#Gold Heart Wire Ring

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[evidenceof]

Winnix Country, I'll take you there.

Winnix fic recs finally! I clawed through pages 1-61 on AO3 and then scoured through Dreamwidth because I just need this ship injected into my brain.

Just so we're all aligned, I'm very much into "Classic" Winnix. And while generally I do still read AUs, much of what I keep close are the ones that are entrenched in, before, and after the war. Still enjoy a bit of the supernatural though. So please forgive the lack of non-WWII AUs. :') Ok onward.

Note: All links in blue are restricted to logged-in AO3 users! So hopefully you have an account so you can read some gold.

5+1 tag

The Way I Wear Your Hat by Muccamukk - I will consume anything Mucca writes and live in it for at least two weeks.

Let Me Be Close by armyofbees - So tooth achingly sweet, tender in post-war. Nix combing Dick's hair? I'm so.

I'm Alright Now You're Here by @stopstopstopit - A.k.a. Dick and Nix going, "Was I truly that blind???" about each other and everyone in Easy Company saying, "Yeah." So good, so, so fun. Giggled like a maniac all throughout.

Pre-War

Before the World Begins by rilla (@flomps)- The first time I read this, I cried. Then again the second, third, fourth, etc. Lew and Dick meet in NY before Benning, before everything, and it's under very different circumstances. I love the characterization of Nix and Dick in this so much and the gentleness in the midst of all the smut. A TALENT!

Lancaster County by rachelelpillo - Technically not pre-war because this is an AU where it happens without them. It's bittersweet, but emphasis on the sweet. Teenage Dick and Nix and a whole summertime of falling in love.

Bicostal by dancinguniverse - I am a sucker for anything that starts at OCS. I love this and the telegrams and letters tucked within it.

Wartime

Bird Wedding by rachelelpillo - The way she writes anything really sounds like a summer day to me. This one is very understated and just wonderful if you want something that leaves you smiling. (Highly recommend you go through her work, last she posted was in 2010. :') )

And at Your Touch, I Burn by Muccamukk- CHRIST. A SICK!FIC. God I love this for so many reasons, one of them being just the incredible way Mucca describes the field exercise, the crawl and length of it. And Dick getting sick. Nix doing what he does. It's wonderful. It's perfect.

Vampire Overhead! by joissant - There's a little Vampire!Nix AU for you. In the midst of Bastogne and hunger, there is this and it's fucking fantastic.

love divine, all loves excelling by @flanneryoconnorfanfiction - The way my heart soared all throughout this fic. Religion, for many reasons is often the point of friction for Dick, and this one turns it over its head. It's reverent and (so) joyful and honestly, probably what God should feel like. There are not enough kudos-es in the world.

Post-War

Head Trip by @ezlebe - Two lines from this fic ring in my head daily, that's how much I loved every bit of it. And I mean who isn't a sucker for Operation Varsity-adjacent fics? Harry's in this so it's automatically just extra wonderful for me. I LOVE!! I absolutely love.

Like a Bird on the Wire by semperama - Them coming home without an established relationship is always a trope enjoy. Blanche Nixon is here being cheeky, and Dick is all smiley, Lewis is stressed the fuck out. It all makes for a wonderful get-together.

More than a Team by @mercurygray - I love reading about Ann Winters and I love seeing Nix and Dick navigate those familial relationships after the war. This is short and so, so sweet. Every bit as wonderful as the ice cream.

thyme and rosemary by @oatflatwhite - Yet another one where Ann Winters makes a wonderful cameo. Dick is trying not to be miserable and he keeps writing all these unsent letters to Lew. Featuring the cutest kitten ever.

Series

What Things We Have Heard Together by joissant (4 works) - Quite possibly required reading for Winnix enthusiasts. Feels like such a gift to be able to thread through so many points in their relationship and everyone else tangled in their orbit.

Winnix from the POV of other people Oh my god I love outsiders-looking in fics of the two of them.

Transcript by Corvid Cordelia - LISTEN. If you love Easy Company, you love Winnix, Webgott, Spierton, etc, they're all here. It's such a treat for people who fell in love with everyone's personalities in BoB.

Women in Conversation by shiveringpinkala - Ann Winters tries to surprise her brother and it doesn't go quite as planned. Blanche is in this too so it makes it extra delightful. Love this fic.

Entendre by @thrillingdetectivetales - Harry Welsh has no fucking clue what Buck Compton is implying about Winters and Nixon but he's gonna find out. Again, I love Harry Welsh with all of me.

A special mention to String Quartet No. 14 by @oatflatwhite for a HS AU that had me kicking my feet and smiling all the way to the very last word.

If you have similar favorites, PLEASE LET'S TALK ABOUT THEM. There's still a lot I'd like to re-read and revisit so this will highly likely be updated in the future. I'd love to hear your favorites too. <3

[mcondance]

stu and slapping.

he’s so into it. he’s got a terrible thing for pain and an even worse one for you being the one to give it to him.

the first one is always the best, when he’s forgotten exactly how your hand feels against his face, when the sensation is just a memory that he holds onto until he feels the urge to experience it again.

he reels back, winded and shocked and already feeling it give his brain the cloudy feeling he can’t get enough of. bracing himself on the counter, he does his best to stay here with you.

“fuck. .” he huffs, and a laugh creeps into his wounded breath, his eyes prick with tears. “‘s fucking gold.” he strains, hazy eyes finding your face.

“yeah?” you scan his face, a smile tugging at your lips when you see the hot red decorating his cheek. he nods, chest rising and falling with the beginnings of heaving, his excitement ramping up as he sees the twinkle in your eyes.

it’s the twinkle you get before you hit him again. which you do.

it rings out through the kitchen and he takes it like a champ, eyes squeezed shut and hand grasping the counter for grounding.

well, maybe the second one is the best. this time, he knows what it feels like and that makes it better, cause he has it under his tongue and now it, now you are sinking your teeth into him again, slapping him harder than the first time just to see his face turn red and his eyes get glossy, his whole body tense and shaky from the goodness of it all.

and again you hit him, catch him by surprise and this is the best one, he’s sure of it. breath retched out of his chest, hands on the counter and resting on his knee, he sees stars behind his eyes at what you do to him.

you make him feel a way he only feels when it has to do with pain. pain is his love, a slap across his face by your hand is one of the best things he could ever feel. makes his mind empty and his body burst into flames, his skin crawling with the sparkles of heat you gave him. whatever’s wrong with him is right when you’re hitting him the way he so desperately needs, when you share with him the perverted desire of his heart.

“thank you,” he chokes out, bleary eyes focused on your face. doubled over in pain and pleasure and whatever the fuck else he has going on in that fucked little brain of his. crossed wires fizzle and spark and it’s good. it’s so fucking good.

[euphoricfilter]

Yandere/smut Tae or Yoongi PLS 🥲🥵😵‍💫

the red means i love you:

pairing: yandere! taehyung x yandere! f. reader

genre: fluff || smut || established relationship || non-idol au || yandere

summary: taehyung always knew how to cheer you up.

word count: 1.3k

tags/ warnings: murder and blood, consumption of said blood, very very morally wrong ending/brief descriptions of a dead body, smut in the forms of: public sex, exhibitionism, unprotected sex (this is fiction, don't be stupid), squirting, creampie, mild cum play

notes: drabble game is closed <3 i think i'm slowly figuring out how to write such short smut scenes... maybe, i had to cut some of the good bits out :')

☆ this is definitely one of the more morally grey drabbles (mostly the ending) i've done so far, so please check the tags before reading!!

drabble masterlist || my main masterlist

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Taehyung was beyond an ordinary being. Crafted by hands made of gold, wired by a brain as fucked up as his own. The same gentle fingers that had moulded your brain from the depths of hell, all the little things that make us the wrong kind of human, programmed into your entities. 

Maybe you’d been designed for Taehyung, understanding his kind of love just as he understands yours. Two shattered souls finding their broken half, because surely if the both of you were insane alone, together you’re nothing but normal.  

Every dip in Taehyung’s skin and impurity in his design is utterly perfect in your eyes. Truly a god among humans. A love so raw, you find yourself toeing the line of mania; small things throwing you to the edge. Heart shattered during the moments apart, or suffocating hate for every other human he interacts with.

Now, Taehyung was perfect. He could pull off any colour, face ethereal, proportions unmatched; but you’d always felt he’d looked best in red. 

White button-up tainted, stained with the blood of a woman whose name neither of you know; will never know. 

Your thighs clench as Taehyung wipes his bloodied hands over his slacks, smearing the red further up his wrists, trailing his honeyed skin like a snake. 

Really it was her own fault, sauntering up to your table like you weren’t sitting there; like Taehyung wasn’t clearly taken. As if the ring on his finger, and eyes that belonged to you weren’t enough of a clue that he wasn’t interested in her lame attempts at seduction. 

You hadn’t been happy, understandably so. Bitter, ugly jealousy consuming your mind. Petty in the way you’d turned your head when he’d tried to talk to you, or brushing him off as he’d tried to feed you your favourite dessert. Taehyung’s lucky he knows how to brighten your mood, never one to shy away from pulling you into an alleyway beside the bar, whore of a woman taking his invitation for a good time. A shame really, when only you and Tae seem to ever find unbridled excitement from what happens after that.

Ever the sadist, your panties had slicked up deliciously at her muffled screams. 

“You’re ever so pretty” you sigh, Taehyung’s fingers digging into your jaw, sticky blood smearing across your skin. 

“I was just about to say the same thing about you, my love” he hums, plush lips skimming over the shell of your ear. 

A moan catches in the back of your throat as a stray hand grabs onto the meat of your ass, your lover’s straining cock pressed up against your lower stomach. 

“Need you, Tae” you whimper, rubbing your cheek a little further into his palm. 

He groans as you cup his bulge, gravelly in a way that has another pitiful flush of slick spilling into your panties. 

Impatient, you tug haphazardly at his belt. 

“Let me take care of you” he murmurs, slipping his thumb into your mouth, metallic tang of blood coating your tongue. 

Your legs fall open a little wider as a curious hand wanders up your skirt, nails scratching over your lacy panties. He wastes no time, tugging the crotch to the side, lips quirking up as he runs a finger through your sodden folds. 

“So wet, my love. All for me?” 

You nod, hands wandering under his shirt, nails digging into whatever skin you can hold. Lines of raw red love sure to paint his skin, a reminder that he is only ever to be yours. Dull ache of your nails on his skin sending arousal straight to his cock.

Taehyung’s lips press against your jaw, breath tickling your bare skin as he runs his tongue over your neck, working his way down your chest; tugging your blouse down below the swell of your breasts, the prettiest little canvas. 

Purple flowers bloom from your skin, Taehyung’s favourite kind of art that he spends painting each morning, your skin is always that little bit tender from his lips. 

You’re pushed against the concrete wall, back arching as the cold sinks into your bones.

Slicked-up fingers brush over your clit causing your hips to buck. 

“Turn around for me, my love” Taehyung pats your ass, tongue wetting his bottom lip when you do as told, fingers grasping the hem of your skirt. You tug it up around your waist, arching your back enough for Taehyung to get a glimpse of your slick-stained panties and sodden folds. 

“Good girl” he croons, fingers digging into the flesh of your asscheeks. 

The corners of your lips tug up when the click of his belt echoes off the walls of the alleyway, your pussy clenching around nothing as you’re reminded of where you are; world passing by, barely concealed. 

You sigh when Taehyung pulls the crotch of your panties to the side over your ass, blunt cockhead running through your folds. Your knees buckle as the tip nudges your clit, electric pleasure thrumming down your body. 

“Inside, Tae” you rock backwards, slicking his cock up further before he’s grabbing it at the base, impatient as he sinks into you. 

You moan, arousal leaking out of your pussy, leaving the inside of your thighs shiny. 

“So deep” you sigh, hand reaching back to hold Taehyung’s waist, helping him sink further into you. 

Taehyung groans, hands falling to hold your waist as he pulls back, only briefly before he’s rocking back into you. 

You quiver, fingers digging into the wall, delicate skin flaring red as Taehyung starts to pick up the pace. Guttural groan rivalled by the lewd squelch of your cunt. 

