#I really hope you like this zia

[inkykeiji]

hi clari!! random question, but do you wear perfume/fragrances? If u do, what products do u wear? :) I’m really big on scents and that came to my mind hehe

hello anon bb c: i do!!! i love love love both jimmy choo eau de parfum and jimmy choo eau de toilette <3 those are the two i wear religiously!! the eau de parfum has a much sweeter scent whereas the eau de toilette literally smells like fresh laundry hung out to dry on a summer day it’s so lovely

[embrosegraves]

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕦𝕚𝕕𝕠 𝕋𝕠 𝕄𝕪 𝕃𝕦𝕚𝕘𝕚

Alessandro Fusaro x Fem!Reader (she/her) Where taking your niece to a race has an unexpected, very stressful (but eventually very welcome) outcome.

Warnings: None! Maybe some brief talks of the dreaded emotions!! (also probably some bad Italian translations 😅)

Ember's Notes: I really hope you like this one @pear-1206 because I actually loved writing it so much oml 🫶🫶

(I left it kind of open ended so if there’s a decent demand for it, I can write a part two that focuses mainly on the pairing)

For as long as you could remember, your family had been staunch Ferrari supporters. You had been part of the Tifosi for your whole life. It was something that you had found so much joy in, being able to cheer and root for the same team as the rest of your family. Which is why you had asked your younger brother if you could take your 7 year old niece, Gianna, to the Imola Grand Prix. He had told you a few months ago that he was trying to get Gianna to be a Ferrari fan (a fan of motorsport in general) but it was turning out to be tough work.

Originally your father had planned to take you with him, but given the circumstances, he had told you to take Gianna. So you brought it up to your brother and his wife. Your sister-in-law had been worried that something might happen to Gianna (and you of course) but she swiftly agreed to let you take her daughter when you promised to facetime every morning and every night that you were away. All that was left to do was to tell Gianna that she would get to spend a whole weekend with her Zia Y/n. [Auntie]

A few weeks have gone by and it was finally time for you to introduce your niece to the world of Formula One. You hoped that she would have fun, especially given just how excited she was when her parents told her about the trip. You desperately didn’t want that excitement to have been for nothing.

“How long will we take this weekend, Zia?” You heard her ask from the backseat of your car, your beloved 1959 Fiat 500. Your car had been another thing that Gianna was excited about for the weekend, as you usually only drove it around on special occasions.

“We’re going to be here all weekend, Bambina. Nonno was kind enough to get us passes into the garage for the whole weekend.” You told her. [Baby] [Grandpa]

“Are we going to meet important people?” She asked, twiddling with her thumbs timidly. You became worried as this was so far away from how she usually was.

“Mmm, I’m not sure Fiore. Why? Are you nervous?” [Flower]

“Un po’” [A little bit]

Your heart melted and seized simultaneously. You reassured her that being nervous was normal, because she had never gone to a race weekend before. Wanting to see her smile again, you offered to teach her about who was who in the paddock as soon as you settled into your hotel room. Gianna quickly agreed and was back to her vibrant, excited self in no time.

Walking into the paddock on Friday morning was a feeling that you would happily get used to. Gianna had asked if you could try and get there earlier than all the drivers. When you asked, she told you that she still wasn’t 100% confident about who was who, despite spending well over an hour the night before looking up pictures and matching them to names. Gianna said that by getting there earlier than the others, the two of you could find a nice spot somewhere near the entrance where you could point and tell her who was walking through.

Thinking about it, you couldn’t fault her logic. So here you were bright and early. You had arrived with enough time to buy some breakfast and find a nicely shaded spot where you could settle in while you waited. Gianna had insisted that you both sit at a table that was both directly opposite the paddock entrance and under a rather large tree. Sitting down you gave Gianna her breakfast, a freshly toasted bacon and egg croissant, and made sure that she was drinking enough water from her Cars themed bottle. Similarly you also began to eat your own croissant while you sipped your scalding hot coffee.

Gianna spoke to you about what she was most excited for this weekend while you both ate. Occasionally someone would walk through the entrance that she recognised. You were surprised just how often she had noticed someone that you mentioned the previous night. So far she had pointed out some drivers, a few of the team principals and the occasional mechanic or engineer.

When Hannah Schmidt had walked through though, Gianna had nearly fallen off her seat as she pointed and told you that she had recognised and remembered the iconic woman. Said woman had heard Gianna excitedly cry and she had smiled and waved at your niece as she walked to the Red Bull garage.

You smiled when you noticed that Hannah had waved at Gianna. Happy that this trip was definitely living up to what you had promised your niece. Seeing that the two of you had long since stopped eating, you packed away your rubbish and cleaned up the area you had been sitting.

“Should we walk around for a bit, Gigi? Stretch our legs a little?”

“Yes please, Zia.”

So you packed away your things and threw away your rubbish in a nearby bin. You held Gianna’s hand and walked around for a bit as you didn’t need to be in the garage for a little while still.

Walking around the paddock with your niece made sure to point out all the things she thought were interesting. You were giving her little tidbits of information throughout the whole walk, about a bunch of things that had to do with motorsport. Granted most of the information was directly about Ferrari but hey, you were trying to induct a brand new member of the Tifosi.

Unbeknownst to you, just as you were starting to tell Gianna about the extensive history of Ferrari, a member of the Scuderia Ferrari media team had strolled past you and had heard you speaking about Enzo Ferrari. They had quickly turned around and you found yourself being approached by a small media team no less than 2 minutes later.

“Hi, I’m Sophia. I’m part of Ferrari’s media team, I was just wondering if we could film you answering some Ferrari related questions for a youtube video?”

Having not expected this change of events at all, but also knowing you wouldn’t get another chance, you agreed to let them film you. So long, of course, that they didn’t get Gianna’s face in the shot. As they started to set their equipment, you gently kneeled next to your niece and asked her to stay within a few metres of you so that she wouldn’t get lost.

“Te lo prometto Zia!” [I promise Auntie!]

“Bene.” [Good.]

As you stood up they told you that they were ready to film when you were. Giving them the go ahead they pressed record and started asking you questions. First general questions about Formula One but soon they started to ask more obscure questions about Ferrari specifically. You smiled and gave as many answers as you could. Which was a lot. Later when the video would come out, a lot of people would comment that had you not introduced yourself at the beginning they’d’ve thought you were related to Enzo himself.

The questions had ended after almost twenty minutes. Sophia had apologised because she wasn’t aware how long that would take but you assured her it was no problem at all. You readjusted your shoulder bag and went to grab Gianna’s hand, only to not see her where she was supposed to be standing.

“Gianna?” you called, trying not to panic. She was right beside you, where could she have gone?

“Gigi?! Fiore, this isn’t funny!” you tried to call out again. “Zia’s getting really worried!”

Having already excused yourself from the media team next to you, disregarding their shocked and worried looks, you quickly started walking around trying to find your niece. Walking towards the end of the paddock you kept calling out for her, hoping that someone would take pity on you and help you look. Thankfully you had taken a “fit check” photo with her this morning, meaning that when you went up to people asking if they’d seen her, you could show them a picture of what she was wearing that day.

Too many people had said they’d not seen her at all for you to be comfortable. You were starting to get frantic when another 10 minutes had gone by. There was no way you were returning home without your niece. You’d turn into Liam Neeson if you found out that someone had taken her. Speed walking past the Ferrari garage, you finally heard the sound you had needed to hear.

Gianna’s giggles.

Letting her giggling lead you to her, you ended up in the garage where you needed to be for the beginning of the practise sessions. Looking around for Gianna, you noticed that one of the mechanics was crouching down but not facing the car at all. Walking closer you finally saw that the mechanic was entertaining you niece, whose face was lit up with the biggest smile you had ever seen.

Emotions washed over you like a tsunami. She hadn’t been taken. Tears welled up in your eyes at the utter relief you felt finally knowing that she had been safe the whole time.

Rushing over to her, you quickly scooped her up into a hug, wrapping your arms around her tightly.

“Gianna! Mia cara ragazza, non hai idea di quanto fossi preoccupato! I thought someone had taken you away and you were lost forever! Sono così felice che tu stia bene!” By now your tears had begun falling down your face. [My darling girl, you have no idea how worried I was!] [I’m so glad you’re okay!]

“Zia! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to break my promise but someone pushed into me and I fell and when I got up again I couldn’t see you and then I bumped into Alessandro and he asked me why I was crying and so I told him that I couldn’t see you and that we were supposed to go to the Ferrari garage for practise so he made sure I got here without anyone else pushing me!” She rushed to tell you everything that had led to this moment. You finally let go of her, moving your hands to stroke the hair away from her face. In the back of your mind you noted that she had bumped into Charles Leclerc’s head mechanic, but that could be focussed on later.

“It’s okay Principessa. You found help, I’m proud of you. I was just worried when I couldn’t see you, that's all.” You said, finally able to wipe your own tears off of your face. “Did you say thank you to Mr. Fusaro?”

Alessandro decided to cut in before Gianna could tell you that she had indeed said thank you. “Please, there’s no need for thank you’s. I didn’t want her to get more lost or upset.”

Standing up, you gently placed a hand on Gianna’s shoulder as you faced the man in front of you. “I must insist, you just saved me from a horrible phone call with my sister-in-law.”

You both chuckled a little as you spoke. He brushed you off again saying he loved hanging out with Ferrari’s biggest little fan.

“Zia, he has a tattoo! It’s so cool!” Seeing Alessandro get a bit bashful when your niece spoke made you curious, but you decided to not bring a lot of attention to that.

“Does he?” You said. Of course you already knew. Being part of the Tifosi for as long as you had, Alessandro’s Guido tattoo was common knowledge. Funnily enough it was one of the questions Sophia had asked you. Which ferrari mechanic has an iconic tattoo and what is the tattoo? It was your favourite question to answer as it allowed you to bring up your precious Fiat 500 that you had named Luigi after the Fiat from the Cars movie. It technically also allowed you to bring up your own tattoo which was, again, based on Luigi from Cars. Not that you did bring it up. You’d never hear the end of it from your father.

“Uhuh! It’s a red Guido from the same movie as yours!” Trust your innocent niece to blurt to all Ferrari that you also had a Cars themed tattoo.

Alessandro was now less bashful and more intrigued about your tattoo.

“The same movie as yours?” He asked.

You chuckled and continued to smooth out Gianna’s hair as you faced Alessandro. “Yeah, a few years ago, maybe a month before Gianna was born, I got a tattoo of Luigi from Cars. In a pale red instead of the usual yellow.”

Gianna nodded her head quickly and began to excitedly tell him all about how the first movie she had ever watched with you was Cars and how it had become your thing together.

All too quickly time caught up and it was soon time for Alessandro to go back to work. Gianna had deflated a little at the knowledge but she perked up again when Alessandro had said that he would try and talk to them again after both practise sessions had finished.

“After all,” he said, kneeling in front of her but looking up at you, “I’d love to get to know you better.”

I actually love this so much (When I get back home, I'll be making a new masterlist for the non-drivers that I'm gonna be writing for) ((also, while i’m away from my computer i’m gonna be typing up some dusty requests and maybe some drafts as well on my phone so please excuse any irregular formatting i’ll try and fix them before i post them))

this is also being posted a lot later than i initially thought it would be. i had planned for it to be posted before Monaco but 😅 (also something will be coming for the monaco race but i want it to be perfect so it might be a while before that comes to light)

[starillusion13]

Hi congrats on 500 i would like to request for ateez ot8xfreader

IS THIS THE END?

Pairing: Ateez! ot8 x fem! reader

Genre: Lore Au, Angst, Mystery

Warnings: crying, mention of death, fever dream, many flashbacks, loneliness (major warning is this is mixture of sad and happy fic, idk why am feeling so down in this spooky season.)

W.C: 5.3k

Note: please I want to thanks to people for reading and reblogging. Reviews are always appreciated 😭. Applause to the ones who come up to me to interact and they know how friendly I am. Okay enough!

Network: @cultofdionysusnet @k-vanity

dear Anon! ( I'm sorry if you wanted something spicy or fluff but i instead of these two, wrote something very different. i hope you may like it. Please let me know.)

Standing in front of this place seems different now, no more those chaos, those laughs echoing through the huge space, those smiley faces running around the street and getting shelter inside the huge place. Street is just now a silent and abandoned place without those lively beings occupying the area. Your fingers touch the cheeks to feel the wet sensation only to realize that you are crying, Crying for what? You don’t have hope for anything to return to its origin, right? Nothing can turn back. You are lost, they are lost and everything is lost. This place is lost without you all. Are you still going to keep a hope within yourself for, for them. Why? Everything is clear to you. You have seen those faces, those words, that scene still haunting you every day, every second and every moment and even now. Your heart aches on those thoughts but never you are caring to soothe it. It’s only because you don’t know how. How can you say to yourself that everything is alright when nothing is in its place, not even your mind and your heart.

Please.

Please what? Is there someone to listen to your pleadings, to listen to your heartbreaking cries every night and to see your helpless state? No. No one is going to pull you into their arms and rub your back with whispers, ‘Shush….its okay…I’m here. Nothing can hurt you. I’m here.’

I am here. Nothing can hurt you.

You are still here but everything is hurting as you are here alone. You are not with them. Them? Is it just them? Are you really going to refer them like this? They are your ‘home’. A safe place. The warehouse in front of your eyes is the only home to you and to them.

Taking few steps closer to the big metal door, binding with chains and locks, your hands fish inside the pocket for the keys. Hastily, you unlock the different locks and pull the chains and throw them to the side, not caring if they are okay to use afterwards. Your mind is just focused on one thing and that is to enter the place. Gripping the big handles in your hold, tears flowing continuously and so you close your eyes. You are ready to push the door but a memory flash across your mind.

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“Welcome to the Wanteez.”

Chuckling, you asked the person, “Wanteez? Why such a name? like, are you wanted?”

Standing in front of an old abandoned building with rusted gate, with some graffiti sprayed across the door and the walls all around, one name is quite repeated ‘WANTEEZ’ and also there are some other things repeated like their names and ‘Heart Awakened Live Alive’ and ‘Hala-zia’. Them and their names, both are weird.

“Yeah something like that. You know why as hear clearly, the loud beats of the music is coming from inside and guess you know, people don’t like citizens like us causing disturbance in the society.”

“So? You guys are enjoying yourselves and why does it matter to those others, they can simply ignore it. It’s not like anyone lives around this place. The nearest house is much far away from here to reach this sound. Unless, you are playing the speakers in front of their house. I would do this if anybody had complained anything about me.”

He laughs loudly along with you on your comment, “There’s more to this, you know. People assume us that we are some sort of gangsters and we are doing illegal stuffs behind everyone’s back. The government and police are always attentive to this surrounding to find any little proof against us to claim us as the criminals.”

“Are you?”

“Huh?” His face turns into a frown and his confused eyes staring back at you.

“The way this place looks like, I must believe you guys have some illegal shits up your sleeves.”

Before he could reply you back, you both feel someone’s hand around your necks.

