#I think people treat others on here who share any sort of news like they’re actual professional journalists and we’re not

[stuckinapril]

.

[yarameijer]

Hi!

OMG are you the writer who wrote "Accidental Reverse"?!

If so, I'm a Huge fan!!!

Anyways... How are you?

If you accept headcannons or drabbles, what are your thoughts on Shindou and Tenma? How would you explain their relationship? Do you have any headcannons about them?

... I should probably stop here, so... Thank you so much for your AMAZING stories! I can't wait for what ideas you have in the future!

Take care and keep up the great work!!!

Heyhey! Yes, I am that writer! I’m good, super busy with exams and finishing my research tho, but hopefully I’ll get some more free time again eventually. Yes, I accept both headcanons or drabbles (as long as it works with my story universe), but I’m VERY bad at actually finishing drabbles haha…

Okay so I LOVE Tenma and Shindou’s dynamic, so thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to ramble about it XD

Shindou and Tenma’s relationship is, in one word, complex. As we all know, Shindou at the start of the anime doesn’t particularly like Tenma because of his behavior towards soccer, for two reasons: he thinks Tenma is very naive and his thoughtless actions will not only get himself in trouble, but also everyone else (and at this point, if Shindou has to choose between the team he’s been a part of for a year and a kid he’s met a day ago, it’s not even a choice).

The second reason is that he understands. Shindou loves soccer too. In a prestigious family where achievement is everything, soccer sometimes felt like the only thing he could just do for fun, not because he had to be good at it. And he was good at it.

But Fifth Sector ruined it for him, and the only reason he hasn’t left the club yet is because he feels a responsibility towards his teammates and because this is the only way he still gets to do what he loves, even if it’s twisted. So when he meets Tenma - cheerful, bright-eyed, hopeful Tenma - he hates him. He sees himself in him. And he can’t stand to see that spark in Tenma’s eyes fade like it did for him, so he tries to push Tenma away, get him to quit, before he has to see that happening. Beyond that Shindou is having a very hard time in general and using Tenma as a… well, a punching bag, in a way. At the same time you’ve got Tenma, who doesn’t know the meaning of backing down, and is also not the type of person to fight back against the type of treatment Shindou is giving him.

Of course, eventually this starts to change; Shindou gains hope that maybe, just maybe they can do something against Fifth Sector, and once he’s made up his mind about something he’ll go all in. With Shindou and Tenma now on the same side, the previous tension in their relationship fades and they have the chance to get to know each other. Tenma is (sort of ironically) very shy and very enthusiastic, and his optimism brings Shindou out of his own depressive slump. It’s contagious, really.

Once Shindou stops targeting Tenma all the time, Tenma gains a new appreciation for him as well. He’s already a fanboy of anything soccer and Shindou’s plans, the way his mind works, blows him away - Shindou is easily the smartest person Tenma’s ever met, and for him to look at Tenma and treat him as a teammate, as someone to be acknowledged… that means a lot. Just like that, their relationship becomes much more amicable, and they bond over their shared love of soccer and their goal of defeating Fifth Sector. They’re, maybe not friends, but at least on friendly terms.

Then there is another important factor that influences the way they interact - the captain switch.

Several people have actually expressed their surprise at the two of them. Tenma essentially ‘replaced’ Shindou as captain, after all, so outsiders would expect Tenma to reject Shindou’s advice - to prove himself as the ‘real’ captain, instead of listening to the old one. Similarly, Shindou was expected to hold a grudge since he was replaced by a first-year. Except that’s about as far from the truth as you can get.

Tenma respects Shindou very much first as captain and later as strategist, and holds his opinion in high regard. Even after all the years they’ve known each other, Shindou is still the one he’ll turn to first when a decision needs to be made and he wants a second opinion. Even if he doesn’t necessarily ask for it, he’ll always listen if Shindou has something to add. Furthermore, Tenma has never wanted to be captain - the role was thrust upon him due to circumstances, and he agrees because his team asked him to, but he’s never seen himself as any sort of leader and if he could, he’d shy away from the responsibility. He’s also of the opinion that Shindou is a great captain - why would he need to be replaced?

Except, of course, Shindou gets injured so there isn’t really a choice in that. What does happen, however, is the decision the team made to have Tenma stay on as captain even after Shindou recovered - which was suggested by Shindou himself.

Because Shindou doesn’t like being captain.

He’s pretty good at it, but it stresses him out a lot. He’s a strategist first and foremost and being captain interferes with that. Shindou wants to make plans, analyze the world around him, observe and gather information but if he’s acting as captain he can’t do that, can’t retreat into his own head like that. He’s got a responsibility to the rest of the team and he always feels the pressure to be aware of them, lift their spirits, lead them, and if he’s too busy with his plans he can’t do that. He also does not see himself as the most empathetic individual - gauging the team’s mood, figuring out what to say, isn’t really instinctive for him. He can do it if necessary but it takes effort and he often second-guesses himself, and with a team so diverse and intense as Raimon, empathy is a must.

So to Shindou, being captain is a burden. He took the position because the team wanted him to and he doesn’t regret it, but once Tenma shows a pretty instinctual talent for it and has a few weeks to polish that talent - once it becomes clear how easy it is for the team to follow him - well, Shindou sees his chance and takes it. He’s the one to voice the thought first, and once he tells the rest of the team, they don’t see any reason to disagree.

Which is exactly why Shindou has no resentment towards Tenma for taking his position. Shindou can do what he likes most - strategize - and aid his team, all the while knowing Raimon is in the best possible hands. And beyond that; Shindou didn’t give up any of his authority in the team. If a decision has to be made, Raimon decides together. Shindou and Tenma are a duo when it comes to leading the team - Shindou makes the plans, Tenma inspires them to do what’s right and encourages them.

Tenma, despite first floundering under the responsibility, handles it well and Shindou (nor the other senpai) refuses to let him shoulder it alone. Tenma’s still just a first-year, after all, and like mentioned before, Shindou sees himself in him. Now more than ever. They both know what it’s like to become captain in their first year, to have the responsibility thrust upon them, and Shindou refuses to let Tenma struggle with it alone. He acts like a listening ear, always willing to lend advice if the younger asks for it, and although at first Tenma is quite hesitant (with Shindou being his senpai), he’s also very earnest and open.

Over time, they get to talking more and more, outside of club-related things. Shindou is the dependable smart friend Tenma can always come to with his issues, while Tenma is cheerful and optimistic and doesn’t really expect anything from Shindou, not like the rest of the world. Doesn’t expect perfect grades or being the best, and while it takes Shindou a while to let go of the mask, eventually Tenma becomes one of the few friends he can just completely be himself around. Shindou is much more relaxed now that he’s no longer the captain and the tension in Raimon that was present under Fifth Sector’s reign is gone, and it shows in his friendship with Tenma. They act crazy, or lazy, and just do things for fun because they want to. They, together with Tsurugi, have been dubbed the new Raimon Trio, and it just works. Their skills complement each other and they settle into a comfortable friendship and shared leadership over the team after Tenma’s first year.

Sure, it takes them quite a while to get to that point, both because they have unspoken issues between them originating from the start of the year, and because they need to learn to understand each other. There's the boundaries caused by Tenma's insecurities and Shindou's expectations for himself. It takes a while for Tenma to learn to depend on other people and for Shindou to learn to be patient and listen, something that's been driven out of him by years of expectation and responsibility. But they get there. Maybe not immediately, but once they do, their friendship is unbeatable and something they both cherish dearly.

As for headcanons…

They tease each other all the time. Tsurugi plays a part in this too. The three of them just full on snark whenever they have the chance (Tsurugi and Shindou especially like making fun of Tenma for being the shortest, Tenma and Shindou like making fun of Tsurugi when he’s pretending to be all cool, and Tenma and Tsurugi will never let an opportunity to mention Shindou’s dramatic tendencies go).

Tenma loves listening to Shindou playing the piano and once Shindou figures that out, he offers to play something whenever Tenma comes over to his house, to Tenma’s absolute delight.

They often discuss team matters, sometimes over video or phone call, and always end up sharing ideas for hissatsu techniques and strategies (either for themselves or their teammates). It’s actually why they’re so in sync and can pull off improvised moves so well; they share their ideas so often they know pretty well how the other thinks/works, and that shows when they’re in the middle of a match. Super convenient when you know your best friend has been designing a new super shot for WEEKS and is itching to try it out.

In the year Shindou goes to high school while Tenma’s still in middle school, they end up calling each other quite a lot, and they like to get ramen or bubble tea or ice cream after school if they’ve both got the time, since they can’t hang out anymore as easily. Soon they drag anyone in the team along if they’ve got time, but it’s a habit that started with just the two of them.

They have a standing agreement to disagree on whether cats or dogs are better.

Tenma has been known to drag Shindou out very early in the morning during weekends if he’s got plans, whether that’s soccer practice or for a walk or whatever they’ve planned this time. Shindou is NOT a morning person but it’s very hard to say no to Tenma.

That’s it for now, I hope you enjoyed it! ^.^

[readingrobin]

The Scapegracers by H.A. Clarke

An outcast teenage lesbian witch finds her coven hidden amongst the popular girls in her school, and performs some seriously badass magic in the process.

Skulking near the bottom of West High’s social pyramid, Sideways Pike lurks under the bleachers doing magic tricks for Coke bottles. As a witch, lesbian, and lifelong outsider, she’s had a hard time making friends. But when the three most popular girls pay her $40 to cast a spell at their Halloween party, Sideways gets swept into a new clique. The unholy trinity are dangerous angels, sugar-coated rattlesnakes, and now–unbelievably–Sideways’ best friends.

Together, the four bond to form a ferocious and powerful coven. They plan parties, cast curses on dudebros, try to find Sideways a girlfriend, and elude the fundamentalist witch hunters hellbent on stealing their magic. But for Sideways, the hardest part is the whole ‘having friends’ thing. Who knew that balancing human interaction with supernatural peril could be so complicated? - Storygraph

Reading this book was like shooting a glorious cocktail of Joan Jett, The Craft, and glorious butch lesbian energy straight into my veins. Angry girl gangs are a trope right up my alley and The Scapegracers doesn’t disappoint. What I really appreciated was the core dynamic of the group. With your typical girl groups à la Heathers or Mean Girls, once the power structure is threatened, the girls basically turn on each other and rip the others to shreds. Here, it’s clear that these friends are ride or die for each other to a somewhat intimidating degree. If anyone dares to hurt one of their own, it’s open season and the aftermath is going to be bloody. High school party legends Jing, Daisy, and Yates never really fall into the holier than thou popular rich girl group stereotype, as they readily bring witchy loner Sideways into the fold once they see that her abilities are no joke. Despite their reputations, they’re very earnest in their intentions, and do what they can to make her feel welcome. It’s a welcome departure from the usual popular kids embracing the school loser story and leads to some great interactions between them all.

Sideways is a character that is all barbed wire and jagged edges. Like many an angry queer teen, she desires to kick a hole square in the face of the universe and disregard any sort of conventional living. Some may find her personality and narration abrasive, but it absolutely jives with the tone and direction of the story. She is just the right amount of pissed off for the audience to cheer her on while not being totally put off by her attitude. I think what also really helps is that we are shown constantly that Sideways is not a totally unfeeling person. There are people that she loves, like her amazing, incredibly supportive dads, Julian and Boris, as well as her new friends and mysterious crush. It goes a long way in humanizing her and shows that what she ultimately wants is some sort of connection to others.

Tangent here, but Julian and Boris are probably some of the best parents I’ve come across in young adult fiction. Julian is the kind parent prone to flustering over the safety of his daughter, but at the same time is all for her joining up with a girl gang to act as a counter for the wealth of meathead jocks in the area. Boris is the more reserved of the two, still caring for Sideways and shares many interests with her, but is also respectful of her space and her secrets. Again loving the shakeups to the typical YA format of an angsty teen who is constantly at odds with their parents that only serve as another obstacle for them to face.

The treatment of magic in this world feels very unique, as it focuses more on its physical effects to the caster rather than solely on its outcomes. Magic is treated as this force that runs all throughout the body when in use, feelings of electricity and chills, coupled with coppery tastes on the tongue and sensations that defy reality. It makes magic more than just saying a cryptic word and hoping that it works, it is an elemental force that you dish out with your entire body. The magic in Scapegracers is chaotic, twisting and shaping itself based on the specific witch, better when done improvised and in the moment. I really like this interpretation, as it appears as this unpredictable power that can be called on in certain situations rather than completely mastered.

On the whole, a fantastic read if you’re looking for some hardcore witchy vibes and a tough-as-nails girl gang that would definitely conquer the world if given the chance. I found it a bit slow to start at the beginning, but after a few chapters it really picks up and doesn’t slow down until the very end.

(5/5)

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Had to share this with you because I was looking at the quotes on this post and this one gave me a big laugh. This is exactly how you describe how solos see their bias vs other members. And I don’t understand how they don’t realize how insulting this is to Jimin, the idea that he would be so loyal and affectionate towards people who, according them, treat him like trash. But this was seriously so funny. (Like even Jhope who they token stan now? 😭)

https://x.com/diorstear/status/1709969755115811065?s=20

***

Your link.

I mean, where do you even begin with people who are incapable of realizing the implications of what they’re saying? When I say solo stans literally lack ordered thinking beyond the 1st, this is exactly what I mean.

You know what I find most amusing though? I joined Tumblr in 2021, so just before Chapter 2 started. And the topics that dominated here were people speaking lowly of those “chart-obsessed ARMYs”, about those “infantilizing k-pop idols”, about how people should watch full unedited original content, about how k-pop fans shouldn’t have a saviour complex, about the privilege BTS have as Korean men, about how toxic fans lean into parasocial attachments in k-pop, about fans lacking boundaries, etc… This was the dominant discourse in this space always said in a tone where the people in these fringe spaces relative to the main OT7 ones, felt they were above all that. Only for Chapter 2 to start and almost every single one has done an aboutface.

Now practically all these people are significantly much more chart-obsessed than any chartmy I’ve seen ever, it’s like they picked up the tactics (the how) without any understanding of the why, when, and where ARMYs employed those tactics, and intensified it. These are the people now hyping up edits that victimize their fave, constantly wanting to play saviour and inserting themselves into the relationships between the members to assume malice, envy, or hate, all to further the idea that everyone in the group hates their fave, is using them for their own selfish needs, and only their fave is the most selfless sacrificial lamb for the ‘temporary experiment’ that is BTS. In spite of all the footage we have, in spite of what their supposed sacrificial lamb has said and keeps saying… in spite of everything, they choose to insult their fave all in a bid to justify their hate of the rest.

It’s amusing to me because everybody else can tell exactly what this is. We all know the types of groups of people, across various backgrounds, cultures, religions, times, who fall into these exact kind of thought patterns. I promise you, for solo stans it doesn’t just end in k-pop - their underlying beliefs extend to how they see the world at large. And that’s how I know there’s nothing to be done for people like this unless they completely detach. They’ve become too sucked in and are the sorts for whom k-pop will consume everything about them. But that same reason is why they won’t leave, and will only become more and more toxic, further poisoning their own experience within fandom and that of everyone who comes into contact with them.

I keep saying, for BTS, the people who think the least about their faves are their solo stans. And over the three-ish years I’ve been answering asks in this space, it’s clear PJMs are no exception.

Thankfully, Jimin remains fairly insulated from the madness that happens in fandom. He’s focused on advancing his career and all the guys constantly remind everybody that they are in fact in this together and they intend to keep it that way. Speaking of which, Taehyung hyping up 3D was so cute! The way he was saying he loved it almost made me rethink my initial view of the song. And while 3D is growing on me (tbf), I still want to hear more from JK, something that actually wows me. Fingers crossed at least one of the new 8 tracks has something there for me.

Lol anyway thanks (kinda) for sending me that, it did make me chuckle. I say kinda because while it’s a tweet that does prove my point about how akgaes view their fave, I didn’t feel it was worth it seeing the extent of their abuse of other members in the quotes. All of their talking points I’ve heard before and so I’m not sensitive to it, but it’s still kinda unpleasant to see these people be extremely abusive to the members completely unprovoked. It’s like entering a den filled with raving, unwashed lunatics looking for anything to tear apart.

Just unpleasant. So I’d prefer if next time, rather than show and tell with a link, you just describe what you mean without a link to that insanity.

**EDIT: I just realized I only talked about the quotes without addressing the underlying clip and someone who perhaps hasn't watched the original full clip could be wondering why I'm okay with the other six members 'ganging up' on Jimin...