“Harder” you whine, selfish in your own pleasure as you rub your clit, hurdling towards your orgasm. 

You hear a group of people laughing, footsteps pattering louder and louder, Taehyung unashamed as he grunts, hips smacking against your ass leaving it red; leaving his claim. 

“Fuck–” he cries, “Cum for me, come on” a hand slithers round the front of your body, deft fingers snaking under the band of your bra, delicious pleasure sending you over the edge as he tugs at one of your nipples. 

Your thighs shake as you continue to thrum over your clit, body bending just enough for Taehyung’s cock to hit a sweet spot; a rush of wetness splashing against the wall. Rather, you grind your clit onto the palm of your hand, pitiful dribble wetting your thighs further as your orgasm ebbs away. 

“Fucking hell” Taehyung groans, cock twitching. 

His hand travels down the front of your body, thumbing over your clit before he’s rubbing your own watery cum into the meat of your thighs. 

“Cum Tae” you whine weakly, bordering jittery overstimulation. 

He punches back into you one more time, holding you to his chest by the weak hold he has over your pubic bone. And then he cums; thick ropes of seed soothing your insides as he gently rocks back into you. 

“So good” his head falls onto your shoulder, half-limp cock slipping out of you as he staggers back slightly. 

Your mouth falls open at the dribble of thick cum that trickles down your thighs, a breathy whimper falling off your tongue when Taehyung scoops it up, fingering it back into your pussy. 

He pulls your panties back over your hole, arm slipping around your waist to hold you up as he tugs your skirt back into place. 

“No~” you whine, “You got blood on my favourite blouse” you gape at the handprints that have seeped into the material. 

“I’ll buy you a new one, baby” he frowns, kissing your cheek, then your lips, “but first, we need to finish a little job” 

Your gaze flicks to the corpse, the poor woman is probably cold by now; the night was bitter after all.

Her blood had seeped into the crevices of the pavement, horror on her face artistic, haunting even, in the dull streetlights. 

“Have I ever told you how much I love you in red?” you turn to Taehyung, tongue wetting your bottom lip. 

“All the time, my love. You look just as enthralling” he smudges the blood on your cheek, lips pressing a chaste kiss to your lips; smudged red. Maybe with blood, maybe with lipstick. He isn’t sure, though he thinks it suits you.

[tunastime]

Sunset in the Heart of that Green Valley

started drumming up an au accidentally with some input from the mutuals beloved. told myself it wasn't going anywhere but this so I had to stick as much as I could into just. this. I SWEAR. < lying

Bdubs can't remember a part of his life without Etho--no matter the shape or profession, the danger or lackthereof. It was always Etho, and himself, and this wild, wasted world. Or, Bdubs watches his cows on the farm. Etho joins him on his horseback ride around the perimeter fence.

(4111 words)

It's a long, slow ride a mile from the wire fence and sparse tree line that borders the ranch. It's nothing but cool wind and wiregrass for miles, soft green and brown as the spring starts to roll in. Soon enough the field will be full of baby calves and their healthy mamas, big brown eyes and full stomachs. Horses too—lots of 'em, kind natured but tough, enough to fight you but not enough to bite the hand that feeds 'em. He'll be able to lift a foal into his arms to stand it upright and watch its mother nose his armpit and look at him with those soft brown eyes. For now, BdoubleO takes that long ride along the border, listening to cicadas sing in the trees. That's not the only thing singing though. Besides the breathing of his horse beneath him and the cattle dog that runs ahead, is the soft, mellow voice of his partner, Etho, humming indistinctly. 

He has his head turned toward the tree line, eyes scanning listlessly for any sign of movement. Just a couple of weeks ago, they lost a handful of chickens to a fox, a thing neither of them could stand to kill even as they went looking for it. From where he rides next to him, Bdubs can see the holster for his revolver strapped tight to his thigh. He's never actually seen the gun, for what it's worth. Not in action. Not even the smell of gunpowder on Etho's leather work gloves. He's only ever watched his thin, strong, meticulous hands clean the individual parts and put it back together. It makes sense why Etho's focus is so drawn to that tree line. He probably doesn’t want it to happen again.

Bdubs watches the curve of his shoulders under the off-white button-up he's wearing. It's loose at his elbows and under his arms, but from the way he slouches, hat tipped back to cover his neck, it's tight across his back. Bdubs sighs—for a moment, that's the only thing that breaks the silence. Bdubs' longing rings out in the stale air, and a chuckle joins the hum of that wordless melody.

"Somethin' the matter, 'dubs?" Etho says, glancing over. He can just hear him through the scarf tucked around his face, tied behind his neck. His hair is tucked under his hat, tied away nearly the same. Its just his eyes, warm and smiling, eyebrows raised, when he looks over. Bdubs scoffs, rolling his eyes.

"No," he says. "Nothin's the matter. What's it to ya, anyway?"

Etho shrugs. He shuts his eyes for a second when he does. Bdubs can picture the little frown on his face when he does.

"Figured I'd ask," he says cooly. "That was a pretty profound sigh."

"Nothin' for you to worry about," Bdubs gripes. He taps Lacey with his heels and she meanders forward, huffing out through her nose. He hears Etho laugh as he pulls away, and it's only a second before Etho's at his side again. He tugs Bdubs' hat over his eyebrows.

"Don't be like that, 'dubs!" Etho pouts. "You sounded upset."

"Quit teasin' me," Bdubs grumbles, swatting at him with the hand not wrapped around the reigns. Lacey patters to a stop as Bdubs slackens on the reigns, trying to grab Etho's hat. Etho ducks his head.

"Bdubs!" He laughs, pushing his hands away.

"Quit!"

"You quit!"

Bdubs huffs again, shrinking back, then straightens. Etho's turned away from him, all of a sudden. Bdubs goes to speak, but as he does, he hears Etho say something so quiet it's felt more than heard. 

It's sunset, he's just realized. The orange light leaks through gaps in the trees, casting gold bars over the wheatgrass and dry dirt. He can see light blue leaking into orange, pink, yellow, blending into white clouds above him. This time, the profound sigh whistles out of Etho's chest. Bdubs bites his tongue. Haloed by the gold light, Etho looks like the type of things only lonely cowboys dream about. The perfect outlaw, or the hardworking ranch hand, or the kindhearted sheriff looking for love. The things you read in dime novels, no matter the flavor of romance. Bdubs feels his heart squeeze, the want pooling in his elbows and the joint of his hips. He won't sigh again, or make any other sound, not as long as Etho watches the sunset. 

"Wow," Etho mumbles. His horse snorts. Etho huffs a laugh, reaching just far enough to pet between his ears. "Wow..."

"It's gorgeous," Bdubs says. He'd be lying if he said he was talking about the sunset.

Etho turns back to him after a beat. Bdubs's eyes flick up to his face, tilting his head a little as Etho's soft eyes linger on him. He can see the indistinct scarring up part of his face, near his eye and eyebrow. Tugging off his gloves, Bdubs raises a careful hand up to Etho's face. There, he tucks two fingers in the space between his cheek and the scarf over his face, and tugs it down. Etho doesn't stop him. In fact, he's smiling just so when Bdubs does. He's got nothing to hide, really—the scarf is for the dust, more than anything else. He scrunches his nose as the scarf falls around his neck.

"Hey there, sweetheart," Bdubs says softly. His hand cups Etho's cheek, thumb smoothing over the rough, scarred skin of his left cheek. Fire. They're all healed burns. His thumb dances over them anyway, like he'd never seen them or brushed them or kissed them before. Two long strands of hair frame Etho's face. Here, Bdubs tucks one of them behind his ear, still moving to cradle his face. The look that passes over him makes Bdubs' stomach fold over. He's smiling, wide and soft, and his eyes shut as he leans into Bdubs' palm.

"Hiya, Bdubs," Etho mumbles. His voice hits a low octave as he whispers. Bdubs flushes. Etho's hand falls to Bdubs' hip, both steadying for himself and for Bdubs' balance, thumb pressed into his hipbone as he leans forward into Bdubs' space. Etho's hand comes to tip his hat back as far as it'll go before it knocks from his head, scrunching up his nose as Bdubs' flush grows a little warmer, a little further over his cheeks and ears. He's smiling, though, and so is Etho. Bdubs can't help it—he was just so damn handsome, that stupid cowboy. Damn him. He keeps himself lingering in Etho's space for a beat longer, tracing out the high of his cheek with his thumb. The sun's still setting, warm and orange behind him. He can't even see stars yet. 

"Can we stay?" Bdubs asks, sighing out his nose. His eyes flick behind Etho's shoulder for a moment, watching the bars of light through the trees. "Just to watch?"

Etho smiles, his eyes going all soft and round like they do when Bdubs says something he particularly likes. Must've liked that, then. He noses Bdubs' palm just a little, looking up into the sky before settling on Bdubs' face again.

"Sure," Etho mumbles. "Why not? Stars haven't even come out yet."

Bdubs grins, knocking their foreheads together, a soft laugh bubbling up in his chest before it leaves him with his exhale. Etho scrunches his nose. 

Leaning forward as far as he can, Etho kisses him. His warm, gloved hand fits over the back of his neck, brushing through the close cropped hair there. His lips are chapped from the dusty air, but they're dry and warm and Bdubs feels Etho hum against his mouth. He presses back and up into him, free hand falling to his knee to stabilize himself. Etho pulls in a fast breath through his teeth and kisses him again, firm but gentle. Bdubs shuts his eyes and keeps them shut, feeling Etho's hand curl against the base of his skull, feeling them work in tandem with each other. It's nice and easy and tender in a way that curls up in Bdubs' chest and rests there, calmly. It's sweeter than anything else he knows, or damn near close to it. 

He smiles against his lips, dragging his thumb in a slow line across the rippled scar on his cheek. He's so gentle with him, Etho is, as he is with Etho, up until the point of course that they're chasing each other around on foot and on horseback and scrapping in the dirt just to prove a point. But here it's intentional. Bdubs rubs his cheek and that scar so Etho knows he wants to feel it He wants to feel where it starts at the high of his cheekbone and ends just under the low dip of his eye, how the uneven surface gives to smoother skin, how it’s all patches of rough and light. He wants to see that it cuts through his eyelid and eyebrow and that the eyebrow never really grew back and his hearing wasn't always that good in that ear. He wants to. He loves him. To love Etho was to love each thing he called an imperfection. 

"I'll be damned, cowboy," he mumbles under his breath. Etho laughs, just a little, from somewhere high in his chest.

"What's that?" he asks, crushing his cheek into the heel of Bdubs' hand. Bdubs shakes his head.

"Nothin', gorgeous."

"Mmh," Etho agrees. Bdubs can tell his face is warm from more than just the desert heat. 

"You liked that, mm?" he says. He leans up to kiss Etho just once, sighing out through his nose.

Etho nods, stilted, still flushing as Bdubs draws himself and his hand away. There's a moment that Etho's hand stays warm and solid on his hip and the back of his neck. His dark eyes sweep over him, the clouded vision of his left still trying to focus on Bdubs' face. A soft smile lingers on his face, lifting the edges just enough to form the smile lines Bdubs loves to kiss. They're there more often than not, still fading as Etho's face softens, as he takes care to wash the grime off and soothe his skin with beeswax. They linger for a second before they, and Etho, draw away, settling back on his saddle and sitting up. He stretches, screwing up his expression as Bdubs hears his spine pop.

"Augh," he vocalizes. Bdubs snorts as Lacey does, shuffling her hooves in the dry grass. 

"Let's get a move on then, old man," Bdubs teases, reaching for his reins and to prod the soft of Etho's knee. Etho jerks, trotting his horse a step away from Bdubs hands. There, he sticks out his tongue, fixes his hat, and tucks the bandana around his nose again. There's that familiar shape—sheriff to outlaw, the line of Etho's eyes honing his gaze to razor sharp. Bdubs sighs, letting himself laugh, before he jerks his head forward, pushing his hat back onto his head. He prods Lacey with the heels of his boots and she steps forward into a jog.

