionally stealing her pen to demonstrate a concept or sketch out a graph. The library around you grew quieter as other students filtered out, leaving you in a bubble of soft lamplight and whispered explanations.

You'd always been good at math, but teaching it to Shauna had made you better. She asked questions that forced you to think about concepts from different angles, to find new ways to explain things that seemed obvious to you. And watching her face light up when she solved a particularly challenging problem was better than any grade you'd ever received.

"Okay, last one," she said, pointing to the final problem on the page. "And then I'm buying you dinner as payment for not letting me drop this class."

"You were never going to drop the class."

"I thought about it. Extensively." She started working through the problem, her tongue poking out slightly in concentration. "Remember that night I called you at midnight crying about my upcoming exam?"

"You weren't crying."

"I was very close to crying."

"You were frustrated. There's a difference."

She paused in her calculations to look at you. "Do you always have to be so rational about everything?"

"Someone has to be, when you're being dramatic."

"I am not dramatic." But she was fighting a smile as she said it.

"Shauna, you once told me that calculus was a personal attack on your soul."

"And I stand by that statement."

You laughed, and the sound echoed softly in the empty corner of the library. This was what you'd grown to love most about your relationship with Shauna - the way she could make you laugh even when she was complaining, the way her dramatics were always laced with self-awareness.

"There," she said, setting down her pencil with a flourish. "Done. And I'm pretty sure I actually understood that one."

You leaned over to check her work, nodding approvingly. "Perfect. See? You're not hopeless."

"Don't get carried away." But she was smiling as she started packing up her books. "I still have to survive the midterm next week."

"You'll be fine. We'll do a review session this weekend."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The library was almost empty now, just a few dedicated students scattered across the main floor below. You helped Shauna gather her things, a process that always took longer than it should because she had a habit of spreading her belongings across every available surface.

"God, I'm starving," she said, shouldering her backpack. "Please tell me you don't have plans tonight."

"Just dinner with my girlfriend, apparently."

"Good answer."

You walked out of the library together, Shauna's hand finding yours as soon as you were through the doors. The October air was crisp, carrying the smell of fallen leaves and the promise of winter. Campus was quieter than usual for a Thursday night, most of the party crowd having migrated to the bars downtown.

"So where are we going?" you asked as you headed toward the dining hall.

"Wherever's still open. I'm not picky when I'm this hungry."

"Since when are you not picky about food?"

"Since I spent three hours staring at math problems and forgot to eat lunch."

You stopped walking, tugging on her hand to make her turn around. "Shauna. You forgot to eat lunch?"

"Don't give me that look."

"What look?"

"That concerned girlfriend look. I'm fine."

But you were already digging through your backpack, pulling out a granola bar you'd thrown in that morning. "Here. Eat this before you pass out."

"I'm not going to pass out."

"Eat it anyway."

She took the granola bar with an exaggerated sigh, but you caught the way her expression softened. This was still new territory for both of you - the casual care, the way you'd started looking out for each other without really discussing it.

"Thank you," she said, quieter now.

"You're welcome."

The dining hall was mostly empty, just a few other late diners scattered around the cavernous space. You found a table by the windows, and Shauna immediately claimed the seat facing the door - a habit you'd noticed but never commented on. She always needed to see who was coming and going, always needed an escape route planned even in the most innocuous situations.

"So," she said, digging into her pasta with the intensity of someone who had actually forgotten to eat lunch, "tell me about your day. And don't say it was fine."

"It was fine."

"I'm serious. I spent the whole afternoon complaining about math. Your turn to talk."

This was another thing you were still getting used to - the way Shauna actually listened when you talked, the way she remembered small details from conversations you'd had weeks ago. It was such a contrast to the image she projected in public, where she was all sharp edges and carefully constructed indifference.

"I had that meeting with my advisor this morning," you said. "About graduate school applications."

"Right. How did that go?"

"Good, I think. She thinks I have a strong chance at getting into the programs I'm applying to."

"Of course you do." Shauna looked up from her food, fork paused halfway to her mouth. "You're brilliant."

"I'm not brilliant."

"You are. And stop arguing with me when I compliment you."

"I'm not arguing, I'm just—"

"Being modest. Which is sweet, but also annoying." She reached across the table to steal a piece of bread from your plate. "I'm dating a genius and I want everyone to know it."

"You're not dating a genius."

"Fine. I'm dating someone who's really good at math and explains things in ways that don't make me want to throw textbooks across the room. Better?"

"Better."

You ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the kind of quiet that had taken months to achieve. Early in your relationship, you had felt the need to fill every pause with conversation, as if silence meant something was wrong. But gradually, you'd both learned to appreciate these moments of peace.

"Can I ask you something?" she said eventually.

"Of course."

"Do you ever think about what happens after graduation?"

The question caught you off guard, partly because it was serious in a way that Shauna usually avoided, and partly because you'd been thinking about it more and more recently yourself.

"Sometimes," you said carefully. "Why?"

She shrugged, suddenly very interested in winding pasta around her fork. "I don't know. I guess I just wonder if we'll still... if this will still work when we're not seeing each other for tutoring sessions twice a week."

"Shauna." You waited until she looked up at you. "We're not together because of tutoring sessions."

"I know that. I just meant..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."

"No, talk to me. What did you mean?"

She was quiet for a long moment, and you could practically see her internal debate playing out across her face. Shauna had always been better at deflecting serious conversations than having them, but you'd learned to wait her out.

"I guess I'm just scared that when we don't have this built-in reason to spend time together, you'll realize that I'm not actually that interesting," she said finally.

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?"

"Yes." You reached across the table to take her hand. "Shauna, I didn't start dating you because you needed help with calculus."

"Then why did you start dating me?"

The honest answer was complicated - because she made you laugh, because she was smarter than she gave herself credit for, because underneath all her carefully constructed defenses was someone genuinely kind. Because she asked thoughtful questions and remembered your coffee order and had strong opinions about movies you'd never heard of.

"Because you're you," you said instead. "All of you. Not just the parts you think are worth liking."

She looked down at your joined hands, her thumb tracing across your knuckles. "That's very romantic, but it doesn't really answer my question."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. Something that will make me stop worrying that you're going to get tired of me."

The vulnerability in her voice made your chest ache. This was the thing about Shauna that most people never got to see - how deeply she worried about being left behind, how much energy she spent trying to be interesting enough, entertaining enough, worth keeping around.

"I'm not going to get tired of you," you said. "And graduation is still eight months away. Can we worry about it then?"

"You want to put off discussing our future until the last minute?"

"I want to focus on right now. On this." You squeezed her hand. "On the fact that my girlfriend just survived another calculus assignment and we're having dinner together and tomorrow we get to do it all over again."

She smiled at that, the kind of smile that started small and gradually took over her entire face. "When did you become such an optimist?"

"When I started dating someone who expects the worst-case scenario in every situation."

"I do not expect the worst-case scenario."

"Shauna, you once told me you were surprised I showed up to our second tutoring session because you figured I'd realize you were hopeless and quit."

"That was a reasonable assumption."

"It really wasn't."

The dining hall was starting to close around you, workers beginning to clear tables and sweep floors. You finished your meals and gathered your things, the conversation settling back into easier territory as you argued about which movie to watch when you got back to Shauna's dorm.

The walk across campus was peaceful, your joined hands swinging between you as you debated the merits of romantic comedies versus horror movies. It was an old argument, one you'd been having since your third or fourth tutoring session, but you both enjoyed it too much to actually resolve it.

"I still don't understand how you can watch people getting brutally murdered and call it relaxing," you said as you climbed the stairs to her floor.

"And I don't understand how you can watch the same formulaic love story over and over again and not get bored."

"They're not formulaic. They're... structured."

"That's the same thing."

"It's really not."

Shauna's room was exactly what you'd expected when you first saw it months ago - perfectly organized on her side, with books arranged by subject and clothes hung. Her roommate's side looked like a tornado had hit it, but Shauna had long since given up trying to impose order on that chaos.

"Horror movie," she said, flopping down on her bed and patting the space beside her. "My room, my rules."

"That's not fair."

"Life's not fair. Deal with it."

But she was already pulling up Netflix on her laptop, and you knew from experience that she'd end up letting you pick something halfway through when she got bored of whatever slasher film she'd chosen.

You settled beside her, automatically rearranging yourselves until she was tucked against your side with her head on your shoulder. This had become your default position for movie nights - close enough that you could feel her reactions to whatever you were watching, her grip on your arm tightening during scary parts or her quiet laughter when something genuinely amused her.

"Thank you," she said quietly, about twenty minutes into a movie about teenagers being stalked by a masked killer.

"For what?"

"For tonight. For not letting me give up on that homework. For dinner. For..." She gestured vaguely. "All of it."

"You don't have to thank me for spending time with you."

"I know. But I want to."

You pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the familiar smell of her shampoo. "You're welcome."

The movie played on, but you found yourself paying more attention to Shauna than to the screen. The way she curled closer to you during tense scenes, the soft commentary she provided when characters made obviously stupid decisions, the warmth of her body against yours.

This was what you'd tried to explain to her at dinner - it wasn't about tutoring sessions or built-in excuses to spend time together. It was about all these small moments, the quiet intimacy of just existing in the same space. The way she trusted you enough to fall asleep against your shoulder, the way you'd learned to read her moods in the set of her shoulders or the tone of her voice.

"Hey," she said softly, tilting her head to look up at you. "You're not watching."

"I'm watching you."

"That's very sweet, but also creepy."

"Sorry."

"I didn't say I minded."

The movie forgotten, you shifted to face her properly, taking in the soft light from her desk lamp casting shadows across her face. She looked younger like this, without the armor of careful indifference she wore in public.

"Can I ask you something now?" you said.

"Shoot."

"What made you decide to trust me? Really trust me, not just with math help."

She was quiet for a moment, her fingers playing with the hem of your shirt. "You want the honest answer?"

"Always."

"That night I called you. When I was frustrated and tired and probably a little drunk." She paused, meeting your eyes. "You could have just talked me through the problems and hung up. But you stayed on the phone with me for two hours, and we ended up talking about everything except calculus."

You remembered that night - Shauna calling at midnight, her voice thick with frustration and something else you hadn't been able to identify at the time. You'd talked about her family, her fears about graduation, the way she felt like she was constantly pretending to be someone she wasn't.

"You listened," she continued. "Really listened, not just waiting for your turn to talk. And you didn't try to fix everything or give me advice I didn't ask for. You just... let me be upset."

"Of course I did."

"Not everyone would have."

"Then you've been spending time with the wrong people."

She smiled at that, the kind of smile that was just for you - soft and unguarded and completely genuine. "Good thing I found the right person."

"Good thing."

The space between you had gotten smaller without you noticing, close enough that you could count her eyelashes.

"We should probably finish the movie," she said, but she made no move to turn back to the screen.

"Probably."

"I mean, I did make you sit through my choice. It's only fair."

"Very fair."

"And it's getting to the good part. The part where they reveal who the killer is."

"Can't miss that."

But instead of turning back to the laptop, she shifted closer, her hand coming up to rest against your cheek. "Or," she said, "we could find something else to do."

"I like that option better."

She kissed you then, soft and sweet and tasting like the chocolate you'd shared for dessert. This was still new enough that it made your heart race, the way she sighed against your mouth when you pulled her closer.

"Much better than the movie," she murmured against your lips.

"Definitely."

You lost track of time after that, trading lazy kisses and quiet conversation until Shauna's roommate texted that she'd be back late. The movie played forgotten in the background, the sound of fake screaming and dramatic music a strange soundtrack to the gentle intimacy of learning each other all over again.

"I should probably head back soon," you said eventually, though you made no move to leave the warm circle of her arms.

"You should."

"Early class tomorrow."

"Right."

"And you have that economics exam to study for."

"I do."

Neither of you moved. Shauna's head was tucked against your neck, her breathing soft and even, and you were perfectly content to stay exactly where you were.

"Five more minutes?" she said.

"Five more minutes."

But five turned into ten, and ten turned into twenty, and eventually you gave up pretending you were going anywhere. This was what your relationship had become - small compromises and gentle negotiations, the kind of easy intimacy that came from actually liking each other as much as you loved each other.

"Next week," Shauna said sleepily, "when we do the review session for my midterm?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we do it here instead of the library?"

"Any particular reason?"

"Better study environment. Fewer distractions."

You laughed, pressing a kiss to her temple. "If you say so."

"I do say so."

"Then here it is."

She smiled against your neck, her arm tightening around your waist. "Good. Now stop talking and let me enjoy my five more minutes."

"It's been more than five minutes."

"Then let me enjoy my twenty more minutes."

"Deal."

Outside, the campus was settling into its late-night quiet, the sounds of distant parties and late-night conversations filtering through the window. But inside Shauna's room, wrapped up in each other and the soft glow of her desk lamp, the rest of the world felt very far away.

This was what you'd tried to tell her at dinner - it wasn't about tutoring sessions or academic schedules or any of the structured reasons you'd first started spending time together. It was about this, about the way she fit perfectly against your side, about the trust implicit in the way she let herself be vulnerable with you.

"Thank you," she said again, so quietly you almost missed it.

"For what this time?"

"For making me feel like I'm worth staying for."

Your chest tightened at the simple honesty in her voice, at the way she could devastate you with just a few words.

"You are," you said. "You absolutely are."

And lying there in the lamplight, her breathing soft and even against your neck, you meant it completely. Whatever came after graduation, whatever challenges the future held, you were exactly where you wanted to be.

Five more minutes turned into the whole night, and neither of you minded at all.

[bitofanupsidedowner]

i was thinking about el in season four and how the monologue shows mike doesn't understand her as a person, and what he could've said to make it more romantic or just more effective in general 'cause i was kind of like, "wow, it's amazing how effortlessly mike said all the wrong things. it would have been so easy to just tell her he loves her and leave out the things that would hurt her!" but i don't even think that's true tbh??

like, he did royally fuck up in what he chose to say in that moment, but the whole thing was doomed already. idk why i was giving it the benefit of the doubt. their storylines this season were specifically crafted to make sure neither of them could give each other what they need (but that they could both find what they need!!) so that the scene in surfer boy pizza would be the precursor to the final nail in the coffin (season five breakup)

every single interaction they have in season four assures that the monologue won't work. every single interaction between mike and will assures it too, because every time mike tries to communicate with el in the same way he communicates with will, there's a problem, and will doesn't understand that mike makes el feel unloved.

it's all set up so there's no version that would've worked. not by that point in the story, anyway. the second mike said "you're a superhero" in the bedroom...the second she needed to ask him to say it... mike was right, that's a fight you can't come back from.

telling her at that exact moment where she once again had to save the world would just never have been enough because it wasn't a moment where she was just being el and being loved for it. it was a moment specifically about her superpowers. her personhood was relegated at the pinnacle of her "romantic arc."

mike fucked up bigtime with his word choice but i mean... it's very, very hard to sell i love you regardless of your superpowers when you're only saying it to activate those powers. and she knows that. the rest of it is just the cherry on top. the lighting, the lightning, the vines, will's kicked puppy dog look, jonathan's death glare, mike's miserable face, el crying, the lying and the peer pressuring, the fact that even under those circumstances where he is trying to save el's life he is still so reluctant to do it. all of that is terrible but honestly i don't think it would have gone differently without those things.

even if he had figured out how to cut the superhero worship out of it, her abilities (and will) would still be the only reason it would be happening. the context would always ruin it.

if mike was going to say i love you and have it be romantic, it would have been the most impactful when she didn't have them, but if she had to have them, it should've been somewhere, sometime, someplace that had nothing to do with her saving anyone.

they specifically wrote in that mike had multiple opportunities to say i love you and couldn't make himself do it. in the bedroom, when they reunite, at the gas station, in the pizza place. there was potential to give the characters time alone, but they made the choice not to. mike and will had a moment in a tiny van with two other guys and it still felt intimate. they coulda figured something out, but even when they had the perfect opportunity at the pizza place (pre-argyle interrupting) mike couldn't make himself do it, and if you look at her face you can tell she already knew he wouldn't.

we've been conditioned to think that the romantic lead stepping in at the last possible minute and saying what we thought they needed to say the whole time is all that love needs to thrive, like, we're sort of taught to ignore the rest of the picture if they end up where we think they're supposed to at some big, last minute grand gesture and i think that's why milkvans are so ready to accept the monologue as something genuine because theoretically, when we usually see this trope, it tends to work. who cares if they fight all the time? who cares if they can't communicate, have nothing in common, if he gaslights her, if he triggers her, if they both make each other feel worthless? they said i love you! that means it's okay!

anyway idk i'm rambling i just think el deserves so much better than this. and i need to stop giving milkvan the benefit of the doubt for no reason.

✨please free her✨

[itwillbethescarletwitch]

More Than This

Bob Floyd x Fem!Reader

Bob Floyd never thought heartbreak would feel so quiet.

He’d imagined it might be like losing control in the air—a sudden, catastrophic failure that left nothing standing. But this was worse. This was slow. It was every breath scraping through his ribs, every dawn reminding him you were never going to be his.

He’d tried to bury it. God knew he’d tried. He’d packed it down under discipline, under the thousand unspoken things he let die in his throat every day. But it never really went away.

Sometimes, he wondered if you could sense it. If some part of you knew how he looked at you when he thought no one was watching. That when you laughed at something he said, he felt like he was standing in the sun after too long in the dark.

I’m broken, do you hear me?

He had whispered it into the night more times than he could count. Sitting alone in his truck. Sitting on the edge of his bunk. His voice hoarse, the words sounding small and pathetic.

I’m blinded, ‘cause you are everything I see.

You were. Even when he tried not to let you be. Even when he told himself that if he just ignored the ache long enough, it would fade.

But it didn’t.

It was in the way your hair fell over your face when you tied it back before a flight. The way your voice softened when you asked him if he’d eaten. The way your eyes searched his when you thought he looked tired, or sad, or like he was about to say something important but never did.

He’d been so sure he had time. That eventually, when he’d sorted himself out, he’d find the words. That someday he’d walk up to you, heart hammering, and tell you everything.

I’m dancing alone, I’m praying that your heart will just turn around.

But you never turned. And by the time he realized he’d waited too long, you were already reaching for someone else.

He remembered the first time he saw you kiss him. The way your hands framed the other man’s face, the way you smiled into his mouth. Bob had looked away so fast it made his head spin. He’d told himself he didn’t have the right to feel what he felt. But it didn’t make it hurt any less.