I've actually talked about what happened in that clip on my blog before, and it was in the context of how Yoongi supports Jimin in BTS. For anyone who wants to watch the full thing to reach their own conclusions, the source is from BTS's Festa 2016 dinner. I've linked the Bantan Subs version with English subtitles here:

*

In my Masterlist post where I talk about hate in the BTS fandom, I refer to clips exactly like what PJMs are spreading now to victimize Jimin and incite hatred on other members. Every. Single. Member in BTS has clips like that about them, where they're being immature or cattish, towards the others. Including Jimin. It's an age-old akgae tactic to add up these clips into compilations to create a narrative about their chosen member, it's exactly what shippers do as well and taekookers are the worst offenders, and is also the reason why ARMYs keep insisting that new fans go back to BTS's old content and watch all of it in full. If you're educating yourself on BTS based on clips circulated by akgaes or shippers you've already lost the plot.

[confessionsofa-roleplayer]

"Oh I'm so excited about this thread with you! I'll reply to it soon."

6 months later of them replying to newer threads with new followers and followers they found through me they have yet to reply. So I send them the direct link to the thread with the message of in case you didn't have it drafted. They reply after that in about two weeks.

We go back to occasionally messaging one another about funny things, sharing dash posts and such.

And then it's nearly a damn year later and they're still picking up new threads with new people, and have not replied to the thread we had since. They also lost interest in my female OC after they went through to follow mutuals with male muses (canon and OC) I was interacting with and went to town with a bunch of near smut threads littering my dash with them. I will also be clear I'm not after that sort of stuff with those mutuals or this person in question for their male OC.

I just wanted to have the cool world exploring interaction but they just left me out to sea on it to have their OC pursue the dick of just about every male character they have even 5 words with. And given the chance if I said any of this to them they'd probably say I'm being homophobic when I'm really not. I'm just tired of getting dropped.

Honestly, I feel used when someone does this, more so when it's another OC writer who initially interacts with me. And I can tell they cross into my radius of mutuals after meeting me because they aren't interacting with these people until after interacting with me, and it shows in their archives of their posts. Though honestly I don't have enough energy beyond what affected me to care more at this point.

I'm just getting so tired of people doing this shit. So tired of other OC writers just dropping someone like this because they'd rather try to pursue their sexual or fetish fantasy with their character. I'm tired of people fetishizing homosexual relationships in writing, because it all too often is just fulfilling someones fetish and not a realistic relationship of the given type.

Maybe I just crave some reasonable normality and people to stop thinking horny in who they are going to keep or drop for any extended interaction in a literal coffee shop.

Because all it ends up having me ask is: Would you actually treat another human being like this offline? Would you want to be treated like this by someone?

Many of the confessions here are right, too many people in the damn RP community have no freaking communication skills what-so-ever and hide behind convenient excuses of mental/social disabilities to avoid actually communicating with the people they start treating like shit out of the blue. And usually I hold all these feelings in and try not to be a bother to anyone about it.

I have social anxiety, ADHD and I am high functioning on the spectrum and even I have the freaking where with all to at least attempt to communicate with someone despite how many times people treat me like shit and break me. If I can do it despite how many times I've been burned and still be polite, then so can these people.

It's a wonder I don't have more trust issues at this point with people just dropping me in this way.

[fallen-gravity]

my constellation prize

As much as Scratch loves his sleep and alone time, he’s always found an indescribable sort of comfort in the night sky. He’s far from new to the concept of feeling small and insignificant, so he’s never really put much thought into how vast and unending it all is. Space may be cold and unforgiving, but it’s nothing compared to the Ghost World and how the Council’s been treating him for years.

No, he’s never paid mind to any of that. 

Call him strangely sentimental, but he’s always been fascinated by the stars. 

Notes:

*slaps fic* this baby can fit so much nostalgia in it.

I've had this fic on the back burner since early August, and I'm so happy I finally get to share it with you guys. I really am a sucker for the stars and the night sky, so there may be a piiiinch of projection in here. Don't tell anyone, though, okay? This is just between us ;)

On a semi-related note, I started playing Sky: Children of the Light sometime in-between planning this fic and writing it, and I think it really shows. It's so soft, it's infected me and everything I do (affectionate)

AO3

Scratch is no stranger to insomnia. 

Yeah, as it turns out, the whole “rest in peace” thing isn’t all that it’s chalked up to be. Aside from the fact that ghosts still have to work full time jobs, Scratch was incredibly disappointed to learn that sleep and health ailments aren’t exclusive to the living. 

Sure, maybe they’re not affected in the same way as humans are, and nothing’s going to happen in the long run, cause it’s not like they can die a second time, but sleep? Resting is right there in the description! Whatever happened to sleep is for the dead? 

Whatever. As annoying as all of that is, Scratch would be lying to himself if he tried to say there wasn’t a silver lining.

As much as Scratch loves his sleep and alone time, he’s always found an indescribable sort of comfort in the night sky. He’s far from new to the concept of feeling small and insignificant, so he’s never really put much thought into how vast and unending it all is. Space may be cold and unforgiving, but it’s nothing compared to the Ghost World and how the Council’s been treating him for years.

No, he’s never paid mind to any of that. 

Call him strangely sentimental, but he’s always been fascinated by the stars. 

They’re always the same, wherever you go. They’re the one thing that stays consistent when everything else in the world changes. Clouds clear, plants come and go with the seasons, people and ghosts who say they’re not like everyone else and promise not to leave always wind up changing their minds and act like they don’t even know you exist.

Stars, however, have been around since the dawn of time. And since the dawn of time people have been fascinated by them. Every night, without fail, there’s certain to be someone out there looking up at the stars and thinking about…whatever it is that people think about when they look at the stars. 

Even Scratch finds he isn’t immune to that. He no longer remembers when he picked up on the habit, but on those insomnia-filled nights where he’s found that absolutely nothing is working in helping him fall asleep, and he’s just about given up on trying, he too has found himself looking up at the stars. They’re quiet, and stargazing doesn’t take a single drop of effort on his part, so Scratch hasn’t exactly tried to break the habit, either.

…Not to mention that old saying about how if you’re looking up at the stars, chances are that there’s someone out there looking up at the stars with you. Scratch would never be one to admit it out loud, but he’d be lying to himself if he tried claiming that…it didn’t help him to feel a little less alone, even if by the smallest margin. And when you suffer from insomnia as much as he does, then maybe…maybe some small part of him that he keeps hidden away from most others…likes to think there’s always someone else out there, maybe suffering from insomnia too, looking up at those stars with him, no matter how far away they may be. 

Oh well. It’s not something he’s given mind to since the McGees moved in, since he no longer had to spend time sitting around and wondering when he’d finally find company who, well…enjoyed his company.

Well, okay, he hasn’t given much mind to it until tonight, but to be fair, he’s not even the one suffering from insomnia. 

If there’s anything Scratch knows most about Molly, it’s that she suffers from even worse insomnia than even he does. Most of the time, it’s because she’s up late scheming, and she gets so fixated on whatever new plan she has to enhappify Brighton that she forgets to sleep altogether. In those cases, Scratch usually wakes up to their whole shared room being covered head to toe in sticky notes and red string, not to mention Molly herself aimlessly wandering back and forth and mumbling to herself. Other times, however, Scratch has witnessed Molly suffering from honest and true insomnia, where no matter what she tries, she can’t fall asleep for the life of her. 

If Scratch had to guess, he’d assume her body got so used to having to wake up as early as possible from all the packing up and leaving she’s had to do since her early childhood. Now that she and her family are settled into her forever home and she no longer has to get up as early as possible, Molly must not be used to staying in place. Scratch does greatly sympathize with her on the insomnia front, but the thing that’s stopping him from full-on feeling terrible for her is that she usually tries to solve her own insomnia by talking his ear off all night.

The keyword here is usually. 

Tonight, however, Molly hasn’t said a single word to him, but Scratch knows for a fact that she’s still awake, because he heard the trap door leading in and out of her room creak open, followed by the sound of her not-so-subtle footsteps as she sneaks down the ladder. Which, okay, fine, maybe she just wanted a drink of water, and couldn’t be as sneaky about it as most people reasonably could since her bedroom is in the attic. That’s fine.

But… 

She’s not coming back. 

Not in the amount of time it takes a normal person to get a cup of water and come back, anyway. Scratch may be awful at telling time and how much of it has passed on his own, but when he squints through a window in his dollhouse to try and read Molly’s bedside alarm clock, his suspicions are confirmed; it’s been ten minutes since she left, and there’s still no sign of her coming back any time soon. He’d checked the time when she got up, just to assure himself that it wasn’t morning, and that Molly wasn’t about to come running back up the ladder to get him out of bed too, but he dismissed the time just as quickly when he noted it was still the middle of the night. 

Now, though, he’s almost…worried, because if something awful happened to her, like if she fell and got hurt and nobody can hear her crying for help, and he wasn’t there to---

That train of thought leaves Scratch’s head just as quickly as it had formed, though, and now there’s an even worse one forming in his head, because if Scratch looks close enough he can see that it’s not just Molly that’s missing from her bed. Her blanket is missing too, and her pillow looks as if it’s been tossed to the floor.

“Molly?” he whisper-shouts as he flies out of his dollhouse, doing a terrible job at hiding the panic from his voice. He flies out of their room to look for her in the hallway below, but there’s no sign of her there, either, not even in the form of a light peeking out from under the closed bathroom door. Refusing to assume the worst, he dashes down the stairs to look for her in the kitchen in case she wanted a cup of warm milk, but no, there’s no sign of her there, either.

“Molly McGee!” he whisper-shouts, like using her last name will magically summon her to his side. It doesn’t work, of course, but he doesn’t hear the sound of her approaching footsteps, either. He’s about to resort to sneaking up to Pete and Sharon’s room to see if she’s in there with them for some reason, but just as he passes by the sliding door that leads to the backyard, he notices something outside that’s vaguely…Molly-shaped. It’s too dark out to tell for sure, but if he stops and really looks, he thinks he can see Molly sitting on the ground with her comforter wrapped around her shoulders.

Scratch practically sighs in relief. Well, that answers those questions, but the fact that Molly’s just sitting out in the backyard all by herself in the middle of the night really only raises more questions. He phases right through the glass doors, but clears his throat in an attempt to make his presence known.

“Molly?” he whispers, and she’s so deep in thought that she practically jumps out of her skin at the call of her name. She grips the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and turns around to look at him. 

“Scratch?” Molly squints towards him. “What are you doing out here?”

He practically splutters in exasperation. “What am I doing out here? Moll, what are you doing out here? You got out of bed to get a drink of water fifteen minutes ago and never came back! You left the door open! I thought something terrible might’ve happened to you!”

“...Oh,” she replies, almost sounding as if she’s embarrassed. “You noticed that, huh? I thought you were asleep,” she says, and curls her blanket even tighter around her shoulders. “I’m usually so good at sneaking out, but I guess you can’t really fool a ghost like that, huh?” She asks, but doesn’t wait for a response before she continues speaking. “I’m sorry for making you worry. I’ll…” she pauses, and turns her glance towards the sky. “I’ll come back inside in a few minutes. I just…need some time out here, is all”

Scratch blinks. She’s not…upset, is she? She doesn’t seem all that upset, but why would someone like Molly want to spend time out in her backyard in the middle of the night all by herself if she wasn’t upset?

He places a hand on her shoulder and pats it gently in an awkward attempt to comfort her. “Moll, I don’t care if you want to stay out here all night. I just wanna know why you’re out here at god-knows-what o’clock”

“...Oh,” she replies, like she was genuinely expecting to be chastised for being outside so late. She pauses for a moment, as if debating whether or not she wants to give him an explanation, before mumbling “you’re gonna laugh at me” 

Scratch gasps in fake offense. “Molly McGee!” he places a hand to his chest. “What kind of best friend do you take me for? Of course I’m going to laugh at you, but I can’t until you let me in on the joke!” he nudges her with his elbow, to which she replies with a roll of her eyes. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you,” Molly smirks, and gently flicks him on the nose. “But only because you promised.” There’s a mischievous smile on her face, but it falls to a more serious expression just as quickly as it had appeared. “Back when I was a little kid, and we were still moving around a lot, we’d have to do a lot of overnight drives to get to our new house. Dad would usually fly out on his own so he wouldn’t miss his first day at his new job, but Mom never wanted him to stay at a hotel longer than he had to, so we usually started the drive out with all our stuff towing in trucks behind us on the same day of his flights. Darryl slept like a baby during those car rides, ‘cause he practically was one, but I was always so nervous about the move that I couldn’t sleep. What would the new house look like? Would it be bigger than the old one? Smaller? What about the school? The teachers? The students? Were they gonna be the type to gang up on the new kid, or welcome her with open arms? There were so many questions in my little head that I felt like I couldn’t even sit still.”

“I had to do something, cause I couldn’t bother my mom while she was driving, and I couldn’t wake Darryl up cause then he’d start crying, so I had to find something to do to occupy myself, and if you’ve ever been in a cramped little car at two-thirty in the morning you’d know how impossible that is, especially for someone like me. A lot of times we’d end up driving through the middle of nowhere, and, well…” she gestures upward with a nod of her head. “I found the stars,” Molly whispers, her voice growing soft with nostalgia. “I never knew the names of any constellations, so I never really knew what to look for, but looking out at the stars as we drove along a dark road in the middle of the night…It felt more homey than some of the actual homes we lived in. I had more alone time with the stars than some of those houses combined, so I guess that’s got something to do with it, but…” Molly loosens her grip on her blanket, and there’s a soft smile forming on her face. “It always worked to cure my insomnia. I’d just look at the stars for a few minutes, and before I knew it I’d be out cold.” Molly shifts her gaze away from Scratch again. “And this is the part that you’ll probably just think is stupid, but…I think the reason it always worked so well is that I always told myself that…you know, the stars are the same everywhere, and maybe, just maybe, if I hoped enough, that somewhere out there, my forever friend would be looking up at those same stars, and even in some small way, that we’d be watching them together” 

Molly buries her face in her blanket, as if to hide her blushing face. “Anyways…” she dismisses her own words with a wave of a hand in front of her face. “You were probably just wondering about tonight and not my whole life story, huh?” she laughs nervously. “Old habits die hard, I suppose. Nothing else I’ve tried tonight worked, so I figured there’d be no harm in trying the last trick up my sleeve” She yawns, and a smile forms on her face as she meets Scratch’s eyes again. “But that’s just silly, right?”

Scratch knows that Molly’s expecting him to laugh at her, to dismiss all of that as silly and drag her back to bed kicking and silently screaming, but honestly?

He’s…speechless. 

All this time.

All this time when he was stuck in a dusty old attic in an empty home, staring up at the stars and telling himself fairy tales to stop himself from going crazy, all this time he spent laughing at himself for believing in something that people tell to their children, all this time he spent secretly hoping it wasn’t all for nothing, and maybe even reveling a little bit in the fact that looking up at those stars *did* make him feel a little less alone, all this time…Molly was looking up at the stars with him?

Scratch feels light-headed. There’s no way. He’s never believed in fate, or destinies, or star-crossed anything in his entire afterlife. He probably didn’t believe in any of that when he was alive, either, if he could remember any of that. It’s all l just a bunch of nonsense that people tell themselves so they don’t go crazy, there’s no logic behind it, it has to be some kind of huge coincidence, because there’s no way he and Molly were meant to be friends from the very beginning, there’s no way that Molly was always referring to him when she dreamt of her forever friend, even as a little kid, because that would mean there really was someone out there always looking out for him, there was someone out there who was looking forward to spending time with him, and Scratch just can’t wrap his head around that because it’s impossible, nobody’s ever wanted to spend time with him, they’d just take one look at him and turn away from disgust, though… he supposes Molly didn’t do that when they first met even though she should’ve, because he was just some creepy old ghost in her new bedroom, and-

“Scratch?” Molly’s voice pulls him from his freight train of thoughts. She waves a hand in front of his eyes. “Are you with me?” 

Scratch lets out his heartiest fake laugh. “Moll, what kinda question is that? I’m right here, aren’t I?” 

She snorts. “I mean, you looked like you were falling asleep in place, bud. I asked you a question and then you just sort of stared off into space for a minute there.”

