#Anyway. Multitudes. Definitely not just a nerd

[misspickman]

Its so funny how desperately people want t/mkon to fit the nerd/jock trope in that order specifically when its not true for either of them. Failed on both accounts

[flyingraijin]

Like Silk | Chapter IV

IS THIS YOUR BABY? IF NOT, DON'T STEAL IT!

Pairing: Izuku Midoriya x reader

Warning: Spiderman au, swearing, some more lil sprinkles of backstory, robot babies that are creepy asf, all characters are 18 years or older

Word Count: 6304

Part Four of Thirty - Chapters come out every 2 weeks to 1 month

Note: So I didn't update two days ago like I said I was gonna. But I'm updating today. Chapter 5 is now out on AO3

Related links: Masterlist + Taglist + Playlist + AO3

You end up being much later for class than you might have liked. So late, actually, that you don’t even have time to stop off at the bathroom before you head to your homeroom. As you slide open the massive door to the classroom, you’re left only to keep your head ducked and pray that the furious scrubbing you’d given your face on the walk over had erased any tear tracks left on your cheeks. 

Fortunately for you, there are still a number of seats sitting empty in the classroom when you enter it, despite the time, so all eyes are not on you as you shuffle your way between the rows of desks and flop down into your own chair, letting your bag thump to the floor at your feet. 

So far, your morning has been complete ass. For a multitude of reasons. And there’s an awful sick feeling churning around in the pit of your stomach that tells you things will probably only get worse from here. 

Running into Midoriya on the train first thing in the morning after you’d left your house had not been a good omen for you. After his confession last night, you were left feeling even more on edge around him than normal. And that unease had unsettled you enough that when you accidentally bumped into Bakugou on your way up to the UA campus, you’d snapped up the bait he’d thrown for you at the first chance you got, with none of your usual thought towards the idea of being mature.

You’re still fuming over the situation. Bakugou’s hissed words continue to play like a broken record in your head, repeating themselves again and again and again, and you can’t help but glare as hard as humanly possible over Midoriya’s empty desk and right at the back of his stupidly blond, stupidly spiky-haired head, where he sits lounging like a smug-fucking-bastard at his own desk. 

You want to throw something at him. Something very heavy. However, for once in a blue moon, Mr Aizawa is actually here before the bell, and you don’t think he’d take very kindly to having one of his students knocked unconscious by a textbook to the head right in front of him. Even if said student is the most self-righteous, stuck up, major, raging, incentive douchebag to ever walk this earth. 

‘What the fuck even in his problem anyway?’ you think angrily to yourself as you sit glaring, quietly hoping your eyes will somehow burn a hole right through his thick skull. It’d been him who started it, of course. He had approached you, not the other way around. You’d just been minding your damn business before he swooped in, riding atop his stupid-fucking wave of a grudge from way back before elementary school, all high off the idea of making himself your biggest problem. “ I saw you sitting with that damn nerd on the train,” had been his exact words, which he’d spat right in your face once he’d pulled you from the throngs of people walking into school. “ He looks like shit, as usual. Fuckin’ hilarious.” 

You still don’t know why you’d snapped back at him, telling him to shut the fuck up. But you don't think you regret it. You definitely don’t regret getting to see the flash of surprise that has sparked through his crimson eyes. 

“You finally give in and suck his dick, then?” was his reply. “Wouldn’t be the first fuckin’ time.” 

Just thinking about those words sends a chill through your stomach now. You don’t care. At least, you shouldn’t . Because it’s fucking Bakugou, of all people, the one guy who has a whole fucking reputation built on how much of an ass he is. 

It does hurt though. Probably more because it does come from Bakugou, of all people. It hurts more than it should. 

Thank goodness, before you psych yourself up so much that you do actually lob your textbook at his head, the classroom door slides open once again. Your attention turns at the sound and then quickly you duck your head down as much as you can when you catch a glimpse of forest green hair. As much as you’re sick of Bakugou right now, you’re even less prepared to deal with Midoriya and his friends. Especially after you have a fleeting suspicion that Midoriya might actually have seen you crying when you’d rushed past him in the hallway earlier. You refuse to make eye contact with him as he weaves his way through the desks before flopping into the one in front of you. You refuse to make eye contact with anyone, really, especially when you can feel another gaze burning into the side of your head. Uraraka is glaring at you, as she always does any time she sees you, and you're almost tempted to throw her the middle finger because she's really only adding insult to the injury of your already shitty day. 

But then the bells ring out through the classroom and Mr Aizawa slowly gets to his feet. What little chatter that could be heard throughout the room dies off abruptly. 

"Alright, settle down," your teacher grumbles out, as monotone as ever. You raise your head slightly to look at him properly and it's only now that you notice it - there's a huge cardboard box standing on the edge of his desk, large enough to easily fit at least three of your classmates comfortably inside it. There's no writing on the front, nothing to indicate what it may be for, but you can feel your heart sinking anyway as something deep down tells you it has everything to do with the project that you're partnered with Midoriya on. 

You're not the only one who's noticed either. A chorus of whispers rustled through the students in your class, all of them eyeing up the box just as you are, curious expressions on their faces. 

They shut up pretty soon though, when Mr Aizawa shoots everyone a dirty look. 

"As you guys learned yesterday," he begins, glaring around at everyone. "You will all be participating in a project that will run from now, over the Christmas holidays and then on to the end of the year. This is an ongoing thing and it is not "- he shoots a very distinct look at Denki Kaminari, who sits in the middle aisle of desks, - "something you can just do at the last minute. Constant engagement is required throughout the process and you will be graded on whether or not you meet this requirement." 

There are a number of small huffs that can be heard throughout the classroom, a few students scowling deeply and flopping back in their chairs. You almost feel sorry for them, but then you remember that you are going to have to spend consistent hours working with your partner. All your pity turns inwards. 

"You were assigned your partners yesterday," Aizawa continues, sparing not a single glance for the people busy grumbling. "I trust that you all remember who you're working with because I don not have the time or patience to read it all out again." 

He pauses, glaring around at his students and, thankfully, no one raises their hand to ask for confirmation. You see Mr Aizawa's shoulders visibly relaxing and then your entire mood perks up when he reaches out to pull the huge cardboard box a little closer towards him. 

“Up until this point,” he starts, “UA has never placed much emphasis on home economics. This is a science school, and the primary focus throughout your three years here has been to prepare you all to enter your chosen STEM fields following graduation. However, as has been tradition for a number of years now, in an attempt to provide you with at least some basic life skills before you leave, you will be completing one final project for your home economics course.” 

A number of your classmate look round, shooting confused looks to one another. You just roll your eyes, already completely over the entire proceedings. Mr Aizawa too, looks entirely bored. 

“Frankly, I have always felt it’s a bit late to try and teach you soft skills during the final third of your last year of school,” he continues on, looking around the class. His gaze lingers on a certain few heads before he looks away. “You lot, especially, I think are past the point of no return. However, this project is a curriculum requirement and so we run it nonetheless.” 

There are a few snorts to be heard around the classroom. Sero in particular actually chuckles. My Aizawa just shakes his head. 

“I digress however, since I have seen some miraculous transformations come for students attitudes with the completion of this project. Now, does anyone have any questions before I get into the parameters of what you’ll be doing?” 

No hands go up and you say a silent thank you that there aren’t any godforsaken souls within your class who are willing to drag the suspense out any longer. Mr Aizawa nods and then turns around. You watch curiously as he digs one hand into the large cardboard box, the air within the classroom suddenly going tense and suspenseful. Your mind flashes with a thousand possibilities, all ranging from building your own AI to concocting the cure for cancer to designing a new engine for next year's Formula 1 season. 

But all your hopes are dashed when Mr Aizawa removes his hand and pulls out…

A plastic baby? 

You feel your heart sinking immediately, tight down the length of your body until its puddled somewhere near your toes as your mind screams out fuck no! because you've heard of this project. And suddenly any hopes you'd had about maybe not having such an awful time with Midoriya as your partner are stomped into oblivion beneath Mr Aizawa's boot. 

"This," your teacher says, holding up the baby for everyone in the class to see properly. "Will be your project for the next four months. You will need to take care of this mechanical baby." 

He seems to feel you glaring at him like you're trying ignite every one of the brain cells in his head because he pauses and then gives a very stern look. 

"I'd like to stress that the partners you've all been given are non-negotiable," he says and it's in his dont-you-fucking-dare-argue-with-me voice. "They have been chosen for a very specific reason and if you don't like your partner, you will just have to suck it up and deal with it." 

You don't push him, although in your head you’re swearing up and down about all the horrible things you could do. Your hands ball into fists against the wooden top of your desk and then you turn your focus to Midoriya and wonder if you focus hard enough, you could cause him to spontaneously combust.

Stupid Midoriya, you think to yourself as your eyes trace the outline of his dark curly hair. Stupid project, study baby . You huff out a sigh and cross your arms angrily over your chest, still glaring. This assignment is so unrealistic anyway. There's no way you'd ever have a kid with that fuckhead, much less do anything that could result in having a child. 

Although , another voice at the back of your mind whispers as you notice a flash of pale blond moving in front of Midoriya, the partners could be worse. You could be with Bakugou.

The thought just about makes you gag. 

"The aim of this project is to try and simulate actual parenthood as closely as possible,” Mr Aizawa continues. “These babies are an incredibly advanced technology, engineered specifically for us by some students right here in our school. This will not be an easy assignment, I assure you, these things have been programmed to be as temperamental as possible.” 

“So,” a new voice pipes up, one that you recognise as Denki Kaminari. You glance in his direction to see that he’s rocking back on his chair, head tilted to the side as he stares up at your teacher with an expression of mild apprehension. “Do they, like, cry and stuff?” Beside him , Eijirou Kirishima also looks petrified, eyeing the baby in Mr Aizawa’s grasp as if it’s some kind of bomb. You fight down the urge to laugh. 

“The point of this project is to teach you how to look after something that is totally dependent on you," Aizawa replies. "Babies need everything from you but can’t communicate it, which is one of the main problems you will run into if you ever become a parent. So in answer to your question, Kaminari, yes, they will cry. For a multitude of reasons. Your biggest struggle will probably be figuring out what they need." 

Kaminari slumps back, looking dejected. "Dude, I'm not ready to be a parent," he mumbles out, although it's loud enough for most of the class to hear him. There are a few resounding giggles. 

On some level you agree with him, although you make sure not to let it show at all in your expression. Even despite who you have to do the project with, the assignment itself is daunting. Parenthood is not something you've ever taken a fuck ton of time to think about, beyond the occasional throwing a baby doll around when you were a toddler. You've been goal oriented since you first knew what a goal was and your goal - 

Well, it's never been 'to be a mom'. 

As you stare up at the baby Mr Aizawa is holding, taking in its - slightly creepy - realistically wrinkled face and the way its tiny body looks even smaller in the arms of your teacher, you can't help but feel… 

You can't help but feel nervous. 

As if he knows exactly what you're thinking, Midoriya spins in his chair the very second your face begins to crumble. You catch his deep green eyes beneath the fluff of his curls and yet, for one of the first times in years, you don't snap at him for looking at you. The pair of you hold each other's gaze for a long second before Midoriya offers you a reassuring smile. And to your surprise, it actually does its job. 

"It'll be fine," Midoriya says quietly, so no one else can hear him through the rounds of chatter that are circling through the rest of your classmates. "It'll be exactly like playing house the way we used to when we were kids." 

You snort bitterly at that, an eyebrow twitching. "So we're gonna be a big happy family?" you ask him, tilting your head a little to the side. By the look on Midoriya's face, he seems to understand how absurd the idea is. This little game of house couldn't get more dysfunctional if it tried and it hasn't even begun yet. But he smiles through it, even though you know that's exactly what he's thinking. 

"Probably not," he says, but you can still see the sparkle in his bright green eyes. Something inside you sings. "But just… don't worry. It'll fine, okay? Promise." 

"You can’t promise shit," you tell him grumpily, hastily looking away from him before your heart can do any more stupid things. "And I wasn't worrying." 

He doesn't believe you and he actually laughs about it, prompting a fiery blush to rage through the skin of your cheeks. "Yeah sure," he tells you and then turns back around to face the front of the classroom again.

Unfortunately, Mir Aizawa starts speaking before you can snap back at him, so you're left to glare heartedly at the back of his head once again. 

Stupid project, you think, Stupid baby. Stupid Midoriya. 

Stupid stupid Midoriya. 

"Unfortunately for you children," Mr Aizawa says, raising a hand to bring silence to the room once again. "Technology isn't advanced enough to create a entirely lifelike robot babies just yet. In reality, there are a hundreds of different reasons why a child might start crying. However, for the purpose of this project, there are only four." 

He holds up four of his fingers for the class to see. 

"The first," he begins, "is because they need their nappy changed." He reaches into the box again and pulls out a small zip-up pouch. "This is your baby bag. Inside if everything you will need to complete this project. Including reusable cloth nappies." He sets the baby down on the surface of the desk and opens up the bag, pulling out a bundle of white cloth. 

"The dolls have sensors built into them which connect to sensors in the nappies," he explains. "These sensors will read whether the nappy is dirty or clean. Dirty nappies cannot be used more than once within a twenty four hour period. If you do use on, your baby will throw a fit and it will constitute a considerable deduction in points."  He glares round the class, his dark eyes settling on every student for a millisecond before flitting away. "So don't do that. The nappy will reset after twenty fours hours once it has been used. You need to keep track of this." He puts the ball of clothes back in the pouch and then swivels the entire thing to the side to show everyone a small pocket holding four baby bottles. 

"The second reason your baby may cry is because it's hungry. Now, you won't actually feed them anything. These bottles are all empty. However "- he pulls one of the bottles from the pocket and twists it to show a strip of four lights that run up one side - "these will show you how full each bottle is. As the bottle is used, the lights will deplete and once the one at the bottom turns red, you will know the bottle is completely empty." 

A hand goes up. It’s Uraraka, who's looking a little like she’s vibrating in her seat, in her eagerness to ask a question. You suppress the urge to roll your eyes and look away. 

"Sir," Uraraka starts once Mr Aizawa nods in her direction. "Do the bottles also reset after twenty four hours? Or do we have to do something else to refill them?

"Good question," Mr Aizawa says and this time you do roll your eyes when a look of pride washes over Uraraka's face. "The bottles do reset, but it's after six hours instead of twenty four. You only have four bottles so you should arrange a system to cycle them, to ensure you can always feed your baby when it needs it." 

As he puts the bottle back into its pocket, you chance another glance over at Uraraka. Only to be surprised when you find that she's already glaring right at you . Your gaze meets her for a moment and your eyes narrow as you try to figure out what the fuck her problem might be this time, besides her usual shitty attitude of course. But then you catch the way her eyes flickered briefly away from you to the boy sitting in the desk in front of you and your face curls into a smirk when you realise. Oh she's so jealous . 

You flash her your most smug expression and make sure she sees it before you look away once again, switching your attention back to Mr Aizawa, who's picking up the baby again. Even as he raises it for the class to see, you can still feel her heated gaze on the side of your face and your heart sings with triumph. 

"The third reason that your baby may cry," Mr Aizawa says, continuing with his explanation. "Is that they need to be held, or rocked." He gives Kaminari and Sero a sharp look. "There is a correct way to hold a baby. And if I see anyone swing swing their's around like a hooligan, I will fail you immediately." He shifts the baby in his arms, cradling it with one hand behind its head and the other arm tucked around its body. " This is how you need to hold your babies. It may seem complicated now but I'm sure you'll all get the hang of it relatively quickly. In the case of the third reason, you will hold your baby and gently rock it back and forth"- he demonstrates -"which should help to calm them down. The babies all have built-in motion sensors, so they will know if you're doing it properly. They also have audio sensors, which leads to the fourth reason they might cry. And you all need to pay attention very carefully for this one…" 

It feels like the entire class leans forward, everyone hanging onto Mr Aizawa's every word. He shifts the baby in his arms, adjusting his grip before raising his eyes again to look around the classroom. 

"Your babies need affection. Essentially, you need to talk to your kid." 

He holds up a hand before questions can start rocketing, the energy within the classroom beginning to buzz as it becomes clear it's getting near to the end of the briefing. "Let me explain and then I'll send you all off to go and set up your babies. The babies are equipped with sensors all over their bodies. They also have recording devices in their backs." He turns the baby around to show the class. "To set your baby, you need to press this button here and then allow it to record you saying its name, as well as a few other phrases so it can learn to recognise your voice. Both you and your partner will do this. It will take a few minutes for your baby to calibrate and then the clock will start. From then on, your baby will record everything you say and do with it and will store that knowledge. At the end of the project, the chip inside the babies will be collected and then your progress will be graded out of 100 by an AI. Does everyone understand?" 

There's a chorus of 'yes sirs’ throughout the class and Aizawa nods. "Do not forget," he says and his voice is serious as he looks around the room. "These babies are switched on constantly. You do not get a break from them, as with normal children. Even when they're asleep, they're recording. Am I clear?" 

The affirmations ring out again. Aizawa turns to put the baby down on his desk once more. However, instead of reaching inside the box or the pouch again, he slides a large binder across the desk towards him and flips it open. As he begins to flick through it, searching for whatever he needs, you notice a twitch out of your peripheral vision. In front of you,Midoriya is backwards, just a little, not enough to be noticed by Mr Aizawa. However, when he turns his head to hiss something in your direction, you realise it's intentional. 

"Have you got any name ideas yet?" 

You don't. You haven't thought about it at all yet and even now as you try to wrack your brains, nothing comes to mind. You shake your head at Midoriya, frowning slightly. 

"I guess we'll have to wait and see what the baby is like," you tell him quietly and he nods in agreement. 

"I wonder if it'll look like either of us." 

You can't help but snort at Midoriya's musing, trying your best to stifle the genuine bubble of laughter that rises in your throat. "These are plastic robots," you try to tell him sternly, however, the upward tilt at the corner of your mouth is giving everything away. "I doubt it'll look anything like either of us." 

"It's nice to dream," Midoriya shoots back, however you don't miss the small smile that's stretching across his own face. 

"Maybe we adopted," you tell him with a shrug of one shoulder. "Maybe your swimmers weren't swimmery enough."

That makes him laugh properly and he has to slap a hand over his mouth to stop his giggles from wringing out around the classroom. As it is, the nearest heads to you turn to eye you and him curiously, and you immediately purse your lips and force down your smile, in an attempt to look cool and composed once again. 

Thankfully, Midoriya can't come at you with a comeback because Mr Aizawa raises his head, finally having located the thing he was looking for. He pulls a stack of papers from the folder and holds one up for you all to see - it's crisp and clean, evidently freshly printed, and covered with sprawls of neat black letters. You have a feeling you know exactly exactly what it is, and when Mr Aizawa opens his mouth to speak again, he confirms your suspicions. 

"This is your baby's birth certificate," he announces. "You will each get one along with your baby and a bag. And you will all fill it out, with both you and your partner's details. I will be taking all of these back tomorrow morning once they're completed, so we can register your babies in our system. And I expect you to take this seriously." He gives Kaminari and Sero a purposeful look. "Try your best to think of this as real parenthood because if you do, there's a chance you'll be slightly better prepared in the future, if you ever do become parents." He sets the paper down and you tense immediately, realising you've finally reached the end of the explanation. 