“What are you both doing here? So, you finally brought our girl to this place.”

You smile to this intruder between you both but you are really happy to see him so energetic like always.

“Yes, Woo. Joong finally brought me here after so much whining and ta da I’m standing in front of the building.”

Wooyoung is the one who is always hyped up with silly matters and trying to lift up everyone’s mood in every situation. The way he takes care of everyone and other’s need is very adorable. Being one of the youngest member, he is referred as the menace also because of his mischievous acts but he is the first one to jump in for you if you are in trouble. The most clingy one and your favorite one in this family. But hush, don’t let him know about this as he would be going to shove this on everyone’s face.

Hongjoong removes his friend’s hand from around his neck and walks towards the gate and before he could pull it open. Wooyoung gives you a mischievous smile and holds your hand and makes a run towards the gate.

“Let’s go….”

“Woo...I will fall. Slow down.”

With other hand, he pushes open the door and left Hongjoong cursing at him

“I swear Wooyoung….”

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You push open the door.

Darkness reflects back to you but the full moon day spreading its light inside, slowly clearing your vision and those memories of coming here and spending time fills your mind. Your eyes are blinded not with the darkness of the room but those happy days replaying in front of you.

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As soon as you step inside the warehouse, your hand still in his hold, you come to a halt and take heavy breaths. With calming yourself and fixing your posture, you look towards the centre of the warehouse, where six other boys staring back at you, some confused and some with soft look on their face. With a quick smile towards them, your eyes follow the interior of the place, some small high widows lining the upper end of the walls on your sides and also huge ventilators, old and somewhat rusted rods attached to the pillars for arranging their stuffs. Many of their items spread across the floor, food packets, clothes, shoes all scattered near a corner, basket ball and different kinds of flyers. You pick up a flyer near your feet and eyes scan the photo and description, some men in black outfits of coat and masked and fedora hat with chains decorated on them. ‘wanted’ written at the top of each flyer.

Those flyers still scattered around you. Tears blurring your vision, legs feeling weak, hands shaking by your side. With shaky steps, you walk towards the sofa, covered with a layer of dust and memories. Taking a seat, your hands caress the material.

“Who are they?”

You look at them with curious eyes but none of them answer you, only Hongjoong snatches away the paper from you and throws it aside. Furrowed eyebrows and pouty lips staring at him, he just gives away a dry smile.

“Nothing, its just something which is not your concern or…any of us.”

Your attention moves towards the speaker where the song has been changed to a different melody. It’s a very soothing one from the previous one and you can see Yunho memorising his steps while looking at the mirror. Seonghwa and San by his side and Wooyoung grinning beside them.

“Well, I don’t care about these mysterious men but I care of these three not acknowledging my presence. I feel so neglected and hurt.”

You make a fake crying expression to which Wooyoung stick out his tongue and Seonghwa flick his head and comes near you and now you are grinning to the scene.

“I cant ignore my girl ever.” His warm palms over your cheeks, soothing your every nerve from the exhaustion since the morning. He has that magic of warmness and healing in himself for which you always run to him for warmth like the heat in winter afternoon.

“I don’t believe you. Also, why is this place so dirty?”

He lets out a groan on your question to which everyone laughs and you jokingly glare at them.

“I have to clean this place all alone and everytime these idiots have to destroy it afterwards.”

You keep a neutral expression for few seconds and one two three you burst into laughter. And now everyone has abandoned their previous individual works and attention focused on you. Only you.

Maybe they are friends since childhood and you are a new addition to the group but you are the most precious part in their life. They have their own individual stories and some of them has shared a little part of their life with you and some just gives you tight smile whenever you want to know about them, like Hongjoong, the leader of this group. He has built this whole friendship circle and the last one to meet you. You don’t know much about him but still you trust him, have faith on him that whatever he does or is going to do in near future is nothing wrong. It means no harm to anyone but you fear for him. He keeping his life and feelings aside, always caring about his friends and you.

Will he be safe?

The second person you don’t know much about is the person standing in front of you, Seonghwa. He has a very strict family and always, he needs to follow their rules and regulation on everything as if every second of his life is already scheduled and he cant have his own way and this is the place where he met hongjoong and now this hideout is the escape place for him. This cold abandoned place has the warmness only because of him. He also gave you a bracelet which has a sensor and signal technology attached to it, of course made by yeosang so that they can know if you are in any danger or not. The way a bracelet braces your wrist like a protectiveness. He is always there like a protective barrier to you.

“I thought you will take my side but you are literally laughing like them.”

“I’m sorry Seonghwa but you looked so funny while complaining. Its not like I’m a tidy person myself so….”

You walk towards Wooyoung and snatch the packet of snacks from him, ignoring his whines. Munching on some, satisfied with the spicy chilli-peppered flavour, you again go near the eldest one.

His confused eyes keenly following your every move and his eyes go wide when you a bundle of papers which are kept in a place altogether on the table in front of the sofa.

“What the hell….”

Wooyoung skipping steps towards you, messily throw some other stuffs towards Seonghwa and others joined in the fun too. That’s how the chaos filled with some running after others, scolding, whining and laughs echoed throughout the place.

Whatever their individual life was, one thing was common among them. It’s you. Their precious treasure in life. You were their everything. You were meant to keep safe by them as you were their only hope in life.

To be their light.

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Your gaze falls on the diary still kept in the place where it used to be on the table. You don’t know exactly to whom this actually belongs to but you know, this is most important thing to them. Maybe was. They are no more here to keep this diary. You put the diary in your backpack when you notice a drone placed in a corner and you know that’s broken.

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“What are you doing Yeosang?”

He is still connecting the wires and testing his remote, not aware of your presence behind him. You place your hand on his shoulder for him to get startled and the drone on which he was working fell from his hand.

“Oh…I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean to scare you…”

“Y/N. Its you. I thought….Leave it. What are you doing here today?”

“Wooyoung has a dance battle later this evening and he asked me to go there to watch his performance. So, your eyes are blessed with my beauty.”

He chuckles. Taking the drone in his hands, he gets up to put it on a shelf nearby. He is the quietest one in this group and the reason is very clear. Somehow, like Seonghwa his life is also controlling one but in a different way. He belongs to a royal family from the city, Sector 1. He has an image to be maintained and also his father doesn’t like him to be friends with others who don’t belong to any royal blood. He is the first one you met. You first met him while you were returning home from school and he was standing in the middle of the road looking up at the sky, maybe questioning about himself. About his life. That’s how you become friends when you two met often at that street and that’s how he introduced you to Seonghwa at one convenience store. Yeosang is very talented in every stuff but outstanding when it comes to technology. You know his secret feelings about everything as he only shares such things with you. And you are always there to listen to him. You are his little blue bird to keep the secrets safe. A bird of hope.

“lets go.”

“where?”

“Come on. Don’t you wanna see how well Yunho choreographed Some steps for Wooyoung?”

You gladly accept his hand and go to the other room where both of them were practicing to a song, you heard it before from them ‘To the beat’.

Both of them are very passionate when it comes to dancing. You love to see the rage behind their eyes to make every step to a perfect level and until they are satisfied, they are repeating the steps again and again.

“Yunho, why don’t you go to the dance battles as well?”

The music is already paused by the other to get some water and so your words are well audible to the tallest one. You could see a sad expression flick to his eyes but quickly he sends a wide smile towards you. This does not ease your worry for him. He doesn’t share much with you but he is the most comfortable person to spend time with. He is the one to give you hug after a long day, to give you the feelings of having an older brother. Brother? Is that he to you? You don’t know what they are to you. But they are everything you need. He is a perfect brother for his friends in this place and a perfect man for every girl out there. And for you?

You feel hands engulfing you in a bear hug. You smile widely, snuggling to the chest, knowing who this is.

“How are you tiny?”

“Ugh! I’m not tiny. Joong is tiny. Call him that, not to me. I’m very tall, atleast than majority of the girls in my neighbourhood.”

“Whatever makes you stand tall.”

“My legs keep me stand tall. You are just too tall Yunho. A walking giraffe.”

“Excuse me.”

“You cant be excused. Woo….lets run away before this giant bury me here.”

Grabbing his wrist, you run outside. Don’t know where. But atleast every place is like heaven when one of them is with you.

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A thud sound makes you startled and then you noticed how a black cat has entered the place. You didn’t notice before but the gate is open and maybe the cat has entered through it as there is no other possible entrance. ‘But I’m sure, I had closed the gate when I entered here’. The black cat sniffing a cabinet and you thought of some food or something is kept there but still out of curiosity, you made your way towards the cat.

The cat is not frightened with your presence near it but as if it is signalling you to open the drawer. With shaky hands, you pull the handle.

An hourglass? No wait. It’s that ‘cromer’.

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“Don’t touch it.”

“Hm?”

“Capt…I mean Hongjoong doesn’t let anyone to touch it.”

“Why? What is this?”

“its cromer. it’s a very important part of our life, especially to him. Come on, lets go to the park.”

“Jongho. Are you all not hiding something from me, right?”

Silence. Your anticipation for an answer grows with each second of his mouth shut and slow breathing.

“…no..”

“hmmm…so you are.”

“what do you mean?”

“Well, I know I’m not close to you all for a long time like you guys are from your childhood but in these five years, I have come to know a lot about you all and also not. Whenever, one of you spend time with me, shares a lot of things with me. I start to think, I have known you completely. I know you all. But the next second I don’t , as if you all are ones with hidden life. What are you all hiding from me?”

“y/N…its nothing like you think.”

“It is everything that I think and like you know. Its nothing the way you all are trying to show me things. If you want me to stay away from this, I will. Stay away from you- “

“never. We wont let you stay away from us.”

“I cant. I cant stay away from you all. You guys are like pirates in my life. The eight boys with individual mysterious pasts and united through friendship and on a heist to conquer the treasure. But, I don’t know what I am. An intruder in the pirate ship, maybe?”

“Our light. Our precious treasure.”

Their light.

Jongho, the youngest of the group. You met him when he was thrashing things around the basketball ground because his dreams of being an athletic came to an end after his accident where he hurt his leg and hand. You still don’t know the cause of it but you know both jongho and yunho feel uncomfortable with the topic and so you keep quiet with this. Jongho is the not the one to show affection in front of everyone but he is really a caring person when you are alone with him. He is a very passionate guy with his personal things, majorly his singing. His soothing honey like voice and gummy smile is everything you need to keep your nightmares away. He is a great listener like yeosang and so the most of the time when you are feeling low, you can find these two beside you.

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There is no one to light up your darkness now. You are all alone here. In this cold abandoned building, sitting in front of the table in middle of the warehouse.

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Palms pressed over your eyes, a presence behind your back, pushing you towards your front.

“Mingi…you know I can’t see when you are literally closing my eyes. Slow down. I can’t match your steps here where different things bumping my shoe.”

“I told you, yeosang to keep your gadgets somewhere else then why are they scattered here?”

You could hear Mingi scolding Yeosang but you know Seonghwa is already picking up the things from the ground.

“So? You could have done then, why still waited for me to clean the mess? I am very much busy.”

Your hands come up to remove his hands from your eyes when you come to a pause but he holds it tighter.

“Not now.”

Licking your lips, you pull your lower lip between your teeth and contemplating as what need to be unfold here. What are they upto? Its not your birthday today then-

“Congratulations on being with us for five years.”

Your eyes squint several times to adjust with the view. Hongjoong standing with a cake in his hand, smiling widely at you with Seonghwa glaring at Wooyoung and trying to smile at you because the other one is trying to blow away the candles. Yeosang by your side gives you a smile and congratulates you with San behind him, giving you his eye smile.

“Y/N. You better blow the candles before him or I have to smack him and light it up again.”

“Don’t worry, San. I’m sure he doesn’t want his name to be removed from the dance club.”

“But you don’t know that Yeosang is there to help that menace so better be prepared.”

Yunho comes to your other side with jongho trailing behind and both of them are smiling wide at you but something is there that Yunho is sad about because he is the worst one when it comes to hide his feelings. Its not right time to ask him but maybe later.

“Tiny. San is right. Never trust these two’s intentions. They are bestfriends and they can do anything for each other.”

“Aren’t you all?”

Yunho asks in surprise, “What?”

“Best friends? Aren’t you all best friends with each other?”

“No tiny. We are more than that. We are like brothers, Hongjoong accepted me in this group as if…as if…he is my own elder brother. But soon after others treated me the same. We are a family.”

“So, you all are to me. My family. Also, you all need to stop calling me tiny. I’m not Tiny.”

“Of course, you are.”

All of them laugh at you and meanwhile Jongho pats your head with shaking his head to ignore them. He signals you to blow the candles and when you are about to blow it, you pause. Their worried and confused looks earn a chuckle out of you.

“Whose plan is this for our 5 years?”

They all stare at you. Wait not you. Someone behind you. Mingi.

You quickly turn around, causing his hands to fall from your shoulders. Small eyes and wide smile staring down at you.

“What happened?”

“Thank you.”

He turns you around and hands resting on your shoulder like before and now, you smile towards everyone.

He whispers in your ears, “Welcome.”

“Also, I like the name ‘our girl’ because you all are my ‘my boys’. No wait. ‘My Pirates’.”

Their smiles drop for a mere moment but quickly nod their heads and you blow away the candles.

What are they to you? It’s obvious that they are your family. The only people who actually cared for you like a family. They are like brothers with each other but with you. With you? Did you fall in love with them? Love? You haven’t thought like this with them but you are sure one person is always making it obvious. Even if you feel a little bit something more with them. You are sure its not the same from the other end.

San. He has almost confessed his feelings several times but you just waved it off with changing the topic or just giving him a smile. You being their light was first referred by him. His life is very unstable unlike others. He had to change schools several times and this time, he made himself clear that he has to permanently settle down at one place. Due to changing places often, he does not have any one permanent in his life like you before meeting them. That is why, you are so close with him. The nights you both spend together with your head resting on his shoulder and talking about your life. The comfortable silence between you both and whispers which are only for between you two.

San is a comfort place. They all are. In their own way. The way mountains stand high to protect the nature and its beauty, he is the one shielding all of you and can even sacrifice himself to save you all. To save the friendship and the bonding of the family.

To protect his light.

Their light.

Their treasure.

 You.

The member who is just the opposite to San is Mingi. He is a mysterious person. Its true that they all have some hidden past but his present is also hidden. When San is very physical and verbal with everything, Mingi is quiet and staying all by himself. When you first met him, he was still in school and he got in many fights and Jongho and San were there to bring back him from the scene. He is the one who still thinks himself as the extra member in the family even after so many years. You don’t want him to be left out in any way so you always keep his update whenever you are with them. He always keeps his earplugs on and closing his eyes, staying in a corner of the warehouse. But secretly, he is the most emotional one.

Maybe they have individual mysterious past and some uneven presents which are not clear to you. You don’t know exactly what they do for the living but one thing is common. The future with you all together. The uncalled blurry future which is peeking like a moonlight yet you are not fazed with it. The way they keep you safe from this world. You need to keep them safe from whatever lingering danger roaming around for them.