“Oh!” he responds, a bit louder than he intends to. “That? Pssh, that was just because your story was putin’ me to sleep. You know, you should really look into reading audio books for a living, because, you know, Molly McGee, mayor of Snorseville, USA would do a great job at knocking people right out, and-”

“Scratch,” she cuts him off with a sad smile. “It’s okay, you don’t gotta act all cold and tough like that. It’s okay if you feel sad for me,” she says, and snuggles closer into her blanket. “Most people I end up telling that story end up feeling all sad and sorry for me, anyway. I’m used to it”

“Wait, no, Moll…” Scratch drops the facade the moment he realizes she may actually be upset, and places a hand on her shoulder. “It’s, uh…it’s not that. Truth be told…” he starts, and scrunches his eyes closed because he just knows he has to get it out before he can change his mind, “...it just…reminded me a lot of myself, you know…before I met you.”

“It did?” Molly perks up, and shifts her entire body to face him so quickly her blanket falls off of her shoulders altogether. “How so?” she asks, and then momentarily retracts within herself. “I mean, that is, if you want to tell me. I know you’re a little sensitive about the whole tragic backstory thing.”

Curse her for making him laugh when he’s trying to be all serious. 

“Okay, okay…” Scratch raises his hands in mock defeat. “I’ll tell ya. But only if you promise to never tell anybody about this. Not even Geoff knows about this, so it’s like, uh, a super best friend secret” 

“Ooh, fun!!” Molly claps excitedly, and raises her right hand. “I Molly McGee guarantee that I won’t tell anyone” 

“Good.” Scratch nods, attempting to cross his arms over his chest to appear serious, but he deflates the moment he opens his mouth again. “This was a long time ago, y’see? I don’t even remember how long ago it was. All I knew was that I was all alone, and I couldn’t sleep. I was already a ghost, so it’s not like any of the regular sleep methods or breathing exercises would’ve done me any good.” He coughs, painfully aware that he’s still avoiding the subject even though he was the one who brought it up at all. “Anyways, uh, since I had the attic all to myself, and the window was right there anyway, I figured that it couldn’t kill me to…take a peek out the window, you know?” He laughs nervously, and does his best to ignore Molly staring intently as she listens to his story. “And…uh, it was a really starry night, y’see?” he rubs at the back of his neck, and it’s getting harder and harder to ignore Molly sitting right there, especially when she gasps like she sees exactly where this is going.

“I’d tried just about everything else,” Scratch adds, just fast enough that she can’t cut in, “So I figured that there must be something about the stars that were calming, right? There’s so many songs and books and all these paintings about them that they have to make some people happy, right? So I figured alright, if it works on all those people, who’s to say it couldn’t also work on a ghost?” He smiles shyly. “And wouldn’t you know it? That’s what finally worked. I dunno if it’s just ‘cause I was already up so late, or if there really was something about the stars, but whatever it was, it knocked me out cold. I think I slept about sixteen hours that night” he says, and finds an embarrassed flush burning into his cheeks as he gets to the kicker.  “And then some time afer I woke up, I remembered something else that people are always sayin’ about the stars” 

He takes a moment to finally work up the courage to meet Molly’s eyes again. She’s so invested in the story that she has her chin resting in her hands, and her eyes are practically sparkling. Scratch clears his throat and looks away again before his nerves clam him up for good.

“I’d heard that…if you’re looking up at the stars, there was a good chance that there’d be someone out there looking up at those same stars with you. Something about how you’re never alone, even when you feel like you’ve got nobody. Now I’m no sap or anything, but…” his voice nearly drops to a whisper. “For…a lonely guy like me, Moll…there was something…almost comforting about that thought. Like…if nobody else, at least I’d have whoever was looking at those stars with me, because I knew…I knew they couldn’t turn me away. They couldn’t leave, because…they were only with me in spirit, you know?” He tries to joke to lighten the mood, but it’s incredibly hard to even crack a smile when Molly is staring at him like that.

It’s not so much the fact that Molly looks sad, or anything, it’s the fact that he can’t read the expression on her face at all. That terrifies him the most, because he usually prides himself on knowing practically everything about her. (He is her number one best friend, after all).

If anything, it just sort of looks like she’s buffering, like the gears in her head aren’t quite finished turning. But before he can even open his mouth to apologize for dumping all of that on her at once, she begins speaking.

“Scratch…” Molly whispers, covering her mouth with her hands. “Do you know what this means?” she asks, but before he can even hazard a guess, her entire face lights up in a huge, beaming smile. “It means that we’ve been looking for each other all this time!” she practically squeals, almost as if she forgot they were outside in the middle of the night. “All of this time when I was looking for my forever friend, I was looking for you!” she momentarily bounces up and down, and when she stops the beaming smile on her face has softened to something significantly more affectionate. “This means that…we really have been together forever!” She squeals, and before Scratch is even aware of what’s happening Molly tackles him over in a hug.

Her energy is contagious, even in the middle of the night, so Scratch really only has himself to blame for hugging her back. 

It really is a comforting thought. All this time he was sure he was alone, and all this time, he really did have Molly close at his side. 

Spiritually, of course.

They pull away from the hug in unison, and Molly picks her blanket up from the grass. She sits back down on the floor and winds it around her shoulders, like nothing had happened, but before Scratch has time to question what she’s doing she looks back at him and gestures in her direction with her head. 

“C’mere,” she says. “I wanna try something”

Scratch wordlessly complies, because he knows at this point that it’s best not to question her, and when he reaches her side she drapes half of her blanket over his nonexistent shoulder. It practically phases right through him, but he’s incredibly touched by the gesture nonetheless. He solidifies his ectoplasm just enough that the blanket will stay in place, rather than continuously falling to the floor, and as if that wasn’t enough, Molly leans over and rests her head on him. She shifts until her body’s curled up in a position she’s comfortable with, and then she closes the blanket in on the both of them until only their heads are peeking through like some sort of make-shift blanket fort. 

“Now look up,” Molly prompts him, which makes Scratch realize she’s probably doing the same thing. 

It’s not the starriest night in the world, and all of Brighton’s light pollution is making it difficult to make out more than a few small clusters, and yet…Scratch finds himself filled with an overwhelming sense of comfort. It’s so simple, and something he’s looked at upwards of thousands of times, but…

Scratch knows it isn’t about the stars.

It never was. 

It’s Molly’s warmth, both figuratively and literally. It’s her gentle slowing breathing as she’s fighting off sleep to stay close to him, it’s…her whole being. It’s Molly, and it always has been, even long before they ever met. 

Molly deserves clearer skies. She deserves more stars. She deserves every constellation in the entire sky, right here in her little backyard. If it weren’t for the very real possibility of her parents getting very angry at him for taking her somewhere in the middle of the night, Scratch would have half a mind to bring her out to a big open field, just like the one she brought him and Libby to when she wanted to watch that comet. She deserves the stars. The stars brought him to her and she deserves to see them all. 

Another night, maybe. Scratch makes a mental note to try and remember to ask her the next time she’s up late pacing the floor or her room. For now, though…

Molly’s head slips from his nonexistent shoulder as she finally nods off to sleep. He catches her just before her head can smack against the ground, and helps her back into a sitting position. 

“Ready to give up and go back to bed?” Scratch teases, not even expecting a response from her, but even in her mostly-asleep state Molly reaches her arms out towards him in a c’mere sort of gesture.

“Jus’ a few more minutes” she slurs, already working to wrap her blanket around her shoulders again.

Scratch rolls his eyes, but he knows better than to try and pick a fight with a sleep deprived Molly. He squirms his way under the blanket, and does his best to stay still as she readjusts herself so she can rest her head on him again. “Okay,” he says, “but just a few minute, and then I’m carrying you up to bed”

Molly replies with something unintelligible, but when Scratch cranes his “neck” to look at her she has a tired smile plastered to her face.

Scratch decides it’s best to leave it be.

[emberwood-if]

!!!!! hello!!! here are my ocs!!

this is clover!! they are a big sweetheart and love to love. they’re very confused and kinda scared about finding out they have a power (especially since it’s mind manipulation and therefore terrifying) but they’re super grateful for not having to go to an actual prison and instead getting to make new friends in a cool house!! they’re shy and awkward when first meeting new people but once they’re comfortable around someone they come out of their shell and love to talk and laugh. they love dalia with all their heart, but they’ve always wanted a father figure too, so when andrei enters the picture they become very attached very quickly and look up to him a lot. also they’re a sucker for anyone who flirts with them so they’re Looking™ at F 👀

this is stormy!! he is a menace!! he doesn’t take anything seriously, pushes people’s buttons every chance he gets, and thinks it’s funny whenever he gets arrested. he’s very excited about his new illusion power and will absolutely freak people out with it constantly. despite dalia’s efforts, he’s never been very close with her, or anyone. maybe one of his new acquaintances will manage to break down his walls and weasel their way into his heart (not sure who yet, possibly k or n?) 👀 and maybe he’ll finally let himself feel like he’s part of a family 🤷 who’s to say

i hope you like them!! who would you pair them with? also could i perhaps hear what everybody’s first impressions of them would be? 👉👈 sorry this got so long shfhdjhf also also disclaimer, i used a picrew and did not make the pictures myself lol anyways thank you for letting me share okay bye!!! 💕

AHH I love them 🥹🫶

Clover is very sweet, I’d pair them with F, as you mentioned but also Perry but also Dani, I think the dynamic of a very sweet and shy MC with Dani is one that I really like, mostly because it helps balance Dani out in terms of their own characters flaws (ex, their anger lol) but a shy MC with F is so fun :,)

As for Stormy, a character like him would get into a lot of chaos with a character like Alex haha K and a character who likes to push people’s buttons means bickering a lot but K would love that since K loves arguing lol so they’d complement each other well, N would be a bit intimidated but warm up to the idea of an MC who sort of has enough energy for the both of them, so N won’t feel obligated to have to be “on” for others 🫶 which is exhausting for them, and it comes up in their character arc !!

Their first impressions of your MC Clover:

Perry: find them endearing, Perry would appreciate the fact that they’re staying positive and would think that there’s finally a housemate that has a more positive outlook on the whole situation. Perry would also appreciate the way they treat Andrei, and thats extra points in his book aha

Finn/Fera: would instantly want to see if they can be the one who breaks them out of their shell and would definitely tease (lighthearted,though!) they’d be curious definitely. I’d pair Clover with F, I think, it would be a nice dynamic

Kade/Kiera: K is always preparing themselves for a housemate who is difficult to live with, so they’d be relieved to meet someone like Clover

Alex: usually has no particularly opinions towards any house guests, but would find their awkwardness amusing haha

Dani: Dani isn’t shy but they also don’t talk much so it’ll probably be awkward silence at first conversation haha

Noah/Nora: commence the competition between whose the most shy between the two because N is definitely not an outgoing person on first meeting…honestly I’d love to witness that

Everett/Eva: E usually has the same first impression for all dufner residents “another one?” Lololol

First impression of Stormy:

Perry: probably wouldn’t know what to do with himself lolol would be slightly intimidated

Finn/Fera: would want to be stormy’s friend on the grounds of the possible chaos they can create (this goes for Alex too)

Dani: wouldn’t know how to approach someone like him. Probably keep their distance until they get a handle on him, he likes to push people’s buttons so Dani would definitely butt heads with him lol

N: VERY overwhelmed, would retreat; would not know how to act, would probably not even try to engage haha but not in a bad way more like in a “how do I deal with such a energetic person like this”

K: the very fact that he likes to push people’s buttons would intrigue K to want to go head to head, that’s just K’s nature hahaha K’s first impression would be “who is this person and why are they going toe to toe with me rn”

Alex: would be instantly intrigued, honestly they’d take over the world together lmao

Everett/Eva: other than wondering why there’s another resident, maybe there’s possible rivalry possibilities? They’d definitely be like 🤨 seeing Stormy laughing over getting arrested haha

I hope you like that haha and I do like your MCs, they’re great! 🫶🫶 Thank you for sharing, can’t wait to see how Clover and Stormy are in chapter 2 and beyond 🥹🥹

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday: Fallout Of Darkness -- Turning “Publick Occurrences” Pro-Synth

Not that it’s exactly ANTI-synth to start -- as @theggning has pointed out in her excellent meta, In Defense of Piper Wright, Piper and her paper aren’t anti-synth as much as anti-Institute, but in a world where most people believe all Gen-3 synths are infiltrators who kill innocent people and take their place, the distinction can get blurry. That being said, I liked the idea Piper using her paper after she learns about the Railroad to try and help synths without compromising the Railroad’s operations, and here’s what I came up with for my own Fallout of Darkness AU along those lines:

-->Victor and Piper work together to rescue Nick after Victor learns of his disappearance from Piper -- once that’s sorted and Nick’s safely back on his way to Diamond City (Victor having to take care of some Minutemen stuff before he can catch up -- also, was that just an alien spaceship that went streaking across the sky??), Victor comments to Piper that she could have told him Nick was a synth (“I’m so used to him I kinda forget!”) -- and that he’s kind of surprised that Piper has a synth detective friend, after reading “The Synthetic Truth” and its tale of the synth that went haywire, and her implication Mayor McDonough is cut from the same cloth.

Piper: Hey, it’s not that I hate synths in general, just. . .every one of them that isn’t Nicky is a spy for the Institute.

Victor: Er -- do you know that for sure?

Piper: [now slightly concerned] Well, it’s the only kind anybody ever finds. . .

Victor: Well, fair enough there, but -- if Nick’s different, maybe others are too?

Alice: [from her sleeping bag, because it’s daytime] Also worth pointing out that being a spy for the Institute doesn’t necessarily mean that McDonough isn’t human. They could have just paid him off or blackmailed him or something.

Piper: [more concerned] Didn’t think about that. . .hmm. Might have to write a follow-up article.

-->Eventually Victor becomes a member of the Railroad -- I don’t know if Piper’s gonna be with him when he finds them (I’ve decided this happens after the stuff with Kellogg, because Amari’s a member and can point him there), but he definitely tells her about them -- and how they help synths escape the Institute because, for all the ones that aren’t super-loyal infiltrators and coursers, it’s a hell where they’re treated as slaves.

Piper: That’s awful! . . .and shit, articles like “The Synthetic Truth” don’t actually help them, do they? Damn it, how do I make this right without compromising the Railroad. . .

-->Piper decides the best course of action is to print another article, detailing what she’s learned from “an anonymous source” and actually sort of APOLOGIZING to McDonough (in the form of “if you are a synth who’s just trying to do the best he can, then I’m sorry I made your life harder. If you’re an Institute spy, synth OR human, I will kick your ass”). She also says that any synths who want to come to her privately to share their stories of their time in the Institute, or leave her a holotape or something, she’ll anonymously post their tales so people can see how the Institute is bad for everyone, even their own creations.

-->Desdemona is conflicted about this new story -- on the one hand, she does appreciate that someone is trying to help show synths are NOT necessarily the enemy; on the other, she is concerned about security and compromising operations. Victor assures her that he knows Piper intimately (in -- multiple meanings of the word) and that she would never knowingly betray the Railroad or her sources, and that if she likes, he can set up a specific “dead drop” location for any synths who want to leave a story for Piper. Deacon and Glory are both also for this plan, knowing that they have to be stealth, but the good publicity for their cause can’t hurt -- and since Deacon and Glory rarely agree on anything, this brings Desdemona around, and they set up a safe space for synth drop-offs.

-->And then, right after the meeting, Glory pulls Victor aside, slips him a holotape and says, “If your reporter friend really means what she says, she can publish that one first.”

-->Turns out it’s Glory’s own account of her life as an Institute synth. Victor passes it along, and Piper publishes a transcript before destroying the holotape. She also gets a few stories from the dead drop of synths explaining how bad it is down there, at least one admitting they hated it so much they’re not afraid of a memory wipe to just forget it all.

-->McDonough is of course furious and trying to put the pressure on Piper to reveal where she’s getting this info, so Victor gets her and Nat out of the city for a bit to hide out in a nearby settlement. And while the prejudice is going to take some time to properly die. . .it turns out that, like Piper herself, a lot of people are willing to at least rethink their ideas a bit when they learn that “synth” does not automatically mean “Institute spy” in all cases but Nick.

It’s a little rough around the edges, but I just like the idea of Piper helping get synth stories out there and showing the world that they’re NOT all infiltrators working for the Institute. It feels very her. :) I mean, she’d have to be super careful while doing it, but she has quite a few friends on her side to help in this universe. Including a vampire who can temporarily scramble actual Institute agents’ brains long enough for a reporter in trouble to make a daring escape...

[metal-assistant]

Some thoughts I typed out the other night when I was thinking about the earliest days of my Self Insert being at the factory and a bit more detail of how exactly they (she and Karl) came to be.