"I'm going to hand out your babies now," Mr Aizawa says, "along with everything you'll need. You'll have an hour and a half now to get yourselves sorted and then you'll go to the next period at 10. When I call your names, please can both you and your partner come up to collect your things. Then you're free to go outside and begin setting the babies up. Now - Iida and Yaoyorozu…"

You relax back into your seat and he begins to list off the partnerships. This project has turned out to be absolutely nothing like what you'd expected and if you're honest with yourself, you're pretty happy about it. Despite the fact that you now have to co-parent with Midoriya, this will probably turn out to be a lot easier than having to actively collaborate with the kid on classwork. 

As you lounge in your chair, you hear the scrape of another being pushed back and then a figure is weaving through the tables towards you. A smile grows on your face when the person sits herself right on the surface of your desk, one leg crossing over the other. 

"I am dreading this whole experience," Kyouka Jirou tells you dramatically as she glares out across the classroom. "I thought I could get away with just doing the whole thing myself while that dunce face just goofed off. But now I actually have to work with him." 

You briefly remember the previous day, when Mr Aizawa had announced that Kyouka would be paired with Denki for this project, and the smile on your face grows wider. 

"Aww," you tease, your eyes flicking upwards briefly to watch as Uraraka and Shinso rise to go collect their child. "Are you really going to dash poor Kami’s hopes so quickly? I'm sure he's delighted with this project." 

Kyouka points a sharp black nail at you, her face dark red. "Don't you dare start," she hisses. "I know your opinions on this and I'm telling you right now you're wrong ." 

You just laugh at her threat because you know her way too well for it to work. "You can't even deny it anymore," you tell her smugly. "That kid is head over heels in love with you and now you have to raise a child together. He's going to be so fucking giddy." 

"Are we talking about Kaminari?" a new voice pipes up and you and Kyouka look up to see Mina Ashido grinning down at the pair of you. Her hands are on her hips and there's a triumphant look sparkling in her dark eyes as her gaze flicks from Jirou's grace over to yours and back again. 

You smirk up at her smugly because you and her share the exact same opinions on the topic of Kyouka's life. "We are," you confirm for her. "You wanna take bets on how long it takes for him to make some joke about them having a kid?" 

"Ooh, of course" Mina giggles, kicking her feet in amusement. She twirls one of her curls around her finger, sparkling pink nail flashing as she seems to think for a second. "I say… a red bean bun on less than ten minutes? Plus a soda if if he says something about it being fate." 

You smirk up at her. "I'll bet on less than five minutes. Kaminari doesn't have that kind of restraint." 

Her eyes glint and she slaps your outstretched palm. "Done." 

Between you two, Kyouka gives an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "You two are so full of shit," she says, shaking her head. "He's not gonna -" 

"Hey, Jirou!" There comes a yell from across the classroom and the three of you look up to see none other than Kaminari making his way between the desks in your direction. Kyouka cuts off her own voice when she sees him, her arms raising to cross over her chest and you can already feel your own smile growing, cruel and smug. That kid is way too predictable . 

"What're the odds, huh?" Kaminari grins and leans one arm casually on the desk opposite your own. He's trying to be smooth, probably attempting one of the tricks that Sero taught him at some point to try and help his game. But he's also blushing. Furiously . And you have to slap a hand over your mouth to stifle your cackle of laughter. 

"You and I…" Kaminari continues, pointing to Kyouka them himself. "Us two, having a child together. This must be a message from the universe, huh? That we're meant to be ." 

You hear a muffled snort from somewhere behind him and glance over his shoulder to see Sero and Kirishima just about peeing their pants with laughter over at their own desks. From your other side, Mina sighs and your triumph grows when you realise she's going to be buying you lunch today. 

"I mean, seriously!" Kaminari is still growing, obviously to the grave he's digging himself, and how Kyouka's glare is getting more and more violent. "Really, we might as well just get married now haha, what the point in waiting amirite?" 

You honestly think Kyouka is about to snap his neck, and you don't doubt she really would have if Mr Aizawa didn't call her and Kaminari's names right then. You offer her a cheeky grin as she hops off your desk, to which she replies with a stiff middle finger and then storms off towards the front of the classroom, leaving Kaminari to stare blankly at the empty spot she'd just vacated. 

Mina leans over to give him a back on the back. "Good effort," she tells him, although her tone is a little salty. "Although could you not have just waited like, nine and a half more minutes?"

Kaminari looks confused but Mina shoos him off before he can ask questions. And then, before she can spin around to start trying to back out of her deal with you, her own name is called, along with Todoroki’s, and she's forced to head up to the front to the classroom too, a pout heavy on her lips. 

You lean forward on your desk again, watching her go with a smug smile on your face as you begin to dream of the bean bun you'll be getting come lunch time. However, as your elbows slide across the wood and your chin goes to rest against the cool surface, you make eye contact with the boy in front of you. Again. 

"What'd you want?" you ask him, although it's not nearly as mean as it's supposed to be. 

Midoriya just shakes his head and looks away. "Oh nothing;" he says, but he's smiling slightly. And you have a feeling he must've just seen the whole exchange. Your snort ends up muffled in your crossed arms. 

You and him are one of the last pairs to be called, with only Bakugou and Asui left sitting at their seats. The rest of the desks have been vacated and when your names finally rings out, you have plenty of room to hoist your backpack up onto your shoulder as you move through the classroom, heading up towards Mr Aizawa’s desk. You have plenty of room but you decide to ignore it in favour of head straight up the aisle and knocking Bakugou's feet down from where they’re propped up on the surface of his desk as hard as you can. 

You don't apologise even when you hear him let out a sharp growl, and as you flounce up to the front, you make a show of not acknowledging him either. It's probably very petty and childish, but it feels good to do, even when Mr Aizawa gives you as look when you finally go to stand in front of him. 

"That was unnecessary," he tells you. You just shrug in return. 

"I disagree." 

"Just try not to cause trouble," your teacher sighs. Then he looks past you to where Midoriya has come to stand at your shoulder. "Between the two of you either," he adds and his expression is stern. "You were paired together for a reason and I trust you understand that." 

You struggle not to roll your eyes and give him a tired look in return. "Are we really the kind of people who'd cause trouble?" you ask, sarcastic to the point that you can taste it on your tongue. 

Thankfully Mr Aizawa doesn't miss that and he gives you a small shake of his head. "Very funny. Now…" he pulls the cardboard box towards him, which seems like a significantly easier job than when he'd first opened it earlier that morning. "Here is your bag," he says, reaching in and pulling out a pouch identical to the one he'd used in his demonstration. He hands it off to Midoriya behind you, who shoulders it with ease. 

"And here…" he continues, reaching into the box again, "is your baby." 

He gives the baby to you this time and you have barely a second after take it to stare down into its hard plastic face. Then your own expression crumbles. 

"Are you fucking with me?" 

Because the baby - 

The baby looks like you and Midoriya. 

And it’s fucking terrifying. 

It's got a head of wild midnight green curls, the texture and shape of which matches your classmate's so perfectly it genuinely concerns you. You recognise Midoriya's eye shape too, round and wide with slightly downturned corners and thick heavy lashes. It's your own irises that stare back up at you though, glassy and unblinking, and way too fucking realistic.

The baby has your skin tone too, matched perfectly, and you're almost inclined to hold it out at arms length for a second because while you knew " having a child" with your childhood friend was gonna be bad, you never expected it to be this bad. 

"Seriously," you mutter as your eyes rove over the grotesque sight. "What the fuck?" 

"Language,” Mr Aizawa says, although it's half-assed. Then he sighs and rubs a hand over his face. "Look, I know it's a little…" 

"Fucking creepy?" you supply and he gives you a scowl. 

"Odd ," he says in emphasis. "But with the introduction of this project, it’s become a tradition for the second year robotics lab students to design the babies. We tell them the partners in advance and they all tend to go a little… overboard." 

"You don't say," you mutter as you stare down at your baby again. It's not as if it looks bad or anything - in fact, the baby itself looks incredibly realistic, exactly what a hybrid of what you and Midoriya might be.  It's just… 

"It's like this makes it real," you say, mostly to yourself, as you hold the baby up in the air. Even the weight mimics that of an actual newborn. "I… dammit, Deku!" 

Midoriya starts when you turn to glare at him, eyes going wide as he throws his hands up in defence immediately. "What'd I do?!" 

You don't answer him because you don't actually know yourself. You're just looking for someone to blame and despite the fact that he's in exactly the same boat as you are, he's the easiest victim. 

"Here's your baby’s birth certificate," Mr Aizawa says, drawing both of your attention again before the atmosphere can thicken any further. "You'll need to complete it in full. And remember to name your baby before you set it up, because it'll need to register both of you saying it's name. There's a panel on the back that'll guide you in calibrating it." 

You don't make a move to take the birth certificate, still too busy glaring daggers at the baby that's now balancing on your hip, so Midoriya reaches out instead. He shoots Mr Aizawa a smile of thanks as he does so, which you don't miss. Then the pair of you turn to begin walking towards the classroom door. 

"Find somewhere quiet to do the recording," Mr Aizawa calls after you. "You want it to be as clear as possible." 

And with that, you and Midoriya step out of the classroom and into the now empty hallway, equipped with a bag, a birth certificate and a robot baby that night as well be your own biological child. 

[hereiamagainiguess]

The Box in the Basement

It was Katsuki's turn to make dinner and Izuku couldn’t wait, Katsuki’s cooking was his favourite, besides maybe his mums. Even then, there were some things he just made better, not that he would ever admit that to Inko herself.

"Hey Kacchan, do we have any kettlebells?"

"In the basement, nerd,"

Izuku smiled to himself and stood up, putting his notebook and pen on the coffee table and stretched his arms out above his head until he heard the crack of his joints.

He slipped his house shoes on his feet and headed towards the basement door.

The two had been living together in this house for a year and a half now, and Izuku doesn't remember ever needing to go into the basement.

Not since they moved in and stored odd things in there that they wanted out of the way, anyway.

He descended the uneven steps to the heavy wooden door and pulled the latch before shuffling into the dusty room, flicking on the light and watching the bulb flicker to life.

As his eyes scanned the room to find what he came down for, his eyes lingered on an aged wooden box, hidden in the corner.

Huh. He didn't think he'd ever seen that before, it definitely wasn't his. Shaking his head, curiosity won over his restraint and he sat on the hardwood floor next to the box and studied it.

It was a dark mahogany with a smooth glaze, chipped in areas showing its age. The hinges and fittings were a dull brass, with identical studs over the lid.

Izuku ran a scarred hand over the metal with a curiosity as his fingers found the latch, flipping it open and peering inside.

Now, the box wasn't too big, it was your average sized chest.

Inside, Izuku saw a multitude of different things, including clothes from Katsuki's teenage years, some old All Might merch and some gifts he received from Izuku during their time at middle school.

It made him smile to know that he had kept those despite everything that happened between them.

To say Katsuki made fun of Izuku for being sentimental, this whole box seems to contain the blonde's own memories of the past.

Digging through it with a smile unearthed some picture frames, photos of Katsuki and his parents, with some of his extended family, and right at the bottom was a picture of him and Izuku as children, caught in a priceless moment of laughter.

His heart melted as he looked at the photo, a silly grin widened on his face as appraising eyes gazed at the photo. He would have to replace the frame, maybe see if he can convince the man upstairs to put it on the mantle with their UA memories.

He set the picture aside gently, continuing to dig through the box.

At the very bottom, was something he never thought he would see again, that he hadn’t laid eyes on since he was sure it was disposed of in middle school. His eyes widened at the sight of it, realisation coming to mind as he willed himself not to get emotional.

“Hero Analysis for the Future : 13”

He had carefully removed the signature from All Might and thrown the notebook out, counting it damaged beyond repair. Whatever hadn't been fried was damaged by the water from the koi pond.

It was in a plastic cover, almost preserving it, and with shaky hands, Izuku picked it up. He flicked through it, seeing his notes copied on new paper that was hastily shoved between each page in teen Katsuki's scratchy lettering.

Tears welled up in his eyes despite his efforts, as he turned the pages, seeing all the notes that could be recovered copied out onto nice lined paper.

He rubbed his eyes before flicking to the empty pages, when out fell an envelope, addressed to "Deku".

The handwriting was still what Katsuki's used to be when they were in UA.

He slipped his finger under the seal for the envelope and pulled out the sheets of paper, unfolding them and smoothing the creases.

"Deku

If you're reading this, it means I've found my goddamn balls to give you this back.

I saw it on my way home that day with the shitty fucking sludge villain, and something made me stop and take it with me.

I don't know, I dont fucking know why I burnt it in the first place, maybe subconsciously shitty younger me thought it'd be a setback to you.

In that moment I remembered how you looked when taking these dumb notes, how happy and invested you seem and it made me feel like an ass I guess.

Especially after your dumb ass saved me. Yeah, I can admit that now.

Because since then you've saved me many more times in multiple ways.

I wasn't used to feeling like I was wrong about anything, stupid right?

I just kept it for a while, but now in our second year I decided to do something with it, now we are talking again.

I salvaged what notes I could.

Is this weird? Maybe it's weird. Maybe you've already forgotten this.

But I don't think either of us will forget what I said that day.

For what it's worth, nerd, I'm glad you didn't listen to me.

I don't know what had crawled up my ass and died but no one deserves to hear that, especially not you.

I have had nightmares y'know, of you following through because of me.

I didn't know how to fix it, I was dumb. Hell, I still am.

I know now I never hated you, I didn't know how to feel things other than anger after a certain point and I took it out on you. Sometimes I'm no better than I was back then. But I know you’ll be patient with me even though I don’t deserve it.

Anyway, this is too much sap for this time of night.

I'm sorry.

I hope one day I can atone enough

I love you Izuku

-Kacchan,"

Izuku was fully crying by the end of this, barely registering the footsteps.

"Hey nerd? What's taking you so long? Dinner is ready,"

Katsuki walked up and saw a pile of crying nerd on the floor holding a letter.

"Oh,"

Izuku looked up and his eyes met crimson, wobbly smile shining through his sobs.

"Kacchan,"

He shifted nervously, keeping his eyes on the green haired hero., not knowing exactly what to say.

"I guess I never got the balls to give it to you, huh, " he smiled a little, clearly out of his depth.

He really hadn’t expected for Izuku to find any of that stuff.

A flash of familiar green light was all the warning he got before being tackled into a hug. Luckily for him, he managed to catch himself before he fell at the impact. He had plenty of practice with this particular circumstance.

"Kacchan," he sobbed into the blonde's shoulder, holding him tight.

He wrapped his arms around the shaking body gripping him, gently playing with the stray curls at the nape of his neck.

“I got you,”

https://twitter.com/niamhwaite/status/1427792906979581953?s=20

[likeabxrdinflight]

The lack of more casual Azula-Mai, Mai-Ty Lee, Azula-Mai-Ty Lee, and Zuko-Ty Lee moments is frustrating. What do Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee even do when they're hanging out together? Is Zuko always an asshole to Ty Lee? Was the reason Mai found about the war meeting because Azula and Mai were talking politics together? Was Azula trying to keep the future Firelady in the loop? What relationship do Mai and Ty Lee have? A couple scenes could completely change our understanding of these relationships

This is why The Beach is one of my favorite episodes. It's the only one that really gave us a glimpse of what these kids are like in a casual setting and it was so important in humanizing the girls especially. You have to build most of your characterization of their friendship off of this episode and their few more casual interactions in season two.

For example we know Ty Lee is a hugger, and she seems to not discriminate with that- she jumps at Azula the first minute she sees her (and Azula reciprocates!) and hugs Mai at least twice that I can think of. So we can infer that she's the most affectionate of the group, the one who initiates the group hugs, the person most willing to reach out a hand.

We know Mai and Azula seem to share a similar dry sense of humor based on their first interaction. They've probably exchanged a multitude of sarcastic jokes that Ty Lee rolls her eyes at because "ugh, can't you two lighten up? You're totally messing up my aura."

Speaking of auras, we can agree that Ty Lee is basically this world's version of an astrology nerd, right? How much do you wanna bet she's tried endlessly to get Mai and Azula into it? I bet they humor her sometimes, Azula rolling her eyes and announcing it's stupid but still keeping one eye on Ty Lee's readings "just in case." Mai scoffs and acts like she doesn't care, but she absolutely definitely wants to know if Zuko's aura turns pink around her. No, there's no reason, don't be stupid.

We know Azula is very focused and driven, and in all of their interactions she comes off as the leader of the group. So we can infer this probably translates to fun, too. Azula is the one who comes up with the ideas- as children, this meant coming up with the games. Azula probably came up with most of their favorite childhood activities. As a teenager she's more serious, but we still see her doing this in The Beach- announcing they're going to play ball, for example, and getting them invited to the party.

Mai's mostly along for the ride, but she's also the one who keeps Azula and Ty Lee grounded. Azula with her harsh perfectionism and Ty Lee with her spacy optimism- Mai balances them with her more down-to-earth bluntness. She's the realist of the bunch. This also counterbalances Zuko's endless pessimism- where she might bring Azula and Ty Lee down to earth, she brings Zuko above ground.

As to what exactly they do when they hang out, well...during the events of the show, I suspect it's mostly just that- hanging out. Talking, spending time together. They're all between 14 and 16, but they're also in a pretty difficult position being so high up in the Fire Nation nobility. So it's very possible they don't actually do much given they wouldn't have much freedom to go out beyond the inner circle of the capital city. I think that's precisely why the party at The Beach was intriguing to Azula- for once, she could just be a girl, experiencing the kind of party she couldn't otherwise.

...I mean, she failed horribly at that, but still. It's telling that she was even curious about it.

So anyways, I think there's a lot you can infer about their dynamics. But you do mostly have to infer it.

[meltwonu]

| 🍒 CH-CH-CHERRY BOMB! 🍒 |     [CHAPTER 8]

pairing; dom!seungcheol x camgirl!reader

this chapter’s notes; camshow, sex toys, dom!seungcheol, blowjob, cumplay, overstimulation, minor degradation/dirty talk, big dick seungcheol is in the house ladies ‘n gents, what we’ve all been waiting for!!! 😩💕 this was actually meant to be a shorter chapter which I guess depending on how you look at 5k words I guess that can be seen as short!!, anyway thank you so much for your patience 🥺 I know a ton of you were waiting for this and it’s finally here!! hehe~ enjoy! have a great weekend!! 🍒 

chapters; 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - ? 

“Well… It’s not much but welcome home for the next few days.”

Seungcheol helps you into his studio apartment; setting your things by the bed before turning to you.

“So, I take it the cat isn’t real then, huh?” You joke, plopping down onto the sofa. He shoots you a sheepish smile when he sits on the other end, cheeks blooming crimson.

“Uh… no, sorry... If there’s anything I lied about, it was definitely only the cat.”

The two of you share a laugh as you look around the apartment, noting the cookbooks on the kitchen countertop and the extensive PC setup on his desk. “Oh, I should show you around. I mean, it’s not much, but I figure I should let you know where everything is.”

You nod, getting up as Seungcheol starts showing you around the place. He shows you to the bathroom, lets you know where he keeps all of his snacks and even pauses to give you the wi-fi password. You follow him around the place, remarking that it seemed more homey and lived-in than your space did.

“I mean, it’s not much, but it’s comfy. I even tried to be a plant dad but I forgot to water them so that didn’t really work out.”

“Maybe just buy the fake ones for aesthetic purposes, y’know? Give it a greenhouse vibe.”

Seungcheol nods; chuckling as he brings you back to the living space. “Okay, I should go get the things from ‘Guk before it gets any later. And you have a show to do tomorrow too so we should definitely setup once I get back.” He makes sure he has all of his things, keys jingling in his hold as he makes his way to the door.

