#Diner Dash AU

[markerm-00]

What if instead..

A food critic and a Fast food Owner meet eachother. . ?

[ Original AU called " Diner Dash " (Dead Plate fan AU By RM) ]

Did this while im trying to get through IRL Workloads 💀☝ this was a doodle that took a freakin Week to finish..

[drawbauchery]

i have just. the worst news about their relationship

[midnight-the-goth-artist]

More Five Nights At Pinkie’s designs (possibly more in the future)

Part 1 ~~~ Part 2

[bebe-benzenheimer]

Alternate Universe Meme: 4/7 futuristic

Diner Dash: In Orbit

[themoon-and-dejavu]

……

Diner au

It’s a Morgans family business, still based in Tullahoma, TN.

Rick and Anais still met through the Agency, but Rick quit shortly after the divorce, retained custody of his daughter. Trinity was discovered during a raid on a cult facility shortly afterwards and came back home to recover.

Anais would later move to Tullahoma after leaving the Agency due to concerns regarding keeping her condition hidden and being worried about being in an urban environment and accidentally hurting someone. Figured being near someone that knew her and knew about her lycanthropy would help.

Ricks a cook in the back. Minimal social interaction and he’s pretty damn good at it. Don’t ask me about the others, I don’t know yet.

[cafelattaes]

beat you at your own game | hrj

summary : y/n has a crush on renjun, who's not that great with people. despite his standoffish nature, she makes an effort to be friendly. but things take a twist when she starts to ignore him.

pairing : renjun x fem!reader

genre : college au, romance, fluff, angst

word count : 3.5k

huang renjun, how exactly would you describe him? well, for starters, he can be a bit cranky. he's all about having his own space, not a fan of dragging things out, and gets things done in a flash. he’s also straightforward and not afraid to speak his mind. people have mixed feelings about him because of it. but oddly enough, it only adds to his charm, making people naturally drawn to him, much to his 'i'd-rather-not' demeanor.

needless to say, you just had to develop a crush on someone who’s the total opposite of you. you’re a people-pleaser; you’d much rather say things that would please others rather than express your genuine thoughts. confrontations make you uncomfortable, and you lean towards making excuses for those who hurt you on purpose. you also always try to avoid conflicts as much as you can, and resort to suffering in silence instead. you're trying to change that aspect about yourself, but you grew up having those traits, making it hard to break free. nevertheless, you're working on it.

you never intended to let renjun know about your feelings, but your friends were determined to embarrass you whenever he was around, constantly teasing you. it didn't help that despite not being close to renjun and his group, some of them were friends with your close friends, so they eventually joined in poking fun at your crush. one day, you decided to dismiss their incessant teasing and initiated a friendly conversation with renjun. at first, he responded out of courtesy. you weren't stupid though; you could tell that renjun was clearly fed up with his friends and wanted nothing to do with their antics.

he began to dislike being associated with you, offering only short responses and not acknowledging your presence more than necessary. you didn’t pay it much mind, since getting close to him wasn't your original goal. your aim was to ease the awkwardness and shed the embarrassment that accompanied your interactions. you happened to share some classes with renjun, coincidentally, those were the ones where both your friends weren't around. sitting next to him became a default habit, as he was the only familiar face in those particular classes.

one morning, you found yourself running late for your 8am class, prompting you to dash before your professor arrived. you accidentally collided with renjun, who happened to be holding an iced coffee. to your horror, more than half of the drink ended up spilling onto his shirt.

“oh my god, renjun, i’m so sorry!” you looked at him in fear, and it took everything in him to remain calm.

“why are you running around a busy hallway?”

“i’m really, really sorry. i’m late for my first class and i didn’t think i’d bump into anyone.” renjun let out an annoyed sigh.

“whatever.”

“wait!” you opened your bag to bring out your alcohol and wipes. “do you need them?”

“no, thank you.” he proceeded to walk past you, but you held onto his arm.

“what about the stain?”

“i have a spare shirt. can you let me go now? i thought you said you were late.”

“shoot, you’re right. i’m sorry again, i promise i’ll make it up to you!” you shouted as you ran.

“please don’t,” he grumbled.

later on, you found renjun at the library working on your assignments. you sat quietly next to him and began doing your own. he didn’t spare you a look and just carried on with his work. you spent a few hours completing them, and both of you got it done at the same time. as you got up to gather your things, you spoke to the boy beside you.

“renjun, do you have anything to do after this?”

“no.”

“there’s this new diner that just opened up nearby. do you want to check it out? my friends have prior commitments, and i wanted to make it up to you for spilling your coffee earlier.” you already knew he was going to refuse, but it wouldn’t hurt to still ask.

“sorry, i’ll have to pass. i need to get home quickly.” you nodded in understanding and smiled at him.

“no biggie. take care on your way home!”

“thanks,” he simply said before leaving.

“so, what's the deal with you and y/n?" jaemin asked in a teasing tone. "any progress? are you going out already?” renjun scowled.

“shut up. i want her to back off, honestly.”

“you want everyone to back off.” jaemin pointed out.

“yeah, but most especially y/n.”

jaemin's eyebrows knitted together. “uh, why do you sound so annoyed with her?”

“because she's annoying. i turned her down multiple times, but she can’t take a hint. nothing’s worse than someone who forces themselves on others.”

“relax, man. aren't you being a bit harsh? you’ll see that she’s nice if you give her a chance.”

“what exactly is nice about her being fixated on me? this is mostly your fault, you know. if you guys weren’t such busybodies, she wouldn’t be so pushy.”

you walked away from the scene, ensuring they didn’t notice your presence. you wiped away the lone tear that involuntary fell from your eye. it wasn’t often that you heard someone openly talk about their obvious dislike of you, and hearing it from the person you were supposed to like was quite disheartening. it wasn't your intention to impose your presence on him or force a connection that wasn't meant to be. you reckoned it was time to reevaluate your feelings and accept the need to let go of your futile crush on renjun, sparing both of you from any further confusion or misunderstandings.

renjun had grown accustomed to spotting you in your regular seat during your shared class. however, he was met with surprise when he noticed you had moved to a vacant seat considerably distant from your usual spot next to him. he was a bit confused at first, but chose not to dwell on it. he also noted that you didn't notice his entrance into the room, as you were engrossed in some task.

you continued to maintain a distance in your next classes with renjun. he was uncertain if you were oblivious to his presence or deliberately avoiding acknowledgement, given the lack of glances his way. he found it a bit strange that you refrained from initiating any form of interaction, but he didn’t mind. he thought he felt better. at least, for now.

however, renjun was not expecting your odd behavior to persist. it brought another surprise when you ignored him again the following day. even when your eyes accidentally locked for a second, you quickly averted your gaze. renjun wasn’t sure if you really didn’t see him or were just pretending not to. you weren’t wearing your glasses, and your eyesight wasn't the best. but even if you did ignore him on purpose, he didn’t mind… or did he?

it’s been a while since you stopped talking to renjun. at first, he thought he felt a sense of relief, thinking it gave him some space. but after a week, he was confused about why you suddenly stopped. the following week, he could feel his stomach churning seeing you leave class, secretly hoping you’d look back. then, the week after that, he felt a wave of anger because there were more than a few times he bumped into you purposely to get you to talk to him, but you did not utter any word other than a quiet apology. now, nearly a month later, he started to feel dejected because no matter what he did, you always acted like he wasn't even there. renjun wasn’t sure what he did wrong to make you so determined in avoiding him completely.

“renjun’s going through 5 stages of grief,” jaemin said with a smirk.

“what are you talking about?” haechan looked at him in confusion.

“y/n’s been ignoring him for a month.”

“WHAT? WHY?” jaemin shrugged.