Above his head, the wink of stars begin to shine in the dull, pale blue sky. He can still see the lick of orange light like flames above the treeline, cascading over the red-grey and sparse green hills, framing Etho in a delicate picture. Bdubs grins, eyes settling on his partner behind him. He sees Etho's eyes squint as he presumably smiles. Nudging a little more, Bdubs brings Lacey up to a trot, and further to a canter as he hears Etho laugh, loud and clear across the planes, behind him.

In the distance, he can see the warm cast of oil lamps they lit before they left. As much as Bdubs' bones crave the man not even a few yards behind him, they ache for the cool halls of their house, warm coffee, and the light he can just barely catch in the rising night.

Later that night, Bdubs scrapes congealed fat out of the cast iron skillet Etho cooked in. His body and stomach are heavy with the meal they’ve just finished, beans and pork and cornmeal grits, the taste of whatever last few seasonings Etho had thrown in still lingering between his teeth. He scrubs the pan in the hot water, feeling out what were nicks in the pan and what was dirt. He’d hate to ruin the seasoning they’d just built up on the pan. He raises it from the soapy water after a moment, giving it a good shake as his eyes track over the dusty-grey surface. Clean as can be. As he finishes, toweling off his hands as he lays the skillet to dry, he turns back to the room behind him. 

It’s starting to smell a bit like coffee and a bit like woodfire smoke, the embers of their fireplace and stove fire still filling the room. Etho has tucked himself on the couch, knitted blanket draped over his shoulders and a book open on his folded legs. That was one thing about the desert that Bdubs never got used to—it got cold quickly. The air seeped the heat right out of the ground, right underneath your feet, as soon as the lick of sunshine from the day was gone. Etho had the right idea, curling himself into the smallest spot on their worn couch, blanket drawn tight around him, enough to where only his socked feet poked out. He’d tied his long hair up and away from his face, stark white locks delicately balanced on the top of his head. Bdubs hums as he wanders over. 

Etho picks up his head, blinking slowly at him. His gaze seems far away as it pins on him.

“Hi, Etho,” Bdubs says, scrunching up his nose. “You fall asleep on me after dinner?”

“Mm?” Etho questions. He shakes his head. “No, no, never.”

Bdubs snorts. As he stands beside the front of the couch, Etho’s hand comes out, his cold fingers wrapping around Bdubs’ wrist. Bdubs makes a small, startled sound, but lets Etho tug him forward and onto the couch beside him. He was deceptively strong—it was the one thing nobody would guess about him. Well—maybe not the only thing. Etho’s life, much like his own, was so different compared to the docile, almost domestic, ranch life they’d build together. Bdubs sinks into the couch cushions, and not even a beat later, Etho leans his back against his arm. Bdubs’ hum peters into a giggle.

“Y’know,” he starts. “I’m not sure I believe you. I think you might me lyin’ to me, Etho.”

“Mm? About what?”

Bdubs shrugs.

“Dunno, you looked pretty dang tired a second ago.”

Etho shakes his head, leaning back a little further. Bdubs gets the message. He shifts around until his leg hooks under Etho’s arm, until Etho can settle back and rest his head and back against Bdubs’ chest. The book rests on Etho’s shins now, all but forgotten as Etho tips his head back to take a look at Bdubs behind him. He seems satisfied with what he sees, because he shuffles to get comfortable.

“I don’t know about that,” Etho drawls, a smile tugging at his mouth. Bdubs scoffs. He kisses the top of Etho’s head, hands cupping around his ears to hold his head still. He feels that smile tug at his cheeks a little more and nuzzles his head for good measure.

“Alright,” he placates. “I’ll believe you for now.”

Etho hums, satisfied.

“Good.”

Bdubs lets his hands fall to Etho’s shoulders. As Etho reaches to pick up his book from his lap, Bdubs shifts him a bit more, sitting upright. His hands fall to Etho’s upper back, before he starts to shift his hair, unweaving it from where it had balanced atop his head. Etho seems to pick up on his message, sitting forward a bit as Bdubs begins to comb his fingers through Etho’s white hair. 

It’s much longer than it’s ever been, Bdubs thinks—it must be. He doesn’t think it’s ever been past his shoulders when they were together before, and definitely not when Etho was a sheriff. He’d never get away with hair past his shoulders. It was bad enough that he got so many nasty scars from scrapes and threats and whatever people threw at him. Bdubs smooths his hand down the back of his neck, feeling out the base of his skull. It’s painful to think of what Etho had to get through to get here. His hair must be a testimony to that, the fine, white-blond strands reaching to just past his shoulderblades. Bdubs is careful as he weaves his hands through, tucking stray strands behind Etho’s ears, combing back from his widow’s peak to the base of his head. 

He was a criminal before he was a sheriff—Bdubs remembers that. He remembers it because he was one, too. Pretty damn good. It was hard, though. Hard on Etho, who was just trying to do something with his life, to put his artistry to work, his craftsmanship. When he finally landed a job, the gang was already falling apart. He wasn’t even the first to leave—someone left for a damn sheriff. And Bdubs had laughed, then. He watched Etho set his hat on Bdubs head and felt those now memorized, strong hands squeeze his shoulders. 

He found him again when Etho walked past the tiny 3-by-3 cell Bdubs had managed to worm his way into. Wasn’t that a sight for sore eyes? The fine line of Etho’s jaw cuffed by a high collared marshal's uniform, badge and all, hat pulled low over his eyes. He hadn’t meant to lock himself up in there, but as soon as he was out, he promised Etho he’d never go back. And he never did. He sat himself at the strong wooden desk catty-corner to Etho’s and dispensed justice like he’d never done a wrong deed in his life. They were fair, though. Nothing but fair. No blood but on their teeth or nose or throat. No blood on their hands.

Etho sighs warmly as Bdubs starts to braid his hair. He keeps a firm hold on the strands he weaves in and out of each other, working slowly and carefully as he absorbs himself in thought. He was there for a lot of Etho’s life. But he wasn’t there when Etho got his scar. He only saw it afterwards, during that first time he saw him from that cell. 

Etho had described it late one night, after all was said and done between them, their bodies pressed so close in the same, small bed in Etho’s home that there wasn’t a molecule of space left. He’d let Bdubs trace the valleys and ridges of the burnt skin, tucked his face into Bdubs neck to breathe out a wet sigh. Coals and fire—not an accident like Bdubs had always presumed. He’d weaseled himself out of their gang of bandits, but it’s not always that the life of bandits leaves you. He’d messed up an order for another group, he’d said, when he finally got a job as a metalsmith. Too few bullets. It was a lie. He’d known from the shape of the man's mouth as he’d spoken it, but his face found the furnace regardless. Hot ash, coals, smoke in the back of his throat. It had been a long time since he’d been really able to see out of that eye. It hurt to read. It was too blurry to focus. 

Now, Bdubs knows, Etho focuses and reads just fine. And Bdubs drags his fingers over his skin like it were any other part of him to touch. And touch he did. Hey! He wasn’t ashamed of himself! He spent a good few years loving this man and he was allowed to love him right and true. Whatever Etho wanted, Etho could have. He’d build him a terracotta and tile ranch house, with darkened oak and stained wood floors, a fireplace big enough to hang a kettle in, horses, cows, dogs, cats, wheatfields tall enough to lose himself in. The rolling hills of the valley were endless. They’d find a homestead, a life, friends, family, anywhere they went. And so they went. And they found the ones they’d loved all along just as they thought they would. 

Bdubs cards his fingers through the braided hair for a final time, letting it hang loose and wavy around Etho’s shoulders. He instead maps the rise of his spine with his palm, listening to Etho hum and feeling his heartbeat.

“How’s your book?” Bdubs asks softly. Etho nods.

“Good,” he says, just as quiet. “It’s a real tough read, ‘Dubs.”

Bdubs glances over his shoulder as Etho leans back into his chest, trying to catch a glimpse at the cover. Etho’s tucked the book under his knee, though. He can’t even peek at the type of book it is.

“Mm?” he says. “Is that so?”

“Mmmhm,” Etho drawls. “I’m real deep into some equations that I can’t wrap my head around. It’s this long complicated thing that’s supposed to help determine scale and size of the fractal-izing of light, and how we can use planetary distances to figure it out.”

Bdubs blinks, scoffing. 

“Etho,” he hums.

“I’m trying to figure out how this could be relevant for our growing seasons and how I can best predict rainfall in the valley—”

“Etho—”

“And I’m sure Tango will want to know all about it considering he’s making that huge telescope, don’t you think—”

Bdubs thwaps his head laughing.

“Quit!”

Etho laughs, reaching back to grab at Bdubs hands on his head. They swat uselessly at each other for a moment.

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you, Etho?” Bdubs grumbles.

“You’re just jealous because I understand math,” Etho jeers. “It has nothing to do with how smart I am.”

“Sure it doesn’t,” Bdubs huffs. “I bet you read the almanac in your spare time!”

Etho gasps, but the gravitas and dramatic turn he does to worm away from Bdubs is enough to hint that he’s doing it for a reason. He scrambles back, tucking his book behind him as he does. Blue cover. Bdubs doesn’t know many books with a blue cover. Maybe it is the almanac after all.

“How dare you insult my knowledge of flowers, Bdubs!” Etho gasps. “I just know all those things.”

“All those things about the regional weather, too?”

Etho nods, trying to hold back a smile. Liar.

“Mhm,” he says. “All of it. I’ve known it since I was a wee little boy, ‘Dubs.”

Bdubs rolls his eyes.

“I’m sure,” he placates. “Nothin’ to do with how we just moved here a year and a half ago, no?”

Etho shakes his head.

“Not at all. I’ve known it all my life,” Etho says. He can’t fight the smile this time, or the way he draws out the a of his word, his smile growing with it. He finally cracks enough to giggle and Bdubs swats his knee. Etho sticks his tongue out at him.

“And what’s the almanac say about me?” Bdubs asks, watching Etho shuffle back into his corner, looking comfortable. He tilts his head a little, eyebrows furrowing.

“You?” Etho says. “I don’t know. Nothing—I’ve never read it. I doubt they put people in it.” Then Etho smiles, adding: “I can check my book on 100 facts about B-double-O, though.”

Bdubs startles.

“Your book on what?”

Etho snorts, tipping his head back, laughter bubbling out of him. Bdubs jabs him with his socked foot and Etho curls further into himself, still giggling. Bdubs can’t help but smile, though, watching Etho break into a giggling fit over his stupid comment. He rolls his eyes as he peels himself off the couch and over to their bookshelf. Standing there for a moment, feeling the cold seep slightly into his clothes, Bdubs scans for a book. He isn’t sure what he’s looking for yet, but he’ll know it when he sees it. 

In the meantime, he halfway searches for that obviously fake book Etho had mentioned. He snorts, just to himself. A hundred facts, huh?

Plucking one of his well-worn novels from the shelf, Bdubs turns back to the couch. He drops a kiss to the crown of Etho’s head as he passes and Etho is quick enough to pull him down to kiss his cheek. It’s worth it, though, as Bdubs tucks himself back against the other side of the couch and Etho’s legs tangle with his. He loves the stupid smile on Etho’s face too much to care about much else.