“Do you need anything else while I’m out? I’ll probably be about 45 minutes, give or take an hour if I catch traffic.”

You shake your head ‘no’ in response, walking up to him. “Just drive safe~” Waving, you wait until the door lock falls into place before you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

In truth, you’d never stopped thinking about the video you had uploaded hours earlier. It had lingered at the back of your head the entire day despite Seungcheol’s valiant efforts to keep your mind off of the entire thing. 

It was the first time you were alone all day and you were finally ready to face the repercussions of your actions, should they have gone sour.

Sitting on the sofa, you unlock your phone before hesitantly opening a web browser and typing in the URL for the camming website. Taking a deep breath, you login, already nervous when the browser lags due to the amount of notifications.

Your eyes quickly flit across the multitude of comments; cheeks hot as your fingers go numb.

“Oh my god…”

Seungcheol gets an earful once he gets the equipment from Jeongguk’s place; the younger male’s smug face ingrained in Seungcheol’s head even when he gets back to the apartment in record speed.

It takes him a bit of trapezing to get everything in one go, cables spilling out of the box that Jeongguk haphazardly put together, but Seungcheol manages to get the door open.

“Oh my god, ‘Cheol, there you are! Please hurry, come look at this!”

He quickly drags in the box, kicking the door shut before hurriedly jogging over to the sofa where you sat with your laptop. “I--I… I don’t know what to say, I’m just…” You quickly turn the screen to let him read the comments, a wide and giddy smile on your face.

‘Whoa… this is amazing…’

‘Wait who’s the guy???’

‘Please please more content like this’

‘Fuck you sound so good begging for daddy like this…’

‘In public? Such a naughty girl… but daddy will give it to you since you asked so nicely…’

‘Shit you really do look good getting fucked like this… better than your toys tbh’

“Whoa…” Seungcheol breathes out, scrolling through the rest as he sits next to you. “It seems like it did pretty damn well, huh?” You nod feverishly, leaning over him as you click on the video’s revenue page.

“‘Cheol look at this… The donations and revenue from this video alone... I--It’s… it’s more than I get in some of my live shows…” You trail off, wide eyes meeting Seungcheol’s equally shocked face.

The two of you sit in silence for a moment; various thoughts running through your head at the possibilities.

Seungcheol fares no different, already feeling the atmosphere change when you place the laptop on the coffee table.

“Seungcheol…” He can only chuckle in response, already knowing the next words that would spill from your lips.

“Let me take a wild guess… You want to film more like this?”

Nodding, you lean in close to him, wrapping your own arms around his as you rest your head on his shoulder. “I know we kinda… agreed to not get intimate so fast and--and I think we have a lot we need to talk about but ‘Cheol… I--I don’t want to beg but… Would you? Film some videos with me, I mean? They don’t have to be, like, both of us, they can just be from your POV and we don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with doing on camera!”

He bites the inside of his cheek as he stares off into the living room. “How about this… Let’s set up, since you have a show to do tomorrow. And then Tuesday morning before I head to work, we can talk about it. I’m not saying no, I’m just… there’s some ground rules I think we need to put down first. Hard limits, things we’re okay with filming… Y’know, just, what we’re comfortable with.”

“Okay, yeah! That makes total and complete sense~” You open your mouth to speak again, only a small squeak coming out instead. “Hmm? Something the matter?”

“Just… Thank you. For everything. I really didn’t expect this to do as well as it did and--and just, I guess I’m in shock?” You laugh, pulling away from Seungcheol as he stares down at you. “And to be honest… I mean, it’s not like we haven’t thought about each other, right?”

Seungcheol feels his body getting warmer by the passing second; gulping when he understands what you mean. “Y-yeah, it’s just.. Hah, I guess I thought I’d have more time to woo you over.”

Letting out an airy laugh, you stand from the sofa and make your way towards the momentarily forgotten box of equipment; dragging it towards the bed before you sit on the floor next to it. “You have plenty of time to do that~ And anyway, who says I’m not already woo’d over?” You place a ring light down by your side just as Seungcheol sits on the bed, watching as you go through the items.

“Wow, Jeongguk sure has a lot of really nice equipment in here! Are you sure it’s okay we borrowed it?”

“Yeah, he’s a bit of a nerd for video equipment and I’m pretty sure as long as we don’t break anything we’re good.”

It only takes about 35 minutes and Seungcheol stepping on an outlet plug to finish setting up all the lighting equipment and camera as you and Seungcheol finally plop down onto the bed.

“Jeez, I never realized how convoluted it was to set up a few ring lights and one camera. I don’t want to see another cable for at least 50 years.” Seungcheol jokes; wiping a bead of sweat that trickles down his temple. “Is this how it’s set up at your place?”

“Mmhmm~ All the time. It’s like I’m never really ‘offline’.”

He stands from the bed a second later, walking to the fridge to get some water for the two of you. “Really? You don’t ever put the equipment away?”

You sigh softly, flopping onto your back onto the cold sheets. “In a perfect world I would, but it gets really annoying to always take down and put everything back up so I usually kind of just leave them in their places. But it’s fine ‘cause it’s only me anyway and I’m lazy~”

Seungcheol laughs as he places a glass of water next to the bed. “I guess that’s fair. I’d probably do the same.” You get comfy on his bed; eyes already threatening to slide shut.

“We should probably get some sleep, huh? I have work in the morning…” He mumbles, watching as you already seem to drift off into sleep.

“Mmhmm~”

Seungcheol’s bed is comfy.

So comfy that you barely register him leaning down to let you know that he’d be leaving for work. And so comfy that you spend most of your day in it until he gets back.

“Honey, I’m home~” He singsongs; kicking his shoes off at the door before making his way into the kitchen. “I grabbed some takeout on the way back, hope you don’t mind. My cookbooks came in a while ago, but to be honest, I’ve barely even looked at ‘em, much less even opened them up.”

“I don’t mind~ And thank you!”

The two of you set up in the living space, placing the food on the coffee table and easing onto the rug. “So how was work, darling~?”

Seungcheol chokes on a bite of food in an instant, hand on his chest as he tries to swallow it down. “Urgh, f-fine!” He pauses as he clears his airway. “Jeongguk really won’t let me live it down but it’s okay. He asked what you saw in me and that killed my ego a bit.” He snorts.

“Pfft, there’s a lot to like about you! He just doesn’t see ‘that’ side of you, y’know?” Seungcheol blushes, clearing his throat before trying to change the subject. “How was your day? Hope it wasn’t too boring?”

“Mmm~ Not really... Your bed is really comfy though! I didn’t wanna leave it~ Oh! And I spent some time brainstorming some ideas ‘n stuff for tomorrow!”

“Yeah? Anything good?”

Your cheeks flush crimson; a shy smile on your lips. “Maybe~ But we’ll save it for our talk!!”

dom.cheol: aren’t you a pretty lil thing?

angelhan has donated $70

dom.cheol has donated $300

artist8hao: oh? A new location again? It looks nice

alphagyu97: are we all forgetting the most important thing??

alphagyu97: whos the dude???

universe_WZ: you sound pressed over there, u ok?

hoshi_tiger_xx: honestly idrc that video was HOT

“Oh my gosh~ You guys!!” Your eyes flit to the side where Seungcheol sits with his phone in hand; a sly smirk on his face when your eyes meet. “Actually, I didn’t know you’d all like it so much… I kinda just thought to do it on the fly and my---my friend, um, agreed to help me…” Mumbling, you shyly readjust on Seungcheol’s sheets.

gc__koo: a friend? interesting tell me more

sleepy_wonu: who tf

kitty_junjun: i see our babygirl is getting more regulars~ so popular~

You giggle cutely as you tuck a stray hair behind your ear. “Did my video do that well?” You already know the answer but you read off a few more responses, biting your lip when you glance Seungcheol’s way again.

“Actually… my friend is here with me. He’s making sure I behave~”

Seungcheol pauses, head tilted questioningly at you. He mouths a simple ‘what are you doing?’ to which you wink back, readjusting yourself against the headboard.

“He’s really shy though… So he won’t be on camera~ But… But thinking about his fingers so deep in me… Fuck I’m--I’m already…” You trail off; hand reaching for the small bullet vibrator next to you on the bed.

gc__koo: guess he really gave it to you good huh?

xcaliburDK: fuck we kno he did… god that was so hot

tangerine_kwan: ur cute lil pussy was so wet and tight around those fingers, fuck

chwenon has donated $45

chwenon: it was so diff from seeing your own fingers or toys but in a good way

You trail the small vibrator across your body; mewling when you press it against the growing wet patch on your panties. “S-so you guys wouldn’t mind seeing more?”

gentleman_josh95: fuck yea i wanna see more

therealchan99: yes god plz, wanna see that cute lil cunt stretching around a fat cock

Seungcheol blushes as he clenches his jaw, suddenly a little embarrassed.

“Yeah? Mmh, I--I want that too…” You whimper. Using your free hand, you hook your thumb into the waistband of your panties as you shimmy them down before you continue. “Do you think my friend would be so kind as to give it to me~?” You tease; spreading your legs wide in front of the camera.

dom.cheol: if you behave, maybe he will.

artist8hao: mmm he’s right, only good girls get their pussies filled with cock

“Heeeey, but I’m good, right?” You pout, brows furrowing cutely at the camera. “I’ve been so good lately… Think I deserve a reward~”

dom.cheol: do you though? Have you been good, baby?

therealchan99: uh oh trouble in paradise?

gc__koo: maybe hes jealous

Jealous!? Seungcheol exclaims in his head; reminding himself to keep quiet as he stares at you incredulously.

You can only laugh loudly in response, shaking your head as you bring the wet toy up to your lips. You lick the wetness off of the silicone, lips settling into a sly smirk when you set the vibrator to it’s strongest setting.

“Let me show you how good I can be.”

“So, restraints?”

“For me or for you?” You blink up at Seungcheol from a mouthful of cereal, hair messy as you lounge in one of his shirts you happened to find on the floor. “Uh, well, mostly for you. I’m--I’m not opposed to it but… Yeah.”

You get comfy in his makeshift sofa bed, giggling as he sits across from you. “I’m totally cool with it! Oh! Um… you… you’re clean, right? Before we continue.” He nods in response, clearing his throat. “Yeah, I got tested a few weeks ago… Just in case.”

“Okay cool, so… Hmm… ‘Cheol is there anything you don’t want to do?”

“I should be asking you that, baby. ‘Cause I’m okay with anything you want to do… I think.”

“Okay so no piss kinks and no weird diaper baby stuff then.”

Seungcheol snorts, running a hand through his hair. “Sounds good to me. Is there anything you’re… really opposed to? Like choking or spitplay or degradation... I mean, you talking about it on your camshows is different from us doing it in real life so I--I just want to make sure you’re really okay with it.” You nod slowly, taking in his words.

“Yeah… I mean, I wanna try it with you. I trust you.” Pausing, you bite your lip as you try to hide the giddy smile on your face to no avail. “If we’re being honest, the thought of you being rough with me and spitting in my mouth is kinda really hot.”

He grits his teeth, already feeling his cock throb when you say that. “Ooookay, baby, I gotta go to work after this so let’s… not go there right now, okay? I don’t need ‘Guk having any more ammo against me.”

“Sorry, ‘Cheol~ I’ll be good! And--oh, by the way… Um, what about your v-voice? What are we gonna do about that…”

Oh, right.

Seungcheol bites the inside of his cheek, contemplating. In truth, he’d been thinking about it since you asked him to help the first time and he knew eventually he’d have to revisit the topic. It seemed like a minuscule thing, but a part of him was a little worried that he’d be recognizable. “I--I’ll think about it. I’m more okay on the idea of it but I’ll let you know before we do anything.” Nodding, you get up from the sofa the same time Seungcheol does, walking with him towards the front door.

“Oh and one last thing, ‘Cheol!”

“Hmm?”

“Safe word?”

He takes a second to think, brows furrowing as he stares up at the ceiling.

“Cranberry.”

You raise a brow, blinking up at Seungcheol. “Really? Cranberry?”

“Yeah, why not, it’s easy to remember and it’s not Cherry but it’s kinda similar?”

“That’s fair, I guess.”

“Hey hyung, cool apartment! Didn’t think I’d see it like that, if you know what I mean.”

“Don’t you have popcorn to burn?”

Seungcheol sighs a breath of relief when he turns the lock to his apartment door; already excited to see you when he gets home from work.

“I’m back!” He yells, toeing his shoes off at the entrance as he sees you quietly shuffle to the entrance.

“I… I was bad today…”

Confusion crosses Seungcheol’s features as his eyes dance over your form still dressed in one of his t-shirts.

Oh.

Ohhhh. Okay.

“You were bad, huh? Wanna tell me what you did, baby?”

You nod in response, linking your hands with his as you guide him back towards the bed. You hand him your phone, already having it in video mode and recording by the time he adjusts it in his palm

“You don’t have to… say anything if you don’t want to.” Seungcheol nods.

Gulping, you peer up at him once you sit on the bed. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you after you left for work… I--I couldn’t stop touching myself thinking about you…” You rub your thighs together; already feeling the wetness pooling between them again.

“I made myself cum and I--I used your pillow to make myself cum and got them dirty… ‘m sorry…”

Seungcheol feels himself slip into character, bringing his free hand up to your hair before he slightly tugs on it.

“So your greedy ‘lil pussy couldn’t wait ‘til I got home from work? And you got my favorite pillows dirty? Naughty ‘lil thing. I can’t even leave you alone for a few hours, can I?”

You feel your body heat up incredibly fast, head tilted up towards the camera as he brings it in closer. You were fully expecting him to keep quiet, but you were incredibly elated to hear him interacting with you. “I k-know, I’m sorry! I couldn’t s-stop thinking about your cock…” He scoffs, grinning down at you when he sees the lust already pooling in your eyes.

“How are you going to make it up to me, baby?”

“Fuck, you’re so pretty choking on my cock.”

The tears blur your vision as you swallow around him; pussy throbbing around your fingers at the feeling of him already being too big for your mouth. His hand guides you down until your lips almost reach the base of his cock, a strained moan on his lips when you gag around him. “Ngh, god, your mouth is so fuckin’ small. Bet you can’t wait ‘til my cock is in that pussy of yours, huh?”

You moan around him in response; head getting fuzzy when the lightheadedness starts to bite. You continue to thrust your own fingers into your pussy, prepping yourself for Seungcheol as you scissor and curl the digits.

Seungcheol holds you onto his cock a second more before he tugs on your hair, pulling you off of his cock as you sputter and catch your breath. “You look good like this, baby.” He smirks, letting the camera catch your messy hair, teary eyes and swollen lips before he lets go of your hair.

“Now get on the bed. Legs spread for me.”

You nod; getting up from the floor on shaky legs as Seungcheol lets the camera follow.

You strip off all your clothes and get onto the bed before resting against the pillows and spreading your legs for Seungcheol to situate himself between them.

“You need to be punished for misbehaving, sweetheart. You know you’re not allowed to cum without my permission. And you got my sheets dirty.”

“I know…” You whimper, “I couldn’t help it…”

Scoffing, he rolls his eyes. “I know you can’t. All you ever think about is my cock inside that pussy of yours. What would you do without me, baby? Do you think anyone could satisfy you like I do?”

Seungcheol slots himself between your legs, making sure to keep most of himself out of frame. He wraps his free hand around his cock, running it up and down before bringing his cock to your wet folds. He runs the head through your folds, letting it tap against your clit as you jolt.  “Do you want me?” He whispers; his eyes meeting yours.

He knew this was the second everything would change for the two of you, and he wanted to make sure you truly wanted it before he took the leap.

“Yes, please… I want you so bad…” You whimper, legs wrapping around Seungcheol’s waist. He nods shakily, making sure your phone is angled down as he slowly sinks his cock into your pussy.

The two of you share a broken moan as Seungcheol’s grip on your phone tightens and your own hands find purchase in the pillow tucked underneath your head.

Seungcheol was big.

And the stretch had you whining; a small sting biting into you as he slowly eased his cock into you. “Relax for me, sweetheart. You’re already so fuckin’ tight around me. You need to relax a little more.”

You try your best to even your breathing as you also attempt to relax; pupils blown wide when you look straight into the camera. “G-god, you’re so b-big, oh, I--I’m--a-ah!” Tiny cries spill from your lips as you cum unexpectedly, nails digging into the pillow as your walls flutter around him.

“Hmm~ Only got half my cock into your tight pussy and you’re already cumming? So easy.” He laughs, letting you ride out your high as he waits.

Internally, Seungcheol was dying. There were so many things he wanted to say but couldn’t; knowing he, too, at this moment, was playing a character with you.

“Fuck, your pussy is so warm and wet and I’m not even all the way in yet. Think you can still take the rest of me, baby?”

“I, hah, y-yes, please! Wanna fuh--feel all of y-you…” Mumbling, you don’t even wait to come down from your high before you’re already wanting more; squirming underneath him.

“If you say so~”

Seungcheol inches in the rest of his cock, exhaling harshly when he bottoms out completely. “Holy fuck, you’re so goddamn tight!” His free hand grips your thigh, nails digging into the flesh as he gives you a second to adjust to his size. You can feel your entire body trembling, pussy clenching around him as the sting from the stretch starts to subside and bleed into unadulterated pleasure. “God, please--please m-move!”

He starts slow at first, only shallowly thrusting into you as the two of you get used to each other’s body. And despite your first time together being on camera, Seungcheol doesn’t seem to mind all too much, although he does remember to keep himself out as much as possible.

Your breathy moans and clipped breaths are music to his ears when he starts going a little faster; the sweat starting to trickle down his temple when he keeps at a moderate pace. “O-oh, fuck!” A string of incoherent curses follow as you wince when the head of Seungcheol’s cock taps your cervix.

“Oh, go----d, right there, please, it feels so g-good!”

“Right here? Does it feel good when you’re full of my cock?” Seungcheol clenches his jaw when you tighten around him, small curses falling from his own lips.

“Yes, yes, god, fuck… I--ngh!” Your eyes clamp shut as you fully get lost in pleasure; your head tossed back into the pillow when Seungcheol thrusts into you particularly hard.

You hear him laugh lightly, followed by a buzzing noise that has your eyes peeling open. “H-huh?”

Seungcheol smiles down at you, eyes filled with mischief when he plays with the settings on the vibrator in his hand.

“Well, you wanted to cum so bad that you did it without my permission, right? Since you wanna cum so bad, let’s see it, sweetheart.” He brings the toy to your clit; letting the vibrations throw your body into overdrive as your back arches off of the sheets.

“A-ah, Seu--Mmh! Fuck ‘m g-gonna cum a-again!” You cry, thighs quivering around his waist as he keeps the silicone toy pressed up against your swollen clit.

He doesn’t let up as he starts to thrust into you quicker, fucking you through your orgasm as he chases his. “God, your fuckin’ cunt was made for me. Bet you want me to cum inside too, huh? Fill you up nice and good until it’s spilling out of you?”

“Please, please, please!”

“You gotta cum for me one more time, baby. Get my cock wet.” You let out a choked cry, lashes wet with tears when he sets the toy to its strongest setting.

“Mmh, ‘m so s-sensitive… I--- I don’t know if--if I can, ah, cum a-again…” Seungcheol licks his lips watching your fucked out expression, cock throbbing between your walls. “I know you can, baby. I can feel you already getting tight around me again.”

And Seungcheol’s right; only a few more thrusts from him before you’re cumming one last time, heels digging into the small of his back as he finally shuts the toy off and grinds against you. And this time, your lips part in a silent scream, back arching off of the bed as your entire body goes rigid underneath him.