But, can you?

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

“Mr. kang Mr. kang please tell me. Tell me. What’s going on here? Where are they?”

“Go away. Just go away. You don’t have to know about this. I’m sure you don’t want to end up in a similar way like them.”

“what? What happened to them?”

“Nothing you need to know.”

“I have to. I need to know. Let me enter the building. Leave my hand. I need to see them.”

You are screaming and the people crowding the place are looking in between the warehouse entrance and to the side where Mr. kang is holding your arm, preventing you from entering the building. You could see many police cars and ambulance all around. Government forces are also guarding and preventing from anyone trespassing the area which they have already closed with barricades and no entry tapes.

Your screams are echoing the place even silencing the thunderstorm and heavy rain at the moment. Everything is blur to your eyes. Your tears and raindrops mixing together same as the way your hope to meet them mixing with the worry of what happened to them. Everything is crashing to the ground with each rain drop. But one thing is still in your mind, to see them.

A government officer comes near you and Mr. Kang, and your hope to know about the scene rises.

“Hello, Mr.kang.”

“please, what happened? Let me enter. Please.”

The officer looks at you for a moment before Mr. kang speak up, “Ignore her. I will take care of this. So, that’s the end, right?”

“No one is alive. Each on of them is deceased. Also…your son was there too. One among the deceased ones.”

“I know.”

You look towards them with horror in your eyes, “Who?”

“Kang Yeosang.”

Yeosang.

One of the deceased. Them. They are deceased.

You sat on the muddy ground with bawling your eyes out and crying louder. If it were some other times then one or the others would come running to you to engulf you in a tight hug and never let you go until you had come down. But now again. Its you all alone. You don’t have a family now. But atleast you have wonderful memories with a family.

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

You are again crying and hiccupping like that day again now, sitting on the sofa with the cromer and your backpack. You don’t know what to do with these stuffs but you are going to take all their stuffs with yourself before someone else gets their hand on them.

The cat is still roaming around the place. You put the cromer on the table where moonlight is coming directly from the big ventilators and starts to put everything possible in your bag. Its late at night already and your eyes feeling droopy with tiredness and crying. So, placing the bag aside, you lie down on the sofa to rest yourself.

.

.

.

.

“She is lonely without us. I can’t see her like this.”

The girl’s head resting on the thighs of the tallest man among them. His hands combing her hairs and caressing the scalp in between. Her legs placed over the other’s thigh, one with broad shoulders and his hands drawing soothing circles over her sides to lull her to sleep.

The other peeking down at her with his best friend from behind the sofa and tears glistening their eyes. Another tall man sitting on a chair nearby the sofa, staring at the tired body sleeping soundly in his friends’ hold.

“She is still wearing my bracelet.” Said the one who is examining her hand and the bracelet.

“She even put my drone in her bag.” The eldest who is still holding the bracelet in his hold looks at the person behind the sofa on hearing his words.

The person beside him nods his head with similar sad smile, “She even pass through the dance club with the hope that she would still see me waiting for her.”

“Everything is still in the same place. Thanks to that dad of mine to lock the place and not letting anyone to enter here but I know he is just going to sell this place to the government and she is doing her best to protect this place with her all might.” Yeosang says while wiping the tears and turning away from them.

The leader kneels in front of his face and removes the loose strands of hairs and tugging them behind before caressing her cheeks with a soft smile on his face but tears threating to fall from his eyes.

“I should not have included her in my life when I knew that one day, I need to leave her here all alone. I should not have showed her the hope of us together forever.” He pauses before continuing, “I thought I could have achieved both- the victory and her but I lost both.”

“But you said We can get back with her and that’s possible?”

“I don’t know, Mingi. I don’t know anything anymore.”

“Is it possible?”

Everyone looks towards the youngest on his sudden question as he was being all quiet and him asking the leader caught everyone’s attention.

“What?”

“Is it possible to start again?”

Hongjoong turns back to the girl sleeping peacefully while the eldest caressing her hand. The leader’s thumb ghosts over the dried tears over her cheeks and dry lips with exhaustion reflecting from her whole self.

“I don’t know what to do but everything is possible till she is being our light and our precious treasure which we need to protect. Our only hope to start a new beginning from the horizon.”

Honjoong leans forward to peck her lips.

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

Your eyes shot open and you sit up. You are sweating and bring your fingers to your lips, you feel as if the dream was real. They were here. No. how can they be? You touch your forehead and then to your neck, you are having fever. Its just a dream because of your exhaustion. It was a fever dream.

‘Everything is possible till she is being our light.’

‘Their precious treasure.’

Your eyes stare at the cromer. You need to know about them all over again but in details. You need to find their past and what happened to them that day.

‘Our only hope to start a new beginning from the horizon.’

The diary.

You rummage through the items to get the diary and quickly pull it out.

The title written on it: ‘From the witness.’

Flips open the diary, the first page reflects the word, ‘The Black Pirates’.

The words written scribbled below are Passion Young Fever.

“Is this the end?”

.

.

.

“Or is it the beginning of the end?”

.

.

.

The fever dream was real?

Or actually, you never met them?

Or maybe, It’s just the part of the witness you read in this diary and all these times you spend yourself imagining in her place.

Was it her dream?

Or yours?

……..

[ Now listen here! When writing this down, i literally plotted a whole series but somehow i uploaded this one-shot on the request. maybe I would write a series on this in future. Should I make it a series?]

Perma Taglist: @mymoodwriting @justhere4kpop @vvshere @anyamaris @yeoobin @icchyi @jwnghyuns @piratequeen-queenofgames @dinonuguaegi @oreharuuu @eriny123 @sanwifesstuff @kiwiisnthereoops @kiwiraccoon [open!]

[xhyzhao]

DO NOT SCROLL UNDER THE CUT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE AN ANGRY 12 YEAR OLD CURSING SOMEONES GRANNY'S VAGINA. But the anon who is oh so interested in me and my friend group's life should definitely scroll down.

Anon..genuine question..who are you ? I think I have the right to ask that since you ask literally all the personal questions about us. It's getting really annoying now,it was cool at first like oh someone's interested in our jokes we're famous but this anon is high on fuck breastmilk and keeps spamminh our inboxes. I thought it was zen trolling us — but he's been inactive because of exams. You should honestly choose a representative emoji for yourself at this point.

I am not dating taroism. I AM TAROISM BIYCH. Zen and me are not dating. Dodo and me are not dating. Zia and me are not dating. No one's dating anyone. I met zen 3 years ago and he's a close friend. I met dodo and zia on Tumblr a few months ago because they were my sister's moots. We are a group of goofy people who stan boynextdoor.

I'm genuinely pissed because Im going to school and I see this in my inbox. Zen has gotten these a hundred times,zia and dodo too. So,anon,shove a dildo up your asshole and tell me who you are.

I have gotten into many arguments before ( that's how I became friends with dodo ) and I will not hesitate to call you the most racial slurs ever I don't care what your nationality is im gonna blame your mother for fucking with a dork and giving birth to a maggot infested child.

Hope this cleared your doubts !!

@n-americano @dodofiles @i-zna

[dorizardthewizard]

Galactik Football season 3 rewatch, eps 16 - 18

Episode 16:

Nice levitation trick Simbai, but she's just allowed to use the Breath like that? Maybe because she's a flux society member? It does make me realise, since the wars were not so long ago, how many people are walking around who could previously use the the Breath all the time but now aren't allowed. That's kind of crazy!

I do like the idea of them actually learning how to use the Breath in more creative ways!

This soundtrack for Tia's training session is pretty cool

Well done Mei for wearing more weather-appropriate clothes this time!

Mice telling Mark to get it together kdjfskfd time for lover boy to get dunked on for once

FSJHDFKDSF ARTEGOR BEING A COMMENTATOR NOW I LOVE IT

Callie: Do you miss playing when you see your friends on the field? D'jok: Um, I- Callie: Certainly you must think they are still bitter towards you after beating them on Paradisia?

Callie those are some horrible questions leave the man alone 😭

I am once again asking for more Lun-Zeara action. Btw has she ever spoken a line? Fucking Stevens may have spoken more than her

I support the Snow Kids but I love seeing the Wambas winning and having fun <3

GOOOOOAL MICRO-ICE!

Artegor: Listen Barry, to be frank, I'm not a fan of your work

HE'S SUCH A BITCH LOOOL after my rewatch I want to make a compilation of Artegor's commentator moments

Lun-Zaera is CHILLING lmao, also I just checked the wiki for the spelling of her name and it's about as consistent as the Wamba's hair colour.

Why is Woowamboo being such a dick. She's trying her best!

Awwww D'jok cheering on the Snow Kids

Mei is carrying the defence in this match like the queen she is <3

Artegor contributes a more technical analysis of the game which is pretty cool

WOOWAMBOO FOULING?? I mean fouls aren't really rare but still, he's being far more aggressive than before? Sure, the Wambas aren't going to just be fun-loving when the GFC is at stake and they're as competitive as any other team, but when you combine this with the way he was talking to Lun-Zia it's just jarring?

Also WAIT. Woowamboo is ginger? So the player that switched to the Lightnings for the Paradisian tournament was just someone else? Fair enough as you wouldn't switch your star player, but yeah my bad. Actually wait, he literally has grey hair in the Netherball scenes in season 2. WHAT IS THE TRUTH

OK WHAT. SO LUN-ZIA TELLING THE WAMBAS WHERE ROCKET IS MOST LIKELY TO SHOOT IS PERFECTLY A-OK BUT D'JOK TELLING TEAM PARADISIA A LITTLE TIP ON HOW TO BEAT AHITO IS A BETRAYAL?? PLUS, in the last episode Aarch faces the SK in the holo-trainer and says he can beat them because he knows how they play, and that everyone else does too. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS SAYING WHEN I WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE AHITO BETRAYAL BS. WHICH IS IT, WRITERS?!

Well at least Woowamboo seems more accepting of Lun-Zia now that he's seen her give it her all. Nice to see her settled in with the rest of the team!

I just had a thought, where is Maya in all this? We've seen Mama-Ice pop up and check on (scold XD) Micro-Ice but we didn't see Maya interact with D'jok at all? Wouldn't she have gone to see him instead of only hanging with the Snow Kids?? And now that D'jok's “retired” and hanging out by himself at Genesis, isn't she gonna look for him? She knows football was so important to him, so to give it up is a big deal! Ah well, we'll see.

Episode 17:

Yaay more Tia and Mei being besties

NOT CLOVER GIRL DOING THE MARYLIN MONROE

Side note I like Kim-8's vibes, she's just cool

That scene in Ballow's restaurant where he's talking about leaving dirty business behind, all while henchmen are constantly coming up to him with dodgy items like stolen paintings is so hilarious jfdskmn

aww I love Artegor trying to convince D'jok to come back, especially with him telling him how hard the SK took it when he left. It's also interesting to see Artegor refer to playing with the Snow Kids as a responsibility - they're a symbol of hope for the people of Akillian, who didn't even want to go to their first match in the stadium due to the trauma from the glaciation.

He also reminds D'jok he's a Snow Kid, which reminds me of their conversation in season.... 2? Where Artegor tells him he'll always be a kid from Akillian. It's also nice that once he's voiced his opinion, he changes the subject instead of pressuring D'jok to answer. He's really developed from the demanding Shadows coach he used to be.

THE PIRATES!! CRUSH THE RED TIGERS!!!!

Poor Artie, he can never watch a full match LOL

FOUR GOALS FOR STEVENS!!! WOOOOOOOOO PIRATES BEAT A FLUX TEAM! TAKE THAT!!!

NO. NO NO NO NO NO. THE CYCLOPS CANNOT FREEZE PEOPLE. THAT'S THE XENON'S FLUX. TRY AGAIN. ACTUALLY WATCH THE PREVIOUS SEASONS. TAKE IT FROM THE TOP.

Do you ever watch an old video and get jumpscared by a comment you don't remember making? Because I wrote this on another upload 9 years ago and I still don't know how they messed that up LOL.

I mean yeah sure it COULD be a new ability they've unlocked like how the Snow Kids are finding new ways to use the Breath. But they don't show the Cyclop's hypnosis thing at all, the animation is exactly the same as the Xenon's flux, and Callie even mentions their "hypnotic" flux and how the players can barely stay on their feet, which doesn't really match what's on screen sooo yeeeeeaahhh this is just an animation error. A pretty big one though.

So team Paradisia have no problem using their flux? Which was a synthetic one to begin with? And the technology for it is no longer available? Or do they just get it implanted once and that's it? So what was up with them going into those pods to “charge”? How does this work???

sfkdgfkjdf Mark went too hard on the sauerkraut, I love this gag about Mark and food

YESSSS SONNY! FATHER SON BONDING TIME FINALLY. His speech about the Pirates always being by his side even in tough times is sweet, and makes sense for D'jok. He's been through a lot with the Snow Kids and they're basically family now, and family wouldn't truly turn him away if he was sorry for what he did. At least, they wouldn't stay mad forever.

BENNETT YOU LEGEND. But also a bit reckless of Sonny to stand with D'jok right in the middle of an open area

Sonny: We're trapped!

Um no you're not, there's a staircase right there

Poor Cyclops, always getting clowned on :( ARTEGOR IS A SAVAGE IN THIS MATCH

BALLOW OUTING THE CON ARTISTS FDKFDKJDF I'm sorry I know it's a tragic moment for Sinedd but THAT'S SO FUNNY

The way they animate Sidney rolling around is hilarious. Also Thran only thought of finding Harvey just now? Wow, talk about second-class citizens.

It's so funny how this is the last episode in the official playlist, like they just gave up uploading HD episodes 2 years ago. Unless it's a regional thing? I'm editing this in Austria rn and the official English uploads aren't available unless I use VPN, are the French eps all uploaded in HD at least?

Episode 18:

Aaaaand I'm back to 480p uploads from 10 years ago. Thank you for your service youtube user lykaon868

I do get to see the intro and outro now though yaaaay

Wait what? We ended last episode on D'jok wanting to talk to the Snow Kids and with this one we just skip ahead to him being on the team again? I mean... they were building up to that moment for sooo long and we don't even get to see it? What???

It seems Tia and Rocket have accepted D'jok back but Micro-Ice and Ahito aren't so enthusiastic. It's strange to see Ahito so resentful but it's a refreshing change to see him react like that.

Micro-Ice's reaction on the other hand isn't taken very seriously and it's presented as them squabbling immaturely but like... he's right to feel hurt! We could've had some good Micro-Ice angst topped off with a heart-to-heart between two guys who canonically consider each other brothers, but here we are.

Sinedd's parents were... I M P O S T E R S ?

Sharky why are you revealing this as a scoop when it just puts you into hot water for not doing a background check before inviting them on the show

OOOO SHADOWS SPEAKING HISTORIC MOMENT

This is the serious - silly contrast dynamic I had in my head for the Shadows LOL. Although it's sad this kind of implies the Shadows only care for Sinedd as a player and not a person, telling him to get a grip after something like that? Although maybe their whole thing is that they TRY to act tough but really they're all feeling like that one guy who ran out crying lol. It IS a bit weird to insert comedy like that into this kind of scene though, kind of undercuts it for me.