And as I walk up to your door, my head turns to face the floor.

He’d tried, that night, to tell you. He’d stood there on your front step, breathing so hard it felt like his lungs might burst. His hand had hovered over the door. But in the end, he couldn’t.

Because he knew—if he looked into your eyes and you didn’t feel it back, it would break him completely.

‘Cause I can’t look you in the eyes and say—

When he opens his arms and holds you close tonight,

It just won’t feel right.

When he lays you down, I might just die inside.

‘Cause I can love you more than this.

Yeah.

It just don’t feel right.

‘Cause I can love you more than this.

Can love you more than this.

That thought lived in him like a bruise. He could love you more. He knew it like he knew his own name. But it didn’t matter, because you would never let him prove it.

He tried to move on. He let Phoenix drag him out to bars, let Coyote try to set him up with women he could hardly remember later. He’d smile, make polite conversation. But none of it stuck.

If I’m louder, would you see me?

He asked himself that in the dark. If he had just been braver, just a little louder—would you have noticed?

Would you lay down in my arms and rescue me?

The idea almost made him laugh, because it sounded so childish. But he couldn’t help it. You’d always been the only place he felt safe.

‘Cause we are the same.

You were made of the same quiet and the same stubbornness. The same sense of duty that made you both so good at what you did—and so bad at saying what you felt.

You save me, but when you leave, it’s gone again.

It was like a light switch. When you were around, he felt almost okay. When you were gone, everything fell apart.

He remembered the afternoon he saw you in town, your hand curled into his. The two of you laughing about something Bob would never know.

And then I see you on the street, in his arms I get weak.

It was like being punched. He’d felt his knees go soft, his stomach turn inside out. He’d stepped back into an alley so you wouldn’t see him, and he’d pressed his palm flat to the brick wall like it could hold him up.

My body fails, I’m on my knees praying.

He didn’t even know what he was praying for anymore. That you’d let go? That you’d come find him? That he could just stop feeling like this?

He wished he could hate you. It would have been easier if he could.

When he opens his arms and holds you close tonight,

It just won’t feel right.

When he lays you down, I might just die inside.

‘Cause I can love you more than this.

Yeah.

It just don’t feel right.

‘Cause I can love you more than this.

Can love you more than this.

But he didn’t hate you. He loved you so much it made everything else feel small and dim by comparison.

He didn’t remember driving home that night. Just that he woke up hours later in his truck, engine cold, his hands numb on the steering wheel.

I’ve never had the words to say, but now I’m asking you to stay.

He whispered it to the empty air. Just once. Even though he knew it wouldn’t change anything.

For a little while inside my arms.

One chance. That was all he’d ever wanted. Just one chance to show you how much he meant it.

And as you close your eyes tonight,

I pray that you will see the light,

That’s shining from the stars above.

Maybe somewhere—some other life—he was braver. Maybe in that world, you were his.

When he opens his arms and holds you close tonight,

It just won’t feel right.

When he lays you down, I might just die inside.

‘Cause I can love you more than this.

Yeah.

It just don’t feel right.

‘Cause I can love you more than this.

Can love you more than this.

⸻

Weeks Later

When you texted him—Can we talk?—he stared at the screen until the letters blurred. He almost didn’t answer. Almost deleted it because he couldn’t survive hearing about how happy you were.

But he went. Because he was too weak to stay away.

You were already there when he walked in, sitting by the window. You looked nervous. You always bit your lip when you were about to say something hard.

He sat across from you, and for a moment neither of you spoke.

“Hey,” you said, voice soft.

He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. “Hi.”

You opened your mouth to start—but he lifted a hand, voice low and shaking.

“Let me go first.” He looked down at the table. “Or I’ll back out again.”

You didn’t say anything. Just waited.

“I love you.” The words felt raw in his mouth. “I have for longer than I even know. And I’m sorry it took me this long to say it. Sorry I let it get this far.”

Your breath caught, and you looked away.

“I could love you more than this. More than anyone. And I don’t expect you to say anything. I just—I needed you to know.”

You wiped a tear away. And for a moment, he let himself believe there was still something there.

“There’s something I have to tell you too,” you whispered.

He nodded, even though every part of him wanted to run.

You met his eyes, lifted your hand and your voice broke as you said it.

“I’m engaged.”

[pleasantlycrazyworld]

Not a problem at all

Bob reynolds x fem!reader

A/N: I may or may not have started crying during a true crime documentary last night so I wrote this afterwards. Am I on my period....not yet. Anywho please PLEASE comment what pet names you think Bob would use for his girlfriend/partner I've been stumped and just used a bunch of different ones in this. Also I wrote this on my phone so it may not be the best work I've published but I hope you enjoy it anyways :)

Warnings: none? There is very vague talk of true crime documentary but no detail at all and just used as plot and it does talk about reader being on their period but again nothing graphic

Bob was concerned.

However, he believed any boyfriend would be concerned about coming home to find their girlfriend wrapped in several blankets, clenching a stuffed animal, and crying uncontrollable sobs in bed while watching some true crime documentary.

"Um--sweets?" He asked meekly as he walked over to you. "I'M FINE!" You tried to convince him through sniffles and choked sobs you started to fight back. You rubbed your nose and looked up like that would magically stop the tears from falling.

"I swear I'm okay Bobby don't look at me like that." You didn't have to look at him to know he was looking at you very concerned. "Look at you like what I-I mean I'm not even looking at you!" His eyes just scanned the room quickly but fell back to you just as fast. You paused the documentary as he finally looked around to take in the surroundings and everything started piecing together in his head.

His bag of hot Cheetos...empty wrapper of your favorite chocolate...that big bag of Sour Patch Kids he got you... your water bottle is half full...cup of tea that had gone cold.

He did a full scan of you and his suspensions got confirmed seeing you fully. You had not only his oldest, oversized t-shirt on, but you also had a heating pad on high and were holding that stuffed dinosaur he got you like it was your lifeline.

"Oh my darling" he crossed the small space between you and kissed the crown of your head softly. "How are we feeling?" You groaned and pulled him closer to the bed but he stopped himself from falling into the tangled blankets with you. "Hold on sweetheart let me get things ready for you yeah?"

Before he got a response he pulled away even if the whine that left you ripped at his heart. He got undressed and changed into sweats, blushing as you cheered seeing him strip quickly. "Damn Reynolds look at that butt!". He muttered "Can't believe my girl is such a damn heathen" before he cleaned the bed off of the snacks you had gathered throughout the day and collected the cups as well.

"I'm proud you drank water today pretty but I am gonna go get you some more. Gotta keep you hydrated. Did you have a real meal?" He beamed when you nodded but quickly deflated when you mentioned that it was for lunch. "...it's 7:30... at night" he gestures to the window, "the moon is nearly out now." Before you could argue he was already out of the room, he knew you wouldn't argue back if you were comfortable in bed and thankfully you were.

He made the quickest pot of spaghetti he's ever made in his life and refilled your water. He gathered the food and made sure to bring medicine and one of your hydration stick packet things that you've been making him use lately and he headed back to the bedroom...only to find an empty bed. "What the...where'd you go?"

You come very slowly wandering from the bathroom with a pout, "If you've ever loved me before...rip my uterus out." He himself whines like he's in pain, "Come get comfy baby I made spaghetti...and um--I got the pain medicine you said helps the best and one of those drink packs you've been buying." When you complain saying those hydration packs are supposed to be for him he just nods along "Yeah yeah I know and I have one a day like you instructed me to but you need it so no arguing this time missy."

He cringed hearing himself say 'Missy' "Fuck sorry" he didn't even have to look at you to know he was receiving a glare.

You climb back into bed and Bob, this time, follows your movement and gets into bed with you too. Once you've eaten most of the bowl and drank some water he pulled you into him and held you close to his chest. "Wanna tell me about the case you were watching about when I got home?" He held the remote and fidgeted with the buttons as you rambled about the crazy murder case.

You let out a huff "I-I think that's about it. I don't know I started crying about the victims having to go through all that but I can't stop watching it now! I have to know how he got caught." Bob leaned down and kissed your head once more, "Well now you can find out with me, I'll wipe the tears away no problem." You giggled as you laid your head on his chest, thinking he was just being dramatic.

He leaned back and pressed play, warmth filled his chest as you curled into his side. He mumbled to himself, "It's no problem at all"

__-__-__-__-__

Tagging:

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[novasillies]

okay. wifi sorted. squid game i hate you i will try and keep this organised. spoilers upon spoilers beneath the cut, this might be a long one. i had an 8 hour journey to watch the whole show in one go and then ruminate on it for two hours of driving. so. yeah.

As many issues as I have with this season, I will say some things were pretty interesting. So let's start with the few positives I have.

One, the commentary on democracy and the idea of a democratic vote. The fact that the players were forced into making this choice, either threatened or manipulated into voting one way or the other, and treated differently by the group depending on which way they voted was very interesting and something I am not at all smart enough to dissect beyond surface level. the whole "through your democratic vote, you have all chosen to continue the games" thing made me go hrrhrhrhrr every time because, yeah, democracy is far from fair and two-party systems with one final choice cannot accurately represent the wants of an entire group. love it speak on it.

Two, I didn't mind In-ho's story this season (or, what little story he had). The fact that he's tried to save Gi-hun's life at every turn, and the man has been too stubborn to listen, rightfully so, if the writers had decided that optimism was something we deserved in this day and age. He begged him to get on that plane, to stop looking for the games, to kill the other players and just take the money. In-ho wanted Gi-hun to live. And he didn't. And In-ho delivered, in person, his jacket and money to his daughter. He never called him a friend. He blew up the island. I'm assuming he left it all behind now that the coast guard got involved. God knows. Actually, never mind, his story was lazy and nonexistent. The contrast between him and Gi-hun when given that chance to kill them all and take the win was interesting, though.

Three, i cant think of another thing i liked. which is troubling. Oh, I do love a tragedy done right, so Gi-hun's death did satisfy me in the way that it was horrible. I still think he should not have died. But the fact that it was like that. I don't despise it. Not happy about it. but it could be worse.

I'm gonna just get right into my main issue with this season (and season 2 now that it's over and I can be sure of it), which is: THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY.

The entire two-part story (ridiculous) of seasons 2&3 was literally, in the end, for nothing.

Nobody's characters developed and they all died. Jun-ho didn't get anything out of finding the island because they blew it up and he was only there for 25 minutes. He saw In-ho again, said like 8 words to him, got nothing back, and then left again. Pointless. So many hours of television that were for nothing. He didn't grow as a person, he didn't learn anything new, he didn't even realise Gi-hun (WHO HE WAS MEANT TO BE LOOKING FOR) was dead however many feet below him. All he got was that fuckass CGI baby and 45.6 billion won of blood money.

Gi-hun went back just to stop the games, then killed himself to let a two-day-old newborn become a multi-billionaire for the hope of that innocent little FUGLY FREAK being a better person than him. He said maybe 20 lines the entire season. He spent the whole time silently plotting dae-ho's death, then killing dae-ho, then trying to kill himself until he finally did. His entire story was just a playbook on how to give up.

They watered Jun-hee and Geum-ja and No-eul down to just Mothers with nothing else to show for themselves. Two out of three of them killed themselves for their children and one of them tried. No-euls entire storyline felt just as pointless as the rest of them, with its weird maybe-your-daughter's-alive-maybe-she's-not open ending of her flying to China. It didn't help that we've spent this whole two-season storyline waiting for Gi-hun to have some magical moment where he figures out how to save them, only for all of them to die slowly and pointlessly one by one. Geum-ja's suicide was the only death this season that upset me, purely because I only realised what had happened just as the coffin got carried in, and her big monologue to Gi-hun finally made sense and became far more sad. It was really only thanks to her actress' performance that Yong-sik's death made me feel anything, too. Everyone else had nothing. Just cheap SFX and two seconds of shock value.

What the fuck was Hyun-ju's death. Like. Excuse me?? Myung-gi had no reason to still be killing people, let alone hunting them like animals. Why the FUCK did he kill her??? And why did Jun-hee's water break and her baby was born within five minutes???? I don't think there was a single woman in the writer's room for season 3 honest to god. I wasn't even sad about Hyun-ju's death I was just so so sooo confused. It made no sense. And then I was like uhgggh she shouldve gone through the door but no she was right to go back but wtf myung-gi why did you do that you useless piece of human garbage. and maybe it was a little bit poignant because they were so close to all surviving together. but they could've. very easily. Hyun-ju's death was just as unneccessary as the rest of this story.

Don't even get me started on myung-gi. I didn't like him last season on the principle of what he did to Jun-hee, but there was always the justification of him trying to protect her from the people who were after him but. god. I was so right to hate him. Even then, he was somewhat likeable. He did nice things sometimes. He acted like a normal human being. Who the HELL was that this season?? trying to throw his own newborn daughter off that tower for THE MONEY??????????? I thought Gi-hun would hand over the kid, myung-gi would be all sweet and sad and sorry and kiss his daughter on the head (WHICH GI-HUN THEN DID AND MADE ME GO !!!!!) before he pressed the start button and threw himself off. A nobel sacrifice for the kid, just like her mother had done, or whatever the fuck. but no. nooooo nonono of COURSE not. that wouldve been HEARTFELT and SWEET and would've let OUR HERO survive. can't have that can we?!?!?!?!??!?!?!? i need to calm down.

Side note, what the hell was kate blanchett doing there?? we do NOT need an american squid game spinoff with kate fucking blanchett as the recruiter and in-ho going full gi-hun and trying to infiltrate it and take it down in his memory or some bullshit STOP IT.

Another side note, why did they spend more time on min-su's grief over se-mi than like... any other character feeling anything?? i didn't give a shit about those two personally so every drawn-out drug-induced hallucination about it just felt like watching paint dry.

Also the games sucked. Sorry. They were all dissorientating in the most midly inconvenient way and the direction of this season was all over the place. whoever was director of photography for s3 needs to have a long think about things. And the sound design??? was it always that weird?? no, right? there wasn't always the freakish distorted music and stuff? and that weird prowler sound whenever gi-hun was staring at dae-ho and wanting to kill him?? I felt like i was going crazy it was either too silent or too loud but whatever.

And the CGI baby. Come on now. Terrible!!! There was an egregious amount of CGI in this season and it was very clearly rushed. you're on a Netflix budget with one of its most popular titles and you still managed to come out with cheap, uncanny special effects??? I would be happy about the use of CGI because yeah newborn babies look like that not like 4-month-olds and yeah that's a big rope swing u cant be throwing those at real people in real life without some serious waivers signed and some serious injuries nonetheless but you had the money to make it good. you should've taken the time, too. I have an inkling that the six-month gap between seasons instead of a few years had a small role to play in that, even if it was all shot at once. Maybe if you hadn't stretched out your nothing burger of a second season into two of them, we wouldn't be having these problems. It's just so confusing how season 3 felt so much lazier and just worse than season 2 when they should've been written, filmed, and begun post-production right alongside each other. so so sooo weird. The subpar performances of the actors i think didn't help. i just felt like i was watching actors act instead of watching people exist within a story and that always irks me. to be fair, with a cast that big, you really can't expect the greatest performances from all the nameless side characters. but like. still. lock in for me guys plz. and maybe stop throwing babies from extreme heights (Gi-hun is just a man)

The thing is, season 1 was neat and tidy and concise and heartwrenching and purposeful. It had a true meaning. A moral. It was a representation of the horrors of capitalism. The characters changed - gi-hun became an entirely new person due to the trauma of it all, sang-woo became colder and so desperate he was unrecognisable, sae-byeok's end was so tragic but before it happened, she learned to trust, jun-ho actually learned new things about his brother and the games and uncovered secrets as the viewers did and it was interesting - and the story was written with clear intention. This storyline, stretched over two seasons to get more fucking money from continuous streaming and renewal of interest, shocker, anti-capitalist my ass, was literally nothing more than a cash-grab. It was heartless. They somehow brought back queerbaiting for a second there. Nobody (at least I hope) believed it, but they tried. And that is just so so disappointing. Because they knew this story wouldn't stand on its own. They knew they had not written it for any real reason. It was all for the money. And how ironic is that?

This story could have been so good. All of the pieces were in place for them to craft something insanely relevant, a story about goodness, community, honesty, and hope beating the 1%. A story about redemption. A story about equality.

Instead, Squid Game season 3, and the overarching story of season 2, teach nothing more than there being only one thing we all can have and deserve to have: death.

Sacrifice yourself, give up, because the rich are just gonna keep getting richer. And you will never win. But, hey. There's always the next generation. Here's to hoping.

[c4shm0neyxxx]

HII!! GOOD DAY!!

If you don't mind, can you write about a story (Sieun x Reader) wherein the reader, a childhood friend of sieun, gets bullied often and does their best to hide it from sieun. And it's only after he sees the reader get pushed off a tall height where he finds out?

(you can make your own ending off of this, and i hope it's not too much)

Thank you for all your hard work! I wish you all the best in everything :))

— 🍀

Hiiiiii!! Thank you so much for requesting, here you go I hope you like it!!!!! And also, guys I’m super srry for not posting a lot or taking a while to answer your request. I will don’t worry!! (I also haven’t updated my master list yet😭

“The Edge of Silence”

(Sieun x Reader — hurt/comfort, angst, protective, childhood friends to something more)

⸻

You always smiled around him.

That familiar crooked grin, the one that reached your eyes—Sieun had memorized it since you were seven and bruised your knee trying to catch up with him on your bike. You were a constant in his life, someone who never faltered. Quiet but strong. Always brushing things off like they didn’t hurt.

Maybe that’s why he didn’t notice the bruises that weren’t from clumsy falls, or the way your hands shook slightly when you thought no one was looking.

You didn’t want him to know. Not because you didn’t trust him—but because you knew how he carried guilt like a second skin. You didn’t want to be another weight around his already heavy shoulders.

But pain has a way of revealing itself, even when you try to bury it deep.

⸻

You were on the rooftop after class. Alone. Or at least, you thought you were.

The same group that followed you in whispers and shoved you in hallways had cornered you again, calling you names, mocking the way you “clung to Si-eun like a parasite,” how “pathetic” it was that he didn’t even notice.

You tried to leave. You always did.

But today was different.

One of them pushed too hard.

The metal railing clanged against your back, the edge biting into your spine, and then—your balance gave out.

You felt the sickening weightlessness of your body tipping backward.