“no idea. we’re not close enough for me to ask.”

“what about jeno?”

“he doesn’t want to pry.”

“maybe she got tired of renjun’s grumpy attitude,” chenle piped up.

“could be,” jaemin turned to the boy in question. “look at him, he’s miserable.”

“shut up,” renjun muttered in discontent.

“stop provoking him. it’s his first heartbreak,” chenle taunted, making renjun roll his eyes at their ridiculousness.

“you know you could just talk to her right? ask what’s going on?”

“if she wanted to talk, she would’ve reached out to me by now,” renjun said flatly. his friends could only shake their heads in disapproval.

“don’t be stupid.”

“and i’m begging all of you to mind your own business.”

“if you keep this up, you’ll end up in a situation you can’t fix.”

haechan nodded vigorously. “yeah, don't say we didn't warn you!”

you kept quiet about what you had overheard from renjun in the last month, choosing not to share the details with your friends. you figured they would eventually notice renjun's absence from your life, and when they finally asked you about it, you dismissed their probing questions. you casually informed them that your crush on him had simply faded after getting to know him better. you were quite good at making believable lies, they were convinced by it and dropped the topic quickly.

unexpectedly, renjun sought you out in an empty classroom to confront you about your sudden disconnection. you looked like a deer caught in headlights when you realized who had just entered, walking in long and quick strides to your direction. in your mind, you were already conjuring up excuses to explain yourself.

“why are you ignoring me?” his question broke the silence, leaving you with no room to escape.

so much for attempting to evade this confrontation.

you took a moment to gather your thoughts, unsure how to respond. you tried to conceal your distress as renjun stared down at you while waiting for you to talk. it seemed like he was determined to stand his ground, expecting you to tell him the truth. with a frustrated sigh, you finally spoke up.

“i’m just staying out of your way,” you said after a moment of silence.

“yeah, so why?” his voice was demanding, it ticked you off a little.

you questioned why you were initially afraid of renjun confronting you and why you bothered coming up with excuses. after all, it wasn't his place to interrogate you when you were simply doing what he seemed to want from the start.

“i don’t know why you’re asking. isn’t that what you want? you should be happy.” you began to gather your things so you can leave, but you heard him speak again.

“i never told you to avoid me. if you have a problem with me, just say it.”

“you're right, you never told me directly. you just told other people.”

“what are you talking about?” you turned to face him.

“renjun, i don’t get you. you push me away, you're openly annoyed by me, and you tell everyone you want me gone. now that i’m doing exactly that, you’re still upset with me? what’s your problem?”

renjun ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident. “stop speaking in riddles and just tell me what's going on."

“fine. last month, i was passing by the library and i overheard you talking to your friends. you were complaining about how i couldn't take a hint and how you wanted me to leave you alone.” renjun looked a bit puzzled at first. when you were about to walk away, his eyes widened in realization.

“no, y/n, i’m so sorry, i didn’t mean any of what i said-“ you shook your head lightly at his predictable response.

“don’t be. you were completely right, and i’m not even angry about it. i just don’t want to do anything with you anymore.”

“please, listen," renjun said, his voice urgent. "i blurted out those things in the heat of the moment. i regret it, especially now that i know you were there to hear it… it’s not how i really feel about you."

“it’s okay, renjun. i didn’t tell you all of this to get an apology. i’m only telling you why i’m doing what i’m doing, like you asked, and to make it clear that i’m done.” as you turned to leave, renjun stepped in front of you, blocking your path.

“hear me out, alright? i was being overly sensitive back then. my friends were pushing my buttons, and i didn't know how to handle it so i lashed out. i treated you unfairly and you didn’t deserve any of that. a month without you made me realize a few things. i had to confront what i really want and face some truths i'd been avoiding."

he paused, studying your face before continuing. “i miss spending time with you, y/n. and... well, i realized i've got feelings for you, more than i thought. it never crossed my mind that you'd actually distance yourself and it hit me hard. the idea of losing you if you choose to walk away made me lose my mind.”

your heart raced as he spoke, and his confession stirred up a mix of emotions. your confusion lingered, but you decided to reason through it, pushing aside the sincerity in his eyes as you gave him a skeptical look.

“are you… getting your feelings confused with something else? did you consider that maybe your mind is playing tricks on you and making you think you like me because you're used to others chasing after you?”

renjun winced, trying to ignore the implied criticism. it was a struggle for him to open up about his feelings, only for the girl he liked to question it and suggest that he couldn't understand his own emotions.

“i wouldn't be here asking why you've been avoiding me and opening up like this if i hadn't thought it through." he said quietly. "it might be hard to believe right now, but if you give me a chance, i can prove it to you."

“i don’t think this is a good idea,” you said, watching his face fall. he felt lost, trying to find the right words to convince you. taking a deep breath, he gently placed his hands on your shoulders, meeting your eyes.

“please, just give me a chance to make things right. i feel like i've wasted so much time.” the desperation in his voice was clear. still skeptical, you removed his hands as they fell down to your arms.

“i’ll think about it,” you said, turning to walk away, leaving a lingering sense of uncertainty in the air.

renjun’s friends had been observing him for a few days, and he’s become unusually quiet. they contemplated asking him what’s wrong, but they wanted to give him some space. it was glaringly obvious that something was bothering him, and he didn’t want to talk about it. jeno couldn't help but express his concern.

"renjun, you've been awfully quiet lately. everything alright?"

"yeah, i'm fine. just dealing with some stuff." jeno and jaemin exchanged knowing glances.

"we're here whenever you're ready to talk." jaemin assured, patting his back.

he had been feeling down since your conversation days ago. your words had been weighing on his mind and creating an internal turmoil. the fact that you continued to ignored him in all your classes didn't offer much comfort. renjun couldn't help but cast a longing look in your direction whenever he saw you. he wondered if there was a way to make things right, or if he had to live with the consequences of his past actions.

meanwhile, his confession has been replaying in your mind. the idea of him reciprocating your feelings caught you off guard; it was something you never saw coming. after some contemplation, it became apparent to you that renjun really felt apologetic and was filled with remorse. could it be that he genuinely likes you? even if that was the case, you're still unsure whether it's the right move to start something with him.

maybe i should stop overthinking this.

you took a deep breath before releasing a loud sigh, unaware that the boy who had been occupying your thoughts, stood right in front of you.

“y/n,” you looked up to see renjun. you waited for him to speak, but it seemed like he was having a mental struggle, debating whether to say what was on his mind. he mustered up the courage to ask if you were willing to give him a chance. staring at him with an unreadable expression, he didn't know how to interpret the situation. was it a bad time to talk?

“why?” you finally asked. although renjun was hesitant, he answered.

“i was wondering if you already thought about what i said? i mean… i can wait if you need more time.”

“if i say no, are you going to leave me alone?” your heart sank a little when his face fell.

he took a moment before responding. his voice barely above a whisper. “if that’s what you want... i guess i would have to."

“renjun,” you said, causing him to look up.

“yeah?”

“let’s give it a try.” his expression became hopeful.

“really?”

“yes," you nodded. "you said you liked me back, i'm choosing to believe that for now. just... don't let me down."

“i won’t," he promised, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

before you could react, renjun pulled you into a warm embrace. you found yourself returning the hug, allowing yourself to relax in his arms.

"thank you for giving me a chance," he murmured, his words muffled against your hair but filled with sincerity.

“i’m happy for them, really," giselle said, eyeing you and renjun across the room. "but watching those two make heart eyes at each other is sickening."

chenle snorted. "this is nothing. you should see renjun at the dorm."

the group's attention snapped to him. "oh?" karina prompted.

“let's just say personal space is not in his vocabulary anymore."

“huh… i would've expected y/n to be the clingy one."