Artegor just having tea and biscuits 🤣🤣🤣

CALLIE ACCEPT HIS OFFER FOR TEA DON'T BE RUDE. He looks sad after her reaction fskdjfskds honestly Artegor is probably the best character this season

STOP HAVING THEM SCORE IN THE FIRST MINUTE SFJKDFSKS

Tia squaring up to Sinedd I LOVE HER

Also wtf Sinedd, but he was about to go to Mei so I wonder what he was gonna do? Taunt her? Or maybe he regretted it? I guess we'll never know

This is a match with the Shadows, the Snow Kids' biggest rivals, and yet the first half is over in a few minutes of the episode! The matches just aren't as interesting in this season and feel too rushed

TIA CAPTAIN MOMENT YYYEAAAAAAHHH SHE DESERVES IT!

I am not immune to some D'jok vs Sinedd action

Not Maya focusing on Sinedd when she hasn't interacted with D'jok this whole time 😭

Mei is such a savage, it reminds me of Stevens handing Sinedd the ball that one time when there was seconds to spare LOL also pls forgive the shit quality gifs, demonstration purposes only folks

Sinedd: Do like everyone else Mei, don't worry about what I do and just forget me. Mei: But Sinedd- Sinedd: I lost, Mei. I lost everything. Everything.

Oof Sinedd really goes through the ringer every season, huh

Mark is smooth as butter on the pitch but so incredibly cringe at flirting

Warren: The team. The group. That's all that counts, D'jok D'jok: Being a team player Warren, that's what I want to improve!

Sure D'jok, until next season. But it's also kind of weird to portray his arc as if he just needed to learn how to be a team player again, when a big part of why he left was the emotional turmoil from the breakup and him lashing out because of it. That's never really resolved, although I guess the season is trying to say that D'jok became obsessed with winning again, which is what drove Mei away in the first place, but again I'm just speculating here! They had the means for a really good arc for D'jok but fumbled it and decided to retread old paths instead.

Is Harvey alive after all?

I do love that Clamp is still working alongside Sonny. And yaaaay Thran gets to do something!

Wait Paradisia is a dead planet, it didn't blow up or anything. Harvey is a robot so is it that surprising he's still there? Why not look for him earlier?

[braveclementine]

Epilogue

Warnings: None

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own a few OCs like Elizabeth, Katherine, Stacy, and Jessie. I do not condone any copying of this.

Optional Read: Some parts of this are going to be sad and might spoil the happy ending I had before. This doesn't really offer any plot and you won't miss anything if you simply end reading at the last chapter.

Also, in case you're concerned about the number of kids: It's over a course of over one thousand and more years so don't worry, the kids are pretty well spread out. 

You've been warned

Trigger warnings: Death

Your kids names by the time you died:

~ Lucy Sarah Marvel- Bucky

~Vincent Jack Marvel- Fury

~Marcel Yomaya Marvel- T'Challa

~James Rupert Marvel- Rhodey

~Temperance Hope Marvel- Tony

~Lloyd Heimdell Marvel- Thor

~Vera Shuri Marvel- T'Challa

~Rán Elizabeth Lokidottir- Loki

~Kiara Donna- Stephen

~Zia Maria Marvel- Fury

~Elijah Kai Marvel- Tony

~Arlo James Marvel- Steve

~Jörd Odinson- Thor

~Janelle Ruth Marvel- Bucky

~Nya Isabel Marvel- Clint

~Laura Rue Marvel- Clint

~Frederick Remus Marvel- Sam

~George Sirius Marvel- Sam

~Angela Natasha Marvel- Clint

~Cole Edward Marvel- Stephen

~Freyja Lokidottir- Loki

~Sebastian Paul Marvel- Bucky

~Claude John Marvel- Steve

~Kisa Wanda Marvel- Sam

~Cebisa Gugu Marvel- T'Challa

~Clementine Y/N Marvel- Tony

~Wendell Nick Marvel- Fury

~Damon Skye Marvel- Bucky

~Edward Jarvis Marvel- Tony

Order of which you died:

1. Rhodey: A year and a half after bonding ceremony Last thing he said to you: You didn't have to help me clean up, but thank you hot mama.

2. Clint: Twenty-seven years after bonding ceremony Last thing he said to you: Kind've ironic it's Cancer that's killing me, isn't it? Anyways, don't be sad birdie. I'll see you on the other side.

3. T'Challa: one hundred and forty-seven years after bonding ceremony Last thing he said to you: I'm just going to go and show Cebisa the boundary lines. She's the newest little royal so she's got to know her own country. I'll see you when we get back, my Nkosazana.

4. Sam: Two hundred and sixty-three years after bonding ceremony Last thing he said to you: Don't worry, the mission will be a breeze. I'll be back in time for Kisa's birthday, you know I wouldn't miss that for the world babe. Just keep a hold of that good luck charm I gave you for Christmas. Oh, and don't forget to take care of my boys, alright?

5. Thor: One thousand, one hundred, and thirty-seven years after bonding ceremony. Last thing he said to you: Don't cry my princesse. I'll be waiting in Vahalla for you.

6. Fury: One thousand, one hundred, and fifty-eight years after bonding ceremony. Last thing he said to you: It was just my time babydoll. I'm not a stupid man. But with all this magic in the world, it can't be possible that we won't see each other again in the afterlife. Besides, now I get to see my sons again.

7. Loki: One thousand, nine hundred, and eight-four years after bonding ceremony. Last thing he said to you: Honestly my Queen? I think this is the first time I've beaten my brother in a competition. I can't wait to gloat in his face. Save those tears pet. You don't need to cry over me. I want the last thing I see of you to be your smile.

8. You: Two thousand, fifty-four years after bonding ceremony. Last words to Steve and Bucky: I love you both so much, I hope you both know that. I'll tell Sam you guys said hi, okay? Last words to Tony: You know, finding out the Avengers were my soulmates was the scariest thing in the world. But I wouldn't have changed a damn thing. I love you Tony. Last words to Stephen: Please don't cry Stephen. We got so much more time together than anyone else ever will. I only want you to remember the good times, okay?

9. Bucky: Two thousand, two hundred, twenty-four years after bonding ceremony Last words to Steve: Here's the end of the line pal. Don't blame yourself, I'll haunt you from the other side. I love you baby.

10. Steve: Two thousand, two hundred, tweyty-five years after bonding ceremony Last words to Stephen and Tony: I can't do it anymore. I can't live without them. Guess you're the last two left. I'm sorry

11. Tony: Two thousand, three hundred, and five years after bonding ceremony Last words to Stephen: I know you're sad, but don't be. I'm actually kind've excited to see all of them again. We're all going to be a huge, happy family once more. Just don't join me to soon. Do all the things you wanted to do first, okay? Promise me that.

12. Stephen: Two thousand, three hundred, and ten years after bonding ceremony There was no one to say his last words to: I'm coming home

When you all meet again

You woke up in a dazzling field of purple flowers. You sat up slowly, breathing in the fresh air. The field was completely empty and you got to your feet. Looking around carefully, you confirmed that you were alone.

Your feet seemed to move of their own accord, as though a magnetic pull was leading you across this field.

Your feet made almost no noise as you walked across this path, you and you noticed that you weren't wearing any shoes. Your feet felt the grass prickling and tickling underneath your feet.

At the edge of the field, the forest opened up to show a single house down in a valley.

It was huge, stretching from side to side, extending far back. It had a whole farm with animals and fruits trees and vegetable plants. The sun shone down brightly on the entirety. A stream of water cut through the back end of the forest, a smaller, though good sized cottage sat there.

Kids played all out on the front lawn, before looking up at you. They were all around the age of ten to fourteen.

"Moms home!" Vincent shouted. "Look, moms home!"

The kids ran up the slope towards you, while you ran down the slope towards them. You had missed them so badly. They had died so early as they hadn't been passed along the immortality gene- unless they were Thor and Loki's children.

"I knew I felt something." A long time hearing, but hugely familiar voice said.

Your eyes pricked with tears, spinning to see Rhodey there.

"James!" You said, tears streaming down your face, throwing yourself into his arms. He kissed the top of your head.

"Hey there sweet mama." He grinned.

"Y/N!" Thor laughed, sweeping through to pull you into a huge hug. Loki, T'Challa, Fury, Clint, and Sam followed behind quickly.

"Steve and Bucky love you." You murmured as Sam gave you the last hug.

"I miss them." Sam mumbled.

"They miss you too." you whispered, cupping his face, before kissing him.

"Hey, we have one last person." Clint said, pointing. "Well I mean, you know, one more group."

You grinned, running over and pulling Elizabeth into a hug. "Oh my God I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too." Elizabeth said with a watery smile. "Thank you so much for everything. For taking care of Minerva and protecting her. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." You murmured. "Where is Minerva anyways?"

"She's with Hogun." Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Good. I'm glad that he's here with you." You said softly.

Elizabeth's smiled was sad now. "I did get scared, when he killed himself. And I was angry at first, wanting him to stay for her, but I was glad for the company. Rhodey didn't show up until a little later."

"Is this. . . Heaven?" You asked.

Elizabeth paused and looked around. "Hmm, I don't really know. From what we've explored, it just seems like another world except. . . it's. . . brighter. It's happier. Although you can't have kids in this world. If you could, Hogun and I would have a thousand."

You giggled. "I'm glad that we're all here."

"As one family." Elizabeth finished.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

***

You woke up, feeling a tingly feeling in your stomach.

You quickly made your way out of the house, watching as Bucky walked over to the edge of the cliff. You sprinted up it, leaping into his arms. He hugged you tightly before laying kisses all over your face.

"I missed you doll."

"I missed you too Teddy bear." You mumbled.

You noticed that his metal arm was gone, a real flesh arm in place of it. You didn't feel disappointment this time. Here, you were all in your pure forms.

"Bucky!" Sam's voice was ecstatic behind you. The two of them collided in a fierce hug, teeth and tongue clashing as they tried to get as close as possible to each other. You were almost certain that they would rip each others' clothes off each other right then and there.

Now, you were only waiting on three more.

***

You were already with Sam and Bucky when the tingly feeling happened again, a year or so later. The three of you had been walking along the forest line and you raced back to the house.

"It's Steve, I can just feel it." Bucky panted. "I can feel him."

When you reached the top of the hill, you found that Bucky was correct, but both you and Sam did a double take.

While Bucky barreled in Steve's arms, you and Sam looked at his new body. He was about the same height as Bucky, instead of a few inches taller. He wasn't as muscular in the shoulders, more lean and thin. He didn't look sickly or scrawny, but he wasn't the wall of muscles that you had known.

"I know." Steve said, sounding almost apologetic as Bucky finally let him up off the grass. "It's different, isn't it? I've almost forgotten what Bucky looks like with a metal arm."

You sobbed, leaping into his arms. "Stevie you're home!"

"Yeah cookie, I'm home."

"Stevie." Sam mumbled, hugging him tightly, crying as well.

"Aww baby." Steve cooed, wrapping the both of us tightly in his arms. "Don't cry, everything's okay."

***

When Tony came, he came like everything was normal. His hands were in his pockets and he simply strolled along, not even pausing at the crest of the hill before sauntering down the hill like he owned the place. The only difference was there was no glowing arc reactor in his chest.

"Well don't you look a day over two thousand." He grinned, winking at you.

You giggled. "What a flirt."

"Guess I've still got it." He said, pulling you into a hug. "Fuck I missed you."

"I missed you too." you mumbled into his chest. "How's Stephen?"

"He's okay. He's grieving. I told him not to follow to soon after me. I didn't want him to kill himself like Steve did." Tony whispered. "But I'm afraid he will."

"Well, being in love for two thousand plus years is probably equivalent to when couples die a few months apart when they've been married for fifty plus years." You amended, "You know, the normal couples."

Tony chuckled. "Yes, but I do feel bad for the pain he's going through. I hope this gets easier."

"Once Stephen joins us, we're complete." You whispered. "There's no death in this world. You know I actually got to meet George Washington?"

"That's fascinating. I should call up Albert Einstein and Newton." Tony said, growing excited.

You giggled, "Call them up hmm?"

"Can we invent in this world? Gosh this is fascinating. Hmm, I wonder if the other world was a world for the dead as well, we just don't remember our previous lives. Wow, I wonder. . ." He immediately went off on a tangent that you quickly got lost in.

But that made everything feel like normal.

***

You and Tony were the ones to greet Stephen as he came striding out of the field. His hands were uncovered, and you noticed all of his scars were gone. He too was changed.

Part of you hated the changes. You hated that Bucky no longer had a metal arm. You hated that Steve wasn't the same. You hated the missing glow from Tony's chest. You hated Stephen's missing scars.

But this was the place for change. This was the new yous and the old yous put together. This was your new home.

"Stephen." A smile spread across your face in seconds, wrapping your arms around him. "Welcome home."

"Welcome home." Tony said, kissing Stephen passionately on his lips. "Did you do what I asked you to?"

"I did." Stephen nodded, wrapping one arm around you, holding Tony's hand.

"Are you going to tell me about it?"

"Every minute." Stephen promised and the three of you walked up to the house. "First I went parasailing. . ."

No, it wasn't actually perfect.

But that was what made it home.

~The End~ For Real This Time

[callsignspark]

Mar[r]y Me - part seven

pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Mariella “M&M” Vertucci (fem!OC)

summary: A love story told through friendship, laughter, and food.

series warnings: 18+ minors DNI, discussion of insecurities, difficult family relationships, discussions of food and alcohol use, discussions of body image, conversations on what it’s like to be a fat woman trying to date in today’s society, extreme fluff, if you read these be warned that the last little bit will probably make you want to yell at me, ignore the fact that the mentioned tswift song wasn't out in 2021, warnings to be added as needed

word count: 4.8k

previous part | series masterlist | main masterlist

note: happy Friday!! it’s here! part seven!! I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks, I hope you all have an amazing weekend!! (side note: this chapter means we've almost hit 50,000 words on this story??? what!!! thanks for all your support!)

part seven - pasta e piselli

C’mon, pick up. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up.

Bradley repeats the plea over and over again in his head, staring at his own stressed expression on the Facetime call screen. He’s not sure why he’s worried; she’s picked up every other time he’s called.

Which has been every day this week, so far.

He’s just about to give up, figuring she’s still busy at work, when Mary answers.

“Happy Thurs-” Bradley stops when he realizes she’s on the phone, holding a finger up.

“Just hang on one second, Zia! No! I-” She speaks rapidly in another language, surprising Bradley, before pulling the phone away and bending closer to her iPad. “Sorry, I just need like ten minutes to get her off the phone, and then I’m all yours. I can call you back?”

“Nah, that’s okay. I’ll just be here.” He returns her smile, only slightly distracted by the brief flash of lace he gets where her work shirt is unbuttoned.