⸻

Sieun was heading up to the roof—he knew you went there sometimes to eat in silence. He had your favorite drink in hand, fingers cold from the vending machine.

He saw the moment your body fell from the ledge.

His brain stopped working. The drink dropped. He didn’t even register his own scream.

He rushed to the edge—only to see your body caught painfully in a scaffolding ledge about a floor below. Not fatal—but far from safe. You were barely conscious.

By the time they got you down, he hadn’t said a word. But his hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

⸻

You woke up in the nurse’s office, body aching, eyes blurred—but the moment they cleared, he was there.

Sitting next to you.

Staring.

And he looked furious.

Not at you. At himself. At the world.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice cracked. “Why didn’t you—why did you hide it?”

You opened your mouth, but nothing came out. Tears gathered, guilt stabbing your chest.

“I didn’t want you to worry…” you finally whispered.

He leaned closer. “You think I wouldn’t want to worry about you?” His voice was low now, trembling. “You’re… you’re not just some classmate to me. You’re you. You’re my best friend. And I—”

He stopped himself.

But then, softer: “I can’t lose you.”

You blinked, lip trembling. “I didn’t want to be a burden.”

His hands cupped your cheeks before you could look away. “You’re never a burden to me.”

And for the first time in months, you broke down.

And for the first time in months, someone stayed.

From that day on, everything changed.

Sieun walked you to class. Waited for you after school. Looked at you like you were someone precious—because you were.

And the people who hurt you?

They never came near again.

Not when Sieun’s glare made them freeze. Not when the silent rumors about his strength stopped being rumors.

But what mattered most wasn’t the protection.

It was the quiet way he held your hand when no one was looking.

Like he had always known you were falling—

And this time, he’d catch you.

[woossexyponytail]

Forbidden Treasure

Seungcheol x reader

Hi everyone!! Long time no see !! I'm back with something a little different I've been wanting to get back in to writing but wanted to do a seventeen one so this is kinda like a trial run see if people like it and hopefully I'll be back to writing more along with adding seventeen and maybe stray kids? I don't know yet, but hopefully, you enjoy it.

So this is inspired by hogwarts legacy. Also, the reader has a panic attack.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

I looked around the common room of the slytherin dorm. It was quiet, too quiet this morning, and that means only one thing Seungkwan was up to something.

Normally, every morning, Seungkwan would be walking next to me, talking my ear off as we'd make our way to the dining hall. But for some reason, he was nowhere to be seen. I shrugged to myself and made my way up to the dining hall for breakfast, wanting to enjoy the peace before he came back.

Walking past the open doors, the dining hall was lively, but thankfully, it wasn't too loud today. I spotted Seungkwan by one of the tables next to Vernon and Dino. My eyebrows raised, not believing all three were up early today.

Walking closer to them, I could overhear their conversion, being so engaged with what they were talking about that they hadn't noticed me walking up to them.

"It's got to be here. We'll find it -"

"Find what?" I asked, looking over their shoulders and seeing some sort of treasure map? Seungkwan and Dino jumped at my voice scrambling to cover the paper on the table, Vernon however just stared up, blinking at me.

"NOTHING!" Dino yelled. The hall got quiet for a second. Everyone looked over at him for yelling, Seungkwan slapped his back, glaring while Vernon tried not to laugh.

"We found a treasure map," Vernon explained, grabbing it from under the other two boys' arms showing me. "Correction one of the ghosts dropped it." Seungkwan added while the other two nodded.

I looked over it, seeing it was a place in the forbidden forest, raising my eyebrows looking between them.

"You can't be serious! It's dangerous out there, and no offence be the three of you aren't really masters of combat. I suggest you put it back where you found it." I said, crossing my arms waiting for their explanation.

"We can handle it! The three of us will be fine." Seungkwan said, folding up the paper and putting it in his robe.

"Giant bugs. Are you sure you can deal with that?" I asked, looking between Vernon and Seungkwan, knowing they hated bugs and almost fainted when they came in first year and saw the creatures here at hogwarts. Vernon swallowed, then looked over at Seungkwan. Looking back over at me, he nodded his head.

"Alright then," I sighed as I got some toast for breakfast, knowing I couldn't convince them anymore of how bad this idea is, the other boys might help but for now its not my problem.

Later in the day, I was in the library with Woozi, Wonwoo, Minghao, and Jun studying for our homework or next owls in Wonwoo and Woozis case. It was quiet, with a few students mumbling over their work. Just then, the door flew open with Seungcheol storming in looking pissed off while Jeonghan and Joshua were giggling behind him.

"Why are you so pissed?" Wonwoo asked as the three sat down with us, Seungcheol sat down next to me he looked up at Wonwoo and sighed mumbling "you don't wanna know" while getting his books out. I turned to Wonwoo, who was across from me as we both shared a look.

After about twenty minutes studying, Hoshi Mingyu and Dk came in running up to our table the excitement on their faces gave me a bad feeling, looking up at them as they stood at the end of the table waiting for our attention Mingyu bouncing on the balls of his feet with a wide grin like an excited puppy.

"Guys, we're going to look for treasure in the forbidden forest. Does anyone wanna come along?" Hoshi said, keeping quiet not to get more attention from other students or worse teachers. The boys all looked up at them, shocked.

"You spoke to Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino this morning, didn't you?" I asked, sighing at the stupid idea again, knowing they didn't think at all since they got those three to help and not the smarter boys.

"Wait, what?!" Seungcheol asked, looking at me, then back at the boys completely shocked by the information he glared at the boys waiting for an explanation.

"You're not going anywhere near there any of you, so don't think about it!" He said, getting angrier by the second. Jeonghan raised a brow, placing his head in his hand, looking at them.

"What kind of treasure are we talking about here?" He asked, ignoring Seungcheol next to him repeating the word no. The boys looked even more excited that they got someone else willing to help.

"Come with us and will show you!" They said as they started walking away and to mine and Seungcheol shock the other boys all packed up to follow, leaving us on our own.

"I guess we should keep an eye on them" I said sighing packing my thing to go and follow but Seungcheol stopped me his hand on my arm as he looked up at me with a pout on his lips.

"Why didn't you say anything to me about this idea?" He asked, looking hurt he had to find out by Hoshi, I blinked at him, not sure what to say as he squeezed my arm, not in an uncomfortable way more for support.

"I just found out this morning and hoped they'd come to their senses," I said, shrugging as Seungcheol took his hand off me and started packing too.

Once we followed them to the top of hogwarts hating, this is how I'm spending my Saturday. we ended up in the middle of the hallway while Seungkwan was smiling at the blank wall.

"Uh Seungkwan... are you ok?" Joshua asked, putting his hand on his shoulder and watching the younger boy.

"Shh," he said, glaring at him to be quiet while we waited completely confused, a door apard out of nowhere.

"What the ... you found the Room of Requirements?" Wonwoo asked, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes in disbelief.

"Yeah, guess hogwarts wants us to find this treasure too," Seungkwan said smugly, opening the doors to find the large room with a table and chairs.

"Well, this is unsettling." I mumbled as I looked over at Seungcheol, seeing him shake his head at the guys as they sat down.

"The map shows that the treasure is hidden here." Seungkwan said, pointing at a cave deep inside the forest.

"You're joking, right? A cave! That's probably filled with dangerous creatures?! Are you mad?!!?" Woozi asked as he shook his head in disapproval.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fine with all fourteen of us going." Dino said, smiling widely at all of us. Seungcheol sighed as he rubbed his head, thinking.

"You can't be seriously thinking about going, right?! I'm not dealing with any Acromantulas!" I said, glaring at Seungcheol while I crossed my arms.

"It would be safer if we all went, come on yn you know they won't stop." Seungcheol said as he started pouting. 'Damn my soft spot for Seungcheol pouting' I thought to myself as I groaned in defeat.

"Fine, but if we see or go near an Acromantula, I'm killing you all!" I said, glaring at them as the boys started leaving the Room of Requirements Seungcheol grabbed my arm.

"Hey, listen, I promise you I will not let you near one of those things you hear me." He looked into my eyes as he said it to reassure me, I only nodded at him.

"Come on, love birds, we don't have all day!" Jeonghan yelled at us, Seungcheol let go of my arm immediately as he started yelling back at Jeonghan, calling him an idiot. I could feel my face blush as I slowly followed them out.

The guys thought it would be a better idea to go in the evening for some stupid reason as we made our way through the forest with our wands out lighting the way, Seungkwan was leading with Wonwoo next to him pointing out the right way.

"Are we there yet? I'm starting to get hungry!" Hoshi said as he rubbed his stomach, Vernon nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, and my legs are starting to hurt!" Woozi said, crossing his arms. "Shouldn't of missed leg day then." Mingyu smirked at Woozi as the older but smaller boy whacked him on the back.

"Guys, we're here!" Seungkwan said, looking back at us eyes wide like he wasn't expecting to find the cave.

"Ok, then we'll go in. Have a quick look around for the treasure, then we're out, ok?" Seungcheol said, giving a pointed look at some of the members. The guys nodded as they started going into the large cave single file.

"Guy?" I said the boys all stopped looking at me as I stared at a sign they missed on the right-hand side.

"Acromantula." I said, looking at the spider sign I stood my ground, not wanting to go in at all . " Y/n"

"No, Cheol, I'm not going in. I refuse no way in hell. I'm going in there!!" I yelled as I went to turn around and walk away. Seungcheol grabbed me, stopping me.

"Y/n, I don't want to leave you out here on your own. There's creatures out here, too, remember, trolls, thornbacks, hell, even a car with a mind of its own." Seungcheol said, reminding me.

"I can handle myself." I said, rolling my eyes at him. None of those creatures freak me out more than Acromantula.

"Ahhh!!" Someone yelled it sounded like Seungkwan, both Seungcheol and I jumped at the scream as we turned to see most of the guys had gone in while Seungcheol and I were arguing.

"Oh, you two have finished your lovers spat? Good seems like they need us." Joshua said as he pointed behind him to where the guys have disappeared to.

All three of us went running in while I was cursing under my breath for them being idiots. The cave was long and winding, not given us enough space to run past each other.

As we finally made our way to a large clearing in the cave, the guys were running around in circles as Acromantulas chased them around, and a huge one was climbing down from the wall.

If I wasn't so scared, I'd be laughing my ass off with the scene playing out in front of me right now.

"Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me!" I yelled as Seungcheol and Joshua jumped in to action to help the others while I stood frozen staring at the large bug making me want to cry and run away.

I started hyperventilating at the scene, not wanting to be here, but I was completely frozen, also feeling guilty if I left my idiotic friends behind.

Just then, my eyes glued on to Vernon as he tripped and fell to the floor as the larger spider walked towards him, Vernon was also completely frozen in spot like me, only he was in the danger zone.

"Vernon, run!!!" Jun yelled as he quickly blocked venom that was spraying at him. Unfortunately, Vernon didn't move, still frozen. At that moment, I felt my legs moving before my brain registered what I was actually doing.

"Y/n!" Seungcheol yelled at me as I ran past him to get closer to the largest Acromantula, grabbing my wand from my pocket I raised up.

"Glacius! diffindo!" I yelled as the spider froze and then was quickly hit by the second spell. The spider turned to me as I jumped and rolled out of the way of the upcoming attack.

"Accio! descendo! glacius! incendio!" I yelled at the spider that was attacking dino, watching as the spider flew away from him to me and bounce on to the floor freeze, then got set on fire. Dino just stared, completely shocked.

I turned around to do the same combo to the larger spider wearing it down as some of the guys helped, and with one last hit, the spider fell to the floor, unmoving.

"Can we leave now?" Hoshi asks as he wiped sweat from his head. we all nodded, agreeing as we panted from exhaustion.

"What about the treasure?" Seungkwan asked everyone froze now, looking around the cave. Seeing a little indent in the wall, we all looked at each other to see if someone would look.

"Fuck the treasure." Seungcheol said as he started walking out grabbing me on the way as we walked out of the cave together.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to me, I glared, pulling myself away from his grip as we made it outside and rushed off ahead.

"You fucked up now" I heard Jeonghan say behind me, I was too pissed off to look to see who he was talking to, I just wanted to get to my dorm room.

__________

It had been two weeks since I really spoke to any of the boys, being too pissed off with them for dragging me into that mess and also almost dying. But slowly, they started showing up with their tail between their legs.

Vernon was the first to apologize and thank me for saving him. Next, it was Jun, Minghao, Wonwoo, and Woozi since as they put it, "we didn't want to go in the first place like you."

Then when we were sitting studying it was jeonghan and Joshua who apologise to everyone for not putting their foot down on how horrible the idea was and lastly it was Seungkwan and dino who full on cried hugging me for being such idiots and not listening in the first place.

Seungcheol was another case entirely he wanted to be alone he was pissed off with himself. At least, that's what jeonghan and Joshua told me.

It wasn't until a few days later that the group was studying again that Seungcheol appeared looking small with his arms behind his back.

"Hey Y/n, I'm really sorry I know I promised to protect you and didn't and I'm truly sorry I really don't know why I thought it was a good idea to leave you alone." Seungcheol rambled as he handed me a chocolate frog, exploding bon bons and some peppermint toads.

"A love offering!." Minghao gasped watching I rolled my eyes at what he said as I grabbed the sweets that Seungcheol gave me I smiled at him with a small thank you as he nodded and turned to walk off.

"Cheol!" I ran after him, he turned as we stood in the hallway. He was pouting his eyes like boba as he stared at me, waiting for me to talk.

"Look, you don't have to apologise you said sorry when we got out of the cave I was just pissed at the time but I'm ok with it now you just wanted to protect everyone that's just who you are." I explained, smiling at him.

"But I wanted to protect you the most, and I didn't. In fact, you protect us more than I did. I am sorry I dragged you in, but I'm glad you were there to save us all." He said I looked down, a little embarrassed Seungcheol stepped closer as he lifted my head with his thumb and finger on my chin.

"You know you looked quite hot kicking spider ass." He smirked as my cheeks flushed red. " Do spiders have asses?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Seungcheol blinked at that, then chuckled.

"I don't fucking know but I know I'm going to kiss you now." He said as he leaned down pressing his lips to mine, my eyes widened but closed the second he leaned closer.

His hand that was on my chin moved to my neck as his other hand grabbed my waist pulling me to his body, he deepened the kiss as I grabbed his shirt pulling him to me as well needing to be close to him.

"Finally!." We heard behind us as we stepped apart, looking to see all the guys there watching us some clapping and some handing out money to jeonghan.

"I told you they'd get together after that little stunt." Jeonghan said, counting the money he got. Some groaned as woonwoo and Woozi just shook their heads and walked back to carry on studying.

"You were betting on us?" Seungcheol asked the others, nodded as Seungcheol grumbled about not being obvious at all while the others laughed.

"Wait, so do spiders have asses though?" Vernon asked, looking confused as Joshua turned him around and pushed him as they walked off together.

Leaving Seungcheol and I alone in the hallway, he smiled down at me and leaned in again for another kiss. "I could get used to this."

"Well, not at the moment. I have to go back to studying." I said, walking back, following the guys.

"What, no fair!." Seungcheol said as he pouted again, following me whining like a baby mumbling how he deserves kisses lots of kisses. I just rolled my eyes but giggled at his antics.

[thepinkpanther83]

Grease And Honey (Pt.2 Morning Regular)

Chapter Two: “Morning Regular”

Eddie Munson x Female Reader

Masterlist

Find me on AO3.

Read this story on AO3.

Previous Chapter: Chapter One: "New Girl, Same Grind" Next Chapter: Chapter Three: “Check Engine Light”

Click "Keep Reading" below the cut to read. 😘

Chapter Two: “Morning Regular”

It started with the bell.

Again.

And again.

And again.

You weren’t even surprised the third time Eddie walked in that week. By then, you had his order memorized… black coffee, nothing fancy, just “hot and bitter, like my last relationship,” he’d said the second time, shooting you a crooked grin that had you biting back a smirk of your own.

The first day, sure. You’d chalked that up to curiosity.

The second? Maybe convenience. The garage was only a block away, after all.

But by the fourth morning in a row?

You knew damn well he was showing up for reasons that had very little to do with the bean juice.

He usually didn’t stay long. Just enough time to hover near the counter, ask how your morning was going, make some quip about the music you were playing (“This is either a really depressing breakup playlist or you’ve got deep taste, New Girl”), and toss a crumpled bill into the tip jar without ever looking down to see how much he’d given.

Callie noticed it too.

“That’s like… a twenty,” she whispered once behind the pastry display as Eddie took his usual window seat, one table away from Lorraine’s spy perch, because of course it was.

“Don’t look at it,” you whispered back. “If he sees us reacting, he’ll start putting weird stuff in there just to mess with us. Like a bottle cap. Or a condom.”

Callie stared at you. “Why does that sound exactly like something he’d do?”

You didn’t answer.

Because you were too busy watching him pretend not to watch you.

He’d bring a newspaper or a greasy notebook some days, scrawling something that looked halfway between invoices and lyrics. Sometimes he’d just sit with one ankle propped on his opposite knee, one hand loosely wrapped around his mug, eyes skimming the shop like he was absorbing the walls.

But when you passed by? When you laughed with a customer? When you reached up to adjust the chalkboard or wiped your fingers on your apron?

That’s when his gaze found you.

And lingered.

Just a little too long.

Somewhere around the sixth visit, you stopped pretending it was a coincidence.

He always came in around 9:15. Just after the early rush, just before the moms with strollers and screaming toddlers took over the seating area. Always alone. Always with a new line ready, something stupid, something funny, something that always made you smile even when you didn’t want to.

“This place smells like nutmeg and capitalism,” he said once, sniffing dramatically as he walked in.

You’d glanced up from wiping the espresso machine. “I could say the same about you.”

He’d barked a laugh at that, slid a five into the tip jar, and said, “Keep talkin’ to me like that and I’ll start thinkin’ we’re in love.”

Another time, it was: “Y’know, the longer I drink this coffee, the more I realize I might be in a committed relationship. It’s bitter. It’s complicated. But I keep coming back.”

You tried not to laugh.

You tried not to like him.

But it wasn’t just the sarcasm. Or the grin. Or the way he always left his sunglasses tucked into his collar like he couldn’t decide if he was coming or going.

It was the way he watched you.

Not with that lazy, lustful stare men usually offered when they wanted something they didn’t plan to stick around for, but with real interest. Like you were a puzzle he was still figuring out. Like he wanted to ask you questions he hadn’t decided how to phrase yet.