[an-angels-fury]

My Narnian Playlists (2/6): Peter Pevensie

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This is definitely the playlist I'm more satisfied with! The truth is that it's not hard for me to find songs that remind me of my dear boy Peter. I just love him so much!!! 🧡😍

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Soldier - Fleurie

Soldier, keep on marchin' on / Head down 'til the work is done / Waiting for for the morning sun / Soldier, keep on marchin' on / Head in the dust, feet in the fire / Labour on that midnight wire / Listening for that angel choir / You got nowhere to run / You wanna take a drink of that promise land / You gotta wipe the dirt off of your hands / Careful son, you got dreamer's plans / But it gets hard to stand

Angel With A Shotgun - The Cab

Get out your guns, battle's begun / Are you a saint or a sinner? / If love's a fight, then I shall die / With my heart on the trigger / They say before you start a war / You better know what you're fighting for / Well baby, you are all that I adore / If love is what you need / A soldier I will be / I'm an angel with a shotgun / Fighting 'til the war's won / I don't care if Heaven won't take me back / I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe / Don't you know you're everything I have? / And I, wanna live, not just survive, tonight

Viva La Vida - Coldplay

I used to rule the world / Seas would rise when I gave the word / Now in the morning I sleep alone / Sweep the streets I used to own / I used to roll the dice / Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes / Listened as the crowd would sing / "Now the old king is dead, long live the king" / One minute I held the key / Next, the walls were closed on me / And I discovered that castle stand / Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand / I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing / Roman cavalry choirs are singing / Be my mirror, my sword and shield / My missionaries in a foreign field / For some reason, I can't explain / Once you'd gone, there was never / Never an honest word / But that was when I ruled the world

Centuries - Fall Out Boy

Some legends are told / Some turn to dust or to gold / But you will remember me / Remember me, for centuries / And just one mistake / Is all it will take / We'll go down in history / Remember me for centuries

Human - Christina Perri

I can hold my breath / I can bite my tongue / I can stay awake for days / If that's what you want / Be your number one / I can fake a smile / I can force a laugh / I can dance and play the part / If that's what you ask / Give you all I am / I can do it / I can do it / I can do it / But I'm only human / And I bleed when I fall down / I'm only human / And I crash and I break down / Your words in my head, knives in my heart / You build me up and then I fall apart / 'Cause I'm only human / I can turn it on / Be a good machine / I can hold the weight of worlds / If that's what you need / Be your everything

Loyal Brave True - Christina Aguilera

War is not freedom / Over my shoulder / I see a clearer view / All for my family / Reason I'm breathing / Everything to lose / Should I ask myself in the water / What a warrior would do? / Tell me underneath my armor / Am I loyal, brave and true? / Am I loyal, brave and true?

Reflection (Cover) - Michael Crawford

Look at me / You may think you see / Who I really am / But you'll never know me / Everyday / It's as if I play a part / Now I see / If I wear a mask / I can fool the world / But I cannot fool my heart / Who is that man I see / Staring straight back at me? / When will my reflection show / Who I am inside? / I am now / In a world where I / Have to hide my heart / And what I believe in / But somehow / I will show the world / What's inside my heart / And be loved for who I am / Who is that man I see / Staring straight back at me? / When will my reflection show / Who I am inside?

Believer - Imagine Dragons

First things first, I'ma say all the words inside my head / I'm fired up, and tired of the way that things have been, oh-ooh / The way that things have been, oh-ooh / Second things second, don't you tell what you think that I can be / I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, oh-ooh / The master of my sea, oh-ooh / I was broken from a young age / Taking my sulking to the masses / Writing my poems to the few / That look at me, took to me, shook to me, feelin' me / Singing from heartache from the pain / Taking my message from the veins / Speaking my lesson from the brain / Seeing the beauty through the / Pain! / You made a, you made a believer, believer / Pain! / You break me down, and build me up, believer, believer

Unstoppable (Cover) - Red

Break down, only alone I'll cry out loud / You'll never see what's hiding out / Hiding out deep down, yeah / I know, I heard that to let your feelings show / Is the only way to make friendships grow / But I'm too afraid now, yeah / I'll put my armor on / Show you how strong I am / I'll put my armor on / I'll show you that I am / I'm unstoppable / I'm running with no brakes / I'm invencible / Yeah, I win every single game / Yeah, I'm so powerful / I don't need batteries to play / I'm so confident / Yeah, I'm unstoppable today

Hero - Skillet

I'm just a step away, I'm just a breath away / Losin' my faith today (We're falling off the edge today) / I am just a man, not superhuman (I'm not superhuman) / Someone save me from the hate / It's just another war / Just another family torn (We're falling from my faith today) / Just a step on the edge / Just another day in the world we live / I need a hero to save me now / I need a hero (To save me now) / I need a hero to save my life / A hero will save me (Just in time)

Legends Are Made - Sam Tinnesz

I'm crackling up on the throttle / Victory is mine / Show you the harder the battle / The harder I fight / I've come too far to quit / Step back I'm goin' in / I'm crackling up on the throttle / This is how legends are made

No Easy Way Out - Robert Tepper

We're not indestructible / Baby, better get this straight / I think it's unbelievable / How you give into the hands of fate / Some things are worthy fighting for / Some feelings never die / I'm not asking for another chance / I just wanna know why / There's no easy way out / There's no shortcome home / There's no easy way out / Givin' in can't be wrong / I don't wanna pacify you / I don't wanna drag you down / But I'm feeling like a prisioner / Like a stranger in a no named town / I see all the angry faces / Afraid that could be you and me / Talkin' about what might have been / I'm thinking about what it used to be

Hero - Chad Kroeger, Josey Scott

I am so high, I can hear Heaven / I am so high, I can hear Heaven / Woah, but Heaven, no, Heaven don't hear me / And they say that a hero could save us / I'm not gonna stand here and wait / I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles / Watch as we all fly away

Paralyzed - NF

When did I become so numb? / When did I lose myself? / All the words that leave my tongue / Feel like they came from someone else / I'm paralyzed / Where are my feelings? / I no longer feel things / I know I should / I'm paralyzed / Where is the real me? / I'm lost and it kills me / Inside / I'm paralyzed / When did I become so cold? / When did I become ashamed? / Where's the person that I know? / They must have left / They must have left / With all my faith / I'm paralyzed

Warrior (Black and Blue) - Sia

Break down, tears fall to the ground / Tell myself, there was nothing can't be found / When you're a fighter / You're a fighter / You're a fighter, fight on baby / Some days, I start to lose to fate / Some days, I cannot find my faith / But I just fight on / I just fight on / I just fight on, baby, baby / And I am a wounded warrior / And now that the enemy is closing in / I am a wounded warrior / Looking for someone to let me in / Black and blue, I'm begging you / Take me in, I'm surrendering / Black and blue, but if I'm with you / If I'm with you, I'll live to fight on through

Elastic Heart - Sia

And I'll stay up through the night / Yeah, let's be clear, won't close my eyes / And I know that I can survive / I'll walk through fire to save my life / And I want it, I want my life so big / I'm doin' everything I can / And another one bites the dust / It's hard to lose a chosen one / You did not break me / I'm still fighting for peace / I've got a thick skin and an elastic heart / But your blade, it might be too sharp / I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard / Yeah, I may snap and move fast / But you won't see me fall apart / 'Cause I've got an elastic heart

Hall of Fame - The Script (feat. will.i.am)

You can be the greatest, you can be the best / You can be the King Kong bangin' on your chest / You can beat the world, you could win the war / You can talk to God, go bangin' on His door / You can throw your hands up, you can beat the clock / You can move a mountain, you can break rocks / You can be a master, don't wait for luck / Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself / Standing in the hall of fame / And the world's gonna know your name / 'Cause you burn with the brightest flame / And the world's gonna know your name / And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

Mars - Sleeping at Last

Though time is ruthless / It showed us kindness in the end / (By slowing down enough) / (A second chance to make amends) / As life replayed, we heard a voice proclaim / "Lay your weapons down / They're calling off the war / On account of losing track / Of what we're fighting for" / So we found our way back home / Let our cuts and bruises heal / While a brand-new war began / One that no one else could feel / Our nights have grown so long / Now we beg for sound advice / "Let the brokenness be felt / 'Til you reach the other side / There is goodness in the heart / Of every broken man / Who comes right up to the edge / Of losing everything he has"

Atlas - Coldplay

Some saw the Sun / Some heard the gun / Some bend the bow / Sometimes the wire / Must tense for the note / Caught in the fire / Say oh / We're about to explode / Carry your world / I'll carry your world / Carry your world / I'll carry your world / Some far away / Some search for gold / Some dragon to slay / Heaven we hope / Is just up the road / Show me the way, Lord / 'Cause I am about to explode / Carry your world / I'll carry your world / Carry your world / I'll carry your world / Carry your world (Carry your world) / And all your hurt

Into The Unknown - Panic! At The Disco

What do you want? / 'Cause you've been keeping me awake / Are you here to distract me so I make a big mistake? / Or are you someone out there who's a little bit like me? / Who knows deep down I'm not where I'm meant to be? / Every day's a little harder / As I feel your power grow / Don't you know there's part of me that longs to go / Into the unknown? / Into the unknown / Into the unknown

To Be Human - Sia (feat. Labrinth)

Under rich, restless skies / I've been setting highs / I felt you walk right through me / You're the thing that I invoke / My all persistent goal / Sent to make me queasy / And oh, it's hard now / With time, it works out / To be human is to love / Even when it gets too much / I'm not ready to give up / To be human is to love / Even when it gets too much / I'm not ready to give up / All the tigers have been out / I don't care, I hear them howl / I let them tear right through me / Can you help me not to care? / Every breath becomes a prayer / Take this pain from me / And oh, you're so far now / So far from my arms now / To be human is to love / Even when it gets too much / I'm not ready to give up

Peter - Taylor Swift

Forgive me, Peter, my lost fearless leader / In closets like cedar, preserved from when we were just kids / Is it something I did? / The goddess of timing once found us beguiling / She said she was trying, Peter, was she lying? / My ribs get the feeling that she did / And I didn't wanna come down / I thought it was just goodbye for now / You said you were gonna grow up / Then you were gonna come find me

I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme) - John Rzeznik

I am a question to the world / Not an answer to be heard / Or a moment that's held in your arms / And what do you think you'd ever say? / I won't listen anyway, you don't know me / And I'll never be what you want me to be / And what do you think you'd understand? / I'm a boy, no, I'm a man / You can't take me and throw me away / And how can you learn what's never shown? / Yeah, you stand here on your own / They don't know me 'cause I'm not here / And I want a moment to be real / Wanna touch things I don't feel / Wanna hold on and feel I belong / And how can the world want me to change? / They're the ones that stay the same / They don't know me 'cause I'm not here

[thepixelelf]

25¢ Magic

Genres: fluff, romance, friends-to-lovers, mans-in-love-disease Pairing: Reader & Wonwoo (Seventeen) Words: 2.6k Warnings: other than some food mentions, none! all fluff 💕 Notes: yet another recasted fic sorry!! I reread the original last night and imagined it with wonwoo and liked it too much 😖 (i changed a couple things to be more inclusive since the original is a way older work! if there are any mistakes regarding inclusivity, please let me know!)

Wonwoo needed a little magical intervention. Definitely not for you. For his eyes. Yeah. His eyes.

Magic 25¢

Through his glasses, Wonwoo eyed the sign above the tiny corner shop as he stood there, debating whether or not to enter. You'd recommended the place to him a few weeks ago, even though you'd never bought the so-called "magic" yourself. According to you, the sorceress inside fixed whatever problem she deemed fit, all for the low low price of practically nothing.

At first, Wonwoo had brushed off your suggestion, scoffing at the idea of a mythical being actually solving his life problems, but now, he wasn't so sure. He couldn't be certain what exactly brought him there, to the small store in the middle of the bustling city, though he had his suspicions.

Lately, you'd been occupying his thoughts in weird ways. He had no idea why, but one day -- and he couldn't tell you which one -- he started looking for you whenever he found something funny or saw something beautiful, or thinking he'd seen you in a busy crowd when really you were never there at all; things like that. It confused him more than he would care to admit. You were his friend, yes. Someone he cared about more than most, but recently you got yourself a position in Wonwoo's heart that no friend has ever touched before. It scared him. What were you doing?

So he'd come to the corner shop. desperate for some sort of relief. The tinted windows and seemingly decrepit interior almost made him change his mind, but the brain-racking problem that was you made him enter.

A pervasive scent wafted up to Wonwoo's nose when he opened the door, smelling like rosewater and oranges. The shop was brightly lit, with various plants and flowers either placed on every available surface or hanging from the ceiling. Gold accents came in the form of geometric wires in various shapes accompanying the flower pots or hanging above the windows. From what Wonwoo could see, the only spot not covered with greenery was a marble counter near the back, which housed a silver service bell.

Before he could ring the bell, a girl popped up from behind the counter, startling him enough to jump back at her sudden appearance. She wore a plain white t-shirt and light wash jeans, matching the shop's simple feel, but her bright pink hair covered her face, and she spent a few seconds just getting it out of the way.

"Hi!" she greeted cheerfully, blowing the last few strands of stray hair away from her face. "Do you have a quarter?"

"Are you... the sorceress?"

She chuckled, a light sort of laugh that you do in front of people you aren't close to. "Sure am! I'm not what you expected, huh?"