“yeah, no. but i guess it makes sense, considering how he acted before."

giselle and karina exchanged amused glances, intrigued by the dynamic between you and renjun.

"amazing what a change of heart can do," jaemin mused.

karina nodded, a hint of approval in her voice. "guess he learned his lesson."

the group watched you and renjun for a moment longer, a mix of amusement and fondness in their expressions. it was clear that renjun had undergone a significant change in the way he acts toward you, transforming his initial aloofness to this new, affectionate version of himself.

“i have the dorm to myself this weekend.” renjun said, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

you raised an eyebrow. “and what exactly are you suggesting?”

“you know…” he trailed off, his look suggestive.

“i’m studying for finals," you replied flatly.

“exactly. i find myself more productive when i’m with you.”

“right. because we get so much done when we study together."

“don't you want my hugs and kisses?” he pouted.

“not when i’m trying to pass my classes.”

“i'll behave, i promise.”

“you always say that. i don’t believe you anymore.” renjun's pout deepened. cute.

“maybe i wouldn't be so clingy if you paid more attention to me. you’re always busy, you don’t have time for your boyfriend.”

“renjun, unlike you, i have to put in extra effort to get good grades. i’m not as smart as you are.”

“excuses.” he mumbled.

you rolled your eyes, but couldn't help smiling. “you’re so adorable,” you cooed, giving him a quick peck. “i never imagined you to be the clingy type.”

“baby, there's a lot of things you don’t know about me.” he said, his voice lowering.

“oh? like what?”

he leaned in close. “like how great i am with my hands."

your eyebrows shot up. "is that so?"

“yeah. apparently, i give one heck of a shoulder massage,” he finished with a grin.

you burst out laughing at his endearing silliness. the sound of your laughter made renjun pause. he watched you, a soft smile spreading across his face. suddenly, he felt an overwhelming surge of happiness. taking your hand gently in his, he pressed a kiss to your fingertips, capturing your attention and prompting you to look at him.

"you make me feel the happiest," he said softly. "i love you."

your heart skipped a beat, the euphoria of hearing those three words from him for the first time washing over you. it hit you then - this unexpected journey with renjun had led you somewhere you never imagined. he, too, held the key to your happiness.

“i love you too," you whispered back.

you closed the distance between you two and your lips met his. as he wrapped an arm around your waist, you let yourself fall to his embrace, deepening the kiss.

renjun was met with the realization that while you fell for him first, he descended later, but with an intensity that surpassed a thousand falls.

[quinloki]

Birthday Request Event v2024

"It's my birthday and I'll write what I want to \o/"

Gift Details ♥ Reader Style: afab Character: Smoker Vibe: SFW Yandere AU: Modern AU Prompt: Roughed Up Gift Giver: @mamaalpha

Summary: Coming to terms with the idea that someone sent an assassin to kill you in your own home is hard enough. Having him call you perfect is a completely different problem.

Content Notes: A last name is provided for the reader in the story for narrative purposes.

This birthday party is 18+, consensual unless explicitly stated otherwise, and BYOB

inspired by this art

You ran hard for as long as you could, until your lungs burned and your feet ached. Your legs are wobbly as you continue to walk, forcing one foot in front of the other. Your heart is a drum line in your chest, and it’s almost nothing to do with the mad dash you just finished.

Someone tried to kill you.

You could hardly even know why. Maybe it was something your parents had gotten involved in? Maybe you knew the wrong kind of people? Maybe someone thought you knew something when you didn’t. There wasn’t anything you could think of that would spur someone to come for your life like that.

With an assassin? You?

But you couldn’t dwell on it too much. You didn’t have shoes on, and your socks were tattered and soaked. You were in jogging shorts and a tank top, because you’d just been lounging around and nearly ready to go to bed for the night when he’d arrived.

One minute it was just you, the next it was you and him.

Dumb luck alone had allowed you to escape, you weren’t arrogant enough to think differently. He was probably cursing himself for letting you even see him at this point, but no matter how much you checked, you couldn’t see anyone following you.

That shock-white hair of his would certainly stand out enough, even at night.

You needed to find a marine, or a hospital. Even just a business that was open right now so someone could call emergency services for you. Going to a hospital seemed like a risk, but you could file a report while you were there, and maybe, hopefully, someone would be willing to listen to you, and able to help.

Your luck held out and you stumbled into a diner. The late-shift cashier took one look at you and offered you a place to sit, and a warm cup of cocoa. She had the local marines on the phone and had someone come get you.

You told your wild tale to the young pink-haired marine that had come to pick you up, and he seemed to take you seriously. He was going to take you to the hospital and send someone over to your apartment to verify the break in and the state of your home. He reassured you not to fret, even if everything looked completely normal he wouldn’t dismiss your claim - but the more evidence they could find the better.

He let you eat the muffin the night shift cashier had given you while you were sat in the back of his cruiser. When you got to the hospital the staff took you in and officer Koby stayed with you. You talked about the event for a second time while he tightened up his notes as the nurses looked you over.

Koby stepped out and had a few conversations on a snail radio, but then he’d come back in and fill you in. Your apartment was, unfortunately, ransacked. While this lent weight to your claims, it was hard to say what the person was actually there for - you or something in the apartment itself.

“My Captain is going to be here in a few minutes, and he’s going to ask you some more questions. He’s seen your apartment, and taken some pictures, so he’ll have more pointed questions for you.” He explains, a reassuring smile on his face. You’re becoming more and more grateful for Koby. With everything else it’s nice to have someone be so reassuring like this.

That reassurance is washed away, however, when his Captain arrives.

Shock white hair. The scar. The scent of smoke.

You almost point, you almost scream, you almost lose your cool and insist that that’s him! That’s the one that was standing in your apartment trying to kill you!

But you already know, from how Koby spoke of him while you waited. You already know how flimsy your fantastical story sounds, and how easily it could be made to look like you’d lost your senses, tossing your own place to besmirch the highly decorated and well-loved marine captain.

No one would believe you.

Koby gives you a reassuring smile. “I know he looks intimidating, but Captain Smoker is really good at his job. Don’t let his demeanor scare you.”

He can’t kill you here. He can’t. If he does everyone would know, and he certainly can’t do it with his enamored subordinate right there.

Smoker’s face never breaks from the slightly irritated and mostly neutral expression. He treats you flawlessly like he’s never seen you before.

“Koby. Give Helmeppo a hand with the final report.” Smoker commands. “I won’t be long, there’s not much to ask.”

“Sure, Captain.” Koby gives you a reassuring smile. “It’ll be okay, miss. Please rest easy after this.”

Swallowing, you nod. There’s nothing you can say to keep your lifeline from leaving, but if death is the inevitable end to your terrible night then so be it. It would seem that your luck had simply been unable to hold out a little longer.

Smoker looks down at you. The cold hard eyes speak volumes and he sits down beside your bed slowly. You don’t have the capacity to return any kind of glare, but you don’t look away from the intense gaze until he looks away from you, and down at the paperwork in his hand.

“Miss Kobayashi,” He begins.

“Takahashi.” You reply.

There’s a pause, but he doesn’t even look up. “Nice try. Miss Kobayashi, it seems your report is valid, I just have a few questions for you.”

“I… have one.” You manage, but even as you say the words you feel your throat go dry.

Smoker closes the folder and leans back in his chair, regarding you coolly. “Do you know what your parents did for a living?”

Did. Your stomach knots at the implication. Your parents had left on a business trip some weeks ago, and you hadn’t heard from them recently.

“They… tra-travel a lot…” You begin, fighting back the tears and trying not to assume anything you don’t actually know. “Something about sales and business contracts. I don’t know, really.”

“Hm.” He opens the folder, looking over things again. “And you don’t live with them anymore?”