You found yourself noticing things.

He read, always brought a different book, spine cracked and filled with notes in the margins. His pen was always in his front shirt pocket. You caught him scribbling once and teased, “Writing your manifesto?”

He deadpanned, “Grocery list. But I’ll be sure to include ‘overthrow the government’ just for flavor.”

He lingered longer each day. Some mornings he stayed through the lull. Others he came back after lunch for a second cup and no real excuse. He started asking about your routine. Your favorite tea (you told him), your least favorite customer (you didn’t tell him, but you looked at Lorraine, which got a snort out of him), your taste in music, your childhood dog’s name. He made you laugh. A lot. And he didn’t hide the way he watched you when you did.

Once, you caught him just… sitting there. Mug in hand. Elbow on the table. Chin resting on the backs of his fingers. Watching you sweep the front mat.

“What?” you’d asked, feeling your cheeks warm.

He shrugged. “You clean like you’re mad at the floor. It’s cute.”

You rolled your eyes and turned away before he could see your smile.

You tried, really, tried, not to fall for the charm. But damn it, he was sneaky about it. Funny, yes. Sarcastic, always. But smarter than he pretended to be. You started noticing how quick he was to pick up details, how fast he responded when you mentioned something in passing, your favorite honey blend, the indie band you used to road trip to. Two days later, he showed up wearing their faded logo across his chest like it’d always been there.

You didn’t ask if he’d bought it just to impress you.

You didn’t have to.

Callie caught you watching him once, chin resting in your hand, stirring your tea with lazy circles as he chatted with a biker at the next table.

“You’re toast,” she said simply.

You snapped upright. “Am not.”

She raised a brow and dropped a cinnamon scone in front of you. “I’ve worked here long enough to spot the smitten. Just don’t get too gooey too fast. Hot mechanics have danger written all over them.”

You bit into the scone to avoid answering.

Later that afternoon, Eddie came back for his second coffee. He claimed he “forgot to get something strong enough to survive paperwork,” but you noticed the way he lingered, leaned on the counter like he belonged there, watching the way the light filtered in through the front windows.

“Black coffee and black hearts,” he muttered, eyeing the chalkboard.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing,” he smirked. “Just naming our future band.”

You blinked. “Who said we’re starting a band?”

“I did. You’re the moody frontwoman. I’m the guy who writes all the lyrics and dies mysteriously in a tour bus fire.”

You laughed into your sleeve, shaking your head.

“You’re so weird,” you said.

“I’ve been called worse,” he replied, handing you a ten for a two-dollar coffee. “Keep the change, frontwoman.”

And yeah, maybe your heart fluttered a little as he walked away.

You tried to keep your guard up.

You really did.

But the problem with Eddie Munson wasn’t that he was charming, it was that he was accidentally charming. Offhandedly kind. Casually thoughtful. Like he didn’t even notice he was doing it.

It started small.

One morning, you were mid-rant about the supply order being wrong again, two cases of oat milk and not a single box of chai concentrate, when he walked in, raised one eyebrow, and handed you a to-go cup of tea from the gas station up the block.

“Not as fancy as what you make, but I figured if I heard ‘oat milk’ one more time I might stab myself in the thigh.”

You blinked at the cup. Then at him. “You bought me tea?”

He shrugged. “You sounded like you needed it.”

Didn’t even stay that day. Just tipped his invisible hat like a dork and walked out.

Another time, you were helping a customer with a stroller and didn’t notice the little kid’s blanket had fallen behind them. You didn’t even see Eddie outside. But five minutes later, the door opened and he held it out, folded and dirt-dusted.

“Lil dude dropped this. Figured you’d want to return it before it gets run over by the weird art teacher’s Volvo.”

Then there was the table.

Table Three had a wobble. Always had. You kept meaning to fix it, but it was one of those things you just stepped around. People complained, you apologized, they moved.

But one day, Eddie came in, sat there, leaned back, thunk thunk thunk, then disappeared for a few minutes.

Came back, sat down again.

No wobble.

You peeked under later and found a thin washer wedged perfectly under the short leg.

You didn’t say anything.

But you made sure to bring his next coffee in a really nice mug instead of a cheap one.

“Trying to seduce me with ceramics?” he asked, eyes twinkling.

You just smiled and went back to the register. “It’s on the house.”

And then… there was the door thing.

Every damn time, every time, a woman, an elderly man, a parent with a stroller was within a ten-foot radius of the front entrance, Eddie was there, stepping back, pulling it open, nodding them through like it was just… normal. Like that’s how men are supposed to behave. Not flashy, not performative. Just natural.

Callie saw it too.

“He’s either got the soul of a Southern gentleman or he’s angling for a free sandwich,” she whispered once as Eddie held the door open for a woman carrying three grocery bags and a baby on her hip.

You didn’t say it out loud, but you were pretty sure it was the first one.

Then, one slower morning, as you wiped down the window ledge and he stood at his usual corner table, stretching out a little like he’d just come off a double shift, you asked:

“What’s with the limp?”

He glanced up. “What, this ol’ thing?”

You nodded toward his knee. “You sometimes walk like you’ve either survived a war or forgot how legs work.”

He snorted, took a sip of coffee, then set it down.

“Motorcycle wreck,” he said. “Back in… ‘97, I think. Some asshole ran a red. Wrecked my bike, wrecked my knee, wrecked my summer.”

“Ouch,” you said, cringing slightly.

He shrugged like it didn’t matter. “Could’ve been worse. I still got both legs, and I didn’t die.”

You tilted your head. “You said motorcycle… was that the only injury?”

He grinned, wide and unapologetic. “Oh no. I also tore a ligament stage diving at a Corrosion of Conformity show in Chicago. Three years before that. Landed wrong. Ate shit, and busted my ass real good.”

You blinked. “You’ve injured the same knee twice?”

He held up two fingers and a smug smirk. “Double whammy. What can I say? I’ve always had commitment issues, with common sense.”

You rolled your eyes but smiled. “That explains a lot.”

He took another sip, watching you over the rim of his mug. “Yeah? Like what?”

You shrugged. “Like why you come in here occassionally limping and flirting instead of resting like a normal person.”

He grinned. “Nah, I’m not normal. I’m memorable.”

And the thing was?

He really was.

He left not long after that.

Drained his mug, flashed that familiar crooked grin, and said, “See ya tomorrow, maybe,” like it was casual, like it didn’t send a flutter through your chest every time he said it.

And then he was gone again.

The bell jingled. The door shut. The street swallowed him whole.

You stood behind the counter, hand wrapped around a lukewarm mug of honeyed tea you’d forgotten to drink, watching the last curl of his silhouette vanish past the window.

It was getting harder not to fall for it.

The charm. The wit. The way he looked at you like you were the only person in the room worth paying attention to.

He made you feel seen, not just looked at, but really seen. Like he was always studying you with that mechanic’s mind of his, figuring out how all your parts fit together and where the cracks were.

And God help you, you liked it.

You liked him.

You told yourself it was just flirting. Just harmless fun to pass the time in a sleepy town with too many gossip circles and not enough good coffee.

But it wasn’t just anything anymore.

It hadn’t been for weeks.

And maybe that was why Lorraine’s words kept echoing in the back of your mind like a leaky faucet you couldn’t quite tighten:

“He’s not the settling down type.”

You didn’t want to believe her. You didn’t want to let the fear crawl in and root itself under your ribs.

But it was there anyway. Just a little.

A question you couldn’t quite shake: Was this who he really was?

The town heartbreaker. The flirty mechanic with commitment issues and a smile he gave away too easily.

Or was he just… misunderstood?

Wounded, maybe. Still recovering from something no one had the right to explain on his behalf.

You didn’t know yet.

But you wanted to.

And that, more than anything, scared you.

Next Chapter: Chapter Three: “Check Engine Light”

Who loves Eddie Munson, show of hands! 😂 Let me know if you want to be added to my tag list! @justalotoffanfiction, @yorshie, @jackalope-in-a-storm, @v1per1ne, @daveythorntonslocker, @cokepowder55, @kelsiegrin, @ash-stardust, @meankenna, @kellsck, @chronicles-of-koystee, @micheledawn1975, @fckyeahlames, @cantstandya2000, @totallysocially

Masterlist

[gay-dorito-dust]

I forgot his name, but can I request The Hood dating hcs? Maybe someone who also uses dark magic, but in a way similar to Agatha? However, reader can’t do much, or just like, can’t use intense magic cause they’re semi-bounded, so they’re restricted in their abilities.

I tried to keep it as close to the character as much as I can, implementing shit from the comics in terms of his backstory but yeah, this is the best I can do.

you most likely met during one of his heists, both gunning after an artefact, one that would help you strengthen your magic, make you more powerful and out grow the shadow that you had made for yourself.

shadow manipulation and illisionary magic, amongst the other generic abilities dark magic tends to give you had gotten you so far, the rest relied on your ability to worm your way in close proximity of highly valued artefacts of magical origin without being spotted.

It was highly likely that John would’ve been the one to have scouted you out, going back and telling Parker all about the dark magic user that he had happened to come across while you were using your magic to track your next artefact. Parker became intrigued by you and told John to keep a close eye on you and what you did, believing that due to your background in dark magic you’d be a highly valuable asset to him, especially when it came for bigger heists yet to come in the future that weren’t in regards of breaking and entering.

Your meeting was predestined in a way, almost as if something had been pulling the strings all along, guiding Parker into finding you and bringing you into his crew. You could tell from the moment you met him that the hood he wore was brimming with dark magic, you could easily hear the demonic whispered and taunts as well as he could, hearing them ask about desires amongst other things.

‘Where did you get that.’ You pointed to the hood.

Parker shrugged. ‘Snagged it off of someone.’

‘More like something,’ you replied, still getting use to the overwhelming presence of the hood’s magic, ‘that hood is dark magic, darkest I’ve ever felt and you’re meant to tell me it’s not feeding off of you.’ You add.

Parker clenched his jaw, the hood feeling a lot warmer then it usually was upon his shoulders, knowing you were very much in the right, you were quite possibly the only person who could understand the gravitas of dark magic and the burden it carries.

You raised your brows. ‘Or is it perhaps changing you, slowly, gradually, ridding you of your humanity until there is nothing left, altering you into something…not human anymore.’ You eyed him closely before adding. ‘Dark magic has a heavy price to pay, but I’m assuming you’re aware of that by now.’

You had an inkling about the hood and it wasn’t until you came across Parker shirtless one night that you saw that your inkling was more right than you originally thought. Scales across his back and trailing the back of his neck ever so slightly, the tattoos did little to hide what was happening to him and suddenly against your own better judgement you were by his side, holding his hand as you could feel the dark magic surging through him that tethered him to the crimson hood.

‘Now you see,’ Parker said, looking you in the eye, ‘now you know.’

Now let’s just get to the relationship aspect.

Parker deeply cares those he’s closest to, particularly you and his cousin John, though that didn’t mean he didn’t care for his crew because he did but it was of how far that care extended that made you different from the others. (And not in a pick me way either, you just know more then most of the crew about the situation with his demonic hood)

It was obviously taking its toll on him and you would try and give him the space he needs, while also been close enough to offer aid should he need you to help combat the whispers within his head, wiping away the sweat the build up upon his forehead as you held his face within your hands and clam him down by using hushed wishers and allowing him to cling to you.

John -albeit skeptical of you at first, merely protective of his family- slowly began to warm up to you and come to appreciate when you could get through to Parker when he thought the Hood was taking him away from him. He could see how much you did care for Parker, having been made aware of his sick mother whom he wanted to take care of, even if it was by certain means to do so, you didn’t judge and instead would offer a shoulder to lean on as a form of reassurance that both Parker and John were thankful for.

Parker would be very protective over you, even if he was aware that you had magic on your side, yet you’ve mentioned time and time again that you were on restricted magic which meant you could only do so much before you hit your limit. Yet despite being stuck with restricted dark magic, Parker still found your ability and control over it fascinating, tracking magic, illusion magic and shadow magic were just the few that he would step back and watch you with a proud expression.

He’s just watching over you and wouldn’t be too far from you during heists, always a few steps away from doing whatever it took to keep you safe, even if it meant becoming more and more reliant on the dark magic within the hood. His care for you, for John and for his crew would often be something you reprimanded him on as Dark magic would easily use this against him.

Parker didn’t care, he knew what he was getting into and didn’t mind loosing his humanity if it meant ensuring your safety, always coming to find you after the guests were over and pressing his head against your own, happy that you were safe and sound as you return his smile and reassurance upon seeing him safe and sound. You understood and would do the same for Parker, truly believing in his vision, so you couldn’t hold it against him from protecting his own.

The crew would tease you both for being sickeningly cute, but Slug absolutely adores your relationship, John was happy that Parker was happy, the blood sisters weren’t all that bothered about your relationship but were happy for you both either way, just as long as it didn’t make either of you loose sight of the bigger picture, clown -much like slug- adored your relationship and Riri was eyeing you both as while you both were cute; you both were dangerous adversaries we versed in Dark magic that could make a simple situation go from bad to worse within the blink of an eye.

to him you didn’t have to be all powerful, for it was always those with a limited range of abilities that tended to do the most shocking things, take more people by surprise by merely emerging from their shadows in comparison to creating a wave of chaos magic to take out your adversaries. That and he would inquire you more about Dark magic in hopes he would understand what he was messing with, always keenly away that dark magic is cryptic and often has second meanings that often backfire of those who sought it for means that can be manipulated.

Affection didn’t come frequently as Parker was focused from going from one heist to the next, so there’s not much time to be soft and gentle with one another, but that doesn’t stop you from making time to be affectionate with one another while being mindful of the blackened veins upon his back and kiss across his shoulders and his jawline as you admire his features. ‘It’ll be all yours, one by one, they’ll fall before you feet I assure you.’

‘Ours.’ Parker corrects you, holding your hand. ‘Ours.’ He repeats as he pulls you into his arms, kissing your forehead as a prosperous future flashes before him, one where he would treat you better then his own father and one where you got to meet her mother for he knew that she would absolutely love you but Parker knew there’s too much work to be done before he could even fathom the idea of properly settling down. Yet it’s part of the bigger picture for Parker and he was determined to make that future a reality and not something the Hood would taunt him with.

John would tease Parker for being such a sap with you, nudging him in the shoulder and reminding him of the plan, reminding Parker that while he’s happy that he’s happy there was a time and a place to displace such vulnerability. Parker reassured John that his eyes were on the prize, knowing John’s main concern was in regard to the Hood and its manipulative nature. ‘You’re lovestruck.’ John would say teasingly as he saw Parker watch you read a dusty old tome about Dark magic while floating in mid-air.

‘How could I not.’ Parker replied, smiling as he leans against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest as he continued to admire you as John clapped his shoulder. ‘As long as you know what’s at stake and don’t make it a point to stare at them 24/7 then be a sappy shit as much as you want.’ Parker laughs, happy to know that John approved of his relationship with you, always valuing his thoughts and opinions above most, and knowing that it can only go up from here.

[love-bucky-3000]

And You Are?... pt 2 (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Summary: With Bucky's memories still missing, Nat has an idea to help bring them back.

WC: ~3000

warnings: some hurt but more comfort here

a.n. Sorry! I wanted this to come out earlier this week, but I had bad writer's block. I wanted to stretch the angst out a little more, but I could only come up with cute scenarios. I'm planning one more part to this. Again, if you have any ideas for chapters in this series, let me know!

Share and like <3

link to part 1

Your heart dropped out of your ass at those three little words. Bucky looked like he had seen a ghost and you were sure your skin was white enough to be one. Your mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Your mind was running a marathon trying to come up with a response to his question. “I’m… um… I’m” you couldn’t get it out. How could you tell him you were the love of his life that he doesn’t even remember? The engagement ring was digging into your other hand where you still gripped it. You tried to gather your thoughts as you looked around the white room, fidgeting with the ring. The nurse had stopped what she was doing, looking between the two of you, a look of confusion across her face. 

You focused on Bucky again, heart breaking at the look of desperation. His eyes were pinballing between you and the nurse. While he still looked confused, he knew he said the wrong thing. The woman standing to his right was obviously important to him or to the team so why didn’t he remember you? Bucky hated not understanding what was going on. “Can someone explain what the hell is going on?” Bucky was growing frustrated at the silence that stretched between the three of you. You couldn’t find your voice. You looked desperately to the nurse, silently begging her to do something. Fix it? Explain? You don’t know what you were begging for. Your right hand spinning your ring quicker as the time passed, your anxiety worsening. You looked out the med bay window into the hall, hoping Nat or someone stayed back, but no one appeared. Bucky caught the movement of your hands, turning his head to get a better look, the bandage wrapped around his head pulling at the stitches, making him let out a small hiss. 

Your head whipped back around to check on him, a habit you didn’t want to think about breaking. Your hand let go of your ring as your hand had a mind of its own and reached out to steady his head. You pulled it back like you touched fire, letting it drop to the railing of the medical bed. 

Bucky watched as the ring on your finger glistened in the harsh lighting. Why did it look familiar? The gold around the band was worn. Was it from you playing with it or was it really that old? A million questions and thoughts were rushing through Bucky’s mind as he watched you flex your fingers around the railing, your head dropping between your shoulders to look at the white bedding covering Bucky’s legs.

The light of the med bay caught the side of the ring, revealing an engraving on the side. Bucky struggled to see the ring from a distance but when he saw it, his own heart sank. “W + G, 1910” was engraved on the side. Oh shit. It turns out, that ring really was that old. Not because you’ve been married that long, but because it was his own mother’s ring. He looked down at his own left hand, seeing the metal ring finger adorning its own embellishment around the base. 

Bucky’s racing heart was caught by the heart monitor around his finger. You glanced up at the monitor, eyebrows furrowing, before looking back at Bucky. The emotions inside Bucky couldn’t be controlled. He was upset he didn’t know who you were. He couldn’t imagine what you were going through. Bucky felt his eyes welling up with tears as he met yours.

You were shocked to see Bucky in tears. You watched his eyes dart between your own, your hand and his hand, attempting to put the pieces together. He finally broke the silence, his voice wavering. “I gave that to you, didn’t I?” You didn’t think you could be broken down any further. You shakily nodded, sniffing. You didn’t notice the nurse leaving the room, your eyes trained on Bucky’s chest as it rose and felt with every breath, refusing to meet his eye. 