Bradley watches her bustle around her hotel room, tidying up and throwing things in her suitcase as she talks on the phone. He gets comfortable on his couch, propping himself up on a mountain of pillows and letting the sweet sound of Mary’s voice wash over him. He’s pretty sure she’s talking to her aunt in Italian, based on the googling he did of the bits and pieces he was able to understand.

It’s sexy, he thinks, imagining what it would be like to have her whisper in his ear in Italian, even if he would have no idea what was being said.

“You would think the fact that she’s closing in on 100 would mean she would have less energy to talk, but somehow, she’s only gained strength over the years.”

His focus comes back to the screen, drifting away from the fantasy he was building in his head to find Mary smiling sweetly at him, her chin resting in her hand. “Hi.”

“Hi, Bradley.”

“You speak Italian.” She nods, saying something to him and laughing when he just looks confused. “What?”

“I said that you must have had a stressful day because your hair looks like your call sign, Mr. Rooster.”

“It’s not that bad!” A glance at his Facetime window tells him that his hair is sticking straight up. Of course, he can’t admit that it’s from running his hands through it during his minor panic that she wouldn’t pick up and then while dreaming about having her on his lap. “Okay. I’ve had better hair days. But back to you, Italian?”

“Yeah, my whole family speaks it to varying degrees. The first few generations - on both sides - spoke very little English, if any at all. My parents and their siblings are the first generation that you could consider fully fluent in English. I had older relatives that only spoke Italian live with my family growing up, so I was a bilingual baby.”

“Was it hard to learn English?”

“Not really? Our house was English first, Italian second whenever possible, so I picked both up pretty quick.”

“That’s so cool! I took Spanish in high school, but I really only remember how to ask about the library. Donde está la biblioteca?” They laugh at his poor pronunciation. “So, how was your day?”

“It was good! Very productive; with all the meetings today, I finally had enough time to finish my program review slides! So tomorrow, I can fully focus on outfitting the last three jets. The team up here understood the upgrade really quickly, which is encouraging. It means the training pipeline that Dave put in place is working.”

“That’s good. What uh- what are you doing now?” Bradley’s mouth goes dry as he watches Mary unbutton her shirt, slipping it off to reveal a white camisole that clings to her in all the right places.

“Some of the people I worked with in Florida are here for training and program review prep! And we finally all have a free evening, so we’re going to dinner! I want to wear that shirt tomorrow morning, and I don’t want to get makeup on it while I’m retouching.”

“That sounds fun.” He can hear how rough his voice is, heart thumping when he watches her eyes dart to his, a light pink appearing on the apples of her round cheeks.

“How was your day?”

He tucks an arm behind his head, watching her freshen her makeup and telling her about the antics the Dagger Squad had gotten up to without her. It had been a light day; everyone got grounded due to rain, so Cyclone had them act as guinea pigs for a new training regiment the Navy is considering. They had, of course, gotten too competitive about it and completely over-performed the expected standards. Admiral Simpson was so frustrated that he let them go early, banning them from his sight for the rest of the day.

“He really swore at you guys?!” Mary laughs, swiping something shiny over her lips.

“He did! And he did that thing where he gets so mad his face turns red, and it looks like that vein in his neck is going to rupture!”

“You guys are going to kill that man.”

“It’s Mav’s fault. He taught us the right buttons to push.” Bradley shrugs when Mary raises a doubtful eyebrow at him, a laugh threatening to break through.

“I only half believe that some of you are quite annoying all on your own.”

“Wow, hurtful.”

She giggles at his dramatic chest grab. “I didn’t name names; if you took offense, that’s your own fault. Does my makeup look okay? Any places need fixing?”

Mary holds the tablet up to her face, closing her eyes to show off her makeup. Bradley takes the quiet moment to admire her. She’s never really been one to wear much makeup, but every time she does, it just enhances her beauty.

“You look great.” He holds back all the compliments and praise he wants to shower her with, reminding himself they’re not quite there yet, choosing to add some helpful feedback instead. “You do have some mascara on your right eyelid, though.”

“Oh, thank you! I’ll clean that up when I change.” She walks over to the closet, pulling out two dresses. “Which one for dinner?”

“The red one.” He answers with zero hesitation. He loves red on her; the color always looks so good against her tanned skin.

She hums, holding the dress against herself and looking in the mirror. “Yeah, good choice. I’m gonna ch-”

Mary shrieks as a door flies open, and Harvard comes bursting in. “Are you ready yet?”

“Brigham! You’re only supposed to use that for emergencies!”

“I’m hungry, and I want to get going.”

“That is not an emergency! What if I was naked?!”

“I could hear Rooster’s big mouth; I knew you weren’t naked. C’mon! Get changed. I want to eat!”

Bradley sits there baffled as Mary throws the dress he didn’t pick at Harvard’s head, snapping at him to hang it up before slamming the bathroom door behind her.

Harvard does and then takes Mary’s seat, waving at Bradley with a big grin on his face, completely unaware of how Bradley is reeling inside. “Hey, man! What’s up? How’re you?”

He doesn’t break to let Rooster answer, rambling on about his week and the mentoring program Cyclone had sent him to work on. Bradley can only let it go on so long before he bursts. “How did you get in?”

At that exact moment, Mary reappears, the red fabric highlighting her tan and accentuating her curves, even better than he remembered it from the night they met. “We ended up with adjoining rooms.”

“We’re keeping them unlocked for emergency purposes, aka so I can make sure she actually has some fun while we’re here.” Harvard proudly announces.

“I was swindled; he’s got very convincing puppy dog eyes.” She ushers him out of her chair so she can slip her shoes on. “It’s like the little brother I never wanted.”

“You’re so mean to me.”

Mary looks at Bradley and rolls her eyes. “And yet he refuses to leave. Go grab your wallet and the keys so we can get going.”

They both ignore Brigham’s muttered complaints as he heads to his room, focusing on each other.

“You look beautiful, honey.” Bradley says lowly once their friend is gone, like if he’s quiet enough with his compliments, then their just friends for now promise won’t be broken.

She looks at him through her lashes, putting her earring on and answering just as lowly. “Thank you. You look handsome.”

“Even with my hair sticking up?”

“Even then, dolcezza.” She hums. A yell from next door interrupts them before he can ask what she called him. “I gotta go, or we’ll be late for dinner. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Have fun, be safe.”

“Hello?” Bradley grumbles into the receiver, not appreciating being woken up after it took almost an hour to fall asleep.

“I can’t see you, Bradley; turn the light on.”

He pulls the phone back, pleasantly surprised to find Mary staring back at him. She’s showered and propped her phone against something, her brown eyes looking sleepy as she snuggles under the covers. A wave of longing hits him; she looks so soft and sweet. He wants nothing more than to be there with her.

“Sorry I woke you up.” She apologizes as he flips the light on and stands his phone on his bedside table.

“S’okay. Did you have a good time with your friends?”

“Yeah…” She sighs, a lazy smile spreading across her face. “It was great! I haven’t seen them since I left last year. We drank so much wine, which happens every time we let Ron pick the restaurant.”

“You tipsy, honey?”

“Think so.” She giggles, burying her face in her pillow for a second. “But it’s okay. Brigham drove, and he made sure I didn’t twist my ankle in those sandals.”

“Did he complain about it?”

“The whole time, he’s a good guy.” She blinks at his annoyed grumble. “Are you jealous? It’s okay if you are, but you don’t have to be. He really is like a brother. Besides, you’re the only sexy Dagger. Like, you’re all ridiculously attractive - statistically, only one or two of you should be hot, and somehow you all are; someone should study the probability of that - but you’re the only one I think is sexy.”

Bradley feels his jaw drop at her admission. He wants to stop her and talk about the fact that she thinks he’s sexy, but she’s steamrolling ahead on a different topic.

“I’m so excited to get home! It’s Annie’s birthday on Saturday, so I get to watch her run around with all her little friends from preschool. It’s gonna be so cute!” She coos, her smile wide.

“You’re gonna need a few Advil after listening to all that screaming.”

“Probably, but it’ll be nice to see her have fun on her birthday.”

“Hey, speaking of birthdays. I was thinking we should do something for your birthday on Sunday since I’ll be gone on the actual day.”

“You remember my birthday?”

“Of course I do, March 14th - Pi Day. And if I did my math correctly, you’re going to be 34.”

“That’s right.” Her answer is just above a whisper.

He can’t describe the way Mary is looking at him; her eyes are big and glassy, and there’s something in her expression he just can’t quite recognize.

“I was thinking we’d spend an evening together - just the two of us - and I’ll make dinner for you.”

“That’s so sweet, Bradley, but I don’t know if I can accept. That’s a lot of work.”

“No, it’s not. Not if I’m doing it for you.”

“Bradley… that plan isn’t very just friends.” Her voice is quiet, shy.

“I know. But I promise, this is completely different than the dinner I promised you after I get back in May. It’s not a date like that’s going to be. So whatdya say? Gonna let me make you dinner?”

“Only if I’m bringing dessert.”

“Nope, it’s your birthday. You’re not bringing dessert.”

Mary’s eyebrows scrunch as she sits up to get closer to the camera, the covers slipping down to reveal her nightgown. Bradley swallows hard. He knows she’s not doing it on purpose - doesn’t think she is anyway - but the pink fabric drapes across her skin in the most tantalizing way. He watches the strap slip down her shoulder, feeling weaker with every millimeter it moves. It makes him want to give in to her, but he stays strong, insisting that she’s not allowed to bring food to her own birthday dinner.

“Fine. Am I allowed to bring wine?”

He thinks for a second. “That’s okay, as long as that’s all you bring.”

“Scout’s honor.”

“Alright, smartass. Time for bed.” He lays back down, watching as she gets comfortable.

Mary hums, fighting against her eyes that are trying to slip close. “Talk tomorrow?”

“Course. Good night, honey.”

The last thing he sees before she hangs up is her pretty face, a sleepy smile on her lush lips, and her dark hair spread out on the white hotel pillows. “Night, dolcezza. Sleep well.”

The screen goes dark, and Bradley smiles back at his own reflection. It had taken some trial and error, but he had looked up what dolcezza meant while she was at dinner.

Dolcezza: Sweetheart or Honey (literally: sweetness; considered old-fashioned)

Mary’s anxiety has been eating away at her all day. From the moment she woke up, to getting ready two hours early because she was worried about being late, to this very second. The combination of nerves and excitement has her entire body vibrating. Her hand even shook a little when she lifted it to knock, thankful that she had tucked the wine safely into her canvas bag.

It’s just dinner with Bradley. There’s nothing to be nervous about.

She’s been telling herself that since accepting his invitation, but she can’t fool her own heart. Bradley inviting her over so he can make a birthday dinner for her because he’s going to be gone on her actual birthday? She knows this means more for them than just dinner.

More than just friends.

She’s beginning to regret asking that they wait to go on a date until he gets back from this deployment. He was so kind and understanding when she explained and had been taking everything at the pace she requested. But an itch is starting to form, one she can’t scratch by herself.

An itch that can only soothed by Bradley’s lips pressed to hers. By his big hands cradling her face. By his strong body pinning hers to the bed. By the two of them sharing a bed at night. Now that she’s had a slice what it would be like to be with him, she’s desperate for more. Just the thought of how he might taste-

You have got to calm down. Deep breath. Deep breath. Deep breath.

Mary follows her own instructions, trying to practice the Lamaze breathing she learned at Danielle’s birthing classes, the ones she attended when they weren’t sure what Reuben’s schedule would look like. She’s smoothing nonexistent wrinkles out of her shirt when the door opens.

Why the fuck did I say we should be just friends for now?

Bradley looks gorgeous. There’s no other word to describe it. The sleeves of his sweater are pushed up and hugging his arms, the soft fabric stretched across his broad shoulders. He’s wearing her favorite pair of jeans, the light-wash ones that cup his ass just right. And he’s gotten a trim, his curls slightly shorter than the last time she saw him in person.

As a familiar aroma wafts past his tall frame, his flushed cheeks make her wonder if it’s because he’s been cooking or because of her. She hopes it’s because of her.

“Hi. Happy birthday, Mariella.”

She loves it when Bradley says her full name. His pink lips curving around the letters, the syllables effortlessly dripping from his mouth. He even develops the tiniest Italian accent, an unconscious effect of her name. Her heart pounds with the care he always uses with her name, the respect.

“Thanks, Bradley.” She’s momentarily taken off guard when he pulls her into his strong chest but is reluctant to pull back from his warm hug. “Whatever you’re making smells good.”

“Thank you! I think you’re gonna like it.”

Mary’s smile widens as he takes her bag while she slips her shoes off. “Yeah? What are we having?”

“Oh, that’s a surprise - you’ll just have to wait a little bit and see. Have a seat at the table, and I’ll pour you a glass of this wine you brought.”

She slips into a dining room chair and watches as he opens the wine, bobbing his head to the music coming from the record player across the room. He dramatically sniffs the cork, and the cheeky smile he shoots over his shoulder makes her laugh.

“Something funny, Miss Mary?” Bradley saunters around the counter peninsula, handing over a stemless wine glass.

“Nothing, just unaware I was in the presence of a sommelier. Did you taste the peach the label talked about?”

“I did; I also picked up on notes of lime. Very delicious pinot grigio you selected for tonight.”

“The Navy’s amazing reading skills in action.” She smirks at the confused tilt of his head. “It’s a sauvignon blanc, Bradley.”

He throws his head back as he laughs. “Shit! They all taste the same to me.”

“Me too.” She admits as he checks on the food, warmth blooming in her chest at the domesticity of the scene. All the anxiety from earlier suddenly seems ridiculous; she’s never felt more comfortable with a man. “Which drives Dani insane because apparently there’s a lot of differences.”

“Wine is wine! You know, like Mr. Incredible when he tries to do the math homework?” Bradley jokes as he sets salad and bread on the table. “Could you dish out the salad while I serve the pasta?”

Mary is slicing the loaf of sourdough when Bradley sets a bowl of pasta at seat. His chest brushes her back, and he squeezes her hip as he moves to his seat, murmuring a low thanks when she puts bread on his plate. She loses her breath as she sits back down, her heart racing when she sees what he’s made.

“Pasta e piselli?”

“It’s your favorite.”

“You remember that?”

“What’s your favorite?”

Mary perks up at the question, happy that Bradley is so interested in what she has to say. “Pasta e piselli, which is just pasta and peas. But it’s so good and filling and comforting.”

“Do you make it a lot?”

“I don’t actually, Amelia, even though it’s very easy to make.” She sends a conspiratory wink to her, getting a big smile in return. “It’s one of those recipes I break out for a special dinner or when I need a pick-me-up meal.”

“Special dinner? You ever make it for a date?”

The question stops her cold. She knows Amelia catches the way her face drops, a shocked expression she can’t quite control. One of her worst qualities, according to her mother. She can feel pity radiating from the young girl standing on the end of the cart, feeling sad for the pathetic thirty-three-year-old woman who can’t understand when a man just thinks of her as a friend.