He makes sure to do a full sweep of your body through the camera in the midst of your high, halting his movements as he lets you ride it out before he continues.

“Oh my g-god, I--fu--fuck…”

Your body finally untenses after a few minutes; chest heaving in deep breaths as Seungcheol resumes his pace.

“Ready for me to cum inside that cute ‘lil cunt of yours?”

“Mmh, yes, give it to me~”

Seungcheol snickers, thrusting into you hard one last time before he pulls out completely. “That’s too bad~” He taunts, wrapping his free hand around the shaft of his cock. “Only good girls get creampies~” He lets out a cocky laugh, running his hand up and down his cock as he positions it over your abdomen.

You clench around emptiness, a weak moan floating through the air when Seungcheol finally cums, painting your chest in warm wet streaks of the salty substance. “Fuck, but you look so pretty covered in my cum too…” He grits out, cock throbbing in his palm as he works himself through his orgasm.

You watch him through foggy eyes; licking your chapped lips as you watch his brows furrow in concentration and his eyes slide shut as he, too, gets overwhelmed with bliss.

It takes a moment for him to catch his breath, palm sweaty around the phone as his thumb hovers over the ‘stop’ button. “W-wait…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong, baby?”

You run your fingers through the rivulets of cum coating your skin, gathering the viscous liquid on your fingertips before you bring them up to your mouth to lick them clean. “We can’t let it go to waste, can we?” Popping the digits into your mouth, you moan around your fingers as you clean Seungcheol’s cum off of them.

“You’re right, baby. We shouldn’t.”

You smile up at him, eyes dancing towards the camera for what feels like the first time in a long time before popping the digits out of your mouth.

Seungcheol’s eyes follow your movements, throat dry when you run your fingertips through the settling cum again. Except this time, you drag your fingers down until they’re teasing your clit, coating it in his cum. “Ngh, w-wanted you to cum inside but…”

His shaky eyes follow the way your fingers dip lower and lower until your cum coated fingers sink into your swollen pussy. He mentally screams, half tempted to shut off the camera.

“That’s right, baby. You want my cum so bad that you have to do it yourself, huh? Maybe next time you’ll remember to behave, won’t you?”

Nodding, you repeat the same steps a few more times; fingering Seungcheol’s cum into your pussy until most of it is cleaned off of your chest.

“I promise I won’t misbehave again~” You coo.

You wait a few seconds before you lean up, hand circling Seungcheol’s wrist as you bring the phone down and press the ‘stop’ button yourself.

“And scene!” You blurt out, laying back down in a tired mess as Seungcheol chuckles above you.

“Well, can’t say I expected that, if I’m being honest.” He moves back, eyes fixated on his cum that dries on your skin and the little bit that trickles from your pussy. “I’ve gotta ask, did you really… before I got home…”

“Honestly? Yeah… I mean the--the pillows were a lie ‘cause I didn’t wanna get them dirty but…” You chuckle tiredly, aiming to sit up which you find difficult to do. “Fuck, ‘Cheol, I think you broke me!” He pouts in response, leaning over you to make sure you were okay.

“Did I though? Be honest. ‘Cause I wasn’t expecting to go that hard on our first time together but it just---it--I--”

“Whoa, it’s okay! Seungcheol, relax. You didn’t hurt me… I r-really liked it actually… It felt--You felt really good. And I just wanted to, um, say sorry. I kinda sprung that on you out of nowhere too.”

“Honestly? I didn’t mind. I seemed to fall into character a lot easier than I expected which shocked me too.” 

The two of you fall into a comfortable yet shy silence; catching your breath.

Seungcheol makes the first move, sliding off of the bed as you fight off the sleep that threatens to take you. “Hey, we need to get you cleaned up and hydrated. I need to change the sheets too.”

“Mmm.. but ‘m tired, ‘Cheol…”

He smiles at your tired form, helping you into a sitting position before shuffling to the kitchen to get you a glass of water. “I know you’re tired. And you can go to sleep after we get you cleaned off, get the sheets changed and probably eat a little, okay?”

“Mmkay~ Oh, but the video…” He passes you the glass, making you finish it before you continue.

“What about the video?”

You wipe at your dry lips, handing the glass back to Seungcheol. “We… We should probably watch it back and edit it a bit to make sure everything’s okay, shouldn’t we? Just in case we, um, said something we shouldn’t have or something...”

A blush blooms on Seungcheol’s skin, suddenly shy at the idea that he’d have to not only listen to himself but also watch, at least, part of himself on camera. “R-right, which--which we can do tomorrow when I get back from work. If that’s okay with you?”

You nod up at him, a beaming smile on your face.

“It’s definitely okay with me~”

[wexhappyxfew]

—— 1 year anniversary to Landslide [BOB FIC]

Wow! 1 year! I can’t even believe that just last year, I was sat in a lake house, in the late hours of the night, trying to figure out what idea was going to be my next for another Band of Brothers story! I remember the moment and where I had been sitting when the idea hit and looking back, I’m so glad it hit when it did. Landslide is far from that little idea I got in that lake house, but has continually developed, grown and changed in ways I look back and can’t even begin to think about how it even happened!

Natia Filipska has been a character that I will cherish close to my heart. Of course, I adore my other OCs and will always love them, but Natia holds an even more special place there in my heart because of the challenge in writing she has offered me. She gives me a challenge everyday - whether it’s having to rewrite a scene 5 times because “it’s just not her” or completely starting over a chapter because knowing Natia, she’d have a better way to get out of this situation.

I’ve also made one of my absolute favorite ships, coined “Fliptoye” by a few readers (you know who you are hehe) and it has grown to truly be a favorite of mine for so many reasons. There was no “love at first sight” or really anything like that. Just two human beings realizing they genuinely care for each other and enduring both the struggles and hardships that come along with realizing in war, you care for something that war can also touch. That for one of the first times it is not longer just about you or the buddy next to you. Natia Filipska and Joe Toye have been a joy to write!

And of course there was the month of disliking Richard Winters, the iconic nickname of “Mapkeeper” for Lewis Nixon, the Roman History nerd jokes that have now developed with Ronald Speirs, the slow start of some sort of friendship because of cracking a joke about Nix with Harry Welsh, and the comfort of a friend from Carwood Lipton.

Even Joe Liebgott and Natia Filipska have swiftly become a favorite duo and I can completely agree. Getting to see where they started and where they are now — from seeing their differences and arguments and heavy weighted disagreements to know finding ways to comfort each other even in the midst of war and making sure the other is okay and even eating. They’ve definitely been one of my favorite duos to go through that sort of character arc together.

AND OF COURSE, we can not forget one of the most important driving forces in the fic, Death, himself (alongside the sarcastic bits of War haha), most importantly the personification of Death. What draws me to a character like him, is more than anything the fact words can not be communicated between Natia and Death yet they hold such a strong willed connection, that you almost don’t need to worry about words. Each layer that builds with their connection, leads for an even darker end and makes Death even more fascinating in the end.

You can’t forget a guy like Agent Mortem! Without him Natia and Agent “Fidel” wouldn’t be here right? Right? Right….? Well…..anyway…..even with who he is and his partially uncovered past, Agent Mortem remains a heavy asset to Landslide as the leading cause for WHY Natia could possibly even be the way she is and to provide backstory on a multitude of other things, and for reason for Natia to have her redemption. There’s so much unexplored. And I’m so ready to talk about it! :D

Landslide has challenged me in ways I can’t even begin to describe both mentally and emotionally with my writing. I’ve had to rewrite, rework, edit over and over just to get it right but at the end of the day, it is always worth it. In some ways I don’t even know what else to say, and almost think the story can speak for itself! It is made for you to interpret it they way you wish to interpret it, there’s no right way to see who Natia is or what Landslide is about — whether for you it be about family, friendship, love in war, darkness and overcoming that, the struggles of mental health, finding your own inner peace or independence….whatever it may be, I hope it has possibly even helped you somehow in anyway :) Even with the MAJOR HECKING ANGST (LMAO💀) or the extremely sad parts (that honestly are probably just super sad to me LOL), it still is a fic full of lessons and stories equally about someone like Natia!

Landslide has challenged me in ways I can’t even begin to describe both mentally and emotionally with my writing. I’ve had to rewrite, rework, edit over and over just to get it right but at the end of the day, it is always worth it. In some ways I don’t even know what else to say, and almost think the story can speak for itself! It is made for you to interpret it they way you wish to interpret it, there’s no right way to see who Natia is or what Landslide is about — whether for you it be about family, friendship, love in war, darkness and overcoming that, the struggles of mental health, finding your own inner peace or independence….whatever it may be, I hope it has possibly even helped you somehow in anyway :) Even with the MAJOR HECKING ANGST (LMAO💀) or the extremely sad parts (that honestly are probably just super sad to me LOL), it still is a fic full of lessons and stories equally about someone like Natia!

I can’t WAIT for whatever else this story has to bring to the table! With still a bit of writing for the future to go, it makes me so incredibly hopeful for an end in sight on both Landslide and Natia’s character and peace for all those lost throughout the story <3

Thank you to EVERY single person who took a chance with Landslide and took a read, if you were from Day One, saw it while scrolling through Wattpad or AO3 or Tumblr, or even saw the Spoon meme! I appreciate each and every single one of you! Whether you voted, commented or left a kudo, or just even took a read! I appreciate you SO MUCH! I can’t even begin to describe the joy this story has brought me and the challenges as a writer it has provided. I’m hopeful for the rest of this fic and hopefully for one or two more to come!

Special shout-out to @vintagelavenderskies for being by my side with this project since like DAY ONE?!?! EVEN BEFORE DAY ONE?!? I don’t even know but just genuinely for so long, how could I not tag you! You always are just so excited to hype me up as well as Natia (the lil bean) and give me support and comfort for whatever I was doing (especially that support, there was some rough moments throughout the year and the fic lol!) I just can’t thank you enough for your friendship and joy you’ve brought to me! <3 Thank you my friend, so so much, for everything! :D

I’ll also shoutout a few more lovely people who have just been…..absolutely wonderful in providing both support, or insight, wonderful commentary or just sweet messages throughout writing this! @tvserie-s-world (thank you for all the moodboards!!)@wecomrades @stressedinadress (credit do you my friend for og fliptoye name!!) @pxpeyewynn @whoahersheybars @kryzes @holdingforgeneralhugs @martinsrestingbitchface @whovian45810 @geniedocroe @thoughpoppiesblow @how-are-those-nuts-sarge @alienoresimagines @alejodi0nysus @brichard-bwinters and just genuinely anyone else who even sent me a small ask or message, I appreciate it so much and your support or love or help in anything Landslide-related, helped me more than anything! <3

THANK YOU! TO ALL OF YOU! I don’t know what else to say except thank you. Thank you for letting me bring who Natia was, alive through this fic as well as her spirit and compassion of ending the war. Along with her friendships of Easy Company and hardships of both her past and mental health. It’s been an honor and privilege — here’s to many more! ✨

Happy reading! <3

tags: (because you’ve all been there for support and I simply adore you all <3) @sunnyshifty @alienoresimagines @vintagelavenderskies @julianneday1701 @huenoclue @liebegott @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant @sunflowerchuck @tvserie-s-world @wecomrades @thoughpoppiesblow @pxpeyewynn @rogue-sunday @stressedinadress @jalapeno-peaches-andhersheybars @lovingunderratedcharacters @legally-devorak @sgtxliptons86 @alejodi0nysus @mrsalwayswrite @heffrcns @curraheewestandalone @supervalcsi @xthefourthx @whoahersheybars @kryzes @papersergeant-pencilsoldier @whovian45810 @how-are-those-nuts-sarge @geniedocroe @holdingforgeneralhugs @martinsrestingbitchface @pipster4107 @mads-weasley

-> Feel free if you wish, to drop a favorite part that you really enjoyed from Landslide so far, a favorite memory or moment, happy or sad, a possible favorite quote or friendship if you wish too! If you feel even more inclined, questions are open as well! I have work all day but will be home to answer ;) THANK YOU ALL <3333 (mine has GOT to be the whole lone wolf thing lol!)

[summoner-chan]

I actually wanted to do a fanmade Valentine Event but like never got to finish it since my brain isn't committed to long term plannings-

So I'm going to just drop it here for everyone to see (≧▽≦)!! + This is a base reason for me to do so because I did some character sketches for the said event (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)

Anyways, hope you enjoy reading!!

Valentine Chase: Catch the Valentine's Hare!

Main Characters: MC and Darius (Fanmade Character+Character Debut that I'll be showing soon don't worry ;^D)

Side Characters: Shirou, Kengo, Ryota, Toji, Agyo, Claude, Snow, Bathym, Pollux, Horkeu Kamui, Nomad, Ophion, Melusine, Licht, Maria, Gabriel, Zabbaniya, Arsalan, Tanngrisnir, Juliette (another Fanmade Character+Character Debut that I'll be showing soon) and Luka (last Fanmade Character+Character Debut that I'll be showing soon!!)

Summary: Just as you were about to dance on the stage, you were swept away by a loveless wolf?! Looks like your companions have to chase down both you and the mysterious canine therian in this frenzied Valentine chase as you uncover the true motives of the cool headed and quiet wolf!

[Part 1/?]

Location:???

[The background is directed to the night sky, the full moon visible as it looms over a land adorned with growing pine trees]

???: This body....is barren. Nothing is blooming

(A wolf like silhouette appears into the screen)

He turned away to face the brightly lit moon, shining down it's light to the figures. How long has it been he wondered? He had them for company but it only seemed like the butterflies were the ones who truly understood him.

Ah yes, the arhopala anthelus or also known as the Oakblues butterfly, he didn't knew why he remembered the butterfly with such details but it stuck with him longer than he could remember. Swarms of it tend to follow him around, especially his enchanted arm that resembled to a dead tree's rotting branch, leaving bits of bark in its wake

???: Well you never know if you try

(A hooded silhouette appears, smaller and shorter than the previous silhouette)

The taller figure sighed, his gaze still fixed to the moon. It seems like he's ignoring them

???: .......

(The smaller silhouette shook violently temporarily, before slidding away to the side of the screen, disappearing from the scene)

[End Scene]

[Screen then fades away to black before shifting to a new scene]

Location: Shinjuku Concert Stadium

[The background is directed to a large stage decorated with multitudes of red,pink and white, each having a heart shaped cutout pattern to each end of the ribbons. The front of the stage had a single row of metal barriers to contain the fans from climbing up the stage]

[SFX: People chattering and the sounds of equipment moving]

[Shiro,Kengo, Ryota, Toji and Agyo's figures are shown individually, each of their expression is shock]

[The three options appear]

⭐: What's with everyone's faces?!

✨:Do I...look that bad?

❤️:As expected! I AM astoundingly cute!

⭐ Route

Shiro: Urk! S-Sorry, we're just-

Kengo: We're still not used to you having those kinds of get-ups! The last time we saw you dressed nicely was at that fancy casino we had to bust in!

Ryota: Well you DO look nice in that costume! Besides, it's a nice change to see you out of that school uniform for once you know

Toji: That, I could agree with Ryota Yakushimaru. It is indeed refreshing to you like this

Agyo: MC, You look so cute in that!! Really fits your eyes! Hey could I get a picture with you? Pretty please?

✨ Route

Shiro: N-No! You look great! Not even the single strand of hair seems to stick out! You look wonderful as ever, MC! Though...you did took us off guard... especially me..cough! What was that? I said something? Possibly not, MC!

Kengo: Well what that nerd said about you looking great is the one thing I could agree on! Wonder if the clothes durable for a fight..Hey, MC! Wanna try sparing right here so we could test it out?!

Toji: Is fighting all you could think of Kengo? MC needs all the energy they can get since the event is going to last till night so could you at least use your muscle brain for once to consider MC's stature?

Kengo: Huh?! You tryna pick a fight with me calling me a muscle brain?!

Ryota: Guys! Could you stop it?! MC is going to perform soon and this whole fighting thing might bring their spirit down....

Toji:....My apologies

Kengo:Yeah I didn't think about it that way...so uh...sorry

Agyo: Apologies accepted! Come on, let's brighten those faces up with some candies I brought with me!

❤️ Route:

Everyone: Huh?!

Toji: You!...You!.. Gah...I am at loss of words of your high confidence, MC...You seem to know very well how push my buttons around....Gah! What's with that look?! Stop staring!

Shiro: Well it's a good thing that you have high confidence in yourself, MC! With that attitude, you'll be sure to capture everyone's hearts when you're up on stage later on!

Kengo: Heh! What'd you expect from my partner? They're definitely going to rock out this entire event!

Ryota: Hehe! You're just brimming with a golden light, MC! Your confident smile is totally attracting people in!

Agyo: You're right, Ryota! I could definitely smell in the change of air and it's really good! Wahhh,MC! Teach me how to be confident too!!

[ END EVENT ]

Haha, yup! This is the only thing I came up with and this is barely half of the first episode (^～^;)ゞ and it was supposed to be much more longer but brain committed watergun on itself so-

For the next post, I'll post the main character sketch of the event so please do anticipate it!

[daydreaming-jessi]

Day 1: One bed

It’s time

I might’ve strayed a little bit from the prompt, but you know what, whatever. Anyways, there’s also a short story to go with thus under the cut. Enjoy!

Barbara stepped through the privacy curtains hung up to keep their bedroom private from the rest of the attic, freshened up and ready to sleep for the night, and smiled upon seeing that two people were waiting for her, rather than the usual one. Beetlejuice had been jumpy about staying the night with them, instead often opting to retreat to his own bedroom down on the second floor when the two ghosts began to consider turning in for the night. It took a lot on Adam and Barbara’s part to remind the demon that they in fact did enjoy his company and would love to spend a night with him and that he did have permission to stay if he’d liked. So it was cause to pause and appreciate the times when Beetlejuice seemed brave enough to stay and sleep with them for the night. It helped that the demon was adorably clinging onto Adam’s leg in some strange form of cuddling, his green hair bristling over Adam’s arm curled around his back.

“You know, I don’t think one bed is gonna be big enough for the three of us in the long run,” Barbara hummed, eyeing the way Beetlejuice’s back hung over the side of the bed.

Adam looked up from his book with a chuckle. “Yeah, I’m a little scared to let him go,” he wiggled his hand resting between Beetlejuice’s shoulder blades, which really did seem to be the only thing keeping the demon on the bed still.

Beetlejuice snuffled, burrowing his head deeper into Adam’s side with a sigh. Adam looked down to him with a wide, loving grin while Barbara pressed her hands to her mouth to keep her adoring squeak from escaping. She tiptoed over to the two, hovering above Beetlejuice for a moment as she studied the sleeping demon. He looked decades younger without a manic grin stretching across his face, his round cheeks looking oh-so pinchable. Barbara resisted that urge, instead placing a gentle kiss on Beetlejuice’s head, his hair smelling faintly of fallen leaves in autumn, a scent that seemed to stay no matter how much he showered.

He stiffened, and Barbara and Adam froze. Beetlejuice cracked an eye open and shot Barbara a half-heartedly annoyed, one eyed glare. “Sorry, Bee. Just couldn’t resist,” Barbara smiled apologetically.

Beetlejuice burrowed deeper into bed, his hair flushing pink. “You stop that. ‘M too tired for that adorable shit,” sleep slurred his speech, but his grip on Adam’s leg tightened with no problem. A third arm and leg appeared, wrapping further around Adam.