You took a deep breath before answering, a poor attempt at steadying your own voice. “On our 5th anniversary, you did…” you trailed off. “5th?.. Fuck..” Bucky said under his breath, shocked that he couldn’t recall a single moment of them. Your sniffles broke his heart. His body and emotions seemed to remember you. 

You stepped back from the bed, wrapping your arms around yourself, shielding yourself from all the emotions. Bucky’s hand shot out to grab your bicep before he knew what he was doing. “Uhh…” he started to say, but really didn’t know what to say to make matters any better. You let him take your arm, missing his touch already. His thumb rubbed your arm as he thought about his next words. “I, um, I don’t really know what to say. You were mine and I was yours. I don’t know why I can’t remember it.” Your heart squeezed at the past tense. You went to console him. It wasn’t his fault after all when the same nurse came back into the room with the doctor in tow. 

“I’m sorry to cut your time short, Y/N, but nothing in Mr. Barnes’ scans indicated he would have memory troubles. I have to ask you to come back tomorrow. We have more tests to run.” 

You sadly nodded and left the room without sparing Bucky another glance. It hurt you to do so, but he didn’t remember you anyway. You didn’t see Bucky’s face fall as you turned your back on him. You didn’t know how Bucky’s own heart broke as he watched your shoulders slump. You didn’t know how his heart remembered you even when his brain struggled to.

Right now, it’s been close to a week since you last saw Bucky. You know the team has been taking turns seeing him so you knew he wasn’t alone. Nat kept you updated on his condition. He’s completely healed aside from the memory loss. Nat said they moved him to one of the med bay apartments- a small sterile apartment above the medical ward for any patients needing extra watch. She said he had a type of retrograde amnesia that caused him to forget recent memories, but weirdly, he could remember a lot of his older memories. “Of course, he had to retain his Hydra memories and forget me," you thought bitterly. 

Nat sipped on the coffee you had offered her after she came to your apartment after her last visit with Bucky. “He remembered me from our time in Russia and just a touch after that. I’ve tried to talk to him about you to try and jog his memories, but nothing works. I think he’s getting frustrated. He knows you're important to him, he just can’t remember why.” You sighed sadly. You ran the cat brush through Alpine’s fluffy fur as she laid on the couch between you and Nat. You were both happily watching Alpine do her thing when Nat quickly put her coffee on the side table. “I have an idea!” she exclaimed. ‘Okay… and what is it?”

“We can take Alpine to see Bucky tomorrow. Maybe she’ll help!” Of course, you nodded, feeling a little bitter that a cat might jog his memory before his future wife does, but Alpine was his little buddy. It would do him some good to spend time with her. Plus, Alpine misses him. She’s been sleeping next to his pillow the past few nights. You’ve been sleeping in his hoodie so you can’t blame her. “Just let me know when to get her packed, she can stay with him for a couple nights if he feels up to it.” God, this feels like you were divorced parents and you were dropping off your kid for dad’s weekend. Nat left soon after the idea, stating she would be back around lunch time tomorrow. 

The next morning, you got Alpine’s stroller (Yes, Bucky bought her a pink stroller) packed with a couple of her toys, the portable litter box, food and water bowls, and a few cans of her favorite wet food and a bag of dry food. If she needed anything else, the med bay was only 5 minutes from your apartment in the complex. You got dressed yourself in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. You had no one to impress anyway.

Nat arrived at exactly 11 a.m. and let herself into the apartment. You placed Alpine in her stroller and watched as Nat cooed at her through the mesh cover. For a spy, she sure had a soft spot for animals. You followed Nat down the winding halls to the med bay then up the elevator to the med apartments. You were nervous to see Bucky again, your palms sweaty where they held to the stroller handles. Alpine meowed all the way up the elevator, not enjoying the physics. Thankfully, the elevator took no time at all to go up one floor. It opened to a sleek hallway with two doors on each side for the four apartments. Nat walked up to the second door on the left and turned back to you before knocking. 

“You okay?” You took a deep breath, nodded and joined her at the door. She looked you over and knocked on the door. The door almost immediately opened, like he was waiting by the door. It revealed Bucky standing on the other side of the door. He wore jeans and a grey t-shirt that strained over his biceps. “H-hi! It’s good to see you again,” he said to you, completely ignoring Nat, who huffed playfully and let herself into the apartment, leaving you and Bucky standing in the doorway.

His eyes looked at you like he never left. If you let yourself believe, he looked like he was falling for you all over again. You blushed and greeted him in return. “Come in please! I’ve been wanting to see the child everyone keeps saying I have.” You laughed and pushed Alpine into the front hallway, her eyes wide and taking in the new environment. “She’s a handful,” you joked back and Alpine took that moment to meow. Bucky laughed and guided you to the living room with a hand barely touching your lower back. Your heart thumped at the feeling.

Nat was in the living room setting up a small bed on the armchair for Alpine. You parked the stroller. “Sit, she can be squirmy,” you said to Bucky. It was comical seeing Bucky’s 6 foot something frame waiting eagerly on the couch for a ball of fluff. You felt his eyes never leaving your frame as you unzipped the top of the stroller and picked up the feline, who surprisingly didn’t attempt to jump from your arms. “Well, aren’t you behaving today,” you said to her while gently kissing the top of her white head. She started purring as you rubbed her back. You sat her on the couch next to Bucky, watching as she sniffed along the couch until she reached Bucky’s leg. She jerked slightly back when her nose hit his jeans, but stayed and sniffed again. “Put your hand out, let her smell,” you instructed. Bucky listened and gently showed Alpine his flesh hand. Curiosity got the best of her as she sniffed his hand. You kept a hand petting her back and you felt her motor roaring from her purrs. 

Shockingly, Alpine crept forward and put both front paws onto Bucky’s thigh. “Hiya, pretty girl, I heard you and your momma loved me, is that still true?” Alpine’s ear perked up at the nickname for her. Bucky has always called her that. Your heart broke a little more as you ducked your head, tears threatening to spill over. You let Alpine do her thing. She ended up curled up on Bucky’s lap as he stroked her fur.

The three humans in the room caught up a little. You mostly stayed quiet as you listened to Nat explain some stories to Bucky. Nat checked her phone and she groaned. “What’s up, Nat?” you asked. “Steve just scheduled a team training session in an hour, I need to go. Sorry, guys.” Nat got up to gather her things and you went to do the same, but Bucky gently grabbed your arm before you could get off the couch. His touch burned in a way you have felt in a while. It wasn’t bad. It was just those sparks from when your crush first touched you.

“Stay? If you don’t have anything else to do?” Bucky pleaded, his grip on your wrist was loose enough for you to leave if you wanted, but Bucky looked sad to see you leaving and you could never resist those puppy dog eyes. “Sure, Buck, I can stay for a while.” His smile was beaming. You said goodbye to Nat as she left. Bucky may have missed the wink she sent, but you didn’t. You sent her a half hearted glare as she left.

“You can turn on the TV, watch whatever. This little rat on my lap won’t let me move,” Bucky laughed as Alpine stood up to stretch, then immediately lay back down. You fondly shook your head at her and flicked on the TV. Whatever Bucky had watched previously was on commercial break and it was a pretty scene about a local bakery. You turned to ask Bucky what he wanted to watch, but his face was white as a sheet, eyes unmoving as they stared at the TV, his hand paused halfway to petting Alpine. “Uh, Bucky, you okay?” He didn’t respond, but he was breathing. You decided to give him a second, worried this was some sort of PTSD flashback. It was a flashback, but not the unwelcome kind. Bucky’s mind was racing with a memory he couldn’t believe he didn’t remember. 

Flashback from Bucky’s POV

“Ohmygoshh, this is amazing!!” you exclaimed after your bite of the cupcake. The weather was warm, but the breeze was cool. Spring. It  must be spring, Bucky thought. In front of himself was a slice of blueberry (?) pie. Flashback Bucky looked at the surroundings. They were sitting in front of a small bakery, the outside colors reminding him of the cotton candy he would splurge on at Coney Island for his sister. He watched you lick a bit of frosting from your finger then take a drink from the glass of water in front, his body warming at the sight of you in a pretty pale sundress. Your hair was pulled back, little strands hanging in your face. He longed to push them back so they stopped hiding your beauty from him.

You sat back and smiled at him, his heart beat picking up. He felt himself smile back. “You gonna try yours?” Your words came out of your mouth easily in the flashback. You weren’t nervous here. Bucky couldn’t wait to see and know this version of you again. Bucky chuckled as he lifted his fork filled with pie to his mouth and ate it. The flavors blossomed across his tongue and he couldn’t help but let out a satisfied groan. You laughed at him, but you were blushing, staring at his lips. Was that where this flashback was headed?

You went to say something when something else caught your attention. Bucky watched as your head whipped around towards the alleyway beside the bakery. “What’s wrong?” Bucky asked but you shushed him. Bucky strained his own ears to catch any noises, but all he heard was the busy traffic and a few bird calls. You kept your ears trained on the alley, but Bucky guessed you didn’t hear anything else since you turned back to him. You shrugged and took another bite of your cupcake. “Thought I heard something,” you said after you swallowed the bite. Bucky nodded and you two continued to eat your dessert. 

You were cleaning up the table when your head whipped around again. “I knew it!” You exclaimed and took off running down the alleyway. Bucky let out a silent curse and took off after you, no telling what you were up to. Bucky skidded around the corner and saw you crouched beside a dumpster, talking to something softly. You stood up before he could ask what you were doing and turned around. The first thing he saw was the biggest smile on your face. His own dopey smile making its way on to his face. “Can we keep her?” You asked and Bucky looked at you in confusion. “What… oh.” 

Gently held against your chest was the tiniest kitten he had ever seen. You walked up to him. Bucky watched as you used a napkin from the bakery to wipe off the muck from the kitten’s head, revealing white fur under the brown dirt. You turned your back to Bucky so he could get a better look at the kitten’s face. He rested his hand on your opposite shoulder and peaked down at the kitten. Its bright blue eyes peered up at him and its mouth opened in the tiniest meow he ever heard. “Hey, pretty girl, you wanna come home with us?” It meowed again and you laughed and leaned back into Bucky’s chest. 

End Flashback

The image of the two of you in the alleyway fizzled out and Bucky was suddenly back in his apartment, the sterile smell from the med bay below assaulting his senses. A random TV show was playing. Bucky shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned to you. You were looking at him with so much concern that it almost took his breath. 

“I know how we met Alpine.”

tags for this series: @bingbongsupremacy @greatenthusiasttidalwave

[tarotnoob]

Pick a Card: Next Romantic Partner & What Could Be Blocking Your Love Life

This is a next romantic partner reading. It contains messages that will help you if you feel that there are blocks to finding your person. And then there's also the part where I describe that person or how you could potentially meet them.

Pile 1: The Star Pile 2: King of Cups Pile 3: The Magician

Please pick one pile and then scroll for your reading. It's up to you to decide if you want to read this if you're not single.

Keep in mind, I'm pretty honest in my readings. They're long because I tried to be as specific as possible for as many scenarios as possible. But of course tarot reading is not science. Please do not take it as absolute truth. Not just for me but from any reader that you interact with.

Also I'm sorry for typos as always because I voice to text my readings.

Pile 1

I think you know by now I only speak the truth. More than about being a romantic partner although I might try to draw some cards to make sure I can describe a person. What I'm actually getting is more advice on what to do to manifest your next relationship or what you should be doing before you even enter into another relationship. This is actually showing me that there is some work for you, or potentially even this partner to do, before you guys can come into Union so to speak. 

Because what I'm getting is somebody who has a tendency to be very caring, to the point that you may attract people who would take advantage of your kindness and empathy. So to me the eight of pentacles represents the work that you need to do. The seven of swords is showing me that either in the past or currently or whatever, that there have been people who have taken advantage of you. Lied to you. Cheated on you. So you've either already done the work to set boundaries and recover from those situations or you need to. Some of you might have even gone through abusive relationships and are either hoping to meet someone after resolving those issues or you are at the phase where you're still doing the work. It's also possible someone may come across this and need validation that this relationship you're currently in is not healthy. Because even the oracle card says codependency. Addictions are affecting your romantic life. 

Those can be your addictions or someone else's of course depending on the situation. This can be even the need to habitually be in a relationship or obsess about the next relationship or a partner or when you're going to be dating somebody.

And the little tarot deck that I have here, shows the Aquarius and ten of wands. So again that's almost like a difficult journey or burden and then the star is actually a card that represents rebirths and coming to that point after a hard journey or difficult situation. Also notice how the ten of wands looks a lot like the seven of swords. And that can be that you are carrying something from another relationship. If it's guilt or bitterness. Those are things that tend to happen after a betrayal in a relationship anyway. And there's a lot of emphasis on death here and strength and Earth mother so again there's just lots of stuff here about willpower and ends and New beginnings and femininity and womanhood or feminine energy. So to me I'm getting a lot of healing happening here. 

So you're like okay but what does this have to do with my next romantic partner? Well like I said I have to tell the truth. If you haven't gone through this healing process or you are still in the works of it, maybe this is a message to keep working on that before you feel like entering into a new relationship. I can relate to that. I've been healing from an abusive relationship for a long time. And will I ever completely heal? I don't know but have I really dated since then seriously? I haven't. And no I don't even know if I would be ready if that person hit me in the face and I'm often wondering well have I healed enough? Or some people say you know even if you haven't healed completely then does that mean you aren't deserving of a relationship? You can't have a healthy relationship? Me a few years ago probably would have said no because usually people who aren't healed or have some type of hole that they need to fill can end up taking that out on a partner. But there probably is a difference between being in the process of healing or somewhere in the middle and someone who genuinely has issues and would still remain abusive if they were to get into a new relationship or would still be susceptible to being abused in a relationship because they haven't entirely created boundaries.

This isn't meant to scare you but it's definitely meant as a message I need to pass on or as validation if it's something that you have experienced. Now let's talk about okay you've done the healing and you are ready for a relationship. Let's hope that the cards understood I would never want you to end up with somebody bad so they shouldn't be showing your next relationship is going to be in any way abusive. So for this pile in particular I want to draw more cards about okay yeah but tell me about the person who is waiting for you out there. Show me the person take that one 

It's funny when I grabbed you more cards and I did additional tarot cards I ended up with the star at the back of the deck. So you could be an Aquarius or you could meet them during that season or they could be an Aquarius. I would also say even though it's not really that these animal oracle cards are tarot, they definitely remind me of those cards so Leo, Scorpio, Libra or Taurus Eva.

I'm still going to use your old cards but I want to tell you about the new ones that came out when I asked specifically okay we don't want any messages we want to know about the person. So there is six of pentacles, getting to know each other as you reveal your innermost selves to each other your bond deepens, stay optimistic about your love life positive thinking and faith will bring you romance, three of wands, queen of cups 

So again definitely lots of contemplation about when will this happen, when will I meet this person, a sense of being pessimistic about if this will ever happen or why you keep being drawn to the wrong people. Six of pentacles again I'm feeling like you're somebody who gives a lot of themselves and doesn't always get as much back but you're looking for somebody who gives as much as you do. You want an equal relationship where nobody is being taken advantage of and there isn't some kind of crazy power dynamic. 

Totally understandable after the things you've gone through. Queen of cups and the Three of wands again of just seeing somebody thinking about the future, what's going to happen next. Maybe there's so much emphasis on what's going to happen or why isn't it happening that it could be blocking this manifestation. I don't usually say stuff like that because sometimes I think it's hokey. But yeah it's just like not having a lot of faith that this will come. So I guess I can say with this stay optimistic card is that it is coming. You shouldn't rush into anything. Definitely if somebody comes along that you need to take the time to really get to know each other. I would definitely suggest not rushing into anything with somebody. And again this might be saying for the second time that you really need to take time to figure yourself out and what you want and heal any wounds from previous relationships before you get into the next relationship. 

Yes I also find this frustrating because I thought it would be more specific about the person and I hate to look at the cards and be like well it's got to be a person like this but I feel like it keeps wanting me to tell you that maybe it will be a while and like I said there are things you need to do with yourself or again it could be about your partner having to do this first. 

But let me try to now look at everything from the perspective of what kind of person this energy would draw in or if I look at this more like how is it describing your next partner. But please really keep in mind that if this sounds like you and deep down you know that you're not ready or that you still have work to do that this is the message for you and we can end it here. It doesn't mean you'll never find anybody, it just means that now's not the right time for her relationship. 

But for those who have done the work and feel like they've been healed and are still wondering okay I've done the healing I've gone through all this. I don't feel like I'm that bitter anymore or if I am it's a normal amount and I'm trying so where's my person? These are valid questions. And I find them very relatable 

Now let's pretend all these cards are solely about the person and not you.

I actually feel like probably they will mirror you in certain ways like about your journey or having gone through some rough relationships and having to do their own work and set their own boundaries and even having that skepticism of whether they're going to meet somebody.

I would say that yeah they would have to be compassionate to sometimes a fault. I think they are a person who is genuinely kind. I think that they think a lot about the future. They could have recovered from not just issues of codependency and relationships or with friends or family or whatever other that mostly probably includes boundaries. They could also have had issues of becoming obsessed or addicted in other ways. They could be recovering from drinking or gambling issues or just like obsessively shopping online. Mostly I'm not really seeing things like that. I'm seeing more someone who really had to learn that they didn't need to get validation from other people. And again it doesn't just have to be romantic partners. They could have issues with family and trying to appease them. Having them people pleasers at some point and really having to learn that they need to respect them themselves first. So there's been a lot of contemplation about that as well. 

I think sometimes they can be a little lonely as people can when they are kind but feel like they can't always connect on the same level. I would say very empathetic especially about world events. When other people suffer, they tend to hurt too.

I think they're very generous. They might have this is very specific but like a Venus that's very domestic. Like a Venus in cancer which is funny because I think we're entering that now maybe? I'm not sure. They could be a cancer or some other water sign. Because I get the sense that their love language is more about actions than words. In fact this person may have a difficult time verbally expressing how they feel. They could be a bit more introverted. They might even prefer to be alone rather than out in a crowd or partying.

Again the getting to know each other card could indicate that you meet through a friend group or a friend of a friend, at a party, on a dating app, on a blind date. It would be a very slow process. I'm also suddenly getting Gemini energy because we tend to like to get to know each other but if the other person moves too fast you can scare us off. So I feel like both of you are kind of like that but this person especially might want to take it slow.