Wonwoo didn't want to admit that he expected a haggish old woman wearing torn black rags and looking half past death, so he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he took a quarter from his back pocket and slid it across the counter.

"I'm guessing you know the drill; you give the quarter and I fix whatever I think you need most." She took the quarter and placed it somewhere under the marble counter, then pointed at a little table in the opposite corner of the shop, right next to the windows. "Have a seat. I'll be right back with some tea."

When she returned with two steaming teas in fine china cups, she sat in front of Wonwoo and looked into his eyes. He pursed his lips, not knowing exactly what to say, but also not wanting to turn away.

"I've decided. I'm going to fix your eyesight."

Wonwoo's fingers unconsciously fixed his glasses, though they weren't skewed in the first place. "My... eyesight?"

"Yup!" Her smile was soft, nothing like what Wonwoo expected before he came in. "Right now, it's what you need more than anything else."

Well, who was he to argue with a sorceress? It wasn't like he was going to straight-up ask her to fix his you problem. He was too shy to just give himself away like that to a total stranger. Maybe this really was what he needed. Though, he actually started to like his glasses after you said they made him look like, quote, "boyfriend material".

"So, if you would just take off your glasses--" the girl said, taking a sip of her tea. "--then I can get started."

Hesitantly, Wonwoo pulled his glasses from his face, placing them down on the wooden tabletop. From a little metal box that Wonwoo hadn't noticed before, she procured a small glass bottle, filled halfway with a lilac-coloured dust that sparkled in the sunlight. It was only then that Wonwoo questioned the windows . They looked tinted from the outside, and... the shop looked empty through them, but now they were clear and letting in plenty of sunlight, and the shop was clearly anything but empty. Was this really magic?

His eyesight wasn't that bad, he thought, especially since he could tell what she was doing when she pulled out the cork and poured some of the dust into her palm. She struggled for a second to plug the cork back one-handed and stick it back in the box.

"Keep your eyes open, please."

Without a second warning, she blew onto her palm, raising the dust off her hand and straight into Wonwoo's eyes. He flinched, falling back in his chair as he coughed. Through squinted eyes, he watched her gulp down the rest of her tea and pack up, then stand from her chair and walk away towards the counter.

"That's all. It should take effect by tomorrow morning."

With another smile, she disappeared into some sort of back room, leaving Wonwoo to wonder why the hell he ever followed your advice in the first place.

•

Wonwoo couldn't deny that he was a little excited to not need his glasses anymore. Sure, he didn't mind wearing them at all, but updating prescriptions costs a lot of money, and keeping them clean was a whole other ordeal. So, when he got up to make breakfast, he left his room with upturned lips, his glasses still on his bedside table.

It was only partway into breakfast -- when he tried to look at the clock on his oven and couldn't tell time -- that he realized his eyesight wasn't fixed at all. Same blurry vision, same nearsightedness. What happened? Had he been ripped off? But who on earth would scam someone for 25 cents?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his buzzer. He walked over to the door, pressing the camera button to see a pixelated version of you standing right in front of it, a big bag in your hands as you waved towards the camera.

He buzzed you in, not thinking much of it. You had a habit of showing up out of the blue.

"Wonwoo!" you greeted happily when he opened the door. "Are you ready?"

In the time you took to get up the stairs to his apartment, he'd found his glasses and put them on, as well as cleaned up breakfast. But ready? He wasn't ready.

As soon as he'd opened the door, you shined like you never had before, like a sunset glimmering off the ocean horizon. It very nearly blinded him. Your smile seemed so bright, and when you frowned at his lack of response (aside from wide eyes and a slack jaw) he had this surging feeling that he absolutely needed you to smile again.

Though, your pout put him in just as much awe in a different, alluring way.

"Don't tell me you forgot," you whined, bottom lip jutted out. "You promised we'd go to the carnival today."

He couldn't stop staring. Your eyes, your cheeks, your lips. All of you drew him in, and he couldn't say why.

"Wonwoo!"

Snapping out of his reverie, he blinked a few times to clear his vision, but nothing changed. You still looked...

Enchanting.

He stammered, trying to get back to himself. The regular Wonwoo, not the one stumbling over the sight of you. "What... huh?"

You rolled your eyes, a move from you that Wonwoo always liked, and today was no exception. Except, this time, he almost lost himself again just with that one action.

"The carnival? C'mon, you promised, so get dressed. We're leaving in ten minutes." Grunting, you used all of your might to push Wonwoo through his small apartment into his room and closed the door between you.

Once you were out of sight, Wonwoo stumbled backwards into his room and practically fell onto his bed, head in his hands. What the hell was happening to him? You looked exactly the same as you always did. Your face was the same, your style of clothes, the way your eyes moved with each expression. So what changed?

Whatever. Wonwoo assured himself that all these weird feelings would fade soon enough. He was probably just tired.

"So," you started once he stepped out of his room. "I've made a one-hundred percent foolproof plan so we can go on every single ride and hit every stall I want. Plus, I've written down our choices of what to buy so we stay within budget."

You were already halfway out the door before he could respond, giant carnival map held in both hands.

•

Wonwoo had a hard time concentrating on the carnival with you right next to him. He'd started noticing little things he'd never picked up on before, like the way your smile grew half a centimetre wider after you scored a single point at a stall game, or the way your eyes screwed shut when you screamed on a rollercoaster. Normally, Wonwoo could barely handle keeping his own eyes open on rollercoasters, but this time he just couldn't keep them off you.

It was by the time you bought food that you noticed something was up.

"Are you okay? You've been quiet all morning," you asked him as you sat down with your lunch. (Not the healthiest thing in the world, but hey, that's what carnivals are for.)

The concern on your face reminded him of something. He didn't know what it was, exactly, but he knew he both liked it in a weird way and wanted you to never feel concern ever again. "I'm fine." He sat up straight. "Just... thinking about something."

"Oh? Like what?" You chewed on your food, leaning forward on your elbows and propping your chin in your palm. Why did he find every single thing you did endearing?

"It's nothing," he assured you, though he was mostly trying to convince himself that. He needed to switch up the subject -- far far away from his feelings -- otherwise he might just burst. "I heard you beat Seungcheol at Mario Kart yesterday."

Your face lifted as you sported a triumphant smile, launching into the riveting story of how you finally won a grand prix against Seungcheol for the first time. Wonwoo concentrated on your storytelling for only a few seconds before he got lost in your eyes and how they sparkled like a thousand, no, a million stars.

"And the, when he asked for a rematch, I stood up and went, 'I'm king now! Your words hold no power here!' so he chased me around his entire apartment, that brat!" You waved your hands around to illustrate your story. "It's okay though, 'cause guess what? I won a second time for our rematch! Gosh, it was so satisfying."

"Really? That's cool." Wonwoo tried to react instead of just staring at the way your skin looked today.

"Uh huh... and then he kicked me out of his house."

"Oh, nice." Your furrowed brows were so adorable.

"Yeah, and then David Bowie rose from his grave just to serenade me as I walked home."

"That's fun." You've got something on your lip; Wonwoo wouldn't mind helping--

You clapped your hands in front of his face. "Wonwoo!"

Jolting up, Wonwoo blinked a few times, but the beguiling you didn't disappear. "What-- what?!"

"You're spacing out on me! Are you okay? Do you have a cold or something? Why didn't you tell me?!" You reached out your hand to his forehead, brushing underneath his hair to feel his temperature. "Oh my god, you're burning up!"

Yes, he was feeling hot, but definitely not because of some fever.

"I'm taking you home. I can't believe you didn't tell me you were sick!" You grabbed his wrist and pulled him up, about to walk away and abandon your lunches.

Oh god. Oh no. If you took him home and started fawning over his "sickness", while looking this ethereal, Wonwoo would probably spontaneously combust.

"No, uh, no!" He wrenched himself from your grip. "I'm fine, really!"

Scrunching up your face, you mocked him, "'No, uh, no!' I think you mean: yes, uh, yes, because we're leaving. C'mon."

"No, we can do more. What about your foolproof plan? What about the rides? Let's keep going."

You crossed your arms and huffed. "I'm worried about you."

Were you trying to make him explode?

"I'm fine. Better than ever. I can do more."

"Are you sure?"

"One-hundred percent."

You sighed, uncrossing your arms. "Fine," you gave in. "We'll do one more ride. Just one."

"Great! What's next on your plan?"

Grabbing your paper map, you tried to read your own writing. You squinted at your plan. "Uh... next up is the Tunnel of Love."

Wonwoo choked on his own spit. "The what?!"

"The Tunnel of Love. I've heard it's really famous here."

"Why would we go in a Tunnel of Love?"

You crossed your arms again. "Because my friend told me it's really pretty on the inside. We could just go home, if that's what you want."

"No, no," Wonwoo said. "I'll go on it."

Your friend was right, it was really pretty on the inside. At least, you thought so. Wonwoo was too busy staring at you under the pink and red lights, oh and the reflection of the chandeliers and fairy lights in your eyes. Your smile was just as stunning as whatever the ride had to offer, in fact, he would argue that you were ten-- no a hundred times more stunning.

He liked the way you smiled and pointed at the things you thought were pretty. He liked the way you looked at him every time, just so you could see if he was enjoying himself, too. He liked the way your smile got wider when you saw his. He liked you.

He liked you.

"See, I knew you'd like it," you said cheekily. Your face looked so cheerful under the coloured lights. "Are you feeling any better?"

Wonwoo nodded. "I think I'm feeling..."

He always imagined falling in love to be something unexpected, like spilling coffee on someone in a cafe, or getting wrapped up in a dog leash with an attractive stranger, or meeting someone outside of a club who hated them as much as he did, but this was much better. Sure, seeing you in an entirely different way, in a whole new light than ever before was sudden. It was like falling into a pit trap with how quickly it happened, but unexpected? No. Wonwoo should've seen this coming.

I've decided. I'm going to fix your eyesight.

For the low, low price of practically nothing.

Without any warning, he leaned in and landed a sweet peck on your lips. "...much better."

•

"Oh, did you ever visit this place?" You gestured towards the Magic 25¢ sign. "I would, but I don't think I have any problems worth fixing right now." Peering through the dark windows, you furrowed your brows at the seemingly empty shop. "It looks closed..."

Wonwoo pulled his hand up, yours in tow with your fingers interlocked in his. He placed a quick kiss on the back of your hand, smiling. "Maybe, but I bet she works wonders."

[fallynleaf-gifs]

Wherever I go... whatever country I go to... I want the Golden Lovers to fight with the same emotion and one heart. —Kenny Omega

“What would Kota think?”

2019-2021

This is a long-overdue gifset. I meant to finish it in November 2021, then I meant to finish it in early 2022, then, well, May 2022 happened, and the Golden Lovers story effectively got put on ice, so I shelved the gifset, too. But now we have reason to hope again, so here it is. The Golden Lovers’ path has never been a straightforward or easy one.

I’ve seen Kota Ibushi described as a “ghost” that haunted Kenny Omega for those few years, but I don’t think that’s quite accurate. Kota has been part of the fabric of AEW itself since the very beginning. Despite the fact that he has yet to make an actual appearance, he has been present in direct references and allusions, in the Golden Lovers symbol on the shoulder of Kenny’s gear, and in the golden “E” in “AEW”, which originally came from the Golden Elite.

Without Kota Ibushi, AEW as we know it would not exist. Of course, a large part of that is his continuing influence on anything and everything that Kenny does. Kenny Omega only really tells one story. It’s the same story that he has been telling his whole career. Sometimes it’s a quiet, subtle story, and sometimes it’s a very loud one. Sometimes it’s both at the same time.

The first direct, unmistakable reference to Kota in AEW happened in an infamous Undertale-themed VTR on October 30, 2019. In it, Kenny is plagued by his own insecurity (which was not helped by Kota’s recent G1 win, in contrast to Kenny’s recent failures in AEW), and a seductive voice tries to prompt him to let it take control before his other tag partners leave him, too. But Sans steps in to stave off the inevitable, and Kenny manages to keep it together—for about a year or so.