The ghost couple giggled at that. “Alright I’ll leave you be,” Barbara promised, turning her gaze on Adam. Before he could realize that he was being watched, Barbara launched a multitude of feather light kisses on Adam’s cheek, making him gasp and wriggle away from the tickling brush of lips while trying to stifle his laughter.

Unfortunately, in his bid to get away, Adam forgot that he was the one keeping gravity from fully affecting Beetlejuice. With a yelp, Beetlejuice unexpectedly tumbled off the bed, hitting the floor with a heavy thump. Barbara gasped and immediately crouched to the demon’s side, checking him over for injury.

Adam practically tossed his book aside in his haste to hurry down to the two, panic filling his eyes. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! I’m so, so, so sorry, I completely forgot, I got so caught up, I didn’t think-“ he said, his hands helplessly fluttering over Beetlejuice, who lay on the floor looking like a ruffled cat.

Beetlejuice lurched up into a sitting position, his head twisted at an awkward angle that would be worrying if he were alive. He grabbed the sides of his head and cracked his neck bones back into place with a loud snap, making the ghost couple flinch back, now certain that they’d just ruined their night and had fully insulted Beetlejuice. “Not the worst way I’d been kicked out of bed before, I’ll admit. One time ended with me being kicked out the window and ending up impaled on the bird spikes on their wall. Now those take forever to pull out, lemme tell ya,” he shrugged.

“No, no! I did not mean it like that, I’m so sorry, Bee, I-“ a new surge of apologies burst from Adam, but before he could continue babbling, Beetlejuice leaned forward and silenced Adam with a long, drawn out kiss.

“You are adorable,” Beetlejuice snickered when he pulled away, leaving Adam gaping red faced, his eyes owlishly peering out from his crooked reading glasses. Beetlejuice then sleepily slumped into Barbara, nuzzling her exposed neck.

Barbara wrapped her arms around the demon in return, the earlier tension leaving the air. “Sorry Bee, I forgot how ticklish Adam gets,” Barbara said, running a hand through Beetlejuice’s green hair. He basically purred from her petting.

“Stop apologizing, nerds. You can make it up to Daddy later,” Beetlejuice smirked salaciously, his eyebrows bouncing up and down pointedly.

Barbara shot him a pointed look. “You just fell off the bed, and you think it can fit us all for that?”

“I would be too worried about knocking you off again to think about that,” Adam agreed, leaning back against the bed while his shoulders unwound with relief.

“Then we get creative! The roof is pretty cozy, Scarecrow and I have found the perfect spot for hiding out and throwing rocks at cars up there, after all,” Beetlejuice replied.

“First off, we’re going to have a talk about how dangerous that is in the morning with Lydia, secondly, we are not having sex on the roof of all places,” Barbara said.

“Why not? It’s not like anyone can see us. Public sex is hot when you’re a ghost and don’t have to worry about being caught,” Beetlejuice pouted.

“We have a perfectly good, flat bed right here. We just need to… expand it,” Adam patted their mattress thoughtfully. He seemed to already be thinking up new ideas for their future bed frame, his eyes growing distant as he worked out measurements in his head.

“Though I don’t know how we’ll get a bigger mattress up here,” Barbara hummed thoughtfully.

“Oh my god, you guys are such nerds. We were so close to an orgy and now you’ve ruined the mood with all your weird domestic bed talk, it’s like being boring is a lifestyle fetish for you two,” Beetlejuice groaned, flopping back onto the floor. Barbara and Adam exchanged an amused look. Despite his words, Beetlejuice’s hair had turned a lovely mix of green, pink, and magenta.

“Well, if that’s the case, then let’s go ahead and call it a night. C’mon Bug,” Barbara patted Beetlejuice’s hip twice before getting up to her feet, crawling over the bed to her preferred side.

Adam stood after, and Beetlejuice simply appeared next to Barbara, smack dab in the middle. He shot the ghosts a smirk, as if he were causing some kind of trouble. The smirk promptly disappeared when Adam easily slid into bed next to him, pulling the covers up over them. “Definitely need a bigger bed,” Adam noted, eyeing how close they had to squish together to fit.

“We’ll figure it out tomorrow,” Barbara yawned. She nestled closer to Beetlejuice, and slid her arms around his torso. “This okay?” She asked.

“Uh… h-hold on,” Beetlejuice stammered, the slightest tint of color emerging on his cheeks. He eyed the second pillow Adam had been using for a backrest earlier and pulled it under the covers with him, clutching it tightly against his middle. He settled under the covers, his eyes stubbornly fixed on the sheets as he readjusted for a moment. Then, quietly, so quietly only the dead could hear, he whispered, “Makes me feel safer…”

“You don’t have to explain, Bee,” Adam reassured the demon, Barbara nodding in agreement. Adam stretched out, encircling his partners with his arms, pulling them closer together still. “Good?” He checked.

Barbara carefully wiggled a hand around Beetlejuice to intertwine her fingers with Adam’s and nodded. “Yup.”

Beetlejuice’s eyes darted between the two before he slowly moved one arm away from the pillow, turned onto his side and wrapped it around Adam’s waist. Then a third arm appeared from… somewhere on his person and curled around Barbara’s. “It’s weird, but… it’s nice,” he mumbled. Barbara buried her face into Beetlejuice’s hair, and he could feel her wide smile.

“It is,” she agreed, relaxing further.

Adam looked over the two before him with such loving eyes, all Beetlejuice could do was duck his face into Adam’s dorky flannel shirt to avoid that overwhelming green gaze. “You two still owe me make-up sex. All these tropey ‘there was only one bed’ shenanigans aren’t gonna get you outta that,” he huffed.

“Course,” Barbara hummed.

“We will definitely christen the new bed when we get it ready,” Adam pressed a kiss to Beetlejuice’s forehead.

That made the demon purr. “Oh, I will be doing so much more to you than christening some damn bed when the time comes. Trust me.” Even with the sleep weighing their bodies, Adam and Barbara still felt a shiver of excitement run down their spines at the baritone hum Beetlejuice’s voice reached. “Alright, good night!” Beetlejuice gleefully chirped, closing his eyes.

“Bee! You tease!” Barbara squealed.

“You can’t just do that when we’re trying to sleep!” Adam said, his hips shifting away unconsciously.

Beetlejuice grinned wider, hugging the pillow tighter to his chest. “Now we’re even! Sweet dreams!”

The lamp then clicked off, leaving the room dim, save for a weak filtering of moonlight in the windows. The ghosts settled in, their legs tangling together in one final act to be as close as possible to one another as they finally started to sleep.

[blkgirlsinthefuture]

Black Magic and Defense Against the White Arts: Assimilation, Identity, and Purpose in Higher Education and the Internet

Black Student Union and Black Caucus are two very different organizations that, in their respective series, serve an important narrative purpose: to introduce the audience to what Blackness is on a certain college campus and how that Blackness congregates into something that resembles a community. In BLACK ENOUGH, the Black Student Union (Weston) is Blackness as multifaceted yet unified - whether you were from Queens or the Caribbean, whether you wore your hair in afros or in braids, if you fit a broad (but admittedly not broad enough) definition of Blackness, you were to be part of the one (non-Greek) Black organization on campus. In Dear White People, however, Black Caucus shows Blackness as an alliance: the Caucus was not a unified entity, more so a forum for various different Black organizations to congregate and discuss the tea of the week; these organizations included CORE, Black AF, the Black Student Union (Winchester), and the African-American Student Union.

I wonder which entity Amaya may have fit better in during her Black Welcome Week - if both Black Student Union and Black Caucus existed, which would she have chosen, if either at all? It’s important to acknowledge that both Weston and Winchester are PWIs/HWIs, with long histories of slavery and segregation; in these institutions, Black people don’t exactly have the luxury of bountiful representation in bodies of power - they have to make their own spaces where they can, whether in 1965 or 2021. As a result of lack of representation, a lot of racism (especially microaggressions) is perpetrated and it is a chore to get White people (and even some Black people) to understand the impact of these incidents. In “Algorithms of Oppression”, Safiya Umoja Noble details how Black minorities in our physical world manifest in the digital as machines, systems designed to oppress Black people. Part of resisting this coded manifestation of White supremacy is to build Black communities, and this is where Noble and BLACK ENOUGH share a common ground: they both make the digital part of their framing with #BlackGirlMagic and “#BlackGirlMagicPotion”. The act of making a hashtag is the act of putting a flag in the ground and summoning people to it in order to build a city around this phrase and ideals that underlie it. #BlackGirlMagic celebrates the multitude of ways in which Black women and girls exist and thrive and create and challenge in a world that is intent on tearing them down on all fronts. On the flip side, though, “#BlackGirlMagicPotion” exposes what happens when certain Blacknesses are excluded from the equation, barred from the city. Amaya is kept out of #BlackGirlMagic yet is constantly invited inside anyway; even if she’s constantly asked to join the Black Student Union, it is with the expectation that she needs to majorly change. Amaya dances with White groups instead of going to Black parties, she doesn’t say “finna” and she can’t really twerk, she relaxes her hair instead of wearing it natural, and this all implicitly makes her a pariah in some Black spaces.

When people talk about Black culture and Black community, they often have a very monolithic notion of what that entails: rap and hip-hop, Malcolm X and W.E.B Dubois, dreadlocks and baby curls, fuck the police and free the Black brutha. Growing up, I didn’t identify with much of any of this, and it instilled in me a pervasive anti-Blackness (especially against Black men) that I am still trying to unlearn to this day. The complexities of identity are often controlled by White simplicity. You actually care about school? Black people don’t care about school, so you’re not really Black - you’re better than them, something else… something White. The many Black characters that Amaya interacts with speak a thousand words with their looks at her: she spends too much time with White people, she’s forgotten how to be Black. While this perspective has some merit, it doesn’t capture the whole picture. What I am continuing to learn is that Blackness is everywhere and in everything - there is nothing out there for White people that Black people haven’t carved out space for themselves in - nerd- and geekdom, for example, can be magnificently Black spaces, even if stereotypes of Black people would refuse to acknowledge that.

Amaya’s journey, like my own, is one where she learns that she doesn’t need to be the Black girl others expect her to be; she can make her own Blackness, using the ingredients of her own lived experiences, to create a new, unique, and just-as-great #BlackGirlMagicPotion. And just as Amaya comes to embrace this in Weston’s halls, we too can embrace our own potions in the digital realm; social media a dangerous yet powerful tool for community-building and self-loving. Thanks to social media, Black people around the world have been able to meet each other and break down cultural barriers that would otherwise have kept them apart. Still, we must be vigilant - Noble is not starry-eyed about the role of technology in Black lives, but she still offers hope for a future where, if we are critical, we can survive and may even start to change that which oppresses us, that our Black magic potions can be potent defenses against the White supremacist arts.

-Jonathan

[gale-gentlepenguin]

Gale’s Pick: Miraculous Ranking (as of Season 3)

Rules:

1. The miraculous will be taken at their maximum potential. That means the user can use the special power as many times as they desire and what we know about those powers currently. (Example: I can't assume Chat noir will be able to throw his cataclysm like Chat Blanc, I only know he can destroy something he touches with it.

2. This list does not take into account the Kwami themselves. Their personality and abilities hold no bearing on the rankings.

3. The miraculous ranking will only be including its potential by itself. Not with fusions, power ups, just the bare essentials.

4. I will be ranking this based on Combat usage, practical usage, creative possibilities, and overall effectiveness

5. This is Opinion based and I would love to hear your logic on whether you think certain miraculous should be ranked higher or not. 

_______________________________________________________________________

13. The Mouse

It is a super situational miraculous. Its ability “Multitude” is a good ability when paired with other miraculous, but by itself, it sort of lacks in everything except stealth. It does allow for you to be in multiple places at once, but it isn't helpful when you are smaller then an actual mouse. Its not gonna win any fights, In a fight, it isn't gonna help the user out as anything more then a distraction.

12. The Fox

Now I know a lot of people will be shocked to see this one so low. But really, while its a cool ability, Illusions are kind of useless outside of distraction and deception. If used right it can cause your opponents some trouble and I do think it has a lot of creative usage and practical usage. But the problems set in when the user actually is aware that they are illusions. Now a clever person might be able to use the fact that their opponent knows they are illusions to their advantage... but that is also situational. Also, the weapon is a flute. It is one of the lamer weapons to use, little range, and needed for the power use, so if someone knocks the flute away, the illusion power is useless.

11. The Monkey

So how did the monkey’s situational power up beat out the fox? Simple, its power is useful in besting other miraculous  wielders and super powered individuals. Uproar is the power to mess up powers, your unique abilities become useless against this mad monkey. In terms of a fight, its like being an equalizer. Though the problem is, its kind of unpredictable. its effects change depending on who is hit and the power’s effect is only temporary, so if you use it, the user should act fast. Also, while the weapon is cool,, the miraculous is probably really easy to snatch off of his head.

10. The Butterfly.

Yes, I am putting the main villain’s miraculous down here. My reasoning, its highly conditional.

1. You need a consenting individual, usually one with negative emotions, or a willingness to do the user’s bidding.

2. The person with the akuma usually influences the power. Hawkmoth’s influence on their power set is confusing and its unknown. But it leans more towards the user’s mental state.

3. Hawkmoth can only control the akumatized victim somewhat. Again, this varies.

4. Only one akuma can be created at a time without power ups or boosts. 

5. There is a range on how far the akuma is that Hawkmoth can't influence it.

6. If that akuma is out of range, it can't be called back and a new akuma can't be made.

Now the butterfly miraculous does have some cool bonus abilities. Such as feeling other’s emotions from a stupidly far distance. If the akuma isn't purified it can multiply. It can boost the powers of other miraculous, and even make an akuma that has the power to boost its own power but again... that varies.

The butterfly is sort of like the king of conditional powers. It can be useful but it also can be limiting.

9. The Bee

How did I put the bee Miraculous this high up? Simple, stunning an opponent is crazy OP and its pretty much a one hit KO on most foes. Sure the user has to touch them, but at max potential, the attempts are unlimited and all the user needs it one opening and it is over. It is definitely more reliable in a fight and honestly in general.

8. The Turtle

Some say the best defense is a good offense, I say the best defense is a f***ing force field. The applications of Shelter are phenomonial. The shield is able to take a good amount of damage, Fu’s shield was able to hold out a long time even with attacks from Hawkmoth, Mayura and a sentimonster. Its a great stalling tool and great for protecting others as well as yourself. Plus the shield means you can Captain America all deadbeat fathers. And if Rising of the Shield hero has taught me anything, a good shield can do wonders.

7.The Dragon

I was actually surprised by how low I had this on the list. A miraculous that allows the user 3 different elemental abilities. Control of Wind, Lighting, and Water. How can I put this so low? Well the truth is, even though this is totally awesome and versatile. The other miraculous on this list are also stupid overpowered. But despite that, this is likely the best ranged power that is used.

6. The Horse

Transport is an amazing ability. Its fun with portals. Late for school? Portal. Need to avoid an attack? Portal? Want to send a weapon somewhere far away? Portal? Throw your enemies into the sun? Portal. Transport is crazy over powered, The only drawback being that the user has to jump into the portal to actually utilize it. So if someone sees a portal, they know something can happen.

5. The Black Cat

The cat miraculous is the best Offensive Miraculous. It’s weapon, the ever extending staff has crazy range, has a tracker, and can split into two weapons for duel wielding make it great to have. And its power Cataclysm can destroy ANYTHING it touches. While at first glance this seems lacking, imagine unlimited destructive attacks, not only that, it acts as the user’s protection from having the miraculous snatched, and it works on anything. Except sentibeasts, it just makes those go haywire. If you want the best example of how powerful and dangerous this power is, look at plagg. A cataclysm can level a city if not controlled. Chat noir has brought down things as large as the Eiffel Tower. And with unlimited cataclysms, One touch and the opponent is done FOREVER. It doesn't matter their ability if their dead. Also on a lesser note, Night vision and the ability to purr.

4. The Peacock.

The power to create Sentimonsters. Beings that can demonstrate sentience if not controlled by someone. The peacock seems to have the ability to make amok for people if they are willing to accept it or even themselves. The peacock has every advantage the Butterfly has, and more. It even gives the Peacock user free reign on what the amok is, Nathalie was able to make an exact replica of Ladybug with her own version of lucky charm. Meaning a peacock can make an evil version of pretty much any hero to an extent, though the amount of concentration needed is up for debate, which could be limiting. But a bonus is  that if the Sentimonster acts up, she can remove the amok. The only downside is that whoever has the item controls the sentimonster, and that can be turned against the user. But outside of that the weaknesses are pretty limited when it isn't corrupted.

3. The Ladybug

At first Glance it doesn't make much sense that Ladybug would be so much higher on the list, but the thing is, the Ladybug is crazy powerful, able to undo ALL damage done with miraculous healing. Able to summon an item that is guaranteed to help them in some compactly, and with unlimited summoning, can be used to handle ANY situation.

Plus, her weapon, the Yo-yo is also just as versatile as the Black cat staff. 

The only downside is that the Lucky charm needs to be figured out, in a hypothetical situation, with enough time and preparation, the lucky charm can helpfully beat any foe. But the key word is Preparation. Also there are some shortcomings of the Lucky charm.

1. It randomly give charms that are useful in an situation father in advance. (like the key in season 3)

2. It is not prepared for unknown elements. Like in season 2 finale, it summoned a miracle box, likely to get Hawkmoth’s miraculous, but the Lucky charm wasn't expecting Mayura so the item was useless.

3. If the user is not creative enough to know how to use the lucky charm, its pretty much useless.

But outside of that, at its max potential it is one of the most overpowered Miraculous.

2. The Snake

Anyone that has played undertale can tell you how OP save points are. Second chance is insanely broken. The user can memorize what their opponent’s attack patterns and counter. They can do this as many times as they want within a 5 minute interval.  Its a redo button and there is pretty much no limit to it at its max potential. Even with the limited 5 minutes before retransformation, it can be abused. In a one on one match, it is pretty much invincible. The only caveat is that the use nerds to slide the bracelet back to go back to the save point. So if the opponent wants to win, they have to incapacitate the snake user. Outside of that, Fu himself talks about how dangerous this miraculous is, and it is completely understandable.

1. The Bunny

Time travel in this universe is completely OP. Since the ML universe doesn't run on Multiverse theory, Time is delicate and can be changed easily. Bunnyx has the power to alter time in anyway she wants. Rabbit hole not only sends her to any time she thinks off, it takes her to the Burrow which allows her to view MULTIPLE periods of time and look at them like she is watching a movie, she can rewind and fast forward to find key events. Bunnyx could go back in time and simply take the miraculous away before the user even transforms. Heck, the bunny miraculous allows the user to do pretty much ANYTHING. Trap your opponents in the Dino age? Stop them from being born? Travel forward in time and find the cure for cancer? Bunnyx also has Pockets, she can HIDE HER MIRACULOUS!?

Seriously, The snake miraculous can have all the save points in the world, but it can't counter someone jumping through time.

Ladybug’s lucky charm won't work if isnt expecting a f***ing dinosaur to pop out of nowhere after its summoned.

The point is, Time travel is the best power and thus the bunny miraculous is dangerously OP and the best miraculous

[retvenkos]

“you make me a better person.”

requested

A/N: we really out here on an elementalists kick, aren’t we???