They could be quite alluring and mysterious. Not only are they attractive, but they're very deep. They might want to have deep conversations. They could be a bit prideful. They might not be shallow or anything but I think they definitely care about their looks. I feel like they have really nice hair. Whether it's a man or a woman I feel like they have really thick nice hair. Well groomed in the hair area. As in it's not like long and Tangled and unkempt. Well it could be long but it's not going to be all over the place.

I do think that they have a strong personality. Even if they aren't extroverted, I'm not seeing them as shy. I see them as quite loyal. For the most part, it does seem like they have a steady job or steady income and are responsible or reliable in that type of financial area. As for what they actually do? I guess it could be a lot of different things if a lot of people are reading. I am feeling like they are a very unique individual. Because I'm still seeing these oracle cards as their tarot cards. With that Leo and Scorpio and Libra and Taurus energy plus a bit of Aquarius. That would make somebody be very intense. I'm capable of being flirtatious. Naturally attractive. Unique style or a unique perspective on life. If I had all of these qualities, what kind of job would I do? Aesthetic and bold. They could be a graphic designer or an artist but someone who has a very unique style of art. What I would be seeing is someone whose brain is almost kind of mathematical and how they do art. I don't know art well enough to compare that to something but I guess I would say very sharp imagery like geometric patterns or modern art that focuses on natural elements organic elements. That's so specific. Basically they could be doing anything but they have a very sharp and unique and narrow perspective or niche I guess would be the word with what they do. Not just an artist but somebody who paints this type of specific style about this specific type of subject a person who is an accountant but they're an accountant in this specific industry that focuses on this.

Again I'm feeling for sure you would be meeting them through a friend group. I guess you could be set up by mutual friends or it's a very casual get-together of people and then you get introduced to this person. But basically any situation where it might be kind of awkward at first because you don't really know each other and you have to sit down and talk and ask questions and not just that but you both have to maybe put effort into keeping the conversation going. Not because it's boring or weird or anything, it's that you both might be a little bit rusty when it comes to romance or relationships or having these types of conversations. 

And I think you both might be thinking okay I don't want to get too deep into this because I don't want to scare them off. Or you could even thank or not realize that it could potentially go somewhere. It might feel like oh I'm just like we're just talking and then you get to talking you're like I don't know I kind of like this person. But again I still feel like the cards are saying don't rush into it. Not just because you shouldn't rush into it but because I think the other person doesn't want to rush into it. And again I'm really seeing that this person is quite generous. Especially with their friends or family. As in they give them money when they need it or give them practical gifts when they need it. Like oh my dad said he needed a new fishing pole because the last one just got broken so you buy them a new fishing pole and a couple of lures. I don't know why that example it's just what came to mind. But not just like a gift card. Nothing wrong with gift cards but it's like oh you said you needed that so I went ahead to the store and got it for you and it's functional. They aren't going to give you something that's crazy overpriced and kind of superficial just to impress you. They're going to give you something that you said you need or they know you need.

I think they're really good at offering solutions. Now if you want to vent to somebody just to have them listen, I'm not sure this would be the person for you LOL because I do feel like this is a person that will listen but then expects that you want a solution unless told otherwise. Because there's something very practical about this person. Logical. I don't think they're stiff in any way I just think they lean more toward being rational and logical than being emotional. 

The only number that comes up twice is eight eight. So they could be born on the 8th or in the 8th month or you could meet on the 8th. Your first date could be on the 8th.

I feel like they have a lot of responsibility or have a feeling they need to carry more than they should. So I think what you could do for them to show them affection or what they want in terms of a love language would be well it's kind of difficult to pinpoint. Because this feels like somebody who is pretty used to doing things on their own so they aren't used to other people doing stuff for them. So I would guess that what comes to mind first is something simple like let's say they come out of a store and they're carrying a lot of bags and then you made them and they're pretty intent on carrying all of them and you're like do you want me to carry a couple of those? 

And at first they might be like no I got it but then you just take it. Like slowly and burdening this person of things where you can. Like they say something like well I'm so busy I got to go get groceries and then I have to go pick up some stamps and then I need to go do this and you're like well I can go to the post office and get you some stamps that's on my way to go do this thing. And I'm like I don't know that's too much trouble and you're like no really bro I can do it. Thank you but I still feel like they're going to be resistant to allowing other people to help them. And that's really again because they're used to doing things all on their own and taking care of themselves. They're pretty independent.

In terms of entertainment they might like things where they mostly are by themselves. These could be like doing more solo sports like golf. Although I could see them playing pickleball I guess. Going to an exhibit by themselves. Going to the movies by themselves. I don't think they're a complete hermit, I just think they like to do things on their own. I don't think they're antisocial either because I do see them doing things with a small group of friends or maybe even into sports or Ellie's like doing things outdoors running hiking walking working out. I'm feeling a lot of Scorpio now because I feel like I'm just constantly worrying or brooding I guess is the right word. And then I feel like a little Libra coming in too. I guess I feel a lot of different things. Granted that this could be that there are different signs for different people. But mostly I just think this person isn't easy to fit into a box. They are complex. They're smart. But they are empathetic and think deeply and feel deeply like a Scorpio. But I have very bold ideas and bold thoughts and bold ways of expressing themselves when they do. And yet I do think there's something very open and spiritually about them that they can appreciate the beauty of a moment. The beauty of the sunrise. The beauty of an intimate experience with a friend or loved one enough to say that wow you know this is something I want to remember forever.

And I think you'll be drawn to that mysteriousness and allure and sensuality. You might be a bit nervous about it because I'm feeling like you or I guess this could be vice versa but so one of you is that type of person and the other is more like air energy and kind of anxious but what you have and in common is that kindness and these experiences that you went through in life that are similar so you are both at a place where you have learned similar lessons even if individually you might have different personalities I think in you they might find some what do I want to say whimsy? Softness? Optimism I? You are more like a light to them I guess while they see themselves as not like a dark brooding figure and they are more grounded and serious than you are. You might get youthfully excited about silly things and they might find those things I won't say trivial but wouldn't have been as excited as you but they grow excited by seeing you be excited. I don't feel any of the possessiveness of a Scorpio. So there's nothing telling me that this person would want to hurt you in any way. Thanks or have some secret tendencies of manipulating. 

I really meant to keep these piles short but I guess if I can tell you as much as possible that can help. Any final thoughts let me see. Nope I think we covered pretty much everything. I'm seeing lots of muted colors. I was trying to decide if there's a color that stands out for me but really I'm just saying muted greens and blues and Earth tones. Not jewel tones because it's not that bright but not pastel either. Nice Earth tones so I guess my advice is also be as authentic as you possibly can because I think they'll be attracted to that aspect of you which is why they're more likely rather than during a one-on-one conversation but when they see you interacting with other people in an authentic way they will be charmed by that moment. Like if you do meet at a party even after you've had that conversation.

They're more likely to then after you leave and interact with other people to be watching you and how you interact with those people and something about what you do or how you talk or some small gesture that you do like tucking your hair behind your ear or the way you laugh will be something they'll be drawn to. I definitely don't think they like people who put upprete Texas or act fake. If you do act fake in any way I think that they would be turned off. You wouldn't even have a chance with them. And yeah I think they'll be drawn to something that they see as being unique not like kind of oh pick me out I'm so special kind of way. Just this aspect of you that they happen to observe and find charming. That's all.

Pile 2

Why is this giving a bit of the same vibes as pile one. Pile one there was an issue regarding codependency. This time we have cards talking about control issues. It also kind of fits with the tarot cards. The eight of swords and the Ace of swords. I'm getting kind of like the same idea that okay you are locked in and tied up here and then you have this Ace of swords that could cut your bindings so that you're free. In fact it almost is giving me five of cups because you can't see it but there's the sword in the bottom left corner of that card and it's like oh if you could just see it if you could just reach it you could get yourself out of the situation.

But the let go of control issues card says allow this situation to unfold naturally. It's kind of a strange image on here because it looks like a woman who's holding a vase with probably water or I don't know. And she looks like she has a kid. And then there is a guy to the side that's a little bit shady looking who's staring at them. With these angels in the background. To me it's actually a pretty uncomfortable card but we'll come back to that.

We also have the king of cups. And the four of wands. These are two spectacular cards right. Then we have the Divine card, the lovers card, and rise card. The Divine card reminds me a lot of the king of cups. But also clearly it would remind me of the high priestess or the empress because it's a lot about feminine energy. It's about pure flowing emotion, rooted and overflowing with sympathy and compassion.

Then we have the lovers card which says this is a card about choosing love or fear. You can choose to live out of love or live in resistance to love one opens the heart while the other closes it. And then you have the rise card which says rising out of the ashes, taking those first steps after darkness, finding your wings and a new dawn. Yeah this is very similar to pile one 

I guess it's possible people would be going through similar things around relationships or you could have been drawn to both piles. I thought pile one just had a lot of advice for the people who picked it and then I tried to talk about okay but but tell me more about the actual person that will be next. Although sometimes the cars are like I don't care about that I'm just going to tell people what they need to hear. And it's like that's great and all but like people want a fun reading with everything happening in the world so could you just be chill.

So again like with the first pile there's this sense of coming out of a situation where maybe things didn't work. So maybe a lot of you have had past the experiences that didn't work out well. You might be in between whether you actually want a relationship or not because of what you've been through. You might not have even been in a serious relationship for a while. You could be skeptical of being in a relationship. So I think the cards are basically saying you know rather than worry about all those negatives or what ifs, just let the next relationship come to you naturally. There's really nothing that you can possibly do about it to make it come in quicker or know the very exact details of the person that's coming.

So if you want more advice you can always scroll up to pile one but ignore the part where I talk about codependency and potentially abusive relationships that could have happened to you before. That could be a case for some of you here. It's not talking about that directly. To me again it's talking more about giving advice regarding this pile seems more intense than the previous pile and how much you want to know about what's coming. You know there are people who are like okay we'll like maybe I just want to know some details are like something but the people in this pile make me feel like okay I'm expecting an Excel spreadsheet with the exact details of what they're going to look like, how many kids we're going to have, how much money they make and like how many people they've dated and probably people who go to different readers and ask them about their next romantic partner. Like you've asked 50 different people and it still doesn't satisfy you. I'm not saying that's a bad thing that's a question I've asked readers a lot too. They all give me different answers. I haven't met the person yet so I kind of understand why people keep going.

But what I'm imagining is let's say you're sitting on a bench and you're so busy scrolling through your phone reading about like astrology things or checking up on what other tarot readers are saying that you don't even notice that your person just walked by you on the bench. You're not even paying attention to what's in front of you anyway. So much so that you are actually getting in the way of your chances of finding your person. So I do think the cards are saying let go and chill out a little bit and that will make you more likely to meet a person. Now let's get into okay so who the hell is this person? The last file I wanted to draw more because I felt like okay yeah great you guys gave your advice. But who is the person. If I just use the cards that are in front of me…

And that's what I used to describe the person. The king of cups is a great card right. It wouldn't make me think that you two would be kind of a match in the sense that one person would be the king of cups and the other person seems like the queen of cups. So you could both be water signs I guess. That doesn't really matter to me. But in the other sense you both just seem like really compassionate people. Or this person is very heavy in water and maybe air as well. But there's a lot of compassion and empathy and kindness. Somebody who would be a good listener. Regardless of the gender, they might gravitate more toward being in their feminine energy.

I feel like it's also somebody who tends to be kind of a cheerleader for their partner. You know somebody who's like really enthusiastic and whenever you feel down they're going to say you know you got this. They could have a bit of Gemini in them. Or like a Gemini Moon. I'm definitely feeling a lot of water and this spark of air particularly yes Gemini. So also really good at communication. I feel like they would be very direct. I when I say cheerleader I don't mean like it's fake enthusiasm. When you need to be told something, like this is how it is then this person will say that but for the most part they don't feel the need to be direct or blunt or honest in a way that would feel hurtful. As some Gemini can be I can say that because I am one. Sometimes I'm so interested in being honest that the way I say it can be very self-righteous 

This card about control issues could be something that they went through in their own life. Like having to learn to let go and relax. This could be more about spiritual practices as well. Always kind of getting in your own way when it comes to manifestation or just worrying so much about things playing out in a certain way that you never let it happen naturally. And in theory yeah those things can create blockages. When you get to specific about the things that you want it doesn't really allow the universe to do what it does.

I think this person might like to gossip a little bit. They could have a cat or you could or they just might really like animals or be good with animals. You could meet them at a party, particularly like a happy celebration such as a wedding in particular or an anniversary party or birthday. I think they have a pretty upbeat personality. They might be from somewhere near water or really enjoy the water. They might like to travel. I feel like they're really observant because the king of cups in this card has like a telescope in his hand so it makes me think that he watches people very carefully. But again I'm picking up that they're quite the gossip. They would enjoy watching like let's say for example that this was a guy. Not that it couldn't be a woman. Brian is saying like a guy or woman this person would watch stupid reality TV shows with you like The bachelor or love Island. They might say they don't like it but they do. Like silly gossip stupid stuff. They would get a kick out of it because they aren't uptight or snobby about their entertainment. They seem like they would be pretty light-hearted and fun. Again I'm getting lots of Gemini or even Libra. But a lot of water 

I do think they are a bit opinionated or have lots of different opinions on things. I think they could be quite chatty or sociable. I think that Gemini is coming through again in that they like to learn things. And they learn things by talking to people or asking people things. They might come from a family where they have several siblings. Like more than usual. They might be somebody that dies their hair frequently or has really kind of like an interesting fashion style 

I do think that they are probably either religious or spiritual. I'm also wondering if I need to give a very specific message to somebody that could be like okay well I'm in a situation where my parents want me to partake in an arranged marriage. But I don't feel comfortable doing that and would rather get to know somebody naturally. Or like a situation where okay there is an arranged marriage but you want to be able to get to know the person better before you actually have to marry them. Which I think when people do this they can meet up and talk and it's not like it has to happen right away. Some of you could be single parents or they could be a single parent and it's not like I'm saying that as an issue but I keep coming back to the control issues image on that card. And I guess I'm seeing a specific scenario for anybody reading in India. But even so when I look at the other cards it's making me think you're not trapped or you know there's a way out of it that can either be through asking for something or some type of communication. Or saying whatever it is you need to say to either your family or the person that they set you up with 

But yeah I just feel like somebody's really worried about making the wrong decision or saying something wrong or not saying a thing or trying to make everything feel perfect or wanting everything to come out perfectly. I think that's the major control issue thing here. Is somebody expecting perfection and everything wrapped up nicely in a bow. That's just not realistic 

And if it is the case I kind of feel like this person isn't going to be what you expected anyway. If you put down a list of all the things that this person is. I think they'll be different. Because you expected like somebody on a 12 out of 10 scale and not to say this person isn't a 12 but they're more of like a personality find. They could be perfectly good looking but this is more about their personality and I think you'll fall in love with their kindness and empathy and ability to listen to you. 

Like when you talk they aren't looking at their Apple watch or their phone. They're genuinely listening to you and they won't interrupt you when you talk. And then instead of giving like cold advice I think they would say something in a way that's very encouraging but not patronizing. They'd be very easy to talk to. Very charming and romantic. Probably a little witty but I still feel like the most important quality about them is their kindness and not many people are able to encourage others. Lots of people want encouragement themselves. But this person is very happy to let other people shine and wants them to shine and thinks that they should help other people to feel good about themselves. Just a genuinely nice person. I would even venture to say that they come from a good family that gave them a good upbringing.

I don't feel like they're the oldest in the family. When I go back to the siblings card I would think that they have siblings that kind of taught this person how to behave or act and because of that family they've kind of grown up to be a good person. Again I'm wondering if they are from somewhere near water or genuinely enjoy being near water. I'm getting a lot of emphasis on water here. Even when I look at the mountains in these cards I'm seeing them as water.

What's interesting is I talked about that little telescope and then in this Divine card it looks like she has eyes all over her body. Which kind of makes me think of the Uchiha eyeballs but anyway. So again there's a lot of emphasis on watching or being watched. I mean it could be that this person is either super observant or they also might have a lot of admirers who watch them. Like I don't know even some of you might attract a celebrity I guess now I'm hearing the song I've got this feeling somebody's watching me.

I'm pretty sure you're not manifesting a stalker. But maybe it's part of their job or something else. I'm seeing it as being really observant. Almost two very particular degree almost to that perfectionist level that I was feeling. Like I feel really focused on something. Maybe that's why I feel so focused that this person is tied up.

But again this could be something from their past or something that is in your personality where there's so much focus on something that I guess I don't want to say it doesn't matter cuz that could be invalidating but these other cards are showing me that like you're much happier when you're free. When you aren't worrying or watching what other people are doing or comparing yourself to what people show on social media which is mostly fake. If you have to post your life on social media so that other people can think that you're doing great then that person probably isn't doing great right. Because if you were truly happy with your life as is you wouldn't need validation from other people. 

I'm not saying that's all social media is but I think we all know that when it comes to influencers they put the best stuff out there when it almost never is like how they show in photos. So there's no point in comparing yourself to what you see on social media. It's more about just go out and do what makes you happy and that might be the solution for how you find your person. Actually living life instead of being tucked inside somewhere or limiting yourself because you have a certain expectation. I almost feel like you know in the past you could have been with people and kind of nitpicked them to death. Like made them feel they had to be a certain way that you wanted instead of letting them just be themselves. Or it could be vice versa perhaps you dated somebody who told you you know what to wear or that you should lose weight or that kind of stuff.

So take that however any of it resonates but my advice would be if you're asking how to find the person well you need to do the things that you enjoy. Like you would meet them going to a party or going on vacation or going out with friends and just having fun instead of scrolling on your phone and not paying attention and letting life go by. By not having really specific narrow expectations of what this person should be like. Like nobody's perfect and you're going to miss out on somebody really great if you are looking at social media and you're like wow I wish I could have somebody that's perfect like that and we just get a dog and get married and have a cute little house and it's like well that even make you happy that's just what you see online and think will make you happy. So once you go through that phase of life then you might be ready for this person. Who seems genuinely kind and wonderful and supportive. So they will give you all the love that you could possibly want but you also have to be in a place where you can give that equally as opposed to draining them or making it feel like one-sided. 