The next reference happens a little over a week later, at Full Gear on November 9. Kenny has an unsanctioned match with Jon Moxley, and he brings out all sorts of weapons, including a horrific bed of barbed wire that Hangman Page and the Young Bucks were reluctant to help him with. But what gets him in the end isn’t any weapon, but a failed Phoenix Splash (Kota’s first finisher) onto the exposed wood of the ring. From there, Mox hits a Paradigm Shift and pins him. Kenny could endure broken glass and barbed wire, but the one pain he couldn’t withstand is the pain of a broken heart.

After that, he tries to retreat back into the only comfort he knows: tag team wrestling. He pressures Hangman into tagging with him, and the two of them set their sights on tag team gold. Miraculously, they manage to make it work, winning the titles a scant month and a half or so before the world shuts down. Kenny’s main focus is on tag team wrestling during this time, but in order to fix one major blemish on his singles record, he ends up wrestling Pac in an ironman match on February 26, 2020. One of the moves he pulls out is unmistakably a Kamigoye (Kota’s current finisher).

A few days after that, on February 29, Kenny and Hangman defend their titles against the Young Bucks at Revolution. It’s a match with quite a few references and callbacks (especially to the Golden Lovers vs Young Bucks match in 2018), but the most striking moment was the Bucks hitting Kenny with a Golden Trigger (the Golden Lovers’ finisher), which Kenny kicks out of after a mere 1-count, prompting a massive response from the crowd. No one can weaponize the Golden Lovers’ own love against him like that.

The end of that match portends division and betrayal between the four men, but before the story can continue as planned, the covid-19 pandemic hits, and everything in the world of pro wrestling changes.

The year that follows is a hard one. Kenny’s AEW tag title run has a cruel symmetry with Kota’s concurrent NJPW tag title run. Just as Kenny and Hangman finally find their equilibrium, FTR arrives to sow conflict, The Elite fractures, Kenny and Hangman drop the titles, and Kenny gives up on tag team wrestling. Everything in the Undertale VTR had come to pass. Having nowhere else to go, he goes to an old family friend: Don Callis.

Then, at Winter Is Coming on December 2, wrestling in frigid 40°F weather at the open-air Daily’s Place, Kenny beats Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship, thanks to Don Callis helping him cheat. The two of them abscond with the title after the so-called “golden screwjob”, and Kenny takes it somewhere the Young Bucks aren’t willing to follow him—Impact Wrestling.

Thus kicks off the Belt Collector arc. Kenny soon acquires two new/old goons: Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows, both former members of Bullet Club. He starts considering himself part of Bullet Club again, and declares his intent to collect more belts besides the AEW one (and the AAA Mega Championship, which he already had), starting with Impact.

On January 4, 2021, Kota Ibushi wins the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships at Wrestle Kingdom in NJPW. A few days after that, Kenny posts an Instagram story wherein he looks at Sports Illustrated’s list of the top 10 wrestlers of 2020. Kenny is number five on the list, and Kota is number eight. We can see that Kenny was looking at Kota’s entry before he looked at his own.

Then, on January 28, on the three year anniversary of their reunion, Kota tweets at Kenny, proposing that their two companies change the industry together. Kenny replies, using Nak’s translation as a mediator, and says, “Already feeling lonely in the Kingdom I left for you? Shall I destroy it? Take my hand, we’ll build a new one”. Kota responds to him, but receives no answer.

A few days after that, on February 3, Kenta appears on AEW Dynamite, blowing the so-called Forbidden Door between AEW and NJPW wide open. From that point on, we’re truly in uncharted territory.

Kenny challenges for (and wins) the Impact World Championship in April, but leading up to that match, Don simultaneously stokes Kenny’s ego and tries to gaslight him into erasing Kota from his own history. He encourages Kenny to repeatedly say that no one has ever kicked out of the One Winged Angel (only one person actually has: Kota Ibushi. He’s the source of Kenny’s greatest strength and his greatest weakness). However, no matter how much Don tries, Kenny’s age-old insecurity emerges on March 23, when Don names a long list of wrestlers that Kenny is supposedly better than, and Kenny yells out “Bigger than Ibushi!”

Kenny names Kota again in a AAA promo on August 31, listing him among the best high flyers in the world. It’s abundantly clear that to Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi is the greatest wrestler in the world. No matter how far Kenny goes, no matter how many belts he collects, no matter how many accolades he receives, Kota Ibushi will always stand above him in his own mind. Kenny will never be able to outrun him or let go of him. He can’t fill the hole in his heart with a new tag partner, and he can’t fill it with belts, either.

While all of this is happening, Kota is unfortunately not having the greatest summer of his life. He loses the IWGP belt to Will Ospreay on April 4, then gets aspiration pneumonia in July. He participates in the G1 Climax tournament in September and manages to make it all the way to the finals, but he dislocates his shoulder after a failed Phoenix Splash while facing Kazuchika Okada on October 21.

Kenny’s own injuries come back to haunt him, too, but his autumn goes a little bit better.

Adam Cole—an actual ghost from Kenny’s past—comes back to sow trouble for the Elite (though it takes a while to actually manifest), debuting at All Out on September 5 along with Bryan Danielson. Bryan wrestles Kenny a couple weeks later in his first match as an AEW member, on September 22 at Grand Slam. He forces Kenny to fight him with everything he has, and for just a moment, Bryan is able to draw out the Best Bout Machine instead of the Belt Collector. As he always does in his moments of greatest need, Kenny reaches for Kota Ibushi, and once again executes a Phoenix Splash, which, as always, he is unable to actually hit. This time, it doesn’t end in tragedy, though. Instead, the match goes to a full time limit draw.

The death knell for the Belt Collector looms near, however. Hangman Page earns himself a shot at the AEW World Championship at Full Gear on November 13. Three days before the match, they hold a contract signing for it on Dynamite.

Hangman, who knows Kenny very well by this point, is able to read the subtext. He finally figures it out. He realizes that everything Kenny said to him, everything that he did to him and with him, it was never actually about Hangman. It all sprung from a deeper wound that Kenny has carried with him all this time. As soon as Hangman figures this out, nothing Kenny does to him can hurt him anymore. "But if I remember, you once had another tag team partner who maybe you felt like you didn't measure up to either."

That one line also does something else that’s very important: it brings Kota Ibushi out of AEW’s subtext and into the main text. He’s part of the story now. And he always was. (The man himself liked a gif of Hangman’s “you once had another tag partner” line on twitter shortly after it happened. If there was ever any doubt that he’d been keeping up with what Kenny was doing in his absence, it’s gone now.)

Maybe the best illustration of this is a front row sign that a fan brings to Hangman and Kenny’s match at Full Gear a few days later. “What would Kota think?” Kenny stops to stare at it for a long moment before entering the ring. Years earlier, he’d talked about being so surprised and thrilled that the fans had managed to pick up on the Golden Lovers story leading up to their reunion in NJPW. He was so touched by the fact that the fans had known their history, after all that time. I wonder if he felt something similar here. It was in many ways the culmination of his efforts. The story made deeply tangible, here at the climax of its most difficult chapter.

As was always meant to happen, Kenny loses to Hangman and drops the AEW title. He makes one last onscreen appearance on November 17, 2021 before temporarily stepping away from AEW and away from wrestling so that he can recuperate from years of overworking himself. He says, “I feel like... there’s things I gotta fix, there’s things I gotta change, and I can’t do it here.” Is his relationship with Kota one of those things he had to fix?

Here’s where the story gets a bit hazy. Unfortunately, the year that follows does not go particularly well for either of the Golden Lovers, and plans have to get rewritten. Their respective injuries take longer than expected to heal, which leads to Kota having a falling out with NJPW in May 2022 after they try to force him to come back to the ring too soon. Kenny is finally able to make his own return in August 2022, but he returns to a troubled backstage environment, which finally boils over during the media scrum after All Out on September 4. Kenny and the rest of the Elite are forced to vacate their freshly won Trios Championships, and they all get suspended for a few months during the investigation.

But even in the darkest of moments, things aren’t all bad. The Golden Lovers reunite in a restaurant in Japan on September 15. They reunite on their own terms, outside of any company. The future is still a bit unclear for them, but wherever the story goes next, they want to do it right. “Because the tag team with him is more special to me than anything,” Kota says. He asks Kenny to wait for him, and Kenny assures him that he’ll wait as long as it takes. They both proclaim that the Golden Lovers aren’t over.

One day, the stars will align for them again. If it happens in AEW, the stage is already set. "What would Kota think?” was the question posed at the end of 2021. Maybe one day we will get to hear his answer.

[welcometololaland]

Fic Rec Friday - Round Up Part 1

Thanks to everyone who participated this week - the theme was: rec a 'gateway' fic. If I've missed any, please let me know!

I say this every week, but just to reiterate - this is a compilation of fics i've been tagged in or which appear in the fic rec friday tag relevant to the weekly theme. The recommendations below do not represent a personal curation of fics. Please read at your own discretion. Heed tags and ratings on each individual fic. Keep yourself safe, friends!

911

if you say it with your hands by @henswilsons

may these memories break our fall by @heartbeatdiaz

stupid people by @gayhoediaz

Sunlight is Fire (Burning is a Matter of Degrees) by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels

911 Lone Star

A clock chimes softly twelve for midnight by @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut

A Decade in a Moment by paperstorm

Afterglow of a Supernova by @carlos-in-glasses

All Along There Was Some Invisible String Tying You to Me by @tkstrrand

Baby, Make Your Move by Lolaland (me)

Begins at Sunrise by @iboatedhere

chasers by @carlos-in-glasses

Close your eyes, fall in love, stay there by @liminalmemories21

Danger Zone by @heartstringsduet

Fire Island by @carlos-in-glasses

Gettin’ Down to the Wire by @iboatedhere

Gold Name and Number by @goodways

i'll always fight to come back to you by @rafael-silva

i'll never wear your broken crown by @kiras-sunshine

I'm a hot mess by @heartstringsduet

I’m here and I’m yours by @reyescarlos

if this is our destiny by @strandnreyes

In sickness and in health, in speeding and in no speeding by @goodways

In the burned house I am eating breakfast by @beautifulhigh

It's A Date by @not-a-party-trick

It Takes A Village by @bellakitse

Let’s Get Physical by @rmd-writes

like a bright new dream by @reyesstrand

like water in your hands by @reyesstrand

Love Game by Lolaland (me)

living at the centre of a wound still fresh by Lolaland (me)

Me and You Back at Mama’s by @iboatedhere

Out of the Woods by @liminalmemories21

Nightmares in Tandem by @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut

No Right to Love You by @reyescarlos

Swing For The Fences, Run To The Line by @iboatedhere

The Monsters Turned Out to be Just Trees by @liminalmemories21

The Morning (Part 2) by Lolaland (me)

The Ride Along by @goodways

The Ring-In by ifyoustay and Lolaland (me)

The Sting by @goodways

the strong will never fall by @rmd-writes

TK Strand, Perfect Man by @notaparty-trick

To Build a Home by @freneticfloetry

to live for the hope of it all by @strandnreyes

to which there is no reply by @reyesstrand

two hearts in one home by @not-a-party-trick

Two paper airplanes flying by @liminalmemories21

voices of home by @marjansmarwani

we’ll be a fine line by @reyesstrand

what is sown, what is grown by @never-blooms

what you see will be by @thevenstar

Wings are Frayed by @iboatedhere and @pragmatic-optimist

wresting angels by @carlos-in-glasses

"You have one new message..." by paperstorm

You Keep Coming Back With A Bird In Your Teeth by vaguenotion

You took the best of my heart and left the rest in pieces by @chaotictarlos

yours for the weekend by @strandnreyes

[fluffykiddosstuff]

Choose (Gavin X Reader X nines)

Do I have a problem with Gavin and nines? Maybe, will I stop writing about them? No.

Warnings : insults, crime scene explanation, part nudity, fighting for someone

The reader, has a female body and uses she/her pronouns and lives in an apartment

______

That was by far the most disgusting crime scene you ever saw.

There was blood, blue blood everywhere, on the walls, on the floor, even on the ceiling, how was that even possible?