Her throat feels acidic, swallowing the tears that threaten to show themselves. She feels so stupid, because up until that question, she would have sworn Bradley was flirting with her. She should know better by now. She’s not someone that men find desirable. She’s fat and awkward and bad at flirting.

Mary stutters out an answer, some bullshit about commitment, before focusing on Amelia, who interrupts to talk about cupcakes. She takes advantage of the distraction, using it to move them toward the cashiers and taking the first chance to get away from the siblings. She can’t help but feel even more heartbroken when Bradley offers to carry her groceries. He’s such a good guy. It’s not his fault she’s so pathetic and convinced herself a man like Bradley could want someone like her.

“That’s sweet, but I’ve got it. Been doing this all by myself for years now! Enjoy your pizza, guys!” She gives a poor excuse of a wave, her smile sad as she thinks about how true her statement is.

She has been doing it by herself for years. All alone - no partner, no roommate, no help - since she graduated college. Her best friends usually thousands of miles away, limited contact with her family in New York, only a few friends in Missouri. And then, in Florida, just when she had started to get friendly with people besides the admiral she worked with, she had gotten the job in San Diego and moved, leaving that budding life behind.

She should probably be thankful that Bradley didn’t press more after Amelia interrupted. That he didn’t ask her to help him make the recipe for whatever lucky woman he had in mind when he asked about making it for a date. Because she would have said yes, desperate to spend time with the man she had a crush on.

Well, that’s gonna stop now righ now,  she decides as she sends one last small smile to Bradley and Amelia, trudging out to her Jeep and letting herself cry for a few seconds once the groceries are loaded. Driving home with tears leaking down her cheeks as her favorite sad Taylor Swift song plays on repeat.

“Of course I do.” His socked feet brush her own, and he reaches over to grab her hand.” You said you would only make it for someone who was committed to you.”

Her heart races at the implication of his words.

I’m committed to you.

“You asked if I would make this for a date.” Bradley nods. “This isn’t a date.”

“It’s not a date.” He confirms, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.

“It’s only been a week, I’m not-”

“I know, Mary.” He gently cuts her off. “It’s not a date; I just wanted to make something special for your birthday.”

She tries to swallow around the lump in her throat, overwhelmed by the sweet and thoughtful man sitting beside her. Compared to her previous relationship attempts, Bradley keeps surpassing her expectations by leaps and bounds. She knows it’s not fair to compare them, to keep waiting for him to act like them. He’s not them.

He is so much better.

Bradley is kind and caring. He listens to her, really takes in what she’s saying, doesn’t just nod as the words come out of her mouth. The slightest brush of his skin against hers sets her on fire. He makes her feel safe; she’s never once questioned his intentions or felt uneasy while in the car with him.

Logically, Mary knows the beautiful man in front of her really does care about her, but it’s still hard to believe they’ve gotten here. That they’re here, having this not-date that is so clearly a date. That they’ve confessed their feelings.

“Try some.”

Her stare lingers on his face for another minute, committing his soft expression to memory, before looking down at her bowl.

“It really does look great.” She doesn’t let go of his hand, scooping a bite with her right hand and blowing to cool it down. Bradley’s eyes twinkle as she takes the first bite, his pupils dilating at the involuntary sound that escapes as the flavors melt in her mouth.

No one had made this meal for her since her grandmother passed away twenty years ago. It's like a taste of childhood between the fresh peas and the sharp pecorino cheese.

“Is it good?”

“Well, it’s not Nonna Romano's pasta e piselli, but you did a great job, Bradley. It’s delicious.” She smiles as his face drops in relief, a wide smile replacing his nervous one.

They spend dinner talking and laughing, their legs constantly brushing together as they discuss which post-program review happy hour mixers they should attend. Then, after the leftovers are packed up, Bradley ushers her onto his balcony and plops the two of them on his wicker loveseat, ignoring her protests that she could do the dishes.

“I’ll do them later. Just sit here and relax with me, would ya?”

“Fine.” Mary huffs, shuffling closer until she’s tucked into his side, warm and content under the blanket he grabbed.

The two sit in comfortable silence, cuddled together as they listen to the sounds of the street below and watch the last rays of the sunset slip away. It’s not until the few stars that are actually visible through San Diego’s light pollution appear in the sky that one of them moves.

“I’ll be right back.” He says, chuckling at her tiny, displeased whine when he pulls away. She watches him walk into his apartment, appreciating the long lines of his body.

When the door slides shut, she takes a second to just breathe, the crisp evening air filling her lungs and cooling her warm cheeks as she tries to calm herself down. The butterflies in her storm are waging a war against her, but not in a bad way. It’s not nerves or anxiety that’s making her stomach flip.

It’s happiness.

It’s Bradley.

An involuntary laugh escapes at the realization. Mary presses the blanket against her face, muffling the excited giggles she can’t control. Giddy like a schoolgirl with her first real crush. She brings the blanket down at the sound of the door opening; her cheeks are sore from smiling so big but they stretch even more at the sight in front of her.

Bradley walking towards her, singing Happy Birthday with a slice of cheesecake in one hand and his phone in the other. He carefully sits back down, handing over the plate to light the candle.

“Happy birthday to you!”

Mary can’t look away from the man sitting next to her. Her heart is so full she could cry. She’s never been one to make a big fuss about birthdays. Usually spends the day working and enjoying her colleagues' happiness at the treats she brought to share. Treating herself to dinner out and maybe some dessert before calling her best friends to chat and catch up, laughing through their awful rendition of Happy Birthday.

The effort Bradley has put in has her on the brink of happy tears. Not only did he remember her favorite dinner months after she mentioned it once, but he put in the time to actually make it. He’s done all the work himself and hasn’t let her lift a finger. Something she appreciates more than he could ever imagine. Growing up, there was never a day where she was allowed to not help. Every special day of her - birthday, graduation - ended with her in the kitchen, putting leftovers away and washing dishes while her brothers got to have fun. And on top of all that, she knows he asked Dani or Reuben for help because he’s stuck a candle in a slice of chocolate raspberry swirl cheesecake - her favorite.

His soft voice interrupts her thoughts. “Make a wish, honey.”

I hope we never get tired of each other. I hope we grow old together. I hope we love each other forever.

She keeps eye contact with him as she blows the candle out, hoping he understands she’s wishing for him.

For them.

Bradley stops recording and drops his phone on the table without looking, scooting closer to her with a hungry look in his eyes. It’s clear as day how much he wants her, even in the low light of the balcony, and it sends shivers up her spine.

“What did you wish for?” His voice is rough compared to a few seconds ago, like there’s gravel in his throat.

Mary’s eyes flicker between his lips and his eyes, unable to decide which one she wants to look at more. “I can’t say, or it might not come true.” His mouth wins the battle when his tongue peeks out to wet his lips.

“Well, we wouldn’t want that. Would we?” Her heart kicks into overdrive as he leans closer, his right hand pushing hair out of her face while the other slips around her back, tugging her closer.

“Thank you for this, it was perfect.”

Mary leans in, her breath hitching when the tips of their noses brush. Her free hand runs up his chest, appreciating the soft sweater before dipping into his curls. Bradley presses in even further, the small dessert plate between them the only thing keeping them apart.

“Of course. Happy Birthday, dolcezza.”

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[bipercabethrights]

Hiii I'm back with more voice types and this time it's the Kane Chronicles! You may have noticed I did the first 3 within like 2 days and then never came back to it. I started this one at the same time as those but got stuck on literally one person lol. It sat in my drafts for a year and I forgot about it lol sorry

part 1 • part 2 • part 3

Carter: baritone, but he's just here for the elective credit

Sadie: mezzo soprano, but tries to sing all the parts at once. It's really confusing to sit by her bc you can never tell what she's supposed to be singing and it's distracting as hell (inspired by personal experience)

Zia: alto 2 that doesn't get the attention she deserves. Y'know how a lot of people only pay attention to sopranos? that's what we're looking at here. hates it with a burning passion bc she's good and deserves to be recognized for it

Amos: has a bass voice, but he's actually in the band and there to accompany them

Julius: something's telling me bass-baritone. Idk.

Walt: he's a baritone. I don't really have anything else to say about this one he just gives baritone vibes

Anubis: bass-baritone, but he's not actually apart of the choir, he showed up with Walt one day and then kept coming back

Bast: she's another showy soprano 1 who gets a lot of solos, it bothers people but she's so sweet so they can't get too mad

Desjardins: hear me out. Tenor. Something about the godawful french accent I always imagine him with makes it impossible to imagine him as anything else lmao (no offense french people I'm just horrible at accents)

Jaz: she gives soprano vibes, but like. Ensemble soprano.

Cleo: she's still on the young side so soprano-ish for now, but once her voice matures she'll end up either an alto 1 or a mezzo soprano.

Felix: tenor. Again, he's pretty young so that's a given. But I feel like he would stay a tenor for some time.

@drewtanakagf aka the only person to show consistent interest, I hope that still applies? it's been over a year whoops

Had to pull in a lot of side characters for this one lmao

[fairybinie]

COPYCCINO — 43: moment of weakness

synopsis: soobin has been talking to who he thought was his unrequited crush on messages, only to find out through a visit to their coffee shop that it was in fact not them. not only does he meet the real y/n, he runs into their friend yeonjun, an ex friend of his who he has some unresolved issues with. as soobin and the real y/n are getting to know each other, yeonjun and soobin are working through their misunderstandings, as well as trying to figure out who the catfish was.

taglist: @iyeonjuni @soobnny @taeyun @yyx2 @odxrilove @ifwtyun @luvrbin @iuwon @moondust-zia @jakekgs @soobintoyou @ijhyo @cherr-y-eji @peachy-yabbay @ameliesaysshoo @sunlightwoo @enhacolor @hotboyyeonjun @multi4lifer @milkycloudtyg @bluhr @strawberri-uyu @lovershinerosey @notdrunkbutdazed @diorcheol @butterflx @cherrybeomgyu @skinnygowon @ilove-jake @feyregels @blahbluhblahbluh @hueofjamjam @wccycc @mnlylonely @seventeeneration @hyukabean @boba-beom @moaberryjjunie @soobmint @tae-ology @voidbeomgyu @hyuntaena @loverhyunn @ericyjun @calumsfringe @7thgyu @ashxxkook @soobsfairy444 @sansluvr @flrtsbin

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a/n: written (2.6k) + smau. like one swear word, not proofread, sorry for another written chapter and pls ignore my failed attempts to cover up my typos 😭

...

“there’s something what?” y/n asks while they groggily tie their shoes. they've been in bed all day, they look far from presentable but they should at least achieve the goal that is being able to stand up. they had been glued to their bed all day, fixating their eyes on their computer screen for half of it. sad movies occupying their screen, of course.

“something’s waiting for you down in the lobby,” sieun confirms, getting ready herself. she has to go back into her building for the internship, so she might as well get ready alongside y/n so they feel less alone. 

little do they know. 

y/n stands up slowly, having to balance themselves on their own two feet when they feel the jelly sensation hit their lower half. they attempt to take off their glasses, only to realize that they’re very much blind without them. they don’t feel like putting their contacts on, let alone get dressed into something more presentable. their hoodie and sweats will have to do. 

“i haven’t ordered anything though,” y/n speaks lowly after a yawn escapes from their lips. they’re slightly suspicious of sieun, not expecting anything at this point. too much has gone wrong for them to even assume. 

“that’s what the receptionist told me when i walked in,” sieun nonchalantly replies while wrapping the last shoelace in bunny ears. she gets up from her bed and begins to drag y/n to head outside before they can protest. “here, i’ll walk down with you.” 

sieun shuts the door behind them as the two head downstairs into the lobby. it takes a moment for the brightness of the hallway to adjust in y/n’s eyes, considering their room had been dimly lit. they walk past yeonjun and taehyun’s shared room, along with soobin and beomgyu’s, and kai’s solo room. they can’t help but sigh in their head, still in denial that last night really happened. they haven’t spoken to anyone other than sieun since the event occurred, and they can say that they’re at least appreciative of her efforts. sieun tried to get them to confide in her, but it was too much to even repeat. this morning sieun even brought them leftovers from her company breakfast, assuming y/n hadn’t eaten anything yet. they must’ve been right, considering the meal was gone by the time she came back. 

if y/n doesn’t have anyone, at least they can hope they still have sieun.

their thoughts become interrupted when they realize they’re arriving close to the main lobby, mentally preparing for what could come next. they haven’t been here since yesterday and it already seems to look different, like some furniture was reorganized. or maybe they’re just losing it.  

y/n loses all sense of reality, just realizing that they’ve been riding in an elevator all this time. the two doors open, revealing their desired destination. they walk out cautiously, still suspicious of what’s to come. sieun steps outside more confidently, walking ahead of y/n so they have a path to follow. y/n begins to look around the lobby to notice anything, and there was no such luck until they set their gaze on the couch that’s near the receptionist area. 

taehyun is sitting right there. 

as if he sensed the two of him, taehyun gets up from his seat making eye contact with solely y/n. out of confusion, y/n looks back to expect some kind of answer from sieun, but sieun just gives them a comforting smile as she waves goodbye, exiting the building. y/n slowly glances back at taehyun, almost afraid that he’s not really there. he very much is. y/n looks around to see if anyone else is there, soobin, yeonjun, kai or even beomgyu for that matter. but it’s just taehyun. it takes them a moment to wrap their mind around it. this is the first time they’re seeing him since last night, they don’t know where his stance is. is he just as angry with them? did he want to meet with them so he could yell at them too? might as well cross everyone off the list. 

with these thoughts in mind, it hits y/n like a fasting train that they didn’t just imagine everything. this is the current state everyone is in. they broke every relationship. they feel their eyes begin to water, hoping that none of them fall to make taehyun notice. but taehyun notices everything. he can tell that they’re not okay. 

taehyun walks a bit further in his step, catching y/n’s attention. he remains still for a couple seconds before a soft expression takes over his face as his arms reach out into the air. those two gestures say more than enough to y/n, and it’s this moment where they let all their bottled up emotions run loose, letting the waterworks take over. on instinct, they rush into taehyun’s arms, letting out a much needed sob. taehyun’s embrace is tight and secure, making sure y/n feels as safe as they could. he can feel the hem of his t-shirt begin to soak up, but he doesn’t care. he brings his hand up to soothe y/n’s head, indirectly shushing them to calm down. his fingertips massage into y/n’s scalp, a habit of his he’s used to when he hugs people. it’s not often, but he still does it. 

taehyun notices that the receptionist is looking their way, probably wondering what situation is going on. at first she seems softhearted, maybe these two have reunited after several years. but her gaze shifts into more concern after looking at the expression on taehyun’s face, now realizing that something is wrong. she sends taehyun a sympathetic nod and goes back to her tasks. taehyun takes the hint that this is not the place to be doing this. 