It started with My self insert vs my “am I good enough for this person?” issue. Wherein I remembered I have a hard time classifying people as friends because what level of knowing someone and interacting with them makes us friends and do they actually like me or are they just being nice? Which creates a fun little plot bunny to chase for my self insert but developed into the following-

While they’re still coworkers she would TRY to be friends because they only have each other- or, she only has him because he’s not risking her getting discovered so soon- but with his attitude and determination in his projects he’d probably be dismissive to the point she’d get to that “fine I guess I’ll just piss off then.” And at that point she doesn’t talk to him much or try to crack jokes like she used to, she’s very subdued compared to her trying to accept her new situation and open up to this man. At that point she’s probably running errands for him so she’s gone more often then he’s forced to realize how much he’s actually come to rely on/enjoy/got used to her company so it seems too quiet without her. In short- he took her for granted but didn’t realize he was doing it.

Which would melt into him trying to be a bit more friendly towards her. Thought, she’s still distant. She’s been through her fair share of “knowing where she’s not wanted” and been betrayed by people she thought were close friends. Still… he’s got her helping more with projects, they’ve gone from her simply handing him tools and being there for him to mutter ideas to, to her sewing up cuts and doing the tedious work on the soldats so he can do the important parts, back to helping with ideas but this time instead of just being an ear while he rambles she’s someone who offers her own ideas… even if the whole thing is creepy. And that’s when they get a bit closer, working on a prototype they’ve both envisioned, and when it works miraculously they’re both super excited that’s when he kisses her.

Because the thing is that Karl has lived alone for so long he doesn’t know how to interact with people properly. He can be nice and charismatic but it’s a facade, he doesn’t know how to mean it. He’s been alone and no one he knows actually cares about him. Miranda doesn’t, he’s an experiment to her under the lie of “family”. And none of his “siblings” care about him. They’re too busy wanting the attention of their “mother” to care about him.

So suddenly here’s this girl who’s worrying if he’s sleeping or eating and asks him about his day and tells him she’s sorry for him when he’s frustrated and convinces him take breaks and literally cares about him? There’s this sort of kindness he’s never experienced before. She isn’t solely looking out for herself, she’s taking time to be concerned about his well being… for no reason at all… besides being… kind hearted.

He doesn’t know how to take it.

He doesn’t know how to give that back to her. He doesn’t know how to express love or kindness because, in his mind, any act of mercy is kindness because thats what Miranda has taught him.

Karl has to learn that he can actually be himself with someone else. He learns WHO that someone is. He didn’t really know he was much outside of wanting revenge on Miranda or being her puppet.

And there’s a lot of him learning what love is in this story. There’s a lot of representation of “you teach people how to love you” in a way that’s actually visible and the other party is reciprocal to it (trust me I’ve seen instances where that phrase is bullshit). They’re relationship is so rocky at the start because he doesn’t know HOW. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. But she gives him the space and patience while he figured that out.

And then in comes the possessiveness…

He treats her like a rare item because in his life she is rare. extremely so. so he gets possessive of her. he doesn't want her far from him for long- not away from him at all if he can help it. he doesn't treat her poorly but he gets paranoid when she is gone, thinking she might leave him for a better life at the castle (as if) or with beneviento (whom she’s befriended) or that miranda might snatch her away.

And I know what you’re thinking- she’s just a trope, that she's some single ray of sunlight 2D “Mary Sue” character or something, a magical creature for the dark character to fall in love with. But there's other people in the village (surely) who would treat him with genuine kindness except he never lets people in for that. he doesn't give them a chance because he thinks that they'll turn on him or they only see him as a god and not a person. His own trust issues are what gets in his way.

They’re only brought together because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, presumed dead, and then treated almost like an object. she was just stubborn enough for company to ignore his orders of “stay put” until he could figure out what to do with this corpse that isn’t a corpse. Spoiler alert (yeah I’m trying to write it as a fanfic), she listens for a whole three days while he ignores her existence so she pushes her way into his business.

I could go on for literally ever. I could lay out my whole story of them for you if I wanted and like yeah one day I will… in pieces… that’s what this blog is for really. Just a mess of ideas because I am down bad for this guy that in my head there’s this huge complex story where we’re together.

Anyway if y’all made it this far thanks for reading and if you happened to enjoy, stay tuned, maybe follow the blog and you’ll see more.

[brandmist07]

What Is A Linkedin Marketing?

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[draw-a-circle-imagines]

Reasons the Allies would Fall for You

Hey Mod Roma here! I just wanted to say thanks so much for all the love on our first post. I was blown away by the nice comments and reblogs so I hope that you’ll enjoy this too! Also, if you’d like our requests/asks are now open so you can send in some now! Thanks for reading and have a great day! (^ ^)

America

America is far more observant and clever than he gets credit for but he’d be watching you for a while without realizing his true feelings.

He notices your little quirks and loves to pick at you on occasion. He’ll rile you up and have a good laugh with you but no matter how much of a pest he can be he’s far more of a loyal friend.

He’d decide before he’s aware of it that he wants to be your hero, your knight in shining armor, and literally anything else that can totally kick ass for you!

He doesn’t think too hard on why exactly he fell for you but if you ever asked he’d have to admit that it’s the way you go along with his silly antics without treating him like he’s immature and even more how he feels like any bad times are long gone when you he can have a good time with you.

England

Finding it hard to swallow the truth of the matter, it’d be more than difficult to get England to accept his feelings at first.

He isn't sure why he had to go and fall for someone when he’s used to this sort of thing only blowing up in his face but he couldn’t deny that he felt close to you.

The way that you can accept all his faults treating even the good and bad sides of him as if they’re equally important is so new to him and the more he’d mull over the details, the more he’d realize that it’s your full acceptance of him that made him fall in the first place.

You’re the first person to accept him as himself, entirely. His appealing and unsavory sides are both prized equally and that is something he wouldn’t trade for the world. 

France

Romantic as ever, France will tell you that the reason he fell for you was as corny as it is your heart and heart alone.

There are many other parts of you that France would be sure to let you know have earned his adoration but the thing that truly stole him away was how you’re able to stand by his side even when he’s lacking the strength to do something himself.

He won’t bring attention to it but he appreciates how you make it feel as if big brother France has someone to turn to when times are hard.

When you hold him and let him share his grief with you on those rare nights where all the wine he’s had is making him just a bit too sentimental, it’s the care you show for him that makes him fall for you all over again. 

Russia

Russia would give a rather simple reply if you decided to ask him why he fell for you. You’re like the warm inviting sun in his cold lonely world.

He might not give the clearest answer as blunt as he is but much like France his words aren’t too far off from why he really fell for you.

Russia’s been alone most of his life and whether he understands it or not, many people fear him but even so, you gave him a chance. Even if his own heart doesn’t understand he can tell how kind you are and how you’re teaching him how to love someone truly. 

You accept him despite his flaws and in turn help him to learn how to better his relationships with others and unknowingly even himself. That’s why he couldn’t even imagine a day where he didn’t fall for you.

You’re his pillar of hope, his light in the dark, and his most precious sunflower. You’re the only one who can help him understand his own heart and the only one to give him the love and care that he always desired to know.

China

Despite coming off as prudish at times China has a clear understanding of his emotions. He won’t deny or dismiss his affections for you but his years of experience warn him against jumping in head first.

He’ll take his time to soul search a bit but as he thinks on it he’ll soon come to understand why you’re worth any risk. Taking his advice to heart, you always listen to him earnestly and intently. 

It’s not like he needs someone to revere him but he does like to be treated as wise even when his advice or instructions come across more as critiques. You accept that he’s lived through much and has knowledge about things you might not but you also accept that despite his experience he’s still flawed.

He’s childish and haughty at times. He has a weakness for anything cute (which may just include you) but more than anything he wants to be respected and heard by someone.

That’s why he can’t help but fall for you more and more by the day when he notices your respect for him and acceptance of his flaws too. 

[astaroth1357]

request: an MC thats very good w playing games or like,,, is proficiently skilled in all game categories or smrhn

alsp hi xander i love ur writing

and can i giv u a kith? if so: mwah 😚

Well I hate to tell ya, sweetie, but I’m not Xander. I’m Jazzy. Hello! I can see why you’d want something written by Xander, though. He’s mad talented (better at this than I am quite frankly) and he’s on the list of people I wish I could write as well as. I guess we can both take a moment to be sad that I’m not Xander… *sigh*... to be Xander… 😔

Oh well, I am who I am and I don’t begrudge that fact. Meanwhile, I’ve wanted to do more shout-outs so everybody go read @sevendeadlymorons! If you’re not… I mean… why not? He’s more than worth your time. In the meantime, I hope I can entertain you despite my not-Xanderness.

Brothers React to an MC Who’s Good at Games and Stuff 

Lucifer

Honestly couldn’t care less about the MC’s game proficiency in most cases. So they’re good at games? Good for them, he’s sure they’re happy.

But when they’re playing against him on the other hand…

Well, Lucifer may or may not be skilled at whatever game you set him on (he’s a very quick learner so never underestimate him), but he’s whole new levels of competitive when he wants to be. ESPECIALLY if he already thinks he’s hot shit at something.

Video games? Not his forte. Table top games? One word for you: Chess.

Lucifer believes that he can and will whip pretty much anyone’s ass in chess. That includes Satan, Solomon, Levi, and even Diavolo. He is at grandmaster level.

So imagine his shock, no, his disdain to have lost a game of chess to the MC… The moment they said "Checkmate" he stared at the board in front of them for a solid five minutes trying to work out where he went wrong…

And he wasn’t having that.

He and the MC now have regular chess matches in which he wins some and loses some so the tally stays pretty evenly tied. Really it’s all good fun... (but if they think he’s going to let them go home when he’s on a losing count, they’re Dead. Wrong. He’ll drag them back to down just to play chess with him until the score is right again. He DOES NOT lose, you hear? 🤨).

Mammon

Guess who’s found his gambling buddy?? 

No, really. He and the MC can make a KILLING at a Poker or Blackjack table! He’s never seen anyone better at poker than they are!! They have nerves of steel and give nothing away, so he’s lost more than a few hands to them before...

Even past the casinos, they’re perfect for making bets on! He once arranged a Devil Cart competition between the MC and Levi and took bets around RAD for who’d win...

Naturally, everybody assumed the Devildom’s resident Super-Otaku would win hands down, but the MC had this insane last minute save with a blue shell and pulled ahead in the last lap!!

He was like, the only person that bet on the MC and he got soooo much money that MC found HIM crying and hugging a bag of Grimm after the match…

Any time they win a game that gets him money, he’ll treat them like royalty for the next week. Man knows not to bite the hand that feeds him!... and creditors at bay... 😬

It may get slightly annoying that Mammon won't stop telling them about gaming competitions where they can get him more prize money, but hey, at least he's supportive, I guess.

Leviathan

Oh they are either his best friend or mortal enemy… Sometimes both in the same day.

Our boy hates losing, can't stand it any better than Lucifer, you KNOW the second he knows there's someone out there who even has a chance of beating him, he gets serious. This is not a "friendly rivalry," MC.

When they’re playing any game against each other, he'll call them by their gamertag/online persona to keep himself focused (yes, even if they’re playing Monopoly). They can't be his MC right now, they gotta be the person he's going to beat...

He's NOT opposed to dirty tactics to win, either. Saying things that will get them mad or flustered mid-match? Check. Using his tail to distract or tease them? Check. Just being a general nuisance/annoyance in game for the hell of it? Guilty as charged!

He's both a sore winner AND a sore loser, so unfortunately MC, you really can't win here... He'll be obnoxious regardless of the outcome.

However… when they’re on the same team, it's really something special. They don't just destroy the competition, they bulldoze over them like an armored tank barreling through rush hour traffic!

These two are legends in the online gaming community and have even started a streaming channel on the side. Sometimes your worst enemies also make the best allies... Who knew? 🤷‍♀️

Satan

Is surprisingly impressed by their gaming prowess. Are they just supremely skilled or incredibly lucky, you think…?

That being said, he's not the biggest gaming man on the planet so he's not too competitive with them one way or the other.

When Satan plays a video game, he usually goes for story-based, single-person experiences anyway so it's not like he could compete with them even if he wanted to.

That being said, they do share an informal challenge of sorts when it comes to puzzle/detective games (a not so guilty pleasure of his). He likes to try and beat the levels first, so when they start playing a new one they'll both compare time spent and scores.

He even enjoys playing those Devildom-style AR murder mystery games with them! It’s pretty cute to watch Satan get into it, he dips into his inner Levi and cosplays as some of his favorite TV drama detectives for the occasion and insists they dress as his co-star (best just go along with him. It’s not a bad time, even if they have to carry around an old tobacco pipe for a few hours).

Asmodeus

Good at games? That sounds dangerously like they're another Levi… 🙄 What about party games? Oh oh, or drinking games??

Actually scratch that. How about ANY game while drunk? That sounds pretty fun doesn’t it??

Like Drunk Truth or Dare!! Oh that's a favorite of his… 🤭

To be fair to the MC, the booze does diminish their skills somewhat (because that's kind of what it does in general) but not by all that much… It's pretty impressive.

He once challenged them to a game of Drunk Twister figuring that they'd be too unsteady to actually win for once, but no. If anything, the alcohol must have numbed the stretching pains because they bent over him like a pretzel!

Not that he was complaining or anything… 😏

He likes to take the MC to parties where he knows a game or two will be played just to show off to the crowd and brag that they’re HIS lovely, talented human! You go, MC, beat that competition to a pulp! 😌

Beelzebub

Sports count as games too, right? Well, they aren't half bad at those either.

Beel found it surprising that he found a human who could actually keep up with him. His brothers rarely want to play practice games with him anyway so it’s pretty exciting to have a sports partner at home!

He likes to ask the MC to help him train with practice matches or to go over certain moves or maneuvers he’s having trouble with. It’s not uncommon for the brothers to come home and find the two of them tossing a ball around in the front yard or something.

And the both of them on the same team? Forget it. It takes the dream team of Lucifer and Mammon (who aren’t just arguing with each other for once) to even come close to a challenge for them.

He also enjoys playing the occasional video game with them, though he treats it a lot like playing with Levi and just assumes he’ll never win unless he gets lucky - which does happen from time to time.

He doesn’t mind losing that much as long as he’s having fun, and if nothing else he can always win against them in an eating contest… He’s got those on lockdown. Come at’em MC, he’ll pack away an entire fridge before you’re done with your first plate. Try him.

Belphegor

So Belphie enjoys a good game or two - video-based or otherwise - it comes with the lazy-bastard territory. He may not be as skilled as Levi, but he can hold his own in some genres.

But he’s given up on beating the MC looong ago.

Do you know how much practice it would take? How many hours that he would have to use?? The hours where he could be napping instead???  Yeah, no thanks. They can continue to be the reigning Super Smash Devils champion for all he cares.

Buuuut even he has to admit, it’s pretty relaxing to watch the MC play something in the background... There’s a certain sort of satisfaction to watching someone who’s good at a game just play it straight through.

If they’re set up in Levi’s room or the Common area then Belphie may come over, set his pillow up on the floor, and watch them play. He may even throw in a comment or two like, “You missed a health pack,” or “Better save now,” but other than that he likes to just let them do their thing.

The MC has had many an all-nighter with Belphie spectating until about 4am or so. Then he’s dead to the world and they have to work out how to get his not-exactly-light demon ass onto a couch…

Or they can just leave him faceplanted and snoring on the floor. Up to them, really cause he did it to himself. 🤷‍♀️

[ballorawan740]

SCP Scenarios: When you try you commit suicide (REQUESTED)

SCP Scenarios Masterlist | My Works Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Rules | My Original Post | Request | Socials

WARNING: If you are or know anyone who is suicidal, please get them help! If this topic triggers you, please leave now!