Today was valentines day, every couple was happy, well except the one who was brutally murdered by the mother of the human, who didn't appreciate that her sweet boy was with a "machine" which was odd to you because now, androids were a big part of society and concidered as living beings, there was still many things Markus needed to do for their rights, but it was on the good path.

For this investigation you were paired with a model that Connor freed himself, the Rk900, supposed to be his replacement, yes he was deviant but stiff as a stick and emotionless like a rock.

The mother came herself to the police, after murdering her son by "accident" she kept babbling about "just wanting to get rid of the machine", so you both didnt had much to do about her, but fowler still needed a report of the crime scene so here you both are.

"how did she even managed to do that, that poor android girl.." you said looking at the thirium being all over the place, there was no scent like human blood would, but it was still a disgusting scene, the android was unalived on the floor, wires out of her stomach and led completely Grey, she was severely damaged outside too, and near was her boyfriend, he was killed with a bullet right in the heart, a bit of blood circled his body but it was not that creepy compared to the other body.

"detective I found something"

Earing your partner's voice, you got closer to him, in the living room, he showed you a black box with a gold ring on it, examinating it.

"it's an engagement ring, and from what I could reconstitue, they where all in the living room, the son proposed to his girlfriend in front of his mother then leaved to get something in the garage, she then attacked the android with a knife, finished her with a gun the son kept in the drawer, when he came back and started to yell at his mother, she got surprised and shot as a reflex"

"I will never understand this.. Why can't people accept change" you mumbled, nines as a better model, already sent the report to fowler like usual so you could go home. But as you were walking, you didn't noticed the curtain on the ground, resulting in you slipping on it and ended being covered in blue and red blood, your android partner came closer and helped you get up.

" are you alright detective? No Injuries?"

"no I'm fine, I'll just go home to wash myself.."

"gavin's house is not far maybe we-"

"no I don't want anything to do with him, let's go. "

You got into your car, staining it but fuck, you'll clean it later, nines came as well, since he didn't had a place to stay yet, he came to your apartment regularly, you looked at the windows while nines was driving to your living place, that's when all of the things that happened today got into your mind

Flashback

You had putted a chocolate box on the desk of your crush : Gavin reed, you talked a lot about it with nines and he told you to do it "the worse thing he could say is no after all, you are friends" little did he know how he reacted.. He thought it was a joke from hank or even worse, connor, he threw the chocolate box on the ground and stepped on it, putting it in the garbage after. You saw everything from your desk and runned to the bathroom to cry, why was he so cruel!? You then avoided him from the rest of the day,  being heartbroken by his behavior.

End of flashback

"Detective we arrived"

You opened up your eyes to see your apartment by the window, you got out, so did your partner, you unlocked your door and stepped into the living room, nines closing it behind him

"can you get me some clothes? I'll go wash myself"

The android nodded, you got into your bathroom and started to strip off, putting your dirty clothes in the washing machine, you then got under your shower to get off of all of this disgusting blood on you.

Nines pov :

While i was searching for some clothes, the bell ringed, since the detective was still in the shower I decided to open the door myself, it was unexpected to see detective reed on the porch

"hey-what are you doing here tincan?"

Autor's pov :

The smaller male was visibly mad and shocked that his "coworker" was there, nines furrowed his eyebrows and looked at him, he seemed, mad.

"since your little brain can't register something so simple, the detective allowed me to stay here until I found somewhere else to stay, what are you doing here reed?"

That was the first time the Rk900 used gavin's last name without his title, that made him boil inside, he clenched his teeth, holding onto the flowers and the chocolates he had hid in his back

"let me see her, now."

"i'm afraid I can not, you hurt her, and I don't want her to suffer anymore, especially from an idiot like you."

Gavin pushed his opponent with his elbow and got into the apartment, not hiding the presents anymore, that's when it hit nines : he was nicely dressed, he even putted on cologne, his hair weren't as messy as usual and he had presents : he wanted to ask you out. Anger took all over his systems, he rushed to the human and picked him by his collar, resulting in the gifts dropping on the floor.

"what are you thinking!? Do you want just to broke her heart again and again!? She has enough, I have enough! Can't you leave her alone, are you that much of an asshole!?"

"the fuck are you talking about shit head!?"

"the chocolates from earlier! It was from y/n ! She putted them for you on your desk, if you weren't a shit head and actually had read the note she left you would have know it!"

He then dropped him off, Gavin falling on the ground, he was pale as an egg, it was from you? So that's why you wouldn't talk to him and runned to the bathroom this morning.. Man he really fucked up, he needed to apologize, and quick. As he stands up, you then appeared in his sight, still wet from your shower and a poor towel to cover yourself, debuting on your breasts and finishing at the base of your tighs.

He picked up the flowers who were a bit ruined and the chocolates and got closer to you, almost a bit, shy..?  He dropped them on the table and looked at you in the eyes.

"listen I'm, sorry for earlier, I didn't know those were from you, I swear I wouldn't had done this if I knew, please, forgive me for my behavior"

You smiled, you had been friends from years, how couldn't you forgive him? Then you looked at nines, who was approaching with a gift box

"I would like to give those to you, as a thankful way and also, for you know, the meaning of this day.." he seemed shy and had blue over his cheeks

"I-I appreciate it guys but, I might gonna change first.." you putted your towel up, almost half of your breasts were out, they blushed and nodded as you got into your room to change, you then came back, both are sitting on your sofa, looking at you.

"so did you make a choice?" they both said, you then responded

"I don't want to make one"

Both males looked at each other, wondering if you already had someone in your heart or if, you just didn't like them, you then spoke again

"I actually want both of you"

They were, quite chocked by your statement

"what, how??" managed to say gavin

"well, I like both of you, for many different reasons so.., what do you both think about it?"

They looked at each other again then back at you, nodding.

"we can try" finally said nines, you kissed them both on the cheek and then sits in the middle, putting the TV on to watch your favorite show, one of their hands in yours.

-------

Oml I just can't get rid of them 💕 I love my pooks

(1491 words)

[the10jewelry01]

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[foxes-that-run]

Fools gold

As well as posting about it this week, Harry referenced Case of You in Fools Gold for One Direction in 2014. California on Joni Mitchell's Blue also influenced Canyon Moon.

Similar to Case of You, it is about knowing he loves someone who doesn’t prioritize their love and continuing on. Neither 1D or Harry have played it live, though Niaill has. He's doesn't even look comfortable introducing it in this promo holding a banana??

While they are all credited for the song to MTV Jamie Scott indicated he wrote it with only Harry. He posted this photo with Harry wearing the Haylor ring on 14 September 14, they were in LA that day, while Taylor was slaying in this photo shoot in NYC.

Rolling Stone Interview

2 weeks before that photo Taylor's 1989 Rolling Stone interview came out. Which is a bit humble-braggy and possibly from her own hurt and wanting to protect the private she minimised their relationship. She said it's pointless to date if you're not in love and watching her dating has become a national past time. RS said she sounded jaded when she said her life is not conducive to bringing other people into it. She doesn't say much about Harry, but ends that section with saying Style should have been called "I’m Not Even Sorry."

To a hopeless romantic like Harry who wore he heart on his sleeve I can see why he could write a song like Fools Gold. He was much kinder to their relationship in his RS interview for example.

Four

Its on Four which also included Stockholm Syndrome. It released in 17 November 2014, 3 weeks after 1989. Harry has talked about making the album (21 mins) under mattresses in hotel rooms. There is footage that set up at 34 mins into the TV special. In that context, a 20 year old rockstar slipping in an older reference to a guitar ballard about heartbreak is a lovely glimpse of the artist he would become.

Lyrics

[Verse 1: Niall] I'm like a crow on a wire You're the shinin' distraction that makes me fly home I'm like a boat on the water You're the raise on the waves that calm my mind, oh, every time

A crow on a wire is a lonely dark figure sitting above everything, drawn to fly to the shiny Taylor. Taylor calls Harry shiny later in DBATC. Several of Harry's tattoos and songs are about coming home, Taylor was with him when he got the ship tattoo. Here, the rise of the waves is the current that brings him there, what draws him in. This Love makes the same analogy of a high tide bringing Harry back. This is a theme in later songs like Sweet Creature.

[Pre-Chorus: Harry] But I know in my heart You're not a constant star

The pre-chorus references Case of You's opening line: "Just before our love got lost you said / "I am as constant as a northern star" / And I said, "Constantly in the darkness / Where's that at? / If you want me I'll be in the bar"

The northern star is not constant, it moves. In the opening of Case of You, the muse saying "I won't be a constant for you" which leads Joni to drink. Here Harry is saying his muse is fickle.

[Chorus: Harry, All] And, yeah, I've let you use me from the day that we first met But I'm not done yet Falling for your fool's gold And I knew that you turned it on for everyone you met But I don't regret Falling for your fool's gold

Harry goes on to say he is feeling used by the muse, possibly because he doesn't see that his feelings of longing and wanting a great love are reciprocated. But he's not done, and is being constant in loving her. He sees that she is a Mirrorball, and feeling like he was played. With hindsight we know they both felt a little this way, and maybe that sentiment is why he never played this song.

Harry is also a fool in Just a Little Bit of Your Heart (JALBOYH).

[Verse 2: Liam] I'm the first to admit that I'm reckless I get lost in your beauty and I can't see two feet in front of me [Bridge: Zayn] Yeah, I know your love's not real That's not the way it feels That's not the way you feel

In the bridge Harry again says he sees it is reckless to fall for his muse, but is anyway. He is telling himself the muse doesn't feel the same way but it feels like they do. I think in hindsight, knowing they both continued in this way for another decade that it would have been confusing to have a different private and public lives. The launch of 1989 would have been the first time Taylor talked about their love in a real way, and it was minimised in most of the promos with refrains of 'the overriding feeling was anxiety'.

[xris05]

Writing thingy because I felt like it

The night was still. No leaves rustled, and no trees swayed. No bird chittered, or dared sing. The city too, though alive and bright with fluorescent gaudy light, pushing back at the umbra that enveloped the countryside that strode and encircled this pocket of civilization like a python slavering over its next meal, was equally utterly silent and still. 

A wind-that-was-not-there rustled the fine curtains, pulled them apart through the open mortar and brass of the window, and spilled inside, and once more the wind pretended to be a man. A tall, wire-thin, specimen. Hairy, with a full rough scratchy beard, tangled knots consuming his mane and thin, peering- yet almost gentle - eyes, the colour of the sea at night. Adorned in his fineries, a finely spun shirt, and crisp matte-grey trousers, held by a plain leather belt, but for the scratches along it, in the shape of talleys. Whilst the Wind was shifting and untameable, the conventions of word makes it easier for one to know this stranger as Callahan.

The man-that-was-wind took a moment to glance around the decor of this particularly lavish home, for one could not say that he wasn’t an appreciator of the finer aspects of living. This room was lavish and large. Fine dark wood floors provided the firmament on which he stood and the smell of ancient and dusty tomes forgotten for centuries, if not longer. Callahan inhales, smelling the parchment on the older texts, and the smell of confused fear on the butchered sheep whose skin became a method of preserving the Was fills his lungs.

Callahan smiles wistfully.

The sound of candle-light flickering, and hair-rising sensation of being watched, and the chill of the room through the now open window leads him deeper into the study, past this row of shelves, and onto the fine red carpet, which guides him deeper into the maze of history, geography, mathematics, the sciences, the real and the fictional.

The sound of a great clock ringing echoes in the air, nearly jolts the Wind, its deep ringing vibrato chimes bringing a sudden and stark life to these untrod halls. For all his years, long and tired, the sudden presence of noise where their rule of order was silence never failed to shock and startle him, a dreg of humanity in something that fundamentally was not.

Shock did not arrest his progress for longer than a moment, before his paradoxically silent yet heavy and sure footfalls stalked a path through the maze of paper and ink, oft pausing as he took minutes at a time to appreciate the fine covers which adorn some of the collection. He smiles, pearly white teeth gleaming in the light of lanterns, especially, at the classics, finding something terribly privately amusing about them all.

One of his pale fingers runs down the spine of a particularly ancient tome, before pulling it out of its coffin of hardwood and turning to look at the cover. Plain unadorned leather with simple faux-gold lettering at the front “Ἰλιάς” was the name of the book, and thick was its body, stuffed with loose papers and letters, scrawled in a tongue Callahan had mostly forgotten.