BEING MARRIED TO BECKETT HARRINGTON? AND HAVING KIDS? OOF, FAM, HAVE WE GOT A STORM COMING...

okay, so here’s the thing. from what i’ve read, beckett does not have the greatest relationship with his family, which means he is vvv hesitant to the idea of marriage and the expectations that follow

you are going to have to have spades of patience if you want to have a good life with beckett

when he gets nervous that often manifests itself in him being unusually grumpy, so you are going to have to be vvv compassionate, too

there is no rushing into marriage with beckett harrington

you guys have had a multitude of talks about it, and you’ve probably been together for a really long time. it’s only when he’s completely comfortable with the idea of it do you even think of asking him

and i really do hope you are the one to propose. it would take so much pressure off of him and honestly, he’d probably never do it himself

he is 10/10 okay with never getting married, even if his parents look down on it

he’s going to be kind of pressed when you first get married, just because his mind is racing with lists and ideas of what married life is supposed to be.

once he settles into it, though, being married to him is very lowkey.

beckett is totally that guy to have a home office (especially if he works from home) where you feel compelled to knock before you enter.

he has a really fancy desk and chair, and you are constantly compelled to sit in it when he’s not there

it just looks so  o f f i c i a l

in the mornings, beckett totally sleeps in. he stays up late reading and working and requires a lot of sleep to get rid of his grumps.

if you make breakfast, he’ll love you forever.

seeing beckett eating a waffle with messy hair is the definition of serotonin

also, please never have this man make you food

the only decent thing he can cook is a  s a l a d

you have had many arguments over whether making a salad is considered cooking or not. neither of you have won, thus far.

also, you guys probably have a really modern looking home

he would 10/10 live in the city, close to the big company he works for and the newest inventions and latest discoveries

on weekends you guys will get coffee and walk through museums or just go down the street while he acts like a tour guide, telling you about the history of why that street was named what it is, or what the different architecture was inspired by

i also feel like beckett is pretty rigid in his ways, so if you try to get him to branch out and do something different, his immediate reaction is to hate it

but honestly, he loves seeing you exicted so he’d come around after an hour or so

“i told you this place was the best!”

“i suppose i’m inclined to agree.”

you guys are total movie fans

like, you go to see every new film together and you talk about it over ice cream afterward

he has a total sweet tooth, btw

you get really into the themes of a movie, and beckett is a huge nerd when it comes to cinematography and lighting

you jokingly say you two should write reviews for movies, and it’s honestly not a bad idea...

which leads me to tell you that you both 10/10 make home videos for your kids and beckett is behind the camera like,,, 99.99% of the time

he is honestly really scared when you first have kids, and that’s why he’s a spectator in their early life

he can’t help but think of how lonely his childhood was, and he doesn’t want that for his kid,,, but also doesn’t know how to give them anything else???

you definitely have to come in with that patience and talk him out of his fears

also, i can’t imagine beckett with a big family

you probably have two kids, tops, and beckett is deathly worried about the younger one

he doesn’t want them to feel overshadowed the way he always did

he���s not a super hands on dad, although he is always there to help them with their homework or read to them before bed

he is super big on education, obviously, and kinda comes off as that p.t.a. mom that is overly involved with what their kid is doing in class.

he bonds with his kids on a deeper level when they become teenagers

he really gets into their interests at this age to “encourage them to not be afraid of being themselves”

it’s cute, but he probably has a daughter that is just as difficult as he was, and it’s hilarious to see him struggle with karma

“i was not nearly this... haughty!”

“you really were, babe.”

but, anyway, beckett isn’t big on pda, but when he does show affection, it’s through chaste kisses

he gives you a kiss before leaving every day

when he gets up from the table he kisses you on the cheek

he kisses you on the forehead to greet you every day

if he is ever brushing/holding your hand (whether because you’ve handed him something or your dancing or what have you) he will press a kiss to your fingertips.

it’s so absentminded at this point that it’s cute

oh, and beckett totally has to get reading glasses in his 30s

like, his eye sight declines or something and he has to get reading glasses

and they are 100% functional because beckett is too practical to wear glasses for fashion and shreya would never let him live it down if he did that

in conclusion, being married to this nerd is tiring but worth it because he cares a great deal about everything and everyone

AND FLUFF ENSUES.

[beebrainedstudios]

NOTE: I know I posted this before, but I wanted to make a new post for it, as a) I’m working on Emira now so it would fit to have them posted close to each other, and b) I don’t think the previous post showed up in tags even when reblogged (I tried, then deleted it when it didn’t work). I also finished the Steel Prince comics, so my opinions have changed a bit (I still think he’s very well-written no matter how angry he makes me, especially with the context of the comics, but he’s definitely made some mistakes, and Maxim, no wonder Antari have a problem with you). So, I’m copy-pasting the original post+tags with minor edits in the hopes it works this time; apologies for the repeat everyone! 

BTW I know this character is generally disliked by the fandom; that’s totally cool, he’s not my favorite either. But I do think he’s interesting, so with the headcanons below I tried to extrapolate/explain (not excuse!) some of his actions. If you disagree/think I’m reading too far into it/think I missed something, PLEASE take all of this with a grain of salt. 

Copy-Pasted Stuff:

Next up for the refs, Maxim! A complicated design for a complicated man. My opinions on Maxim went from love to hate to “I wish you knew what you were doing;” he’s a really fun character, especially with the context of the Steel Prince comics. That being said, just like with the Danes I’ll be including design notes and headcanons under the cut, which may include spoilers for the comics; ergo POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR STEEL PRINCE. You have been warned. Also, my writing got really small on this ref, so I recommend clicking the image if you want to read the ref notes.

Anyways, on to Maxim!

- First up, hair. Maxim has a multitude of locks that all vary in length; he grew them out after he took the throne and has barely cut them since. There’s no specific way Maxim likes his hair, as he’ll arrange it into various different styles depending on his mood. The gold rings are actually there to help with this process, as they allow him to move each lock individually with his magic when he’s putting it up. This variable ring structure has the added bonus of creating a cool rippling effect when his magic activates; when Maxim quite literally gets heated, his influence spreads to the rings and any other small metal objects in the area, allowing his locks to shift in the heated air in an effect Rhy jokingly refers to as a “solar flare.” Maxim’s mood can actually be gauged purely by how much his hair moves or how warm he is, which is a trait his family finds endearing even if he himself finds it mildly annoying- after all, it’s difficult to come off as calm and composed if everyone in your kingdom knows your hair will give away how ticked off you are.

- As for his outfit, I love the asymmetrical geometric aesthetic put forth in the comics for Red London royalty; naturally, I leaned hard into this aesthetic and then immediately hid it all behind overly-complicated armor. Maxim is a huge armor nerd- anything metal is his specialty, and he prides himself immensely on both his armor and his weapons. He got his armor early in his youth and fiercely maintained it throughout his life until he was as attached to it as Kell was to his coat; he likes to swap parts around from multiple sets to create new looks. This is considered light armor for Maxim- at minimum he’ll have his crown and breastplate on. It’s very rare to catch him without any gear, but on the rare occasion one does, they’ll find he has a very similar outfit to Rhy, especially from the waist down. Fun fact, both he and Rhy’s pants are based on fencing knickers (fencing uniform pants), since both myself and VE Schwab are fencers.

- Maxim has many scars from his time at the Blood Coast, including two nasty ones on his brow and nose. He used to be rather embarrassed by them until he met Emira, who loved his scars as a part of him and told him so constantly. Now, like his armor, they are a source of pride.

- Speaking of pride, Maxim takes a lot of it in how he looks, especially with his hair, eyes, and clothes. As such, Rhy learned most of his knowledge about maintaining his appearance from his father; the only thing Maxim couldn’t contribute to was Rhy’s hair care, as that is something his son has more in common with his mother. Maxim often wakes himself up by doing his hair and picking out his jewelry in the mornings, and if he’s feeling particularly bold he may even slip on some golden eyeshadow or a flashier necklace. Maxim has never mistaken the value of appearances in how someone feels about themselves either; he is liberal with compliments in the palace both to family and staff, as he knows someone does their best work when they feel happiest in their skin. He takes particular care to comment on Kell’s coat and hair, as he knows his adopted son’s appearance is a point of self-contention that he doesn’t want to foster.

- Maxim’s sword is like Kell’s coat; he carries it everywhere- even to social functions- and is unashamedly fond of it. It is essentially the larger version of the royal half-sword that Maxim can wield in either hand (he’s ambidextrous!) and can even change the style of; if he wishes for it to be a two-handed sword, he only has to stretch the grip with his magic. Maxim can heat it forge-hot without it melting; in this state it’s incredibly dangerous and can cut through almost anything. There are two easter eggs in the runes on the sword, if anyone wants to look close enough to find them!

- All of Maxim’s stuff is sun-themed as a half-callback to the Maresh symbol, which has given him the additional title of the “Molten Sun,” an affectionate term used by guards to refer to their commander-in-chief. Maxim is really close to his guards and treats them as extended family; after all, he used to be one of them. He knows most of them by name and is fiercely protective of them- anyone who tries to mess with his staff as a whole is due for a personal warning from the king to desist, which is best heeded if one doesn’t want to drink their meals for a week.

- As said on the ref, Maxim is big. He spends a lot of his free time training as a nervous habit, which regardless of effect on his psyche keeps him in tip-top shape at all times. He’s easily as tall as Holland and is one of the few people Kell must stand upright with to look in the eye. He’s also immensely strong; this man could probably bench-press three guards in full armor with Emira sitting on top. I’ve seen some people suggest Athos alone could win in a fight against him before- maybe its due to the state of my own design for said Dane (in summary, scrawny as heck), but the only way I can see that going down in a one-on-one confrontation is with Athos getting punted like an angry white football. Personal preference, I guess.

- Now for personality! Maxim is a lover and a fighter, beloved and seen by all in his kingdom as a ray of sunshine, especially after the stormy clouds of his father’s cold and strict reign. He is as kind as he is tall and spends a lot of his time helping citizens solve problems or simply drifting around the palace, ready to aide his staff in their jobs. He’s vibrant and animated, too; the palace is often stirred to life when the sun rises by Maxim’s “quiet” singing as he heads towards the kitchens. Little does everyone know, behind that cheery and loving facade is an incredibly calculating individual. Maxim was born and raised only to be the perfect war king by his father Nokil with little personal care or respect for Maxim’s wishes, and though Maxim vowed to never be like him, some of Nokil’s parenting still unfortunately rubbed off. Maxim is always watching for threats and prepping for battle, mentally, physically, and otherwise; a threat to him or his kingdom is constantly around the corner, as far as he’s concerned. He must have a plan at all times or else he gets anxious and defensive, and if he’s backed into a corner, he’ll choose a risky course of action over no action at all (ergo, the Osaron fight). Maxim may be deeply loving, but he can’t help but see people’s worth to the kingdom first; when he’s feeling stressed it takes real effort for him to step back and see people as people instead of pawns he’s trying to get across the board.

- As far as hobbies go, Maxim doesn’t spend much of his free time on himself; he’s a full-time father, king, and husband, which leaves little room for downtime. Most of what he has left over he devotes to training, courtesy of his father’s horrible “kingdom-first” mindset that has still scars his adulthood. Still, Maxim does have a few interests he fosters; he loves cartography (a trait he shares with Kell) and likes to make his own maps by hand. He also loves chess, music, and gem/metal geology- if Emira wasn’t already in charge of the kingdom’s finances Maxim would have spent it all on new gemstone inlays or gold decorations. He’s still a fun-loving man, even if he doesn’t know how to spend much time on himself.

- Maxim is a very caring father and husband; he loves his family to bits and is completely devoted to them, even if he sometimes royally slips up when things get difficult. He and Emira both believe in equally sharing parental duties, so he spent a good chunk of his time when Kell and Rhy were growing right beside them, guiding them along. Contrary to what one may think, Maxim was the parent Kell was always closest to; they could often be found together in the map room, Kell watching with fascination as Maxim carefully traced the lines of landmarks and geographical features, switching his quill between hands when one grew too tired. Meanwhile, when Rhy wanted to hang out with his father, they both would spar with wooden swords or play games like hide-and-seek or chess together. It was largely due to Maxim’s own poor father that Maxim was unable to properly communicate with Kell post-ADSOM; he simply assumed a little distance would do them both good, unaware that he was both continuing a cycle of neglect by repeating his father’s mistake and giving Kell the one thing he didn’t need (for those who don’t know, Nokil- Maxim’s dad- sent Maxim to the most dangerous part of the empire, the Blood Coast, because Maxim disobeyed him. Maxim emotionally did something very similar in AGOS by treating Kell coldly). Nonetheless, Maxim never stopped considering Kell a son and recognized his mistake; unfortunately, by the time he saw his error in the cells, he was in too deep to give Kell the freedom he needed and Kell was too angry to try and compromise until circumstances were more favorable. Maxim also never stood up for Kell against Emira; between his wife and his son, he always assumed Kell was the stronger of the two and would eventually stand up for himself. This, as we all know, turned out to be false, and Maxim regretted it for the rest of his life that he never tried to talk to Emira about her treatment of the second son of the Maresh family.

So yeah, sorry for the long wall of text! I really like Maxim as a character (even if I acknowledge he struggles badly as a parent) so I wanted to give him more depth and a design worthy of his complexity. I hope you enjoyed it; if anyone has any questions or comments I’d love to hear them!

[forever-rogue]

Lucky You - Part 1

A/N: Soo, this is my first time writing for Billy and ST in general. Hopefully it’s not complete garbage. This will have a few other parts too! Anywhooo enjoy! No spoilers contained within! xx

Word Count: 4K

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Reader

Warning: Language, Billy being Billy (but nothing too bad)

MASTERLIST

PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5

»»————-　♡　————-««

“What?!” you snapped, finally unable to ignore the pale ocean eyes that were boring holes into your back. You’d felt his gaze linger on your figure as soon as you had gotten into the school’s gym that was crawling with tons of other students at the moment, meaning that he could watched anyone else - anyone but you. You wished it had been anyone but you. You hated Billy Hargrove…that’s what you had been trying to convince yourself of for the last several months.

But any sort of resolve you had against had slowly been dissipated since the day you had laid eyes on him and first saw that smile, that damned smile that almost never appeared on his face, but when it did you were done for. It was all but perfect, a megawatt smile on a face as beautiful as the most magnificent sunset. But you vowed you’d be in your grave before you ever admitted any sort of attraction to him.

“Well, well,” his warm voice was laced with amusement as he slowly sauntered over to you, sweat glistening all over his well toned and tan body. You refused to turn around, not wanting to give into his power, because you knew that he knew exactly the effect he had on women…most importantly you, “look what the cat dragged in.”

You let out a sigh, running a hand over your face in an exasperated manner, willing him with every fiber of your being to just to away. But of course he didn’t, no, fate would not be that kind. When you didn’t respond, he reached up and gently tugged on your ponytail, knowing it would annoy you more than anything.

“What the hell is your problem?” you almost screeched as you whipped around and came around face to face with him, your hand raised to smack him thoroughly across his pretty mug, just like he deserved. But Billy caught your hand, his fingers clamping down tightly on your wrist as that trademark smirk stretched across his lips.

“Not so fast Princess,” his voice was low but soft as you struggled to free your hand. He seemed amused at how easy it was to fluster you, but he eventually let you go, his hands landing on the his hips, just above the shorts that were slung low on his bottom half. One wrong move and they’d be on the ground, leaving him more exposed than anything. It was a tempting thought, and caused you to bit the inside of your cheek to keep your mind from wandering too far into the gutter.

“What the actual fuck do you want, Hargrove?” you tried to keep your voice tinged with as much as venom as possible, making it clear that you did not like Billy Hargrove. The quickly spreading tingling you felt running through your body was clear evidence that none of that was true. You had felt the sparks flood through your veins as soon as he hand had made contact with your skin. He held up his hands, trying to play the innocent victim card.

“I just wanted to say hi,” he cocked his head to the side, much like a confused puppy, his beautiful eyes as innocent and wide as possible. Damn, he was good, “you look lost, Princess. What’s got you wandering into the gym? Should you be in the library, all caught up in those books you seem to love so much.”

“If that’s your pitiful attempt at humor, it’s not working,” you sighed and took a step away from him. The larger the distance between your bodies, the easier it would be to refuse his advances, or so you figured anyway. Out of the corner of your eye you spied Steve coming out of the locker room, running a hand through his hair, trying to get it back to it’s normal state. A wave of relief flooded through your bones at the sight of your best friend, more ready than ever to leave and forget all about that this encounter. You were definitely not going to think about any of this tonight while you were locked in your bedroom, under the covers, and left with only your imagination. Definitely not.

“It’s seemed to put a bit of a smile on your face” he raised an eyebrow and you just rolled your eyes, ready to head off to the safety of Steve’s warm presence.You just flipped him the bird as you turned on your heel, “awe, come on, you don’t mean that!”

“Do too,” you countered without skipping a beat or casting another glance back in his direction. You heard him sigh softly, a sound of annoyance mixed with defeat, and it gave you a small sense of satisfaction. Another day that you had resisted Billy’s charm advances. It was a good day, and the rest of it was going to be spent with your best friends, which would provide a welcome distraction.

“You’ll go out with me at some point!” he called over at you, causing you to stop dead in your tracks.That was not what you were expecting at all, especially not from Billy ‘Bad Guy’ Hargrove. You swore you could almost detect a bit of softness and fragility to his tone, but surely that was impossible? This was Billy after all.

You turned around and held out your arms as a gesture of both what the hell and try me. You noticed that the corner of his mouth slowly started to turn up into a small smile, “I wouldn’t hold my breath, Billy. But you’re welcome to try. Spoiler alert though, I happen to despise assholes.”

“I’ll accept your challenge, Princess,” he suddenly seemed to have his spunk back, excited by the prospect of the challenge of winning you over. He liked a challenge, difficult or not and you were proving to be the hardest one to date, “once you finally get over yourself you won’t be sorry.”

“We’ll see,” were the last words out of your mouth as you almost skipped over to where Steve as now waiting for you. His mouth was hanging open and a confused grin was etched across his face. He’d only witnessed the last bit of your encounter with Billy but it was enough to make all the hair on his body stand up on end.

“What just happened? Did I just stumble into the twilight zone?” he quickly looked between you and Billy, as you just shook your head and pulled him along with you, “Hargrove-”

“Nothing to worry about, Pretty Boy,” you reassured him, opening the door and stepping into the chilly winter afternoon, pulling your scarf tighter around your neck. It was the middle of January, and winter was still in full force - your favorite. That, combined with the sparks from your interaction with Billy, was enough to lift your spirits as you giggled at the look on Steve’s face, “Billy’s on some weird vendetta, thinking that he can get me to go out with him. I told him he’s welcome to try, but it’ll never work. I, Y/N L/N, will never ever go out with Billy Hargrove.”

»»————-　♡　————-««

February

You abhorred February the majority of the time it rolled around, for a multitude of reasons, namely because it signaled the end of the winter, and the onslaught of spring which led to summer, which was the absolute worst. But anyways, you also hated it because of Valentine’s Day, which you insisted was a crock of shit, all consumerism that got people to buy things they didn’t need, and to shame people who were single.

Not that you didn’t have a Valentine - you always did, a savior in the form of your best friend, Steve. You both hated Valentine’s Day, so you figured why not suffer together? After the first year you had done it, you’d both had so much fun going out and making fun of the all the couples, so in love and showing their affection off to the world, you’d decided to make it a tradition.

“Mornin’ sunshine,” Steve greeted you with a big grin on his face, and a large frosted sugar cookie in his hand. You gave him a quick hug before eagerly taking the large treat and shoving it into your mouth, relishing in the buttery sweetness, “Happy Valentine’s Day to you too.”