“hey, let’s go over there yeah?” he speaks quietly into y/n’s ear, guiding them into a nearby lounge area. luckily there’s no one inside, so they could have the privacy that they need. y/n is still under taehyun’s embrace, their face tucked away into his chest so they’re barely able to walk. they’re thankful that taehyun manages to lead them around. they assume that they switched room as they begin to feel taehyun pull away from the close proximity, coming to terms with the present once again. 

they get used to the new atmosphere. the room looks similar to the main lobby, except there's some game stands around, a massive TV to take up the room, along with a pool table in the corner. there are a couple couches in different parts of the room, taehyun guides them to the nearest one. they sit down, y/n immediately wanting to live inside this couch to never come out from it again. they don’t seem to realize that they’re avoiding eye contact until taehyun taps on their crossed knee softly, looking up into his eyes. his arm stretches out to rest on the couch and looks at y/n sincerely. 

“talk to me.” 

and with those words, y/n immediately gives into their emotions. you would think they had no more tears to shed, but they seem to keep coming. it takes a couple sniffles for them to think about what they could say without coming across all over the place. 

“i didn’t want any of this to happen,” they start off in a whisper. “i just wanted them to meet, how was i supposed to know that they hated each other?” taehyun feels the need to give his thoughts, but he waits for y/n to finish. 

“they’re all mad at me for doing something i didn't mean to do,” y/n brings their hands to massage their temples to remain as calm as they could be. “i didn't do any of this on purpose.” 

“…they all left me. ju-” y/n stops in their place and shuts their eyes in exhaustion. “yeonjun. soobin. even kai.” 

“so did you,” they say with a softer tone, barely audible but enough for taehyun to hear. they feel the need to say more, their mouth open as they think of something more. they’re frustrated with themselves when their words don’t come to mind, closing their mouth as they shake their head in hopelessness. they cover their face with their hands as they let out a much needed sigh. 

“i’m not mad at you.” 

y/n brings their head up slowly, unsure if they heard him correctly. taehyun appears to be dead serious, and the solemn expression on their face turns into hope. 

“i didn’t walk out because i was upset with you, more so that i could stop yeonjun from doing anything stupid,” taehyun explains with a bit of amusement in his voice. “our room is right next to soobin’s.” y/n doesn’t deny the fact, going back to that moment it makes sense for taehyun to do that. 

taehyun goes back to what y/n had said in the first place with a more serious tone. “i can’t be mad at you when even i didn’t know. you’re right, yeonjun never told us about soobin directly.” 

“am i bummed you didn’t tell us how you and soobin first met, sure,” taehyun feels the need to mention his feelings if he’s being honest. “but i’m assuming there’s a reason for that.” 

y/n tilts their head as they suck in some air, quickly exhaling some of it out. “it’s a long story. we’ll tell you one day.” 

taehyun nods slowly and a comfortable silence ensues. y/n is now assured that at least one more person isn’t upset with them. they’re glad that it’s taehyun of all people, they could use some of his wise words. after some time with their thoughts, taehyun speaks again. 

“it’s not really your fault, if you think about it.” taehyun proposes, almost like all the evidence is piecing together in his head. this fuels y/n’s curiosity. this whole time they've been self pitying themselves, being that they’re the reason they ruined everything. there’s a slight chance that there isn’t? they’re all ears. 

“again, yeonjun and soobin didn’t tell you anything,” taehyun repeats, as if he’s trying to get that through y/n’s head. “i think the fact that they’re both shocked to see each other has them pinning everything onto you when they should realize what they’re doing wrong too.” 

y/n takes a moment to process what taehyun is saying and it all soon makes sense to them. the only thing y/n could’ve done wrong is address that yeonjun was soobin and vice versa. but they didn’t plan for all of this to happen. yeonjun can only see the fact that soobin is y/n’s boyfriend, so of course he’s going to assume this was all some personal agenda against him. the same thing could go for soobin. they each share that quality, it’s something that they have in common. it all leads to one thing. 

this isn’t y/n’s fault. 

“you’re right,” y/n says with realization. taehyun nods like if he already knows he’s right, which makes y/n chuckle to themselves. only taehyun and his taehyun-like manner can bring them some happiness. 

“and kai,” taehyun draws in his breath in attempt to come up with an excuse for kai. “i think he’s also unleashing his feelings onto you considering yeonjun yelled at him too.” 

there’s no doubt that y/n still feels bad about that. all they can do is shift their eyebrows in sadness, hoping that they can get through kai. another silence takes over as the two admire the scenery around them, taking a momentary break from the conversation at hand. y/n sets eyes onto the pool table, thinking about how much yeonjun would enjoy it. their gaze shifts over to the arcade machines, already imagining how beomgyu and kai would be destroying each other to get the highest score. a sad smile takes over their face when they lock eyes with the loveseat in the corner, perfect view of the TV in the room. y/n and soobin’s favorite hobby was watching TV together, all cuddled up in each other’s warmth. now they only feel cold, and they can’t help but wonder if soobin feels it too. a voice captures y/n’s attention and they enter reality yet again. 

“sieun told me you were packing your things,” y/n locks eyes with taehyun, who has a concerned look on his face. “are you planning to leave?” 

y/n considers telling him about the anonymous texts they got. if they’re being honest, it did get to them a bit. they did pack their things. but after standing the pile that was their closed suitcases, sieun walking in on them asking if they wanted to visit their company, they realized that they shouldn’t give in. they don’t want to leave these people behind, these are their best friends. their boyfriend. things may be rocky, but they don’t believe in starting over when they wish to stay with what they already have. did they mope around in their bed all day, yes. somehow it made them feel better than just leaving all together. taehyun’s looking at them with a concentrated set of eyes, and they choose to leave that part out. there’s already too much going on. 

“yeah, all of this got to me pretty bad,” which technically isn’t a lie. before taehyun can protest they continue to say, “but i’m not going to. it was just a moment of weakness.” 

taehyun can’t push away the fact that y/n felt this way, and it makes him only want to fix all this even more. he just has to use that big brain of his. 

pleased with where they’ve gotten, they each settle to end the conversation there. at least y/n knows where taehyun is at, and that they could still confide in him. they didn’t lose him. the two get up from their seats and taehyun begins to walk y/n over to their room, going through the process yet again. when they managed to get out of the elevator, they make way to y/n’s door and they remain in their positions. 

“has j-” y/n catches themselves in their place and corrects themselves. “has yeonjun spoken to you?” referring to the fact that they’re rooming together. the thought has crossed their mind, and they’re curious to see if he has. 

“no, he hasn’t said one word to me,” taehyun replies honestly. the two share a look of disappointment and y/n nods sadly. they think of how to say their goodbyes, until they realized they haven’t said the one thing they were hoping to disclose. 

“i’m sorry.” 

taehyun shakes his head vigorously, the gesture of his head complimenting his actions. “you don’t need to apologize to me, i promise we’re okay.” 

y/n smiles softly as they feel the tears begin to take over their eyes yet again, one managing to escape past their cheek. taehyun smiles, showcasing his dimple, and brings y/n into another hug, rubbing circles across their back. y/n hold around taehyun’s neck is strong, a sniffle being heard from their side.

“thank you, taehyun.” is all they could say.  

they hear taehyun hum as he pulls them apart, resting his hands on y/n’s shoulders for a quick second before he brings them to wipe the tears off their face. he looks at them straight in the eyes with so much genuineness. 

“and you didn’t lose your nickname privileges with me.” 

this brings a smile onto y/n’s face, taehyun can’t help but reciprocate the feeling. he makes his way over to his door, sending y/n a friendly nod before he steps inside. y/n lets out one last sniffle before the smile reappears, opening and closing the door right behind them. 

...

please do not translate, modify or repost on other platforms.

© fairybinie

[deprivedofbraincellsandsleep]

hiii zia

so the other day u was talking with my sister and you told hwr you werw trying to quit listening to music because of ur religion and like i thought u were mualim and i’ve seen a lot of muslim people singing and listening to music so i was just curious to like why you cant listen to music same thing with dancing about how you can’t dance only when you’re alone

im just curious btw

heyyyy, okayy so this is kinda ish (not really) complicated but bear with meeee

so I am muslim and the thing is, we aren't allowed to listen to music for a few reasons being:

1) instruments are haram (meaning forbidden, so singing with just ur voice is okay or listening to vocals only is okay too)

2) idk if you’ve noticed but music tends to make people want to move aka dance so another reason why is that if played in a public place or smth like that it can lead to men and women dancing together (which isn't allowed) and that can progress further to them doing things together if yk wut I mean (I dont rlly know how to explain this better)

3) this is the most important thing, so we have our holy scripture right, the Holy Quran, and while we may desire to listen to music, our soul desires the Holy Quran, so we cannot deprive it of that. There cannot be two things in our heart at once, music and Quran cannot co-exist, because if you try to keep both things in your heart together, it won't work because as a Muslim, you'll notice that you won't be focused in your worship because all you will be able to think of is music instead of paying attention. You truly cannot taste the sweetness and completely digest words of the Quran with another thing occupying your heart (music), you have to eliminate it first and cleanse your heart of it to truly be able to taste the sweetness of not only the Quran but of life aswell, theres no other way of saying this. You have to fill your heart with good things, and you'll notice nowadays that lyrics of music tends to be talking about dirty things and such so that's not good too.

sorry that got too long, anyways something called nasheeds exist, they aren't really songs because it's just vocals and the lyrics are talking about Allah and like about our Prophet (peace be upon him) and stuff about our religion. But some nasheeds tend to have instruments so you gotta be careful😭. Anyways so Muslims can listen to those instead of music and also listen to podcasts (especially Islamic ones since ur just gaining more knowledge about your religion and becoming closer to God) to help with listening to music less.

the dancing thing kinda ties in with my first point (and also the second one), because dancing can be provocative and can lead to dirty things happening between men and women which is a major sin called Zina (sex between unmarried people).

anyways so music is definitely haram (forbidden) but many Muslims nowadays, since music is so normalized and is everywhere, refuse to accept that (not every Muslim obviously but many yk). They still put music in their videos (which isn't good because for every time someone watches that video and hears the music, you get a bad deed) and listen to it themselves, and since music has completely embedded itself into society, its harder to quit it and many people struggle doing so (including me). Singing if it's just with your voice is fine though.

Sorry again for this becoming so long, I hope my rambling was comprehensive enough, especially for someone who is non-muslim😭😭.

Theres lots of videos on yt about people quitting music, it's mostly Muslims but I saw one of this girl quitting it for 3 months and she did a really nice video about it too explaining what she learnt from it and all. They really go in depth about how music has completely embedded itself into our lives and how much of a struggle it is to free yourself from it so if you wanna do more research about this you can js watch those.

[thatartiststudios]

Finally posting another fic update for you guys! Like I said, I've been sick a lot recently, but I hope to get back into a regular posting routine for this, as I know you guys like reading it!

   The heroes progressed through the Hypostyle Hall, the weight of ancient history surrounding them. As they approached the ruins beyond, a subtle shift in the atmosphere hinted at the impending trial. Sadie, in particular, felt a strange sensation, as if the air itself carried whispers that were both familiar and alien.

   “Do you hear that?” she asked, her brow furrowing. 

   “What?” Carter inquired.

   “It’s… it’s like voices, but I can’t quite make out what they’re saying.”

   Carter exchanged a concerned glance with his sister. “Voices? Are you sure?”

   Sadie nodded, she scanned the ancient hall, her eyes darting around as she sought to locate the origin of the mysterious sounds. 

   “Okay,” Callum began nervously, “That’s not creepy at all.”

   The closer they got to the ruins, the more the surroundings seemed to warp. Pillars cast long shadows, and the hieroglyphics on the walls seemed to writhe with an unseen energy.

   Finally reaching the ruins, Sadie pointed towards the open space beyond, “Here. This is the place. I can feel it.”

   Carter frowned, “How do you know?”

   “I don’t know. I just do,” Sadie replied, her confidence unwavering despite the uncertainty.

   Callum stepped forward. With a smooth motion, he traced a rune in the air and spoke, “Historia Viventum.” A blue aura rippled out from the rune, enveloping the entire space. However, something was amiss—the typical soothing blue of Moon Magic quickly turned into a dark, foreboding red.

   The air thickened as misty and corrupted forms emerged from the ruins behind them. At first, the shapes were indistinct, but as the mist dissipated, the figures became clearer. Bast, Bes, Amos, and a group of Brooklyn initiates materialized, their forms distorted and darkened.

   Sadie’s eyes widened with horror, “No... this can’t be…”

   Carter’s voice caught in his throat as he recognized the corrupted figures. Walt and Zia, friends, now twisted echoes of themselves, stood among the spectral gathering. The atmosphere turned heavy with a mix of shock and grief as the heroes faced the cruel illusion of their loved ones turned against them.

   The sight tugged at Carter’s heart, he knew it wasn’t really Zia, but it also felt so real.

   The heroes stood frozen, confronted by the haunting illusions of those they cared about. Confusion etched across their faces as they exchanged bewildered glances.

   “What is this? Who are they?” Piper asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

   Rayla tightened her grip on her Butterfly Blades, her eyes darting between the corrupted forms, “This isn’t right. Callum, did the spell go wrong?”

   Callum, visibly distressed, shook his head. “No, it shouldn’t be like this. ‘Historia Viventum’ is supposed to show the past, not twist it into something dark.”

   Sadie, staring at the corrupted vision of Walt, whispered, “It’s playing on our fears, our regrets. This isn’t just a memory. It’s an illusion, a cruel one.”

   Carter, clenching his khopesh, glared at the spectral forms, “Illusion or not, we can’t let it get to us. We need to fight back.”

   The corrupted figures advanced, their movements mirroring those they once knew and loved. Walt and Zia, in particular, approached with an unsettling familiarity, their eyes vacant and filled with an eerie malevolence.

   Callum, frustration evident in his voice, insisted, “We have to break through this illusion. The spell should reveal the truth, not create these twisted versions.”

   As the heroes engaged in combat against the illusions, each strike and parry carried the weight of conflicting emotions. Rayla faced an illusory version of a child, while Piper battled against a corrupted image of blonde initiate.

   Carter, fueled by determination, shouted, “Remember, they’re not real! Focus on the spell, not the illusion.”

   The heroes fought with newfound resolve, each blow against the illusions chipping away at the twisted magic that held them captive. Callum, his eyes ablaze with determination, cast another rune and chanted, “Relinquere Illusio!” A surge of moonlight enveloped the illusions, revealing the truth beneath the darkness.

   The corrupted forms wavered, their features distorting before dissipating into the air. Slowly, the red aura began to fade, replaced by the calming blue of Moon Magic before dissipating fully. The heroes, now standing in the aftermath of the dispelled illusion, took a moment to catch their breaths.

   “That... was intense,” Piper panted, looking around at her companions.

   Rayla glanced at Callum, a mix of relief and gratitude in her eyes, “Thanks for bringing us back, Callum.”

   Callum nodded, still processing the unexpected outcome, “I didn’t expect the spell to turn against us. Something’s not right.”

   “You’re telling me,” Sadie mumbled.