So I guess I would have to wonder you know a lot of people that picked this pile are they quite young and a little emotionally immature? It's not an attack but I just feel like there's a lot of unrealistic expectations about what a partner should be like or what marriage should be like or a relationship should be like. I think you need to reflect on what's realistic and what mature love is really like and what it's like to be in a relationship when there are two people. One person doesn't serve the other one. It's supposed to be if someone needs something the other one can give but then when the other person needs something that person can give. And just the obvious thing is you know don't be controlling? Mind what you say. Maybe you have a bit of a sharp tongue.

I see a lot of red and blue in the cards so a bit of communication or throat chakra or what have you with a bit of root chakra. Maybe this could be about again being more logical. Because when I think of root chakra it's something that's grounded. It's kind of not being fearful of the unknown. And then throat chakra would be about how you think or communicate. So again I feel like this person is going to be very rooted in their conversation and thinking skills. Like very good with people. If I had to say what job they would be good in, I would think not really life coaches sometimes those folks can be a little wacky but because they're so good at encouragement but also aren't egocentric. I could say like a workout coach but the kind of workout coach that isn't crazy. You know somebody that's genuinely encouraging and wants to help people live a better life like in a holistic way. 

Really they could do anything because I'm just feeling like they're a good person. Maybe a bit average like an average good person you know. Even if they were somebody famous, when they come home they still act like a regular person. They aren't stuck up. They don't think they're better than anybody. They like to let other people shine. They'd be really good if you had kids. Because they'd be good with kids and somebody who has like a natural fraternal or maternal instinct. Because again they let other people have their space and the room to grow and be who they are and do what they want… 

I'm trying to think if I can compare them to any celebrity. I guess that's hard to say since I don't know any celebrities personally. Harry styles comes to mind. What's his face who's with Zendaya. Like a gentleman right. Somebody who's probably I guess I won't say progressive because I'm not sure in all cases. Physically I wonder if not that some of you won't have somebody who's good looking that I keep feeling like this would be somebody who has just a little bit of a belly but for some reason the belly is really cute to me.

With the telescope and the eyes and a couple of figures looking up at the sky I wonder if they're interested in stars and astrology as well. Or if that isn't it maybe they're interested in physics or the universe or space exploration. They might particularly like to watch movies about space like the Martian or interstellar. They might be interested in exploring. In all kinds of different fields whether it's like exploring bacteria and biology to exploring different animals under the ocean that nobody has discovered yet. I think this is more about this person's interest in the world. They're interested in people. They're interested in things. Like if you were walking in the woods. It reminds me of namjoon. 

How like he might stop at a tree because he sees this little insect and he like goes over it and he gets really excited about it. And then when you go home he'll look up about it be like oh that's a so and so and then tell you like oh it likes to eat this and it only comes out of night and blah blah blah. They're just really interested in the world and people and things and learning things that's why they can listen to people. Anyway so that's a lot to take in. I'm personally kind of really interested in whoever this is. Because they smell like such a good person and such like ea kind-hearted person. You could have really nice conversations with them and then at the end you wouldn't be left feeling tired or flustered because you talked about too much you'd feel like oh wow now I really feel like I can write that book. You wouldn't even know that they're doing it but they just have this ability to make other people feel better about themselves. It would definitely be a good person to grow old with.

Pile 3

Well the first two piles were kind of complicated and instead of just giving me a simple idea of the person, it felt like giving me messages that people needed to hear before they could connect with that person. We'll see if that happens here too. 

This might end up being kind of straightforward? Let's just talk. Because I almost feel like it's more a personal message again. But all of the cards seem to indicate that you have the potential or it's within your power to manifest whatever you want or you're already manifesting this, in particular I would think that it is romantic love. Because you have the magician and the queen of cups. And out of all the things on The magician's table, it's accompanied by a card where she's holding the cup right. So it indicates you want to manifest this relationship, you already are, or you have the power to right.

But what is strange or interesting about the other tarot cards is they kind of match up well with those oracle cards. Because the void card is about even when you're in the space where like you might feel kind of empty or detached or just like in this bubble where it's just you, there's room to be able to create something right. And this looks a lot like what is happening with the moon and the four of cups 

I know it would be easy to kind of read this as negative because well and we can talk about that aspect but I'm still seeing because the moon makes me think of Pisces and then this person is sitting by the tree kind of just contemplating things and so something about the stopping and pausing to think about what you want or how to get it leaves space to be able to manifest it or create it or make it happen. But it's like okay what do you need to pause on. What's the advice here? I guess we can look to the gratitude card which is basically like look to everything you already have with thanks and be appreciative of what you do have. The other part of the advice we have is heart-to-heart conversations. Honestly discuss feelings with each other.

This might be more for people who are in a situationship perhaps? I guess you could already have a partner. It could even be that you have somebody in mind and again it's feeling more like a situationship. I guess it could be somebody who hasn't confessed their feelings or entered into a relationship but has somebody in mind. Because it's almost like okay you're contemplating what to do on something right. But there's a part of you that's not accepting the reality of something or not accepting that it's a possibility or the other person hasn't accepted it completely yet.

But regardless of what is actually happening in this situation, it seems like the issues can be resolved by talking about it. Even in the image of that oracle card there is at least one person who doesn't want to hear it or doesn't want to talk about it or isn't listening. And it almost feels like they've pulled away. So if you are in a situationship and there's something like this going on it still recommends that you find some space where it's just the two of you to talk about it. Or besides that it feels like a little bit deeper I guess. Maybe this is very specific for a specific person but that's fine. It feels like there are two people. And for some reason space has come between them. This could be emotionally or physically. But it still feels like within that space there's room to grow and create something if you talk about it.

So this could be a matter of some issue with forgiveness or anything. It doesn't have to be an Ex-Lover exactly. But I'm just getting the sense that there are two people. One person is being a bit stubborn. They asked to take space or want space. Another person is trying to explain something but it feels like that person has already kind of started to pull away. Maybe one person isn't feeling appreciated and that's why the gratitude card is here. So if you are in a relationship where you aren't feeling appreciated or heard then I would suggest having a conversation about your true feelings. Or vice versa if you're in a relationship and someone has pulled away and you're like okay why aren't they talking to me as much like why do they feel detached. I would have a conversation with them about it and it might be that they are feeling neglected or unappreciated. 

So one scenario which I guess we could talk about is that if you are in a relationship and you are like reading this and you picked this pile and you're actually not sure if she should be staying with this person so you were looking to see if there's another person out there for you that's better or this matches up. Yes sure this could be the tail end of your relationship and maybe there's somebody else out there for you. Especially if this person doesn't want to talk about it or fix anything or change and you feel unappreciated. Could you talk about it and fix it? Yes could you talk about it and it doesn't get fixed and you break up? Yes. 

So that handles one group of people. But what about the people who picked this pile and they aren't in a relationship is there anything here for them or do they need to pick another pile. 

Now if I'm talking to somebody who is single and still wants to learn about their next romantic partner let's talk about it that way and then we'll try to figure out what this person would be like based on the cards that we got and then as I pull more cards for a more concrete idea of what this person is like.

Now if you're single and if not in a situationship and you're like what I don't like anybody at all. Okay let's talk about that too. Again I would think that it is somebody who is attempting to manifest or has maybe been attempting to manifest a romantic relationship for a long time. They could be feeling a little bit depressed that it's been awhile or that they haven't been able to find somebody. It could also be what I'm seeing more is that there have been opportunities for a relationship and it could be that your standards are high or the timing wasn't right or whatever but it's like okay well I've been thinking about this thing and there's this cup being offered to me but I'm not interested or I already have my hands full or like I just don't have time for a relationship. But you want companionship it seems like. 

And maybe the void card is saying you know it's okay to take that time to figure out what you want. Because within that time of you being single and not being in a relationship and you thinking about what you want and your standards that's actually allowed you the ability to understand what you want to manifest exactly. Whether you're thinking about the things that you don't want in a partner or whatever maybe that's helping the universe narrow down what to bring you. I know some people say don't be so picky but in this instance I don't get the feeling like you're wanting too much. Like just that the options you've been given are of interest to you 

In fact I feel like you've probably been pretty disappointed with options. Whether you did try to date a little bit you were like no this isn't for me none of these people will work. Or you've been single without dating and just nobody has crossed your path that you would be interested in. I wouldn't say there's a lot of bitterness per se but it's just like disappointment, some loneliness, some uncertainty about why you can't find anybody or if you're ever going to find somebody. I feel like there have been thoughts about okay am I just going to like be alone forever?

But on the other hand I think because you've been single and you haven't poured all of your time into a relationship, you've been able to put more time into yourself and the things that you want to do like a career or studying or travel. So it's giving you the opportunity whether you have really acknowledged it that being single has given you opportunities that you couldn't have had if you were in a relationship and even though you were lonely it feels like you should be thankful for what you have been able to do. I won't say there is a purpose for you to be alone but I think for a lot of people it just wasn't in the plan for you to find somebody immediately and settle down. It feels like if you believe in soul contracts that you signed up for something that was more about your individual journey than some type of companionship. Or I guess I should just say it doesn't have to be that you were alone forever but it might take a while for you to find the person because it just feels like you are on a specific type of soul journey. To figure out yourself or contemplate other things. Romantic stuff wasn't really a priority. And again you could have had several relationships before this point but they were disappointing and they just didn't work out.

You could even be a person who sometimes thinks to themselves that they don't have any special skills or talents even though when I look at the magician card I think this is a person who was actually really capable of doing anything. Especially paired with the queen of cups. You know you would definitely be somebody who could be creatively skilled, empathetic. This makes me think of anybody really that could be an artist or a teacher or a therapist or a social worker somebody who actually even if it's not romantic you're actually really good with people or good withdrawing people to you. I think you're a good listener and so I think people appreciate that about you. 

I don't necessarily think you're all an introvert but I definitely think a lot of you need time to be alone and think about stuff. In fact I don't really see you as being an introvert. I definitely see somebody who appreciates their alone time but enjoys being social. Without even realizing it. Like maybe you are quite popular at work and so you do a lot of socializing there and then you go home and you're just chilling by yourself and wondering okay well nobody really wants to do anything. But you're definitely capable of being social. 

Again I'm thinking that most of you really do have your mind on somebody. Or if it's not that then it's weird that you would be reading this reading because it's like you might be focused on something else. You're not even really ready for a romantic relationship right now. You might be curious but you seem focused on other things anyway.

I also wonder if you're bored. I don't know if you're bored because you're lonely and alone or you're bored if you are one of the people in a situationship and you're just kind of like not feeling like the relationship is going anywhere so again you're here looking to confirm if this person is for you or if there's somebody else.

Some of you might have even dated just because you were lonely and bored and not because you particularly liked the person either. But I mean hey at least it taught you something about being in a relationship and what you do or don't like probably.

What's also interesting about the heart heart card is I feel like you know with the angels kind of bringing these two people together, there are a couple of specific scenarios. Another thing could be you might be asking if there's a romantic partner and then previously you've actually dated somebody who has passed away. Like I said it's specific but it's something I'm getting and then you would be still caught up on that person. That's a specific scenario. 

Another scenario feels like again there could be somebody around you already. Like say in this card the Angels have brought this option or this person to you but you're staring off. And it's like this four of cups where you're being offered this person and you haven't considered them or you just haven't had this conversation yet but this person actually is a very good option. It could be that they are around you now or they are coming very soon. The moon card although whether you associate it with Pisces or cancer. But we are currently in cancer season so there's a possibility some of you will meet somebody very soon if you don't already know them and within cancer season. Do we actually have two lobsters. I moved my which tarot deck and the cards are in my car so I just have the photo to look at but I'm pretty sure there's a lobster in that Queen of cups picture and then there's a lobster in the Moon. The first thing that comes to me is that thing from the friends series about somebody being a lobster which is like a soulmate.

But let's talk about the people that either have somebody around them now that has potential as a romantic partner or this person would be coming in very soon. Let's talk about that scenario now. So it's like fate has brought this person to you. You either haven't met them yet but will soon or they are already in your peripheral I guess but you are so focused on something else that you haven't realized that they could be that person. I mean you might kind of know them or let's say you work at a school and they work at the school but you have only seen them in passing or haven't bumped into them yet but you're in the same space.

Now if that person has been put somewhere around you and you haven't met or even if you have met and are kind of aware of them or you've met them and you know them but you haven't seen them like that yet. These cars are saying there's definitely romantic potential with this person. I do think that if you believe in soulmate stuff or whatever that the universe has offered you an option and you're not really paying attention or just uncertain about if you're ready to commit. So even if you met this person and you were given the opportunity to talk to them, I think you would still put up a wall and be like I don't know if I'm ready I kind of like being single or I'm just not sure what I want or I've been alone for so long that I don't know if I'm ready to bring another person in. So it's like you're making up all these different scenarios or excuses in your head when there are options around you or there will be options coming shortly.

I was trying to figure out why the image of the hand on this black whatever in the void card made me think of a hand on a button. And maybe this is again about being uncertain because you use a button in a game show if you know the answer or if you want to reject the thing right like it's a no thanks kind of buzzer. So you might be indecisive in that whether or not you want to hit this button. Do you want to enter the relationship or don't you or do you want to enter it with this person or what do you want. I feel like you're really conflicted when it comes down to it.

I think in terms of solutions or what to do, again we come back to having a conversation. Like if they come up to you to talk to listen to them and not ignore them for one. It could also be that you're being asked to take the initiative and have a conversation with them or hear them out. It could be that if there is someone and you're conflicted to talk to friends or somebody else about what you should do. Or if you're just feeling a certain way and you're like there's no person and there's no option for whatever to talk to this person cuz we barely know each other, again it could be about talking to other people in your life about something that's happening.

I guess another message I could present is okay let's say you aren't interested in a relationship right now. Why are you reading this? I don't know you're free to read whatever you want. But somebody is interested in you, you're contemplating whether you want to be with them but you just aren't interested, the cards again say you know don't leave them hanging go ahead and tell them how you feel and be like no I'm just not interested I'm appreciative of your feelings but I'm not interested at this time. 

Okay now let's talk as if we are using the cards to describe your next romantic person. And then I'll pull some extra cards if I need to. 

Well looking at the cards you would think probably a water sign or heavy water in their chart. We have three water cards in the tarot and then magician is Gemini and Virgo so a bit of air and Earth. Gratitude makes me think of air with the bird. And then void could be actually it's giving me water. Maybe a bit of Earth. 

They could in particular be a cancer since we have the moon card here. Sure they could be a Scorpio or Pisces. They could especially have a water moon because I have the moon card next to a water card. I guess maybe for a few of you they could have a moon in the air sign or an earth sign. But I'm leaning more toward a lot of water. Maybe even a Scorpio Moon or Pisces moon in particular because it feels like somebody who's very deeply introspective. I don't want to say broody because that does make me think of a Scorpio but like I'm also getting Pisces too. And then again yeah we could go back to cancer. They could be a moon in cancer or Moon and Scorpio or moon and Pisces.

I think that in terms of career like I said before it could be a person who works in a creative field but I'm feeling more like they're multi-talented, multi-skilled, good at a lot of different things. Kind of like a Gemini so maybe some of them have like Mars in Gemini or Saturn in Gemini? Is that even possible I'm not sure.

I think those cards also make me think of somebody who feels a lot of different things. Super empathetic to the point that I do think they could be a bit of an empath. I think their ability to connect with people or something about the way they feel or their emotional IQ makes them a good candidate for a lot of different jobs and can bring a lot of different opportunities into their life. So like I said you know they could change careers quite a bit but any kind of career that has to do with compassion or a good listener or somebody who's a bit emotionally mature or deep. Definitely any kind of artistic skills from writing to painting to directing to acting. But then they could really make a great teacher or somebody who would be a good mentor.

I think they would be a person who if you were a friend of theirs they would give really good advice. Unlike one of the other piles where I felt like the person was a bit light-hearted and more of a cheerleader type of supportive partner. I do think this one is more likely to not always tell you what you want to hear. They're going to tell you the truth not because they're particularly honest but because they are looking at a situation from all sides. I'm not seeing a lot of air or anything but I'm still getting the impression that maybe they would be the type of person to play devil's advocate if not verbally emotionally. As in I guess this comes back to being an empath but able to see different people's points of view and not in terms of how they think but in terms of how the situation makes different people feel or how it makes them feel in different ways if that makes sense. It wouldn't be where like they would look at a political situation be like well I can see both sides I can see both points of view it would be like I feel hurt on both sides because the world isn't always black and white. 

Sometimes it's shades of Gray and there are people herding on both sides. And they are more focused on that than what the person might be doing. Not that they can't say oh that's not good. I'm sure their morals are there but I just feel like they're able to empathize with all kinds of different people. Which is probably why they would be really good at the arts because they would be good at writing characters because they could understand the heroes as well as the villains. They could be a good director for the same reason. I guess any role where you can empathize with so many different people and then create this point of view.

Sorry I'm also thinking of Darcy from pride and prejudice all of a sudden where he's just kind of like staring off into the distance. So this could be a sign for you about pride and prejudice and that maybe romantic situation will be kind of like that where it's a bit difficult at first, maybe like an enemies to friends to lover situation. And then through talking and different encounters you get to learn more about each other and realize that perhaps you were wrong about each other from the beginning. And this is why you've ignored the option that's around you. Because you're like prejudiced LOL or too prideful. And then as you keep having more encounters with this person and having more conversations you come to understand that they're just living from a different perspective or seeing things in a different way and suddenly the two of you come together to understand what's happening. Which is funny because I was actually watching K-pop demon hunters or whatever that's called right before this and there are two characters that kind of go through a similar situation and it's feeling like this and it's funny that I watched it right before. It's also funny because I can see the DVD cover forever after which has a similar beginning too. My friend just got me that as kind of a joke because I used to watch that when I was young and we were best friends in high school.

So maybe it's that the universe thought you were bored and so they're going to give you this person that's going to give you a bit of a challenge. It might be somebody again who you argue with at first or you don't seem to get along with at first or when you talk you just aren't on the same page but I think eventually you would if you allowed it to happen, you would grow to like this person the same way that Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy grew to like each other 

What's also funny is I'm looking at the gratitude card and I think there's another card in this deck called rise and I was thinking this was the rise card because of the bird flying up. And so I again was thinking this is a relationship that's going to keep rising in level once you learn to appreciate each other. I can't tell if the bird is a falcon or an owl. Right now it's kind of looking more like an owl so maybe there's some wisdom to be found in the other person. You could be particularly wise in how you give advice or they could be. If it's like a falcon I would say the person has a bit of masculine to neutral energy. Regardless of gender of course. So again in terms of appearance they could be very Darcy like a bit masculine but also kind of pretty. So physically I'm getting that they are a bit neutral. I'm not talking about being androgynous I'm talking about just like either really pretty with like some masculine qualities or really masculine but like pretty qualities that soften. I'm also feeling like they would be quite protective but still very independent. Protective of their family especially a spouse and family. Probably a good provider. A bit spiritual. I don't feel like they believe in nothing. I feel most of these people would be have a spiritual element to them where they think there's something bigger than what there is.