And if anyone's putting you down and you feel this way, let me know (So I can yah yeet them into hell and back again then throw them into 939 and 682's cell >:D)

SCP 073 (Cain)

Cain's heart drop when he figured out that you were suicidal

He probably has figured out bits and pieces since he noticed that you've acted a lot more different than usual

You came from a very abusive family and everyone around you were toxic

Then you came into the foundation and worked hard enough to stress you out

Didn't help that much since your mentor died from an SCP and some of your coworkers were being bullies to you

Which then drove you to become even more suicidal

Found out much later when someone called him in because you were at the medical bay

Glass was sat there beside you and wanted to check up on you

No responses were heard and Glass turned to see Cain's pained look

He told Cain everything that has happened and he was truly heartbroken by all this news

Cain had tried to comfort you and would give you some space if you need

Would remind you every so often that he loves you and makes sure that you're taking breaks

Definitely dealt with the bullies without you knowing

SCP 076-2 (Abel)

He's quite dense so he might not know that you're suicidal

Probably noticed a few changes in your behaviour but wouldn't question it

Definitely didn't try and threaten to kill everyone once he found out that you were injured

Stormed into the medical part of the Foundation and asked for you

Was about to drag you back to his cell but was stopped abruptly because the doctor who was treating you said the scars were from yourself

Abel looked at you with confusion and hurt

He allowed you to rest in the hospital for a couple of days and asked so many questions

And realising that it was because of your PTSD working with the Foundation and not wanting to stress further

Swore to protect you for all of eternity and wouldn't allow you to go back on the field

So you settled to work in an office instead, handling safe classes and taking some time off

Abel monitored you to make sure you don't do it again

Definitely gave you a huge lecture

It was loud enough for the whole floor to hear and everyone just stopped what they're doing just to see what was happening

SCP 999 (Tickle Monster)

To say 999's little jello heart shattered to a million pieces was an understatement

Nobody has ever seen a bright orange blob of happiness looked so worried and somewhat traumatised as he had received the news

That said news was you trying to commit suicide

And fortunately, there were people around to stop you from hurting yourself even more

999 slithered over as quick as possible and went in to check on you

The first thing he did was to give you a big warm hug and to tell you that he cared about you and you meant everything to him

He never complained about you once and you were grateful for that

999 didn't question your reason for suicide since he knows it'll make things worse and that you'd open up to him whenever you were ready

He saw many of the scars you have on your body and was immediately concerned

Noticing this, you explained your situation to him and he was very much understanding

999 would comfort and support your decisions in not trying to commit suicide

Everyone outside just peeked in and was relieved that you've agreed to work on this together with 999

SCP 682 (Hard to Destroy Reptile)

When 682 heard that you wanted to commit suicide, he was confused and concerned

Part of him wanted to know why and the other part told him that you were stupid for doing that

The both of you were transferred into another room as requested by 682

The very first thing he did was to shout at you for doing something so stupid

Moments later after you cried for a bit, he checked up on you, asking if you were alright, making sure you were comfortable and nuzzled your side for a bit

Once you were relaxed, you've told him everything that's been happening and he listened for once

Which did surprise the researchers when they found out moments later

Unfortunately, 682 did breach containment just to hunt down whoever made you feel that way and he did succeed

Then casually went back to his cell which shocked everyone, even you

Well, let's just say that you were feeling much better and nobody ever bothered you again

SCP 049 (Plague Doctor)

049 was sus since you were acting strange lately

He had 100% noticed the scars but didn't ask, thinking that you went on a mission and you were just injured and you went to the medics

Later on, his heart dropped when he heard someone say that you seemed like ending your life, which you did

He came into the room you were in and checked on your injuries and scars

You could see the pain in his eyes when he connected the dots and you didn't need to say a thing for him to understand that you did all this to yourself

049 just sighed a little, took a chair and sat on it then nursed your injuries and gave you such a disapproving look

"Who is it this time?" he asked which shocked you since you've never told him explicitly that something or someone bothered you

But you weren't that surprised since your bird boi is observant af

So you just told him everything and he dealt with the situation professionally

And whoever/whatever's bothering you just vanished out of thin air and nobody ever questioned it

SCP 035 (Possessive Mask)

As I've mentioned in the other chapters, 035 is a master manipulator and actor/actress

So when it comes to body language and the tone you'd use when talking to someone, he would have an idea of what's going on

So when you secluded yourself every passing day and would avoid talking about reoccurring scars on your body, 035 would have quite an accurate guess

When he confronted you about this, you shied away from him for a moment

Since you know 035 well, you just told him everything as he listened intently

He just absorbed all the negativity from you and you just felt better

035 would reassure you and you blindly listened and feel much better with him

And of course, like any other partners out there, he dove into whoever was making you feel suicidal and sorted it all out

After a couple of days, you went back into 035's cell and asked about the missing person

All 035 told you was that the person just got eaten by some SCP and nobody knows how the said person got there

SCP 105 (Iris)

Iris might question your scars here and there if you ever had them

She might not even think that you were suicidal until you showed the obvious traits or if someone told her that you were in the medical bay

Would 100% lecture you about being suicidal then comfort you a second after she's done

She's just super worried about you and even though she's in the foundation with you most of the time, there are moments where she's asked to go into the field with the MTFs

As Iris is rightfully worried about you, if she can't stay with you, she'd make Cain, Dr Glass and Dr Lights watch over you

Maybe Kondraki if he's ok with this

Might even go to Clef and/or Bright if she really needs to

At least they can keep your minds off things

Iris would tend to any of your scars and injuries and motivate you to live

Shows you loads of photos of the happier times you've both shared

Would never let you touch anything that can cause you an injury

Definitely would deal with whoever's making you feel that way if there was that someone

SCP 106 (Old Man)

106 would probably find it hard to grasp the concept of emotions other than the few basic ones

So when he was informed about your attempted suicide, he was confused

not because he didn't understand it, because he definitely did

It's just because he never understood why anyone would do such a thing

Even more so if that person was you

When 106 came to visit you, he would unintentionally show his worried expression which saddened you

Is definitely torn between just comforting you and wanting to ask you about your issue

You did tell him at the end about you wanting to commit suicide and 106 telling you to never do such a thing

Making sure that if someone made you feel this way, he'd deal with them right away and you'd never have to worry again

Although he finds it hard to sympathise with others, he did understand the term, so he would try his best to do so

SCP 096 (Shy Guy)

He's basically 106 but a little denser

096 is 100% more anxious than the other SCPs here and would definitely show signs while he's being observed in his cell

Kind of understands the term 'suicide' but not to a full extent

Like he knows what it is, but not how and why people would do so

When 096 got the news about this from your psychologist, he literally went brrrrrr

Went to check in on you and gave you a bone-crushing hug

Made sure that any injuries were properly bandaged and treated

Started to cry midway through

You explained to him that you didn't go all the way because you knew that he needed you and you'd never leave him alone again

096's worried expression slowly turned to happiness and gave you another hug

Dr Jack bright

Bright would notice something's off with you but wouldn't say a thing just yet

Like if he notices that whatever is happening to you has worsened then he'll confront you

At first, you would avoid his gaze and questions, but you ended up telling him everything that's been happening

Bright was shocked and conflicted about all this information

You could literally see him tearing up as he was trying to find the words but couldn't

He ended up giving you a big teddy bear hug

And you just cried into his shoulder/chest

Jack Bright would try his best to comfort you because he wants to take all the pain away

Whenever he's on break, he'd make sure to check up on you

If he was busy and can't visit you, he would make sure to send someone to check up on you

Most likely Dr Glass

Would tell you about his dark thoughts as well

Only because he understands and you wouldn't feel alone about this

Dr Simon Glass

Glass would definitely know

He's a psychologist after all

Would find a way to get you to be more vocal about the issue

And it's quite subtle so you wouldn't know

Once he gets all the information he needs, he'll start to find ways to minimise the chances of you feeling suicidal

He's just so subtle about this that you wouldn't even know

Once you feel better, Glass feels more relaxed knowing that he helped you overcome the issue

Would 100% still watch out for you in case it happens again

Everybody else notices this and helps poor mama Glass look out for you too

Wouldn't necessarily beat up anyone if they hurt you but would definitely give some warning signs to back off though

Sometimes our hardworking Dr Iceberg ends up helping him because mama Glass is busy af

Dr Alto Clef

As dense as he may seem when it comes to emotions, he is very much aware of your unusual behaviour

Would most likely ask for some advice from Dr Glass

By ask I mean he booked in a therapy session for you and tricked you into going

And yes, you did end up going to see Glass

Simon then informed about your situation with Clef and he was stunned

If it was someone/something making you feel this way then he'd go out of his way to sort it out

After all, Clef is rather good at completing missions

Makes sure to comfort you whenever you're down and suicidal

Sometimes he'd even share his experiences with you

Would try and act goofy but came out rather annoying

Ended up asking Bright to help him cheer you up

Dr Benjamin Kondraki

Kondraki is a little dense but would notice something's off

Wouldn't be 100% sure so he just keeps the thought to himself instead

Would also go to Glass for some advice about your strange behaviour

Glass ended up teaching Kondraki some psychological stuff just so he can be left alone for once

Would never make you feel down about yourself

Definitely would motivate and compliment you

Acts all fatherly with you

Like he's protective with you to the point some people would jokingly say he's your dad

Making you share a room with him because he's worried and wouldn't act up weirdly when you're along

Kondraki might resort to asking Bright and Clef for some help

Might even ask Iceberg to do some of his paperwork because he wants to spend more time with you

[officialscaramouche]

ayo feel like doing a gorou confession fic for me? pretty please with sprinkles on top (you know that fucking tiktok)

Ofc Pizzato anything for u my dear 🥰

Pairing: Gorou x gn!reader

Warnings: slight angst

Word count: 1,969

You heard a couple friendly knocks on your office door, eyes glancing to the clock to see it was a little past noon and you knew exactly who it was. “Come in,” you chime, putting down your pen and stretching upwards with a smile.

“Helloooooo!” You hear as the door swung open, Kazuha flaunting an envelope between his fingers. “Letter time!”

You sweep to your feet and give him grabby hands. “Give it to me!” He chuckles and places the thin paper into your hands. “Tell me who it is already,” you giggle as you rip it open and slide the letter out.

“No,” he sighs, rolling his eyes. “I keep my promises.”

You quirk and eyebrow before you fold open the letter. “Even if I bribe you with dango?”

Kazuha smiles. “Even if you bribe me with dango.”

You grunt and groan but it quickly stops when you unfold the letter, reading the contents.

Good afternoon, cupcake, it starts. You blush at the pet name. I hope your day is going as well as mine. I’ve just won the office lottery! I’m going to ask for more snacks in the break room. That way, everyone benefits too! Specifically though, I want more sakura mochi! The ones you made for us were delicious. Share your recipe? :3

I adore you, your secret admirer.

You squeeze the letter to your chest and squeal, your face warm from blushing and your heart pounding against your chest. “Oh, Kazuha, whoever this person is, I really wish they’d come up and confess!”

Kazuha tuts and wiggles his finger. “But then the mystery wouldn’t be there anymore.”

“Screw mystery!” You squealed, gazing down at the illegible and scratchy handwriting, the mysterious stains and fur all over the page. “I’m ready to hear these words in person.”

Just then there was a knock on your door and a quick turn of the knob, one of the top brass leaning against your door frame. “Good morning, Chatty Cathy’s,” sang a familiar voice and ear twitches.

You wave while Kazuha bows, hiding the letter behind your back. “Good morning, General Gorou.”

The tail behind his back wagged discreetly as the two men share a knowing glance. “Kazuha,” the general clears his throat. “May I speak with you?”

The samurai nods his head and gives you a little wave as he walks out the door. “Bye boys!” You sing, tucking the letter back into the envelope and putting it away.

The next day, as routine, a little past noon you heard three friendly knocks on your door. You excitedly put your pen down, closing your ledger and standing out of your chair and onto your feet. “Kazuha,” you grinned. “Come in!”

He pushed the door open with his back, lugging a big box with some plastic sticking out from the top. “I’m just a mule to you guys aren’t I?” He groaned, lifting the box up and onto your desk. “This is ridiculous.”

You stood on your tippy toes to try and peek inside the box without being obnoxious. “What is it?” You hum, getting more and more restless.

“Your letter, what else?” He kind of snapped, letting out a deep sigh and rolling his eyes. “I wish he’d confess too. That way I don’t have to carry these things.”

You pulled back the top of the box that was just out of your reach. “Here,” pushing your hands away, Kazuha tore the box apart to expose a giant basket full of goodies and flowers. “The letter.”

Kazuha snapped the taped-on letter from the plastic and handed it to you. Wasting no time at all, you rip the envelope open and unfold the letter.

Dearest [Y/N], you’ve pierced my heart like an arrow through a target and I simply cannot get you off my mind. I heard from the grapevine that you wish for my confession. …Maybe I shall do so in the near future? It’s not that I do not want to be yours, but rather that you make me quite nervous. Still, we see each other for terribly brief moments but these moments are the most precious to me. Hopefully I can muster up the courage to finally tell you how I feel. In the meantime, please accept these treats and toys imported from across the globe. My favorite are the dog-shaped biscuits.

Your shy admirer.

Looking up from the letter you find Kazuha stuffing his face with some chocolatey cookies from within a tin box labeled ‘Fontaine.’ “Are those good?” You ask, reaching in and stealing one.

“Mhm,” Kazuha hums, taking a bite out of the one in his hand. “I’ve never had Fontaine chocolate. I guess the rumors about being the best were true.”

You melt under the sweet taste and crunchy texture, thinking that if your crush’s letters had a taste, it would be like this. “This is so nice,” you sigh, eyes sparkling as they gaze upon the basket. “Do you think he’s going to confess to me?”

Kazuha stares out the windows of your office that peer into the rest of the building, watching a certain general spill water on himself and the resistance leader. He takes another bite of a cookie. “Maybe.”

You squeal in delight and spin around in joy. “My heart’s beating so fast! I hope he does it soon or I’ll explode!”

Kazuha chuckles and playfully shoves you aside. “If you explode, I’m eating all of your snacks.”

“No! They’re mine!”

Weeks— almost a month— go by with no further letters. Kazuha stopped coming by, whether at noon or otherwise. The only knocks you got were visits from Kokomi about the budget or from other soldiers carrying reports and receipts from spending. Your heart ached at the sudden lack of contact, wondering if you had done or said something wrong.

Maybe your eagerness was intimidating and this mystery man just wanted someone to flirt with without commitment. Maybe he got bored of you. Maybe he didn’t want to talk to you anymore.

Regardless, you wanted to try and spark it back up in case you’ve stepped on some toes without realizing. That night when you got home, you tossed the ingredients for sakura mochi into a bowl and got to mixing.

The office ate everything you brought before lunchtime rolled around. With such great success, you had confidence that he’d reach out to you tomorrow, if not today.

But alas you were left in silence once more, leaving your heart to crumble and ache. You were quick to recover, considering you never met the guy— let alone knew his name. But you had no time to be worrying anyway, because in a couple of days one of the squads were returning from the front lines and you needed to factor in medical costs. Apparently they took a hard hit when Sara Kujou showed up with her samurai. Kokomi was depending on you, and you didn’t want to let her down.

You spend these few days really crunching the numbers, making sure that every wounded soldier would get the basic medical necessities with some left over for any miscalculations. With every i dotted and every t crossed, you stuffed your report into a fancy envelope and handed it to Kokomi. “Thank you [Y/N] for your hard work under such a sudden timetable.” She thanked, tucking the envelope under her arm. “The team should be arriving tomorrow, so I will be submitting this for review immediately.”

You bow respectfully and offer your thanks for praise. “It’s no problem at all, Her Excellency. I was given ample time to prepare the balance sheet.” You begin to turn when you’re stopped once again by her.

“Before you go,” she smiles softly. “Would you mind helping out at the infirmary? We’re short handed right now with the sudden intake of Delusions.”

“Of course, Her Excellency. I will be there whenever you need me.”

You weren’t specialized in medics but you had helped around often enough to know the basics. And anyone could become a master at immediate medical attention after doing it so many times.

The flood of gurneys was a little disheartening to see, but you were still thankful for all that they do for the greater of the country. It must be scary being at the front lines, but everyone knew what they were signing up for.

You catch sight of Genera Gorou and Lord Kazuha chatting with Lady Kokomi before you were assigned to a batch of wounded soldiers, feeling a little bad for harboring ill feelings toward the young lord for disappearing. ‘You could’ve at least told me that you were leaving,’ you thought as you rinsed the injured area.

“I can take over from here,” the head medic stepped in, slipping on a new pair of gloves before getting a closer look at the soldier before you. With most of everyone patched up and recovering, the medic team was able to take control of the infirmary once again.

You wash your hands and check the clock. A little past noon. It’s funny how at this time you would’ve waited with bated breath for a couple of knocks. But not anymore.

You step out of the infirmary and find Kazuha and General Gorou sitting outside on the benches there. “Oh, hi boys,” you say surprised.

Kazuha grabs and shakes your hand. “Thank you for helping out our soldiers,” he says seriously.