He pushed it back into its place, quietly as he could manage, and he continued on. 

Finally, they reached the back, or perhaps the heart, of this labyrinth and what else to find at its heart than the library's fierce and ruthless protector.

“Adair” Callahan’s melody of a voice cuts through the air, the din of the candle flickering under its unnatural reverberation- which echoed as if the man stood in a wide and snaking valley - “What a wonderful surprise to see you here!” there was something saccharine to his tone, that same private amusement still dominating the tone of the man.

The addressee of his comment snaps his book shut, the sound single, stark and sure. Morgan lets the book rest on the fine desk behind him- the cluttered valleys of free space snaking between plateau’s of books and the towering mountains of half-drunk cups of long since frigid tea. 

Adair was a man in stark contrast to Callahan. Shorter, a tension to his frame like a viper prepared to lash at the slightest provocation. Dark hair cut shortly and neatly into place, equally as well-groomed as the rest of the man who wore a fine suit, albeit unbuttoned and revealing the white shirt below . An almost aristocratic bearing brought a regalness to even the open hostility he felt towards the man opposite, his singular eye quickly scanning Callahan with a deriding disdain, gold and purple mixing into the curious almost ringed singular focus that the ocular organ possessed.

“Why have you come to vex me again, Callahan” was Adair’s curt response, his accent nearly implacable except for the slightest tinge of his Scottish origins.

“Why, I’m hurt” Callahan holds a pale hand to his heart, rolling his head back in mock anguish “Can a friend not visit a friend? Old acquaintances not make themselves reacquainted?” 

“Not when said acquaintances parted on the terms we last did. I do strictly recall telling you that I would not hesitate to strike you down should we ever face one another again.” his gloved hand pulled a desk drawer opened and retrieved a single blade, long and slender, pointed with a blackened metal that even now brought flashes of half-lingering pain to the long gashes that marked the torso of Callahan, and for but a moment his placid peace gave way to an expression like the rolling storm, thunderous and furious, ready to call thunder and hellish licks of the skies own flame to burn this wretched place-

But just for a moment. “Oh, that’s all behind us now, isn’t it? It was such a very long time ago, and really holding a grudge for so long is just… sad, don’t you think?” he pauses delighting in the quiet fury on Adair’s face “Oh, and don’t play the vicious fool Adair. You wouldn’t dare risk your precious books by starting a brawl here.”

That, more than anything yet, disarmed the man, who lowered the blade with a muttered curse, placing it behind him on the desk, where it made no sound even as it clattered against the wood.

“Was that so hard?” Callahan cooed “Really, you always, always make this so difficult-” 

“Get out with it” Adair simply grunted back “You’re here for something, and quite frankly I would appreciate it if you didn’t waste more of our time on your theatrics.”

“All the worlds a stage, Adair, let me have some fun” a laugh, like chiming bells from the Wind “Also, you shouldn’t waste both of our time by pretending you’re not perfectly aware why I’m here. Why we’re all here.”

“I didn't do it. I told them all that quite clearly in my letters and writing” a hint of anger overrides the disdain as Adair leans back in his leather throne, eye now narrowed “I don’t know who did-”

“And isn’t that ironic?” Callahan interrupted, voice dripping with smug amusement, to which only a venomous look was answered in reply.

“- but I can assure you, and the others, that I am no more pleased by it than any of you.” he finished.

“Shocking really, you’ve never known mercy and sympathy for those who’ve wronged you before. Why start now?” his gaze fell solely onto his counterpart's empty socket.

“Because I understand when something is a bad idea.” another curt reply. Enough to leave a brief pocket of silence, before Adair began to speak again “I understand when a decision will leave me in a position, backed in a corner and without many options. It’s exceedingly obvious to me that I have been framed for this heinous violation of the Sacrosanct because someone wanted me out of the picture, wanted me to stop and give up, to cease my searching.”

“Oh here we go again” Callahn sighed, before Adair bulldozed onwards, speaking louder and over him.

“They are scared of me, Callahan! They are terrified of my work, of what I know! They want me silenced, and they are not afraid to do whatever it takes to make sure that my work remains incomplete and my duty unfulfilled! And whilst I do not know yet who it is, rest assured I will-”

“For the sake of all things good just stop talking  and let me-”

“I WILL FIND THEM!” Adair finally shouted, with enough fury, primal and ancient as the lights in the room flickered like a heart-beat, and the sound lingered, bouncing in the maze of books before finally silence came again. The moment seemed to stretch out beyond the seconds that encompassed it. Hundreds of words left unsaid and actions untaken. Callahan had backed away, shock plainly written on his face, as foreign to him as wroth was to his opposite.

“...and when they do, they’ll remember that what exists without my knowledge, exists without my consent” Adair finally finished.

“...quoting the Judge when you stand accused of murder doesn’t seem the wisest” Callahan quietly replied, the joke unamused and more for the sake of filling the poignant and acrid silence than anything truly comedic.

“Just go, Callahan. Tell them all that I just need more time.” Adair lifted his head from his hands, and saw nothing, but the rustle of curtains, and an open window.

The night was long, and it had only just begun

[micamicster]

Country Boy Adam Parrish

I am a man of constant sorrow, I’ve seen trouble all my days

Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford / Lubbock or Leave It - The Chicks / I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow - O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack / Born to Run - Emmylou Harris / I’m in a Hurry (And Don’t Know Why) - Alabama / I’m No Stranger to the Rain - Josh Turner (cover) / Adam Raised a Cain - Bruce Springsteen / Hello Walls - Willie Nelson (cover) / Passionate Kisses - Lucinda Williams / I’m so Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams / I’m on Fire - Bruce Springsteen / Keep Me From Blowing Away - Linda Ronstadt / Fast Train - Solomon Burke / Desperado - Linda Ronstadt (cover) / Love Is a Wild Thing - Kacey Musgraves / Like the Rain - Clint Black / Look Heart, No Hands - Randy Travis / A Thing Called Love - Johnny Cash / When You Say Nothing at All - Keith Whitley / You Can Close Your Eyes - Linda Ronstadt / Carrying Your Love With Me - George Strait / Gentle on My Mind - Glen Campbell / I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash / In Spite of Ourselves - John Prine and Iris DeMent / Bird on Wire - Willie Nelson (cover)

Country Boy Ronan Lynch

I’m not big on social graces, oh I got friends in low places

If I Had a Boat - Lyle Lovett / Will the Circle Be Unbroken - Randy Travis (cover) / After the Gold Rush - Trio (cover) / Racing in the Streets - Emmylou Harris (cover) / The Seeker - Dolly Parton / I’m the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised) - Johnny Paycheck / Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks / Sunday Morning Coming Down - Johnny Cash / My Father’s House - Emmylou Harris (cover) / Whiskey River - Willie Nelson / Killin’ Time - Clint Black / Burn Me Down - Marty Stuart / Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash / Blue Moon - Elvis (cover) / Sweet Dreams (Of You) - Patsy Cline / I’m on Fire - Bruce Springsteen / Country Radio - Indigo Girls / Family is Family - Kacey Musgraves / Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers / Walk Through this World With Me - George Jones / Fishing In the Dark - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band / Blue Kentucky Girl - Loretta Lynn / You Belong to Me - Patsy Cline / Bird on Wire - Willie Nelson (cover) / Annie’s Song - John Denver

This isn’t sequel trilogy compliant simply because I have not finished those yet. As always this playlist, while not definitive, is 100% Correct. Source: my family is from the Shenandoah Valley

[lykegenia]

Happy Valentine’s Day, lovely person 🌹

I love your writing so much (your Nate! And Leah!) and am so happy you’ve started sharing more about Rhi and Mason as well. And whenever you share your thoughts, they are always so well-though out and interesting to read!

Here’s a romance-themed OC question for any OC(s) of your choosing (no pressure to answer on Valentine’s day itself, or at all):

What combination of random objects would your OC use to describe their LI? What do they represent? Bonus question: What would their LI use to describe them?

Dearest Nonny, you have no idea what a delight it was to wake up to this message this morning. Thank you so much for such kind words, it's one of the best feelings to know my characters are loved 🌹

For the OC question...

Objects Leah would use to describe Nate:

A fountain pen, but like, a really fancy one made of tortoiseshell and ebony and gold wire - not only do charming words seem to flow easily from him, but there's a certain elegance in his hands and a lightness of touch that matches the finesse required to use a fountain pen properly (she could never master it). It's also slightly old-fashioned, but there's potential for change as well with special inks or new designs like those glass nibs, which he would probably appreciate even if he was a bit dubious at first.

A cashmere blanket - soft and comforting and cozy (and expensive, because Nate would never compromise on quality). Something that she doesn't necessarily need or was missing before it came into her life, but woe betide you if you try to take it away from her. She's snuggled and comfortable now.

A star chart - not just for his naval background, or his penchant for deep thinking, but because people have always used the stars for guidance. She never really had a direction before UB came into her life, but now she does, and the feeling of looking up into the vastness of the night sky is very reminiscent of the rare mornings where she can wake up before Nate and watch him still sleeping.

Nate for Leah:

A (European) magpie feather - elegant but understated and unassuming, from an intelligent but often overlooked/maligned bird, until you look at it from the right angle and the plain black shimmers into brilliant irridescence. He once listened to her talk for an hour about how structural colours evolved in birds, and wishes she could appreciate that complex beauty in herself.

A lit candle - staring down the darkness of eternity often seemed unbearable at times. There were previous sparks, but nothing to provide the steady light that Leah provides him. The sweet smell of beeswax meant it was used to create church candles in the medieval period, and being close to her certainly feels holy, the flame bright and warm but with a bite if you're not careful. But at the same time, it's precious, because eventually the flame will burn down and go out, and the memory of it will be all that's left.

An arrow - it flies straight and true and pierces its quarry without mercy, and that's what Leah is like in the pursuit of justice. There are also so many stories where arrows are a symbol of devotion, from St Sebastian to Cupid, and he likes the imagery of himself as an Arthurian white stag finally brought down by a strike to the heart.

Bonus Mason and Rhi:

"What the fuck kind of question is that? Rhi's not an object, and if I wanted to describe her, I'd just say she's hot." "Charming." "Don't hear you contradicting me." "Well I know what kind of object you are." "Oh?" "You're one of those metal ring puzzles you get in Christmas crackers that are fun for the first few minutes before everyone gets sick of it." "I like to think it'd take more than a few minutes to get bored of playing with me, Sweetheart." "And you even come with a terrible joke - do not respond to that." "Wouldn't dream of it."

[mysticdragon3art]

Happy belated White Day! Hope your Valentines enjoyed some white chocolate!🤍

Custom Nendoroid Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd: Nendoroid Elias Ainsworth back hair piece, Nendoroid Mami Tomoe maiko version bangs, Nendoroid Co-de Mikazuki Munechika Uchiban version faceplate, a DIY eyepatch (masking tape & celephane tape), Nendoroid Saber/Arthur Pendragon (Prototype) Costume Dress White Rose version's body, support arm, and rose, support base from Nendoroid More Dress Up Wedding set.

Custom Nendoroid Claude von Riegan: Nendoroid Tanjiro Kamado hair, Nendoroid Araragi Koyomi ahoge with masking tape (both ahoge peg and tape were colored with Copic E47), Nendoroid Doll Customizable Head Cinnamon version, Nendoroid Kagamine Len faceplate stickers, Nendoroid Doll Hand Parts Set 02 Cinnamon version, Nendoroid More Wedding set's "Sacred White" tuxedo, support arm and base from Nendoroid More Wedding sets, blue chocolate heart lollipop from Re-ment miniatures set "Heart Sweets", DIY earring made from 20 guage wire and a tiny gold jump ring, stuck to the back of his ear with museum putty.

I started this photoshoot too late on 3/14/2023, so it was 3/15/2023 by the time I finished.

White Day is a holiday in Japan (and other Asian countries), where recipients of Valentine's Day gifts, are expected to give a reciprocal gift to their Valentines. It is exactly one month after Valentine's Day. Originally, gifts were marshmallows and white chocolate, but now gifts are a variety of items which are often white.