   Carter, with a solemn expression, added, “We’ll need to be more cautious as we proceed. The Collector’s games are getting more twisted.”

   As the heroes regrouped, they couldn’t shake the lingering unease from the illusion, knowing that the challenges ahead would demand not only physical prowess but resilience against the shadows of their own fears.

   The heroes, their nerves still on edge from the recent illusionary ordeal, noticed an ethereal trail of red magic leading towards the enclosed section of the temple at the end of the courtyard. Carter, ever the strategist, voiced his thoughts, “Is it trying to lead us somewhere?”

   Without waiting for an answer, Jason approached the magical trail, and to the group’s surprise, the trail responded. As he walked forward, the trail shortened, and when he backed up, it extended again. “You guys see that, right?” Jason questioned, perplexed by the mystical behavior.

   “Weird,” Sadie remarked, her eyes narrowing as she observed the magical trail. Intrigued, the heroes decided to follow the peculiar path, letting it guide them toward the enclosed structure at the far end of the courtyard.

   Upon entering, they discovered a pedestal holding a hovering gold disc, roughly the size and diameter of a regular movie disc. The center of the disc was inset, as if it awaited another disc to complete it. Hieroglyphs adorned the lip around the edge and the inset of the disc. Jason, feeling a connection to the mystical artifact, reached out to take it.

   Sadie, who possessed the ability to decipher hieroglyphs, inspected the inscriptions and read aloud, “‘Key of Egypt, the Kingdom of the Golden Sands, Allow safe passage through The Ways.’”

   Carter scratched his head, puzzled by the cryptic message. “What does that mean?” he asked, glancing around at the others for insight.

   Rayla, who had been silently observing the unfolding events, spoke up, “It sounds like some sort of magical key that can grant safe passage through certain places, maybe the Ways mentioned in the inscription.”

   Callum, still uneasy from the previous encounter, added, “This must be the key that The Collector mentioned, which means that there are still two more.”

   As they pondered the purpose of the mysterious key, the temple’s surroundings seemed to grow quieter, as if the very air held its breath, anticipating the unfolding of a greater mystery.

   The heroes, burdened by the weight of the mysterious key and the unsettling illusions they had faced, decided to return to the Argo II. Once they reached the point where the ship hovered in the air above them, each member of the group took to their respective modes of flight.

   Leo greeted them with his characteristic grin as they arrived, a wrench in hand. “How’d it go?” he asked, his enthusiasm undiminished.

   Callum, glancing at his friends who still bore the marks of the eerie trials, simply responded, “We’ll tell you later.”

   “Okay…” Leo shrugged nonchalantly, returning to his work without prying further.

[marydublinauthor]

Random gt drabbles: Tackle

Short #1 Request from my SITD prompt!

Requested by: @kendsleyauthor

Request: Cliff and Oliver, dark future AU, fluffy + steamy, lush forest

A/N: the amount of Cliff and Oliver that was requested omg THANK you 🥹 they are the moment rn

——————-

As the sun set behind the distant mountains, the forest became drenched in amber hues. Cliff had ventured out to forage with six of the safehouse fairies, hoping to maximize a harvest of wild parsnips that grew nearby. The rest of the crew had flown inside ahead, but Cliff was taking his time on the rugged terrain, still nursing an ugly bruise on his left leg from a recent mission. Zia had healed the worst of it, but bruises were particularly tricky to resolve, even for advanced healers.

One fairy remained, keeping pace in flight beside him.

In a month’s time, Oliver had already adjusted well to life with the Safehouse community. Still, Cliff couldn’t help but notice how he seemed to stay bonded to him after their trial in the wilderness. Generally speaking, Oliver’s discretion wasn’t exactly his strongest quality. Cliff had caught him staring at him a number of times over the past weeks, always averting his gaze like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“I’ve literally never heard anyone who hates parsnips,” Oliver was berating.

“I think it’s because everyone you know grew up eating moss, and it shows,” Cliff said, smirking at his own joke.

A small, playful jolt of electricity zinged through his leather jacket.

“We did not have moss in my home village,” Oliver grumbled. “For your information, it was a dried algae, and it was delicious.”

“Serve that with some fries, and I’m set.”

“Listen,” Oliver said. “I know you’re joking, but that would actually taste really…”

He sucked in a sharp breath as a shadow crossed over their path. They paused to observe a hawk gliding through the trees overhead, on the hunt as dusk strengthened.

Oliver cursed, blood draining from his face.

“Come on, we should get a move on,” he said, flying faster. His flight pattern became erratic — obviously spooked.

Cliff quickened his pace to match. “You want a pocket?”

“It’s fine. Let’s just hurry.”

But as he spoke, the adorable dumbass flew straight through a spiderweb strung in a bush, tangling his wings in the thick, dew-covered threads. His flight immediately began to falter, dropping him closer to the ground with every dialed wing beat.

“Should’ve taken me up on the pocket,” Cliff called.

He was still catching up when a shrill scream came from above. For a moment, it felt like time slowed down, and horror gripped Cliff’s insides. Oliver’s frantic flapping had caught the hawk’s eye.

It dove down.

Cliff sprinted, closing the distance and putting his body between the bird and Oliver. Momentum barreled him forward. Instinct took over. He clapped his hands around Oliver’s fragile body and crushed him to his chest, rolling to land hard on his side.

Panting, Cliff watched the hawk veer off to another part of the forest in search of an easier meal. He released Oliver onto the forest floor and rolled over top of him.

“You okay?” Cliff demanded.

Oliver’s small body shuffled against the fallen leaves as he gasped for air, making sense of his surroundings. His blue eyes widened when he looked up at the new source of the shadow over him.

“Y-yeah.”

“Damn birds. Never realized what a menace they were until I started rooming with fairies.” Cliff brushed out some of the spiderweb out of Oliver’s hair with his thumb. Little broken pieces of leaves and dirt were scattered across his clothes.

The way Oliver’s little head whipped around to follow the path of Cliff’s hand, up to his wide shoulders and chest and the rest of him walling him in… Cliff clenched his jaw. He felt the familiar urge to apologize for being so impsosing and too big for their world.

But the way Oliver’s chest was heaving wasn’t from fear. His expression was so precious, and he was safe, and there was something magnetic in the air now.

He didn’t know why— why here? why now?—but it was as tangible as the forest around them. Like a gentle, guiding hand, it pulled Cliff down slowly until he shut his eyes and Oliver’s stunned expression vanished.

He let his lips fall against Oliver’s face with the gentlest pressure he could manage. Cliff lingered there for a moment, enthralled with the sensation of those delicate features against his skin.

He pulled back, scrutinizing any emotion in those tiny blue eyes carefully.

“Thank you,” Oliver finally said, flushed like a spring tomato. They gaped at each other for a while longer before he added, “You could do that again, if you wanted.”

Cliff shifted on his knees, his shadow dancing over Oliver’s prone body. “Do you want me to?”

“Yes. Please.”

Cliff arched an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You look like you’ve barely caught your breath.”

“Breathing is overrated,” Oliver said with a flippant gesture.

Cliff grinned and dove down.

[theartdoctor]

Walking through the picturesque streets of Cardinal Hill, you find Matteo Bianchi, the 40 year old art restoration expert and art gallery director originally from Sorrento, Campania, Italy. Living alongside them in such a small town, you know that they're altruistic and cynical, but what you might not know is that they are a human, and that they’re hiding something… ― Hugh Dancy, bisexual, male, and he/him.

Name: Matteo Giuseppe Bianchi

Alias: Matt, Teo, Giuseppe (only if you are family or if he really likes you)

Gender/Pronouns: Male, He/Him

Age: 40

Birthdate: 12/03/1950

Occupation: Professional Art Restoration

Height: 5’10”

Hometown: Sorrento, Campania, Southern Italy

Family: mother (Marcella Bianchi), father (Giuseppe Bianchi), auntie zia (Agata Bianchi)

Friends: Felix Lemoine (mentor/friend from France)

Relationship Status: single

Other Relationships: N/A

TW: death, alcohol, drugs, suicidal ideation

Matteo Bianchi, a brooding and handsome man in his late thirties, was once a prodigy in the world of art restoration. Growing up in a Southern Italian town known for its rich artistic heritage, he was introduced to the world of art by his father, a renowned painter. Matteo would never know his mother, she had passed when he was born. He thought if Matteo didn’t have closure then his bubbling emotions would be the perfect recipe for the classic tortured artist. Ironically, he was never really much of an artist himself. He much prefers appreciating art, preserving it and restoring it to its former glory. He often refers to it as ‘restoring memories’, which is also ironic considering he can’t erase any of his own.

Matteo’s keen eye and deft hands however, made him a natural at restoring priceless works of art, and by his late twenties, he was already known as one of the best in his field.

In his free time he would play piano and drag his aunt to the market to buy records. Among his favorites were a live recording of Jimi Hendrix in 1971, Black Sabbath 1970-1973 and On the Water by Bread. Matteo never really had many friends, so he spent most of his years growing up in isolation. There simply wasn’t any time with how hard his father trained him on art history and painting techniques.

His life took a turn for the best fifteen years ago. While working on a high-profile restoration project in Paris, Matteo fell in love with a brilliant and beautiful art historian named Isabel. Their love story seemed like something out of a romance novel, one so overwhelming that you have to put it down for a moment to gather your thoughts. They planned to get married and even started dreaming of opening a small gallery together.

One night, just mere weeks before their wedding, the couple attended a prestigious art exhibition. A group of thieves targeted the event, intending to steal a rare and invaluable painting. During the chaotic robbery, a confrontation ensued, and Isabel was tragically caught in the crossfire. Matteo could only watch in horror as the love of his life died in his arms, the light in her eyes extinguished forever.

The loss of Isabel left Matteo shattered. Consumed by guilt and despair, he withdrew from the world. He turned to alcohol and drugs to numb his pain, his once-promising career seemed all but over. For months, he roamed the streets of Paris, a shadow of his former self. He didn’t care what happened to him, didn’t care if he died.

Eventually, a close friend and mentor, Felix Lemoine, managed to pull him back from the brink. He reminded Matteo that Isabel would never have wanted him to waste his life. Slowly, he began to rebuild himself, channeling his grief and anger into his work. Matteo had an epiphany and decided he could not handle being in France any longer, a shadow of Isabel lurking in every corner. So he set off to Cardinal Hill, Washington in hopes that he could have a fresh start and really focus on his craft.

Headcannons/Additional Information will be added here:

authors note: hello friends, I was so nervous writing this because everyone here is so talented. I’ll be working on Shira’s intro today while I unpack my house 😌 If anyone has any plot ideas for either of my characters feel free to reach out. Please be nice to my brooding boy, I know he’s abrasive but he’s very sweet 😆 👍 also I know my blog layouts are lacking, I’ll fix them as soon as I find my laptop in all these boxes lol. Most likely will be adding to this because I feel it lacks… something .. but I’m just eager to share my characters with everyone so this is great for now.

Also peeping others intros I realize how much I suck at formatting 😩

[wisehearts]

i just reread in the midnight hour and by god sonni you put crack into that fic oml!! they are so tender and loving and the way you capture that manifesting physically is insanely beautiful. for every thought and emotional reaction there is a touch and for every touch there is a thought and emotional reaction and it all flows so perfectly. i feel like this fic perfectly illustrates mike and will's give and take, they are perfect equals in their relationship. they love each other so much they dont even have to do anything monumental to make the other weak at the knees and that is just so freaking yummy i cannot even!!! they barely even have to put effort into the give and take of it all, they fit so well, they love each other so much just as they are, that they just live in this perfect harmony of giving and taking exactly what the other needs - its just natural for them - and the way you depict that is making me feral!!!!!!

anywho,, i am week at the knees for you and your writing my love ❤️❤️

Omg zia this is the nicest thing to come online to I don't even know what to say AAAH thank you!!!?!?

it's so nice to hear how my writing comes across because (and I know I always say this when my writing comes up) I'm still learning what I'm doing and the fact there's any emotion or hotness, and it hits means so much to meee!!! Like, as a smut writer obviously I was so focused on whether people found it hot that I was so surprised when I got so many comments about the fic being hot AND sweet, I was like oh wow I felt like I was just writing them and their relationship in the realistic way they exist in my head! like I wasn't trying to make it mushy yet people find it full and authentic, and that's so cool to hear, because I really enjoy writing slice of life fic for them and hope others enjoy that too!

This is really motivating so thank you genuinely 🥺 I know I didn't want to go this long without posting again, but life happens and it's also tricky to build a routine when I hadn't written much before this fandom! I hope I can deliver more spicy-sweet for everyone with all my wips❣️

[undeserved-halo]

What do you think is the most popular tmf ship in the fandom as of now?

as of last year i would 100% have said drake but people seem to have moved away from that now? understandable really there is no hope for them.

as for the most popular, maybe henriam? zia? idk, it seems that everyones shipping different things now. hell, i think even jaisy is coming back??

actually i reckon its milliot. im not a big fan of the ship myself (im not really that interested in either character if im being honest)

also kind of not related but im starting to really like dria, i think thats more popular than last year (because yknow the fandom was VERY active last year. its died down now, its mostly newbies and i avoid them because they might have like rabies and stuff? i trust the ogs and the ogs only)

[rcguish]

Hopefully, the sudden rain of silver origami stars and snowflakes doesn't startle Silver. Zia takes greater care of Blue's earnest attempt at a folded paper Weavile, carefully depositing it on a nearby table. Blue even drew a snarky little face on it.

The accompanying tanzaku reads, "I hope you find what you're looking for."

silver knows it's not the most uncommon thing to receive messages, or even a little gift here and there, from her. especially in their own ways that they've built up, especially from their little connective tissue-like network of communications. their partners carrying messages to each other was a little more infrequent, but a thoughtful gesture nonetheless.

the weavile is something that catches his eyes first, an immediate noise escaping him as hands reach out to collect it. trainer observes all the details with a fine-tuned eye, humming in appreciation for all the handiwork. there is a smile on his face now, bright and warm and loving and accompanied by an exhale-like laugh. the origami, the snowflakes, the weavile - it all was so meticulously handmade and thoughtful. she had crafted these all with her own hands for him, let it come all the way this far.

he reaches out and gives the beloved espeon a scritch below her chin, and coos softly as she bumps his hand. his gaze catches sight of the tanzaku and its script, to which he stills immediately. he sits on this bench and he can't help but stare at all these little gifts in his hands for a long, long time. and he can't help the burning-hot sensation at the corners of his eyes, the blurriness that came with the tears that welled up. he really should talk to her more, make more of an effort.

places them all carefully right next to him, and retrieves his pokegear from his pocket. one of the newer models, he always notes with gratitude ; and deftly types out a few messages for blue.

[ sms ] hey. i hope things have been well for you lately. 🖤 [ sms ] thanks for the weavile, and the note. i think i'm getting closer. [ sms ] i'm sorry i haven't reached out in a while. again. [ sms ] grab some coffee with me soon? i'm thinking of hitching a plane ride back, just for a little while.

@evoblue.