You shake your head. “I moved out… j-just this past summer. I’d graduated and found steady work, and we… we were all comfortable with the idea of it.” You explain.

“And the work you do?”

“… Data entry. It’s… nothing really, but it pays well enough.”

“Are you afraid of me?”

You can feel his eyes on you, and it takes everything you have to look up and return his gaze. “… Yes.”

“What was your question.” He says after a moment.

“Am I going to die?”

“Possibly.”

Your body relaxes. There’s something about his tone that feels more final than the open ended-ness of his word choice.

“Not going to beg?”

“Would it make a difference?” You smile sadly, not even looking at him when you ask.

“Historically, no.” He writes something down on the file he’s been holding and sets it down on the chair as he stands up. “But, you’re…” He breathes in slowly, making you look up at him. The look in his eyes is different from before. “Perfect.”

“I’m-.” Your voice stops in your throat as the man in front of you turns into smoke. It fills the room and wraps around you so carefully before throwing the window open. You don’t know what to say, or do. Your mind can’t wrap itself around the idea that this man has turned into smoke.

You expected him to drop you from some height. To return you to your apartment and kill you there. To fill your mouth and lungs with the smoke he was, and suffocate you with his own existence.

But nothing like that happened. After some time you were deposited against a wall. You don’t even know when you entered a building, but this room, well-lit as it was, had no windows. Where ever the door was, you couldn’t see it from where you were.

Cold iron was around your ankle, and the creak of a bed-frame fills your ears as your body settles against a surprisingly fluffy mattress. The smoke collects back together and his tall, wide frame looms over you. The look in his eyes unnerves you, but there’s nothing you can do about it now.

He reaches out carefully, caressing your cheek with the back of his hand. The shape of the word he used earlier brushes against his lips before he steps back and gives you space. For a moment you’re certain he’s going to lean down and kiss you.

“Listen to me, and you won’t die.” The hand that had caressed your cheek is under your chin, tilting your face up to look at him. “You’ll be good for me, won’t you?” His thumb moves over your bottom lip gently.

You nod. You don’t know what it means to be good for him, but you’ll do your best. He’s said he won’t, but he certainly can kill you, and if he was ordered to kill you, it might not matter. All of this, might be for nothing.

You can feel tears well up in your eyes. You’re too off-balance. The last few hours have been too tumultuous. You couldn’t really wrap your head around it all, and you couldn’t shake the feeling that despite your struggle to this point, you weren’t going to make it.

“It’s okay. No one will find you.” He promises, and with a terrible, heavy, cold clarity, you believe him.

[thatfreshi]

"It's Vile" (Uni AU P. 9)

You guys can clearly tell I'm feeling better bc holy shit, I've been writing like a machine.

tw - abuse, sexual trauma, blackmail

You tell Astarion which diner you're at, and quickly tell your friends that you have to handle something. You almost feel bad leaving Gale with the handsy lovers, but you know it must be important if he called. You don't really know why though, considering you barely know him at this point. It feels like hours, waiting outside the diner while the sun starts to go down, until eventually his dinged-up white car pulls into the parking lot. You walk over, full of uncertainty, and sit in the passenger's seat.

"Hey, you alright?"

He unbuckles the seat belt, curling up and leaning against the driver's seat to look at you.

"What do you want from me?"

"What?"

"Everyone wants something from me, so what do you want? I can't stop thinking about it, ever since you came over this morning. You're too nice, you have plenty of reasons to hate me, and yet you keep being kind. So what do you want from me?"

You're dumbfounded.

"Because we already had sex, and I know you're upset about it. Which, I'm sorry. I don't even know why I did it, and you're right, it was wrong of me to pretend like it was nothing. I'm just so used to it all meaning nothing. Everything in my life means nothing and you want to know stupid shit like what my favorite color is."

He wipes at his eyes, regretting it soon after, feeling the fabric of his sweater rub against that cut-up forearm again.

"I don't... I don't want anything from you. I just think you seem nice."

"I, seem nice? You're a bad liar."

"No, I'm serious. I know we got off to a weird start, but you seem cool. Maybe I'm weird, I don't know, but I don't really care what other people think. Besides, it's not fair to judge without knowing the whole story."

"You don't want the whole story."

"Not if you don't want to tell me, but I'd gladly listen."

"No, you wouldn't. It's all just words Tav, you don't mean that. No one ever means it. They say it to get into some fancy event or so I can get them a free drink or so they can make out with me in some dark corner of a party. No one ever means it."

"You don't have to believe me, but I mean it."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Because if I were as stressed as you, I'd want someone to listen. And I imagine it's hard not being able to say all the things you want or do all the things you want."

"Even if I told you, you'd leave. Pretend we didn't have this conversation, or maybe sell the story to some magazine. Why do you think I don't talk to people? Why I think it's easier to just let people hate me? Like Gale and Shadowheart? I'd rather them just blindly loathe my existence than know the truth."

He's shaking, truly and deeply bothered by your innocent desire to befriend him.

"Just tell me what you want from me so I can get it over with. Please."

The spectacle in front of you isn't lost on you. When he called you upset, you hadn't expected this, any of it.

"I just want you to have someone in your corner. That's all. I just want to be nice, I don't know."

"People don't want to be nice, they want power."

You shrug, trying not to cry.

"Power's never really been my thing. Is it so hard to believe I just want a friend?"

He chokes out a laugh.

"You have no idea."

Astarion relaxes a little now, putting his feet up on the dash.

"Something must be so incredibly wrong with you."

"Maybe so. Oh well."

"You said you want to hear all the scary stuff I have to tell you right? That you'd listen to all that?"

"Like I said, only if you want to share."

"Alright then. I got kicked out at sixteen, lived in this damn car for two years, started modeling because I've always been told I was 'gonna be a heartbreaker.' I've thrown my body at people to get jobs, stolen countless designer pieces that nobody would miss. And then Szarr contacted me at 18, told me he'd blacklist me from the industry if I didn't work for him."

He goes back to the sorrow of those younger years for a moment, you can see it shift in his expression.

"I was the first you know. You think my arm is bad? You have no idea. But I'm stuck in this contract with him, and I need the money to pay for school, but he takes ninety percent anyways. So I've continued to steal, anything from half-used makeup to hair products. Turns out it's really easy to get people to shut up about seeing you take something that isn't yours if you're hot... and I probably broke at least seven NDAs by telling you all of that. So, is that what you wanted? I can see the headline now, you'd make thousands."

Astarion's words drip in spite, trying anything to get you to admit you're using him.

"I'm sorry, that you've had to go through any of that. Truly, that sounds horrible."

He leans back staring at the ceiling of the old car, and starts to laugh.

"God, who are you? I did all of that to myself. I'm the one who used sex to get things I wanted. I'm the one that asked for this."

"Sounds to me like you just wanted to survive."

He chuckles, and rolls his head to meet your eyes.

"I guess I did, huh? It's barely been working."

You both sit in silence for a bit, listening to the idle engine, and you wonder what you can even say. He's right, there's pretty much no way out. What an evil thing, to take advantage of some kid who just wanted to go to college, and loop him into some horrible contract? No wonder he doesn't trust anyone, he's been taught that way, that helping hands only hold knives, that promises don't hold. It's vile.

"So, this is the part where you sleep with me, so you don't tell anyone anything I just told you, right?"

You go to laugh, and then realize he's serious.

"No... no not at all. I'm just here to be a friend, if that's what you want. Only if that's what you want."

"Damn you. You just... you keep making me want to trust you, and that's- it's terrifying. But I wouldn't mind, having a friend. Maybe it would even be nice."

You hold out a hand.

"Here's to being friends then."

Astarion doesn't extend his at first, thinking on it, and then slowly shakes hands with you.