“Sorry,” you mumbled, as a few crumbs fell past your lips. Steve sighed and let out a chuckle as he wiped the top of your shirt, “Happy Disgusting Love Day to you!”

“Ahh, there you are,” he laughed as you started to riffle through your locker, attempting to gather all the things you needed for the first period, “hey, we still on for the usual after school? I was thinking we could go see a movie after dinner? It won’t be too late, I promise, and you’ll have plenty of time to finish your homework, little nerd.”

“Very funny, Pretty Boy,” you sighed dramatically at him; teasing each other was the pinnacle of your relationship and you wouldn’t have changed it for the world, “but yes, whatever you want to do is fine with me. But just so you know, I’m picking the restaurant for this evening. I think Hopper’s taking Mrs. Byers to that fancy place. Maybe we can go there and gather intel!”

“You’re so nosy,” he laughed as the bell rang, signaling the start of classes. His eyes widened as he realized he was going to be late again, and he couldn’t risk that. He’d already gotten into too much trouble this year, “I’ll see you at lunch, gotta go!”

“B-bye,” you waved meekly after him, shaking your head at him; he was always something else. Grabbing the rest of your things, you shut the locker, but almost proceeded to drop everything out of your hands as Billy stood there, watching you intently, “Jesus H. Christ, Hargrove! You could have, you know, said something instead of standing there like creepy weirdo.”

“For someone so observant, you’re very clueless,” he threw his back with laughter, momentarily removing the heart shaped lollipop from his mouth, his curls bouncing magnificently in the light. You huffed at him and got ready to walk away so you wouldn’t be late either. Billy stopped as soon as you took a step and reached out to grab your arm in his - he had a strong grip and it sent a shiver up your spine, “hang on for a moment.”

“Billy, I’ve got to get to class,” you stated matter-of-factly, “don’t you have to do the same?”

“Yeah, but when’s the last I cared about that?” he went back to sucking on the lollipop, making a deliberate show of it, and you had to struggled to keep your eyes from flicking to his lips. It would have been wrong to admit that your wished your were that sucker.

“Maybe you should try it sometime,” you pointed out, a mischievous idea crossing your mind as Billy just shrugged, a self righteous little smirk on his face. You reached over and snatched the lollipop from his mouth, surprising him and yourself as you stuck it between your own lips, sucking on it for a few moments before releasing it with a loud pop.

“What are you doing later?” he blurted out his, his tan toned chest rising up and down faster than it had previously. Your actions had caught him off guard and sent all the blood rushing down south, his already tight jeans becoming more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment. A small, delicate laugh escaped your now sticky lips as you slung your backpack over your shoulder, “ahh, come on, Princess, you know you want all of this. Any other girl would be dying to be in your shoes right now.”

“Maybe you should find one of them and proposition them,” you were proud of the effect you had on him as you noticed how he shifted his weight back and forth, a grimace on his handsome face, “besides I’ve got plans.”

“Harrington?” he asked through gritted teeth, annoyed by the idea of that pretty boy having his hands all over you. He knew you were close to him, but he hadn’t realized you were that close. You nodded, and he slammed his hand lightly against your locker, “I didn’t realize you were dating him. Does he even know where your c-”

“Eww,” you stopped before he could go on any further, holding up a hand to silence him, “Steve’s my best friend, dude. I’m not fucking him though, the thought of that alone is enough to make me want to die.”

“Then why are you spending the Valentine’s with him?” he was confused by your words that clearly clashed with your thoughts on him.

“Don’t have a boyfriend and he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Therefore as best friends, we’re spending the day together,” you raised both of your eyebrows at him, “duh. Besides, there’s no one here that’s even remotely captured my interest.”

“Come on, Y/N, just go out with me,” he was growing frustrated by your refusal to give into him. He never had to try this hard with other girls, they always threw themselves at him. Billy Hargrove didn’t have to beg a girl to go out with him, they begged for even the slightest bit of his attention. But not you; no, you provided a challenge he couldn’t back down from him. He was the hunter and you were the prey and he wasn’t stopping until you were his.

“Why?” you played with the sucker in your mouth, just to taunt him a little further, “you’ve given me no reason to say yes to you. Besides, Billy, let’s be honest here, I know your type. You just want a challenge, you only want me because I’m saying no, but as soon as I give in you’re just going to fuck me and then never speak to me again. I’m not into that, I don’t want a bad boy Billy.”

“It’s not like that,” he insisted quietly, although he knew you had a point. He had a reputation for a reason after all, but it had quickly changed once he had met you. He’d dropped all the other girls as he pursued you, attempting to win over your affection.

“Whatever you say, Billy Boy,” you gave him a wink as you turned away and started to head to class; you were well late now, but it was worth it. Any time spent antagonizing Billy was worth. You kept the lollipop in your mouth, a small piece of victory, “keep trying, maybe one day it’ll work!”

»»————-　♡　————-««

March

By the time March rolled around you were already eager for summer vacation to start, the lull of time off from school drawing you in like a siren calling to a sailor. Even though it was still a few months until you could enjoy the freedom of sleeping in without an alarm, not having to worry about homework, and getting to hang around all day with your friends, it was constantly on the back of your mind. You were...distracted to say the least, and there was just one other thing at the forefront of your mind.

Normally it would be school and cramming for exams, making sure to keep up your already perfect grades, but this year there were...other distractions. Namely in the handsome form of Billy. He’d taken it upon himself, almost as if he was on a personal mission, to get you to agree to go out with him. Just one date, one little date he always insisted, reassuring you that that was all it would take for you to fall for him. Normally you’d just roll your eyes at him, pat his cheek and tell him he was cute, but it was never going to work.

Your resolve had weakened ever so slightly, your words less sharp than normal, your glances softened, eyes not as hard as they used to be. You thought it hadn’t been that obvious but the relentless teasing from Steve and Nancy were enough to see that you were incredibly obvious. You denied everything they said, firmly reiterating that you would sooner be in your grave than ever even kiss him. You’d gotten close enough to that when you’d stolen his lollipop the month prior, the taste of which you were sure still lingered on your lips, sometimes bringing a blush to your cheeks.

But it was Pi Day, which you wouldn’t have known about, but your math teacher was a huge nerd, much like you were in other ways, and wanted to celebrate. He’d brought in several pies to share for the class and only taught for a few minutes before deciding to let you all do whatever you wanted. You were glad for the reprieve; it had been a long week already and you figured you’d use the period to take a quick cat nap - not before eating your piece of pie of course. It was a delicious looking Boston Cream Pie and you were eager to dig into it.

You were only stopped when Billy stepped next to you, sliding into the abandoned seat across from yours. Of course, he just couldn’t let it go.

“Hiya Princess,” he smirked as you set down your plastic spork, letting go of the idea that you’d get to eat this pie in peace. You propped your elbow on the top of the desk and rested your head in your arm as you glared at him, “what? No greeting? Not even a smart remark?”

“What Billy?” you gave in, watching as his face between through several expression changes, ultimately landing on bemused. He looked good today, better than anyone should have looked if you were being quite honest, and it was getting harder not to stare at his chest, how the shirt he wore was perfectly taught across his muscles. He reached over and swiped his fingers across the top of your pie slice, scooping up a bit of the whipped cream.

“Just wanted to say hello,” he said innocently as he brought his fingers to his lips and licked off the sweet cream, tongue darting out of his mouth purposely to make sure he had your attention. He never broke eye contact with you, and it was a horrible struggle not to give in and watch him, and you instinctively licked your own lips which suddenly felt way too dry and chapped. You wondered how his lips would feel against yours, if they were as soft and supple as they looked.

“I’m sure,” you suddenly regained a bit of confidence as you came back to your senses, taking the plate and pulling it further away from his reach. He’d been hovering around you even more lately, always making sure to catch your eye, a smirk or wink cast at you. He was starting to break you down, and you had a feeling he knew. But you refused to admit defeat, and even if you wanted him (which you didn’t, you constantly assured yourself), you were never in a million years going to let him wear you down. You weren’t like all the other girls and never would be.

“I can be a nice guy,” he must have felt a rush of bravado because he reached over and placed his hand under your chin and tilted your face up to look at him, “maybe not to everyone, but for you. I can tell there’s something different about you, and I want to know more. I can tell you like me too, Princess, even if you’re denying it to yourself. I can see the way you look at me, especially when you think I’m not looking.”

“Oh?” you were growing more annoyed with him by the second, his normal swagger setting back in, “and how do I look at you?”

“With those big innocent eyes...I can tell you’re not though. I’m guessing I’m going to get to find out soon enough just how not innocent you are,” the words barely left his mouth before you took the plate of pie and smashed it onto his face, covering his features in the sticky chocolate cream.

“Tell me how I look at you now, Billy,” you fumed, all eyes in the classroom turning to face you as you single-handedly embarrassed him in front of everyone. He wiped the pie off of his eyes, anger spreading throughout his body as he bit his tongue to hold back his words, “don’t you dare presume you know a single thing abut me, Hargrove. I will never, ever go out with you, and that isn’t just a bunch of words, that’s promise.”

“Miss L/N! Mr. Hargrove!” your teacher wasn’t quite sure what to do as an awkward silence hung in the room and people starting to whisper among themselves. He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, shushing the people around you, “that is enough out of the two of you. Detention for the next three weeks for the two of you, no ifs, ands, or buts.”

“What the f-”

“Do you want to make it four weeks?” he raised an eyebrow at you, stunned by your sudden insubordination; you were normally the teacher’s pet, always doing whatever you were told. But there was something about Billy that set you off in a completely different direction.

“No,” you sighed, casting annoyed glances between him and Billy, who was silently fuming as cream slowly dripped off of his face and onto the floor.

“Good,” he sighed, “now I want the two of you out of my classroom. Hargrove clean yourself off and Miss L/N, I recommend you take the time to reflect on your actions.”

“Fine,” you grabbed your bag and stormed out of the classroom, leaving them all behind, annoyance filling every fiber of your being. You never used to be like this, you were the good girl. But now? Now Billy was starting to get to you, and he was likely pissed to the point were he’d never let you live it down.

“That was a bit dramatic, wasn’t it?” Billy scoffed as he stumbled out of the classroom, heading for the bathroom. You remained silent as he started to walk past you, a cool air about him, “didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Shut up,” you hissed at him, wishing your actions had been a bit more of deterrence on him, “I hate you, Billy Hargrove. You’re nothing to me, and you never will be. Drop the act and just leave me alone.”

“You just pied me in the face in front of everyone,” he pointed out, “you think I’m going to let you get away with that? I don’t think so, Princess.”

“Whatever Billy,” you rolled eyes at him, trying not to think about how good he looked, even covered in pie, that you may or may not have wanted to lick off of his face. It simply wasn’t fair, but you weren’t going to let it get to you, “we are never ever ever going out. No matter how hard you try.”

“We’ll see,” he said with a smirk before starting to duck into the bathroom, propping it open with one toned arm, “I always get what I want. And I want you. You’ll give into me eventually, trust me.”

He didn’t give you a chance to get another word in before he disappeared into the bathroom. You thought about storming in after him, but stopped yourself - the two of you alone in the bathroom might lead to exactly what you were trying to prevent.

You were weakening little by little and Billy knew it.

»»————-　♡　————-««

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[beca-mitchell]

fire for a heart (not scared of the dark) (1/1)

Summary: High School AU—Beca learns Chloe has had her first kiss, which throws a wrench into the whole 'having feelings for her best friend' thing.

Part of now i see daylight—an au series that explores beca and chloe’s lives together as if they had been childhood friends. thanks always to @asimplefavors.

word count: 3,346

read below or on AO3.

MONTH: June/July

AGE: 15

— — — — —

Gradual, like the longest crescendo.

That’s what it feels like, realizing that she has feelings for her best friend.

Gradual, like the longest note and the agonizing anticipation in waiting for the maestro to say she can finally stop.

Or anticipation in another form: like waiting at the starting line for the first “go”—endless track ahead of her and endless possibility but in reality there are only two: win or lose. Win or go home.

Beca frowns as she continues shredding her napkin, watching the way Chloe and Tom smile at each other at the adjacent table. It is a hot summer day and Beca just happens to be at the only ice cream parlor in town, sitting right by Chloe and her new boyfriend, both of them looking incredibly happy and pleased with their shared sundae.

Beca sighs.

Boyfriend is a fairly new concept for all of them. It's like everybody in their year is obsessed with the thought of having their first kiss, first boyfriend, first big name crush.

It's hard to even think about going back to school.

Of course, Chloe Beale would be one of the first among them to get a boyfriend. From their freshman year alone, she already had most of the school at her feet by virtue of being endlessly kind and impossibly charming, all tied up in how genuine she is as a person.

It wasn’t hard to anticipate that Chloe would be on everybody’s radar for a multitude of reasons, but Beca kind of just thought they’d have more…

She watches Tom reach out to put a hand around Chloe’s back, gently coaxing her closer to where he sits on the bench.

It makes nausea rise up inside of her quickly, so she forces herself to look away.

She doesn’t even want ice cream.

— — — — —

There’s a part of Beca that just aches with pain at the thought of Chloe dating Tom. It’s just a stupid, fleeting crush, she’s sure. She has no right being so possessive over her best friend—not when Chloe is so incredibly happy it appears.

Chloe You keep skipping out on hanging out with me and Tom! I’ll make sure you do, Beca Mitchell. He’s a really nice guy and I want you two to be friends. <3

That last text received from Chloe continues to go unanswered. Beca has no idea what Chloe expects her to say.

So happy you’re replacing me, Beca thinks snidely. That’s definitely an option.

Sighing, Beca knows she’s being unfair. Having these stupid feelings for Chloe means nothing—at least not since Chloe has no idea in the slightest. It’s unfair to expect Chloe to know exactly what goes on in her mind at any given moment.

But you used to be so good at knowing all the words I couldn’t say, Beca thinks to herself sadly.

Not knowing what to do, Beca flips to her calendar app.

1 Reminder: 2 days away—track practice/try-outs.

At least something to keep her mind occupied.

— — — — —

Track ended up being something she really enjoyed as a freshman. It ended being an unexpected extracurricular, oddly complementary to Chloe’s penchant at soccer. Beca could never be that coordinated, but running long distance? She ends up taking a liking to that.

She had been so shy about it the first time she told Chloe about how much she enjoyed track. More than she expected, really. Sweet, patient Chloe who hadn’t even batted an eye when Beca cracked a million jokes at her own expense about running from her own problems. Careful, loving Chloe who had simply reached out to hold Beca’s hand sending a (then-unrecognizable) thrill through Beca’s body.

“I think that’s amazing, Bec,” Chloe had said so sincerely and honestly that Beca could do nothing more than stare at her with appreciation and gratitude. “It’s perfect for you.”

So even if track is something she enjoys and keeps her grounded, she knows that Chloe Beale has her hand in it, like a reminder of the fate that hopes to keep them together.

— — — — —

She finally ends up running into Chloe one pleasant June morning—quite literally running into Chloe right outside their respective homes.

Chloe’s hands come up to catch Beca around the waist before Beca can completely faceplant into the ground when she whirls messily upon stumbling into Chloe’s body which had been running in the opposite direction.

“Beca!” Chloe explains once she sees Beca’s face properly. “God, I’m so sorry, I should be more careful.” She removes her earbuds, smiling at Beca with a touch of hesitation. “You—are you okay?”

Beca heaves a breath that she doesn’t necessarily need to take. “Yeah,” she acknowledges. It’s good seeing Chloe again, that much she can admit. “I—sorry,” she says quickly without expanding.

Sorry for completely ghosting you. It’s just hard, realizing how into you I am.

“It’s fine,” Chloe says quickly. She nods at her house. “Want to...come in for breakfast or something?”

Beca tries to tamp down her smile. Tries. “Did you cook it or did your mom?”

Chloe scoffs and simply wraps a hand around Beca’s hand and tugs her gently. “Shut up, nerd.”

It is when they are finally seated at Chloe’s counter that Beca becomes more self-conscious of how red-faced and sweaty she must be. Chloe looks flushed as well, but somehow still manages to have every single hair attractively in place. Beca wonders if her own hair is akin to a rats nest.

“I don’t get it,” Chloe complains suddenly as she puts a glass of water in front of Beca. “How do you always manage to still look put together after your runs. Stupid long-distance stamina.”

Beca can’t even hide her smile then, not even if she tried. She knows Chloe is trying to bridge the odd gap that has suddenly appeared between them over the past couple of weeks, which she appreciates. It’s just...kind of difficult grappling with her own confusing feelings while Chloe continues to be the best friend Beca has known all her life. “You run too,” Beca points out, going for normalcy. “You look good too,” she mutters quickly, looking pointedly down at the counter for fear of staring too long.

Chloe makes a small noise of acknowledgement but says nothing more. The silence is oddly perturbing, especially when Beca realizes that Chloe isn’t preparing any of the promised breakfast. “Are you—” she begins to ask.

“Tom kissed me,” Chloe blurts out. “We kissed, I mean. For the first time.” Beca sucks in an involuntary breath and drags her eyes up to Chloe’s face immediately.

“You kissed,” she repeats.

“Yeah,” Chloe replies, quickly drawing her lower lip between her teeth nervously. Chloe's nervousness, while rare, is even more peculiar considering that her nerves are directed at Beca.

It makes her stomach twist oddly and uncomfortably.

“Oh,” Beca says quietly when she realizes that's all she can muster. “That’s, um…” Chloe continues to stare at her with hope and anticipation. Beca assumes the flush that is slowly spreading across Chloe’s cheeks again has nothing to do with the summer heat or exercise. “That’s amazing,” Beca says quietly, trying to convey sincerity with only her eyes.

A flash of something rushes across Chloe’s face, but it disappears just as quickly. Chloe circles the counter and stands in front of Beca, pulling her hands towards her. “Is it?” Chloe asks.

It’s not quite what Beca is expecting. “I…” she swallows and unbidden, another fantasy passes through her mind’s eye.

I wish I could be the one to kiss you.

“It is,” Beca says quickly, biting past the hurt that wells up inside her. “I...tell me about it, Chlo,” she says, fixing a peaceful smile on her face.

I want to kiss you so badly.

“I’ve wanted to tell you for days now,” Chloe complains, relaxing a bit before Beca’s eyes. “You’ve been so hard to get a hold of.”

“Here I am,” Beca promises in a tone that in no way reflects the unfamiliar crushing sensation in her chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”

It’s all true.

She would never be able to leave Chloe Beale if she tried.

(She was never trying that hard anyway.)

— — — — —

The day before the track team meeting—the day after Chloe’s revelation—Beca ends up in her room again.

1 reminder: 1 day away—track practice/tryouts

She frowns at her phone before tossing it aside and staring placidly at her ceiling. Somewhere downstairs, she hears her mother getting ready for work and perhaps the half-hearted muffled attempt at a goodbye if she listens hard enough.

She stopped trying to listen when it became clear that the muffled goodbye was all she would ever get.

(All she deserved, she thinks.)

She wonders if there’s something off with her. Internally. Or externally.

She didn’t end up feeling all the usual things girls her age usually felt. She ended up developing a big unreciprocated crush on her best friend.

And Beca knows as much as the next person that representation is more and more poignant and significant in media, but she still feels a small degree of shame. A small degree of anxiety.

She doesn’t even know how to broach the topic with Chloe. She knows how much of a disaster that conversation would go.

I think I might be interested in women.

Oh? That’s amazing, Bec! Of course Chloe would be the most supportive person on the planet—Beca has no doubts about that. Just— What made you realize that? Chloe would ask. Because she has to know. She’d want to help Beca in whatever way she could. She’d want to set Beca up. She’d want to help because she cares that much.