“Oh, it’s not that big of a deal,” you mutter. “I do this all the time.”

A calloused hand pushes Kazuha’s away and shakes your hand firmer, harder. “No, [Y/N],” Gorou says with a sort of oomph behind his words. “These are my men…my family. They would be suffering if not for your help.”

You look to the side uncomfortably, a little put-off by the tension in the air. “And that’s why—!” Gorou continues, suddenly eight decibels louder. You hold eye contact with the general, his face darkening into a deep red flush, his eyes glassy and ears twitching. He squeezed your hand harder and shut his eyes. “M-My C-C-Cupcake!!! P-Please let m-me take you on a date!!!!”

Kazuha winced at the loudness of his friend, covering one of his ears but still smiling nonetheless. The people walking by stared and mumbled, but it didn’t matter as you felt your heart pound against your chest. You felt your eyes well with tears as now your face flushed red, the general cautiously opening his eyes to see your trembling lips and pathetic pout. “A-Ah! [Y/N], don’t cry!!”

You tug on his hand hard, pulling the man into your arms and squeezing him tight. You sobbed into his chest, hearing and feeling how frantic his heart was beating as well. “You idiot!” You shout into his battle-worn chest. “Don’t disappear without telling me…”

Gorou caressed the back of your head and chewed on his lip, his tail drooping with guilt but twitching with excitement for being in your arms. “Did I…scare you?” He whispered tentatively, choosing his words carefully.

You pull away and wipe your eyes, Gorou watching you closely and holding tightly onto your waist. “I thought you got tired of me…because I stopped hearing from you.” Gorou frowned and cupped your face, thumbing your cheeks gently. “I even made sakura mochi and I didn’t—”

“You made sakura mochi??!??!!! Is there any left?!?” Gorou’s jaw dropped. He let you go to turn and run to the break room, halting before running back to embrace you once more. “Heh, uh…” he chuckled nervously. “I’d actually…rather hold you like this…”

You couldn’t fight the smile that spread across your cheeks, flushing your body against his chest. “That’s okay,” you giggle. “There aren’t any left.”

You had no idea that his ears could flatten sadly like that.

[chosonore]

cynosure

cynosure [noun. one that serves to direct or guide; a center of attraction or attention]

pairing: sukuna/f!reader

summary: in which sukuna re-discovers being human one aspect at a time, through many lifetimes, at the price of losing you over and over.

wordcount: 8.7k

content/warnings: reincarnation au, slow burn but also not really because there's only hints of romance? language, it's not canon at all, just pretend sukuna was never sealed away, lowercase is intended

a/n: this is more self-indulgent tbh sukuna is probably uncharacteristically soft? sometimes i'm reminded of the fact that he used to be human and while we don't exactly know how he became a curse just yet, i kinda felt sad about it lol i'm too sympathetic with everything, it's gonna kill me one day fhuierhfa a lot of these moments are based on my own experiences, where i had to remind myself that even the small things in life are really good and important, especially during the pandemic. that being said, i hope you enjoy and stay safe everyone :) (and please don’t judge me too hard on this lol i haven’t written in like what. six years?)

001.

“oh,” you stared at the tall, pink-haired man in front of you. “i didn’t think anyone would be here around this time…” he stared back at you, not replying nor making any move to scoot over so that you could sit on your bench. it was only then that you noticed the black markings framing his face and adorning his wrists. you were a little dumbfounded - your mother had always said that you had a poor survival instinct. though you supposed that his pink hair eased your nerves a little; surely someone with pink hair couldn’t be as evil. but you couldn’t recall ever seeing someone like this around the proximity of your village. maybe he was a vagrant. 

“i don’t mean to be rude but… that’s my bench and i would appreciate if you could maybe… scooch over?” you asked gingerly, not wanting to upset the stranger. you approached him slowly, grasping your basket tightly. if he got a little rowdy, maybe you could just wack him with the basket, right? although it probably won’t hurt but it surely would stun him long enough for you to run.

“i don’t see why i should move just because it’s your bench,” the stranger answered gruffly, crossing his arms. were you naive or just stupid? “do you not know who you’re talking to, woman?” 

you cocked your head to the side, not sure what he meant. maybe he was one of those famous poets or musicians that your parents liked to talk about. you weren’t entirely sure. even though he sounded annoyed, the look in his eyes didn’t quite match the hostility - he looked rather bored, unamused even, but not hostile. maybe you could humour him a little. “am- am i supposed to know you? i’ve never been outside of the village so i don’t know much. only what the merchants tell me. i apologize if i’ve offended you,” you explained hastily, then pointing at your basket. “i just came here to enjoy the sunrise. um, today is my birthday, so i treated myself to some dessert!”

“if- if you scooch over a litte, i could share some with you…” you tried to bargain with him. now you were truly starting to sound desperate but this was your favourite spot and it was the first time in a while that you had a free day to relax. out of all days, just why did he have to be here now? you’d be damned if you let your day get ruined by this unfriendly stranger. 

“are you trying to bribe me?” the stranger narrowed his eyes at you and you thought this was it. he was going to kill you and bury your body in the forest and your parents would come look for you, only to find your empty basket and then start a huge search party to find you and- the pink haired man moved to the side, refusing to look you in the eyes. “sit.”

you let out a squeak in glee, quickly taking a seat beside him. he watched in silence as you unwrap your desserts, glancing at the objects in question. even though you’d offered to share with him, he didn’t actually expect you to give him some of your food. sukuna was surprised when you handed him a… round squishy thing? 

“what is that? how is that going to satiate me?” he asked, almost offended, which made you giggle. you didn’t reply, instead thrusting the mochi towards him until he begrudgingly took it, closely inspecting it in suspicion. 

“that’s a daifuku mochi. it’s made out of rice flour and filled with red bean paste. but come to think of it… do you even like sweets? i’m sorry if you don’t particularly enjoy it,” you explained and grabbed one as well. you were about to bite into your mochi when you saw the stranger opening his mouth, ready to devour the entire mochi in one go. in horror, you quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him, only to have him suddenly pin you down and tower over you.

“i’m sorry, i’m sorry!” you hastily said, now suddenly aware of the dark, threatening aura that he was emitting. maybe he was a killer after all. “i just didn’t want you to eat it in one go! they’re kind of difficult to eat in one go… plus you’re supposed to savour and enjoy it, take your time eating it!” 

sukuna stared at the girl in disbelief, you’d grabbed him out of nowhere just to stop him from eating too fast? not only were you not aware of who he was, you apparently did not know how to be cautious around strangers. it irked him that you were acting like he was a harmless human being. so much so that he briefly contemplated killing you. “who are you to tell me how to eat?” he growled at you, not softening his grip. he saw the panic and fear in your eyes but for some reason, he couldn’t quite put a finger on it, it didn’t fill him with joy as it usually did.

“i’m just telling you how we usually eat mochi!” you harrumphed, now annoyed that he was acting like you just committed murder. “you didn’t know what these were, so i was just trying to explain! food is supposed to be enjoyed, not ravished all at once. you have to appreciate your food because there might be days where you won’t have any. and besides, enjoying and properly tasting your meal is the least you can do to show gratitude to the person who cooked it for you.” sukuna let up and sat back on his previous spot, seemingly accepting your answer. you sat up, adjusting your yukata and pouted at him. what a rude stranger! you at least expected an apology from him but seeing that he was already taking a bite from his mochi, you guessed you should just let it go. it wasn’t worth getting angry over anyways, not on this day.

“why are you looking at me like that, little girl?” sukuna questioned, taking another bite from his mochi. he did actually enjoy it and it took every bone in his body not to hastily eat more and to savour it like you’d told him to. maybe this wasn’t so bad after all, it made him think about his meals a little more. not eating for the sake of eating, but for enjoyment, he mused. sort of like living for enjoyment, not for the sake of living. 

“you never told me your name,” the girl replied innocently. sukuna sighed. so you really weren’t aware of who he was. “my name is y/n! now it’s only fair if you tell me, especially because i shared my food with you. please?”

before sukuna could reply, he sensed someone quickly approaching. they were hiding somewhere in the forest; it likely was a jujutsu sorcerer, trying to exorcise him. he could deal with them later, but not here, not with you around. the girl looked at him in disappointment when he abruptly stood up, turning towards the forest behind them. unfortunately, he had the inkling that you wouldn’t let it go until he answered: “my name is sukuna, king of curses.” your eyes widened in recognition but you didn’t immediately react or scramble away from him, most likely frozen in fear. 

“now go. someone is coming and you do not want to be in the crossfire.”

002.

as a seamstress, you’ve encountered all kinds of customers. ranging from rude and bratty to eternally grateful, you’ve seen it all. your supervisor had always told you to remain calm and polite, to just adhere to their wishes to not cause any ruckus. after all, people of status often assumed that they were untouchable and could treat others poorly. it wasn’t worth the hassle to start a fight with them, you could lose your job after all. there was moments you’d have to stand up for yourself but this wasn’t it. fortunately, your employer paid you well, enough for you to provide for your family. the customers were high-profile after all.

you looked at the clock on the wall, your next customer was supposed to come soon. it was a nobleman that apparently travelled here from far away, having heard that the store offered beautiful, one of a kind fabrics. you just hope that he wasn’t rude and that you could leave in time. you’d been working overtime for weeks now, taking every appointment and customer that you could get. your mother’s birthday was approaching and you’d been saving up to buy some of the soft and silky fabrics to sew her a new yukata. your mother had always sacrificed her own comfort to buy the best items she could afford for your siblings and you and now that you were older, you could finally treat her to something nice as well. your employer was even willing to give you a small discount and you gratefully took up on her offer.

the chime of the doorbell made you look up, the good feeling in your stomach slowly fading when you saw who entered. you were familiar with the customer after all; he was well known in the area, being a rather volatile and sometimes scary aristocrat who had the reputation to be particularly difficult and having outrageous demands. you hastily stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of your clothing and walking over to greet him. you bowed politely, taking the outerwear that he took off and placing it on a nearby armchair. “sir, i’ll bring you a few samples shortly. do you have any colour or pattern preferences?” you asked him, placing a pot of tea and a cup on the small side table for him to enjoy. you made note of his wishes and disappeared in the storage room to pick up the samples. the customer had made himself at home, eyeing you scrutinizingly. he made you queasy, looking so incredibly unfriendly and you could tell that you were not going home early tonight.

you showed each of the fabrics to him, explaining what materials they were made of and what occasions they were good for but with each explanation, he just looks more and more uninterested. not to mention the snarky remarks he made, seemingly not happy of the choices you presented him. you were running out of options and you didn’t know what else to do to please him when suddenly you heard someone enter the shop. both the customer and you looked over confused - you weren’t expecting any more customers today, it was already late after all. a tall, pink-haired man entered the shop, scowling at your customer. you jumped slightly; he looked scary and you were terrified, not sure what to do in this situation. not only were the black markings on his face and body terrifying, there was also a threatening aura surrounding him, dark and slowly spreading out, all your instincts were screaming at you to run. should you politely ask him to leave? he looked like he wouldn’t take it too well. before you could ask him whether he was looking for something, the stranger spoke up: “you know who i am, leave.”

your eyes widened, slowly inching back towards the back of the store. you were not aware of who this man was but by the looks of your pale-faced customer, he surely did. “this is outrageous!” he exclaimed indignantly, jumping out of his seat. “you can’t just burst in here and demand that i leave! i have an appointment! are you aware of how long the waiting list is? this is the finest shop in the entire prefecture and i would rather die than to give up my spot for a scoundrel like you.” the stranger raised his eyebrows at the shorter man, clicking his tongue in annoyance. you slowly reached out to grab your pair of scissors. they probably weren’t of much use but it made you feel more safe, knowing you could at least somehow defend yourself.

“oh? you would rather die? i’m sure that can be arranged,” the stranger threatened and it was with horror that you watched his fingernails, sharp and pointy, grow in size. he wasn’t human, you’d just encountered a monster. he would kill you and it wouldn’t take him much effort to do so, you were sure he could just stab you with those fingernails. your customer squeaked and left the store in panic, slamming the door in the process, while you quickly hid behind the counter. you hoped he would leave you alone, you didn’t want to get involved. this wasn’t your problem, you were innocent and it was an unfortunate coincidence for you to be here. 

“stop hiding,” the stranger commanded, slowly approaching the counter. you peeked from below the counter, holding your breath. what else could he possibly want from you? demons surely didn’t need money. oh god, was he going to kidnap you?

he swiftly rounded the corner and knelt down to take a closer look at you - you couldn’t react fast enough, he’d already grabbed your chin and made you look at him, turning your head from side to side as he examined you. his fingernails were slightly digging into your skin, making your face scrunch up in discomfort. “so it is you,” he exclaimed in a low voice, then abruptly standing back up. you were confused - what did he mean by that? at least he didn’t kill you, at least not yet. but what else could he possibly want from you? “i need a new kimono. that scumbag just left anyways, make one for me instead.”

a kimono? a simple kimono? you couldn’t believe what you just heard. this demon just came in here, threw a fit but all he wanted was a simple kimono? you couldn’t help but scoff at the situation though it probably was difficult to enter a store without people fleeing or refusing to serve him. while he did look human, the markings on his face made it difficult not to feel threatened. but why did he know you? you had never seen this man in your life before. not in passing, not on drawings, nowhere. no matter how hard you wracked your brain, you just couldn’t recall. “d- do you have any- any colour preference?” you questioned him, watching how he took a seat and grabbed himself the cup of tea. 

“white,” he answered curtly, taking a sip from the tea. “i’ll leave everything else up to you.”

you felt uncomfortable but there was nothing else you could do than follow his orders. you grabbed a few plain white fabric samples and slowly inched over to him, holding them out with your trembling hands. “what?” he deadpanned. you huffed in frustration. 

“sir, you should… you should choose the fabric. it’s your kimono after all, you might not like the feeling of the fabric or it might not be a good fit for your everyday life,” you explained.

“i don’t care, just choose whatever. i’m above the comfort you stupid mortals choose.”

“that’s stupid,” the words left your mouth quicker than you could stop yourself and you slapped your hands over your mouth. the stranger looked at you as equally shocked. “i mean- i mean there’s nothing wrong with indulging in comfortable clothes!” you explained quickly, pressing the samples into his hands. “see you wouldn’t like scratchy clothes, right? or fabric that quickly makes you sweat or feel too warm! i always talk to my customers about what kinds of fabrics they would prefer… i believe life is too short to wear ill-fitting clothes or ones that don’t feel comfortable! good clothing should make you feel like… like a warm hug.”

the stranger didn’t look like he understood what you meant, making you scoff again. some people really didn’t care about what they wore and how they looked like and it just bothered you. good quality fabrics and well tailored clothing could make you feel confident and safe, even in the worst situations. how could you possibly relax if your clothing was maybe scratchy or ill-fitting? “i’ll prove it to you!” you exclaimed and left the room to gather your supplies, then coming back to instruct him where and how to stand so you could take his measurements. now that he was towering over you, you were suddenly very aware of how tall and broad he was. you felt like a dwarf next to him. up close, you noticed more details about him. he was attractive, you couldn’t deny that - the long wispy eyelashes, the watchful ruby eyes and his soft-looking pink hair. if he picked up on your staring, he didn’t comment on it.

once you were done taking notes and choosing fabrics, you gave him a slip of paper, noting down time and date for him to come back to pick the kimono up. “as for payment-” you started but the stranger dropped a huge bag of coins on the counter. you gasped, pushing the bag back into his arms. “sir, that’s too much! i’ll calculate the exact price for you but-” 

“take it,” he insisted and pushed it back towards you. “i have enough. you need the money right? see it as a generous tip.” your face flushed, you didn’t even know what to say and instead only profusely thanked him. it was so much money, the tip was enough to cover your family’s expenses for a year.

when sukuna picked up his kimono weeks later, he still didn’t understand what a hassle you made about the choice of fabrics and why you were so diligent in taking the measurements. he was fine with everything as long as he had something to wear in the first place. he didn’t care, he wasn’t a measly human that whined about the mildest inconvenience. in the private of his abode, he tried the kimono on, abruptly halting his movements as soon as the fabric touched his skin. so the girl was right, the fabric did feel incredibly good on his skin. it was very smooth and silky, a little cool on his skin. very lightweight but not flimsy. the kimono wasn’t too short and fit his tall statue well, you really did a good job he supposed. he glanced at himself in the mirror. it did look good on him, even the matching colours and patterns were chosen well. you really were a good seamstress, no wonder everyone was flocking to the store.

now that sukuna wore the kimono, he suddenly didn’t want to take it off. it was comfortable and soft, reminding him of you.