"Sure. To being friends."

A smile spreads across your face, and he reciprocates, if only slightly.

"I uhm, when I saw Szarr today, he said that the seven of us have to go on a trip with him for a week, some important stuff across the country I guess. So, I'll be gone tomorrow morning, but maybe we can text?"

"Of course, I'd love that."

[markerm-00]

when college beats you up hard mentally 💀

Anyways Some Diner Dash AU doodles i did awhile back [ Their Q & A will open up soon hopefully ]

↑ For context i have other DeadPlate AU's i hsve yet to introduce to the world.. Cause literally out of the majority of them he's one of the sanest ones.. ( For now Coughs)

[luvistqrzzz]

THE ACCIDENTAL POLAROID- 07::: running late is not fun (0.2k written)

Heeseung had no intention of running into a certain someone (that someone being you). But as he stood in front of the coffee stall waiting for some fuel to start his day with, he spotted a familiar figure dashing towards the bus stop.

His stomach flipped upon realizing who it was. You tapped your feet and ran a hand through your messy hair. Heeseung couldn't help himself and before he knew, his feet found their way to you.

'Uh- y/n right?' He said nervously. You looked up from your phone where you were searching for a cab to cone face to face with the tall male. 'Heeseung...?' You blushed at how good he looked even early in the morning.

'Are you in a hurry?' 'Yes, I just slept in and I have class in some 10 minutes', you muttered, feeling your heart sink at the thought of turning up late to class.

'I- i could drive you to campus, if yo- you don't mind of course', he replied, the sudden idea flashing inside his brain. He realized a beat too late how wrong it sounded. You barely even knew him, much less allow him to drive you to college.

You were taken aback, 'You don't mind?!' He shook his head, 'Of course not, I'm heading there anyways.'

Prev | Masterlist | Next

SUMMARY- Lee Heeseung doesn't believe in love at first sight but what happens when he accidentally clicks a polaroid of a girl at the local diner? A girl he can't seem to get out of his mind.

Will he be able to return you the polaroid or will love follow him along the way?

GENRE- smau with written parts, college!au, strangers to lovers, fluff, crack, angst (veryyy slight), slight love triangle

TAGLIST- open! send an ask or comment to be added- @yenqa @xuimhao @ddazed-lhs @astrae4 @ghostiiess @seungminstaehyun @haechansbbg @chaechae-23 @ak-aaa-li

AN- this is like some kdrama scence

[ppnuggie]

　　　　　　CAFE CON — g1!cons x reader

　　　　『　thundercracker ,, soundwave ,, gender neutral human reader 』

　　-> cafe con au w/ reader

　　— fluff ,, sfw ,, crack ,, second pov

　　— cons in bunny suits have been on my mind 👁 if youre not sure as to what it is ,, its my au where the decepticons have a cafe called ‘cafe con’ and the autobots have ‘bot bakery’ and their rivalry is between each other n who has a better establishment n stuff ,, tho the cons wear bunny suits and the bots are catboy maids 😏

• you were new in town ,, having just moved to the city after graduating to look for jobs and stuff yknow

• whilst walking down the street you saw a cafe ,, labeled in a soft font with light purple coloring read “cafe con” ,, whilst it was an odd name you didnt bother to question it as you walked inside

• the interior was nice ,, a black - white - purple - and a dash of light green for a color scheme ,, it almost reminded you of an 80s diner with the checkered floor ,, the juke box ,, and the booths and bar stools

• you had waited to be seated ,, taking in more of your surroundings as you saw that the people running this cafe happened to be the new mecha aliens from cybertron that everyone seemed to know

• well ,, almost everyone ,, since you never saw them up close and this was your first time seeing them ,, as you’d always thought they were some silly government experiment

• however you weren’t expecting to see them ,, running a cafe in what looked like those bunny suits that you’d see women wear ,, not a onesie but those ones you’d see on a inappropriate magazine that your dad would stash away

• it was surprising to say the least ,, though you suppose they had to make money someway or another ,, and money was money

• it didnt take too long to be seated ,, your waiter being a blue mech with sort of wings behind him ,, he was quite taller than you ,, he seemed about 10 or 11 ft

• he introduced himself as thundercracker and gave you a menu ,, letting you scan it over for a drink for starters ,, which you looked at the variety

• the names were foreign and strange ,, yet intriguing as the picture beside them looked quite delicious to drink ,, though you settled for “evening novastorm” which was a fruit juice mix with a bit of honey and some sugar

• he left with that ,, and when he turned around you noticed the little fluffy cotton tail attached to his bottom ,, eyes quickly diverting away and staring elsewhere to not seem rude for staring at an alien’s ass

• when he returned and handed your drink ,, you didnt waste any time and took your first sip ,, flavors flowing along your tastebuds ,, it was sweet and lovely ,, the taste of pomegranate with a bit of strawberry present within the drink

• you told your waiter it tasted lovely ,, to which he smiled softly at and asked what you’d like to eat for the evening

• you took another quick scan ,, giving a shrug of your shoulder and said you’d like to try the ‘stardust cheesecake’ and he had left once again

• the experience so far was lovely ,, people around you chattering and having their own meal choices ,, all the food around looked appetizing

• a plate had been set in front of you ,, thundercracker leaving afterwards to sit the other people down

• the cheesecake was white ,, almost pearly white ,, with purple sugar powder and a bit of blueberry drizzle ,, with two blueberries up by the top crust

• it smelled divine ,, cutting yourself a slice and taking the first bite ,, blueberry and another flavor you had no name for had overflowed your senses ,, it tasted almost herby yet had a sweet tang to it

• when you had finished your small snack and did a bit of a job application applying ,, you asked for a check and got ready to leave

• the one who worked the cash register was also blue ,, with a bright red sunglasses almost look over where his eyes would be ,, his name tag read ‘soundwave’

• you paid and left a nice review ,, placing a large tip in the jar and leaving feeling quite joyful about your recent experience ,, making a mental note to return another time

• across the street was another sort of establishment ,, in big and bold blue letters had read “bot bakery” ,, wanting to visit there one day

[jsteneil]

ooh it's so difficult to choose, maybe something from the chef/waiter au or the andrew gets a cat one?? 👀👀 <3

(wip game)

Thank you!! For the chef au, you can have the entire thing since it's been stuck in infancy for the past, like, 5 years.

Whenever anyone asks where he’s learned to cook, Andrew’s answer is always the same: “Jail.”

He says it as he says everything else, with a blank face and without inflection. Most of the reactions are the same, an incredulous look and an awkward chuckle. Nicky usually tries to change the subject. Aaron rolls his eyes. Andrew just likes to stare people down.

Wymack hadn’t blinked.

“Okay, hotshot,” he’d said, placing down Andrew’s messy resume on one of the tables of his still empty restaurant. “But what can you do?”

The question had irritated Andrew so much that he’d left the restaurant, slamming the glass door behind himself. The metal chimes above it had sung prettily, kindling his anger.

In the end he’d gone back inside. Wymack had been waiting for him, arms crossed on his chest, looking non-judgmental and unaffected. He’d hired Andrew that day, and then the staff had grown with people Andrew had reluctantly started to know. He refuses to learn, but some things stick without his trying. Nowadays, it’s hard to remember the bags under Wymack and Abby’s eyes from the days they used to run the place entirely by themselves.

The Foxhole is a strange place, always hopping on one foot between two labels and three different biased opinions. It’s running a race it can never win, backward and with all of the staff’s eyes closed. It’s not a typical American landmark like a diner, nor is it as upscale as it could be with chef Kevin Day at the stove. It’s not a family affair, though it is probably what their restaurant manager Dan would call it. Their staff’s reputation would classify them as a hole-in-the-wall unreliable place, and their decorations were run-down before it became the new look, but among all of that the Foxhole starts its fifth year of existence and third with Andrew on its payroll when Wymack hires Neil Josten.