And what would Beca say to that? What could she say?

You, she could say. You, always you.

She doesn’t let herself think past that.

Instead, she drifts to the various Google search results she has pulled up and all the ways in which she could just be wrong. She could just be going through a phase.

It’s just Chloe, sending all her thoughts into a tailspin.

But it’s the other results that linger most—the ones that tell her that everything she feels is valid. Everything is true.

Nothing needs to change.

It’s not a phase.

— — — — —

It’s almost too easy with Josh. Beca might have zero experience with high school boys, but if media has taught her anything, it’s that they’re ridiculously easy to charm.

Some more than others.

The thing about Josh is that he’s cute and confident. And he seems to genuinely like Beca with more than just getting into her pants on his mind, though she’s certain that’s still a factor.

It’s kind of easy being with him too—easy just hanging out, easy to brush her hand across her shoulders like the movies said she should do, easy to just tuck her hair behind her ears like she had seen Chloe do countless times, easy to smile in the same way Chloe had once said made her eyes shine.

Whatever that meant.

It’s the beginning of July and summer already feels like it’s slipping away. They’re all going to be back in school in two months and Beca knows this is her chance. Everybody is antsy about transitioning into the new grade, without the pressure of freshman year looming over them.

Beca knows that their lives are changing in more ways than one. It’s time.

If Chloe can throw herself into her first kiss, Beca can too. She knows she can.

That’s why it’s so easy with Josh. He wants it as much as she does.

“Just get it over with,” Beca mutters to herself as she exits the locker room. Josh is waiting for her by the entrance to the school. They’ve been hanging out—not dating or anything, just hanging out—for the past couple of weeks before and after track practice. Beca is fairly confident she’s going to make the team again and get that coveted long-distance position. It helps that Josh is there and going about his own goals with a drive that is appealing to Beca.

Not like Chloe, though, her mind tells her traitorously.

She ignores it.

“Ready?” Josh asks. It’s a bright Tuesday afternoon and he had suggested going to the movies. Beca can’t fathom a more boring outing, sitting in the darkness doing and saying nothing, but she’s heard through the track grapevine that Josh is more than interested in her.

Beca forces a smile at the thought. “Ready.”

— — — — —

She isn’t ready.

She knew she wasn’t.

It feels like she’s tripping and stumbling all the way with no end in sight.

Josh does try to kiss her. In fact, he gets impossibly close.

Beca is surprisingly fixated on the screen because the movie is interesting and riveting. She makes a mental note to ask if Chloe wants to watch it with her again. It’s something they can both laugh about.

It’s why she doesn’t notice the way Josh’s arm slides around her shoulder until she’s pressed right against his side and she startles, sucking in a breath.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs, breath hot against her cheek.

She forces herself to turn towards him.

She can see the outline of his face in the dark, illuminated by the lights on screen. The ends of his hair are illuminated too, with errant flyaway strands sticking up attractively she supposes. She’s supposed to find these things attractive—supposed to enjoy his messy, adorable look. It’s what girls like her like, usually.

It’s not a phase, she screams at herself.

She swallows again, blinking nervously. They’re alone in the theater, it’d be perfect, really.

Perfect, Beca thinks. She can be perfect.

Chloe already had her first kiss, she can do it too. She can do it—she can push herself into this if she just focuses and tries her best.

Josh doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t have to. His eyes flutter—his eyelashes are not as long or perfectly curled as Chloe’s—and she just knows that he’s going to kiss her. His grip around her shoulder tightens and it is in that moment that Beca feels impossibly trapped.

She wants to run.

Quickly, she forces a hand against his chest and pushes him back, shaking her head. “I can’t,” she says quickly, horrified at the way her voice cracks.

To his credit, he pulls back from her, but his arm still remains loosely draped around her shoulder. She longs to shrug it off, but an odd paralyzing fear strikes her then. “What do you mean you can’t?” he asks, sounding more like a petulant boy than a teenager.

“I just can’t, okay?” she says quickly. She musters the strength to shrug his hand off her shoulder.

He scoffs. “What, are you gay or something?”

He knows, her mind screams at her. He knows, he knows, he knows—

But how could he know? Beca had been so careful. She hadn’t stared at Chloe too long—she hadn’t even known herself until just over a month ago. She couldn’t have known, it had snuck up on her, unbidden.

She couldn’t have known.

He can’t know now.

“No,” Beca says quickly once a pregnant pause extends between them uncomfortably. “Of course not, I just—”

He shrugs and picks up his jacket. “Well, maybe that’s something you should figure out,” he snarks.

It isn’t necessarily said with disgust or hate, but there are hints of malice and disdain.

Beca feels horrible, like she had just led him on.

“I was just—” she stands up quickly, feeling oddly like a chastised child. “I was just confused about—about us,” she stammers. He can’t tell. He can’t know. “I think we’re better off as friends,” she spouts desperately. She isn’t lying—she does believe that. “I just don’t think I’m ready to…”

“To what?” he demands. The movie plays on without their attention. “It’s just a kiss, Beca. Everybody does it.”

“But—” Tears spring to her eyes. “Where are you going?” she asks instead.

“I’m leaving,” he says, not meeting her eyes.

“Because I didn’t kiss you.”

He shrugs.

“You’re my ride home!”

“Not my problem.”

Beca can’t believe this. Instead of fear, she feels unfamiliar anger well up inside her. “Are you fucking serious?”

— — — — —

She ends up calling Chloe.

Chloe who really has no business coercing her older brother into driving over to pick her up, but he does anyway.

“Tell me his name,” Chloe says in a threatening voice the moment Beca slides into the backseat. Chloe whirls in her seat to glare at Beca. “I’ll kill him.”

Chloe’s brother snorts, but says nothing else.

“He was just upset,” Beca says quietly, embarrassed above all else. “And it was Josh,” she says hastily. “We’re friends,” she tacks on in hopes of lessening the fire in Chloe’s eyes.

“He just left you there!” Chloe exclaims, looking increasingly infuriated by the second. “What kind of friend does that?”

“I don’t think we’re friends,” Beca murmurs before she can stop herself. “Not anymore at least.”

Chloe’s gaze softens. A flash of hurt and betrayal slip across her eyes as she clearly realizes that this is new information. Like she has realized that Beca has been engaging in something behind her back, which in a sense, she has. Chloe was never supposed to find out this way. “What happened?” Chloe asks gently.

“He just…” Beca clears her throat. “He tried to kiss me and I said no.”

“What?” Chloe asks with a sharp inhale. Her eyes seem to burn more furiously, but she does not ask why. Indignation and sharp concern radiate from her in waves.

In all honesty, Beca is long past thinking about the kiss that never happened—the kiss that never should have been en route to happening to begin with.

There are other pressing matters.

Like how she’s trying her best not to think about how blue Chloe’s eyes look then; like how sitting in Chloe’s brother’s car makes her feel the safest she’s ever felt; like how all she wants .

How much she’d rather spend time chatting with Chloe in the car than in a movie with a guy who doesn’t even want to give her the time of day.

Again, unbidden—

I want to kiss you.

This time, Beca lets the thought float through her with quiet resignation.

A part of Beca knows that kissing Chloe isn’t quite a dream that is on the horizon of attainable things at the moment, but the thought isn’t quite so daunting—the thought of liking Chloe, as painful as it is, isn’t something to be afraid of.

It is the thought that follows immediately after—or rather, the series of thoughts—which threaten to compromise Beca’s very notion of comfort and sanity.

I want to be your girlfriend.

I want to spend my life with you.

I can see it, you know?

(And softer still, Chloe’s voice in reply if Beca dares to let herself hope and dream: Me too, Bec. I can see it too.)

Beca swallows and averts her eyes quickly when she realizes Chloe is staring back at her with rapt attention, twisted uncomfortably in the front seat.

“Beca?” Chloe asks quietly.

“Yeah,” Beca rasps, clearing her throat. The car is noticeably tense with the silent air around them. Even Chloe’s brother doesn’t dare to breathe.

“Want to go back to my place and listen to music? I’ll even let you pick.”

Beca smiles gratefully. “Yeah, that’ll be great.”

“And we can plot to kill him,” Chloe tacks on quickly. “I know people.”

The tension snaps immediately as Chloe’s brother snorts. “You’re in high school, nerd.”

Chloe retorts with something quick and acerbic, Beca is aware, but the sound of their bickering slowly begins to fall away. To Beca at least, it is comforting.

Beca lets the muffled sound drift around her like the warmth of sunlight on a beautiful summer day.

She doesn’t need to run from this. Not ever.

fin.

[linerwriter]

On the Subject of Magic

I spent way too long on this. Guess it’s my fate for being a science nerd.

Word Count: 1345. For the @linkeduniverse AU. Enjoy!

BOOM. “Ooh, pretty!”

Twilight sighed, shaking his head at the scene before him. In some random turn of events, the group had gotten onto the topic of magic after their wonderful dinner (courtesy of chef Wild). How they started talking about it, Twilight didn’t know. He only knew that he wanted nothing to do with it (for multiple reasons).

Currently, Legend was showing off his fire wand thingy, which caused a firework of reds, oranges, and yellows to rocket into the night sky. Wind, having never seen it before, had been mesmerized by the contraption, and was begging Legend to do it again.

“Come on, Legend! That last one was so cool!”

“No can do, kiddo,” Legend swung the rob over his shoulder, “Don’t want to cause a wildfire and burn the environment.”

Wind deflated. His lip bottom lip wobbled as tears crept to the corners of his eyes, “But-but it looks so pretty and cool!”

“Nice try, Wind, but I’m not falling for it.”

Wind huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, “It was worth a shot.”

Time chuckled, rubbing the kid’s head affectionately, “That it was, Wind, that it was. Anyway, who’s next?”

Four looked pensive, “The only ones left to talk are Twilight,” the person in question glared when everyone looked his way, “and Wild.”

At that, the entire group looked mystified. “Hey, Wild,” Hyrule spoke up, “Why haven’t you talked about your magic?”

Wild hummed from where he was cleaning the dishes from dinner, “Simple. I don’t use a lot of magic.”

Warriors blinked, “What do you mean, don’t use a lot of magic? We teleport pretty much any time we can!”

Wild looked up, “That’s not magic.”

“Um, I’m pretty we know magic when see it,” Sky hesitantly spoke up, “and we see you use it all the time.”

Twilight, meanwhile, watched this entire exchange with a raised eyebrow. Although he didn’t like to speak about it pretty much at all, he was probably one of the most qualified to identify magic. And that weird stuff Wild did with that slate of his definitely constituted as magic. “Explain.”

Wild’s lips twisted in thought, “I guess… well, what do you think the definition of magic is?”

His question posed a multitude of response. Most, like Legend and Warriors, shrugged their shoulders. Others, like Four and Hyrule, looked puzzled. And finally, there was Wind, who was eagerly shaking his hand, as if waiting to be called on. Wild indulged him.

“Yes, Wind?”

“It’s when stuff you can’t really identify happens!”

Wild chuckled, “You have the idea of it, but not quite. It’s more like an event or something similar to it that you can’t explain.” That got everyone’s attention.

“Something you can’t explain?” Four questioned, “What do you mean by that?”

“You know how Legend’s fire rod shoots out fire?” Nods all around. “Well, you can see it happening, but you don’t know the exact reason for how or why it’s happening. My ‘magic’,” Wild put air quotes around the word, “isn’t really magic since we know how and why it’s acting the way it is.”

“So what is it, then?” was asked by Sky.

“It’s a science.”

“Science? How so?” Time looked intrigued.

Wild thought for a moment before brightening, getting his Sheikah slate out. Twilight shuttered involuntarily; no matter how harmless it was, he always got the shivers from it. “It’s kinda confusing, and I don’t really remember everything about it, so bear with me.” Everyone agreed. “So, a little science lesson for everyone not in the know: our entire world is made up of this thing called matter. Matter can be categorized into solids, liquids, gases and plasma, although that last one really only matters with stars.” Wild explained, “All matter is made up of these particles called atoms, which are the smallest components of elements. You don’t really need to know much about atoms and how they work, you just need to know that atoms are essentially the things holding matter together and that when they get hot, they start to move. Everyone with me?”

Whatever it was that Twilight was expecting, it certainly wasn’t this. His cub was actually quite smart compared to the others, and the things he was spouting made some amount of sense. What’s basically happening, Wild said, is energy is produced by the Sheikah slate that forms a barrier around the recipient. Due to the type of energy being formed around the person in question (Wild couldn’t really remember the name of it), the atoms in the body get heated up so quickly and with so much energy that they break apart from each other and head in the desired direction. This happens so fast, though, Wild reassured, that the physical body has no recollection of it ever happening, and makes it appear that the person is teleporting.

“That’s why the slate gets really hot after we teleport,” Wild finished, “It’s because of the amount of power being produced by the slate to get us to travel.

“And you know this how?!” Warriors asked, gobsmacked for the entire lecture.

Wild blushed, “I’ve always been kinda interested in this stuff, but no one’s really ever asked me about it.” He rubbed his upper arm shyly, “I’ve never really talked about it outside of my conversations with my friends, to be honest.”

Time clapped Wild on the shoulder, “If this hero job doesn’t work out for you, you could always be a professor.”

Wild blushed even deeper, so much so that Twilight was worried he might spontaneously combust. “Oh, it’s not that hard to understand…”

Wind, apparently, had another idea on how to proceed. “If your slate can do that, then what’s the difference from my type of teleportation magic?”

Wild turned his attention toward their youngest, “I was wondering when someone would ask that,” he smiled, going back into lecture mode effortlessly. It was scary how well he did that, Twilight noted. “It’s mainly due to the fact that my science has rules and parameters it has to follow.”

“And what are those?” Hyrule asked curiously.

“There are so many we can’t even count them,” Wild waved his hand flippantly, “The most important rule, however, is that there are certain places the slate can’t reach. For example, we can’t just teleport to any location in Hyrule, we can only travel to places with… I guess they’re called terminals? I don’t know, it’s usually other Sheikah tech, like shrines.”

“Why’s that?” For once, Twilight decided to speak up about one of the many questions swirling through his head.

“It’s due to the amount of excess energy being produced,” Wild answered with a grin, “The current of power being pumped from the slate doesn’t just stop right when we land in the other place; there’s too much of it to be able to. And since energy can’t be destroyed, merely changed, we can only travel to places that can transform and redirect the current.” Wild’s eyes turned mischievous, “Otherwise, we’d probably explode.”

“So,” Sky recapped for them, “because your… ‘magic’ can be explained, it’s considered a science.” He looked at Wild’s face for approval, “And because there are harsh restrictions placed on the science itself, it can’t be considered like Wind’s magic.”

“That’s the gist of it,” Wild nodded, “Like I said, I don’t know everything about it, so if you want to know more, I’d ask Purah or Robbie. They’re better at it than me.”

Time sighed lightheartedly, “You know enough to teach us, cub. Anyway,” his gaze turned harsh, “time for bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so we best be getting a good night’s sleep. I’ll take first watch.”

As several (immature) people groaned, Twilight got up and walked over to his student. “Science, huh?” He looked at Wild thoughtfully, “I guess that can also explain why you revive yourself when you die?”

Wild held up a finger to his lips, “That’s a secret between you and me.”

Twilight chuckled, “I guess it is, cub. I guess it is.”

[mia-cooper]

Aight. I’ll ask the obvious. Kathryn Janeway. And the bonus character is... Tuvok.

Kathryn Janeway (also requested by @rikerssexblouse)

----------

How I feel about Kathryn:

My queen, I pledge thee my undying devotion and beg your forgiveness for indulging in a multitude of sordid sexual fantasies about you and then writing about them in detail.

All the people I ship romantically with Kathryn:

How long have you got? My motto is "Janeway x anyone who can get her off", so basically everyone, but I'll focus on my main ships. Buckle in, this could be lengthy.

1. Chakotay. Obvious. Married. Dessert. J/C comprises 84% of my fics. Enough said.

2. Tom Paris. It's just a little bit wrong and that's what makes it so right. They definitely fucked at some point, and I don't mean in salamander form.

3. Kashyk. Because sometimes a girl fancies a snake-hipped, leather-clad xenophobe with a fetish for dominating her.

4. B'Elanna Torres. If you're going to science the science, science it with a scientist who sciences scientifically. Also, warp cores are hot.

5. Mark Johnson. Oh, Mark. The steady, kindhearted nerd who loves her beyond reason. It could've been so beautiful.

6. Ayala. He's Chakotay without the complications, and he doesn't talk. What's not to like?

7. Justin Tighe. First love always cuts deepest, right? And what a noble, tragic figure this man is. This relationship just begs for exploration, and yes, I plan to.

8. Seven of Nine. It took me awhile to come around to this pairing, but I'm convinced. I don't see them having a lasting romantic relationship, but a fling with feels? Yes ma'am.

9. Owen Paris. Obscene, dirty, filthy, immoral. You rang?

10. Honourable mention goes to a tie between Gabriel Lorca (either version) and Christopher Pike, because you know our lady of the temporal headache would have tapped that given the chance.

Because one is never enough, let's talk about my favourite OT3s for Kathryn.

11a. Janeway x Chakotay x Paris. Oh, the uneasy sexual dynamics here. The mix of love/lust/jealousy/antipathy/competitiveness - who's the top? do they all switch? why aren't there more J/C/P fics?

11b. Janeway x Chakotay x Seven. Hell yes, I need more of this too. Are J/C teaming up to initiate 7 in the arts of the bedchamber? Is J a semi-willing intruder into the C/7 marriage bed? Have J/7 invited C to watch them and perchance to join in? I want all these scenarios and more.

My BroTP for Kathryn:

Tuvok, no contest. I love them. But B'Elanna comes in a close second.

My unpopular opinion about Kathryn:

She can't resist temptation... until she meets Chakotay. By which I mean Alpha quadrant Kathryn liked to fuck around because sex is fun and she's all about exploring, and I have various headcanons on how cool Mark was (or wasn't) with this. Delta quadrant Kathryn, though, can't risk it, at least not with Chakotay, because feelings are dangerous and also she doesn't think she deserves fun anymore. I could seriously go on about this for hours but it would probably turn into a treatise on how going from a varied and enthusiastic sex life to complete celibacy messes with her mind so much she almost loses it or possibly how she ties pain and self-denial and submission and control up in a lovely guilt cocktail but I'm pretty sure I've already done that a whole lot so I'll spare you.

One thing I wish had happened with Kathryn in canon:

A J/C KISS. Fuck's sake. I wouldn't even care if it turned out to be a temporal anomaly or an alternate universe or memory loss or alien possession or whateverthefuck. JUST LET THEM KISS.

---------

Tuvok

How I feel about Tuvok:

Ah yes, the salty grandpa with a soft heart for his captaindaughterbuddy and eyebrows that express the emotions he claims not to have. I love him and his stoicism and his sarcasm and his bluntness.

All the people I ship romantically with Tuvok:

T'Pel. That's it. They're perfection. Don't fuck with it.

My BroTP for Tuvok:

See above re: Janeway & Tuvok.

My unpopular opinion about Tuvok:

I think he secretly enjoyed Neelix's buffoonery. To a point, anyway. When he wasn't mind melding with serial killers and simulating various creative ways to murder the kitchen rat.

One thing I wish had happened with Tuvok in canon:

Can I switch this to one thing I wish hadn't happened? Because Kes kissing him should never have happened. I know she was possessed, but that was a thing I never needed to see.

----

Thanks, @tri42! I’ll get to more of these later.