003.

your favourite spot was one below a tree, on top of a hill where you could see everything. the small city below, the horizon, the stars in the sky. you often came here when you felt like your life came crashing down your shoulders. it didn’t feel like your own anymore, not with your future already laid out for you without you being able to control it. complaining had always felt redundant and ungrateful to you - you had everything you needed, a loving family, food on the table and your family was wealthy enough to not have to worry about money. but in return, they expected everything from you, their eldest daughter. sometimes, the pressure was too much for you but they expected you to do as they say. everything was well until they announced that you were to get married and they’d found a suitor for you. you couldn’t even protest, the decision had already been made behind your back and you couldn’t refuse. you sniffled quietly, wrapping the blanket tighter around you. you didn’t know this man; he might be a complete asshole and not treat you well at all.

the wind was biting at your skin, cold and unrelenting, and yet you felt safe here, away from all your worries. the starry sky made you feel like your worries were miniscule, reminding you that there was so much more out there for you to discover. you’d always liked the sight of stars, they always made you happy. on lucky days, you’d even get to see a few shooting stars. you’d close your eyes and clasp your hands, hopeful that whatever wish you made would come true. the crunch of leaves and twigs made you look up in alarm, scared that your parents had found out you left the estate and now found your secret hiding spot. you couldn’t quite make out the figure in the darkness, only being able to tell that a tall person was approaching you.

you were wary, inching towards the tree behind you to hide but froze when a voice rang out: “i know you’re there. i was looking for you all over the city, little one.” a man clad in a kimono was coming closer, stopping right in front of you and looking at you in disdain. your eyes lit up as you recognized him; you’d met sukuna a couple of times in the city before, mostly when you went to pick up some books to read. he’d been there one time when you were choosing your books and scoffed at your choice. you’d ask him about it, wondering why he thought that your choice was a bad one. he went on and on about how historically inaccurate the book was and that the information about curses was wrong and how an author like that should be ashamed to even publish it. you appreciated the dialogue, you liked having someone to discuss with you. your parents didn’t like that you read fantasy books and books that talked about supernatural events and beings, dubbing them as nonsense and that you should focus on your studies instead.

after your third meeting, sukuna had finally opened up and told you his name. your meetings became more frequent then but you’d never met anywhere other than the bookstore. you were surprised that he even found you here; you decided not to question him though, sukuna always seemed to know where you were, always sensing where you were headed. truthfully, you looked forward to spending time with him. he was attentive and always listened to you, barely ever talking. oddly enough, it made you feel like finally, someone was paying attention to your thoughts and needs. lately, a heavy feeling in your chest was always accompanying you when you met up with him. it was a dull ache, some kind of yearning that you couldn’t quite put a finger on. it didn’t help that you felt like you’d met him before, but you really couldn’t recall where you had met him before. “what are you doing here?” you questioned him, scooting to the side to offer him some space on the picnic blanket.

unceremoniously, he sat down and glanced over to you. he didn’t reply, simply shrugging. “why didn’t you bring a coat?” you asked another question instead, frowning at his choice of clothing. aside from his kimono, he wasn’t wearing anything else. “you’ll catch a cold!” you scolded him, swatting his arm before tugging on his sleeve and signalling him to move closer to you so you could wrap the blanket around his shoulders. you struggled a little to reach him, almost stumbling - sukuna’s arm immediately shot out to hold you so you wouldn’t fall. your cheeks flushed red and you were thankful that it was dark. you cleared your throat and sat back down, snuggling into the blanket and his side. 

“by the way, i read that book you disliked the other day,” you told him, rambling about the contents of the book and what you thought of it, all while sukuna simply listened to you. he only spoke up when he challenged your way of thinking or to agree, otherwise staying silent and just watching you.

suddenly you grasped his hand in excitement, pointing at the sky. “oh, oh! look!!” sukuna’s gaze followed the direction you pointed to, spotting some shooting stars flitting across the sky. “you have to wish for something!” you squeezed his hand and nudged him, then squeezing your eyes shut to prepare yourself to wish. 

“what would i even wish for?” sukuna frowned and pinched your cheek. “what do you wish for?”

“you’re not supposed to share wishes! if you do, they won’t come true,” you argued back and stuck your tongue out at him. sometimes, he really was too skeptical, never indulging in harmless fun. it might be childish to believe in these things but sometimes that little spark of hope was all you need to wait for better things. you sighed when the shooting stars disappeared and let go of his hand, screaming internally. did you really grab his hand like that? you sure hoped you didn’t unsettle him. 

“i don’t think i told you, but my parents have found a suitor for me,” you confided in him quietly, staring at the grass near your feet. “i’m supposed to marry him next year but… i don’t want to, i don’t know this person and i just want to live my life with no one controlling it.”

“i see. there’s still time to get to know him, isn’t there?” you knew sukuna was trying to console you but it wasn’t exactly working. your words frustrated you a little; subconsciously, you’d hoped that he shared the same opinion and maybe, just maybe, help you do something reckless. 

“i don’t want to get to know him,” you huffed and crossed your arms (sukuna thought you looked like a petulant child). “i… i already like someone.”

“you do?” sukuna looked at you surprised and that was the first time that he’d shown any other emotion than indifference. you nodded shyly, hoping that maybe he’d get the hint. you weren’t confident just yet to confess to him but maybe he’d get it from your description alone? 

“i recently met him and i really like that he makes me feel like, you know, important and always pays attention to me. he doesn’t talk a lot but i think that that’s okay, we still have a silent mutual understanding, i guess. and i also think he looks really handsome! although i-”

sukuna had enough of your rambling, he felt annoyed that you were telling him about your stupid crush. whatever boy you had a crush on, they would never amount to the likes of him. why would you look at someone else when he was right there? right here, with you. sukuna reached over and grabbed your cheeks to make you look at him before pressing his lips on yours. you froze for a short moment before returning the kiss, holding onto his kimono when he wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you closer. why would you pay attention to someone else when he could be with you? for the first time in his existence as a curse, he briefly felt human again. maybe shooting stars were the key to wishes coming true after all; in this moment he wouldn’t mind being human again, being alone with her with only the stars as your witnesses.

004.

gradually you were really starting to dislike your night shifts. usually, you’d ask to cover them because it was quiet, there were no nosy customers and the only people that ever came in so late were sleep deprived students that pulled all nighters to write papers or study. well it used to be that way until a group of, presumably, freshmen started coming more and more frequently - they wouldn’t have been so annoying if it wasn’t for them talking and laughing obnoxiously loud. they would stay until late in the night and kept ordering drinks. the audacity to have oddly specific orders, to watch you like a hawk while you were preparing their drinks, it made your blood boil. to top it all off, one of the guys kept flirting with you, even when you’d already made it obvious that you were not interested at all. no matter how uninterested and abrasive you acted, the guy would not leave you alone and his friends would try to act as wingmen. clueless and horrible wingmen.

you were glad that you were never alone during your night shifts, depending on the weekday you’d work in a team of two or threes. whenever they could, they’d cover for you and you were thankful but also felt bad, which usually resulted in you taking over anyways. you placed the basket on the counter, grabbing a towel to dry the cups you’d just washed. the chime of the doorbell made you look up, your heartbeat speeding up at the sight of sukuna coming in. like the group of freshmen, sukuna had recently started to visit the café more and more. he usually only came late at night and he probably was your favourite regular. scratch that, he was your favourite, no one was as calm as him and he never caused trouble. yeah, maybe those night shifts weren’t all that bad, you thought to yourself. you looked forward to him visiting every time you had a night shift.

“hi sukuna,” you greeted him softly and gave him a smile, placing the cup on a shelf. “the usual?” he took a seat near the bar, placing his wallet on the counter and taking off his coat. sukuna was peculiar, not particularly in a bad way. you always thought that he was a little mysterious. he always wore the same kimono - who wears kimonos everyday in this day and age anyways - the same white kimono but maybe he just owned mulitple of them. you could never tell what he was thinking and he had never shown any emotions other than brief moments of bliss when he was having his usual order. his order had always and would probably always be a simple black coffee and some daifuku mochi. it was a weird combo, you mused, but somehow fit him. it was a sharp contrast, just like his tattoos and the soft pink hair. you finished up the order, pushing the cup of coffee and the plated mochi towards him - you’d sneaked another one in just for him, knowing how much he seemed to like them. sukuna looked up at you, ready to protest but you just brushed it off, telling him that it was okay.

out of the corner of your eye you saw your not so secret admirer approaching with an empty cup and you instantly knew you were bound to be annoyed again. you sighed, returning to the cash register to take his order. “so, when am i finally going to get to take you out?” the guy asked, leaning on the counter to get closer to you. you gritted your teeth, ignoring his question and instead took the empty cup, placing it in the kitchen sink behind you. 

“oh come on, don’t ignore me, baby,” he whined, not letting up until you answered. you were annoyed, so so annoyed. your co-workers were currently organizing the inventory so you were all by yourself - usually that would be fine but you’d had enough. this week has already been awful and you just wanted to be left alone. you glanced around, spotting sukuna on the side. suddenly a lightbulb went on in your head and you faced your admirer confidently. 

“i’m sorry but please stop flirting with me and trying to ask me out,” you started and pointed to sukuna who was innocently taking a bite from his mochi. “i already have a boyfriend and i don’t think he appreciates you cornering me like this. you being this persistent is really annoying, girls don’t like that.”

upon hearing his name, sukuna looked up and as if on cue, he glared at your admirer. “yeah, i suggest you fuck off. get a hint, you creep, she’s mine,” he snarled, making a move towards the other guy who was already scrambling to get away and profusely apologizing. mine, mine, mine. his words kept repeating in your head, your heart squeezing painfully. was he interested in you? would he ever come to see you more than just a barista? you sighed in both relief and affliction, trudging over to sukuna. 

“i’m sorry i dragged you into this,” you apologized embarrassed, shoulders drooping and you stared at the floor just so he wouldn’t see your reddened cheeks. “he’s been pestering me so much and i kind of thought that that was the only way to get him to back off.”

“i don’t mind,” sukuna replied curtly, resuming his seat. he didn’t say anything else and you slightly panicked, you wanted to keep talking to him, stay in his company for a little longer. 

“ah uhm sukuna, i want to thank you! if… if you don’t mind, i would like to treat you to another drink?” you suggested, your face now beet red. this was the most straightforward you had ever been with a guy, usually too shy to make a move. in distance you could hear the chime of the doorbell and the doors slamming, indicating that the group had left. you were alone. sukuna didn’t reply at first and you were sure you’d fucked up and got ready to backtrack and laugh it off when he nodded. 

“go ahead, little one,” he nodded towards the counter. “you choose the drink.”

you didn’t know why sukuna kept calling you little one but for some reason, you didn’t mind. it did however make your heart ache in what you could only describe as melancholy. you weren’t sure why. while you started brewing some green tea for the two of you, the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance. the pitter patter of raindrops against the glass front was the only sound audible in the entire café. sukuna hadn’t uttered another word, not even making a sound of acknowledgement when you handed him the cup of tea and sat next to him. 

“you didn’t bring an umbrella,” you noted, looking out of the window. it was raining heavily, with no signs of it stopping anytime soon. “i guess you’ll have to stay here for a little longer, otherwise you’ll get sick. i hope you aren’t sick of me though.”

sukuna took a sip of his tea. “i don’t mind your company,” he replied, looking at you. you couldn’t tell what he was thinking but you sincerely hoped he wasn’t joking. hearing that gave you a little hope. 

“i like moments like this,” you confessed to him, clutching the warm cup with your sweater paws. “having a warm cup of tea and watching the rain from the comfort of your home. or in this case, a café. the sound of rain is really calming, isn’t it? makes you forget about all your worries for a while, it’s just you and your cup of tea.”

again, sukuna didn’t reply for a while. you thought you’d bored him to death with your monologue until he spoke up: “i don’t see how it’s any different from having a cup at any time of the day.” your cup was placed back on the counter. you frowned, not sure how to explain it to him. in moments like these, sukuna seemed to be something of an old being that has seen everything, feelings now dull and locked away. 

“well, see it like this. making yourself a cup of tea or coffee everyday is a normal thing to do, right? it happens almost automatically because it’s just part of your daily routine, you like how it tastes, it makes you feel more awake or helps you sleep. but… but you never really take your time to enjoy it, right?”

sukuna was contemplating, you almost giggled at the little frown on his face. but you were glad that he was willing to listen to you and discuss it with you, instead of dismissing the topic entirely. “but what does that have to do with rain?” he finally asked. 

you pointed outside. “you wouldn’t really go out in this weather, right? not if you have any emergencies or urgent matters to attend to. and same goes for everyone else; it kind of… kind of forces you to stay inside, to fully enjoy your warm beverage. the sound of rain is pretty calming, it’s some kind of whitenoise that might block out intrusive thoughts, at least it does that for me. so it’s only you, the sound of rain and your cup of tea. for a few minutes, you can just relax and have a moment for yourself.”

sukuna still didn’t quite understand how humans worked. it’s been hundreds of years since he’s ceased to be human, he’s forgotten what is what like being human. what human emotions entailed. but he agreed, it has been a while since he’s felt at ease and peaceful even. it was a moment of bliss, a moment that caused a flare-up of old, buried feelings inside of him.

004.1

you still hadn’t mustered up the courage to actually ask sukuna out after you dragged him into that fake dating-situation. he did still come late at night, being the most loyal customer of the café at this point. it was almost… almost as if he’d seeked out your company. though he did tell you that he didn’t mind your company; your ego deflated a little. sukuna still wore his kimono but paired it with a thick winter coat - it was winter after all and the weather had been very extreme. the ground was covered in inches of snow and you hadn’t seen the sun in weeks. sukuna insisted on walking you home when your shift ended. you weren’t sure why because he’d never offered to do so before. you were thankful though since it was still snowing and the streets were completely empty; even though the snow looked beautiful, it was still a little eerie to walk home in this weather. especially since a lot of busses weren’t running anymore due blocked roads.

“sukuna, aren’t you cold?” you asked as you switched off the lights and fumbled with your keys. finally finding the right one, you closed up, shoving the keys back in your back and fishing out your gloves. “you don’t even wear gloves!” you gasped when you saw his bare hands, handing him one of yours. sukuna looked at you as if you were crazy.

he wasn’t cold but he couldn’t tell you that, couldn’t let you know that he was a curse. but handing him one of you gloves? you were too nice, always thinking of others first and never being selfish. sighing, he put on the glove that was uncomfortably small but he’d endure it for your sake.

“it’s been a while since we’ve had this much snow,” you mused and took a few steps around, giggling at the sound of crunching snow beneath your feet. sukuna simply followed you, looking comical with the bright yellow and tiny glove on his hand. you smiled at him, admiring how etheral he looked underneath the streetlights with the snowflakes flurrying around him and some getting stuck in his hair. your heart suddenly ached, a far away memory emerging. it was blurry and unclear, a cold night similar as this underneath the stars and a face staring at you. you couldn’t tell who it was nor were you sure whether it was just a case of déjà vu.

“you know, this kind of calls for a snowball fight,” you grinned at sukuna mischievously and grabbed some snow, beginning to form it into a ball. he raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, looking at you defiantly. 

“i’m not going to indulge in childish business like th-” he didn’t get to finish his sentence as you hurled the snowball at him and giggled like a maniac as it hit his shoulder. you quickly hid behind a bush as you quickly tried to form another, enjoying the dumbfounded look on sukuna’s face. clearly, he didn’t expect you to follow through with your plan and was caught by surprise. “oh you’re on,” he growled after a moment and grabbed himself some snow as well. you quickly threw another snowball at him, this time only being able to hit his leg. eyes widening at the sight of sukuna raising his arm to throw his snowball at you, you let out a squeak and dove behind a tree - the snowball still hit you square on your back, making you yelp at the cold feeling.

for minutes you could only hear the crunches of snow, loud laughter and snowballs hitting objects. you sat on a bench, exhausted from running and ducking away and your belly was starting to hurt from all the laughter. sukuna caught up to you, juggling a snowball in his hands. “you gonna give up?” he asked, a smirk gracing his lips. clearly he was winning, being able to aim a lot better than you. you missed him most of the time but had fun regardless. 