Dundundun. The mystery of this is how I'd be able to fit all of the Foxes on staff. Nine people on the payroll?? This has plagued me since December 2019, apparently.

As for the andrew gets a cat one, it's the sequel to and cat makes three where andrew gets a cat. The sequel was supposed to focus on andrew actually being a cat owner. He's not having a great time!

His couch is too hard. It’s the only explanation Andrew has for the bad start the cat gives him when she leaps on the cushion next to him. He doesn’t feel her jump up, but the paw on his thigh breaks his loose focus on the TV. 

He blinks at the cat. She blinks at him back. 

“Meow,” she complains. 

He moves his leg. She follows him. This time it’s two paws, planted near his knee, and when he moves his hands away to drop his phone next to him, she dashes and curls up on his lap. 

He scoops her up and drops her on the cushion at the other end of the couch. She shakes her head, protesting, and jumps down. 

Then she comes back the next day. And the time after that. One morning, she tries her luck again when he’s sitting at the table, stretching her front paws up his leg. He shakes her off, but she stays in the vicinity. From time to time she walks under his chair, back round and tail upright, the end of it brushing insistently against his leg. He tries to ignore it, but she won’t leave. In the end the hint of touch is too much, and he sits with his legs crossed on the seat.

[steel--fairy]

drabble -- soulmate au part 10

ao3! yippee!! i didnt realize i had more written!

Wallace dominated the conversation, but Steven didn’t mind. He listened intently to the other man’s words. He clearly knew his city well, pointing out each notable landmark, telling Steven its history and several fun facts before moving onto the next. It didn’t stop at famous landmarks either—Wallace seemed to know every nook and cranny of the city, having some story or anecdote about even the plainest of locations they passed.

After the initial release of the magazine, Steven had searched Wallace up online. Despite his insistence that things happen at their own speed, he wanted to know more about the man who was his supposed soulmate. Every interview painted Wallace as a charming, charismatic speaker who always knew exactly what to say, but it was different to be on the receiving end of it in real life. To be the only one given a sly grin and a wink as Wallace finished a story about how he met some person at some diner and did something.

Steven looked away, feeling his cheeks heat up. This was far too much attention to be lavished on one person.

Slowly, Wallace led them up and away from the main city streets. The lowest level of Sootopolis was the oldest and, nowadays, the most tourist filled. They left behind chic cafes and sprawling museums for a more residential area. Gardens littered the roofs of the buildings here, growing food instead of decorative flowers.

Wallace weaved between two indistinguishable houses and suddenly they were in front of a dark opening. For the first time, Steven pulled ahead of Wallace, ever eager to see a new cave.

“What’s this? I wouldn’t think there would be any sort of cave or tunnel-like structures in Sootopolis. The foundation of the crater wouldn’t be able to support many—”

Wallace laughed, breaking Steven out of his focused reverie.

“Oh, sorry—”

“Don’t apologize.” Wallace waved him off with a smile. There was a strange gleam in his eyes. “You’re mostly right. There aren’t many of these tunnels. They were created back when Sootopolis was first settled, before they realized what a poor idea it was to go digging so low in the foundation.”

“Fascinating.” Steven turned to stare at the dark cave. “I assume this is where you meant when you said you knew a place that possibly held Moon Stones.”

“Mhm.”

Steven rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. He wanted to dash away and go caving, but he didn’t want to be rude to Wallace.

Another laugh erupted from Wallace. “Oh, go ahead, already! I can see you tugging at your leash.” Steven didn’t need more encouragement. With a smile and thank you, he left the hot Hoennian sun for the cool shade of the tunnel.

[missiletoe]

Kittyuri Matrix AU

hello! long time no fic (i got addicted to tft but i'm working on weaning myself off, yes i am 100% posting this while clocked into work, don't sweat the details)

so i tried experimenting with something different for this fic! i wanted to try Second-Person POV and this fic was EXTREMELY stream-of-consciousness. The conclusion? I am not very good at second-person and will probably not be trying that for a while (which is also why i refused to put this one up on ao3 LMAO)

but still gonna post it if you want to take a look! this was written as participation for the yuri shipping olympics round 2, prompt: consumption! the consumption doesn't actually make an appearance until the very end of the fic because it's a Matrix AU but trust the process.

Word Count: long af (3k)

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

Your name is Kitty Song Covey and you live your life in a box. 

Your alarm blinks–it’s 7:52 on the dot and you’re already late for school. You hit the top with curses of all things unholy and stumble out of bed.

There’s three toothbrushes in the cupholder–Margot’s bristles shredded from the act she likes to call “brushing her teeth”, Lara Jean’s dripping water because she’s already waiting impatiently in the car, foot on the gas, and yours. You scrub at your face until the skin is rubbed raw, give your teeth a quick scrub and swish some mouthwash around before bounding down the stairs.

Dad has breakfast on the counter but you’re in too much of a hurry to bother.

“Fruit loops for the road?” he asks and because he has that corny grin on his face like he’s made a particularly bad dad pun and a baby-pink apron on, you take it. Mostly out of pity probably. Lara Jean’s honking on the horn now, which means she’s really pissed so you grab your backpack before she tears down the street, leaving you behind in a trail of exhaust. You hope to god that everything you need is packed up in there.

The car hasn’t even stopped moving by the time you jump out, still rolling to the curb. Lara Jean hollers something to you, something about safety or well wishes or probably homework knowing LJ, but you wave it away and dash inside. The clock is watching you as you race down the halls.

And… three seconds to the bell–safe. Alex winks at you as he pulls out a packet of papers and you sigh as your backpack hits the table. The day has exhausted you already and it hasn’t even begun.

Later after lunch, Professor Lee springs a pop quiz on you. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.

“Pencil?” you ask, turning to Minho when you realize you’ve forgotten yours at home. He just scoffs and rolls his eyes in response.

“Pencil?” you ask Q and he nods sympathetically, fishing through his backpack for his case. He hands you one brand new No. 2, sharpened to perfection just as Lee starts passing out the papers.

Two horrible hours later after your morale’s been crushed to a pulp and your backpack’s laden with textbooks, you clamber back into Lara Jean’s car. You hit two potholes on the way home and you wish you brought your bike helmet but there’s nothing to do besides grumble and wish horrible-but-not-too-horrible things at your sister. You hope they run out of her favorite ice cream flavor at the diner. You hope she loses one sock and exactly one in the washer.

You eat dinner, pretend to do your homework after you rip some answers off of Chegg and then Dad makes you do the dishes even though you know that it’s Lara Jean’s turn. She’s too busy frolicking around with her boyfriend to do chores, it seems.

You clamber up to bed to do it all over again.

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

You don’t dream but you dream tonight. There is not much to see, the world is made of fuzzy shapes and dark blobs that form into nothingness. It’s like something… well, it’s like something out of a dream.

There’s a voice ringing through the abyss and you hear it clearly. It’s a girl’s voice–barely above a whisper.

“Follow the rabbit,” the voice says.

“What rabbit?” you try to ask but the air swallows your question whole.

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

Your name is Kitty Song Covey and you live your life in a box.

Your alarm blinks–it’s 7:52 on the dot and you’re already late for school. It’s Elton John blaring through your speakers and although you know Dad would appreciate your taste, the neighbors probably don’t want to hear it, especially not this early in the morning.

There’s three toothbrushes in the cupholder–Margot’s bristles shredded from the act she likes to call “brushing her teeth”, Lara Jean’s dripping water because she’s already waiting impatiently in the car, foot on the gas, and yours. You scrub at your face until the skin is rubbed raw, give your teeth a quick scrub and swish some mouthwash around before bounding down the stairs.