The person is quite fierce. I think they have an interesting perspective on life because this bird is also up in the sky and so it's thinking from a higher perspective or a different perspective than how other people would think. Same with the moon in the sky in this card the person is like up in the sky and looking down and thinking about all kinds of different things and there's the dog the wolf and the lobster. So it's like the Moon is considering all different kinds of people and connecting with them despite there being three very different creatures in this card right. Same with four of cups we have somebody who's sitting and contemplating all kinds of different things. Including these three cups. 

I just think it's somebody who thinks and feels a lot. Which again is giving me all the water signs. Void definitely links me to Scorpio. And it could be that this person has had mental health concerns like depression or other things. I'm not really feeling that hardcore I'm just saying that's a possibility and of course there's nothing wrong with that. But they could have gone through a period where they were depressed or going through some kind of grief or tragedy and had a lot to consider and think about and the perspective on life might have done pretty much a complete 360 or do you say 180 when it changes I don't know…

So yeah I'm really seeing that ending scene from pride and prejudice when he's walking through the field. Definitely a person who feels very prideful and sometimes caught up in their own worlds and their own thoughts and feelings that if you ever feel like they aren't paying attention to you that you need to remind them and anchor them back in because they just seem to live in this different universe within themselves. I'd be curious to know what's in their 12th house. Or where Pisces lives in their chart.

I would also think in terms of career this could be somebody who uses their hands a lot by the way but also has climbed in their career. Like steadily. They might start somewhere quite at the bottom like let's say if they did work in the movie industry they could start as an assistant or a runner or something and then work their way up to a director and then even own their own company. They have that kind of potential to rise to any place of work where they are from the ground up. And I think that's because not only they are creatively talented but they're good with people in a way that people like to work with them. It could be respect but they just seem to feel like they can get behind whatever passion project this person starts.

So my advice would be if you meet this person or there's some person like this. You can get through to them by talking to them. And if they are kind of blowing you off or in their own world and this of course goes within limits. If somebody constantly ghosts you or doesn't care about your feelings and is showing clear signs of disinterest then just back off and it doesn't need to go anywhere. That wouldn't be your person. But this person may be so preoccupied with work or thoughts about other things going on that they might accidentally blow you off like once or twice so you have to be patient. Because again pretend that you are in pride and prejudice and you try to make conversation with them at first and they sort of are rude because of other things going on. And then you meet again and maybe it happens but you get a little more out of them. Until finally you know you have some type of encounter where you both kind of have a change of heart and become interested. Anyway if you haven't seen the movie just watch that. You can also watch ever after.

And it's not to say you can't be mirroring each other in a way that like you've also gone through something similar where you had a time in life where you really felt like you needed to pull inward to kind of explore different things. They might have very long fingers as well. Like the kind of fingers you would use if you played piano. Long slender fingers.

I mostly see a lot of yellow and blue but that makes me again come back to thinking about having the confidence to talk about different things. This person definitely has some really bold thoughts. They could be even innovative in some ways and the way they think or in the way that they create something in their mind and then execute it. Like I'm not talking about science stuff although I guess that's a possibility but to me it's more creative. Like this is a small example because I think they have more potential than this but let's say they come up with a really unique type of film. Like when you saw eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind for the first time or being John malkovich. 

ÚThese are very different films done in a different way but good films that have a point about The human experience. So this person could come up with a song that's just like oh that's a really good song that I can relate to and it's not like all the the manufactured pop or whatever that's out there now. Or the film is done in a different way kind of way. And I'm not getting like oh my art is misunderstood. It's like literally they just think about things in a different way so that they can put it together like completely different than other people have. So I can see where sometimes they might get absorbed into their work and you might be like well I kind of feel neglected because all you do is work. So I guess it depends on whether you can keep up with a person like that or you can fit into that person's life. Just because we're asking about the next romantic partner doesn't mean that it's like the last partner you'll ever have.

I'm trying to think if there's anything else and maybe I would have more if I had those two small cards in front of me even though I remember what they are and basically what they look like…

Do I want to touch on the fact that the queen of cups looks pregnant? Not really because to me it's just giving me empress vibes or the potential to manifest something that resembles something you can grow. And that comes back to creative projects or being able to create a relationship with another person. There is the potential with this person to do that but again I do think that not to say it'll be difficult but like just with any relationship it won't be super simple. It'll take time to not just get together but then even when you're in a relationship together with this person who's extremely talented and very deeply emotional that this isn't a light relationship to jump into. 

You know like imagine jumping into a relationship with someone who just like doesn't have a care in the world. And this person s isn't like that they're very intense… they're not boring I would say but they're quite serious. So if you aren't prepared to enter into a relationship like that if you need something that's light and fun then great. But if you want passion and intensity and something a little dark and deep and complex and layered then this is the kind of person. Not to say that when you get together after 10 years this person wouldn't lighten up but at the beginning they're definitely very broody and kind of detached and maybe Moody. I'm not saying that they're abusive or anything I'm just saying they're artist in their own little world.

I tried to think of somebody in the life that you could compare it to so I don't want to say Johnny Depp because there's lots of icky things surrounding him so…

Wait why do I have to come up with an example I already told you that he was like Mr Darcy or even the prince from ever after. Somebody kind of pretentious and snotty in the beginning a little broody but sexy and intellectually interesting and creative who grows on you especially if you're kind of like a rebellious I don't give a f*** what you think type of person perhaps. Or you can challenge them at their own game. Some people might be into that. I think other people have probably met this person and thought damn this is too much work I'm not here for this or this is too serious and I need something a little bit lighter. But for the right person this match will make sense and still be something they didn't exactly expect and didn't think that they would ever probably try to work for but something about you I think when you meet this person like instinctually you'll feel a connection and like you want to get to know them more and then you'll be intrigued as you learn a little bit more about them each time.

As for timing like I said it could be very soon for people who read this now since it could be anytime around cancer season. It could be another time where the Moon is in a water placement coming up in the future. Do I see any indications of where? Buy a tree LOL there's two cards with trees in them. So I mean it could be a park. It could be a picnic. A barbecue. On a nature visit thing or a hike. They seem to especially enjoy nature and thinking out in nature. They could be wearing red and green or just red. I guess that could mean you could meet them around the Christmas season which would be in December/ January ish.

I think those colors also speak to their temperament with the red being somebody who's quite passionate and then the green and blue kind of mixing to show somebody who's also a bit grounded especially by nature and then also has this creative and empathetic side. The only thing that they don't seem to have as much of to me is air. Which might be there's a card here that's about you need to be the one to bring up stuff because maybe they aren't used to talking about their feelings. Maybe they can talk about it through their art but literally having conversations about their feelings could be difficult. So in order for you to know how they feel you would have to ask them. They might be a person who's more likely to show their affection through action or services. 

Awesome maybe bring in another card about that I'm focusing on the hands and stuff and then when I think of the void card it makes me think of showing your hand like that phrase about cards but it also means you know to show how you actually feel or what you really think. So again I think this person is a bit hard to read as to whether they're interested in you or not. Again back to Mr Darcy. Hard to tell that he was interested in Elizabeth but he definitely was as the story goes along. So if you're unsure but you both seem like you're probably attracted to each other. If they're giving you the signs you just have to ask. They might even be surprised that it's not obvious that they like you because to them they've been doing everything to make you realize that except saying it. 

So I hope that's pretty detailed enough to help you with your next romantic relationship.

[diamantdog]

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Capitalism?* - A Defense on "Squid Game 3" That No One Asked for

*(to the tune of "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" from "The Sound of Music").

I've been gathering my thoughts about the ending of "Squid Game", and after sleeping on it, I have come to realize that I still don't mind it at all, lol. I think most of the things I'm going to say here, I have shared them before, either here or on Discord, so please bear with me.

First of all, I get people's frustration, because there are things I wish I could change as well. I wish the 457 confrontation had been longer. I think the Sky Squid Game round spends too much time (Ep.5), even though I think it's a depiction of governments everywhere, where middle-aged men, some of whom are criminals, decide who gets to live and die. I wish Junho had killed the VIPs. And tbh, I wish In-ho had been dead.

Before we go any further, I want to iterate that while there's a "Defense" in the title above, I'm not trying to change anyone's mind about the finale. I think two things can be true at the same time. I think it's right to feel disappointed/angry/frustrated about the season, while finding a positive twist in it.

Maybe I have deluded myself into thinking this lol, but I believe I understand where HDH is coming from. For me, it started when his NYT interview was published, and he said that the baby was a symbol for humanity at its core. I was, like, "Uh oh. Gi-hun is going to either sacrifice himself or someone else for the baby." But doing the latter would be an antithesis of his arc, so the first would be much more probable. Even without the interview, though, I'm sure many people have anticipated his sacrifice. But now, the question is: Is it worth it?

For me, that depends on how one looks at his sacrifice. There's one possible answer: His death doesn't stop the game, so it's pointless. And one may think this way because one sees the bigger picture. However, I think there's another answer, which one will get when one looks closer and steps into Gi-hun's shoes. You see, while Gi-hun rejoins the game planning to stop it, I think his motivation has changed by the end. He accepts that he's only one individual, and he cannot destroy an entire system alone. He's tried and he fails.

But this is what he can do: He can make a difference for at least one other person, and that's what he achieves through his sacrifice. He's not the only one who does this. Hyun-ju dies because she's the selfless person that she's always been, and in doing so, she dies for Geum-ja and Jun-hee. Geum-ja's death serves as a wake-up call for Gi-hun. Jun-hee dies for the baby.** And Gi-hun dies for the baby, too, I suppose? But also! For himself (more on this later). And for In-ho, because I believe Gi-hun starts to change him, and we can see this from the way he goes all the way to see Ga-young in the end.

(**I think the critiques about the treatment of these women are valid. At the same time, I do think that the women having three different keys and helping each other out until a man/myunggi ruins everything is supposed to be a depiction of an ideal society. The future is female, etc.)

But yes, back to Gi-hun dying for himself. I believe his choosing to die the way he does is him dying on his own terms. He doesn't let the guards or In-ho take him out. He dies by his own hands. I believe that for him, his death is not pointless nor wasted because he does it to save the baby/humanity and, therefore, himself. He dies with his humanity still intact. And again, even though he doesn't know this, he may change In-ho.

And one may ask: Why, though? And frankly, I have asked the same question myself, lol. I've seen some people blame Netflix, and I want to say I agree with them, lmao.

Here's the thing. We've always known that Gi-hun is HDH's self-insert and "Squid Game" is his anti-capitalist manifesto. But due to the global success, he is trapped inside a gilded capitalist cage. He has to watch his life's work get turned into a cash grab, not just by Netflix but also by people like Mr. Beast. He probably doesn't have any say on the upcoming spin-off(s) because Netflix owns the rights to "Squid Game", which means they can do whatever with it. I can see why HDH sees that there is no end to this capitalist hell. It's why I think there's a taste of his hopelessness in this ending (I think he also has zero trust in the police force, justice system, and authority in general, but that's a topic for a different post). He really doesn't see the game or this big capitalist machine stopping, I think. Not any time in the near future, at least.

That's why I think killing Gi-hun is important for him. I believe that just like Gi-hun protecting the baby/humanity, killing Gi-hun is HDH's way of protecting his own humanity in the face of never-ending capitalism, which I'm sure is very tempting to him. It's also a way for him to prevent Netflix from owning Gi-hun and milking his character, putting him into their spin-off(s).

So, if we ask HDH: How do you solve a problem like capitalism? I think he doesn't know either. I don't think he has a solution. I think, like Gi-hun, he started out wanting to change the world. But along the way, his dream changed. He no longer wants to change the world; instead, he hopes to change at least one person for the better. And he's said something like this several times, that he wants viewers to seek the solution for themselves. He wants us to fill in the blanks ("Humans are ___"). He wants us to start from ourselves by not letting go of our humanity. I think there's a reason why Gi-hun dies with his eyes wide open (because he's woke, lol). I think he believes that a change eventually depends on an individual’s ability to “stay woke” and not be swayed by others who want to erase their humanity.

I think he wants us to be Gi-hun for ourselves and then for everyone else. Because only when there are enough Gi-huns in the world can "we" win against "them". This is not to say that we have to die or sacrifice ourselves for others, but... Hmm... I don't know. But we've all seen what Gi-hun is like. Maybe when faced with a moral dilemma, we should always ask ourselves: WWSGHD? What Would Seong Gi-hun Do?

TL;DR I think "Squid Game" doesn't offer a clear solution to capitalism because the creator behind it doesn't see any, but what he wants to convey is that this doesn't mean we have to succumb to it, because there's always an option to choose humanity. Instead of wanting to change the world, he hopes to change at least one person for the better. And so should we. And everyone can do this by starting with themselves and trying to be a Gi-hun, not just for their sake but also for others'.

That's all <333

[deveondog]

HHi, could you write for Ace, Leona, Azul, Kalim, Vil, and Idia x male reader? The reader is their online boyfriend, and one day they see him at a school festival wearing the RSA uniform. How would you react to finding out that your boyfriend is studying at NRC's rival school?

SDC shenanigans

ft: Ace Trappola and Azul Ashengrotto

You wanted to surprise your boyfriend by meeting them at the Song and dance competition!

cw?: Most likey ooc :c Azul insecurities! i tried to go into them a bit so i hope its ok! Reader is mentioned to be friends with Neige in Ace's!

Written on computer, space editing on phone! hope its no to weird looking! i rlly hope the things are transparent uhh

Request?: Yep! :) thank you for the request! i appreciate it lots!

Ace: Shocked and put off by it..

You and him had been dating for a couple months. The only time you guys had mentioned your schools was when you had mentioned off handedly that you got into the school of your dreams!, and he just said he got into a prestigious collage on an island that his brother went to. Nothing special. That's what he thought anyway. That's until he just happens to get a glance of you at the song and dance competition before the voting happens. While he was still on stage he happened to have noticed you in the stands looking at him happily, and he just stood there at first. Too shocked to do anything. Deuce was the first to notice and ask him.

“Hey Ace are you okay?” Ace just blanks and turns his head slowly to Deuce's face. “Dude.. my boyfriends here..” “BOYFRIEND?!”

Don't get him wrong, he is ecstatic to see you! It's just he wasn't expecting it at all! Especially since you are in a Royal Sword Academy uniform? Whys that..

After the voting he immediately asks his seniors if it's okay to go greet someone. Vil– assuming its family, lets him go without question. He runs up to the stands and finds you quickly, being how you were trying to meet him halfway. “Ace! Hii!! I'm so happy to finally see you!!” You seem so happy! He just can't get the fact that you're in an RSA uniform out of his head.. “Hey yeah,, happy to see you too.! Uhm why are you in an RSA uniform by the way.. You never said you went there?” Your smile falters a bit, and he notices the sadness growing in your eyes. “I guess I forgot to mention it hah. You're not.. upset are you? That we go to rival schools.?”

He stutters out a quick– “No no of course not!! I'm just really surprised is all.. ‘Sides like you said you never really mentioned it..How’d you know I go to Night Raven?” You chuckle a bit, before saying “I diddnt heh heh, I just came with Neige and the boys to support them!! They did awesome didnt they! Sorry about you guys loosing, Aggaain~” You teased. He was a bit angry, but he couldn’t stay angry at you of all people for too long.. “Haah.. You really are something aren’t you?” “You bet I am!!”

Azul: Stunned as well, but fearing the worst..

He was a busy man today. In between running from his club room to the rowdy sports club vendors, he had his hands full. And seeing his beloved during one of his runs to the vendors out by the colosseum wasn't what he expected. Or how he expected to meet you. He felt his insecurities rearing their ugly heads when he first saw you. "What if my hair is off today?” “What if I look bad today.?” “What if I look worse in person!” What if- whatifwhatif–

Jack interrupts his thoughts. Asking him about his contract with his club. Azul remains composed and poised. Answering his question with such attention and detail you wouldn't think he was almost on the verge of a breakdown. After dealing with Jack, you spot him. You start waving wildly and calling his name. And he starts panicking internally. He started walking to the rarest bathroom, knowing you would trail him as best you could through the rough crowd. He started walking a bit faster than the average person in the bunch.

Of course once he's in a bathroom he hears the door open again a few seconds later. “ ‘Zul are you in here?” He has to remain composed. Remain calm stay calm staycalm. “Azul, I know you're in here.. I wanna talk to you!” Staycalmstaycalm. “It's nothing bad I swear! I just wanna see your pretty face!” He pauses. That's right.. You're the one who helped him through his episodes of madness.. Even after he mentioned his overblot you stayed with him. No matter how ugly he could be, you would be with him. He remains still but opens the door. Only to see you in an RSA uniform. Stunned, he keeps staring. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” You smirk, and then chuckle lightly. “Having an episode again?” You ask softly. Not angrily or disgusted at him. Just you. Soft and tender. “Hey hey, just focus on me, alright Azul?”

He looks you in the eyes and cant help but sigh. You’re so beautiful it hurts. Like the sun shining down onto him. Beaming smiles but such soft words.. “Hello my pearl.. I apologize, this is how we have to meet in person..” “Hey, it’s ok Azul! I'm just as thrilled to meet you!!”

He sees you smiling so bright and offers up a small smile back, the focuses in on your uniform. “Oh.. yeah this heh.” You back up a bit, and look at him solemnly. “You’re not mad i forgot to mention this to you right.?” His smile extends. “I could never be mad at you my pearl..” He comes up and cups your cheek with his hand. “Esspesailly when you have helped me through so much my love..” “Heh heh, I love you ‘Zul” You smile somehow even brighter. He– bathing in your light– smiles still. “I love you too, my pearl..”

A/N: i hope its ok i did two!! i did try and make them pretty long so hope its ok! :)) im gonna have to limit my characters to about 4 cuz that was alot heh!!! thank you for the request!

Thanks for reading! <3