“never!” you replied, holding out your arms to defend yourself from the incoming snowball. it never came and instead sukuna was inching closer with an evil look in his eyes. oh no. what was he up to? you yelped when you realized that he was aiming for your neck, jumping up to get away from him. sukuna was quick to react and grabbed your arm, pulling you back into his chest and holding you close, smushing the snow against your neck. “ew sukuna, stop!” you laughed and squirmed in his arms until he threw the snowball away, rubbing your back gently. 

“that was really cold, you know,” you pouted, burying your face in his chest. 

he wrapped his arms around you, sighing quietly. “i know, i know, sorry.”

you swore that you felt his lips on the crown of your head.

005.

you were, undoubtedly, lost. your phone was about to die and you were stranded in the middle of the city, not sure where to go. to be fair, it was very, very easy to get lost here and it was your first time visiting. your grandparents lived here and while you’ve visited before, you couldn’t quite remember anything anymore. you were a child back then. and the city had drastically changed too, making it difficult for you to navigate yourself around. though your poor sense of direction was probably at fault as well. you sighed, trying to call your grandparents again. no one was picking up. you turned your phone off to save some of the battery, maybe you could call them later.

luckily, you’d brought your cameras so you could at least keep yourself busy until someone freed you from this misery. you walked towards the nearby shrine; there didn’t seem to be any people here, it was very quiet aside from the sound of cicadas. you took a few photos before continuing your journey, soon finding yourself standing on top of the hill. the view from here was breathtaking, even more so because the sun was starting to set, painting the sky in a beautiful yellow and orange hue. you fumbled with your camera again, trying to take a photo when someone suddenly moved into your shot. you paused and looked at the person in front of you who was staring at you as well. considering they were wearing a kimono, you assumed that they must work here. did you make a mistake? maybe you weren’t supposed to take photos and this person came to tell you off.

“i’m sorry!” you said quickly, quickly shoving your camera in your bag. “am i allowed to take photos here?” 

the stranger frowned at you, clearing his voice before replying: “how am i supposed to know? i don’t work here.” 

you groaned, rubbing your face in embarrassment. of course you’d say something wrong, you always did. and now you probably annoyed him too - he looked really annoyed. but since he wasn’t working here and there was no one else around, you guessed you could take photos after all. there was no one to tell you off anyways. however, the stranger was still standing there, looking at you in what seemed like interest. you felt awkward just continuing your endeavors without acknowledging him, so you asked: “do you live here? i’m just visiting, so i’m not very familiar with the city.”

“you could say that,” the stranger simply replied. when he didn’t say anything else, you decided that it probably was okay if you just continued taking photos without acknowledging him. though it did make you queasy, knowing that he was just watching you. didn’t he have anything else to do? a few minutes passed. he sighed and walked over, pointing at your camera. “what are you doing?” you were surprised at how straightforward he was, not expecting to engage in a conversation with you. maybe people in this city were just extra talkative and you’d have to get used to it. your grandparents never told you about this though. 

“ah i’m visiting my grandparents here and i thought i’d document my stay here. so i can look at these photos whenever i want and just have the memories on photo,” you explained and rummaged in your bag to show him the polaroids you took earlier. “i particularly like polaroids because you can’t edit or change them… whatever moment you capture, it’s true to what you saw. there’s no need to make photos beautiful when they hold a special place in your heart and are tied to a specific memory.”

the stranger nodded, pointing to your polaroid camera. “and you take them with this device?” his choice of words startled you a little, he didn’t seem to be familiar with this type of camera which you found odd. everyone knew what these were nowadays, almost everyone owned them. but you didn’t want to judge him or make him feel stupid though, patiently explaining to him how the cameras worked and where he could purchase them. he seemed to be really interested, closely inspecting the camera, turning it around and fumbling with the buttons. only after you finished rambling, you realize how much time had passed - it was almost dark now and your grandparents were probably worried sick. your phone was turned off the entire time and you forgot to call them. 

“excuse me, i really need to call my grandparents!” you looked at him apologetically, leaving him with your photos and camera. normally, you would be very wary; normally, you wouldn’t even show anyone your photos, rather keeping them to yourself because they were your precious memories. but something about him resonated with you, he seemed familiar and yet he didn’t.

you found a spot a few meters away from him calling your grandparents and profusely apologizing to them for not calling sooner. you promised them to wait at a popular and well known spot nearby so they could come to pick you up since it was already getting late, then hung up. to your relief, the stranger was still standing there, watching you intently. “thank you,” you smiled as he handed you your belongings. “my grandparents are picking me up soon, thank you for keeping me company. won’t you be going home soon?” 

suddenly his face expression turned rather… sad? somewhat melancholic and you feared you’d said something wrong until he shook his head. “i have to go somewhere later. let me walk you for a bit, it is dark after all.” you looked at him a little dumbfounded, not expecting him to suggest something like that.

“oh you don’t have to! i’ll totally be fine, i-” “i want to. let’s go,” he interrupted you, already beginning to move. you hastily followed him, clutching your bag in your hands. the entire walk was rather silent, none of you saying a word. it wasn’t a tense and uncomfortable silence though - you very much enjoyed his presence. it made you feel safe too, even though you’d told him earlier that you didn’t mind walking by yourself, it was comforting to know that he was by your side. you were in an unfamiliar city after all. hell you even got lost, so who were you kidding. you wondered who the stranger was, what his story was, what his personality was like. this was a one time meeting though, so you didn’t really have any hope of meeting him again. that was very unlikely.

“okay this is the spot. my grandparents are going to pick me up here, so it’s okay if you go,” you pointed at a café and gave him a reassuring smile. he didn’t look impressed. “o-oh wait, i need to thank you somehow.” you held a finger up to signal him to wait for a bit and fished out a polaroid you’d taken earlier. it was a simple shot, only the temple, bits of the trees and the sunset in the background. but you thought it was appropriate, the two of you had shared this moment after all. 

“here, this is for you. it’s not a lot but i guess… it’s a really nice photo and maybe the start of your collection, if you decide to get a polaroid camera?” he took the photo from you, inspecting it before nodding and thanking you. he looked like he was about to say something else but was interrupted by some bright car lights and the sound of honks.

“ah, i have to go! it was nice meeting you,” you bid farewell to him and waved, running towards the car. sukuna watched your figure retreat, arms dropping to his sides.

006.

it was so cold, so incredibly cold. you really hated disliked these long winters, the sky was constantly dull and grey, the days were short and you hadn’t seen the sun in weeks. it made you feel sluggish and unmotivated, you were just hoping that spring was coming earlier this year. you yearned for sunshine and warmth, to be able to go outside without freezing and just spend more time outside. regardless, you held onto your daily walks because they gave you some peace of mind in your hectic life. you were approaching the last year of your studies and the amount of exams, assignments and your looming thesis were just suffocating you. but soon, soon you were done and could finally take a breather, until then, the only moments of relaxation you’d have were your walks.

despite the cold, there were a lot of people near the park; children who were engaging in snowball fights, elderly who were walking their dogs and some joggers too. your eyes were wandering around, watching all the busy people around. too absorbed in your task, you didn’t notice the man in front of you until you bumped into him. you quickly removed your earbuds and apologized to him, about to continue walking when he suddenly grabbed your arm, holding you back. you were confused, did you maybe accidently hurt him when you bumped into him? you looked him up and down to make sure that he was okay; there really wasn’t anything wrong. he let go of your arm. “is something wrong?” you asked concerned and turned to him. 

“y/n?” 

you froze at the mention of your name. how did he know you?

“who are you? i’ve never met you before.”

in all your past lifetimes, you’d taught him how to be human again, how there was value and joy in even the littlest of things. with each iteration of your existence, sukuna thinks that he’s learned to love you more than the last. when he sees how at ease you are spending time with him, a curse that is feared by everyone, he contemplates confessing to you. but something holds him back, it’s the fear; the fear that you won’t return his feelings. he’s seen you be with someone else, see you fall in love countless of times. he yearns for it to be him, hoping that you do choose him, love him. for thousands of years, he’s spent his time finding you - your reincarnations don’t recognize him and it pains him to get to know you anew each time but nothing pains him as much as his existence. he wants to hold you, be yours, grow old with you.

for the first time in thousands of years, sukuna wishes to be human again.

ps.: i am so sorry if i hurt your heart there omg

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Ian Malcolm

(Not my gif)(Requested by anonymous)

(When I tell you I love this man.)

- You and Ian meet when you attend the same STEM related conference; though it would be more accurate to say that you met while you attended a conference that he was lecturing at. 

- Nevertheless, you were both in the same room and wound up interfacing before the meeting was over; an interaction that would lead to a very interesting and at times exasperating relationship. 

- You found him fascinating; just like pretty much everyone else in the crowd, someone who had a big, entertaining personality in a field that so often lacked personality. You liked him the minute he opened his mouth. 

- He, in turn, thought that you were gorgeous and found himself falling for you the minute he locked eyes on you. He was looking forward to the moment he could slink off stage and find a way to talk to you. He did so right after he finished his speech and the applause settled down.

- He artfully found his way through the crowd and managed to convince the person beside you to switch their seat, taking it for himself after the starry eyed boy got up. 

- The two of you sat in silence for a little while before he leaned over and introduced himself, shaking your hand for a lingering moment before you both turned your attention back to the stage. 

- Another beat of silence passed between you before he leaned over and murmured a funny comment to you, reveling in the way you tried to hold back your smile. You spent the rest of the meeting trying to stifle your laughter as your new ironic commentator continued his jokes and flirtation. It certainly made the conference more enjoyable. 

- Once the shows over and everyone begins to clear out, he asks if you’re doing anything before asking if you’d like to go out and grab a couple of drinks or talk someplace. 

- That's how you find yourself seated next to him at the bar of a nice little restaurant, listening to him explain the chaos theory in detail and trying your best to digest everything that he’s saying; along with your drinks. 

- Along with his mathematical explanations, he also provides a lot of compliments and flirtation. You spend the evening feeling like the most important and sought after woman in the world

- Since you could easily; and very accurately, consider that little get together to be your first date, let’s move on to your first kiss. 

- It’s a date or two later that the two of you share it. You don’t want to give in too easily; even if you want to kiss him a lot sooner, so you play coy until you cant take it any more and the moment feels perfectly right. 

- Perfectly right seems to mean the middle of your kitchen after you invited him in for some coffee but hey, to each their own. 

- Nevertheless, you’d invited him into your home after one of your dates and gone to your kitchen to get the two of you your drinks. He’d followed you in and when you handed him his cup of coffee, he’d leaned in, pressed his lips to yours and given you a soft kiss.

- When he pulled away, he smiled at you, raised his mug, and gave you a somewhat teasing thank you before he lead the way into your living room. 

- One mug lead to another and you've been staying up late with each other ever since. 

- Ian suffers from a deplorable need to constantly be touching you. On top of that, he really isn’t too preoccupied with how other people feel so Pda is very common and performed very shamelessly.

- His arm is usually wrapped around you in some way, whether it be draped across the back of your chair, wrapped around your shoulders, or haphazardly thrown in front of you while a T. Rex is charging towards you.

- Tight hugs; which usually means that you’re being somewhat picked up since he’s so goddamn tall.

- Having your hair played with; oftentimes while he uses his flirtation on you.

- Knee squeezes. His hand belongs to your knee whenever he can’t wrap his arm around you.

- He loves cheek kisses. He loves the sort of showing off feel of them whenever you’re in front of someone else; and he just loves how soft and sweet they are.

- Slow, passionate kisses.

- Oftentimes, you wind up sleeping in the crook of his arm; usually with your head resting against his chest. That being said, the two of you also just cuddle haphazardly, snuggling in any which way you can, your limbs entangled and your bodies relaxed.

- He tends to call you honey or baby but, considering the fact that he calls his daughter Queen, my goddess and my inspiration, there’s room for a few more over dramatic pet names in your relationship.

- Waking up together. Ian's a math professor so, depending on both your schedules, you’re usually getting up around the same time. Although, if you get up earlier than he has to, he’d definitely; somewhat begrudgingly, adapt to your schedule.

- The two of you are attached at the hip a lot of the time. If you choose to go somewhere, he’s bound to follow; whether that be to keep you safe or just because he enjoys spending time with you is anyone’s guess.

- Working on separate things while you’re together. Sometimes couples just want to be in the same room while they do their own thing and I think that’s beautiful.

- Going shopping together. He’s a fan of clothes shopping, groceries, not so much.

- He likes trying out new things and going to all those different places that pop up in town so the two of you visit a lot of new restaurants and shops.

- Going out to dinner at nice restaurants. He’s the Rockstar of the math community so of course he’d want to take you to a few high end places; whenever he could afford it that is.

- Traveling around the world together. Whenever he has to go somewhere, he likes taking you with him.

- Being in the crowds of his conferences and public appearances. You like cheering him on and he appreciates the fact that you’re always there for him; even if he doesn’t necessarily need the support.

- Ian isn’t the greatest at keeping his word and he can get really caught up in his work to the point where he forgets important things, but he does always try his best to make things up to you whenever he can.

- Becoming close with Kelly. She enjoys living with you when her mother can’t be bothered and Ian’s bogged down by work. He loves both his girls dearly so the fact that you get along with each other is very important to him.

- You get to use the fact that you’re with Kelly as an excuse to go do stupid and somewhat childish things like visiting arcades and county fairs. Not that you couldn’t do that without her but I think you know what I mean.

- Movie nights; usually with him and Kelly.

- Museum dates.

- He genuinely thinks that your weird interests and quirks are endearing and fascinating. Other people would consider them strange, Ian considers them to be a compelling part of your personality.

- Seeing you talk about things that you’re passionate about is one of his favorite things in the world. He thinks that drive to learn and do and the intelligence that you possess is extremely sexy.

- Sometimes he’ll just look at you like he wants to eat you alive and it’s extremely problematic. Sir, we are in public.

- Lots of flirting. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together, he still enjoys making you flustered and treating you like the prettiest girl he’s ever seen.

- Unnecessary and frankly disrespectful noises. If he doesn’t stop making salacious growls at you, you’re gonna have to act up.

- Letting him explain all his different theories and findings to you. He loves showing off and having your undivided attention.

- Breaking rules together. If you aren’t keen on doing so, he’d definitely tease you for being a goody goody.

- He carries around a flask most of the time so the two of you can always just park somewhere and drink together whenever you feel like. Some of your best memories take place in his car, passing around a little metal container and talking about nothing in particular.

- Sarcasm drips from this mans every pore so you should try to get used to it. As annoying as it can be, it does make for some funny comments here and there.

- Snarky comments; whether they’re directed at you or someone else. Ian can be a bit of a bastard so don’t be surprised when his mouth opens and something mocking comes out. Just be prepared to occasionally slap his arm and stop him from being a total ass to people; even if it’s justified.

- Corny little jokes.

- Trying to keep him from verbally destroying people. He’s very verbal about his opinions so chances are, he’s going to speak his mind at one point or another and you might not want to be there when he does.

- He’s a voice of reason for just about everyone on Earth so if you need someone to tell you when you’re being stupid, he’s perfect for you.

- Sticking with him and being there for him after everything happens. He changes very drastically in the following years after meeting Mr. Hammond but you love him no less.

- No matter what people may think of him, you still defend him and proudly stand by his side. You’ve learned to ignore the opinion of others and not entertain their gossip.

- Helping him deal with the trauma that comes with almost getting fucking eaten.

- Ian doesn’t get jealous very often. He’s secure enough in himself and knows that you wouldn’t cheat on him, but every now and again, if you’re particularly close to like a colleague or something, he’ll show some signs of jealousy. Mainly, he’ll just ask a bunch of questions about them and your relationship; all the while trying to play it off as normal curiosity.

- Ian is incredibly protective of you; particularly after the events of Jurassic park. He’s willing to do whatever he can to keep you safe; even if it means endangering himself or doing something that scares the hell out of him.

- The two of you don’t fight extremely often; and you rarely have very serious fights, but you do have an argument from time to time. He may say something sarcastic or hurtful in the heat of the moment on occasion but he never means it and he always immediately apologizes.

- Very few fights last overnight. He’s usually so quick to apologize and try to sort things out that you’re back on track in no time. Under his egotistical shell, he’s really just a big softie who wants things to be alright between the two of you.

- He tells you that he loves you a perfectly average amount of times; not too much and not too little. And he loves hearing you say it back or just tell him that you love him for no real reason.

- Ian legitimately loves kids. Like he’s fully prepared to get married and start a family with you at any given moment. Believe me, you just say the words and he’ll pop the question.