Dad has breakfast on the counter but you’re in too much of a hurry to bother.

“Trix for the road?” he asks and the rabbit on the cover stares back at you with big cartoon eyes. You grab it, if only to get it to stop looking. Lara Jean’s honking on the horn like a madman so you grab your backpack and stumble into the car, praying to god that everything you need is in there.

The car hasn’t even stopped moving by the time you jump out, still rolling to the curb. Lara Jean hollers something to you, something about safety or well wishes or probably homework knowing LJ, but you wave it away and dash inside. The clock is watching you as you race down the halls. 

Has it always been this loud? You feel each tick in time with your footsteps.

And… three seconds to the bell–safe. Alex winks at you as he pulls out a packet of papers and you sigh as your backpack hits the table. The day has exhausted you already and it hasn’t even begun.

Later after lunch, Professor Lee springs a pop quiz on you. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. It’s about parables, even though you don’t recall reading any. This quiz’s theme–the Tortoise and the Hare.

“Pencil?” you ask, turning to Minho when you realize you’ve forgotten yours at home. He just scoffs and rolls his eyes in response.

“Pencil?” you ask Q and he nods sympathetically, fishing through his backpack for his case. He hands you one brand new No. 2, sharpened to perfection just as Lee starts passing out the papers.

Two horrible hours later after your morale’s been crushed to a pulp and your backpack’s piled with textbooks, you clamber back into Lara Jean’s car. You hit two potholes on the way home and you wish you brought your bike helmet but there’s nothing to do besides grumble and wish horrible-but-not-too-horrible things at your sister. You hope she trips and falls down a rabbit hole where there’s a big air mattress at the bottom. You hope they run out of meat at her favorite restaurant.

You eat dinner, pretend to do your homework after you rip some answers off of Chegg and then Dad makes you do the dishes even though you know that it’s Lara Jean’s turn. She’s too busy taking pictures of the bunnies on your front lawn, it seems, to bother with chores.

You clamber up to bed to do it all over again.

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

You don’t dream but you dream tonight. There is not much to see, the world is made of lineless rectangles and anamorphous blobs tinged with nostalgia.

There’s a voice leaning into your ear. The ghost of a finger trails along your skin and you turn at the touch but there’s nothing except darkness to greet you there.

“Follow the rabbit,” the voice hisses.

“What rabbit?” you try to ask but the air swallows your question whole.

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

Your name is Kitty Song Covey and you live your life in a box.

Your alarm blinks–it’s 7:52 on the dot and you’re already late for school. It’s Elton John blaring through your speakers and although you know Dad would appreciate your taste, the neighbors probably don’t want to hear it, especially not this early in the morning.

There’s three toothbrushes in the cupholder–Margot’s bristles shredded from the act she likes to call “brushing her teeth”, Lara Jean’s dripping water because she’s already waiting impatiently in the car, foot on the gas, and yours, dotted with little rabbits up and down the side. 

You push your hair back with a headband that has two little white ears on top. You scrub at your face until the skin is rubbed raw, give your teeth a quick scrub and swish some mouthwash around before bounding down the stairs.

Dad has breakfast on the counter but you’re in too much of a hurry to bother.

“Trix for the road?” he asks and there are twin rabbits on the cover, frowning down at you with big buck teeth. You grab it, if only to get them to stop staring at you. Lara Jean’s honking on the horn like a madman so you grab your backpack and stumble into the car, praying to god that everything you need is in there.

The car hasn’t even stopped moving by the time you jump out, still rolling to the curb. Lara Jean hollers something to you, something about safety or you being quick like a bunny or probably homework knowing LJ, but you wave it away and dash inside. The clock is watching you as you race down the halls. 

Has it always been this loud? You feel each tick in time with your footsteps.

And… three seconds to the bell–safe. Alex winks at you as he pulls out a packet of papers and he has another corny shirt on today, this one with a cartoon rabbit saying “Everyone needs a friend who’s all ears.” You sigh as your backpack hits the table. The day has exhausted you already and it hasn’t even begun.

Later after lunch, Professor Lee springs a pop quiz on you. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. It’s about anatomy this time and from the drawing hastily scribbled on the chalkboards, you should’ve brushed up on your rabbit parts.

“Pencil?” you ask, turning to Minho when you realize you’ve forgotten yours at home. He just scoffs and rolls his eyes in response.

“Pencil?” you ask Q and he nods sympathetically, fishing through his backpack for his pencil case. There’s little brown rabbits printed all over the fabric. He hands you one brand new No. 2, sharpened to perfection just as Lee starts passing out the papers.

Two horrible hours later after your morale’s been crushed to a pulp and your backpack’s piled with textbooks, you clamber back into Lara Jean’s car. You hit two potholes on the way home and you wish you brought your bike helmet but there’s nothing to do besides grumble and wish horrible-but-not-too-horrible things at your sister. You hope she grows big buck teeth overnight that push over her lip. You hope an army of rabbits falls on her from the sky.

You eat dinner, pretend to do your homework after you rip some answers off of Chegg and then Dad makes you do the dishes even though you know that it’s Lara Jean’s turn. She’s too busy hopping around the front law, it seems, to bother with chores.

You clamber up to bed to do it all over again.

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

You don’t dream but you dream tonight. The world is shapeless, colors blending and mixing before your eyes.

There’s a voice that sounds like it’s blaring through mega-speakers. You clutch your skull in an attempt to ease the pain.

“Oh my god,” the voice sighs and you’ve never been here before and you’ve never heard them before but somehow the words are familiar. “Just follow the fucking rabbit, Kitty, or I’ll have to come there myself.”

There’s a thousand questions lodged in your throat. How do they know your name? How do they know your nickname? It’s not a well-guarded secret but it’s not exactly printed on the nameplate of your house either. Who’s speaking? Where are you? Why you?

“What rabbit?” you try to ask but the air swallows your question whole.

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

Your name is Kitty Song Covey and you live your life in a box.

Your cat wakes you up, pawing at your cheek, the fur grating against your skin. You groan and push it off without opening your eyes.

Except you don’t have a cat. You really wish you did–had a whole presentation set up for it on your tenth birthday–but your dad turned you down, claiming that there were already plenty of people in the house.

You open your eyes now and find that you’re alone in the room. Whatever woke you up is gone and all you have to show for it is a slight stinging in your cheek. But you’re awake now and your blasted alarm didn’t go off so it’s 7:52 AM and you’re almost late for school.

You brush your teeth in the mirror and wonder if your two front teeth have ever looked this big, like they’re protruding right out of your lip. You swallow your confusion and it tastes like mint.

“Carrots for the road?” Dad asks, holding out a Ziploc and there’s something off about him but it takes you a moment to place it–there’s giant white ears poking out from his head. You take the bag, if only to smother your scream. Lara Jean’s yelling at you from outside the window so you grab your backpack and stumble into the car, praying to god that everything you need is in there.

Except there is no car. Lara Jean’s sitting on a big black rabbit without so much as a saddle. (Is a saddle even the right equipment? What’s the standard for riding giant bunnies?) You take her hand because she’s starting to sound really pissed now and try to find a foothold in the fur. You close your eyes and hope you don’t fall.

You’re dreaming while awake. It’s the only explanation and it explains nothing at all.

You clamber? dismount? extract yourself from the fur and run the rest of the way when you round the corner of the street your school is on. You duck inside the building a second before the doors close. The clock is watching you as you race down the halls. 

It feels like it’s shaking the whole building with each tick, the sound reverberating in your soul.

And… three seconds to the bell–safe. Alex winks at you as he pulls out a packet of papers. He has paws for hands and he slips you one with a big, velvety pat. You sigh as your backpack hits the table. The day has exhausted you already and it hasn’t even begun.

Later after lunch–

You don’t make it past lunch. There’s a girl who pins you down in the back of the cafeteria, latches onto your arm like a claw and drags you to the bathrooms before you’ve even got a word in. You’ve never seen her before but she’s wearing the school uniform, her skirt rolled two inches higher than the standard.

The first thing that you notice is that she’s got great legs. The second is that there’s little plastic rabbits dangling from her ears.

“Come with me, Kitty,” she says and it takes you a few minutes to realize that you’ve skipped right past introductions. The encounter tastes like deja vu. There’s something you’re forgetting… something important, and it lingers on your consciousness like a reluctant guest waiting on the threshold.

She holds your hand and drags you through a never-ending hallway. You look at the window and see a skyscraper even though you’re in the middle of suburbia-nowhere and then you look out another window and see the stars above. The girl seems unfazed by the world spinning outside the glass, marching forward with a death-grip on your arm.

She takes you to a room that looks like it was ripped from the set of Bridgerton. There’s a row of velvet chairs pushed against the wall but she doesn’t take a seat in any of them so you don’t either.

“I’ve been trying to reach you,” she huffs, shoving her hair back. It’s a clear sign of frustration and you wish she’d do it again. “We’ve been trying to reach you.”

She wags her finger and you obediently scoot closer.

“This is gonna be a lot but I need you to stay with me here, Kitty,” she says, knocking your foreheads together. You feel light-headed at the contact. “You must’ve felt that something is wrong with your world.”

You do feel like your world’s been rocked, in more ways than one.

“You must’ve felt it before, you must have! The feeling that something’s not quite right, that the edges of the world are a little fuzzy, a sense of deja vu or the distinct feeling of a dream even when you’re supposed to be wide awake. You–”

“I dreamt about you, didn’t I?” you interrupt. She blinks at you owlishly before she covers her mouth up with one hand.

“That’s one way to put it, yes,” she answers which answers nothing at all.

“You told me to, ah.” The memory’s slipping from you like a scent wafting out of the room and you scramble to grab it between your hands. “To follow the rabbit.”

“That’s right,” she says, nodding. “And you did! Eventually. It must have been your instinct–some innate voice cluing you into the fact that something is wrong with this world.” 

“Sure,” you reply. “We can call it a gut feeling.”

“So I’m asking you to follow your instinct–or gut feeling–one more time,” she says, unfurling each of her fists to reveal two pills. One is red, one is blue, both of them translucent. “The blue pill will allow you to return to your life, forget we ever met. The red one will allow you to learn more about the world you think you’re living in–it’ll allow you to wake up for the first time.”

You grit your teeth and smile. You’re Kitty Song Covey and you’ve never been one to turn your nose away from adventure.

“Which one lets me see you again?” you ask and the girl shoots you a funny look, the edge of her mouth curling up into a smile.

“The red one,” she says and that’s all the confirmation you need.

You take the red pill from her hand and you swallow, the image of the girl smiling printed on the back of your eyelids.

[she-who-the-river-could-not-hold]

unnamed Hellcheer AU snippet

vaguely modern au // eventually will include: a dash of diners, Americana, teenage rebellion, and cryptids 

I definitely want to turn this into at least a long oneshot, but for now it’s at a “vibes only” stage. It’s also a bit of an exercise to just letting myself writing casually so fuck it, I’m sharing it on here for now where it has a place to live while I figure out where it’s headed!

Chrissy hadn’t been able to stop watching him since he’d come into the diner. 

Tall, wiry, a head full of curly hair that was currently pulled back in a low ponytail. She’d never even seen a guy wear a ponytail before but there was something attractive in the way he did it. Very off-duty rockstar vibes, especially with the leather jacket he’d thrown on the booth seat across from him and the numerous chains and jewelry he was wearing. Another thing she wasn’t used to guys wearing. 

He was on his third cup of coffee and halfway through a horrendously giant Rueben sandwich—not that she’s keeping track. 

Because watching strange guys isn’t something Chrissy Cunningham does. 

She’s a good girl, who works waitressing jobs twice a week to add to her weekly allowance, has an above average GPA as a student athlete, and had been dating the same guy since she was in eighth grade. It all fits perfectly into her pink ribbon, cheerleading, peppy box that she lives in. She even still goes to church every Sunday with her family. 

Ogling at strange guys, who look potentially older than her and definitely are more hardcore than anyone else she’s met, was not an option. 

“You know you can just go talk to him.”

Chrissy squeaked as she jumped at the sound of the voice behind her. Whirling around, nearly jamming her thumb in the cash register, she was greeted by the unimpressed stare of one of the other waitresses. 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Chrissy whispered fiercely. 

Trish arched an eyebrow and stayed silent. 

Which was all Chrissy’s anxiety needed to bloom and have her run her mouth. 

“I didn’t mean to, he’s just been here for a while. I’m making sure he’s not… loitering,” she finished lamely. She had to fight the urge to not turn around and glance at him again. 

For her trouble, Trish simply snorted and moved on. Leaving Chrissy to pick at her cuticles and the rest of her shift not looking over at the guy. 

Because the problem is this:

Chrissy and her boyfriend from eighth grade have been on the fritz ever since he left for college and she decided she didn’t know what she wanted to do. So she still lives at home and thinks about all of the ways he’s probably cheating on her and he laments on their weekly calls about how she’s ruining their life plans. Being at home also means that her mom is still controlling her life, even though she’s nineteen. She’s not even sure she believes in God anymore either, so she usually spends Sundays daydreaming the sermon away on a hard wooden bench.

All of the reasons she’s not supposed to stare at could-be rockstars are built on a house of matchsticks and she can feel the flames drawing nearer.

So when Melinda, the old chain smoking waitress that likes to clock out early moves to refill the guy’s coffee, Chrissy steps in. It doesn’t take much to convince her to head out early and that Chrissy doesn’t mind covering her last couple tables. 

She approaches his table, nervous for reasons she can’t even name. It’ll be a miracle if she doesn’t spill coffee all over his lap and mess this whole unknown thing up. 

But when he looks up at her and she becomes locked into his smile and big brown eyes, she knows she’s opened a Pandora’s Box.

[onlygenxhere]

I know you're posting this already, but I still opt for the Dash & Lilly AU. Unless you don't want to give us spoilers. Then please talk about your fic ideas since they absolutely count, and I'm excited to hear about them. 👀 Or do both if you want!

I think it's safe enough to just share the beginning of the next chapter. I would love to post faster but I'm not writing faster and I'm already "worried" I'm going to catch up to this posting schedule before I'm finished. Under the cut incase anyone doesn't want to read anything before next week.

Luke - December 19th (it's the same morning Julie has the talk with her dad and goes to church) Luke woke up at the stupid hour of six thirty on a Sunday and lay there staring up at his ceiling until the glow-in-the-dark stars, someone, Reggie, had put up shortly after they moved in started to fade in the growing light outside. He’d stayed up way too late reading last night trying to get tired enough to go to sleep and still it was probably one before he’d drifted off. As busy as he was trying to keep himself, not working at the diner and not being able to play his guitar was really messing up his internal rhythm. Not to mention this Christmas being all out of whack with his parents out of town. He knew he should just get up and do something since he was apparently done sleeping but he wasn’t sure what that something should be. He didn’t want to make any noise fixing breakfast yet. Reggie had said ten, not eight. He could write, or read, or scroll on social media but all of those things required him to move and there was just something wrong with the idea of moving right now as he stared up at his ceiling… thinking about her. Even with only the few details he had all he could think about was Julie. He wondered if she was thinking about him.