#I wish we knew more about their friendship - like...how they get along even outside of work

[bumblingbabooshka]

One of Tuvok's charm points is that in any other series he'd be a one-off Vulcan antagonist that our main cast shows what's what through the power of friendship or the human spirit or what have you. I love him dearly for that.

That didn't happen!

[harrysfolklore]

new year's wish - blurb

a/n: happy happy new year loves ! wrote this little blurb about one of my favorite tropes and i hope you like it, let me know your thoughts <3

gif by @harryisart

MASTERLIST | MY PATREON

2011

It was a tradition between your friend group at this point.

For the last two years, you've been celebrating New Year's Eve at Jonny's place, all of you getting together to celebrate and reminisce about your memories together.

You loved your friends to pieces, your group wasn't exactly huge, but you've made a bond so special over the years that no one could easily break.

However, you surely had a different and deeper connection with your best friend, Harry.

You met Harry the first day of middle school, and ever since your first interaction you've been inseparable. As time passed and you got closer to Harry, you began noticing some changes in how you felt. His laughter made you feel happier, his support meant a lot more, and being around him felt different—like something special. Sometimes, you found yourself admiring him in a way that went beyond just being friends. You started to realize that your feelings for Harry were growing into something deeper than friendship, something you hadn't felt before. It was like a secret you kept in your heart, waiting for the right time to figure out what it meant and terrified that making a move would ruin your friendship.

"Hey! I was looking for you." Harry's voice interrupted your train of thought, making you move from the fireplace you've been standing for the last few minutes.

"I got cold outside, wanted to catch some warmth." you said, looking at your curly haired best friend.

"The countdown is about to begin," he let you know, "Let's go with the rest."

You followed him to where your friends were hanging out, sitting next to him.

"What's on your mind? You're really quiet."

You took a moment before replying, "Just thinking about how everything's going to be different next year, we're barely going to see you."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, a frown appearing on his face.

"You know, the band is taking off and you're going to be so busy," a confused look took over his face, "Don't get me wrong, I'm so proud of you, we all are. I'm just going to miss all of us here together, at Jonny's place."

"Come on, none of that," he said as he noticed a pout making its way to your face, throwing his arm around your shoulders and pulling you to his side, "I'm always going to be around, you won't get rid of me that easily," you laughed at this, "Next year we're all going to be right here together and nothing's going to change."

And as the clock counted down the seconds till midnight you wished for one thing: I wish he doesn't forget about me

2013

"Hey, stranger."

"Hello to you too, miss"

Harry's voice echoed through the speakers of your car, making you laugh as you drove the streets of Holmes Chapel, heading to your favorite wine shop.

"Are you coming to Jonny's place for New Years or are you going to spend it with your famous friends." You joked, and even though you couldn't see him you knew he was rolling his eyes.

"Of course I am, that's every year," you smiled at his words, "Besides, I need to see you so I can tell you all about this girl I'm seeing," and just like that your smile quickly faded, and you were glad he couldn't see you because you could swear your face dropped along with your heart, "I'm super thrilled, we hit it off right away and I honestly can't wait for you to meet her."

You weren't sure how many seconds passed in silence from you,but soon enough you heard Harry's voice asking if you were still on the line.

"Yeah, just got distracted by the traffic," you lied, "I can't wait to hear all about it, I'm glad you're happy."

New Year's was days away but you already had your wish in mind: I wish to be the girl for him someday

2015

There was just one thing in your mind as you sat on the bar stool with a drink in your hand: this year sucked.

That year, Harry had a super busy time with lots of success. He kept in touch, but it wasn't like before, your talks became shorter, and you didn't hang out much. You understood he was busy, but it felt different, you missed him and the fact he didn't show up for New Year's hit hard

On top of that, the headline "Spotted: Kendall Jenner and Harry Styles Getting Handsy on a Yacht" was the first thing you read in the morning, and it hurt.

You weren't even celebrating at Jonny's place, which made the night even more depressing for you, your friends insisted on trying something different and celebrate at a rooftop bar instead.

Maybe you held on to nostalgia too much, but you missed the old days when everything was simpler and you had Harry next to you.

"Hey! Countdown is about to begin, what are you doing on your own?" Ellis, one of your closest friends, called for you making you hop off the stool and join them.

"Everyone has their wishes for the new year?" Jonny asked the group, and you knew exactly what was the only thing you were going to wish for: I wish things would to go back to how they were

2019

"Look who finally showed up!"

Jonny's voice made everyone turn their heads towards the door, where a cuddly looking Harry stood with a bottle of wine.

"Hello to you too, mate." Harry said, making his way toward his best friend and giving him a hug.

After letting go of Jonny, he locked eyes with you and wasted no time to pull you close and wrap you around his arms.

"I missed you," he mumbled against the crown of you head, where he placed a small kiss, "I'm sorry I haven't texted, you know how chaotic album releases are."

You smiled with a tingle of sadness, Harry had just released his second album 'Fine Line', one that he described as having sex and feeling sad and that mainly talked about his most recent breakup.

A breakup that you helped him get through even though your own heart was being obliquely broken by him once again. But at the end at the day, he was still your best friend and there was nothing in this world you wouldn't do for him.

"It's okay, you're here now." You let go of him and squeezed his arm one final time before joining the rest of your friends in cheerful conversation.

Like every year, the night flew by and before you knew it you were a few minutes away from midnight, so you took that as a cue to look for Harry who had been absent from the room due to his phone ringing.

"H? Are you done with your phone call?" you asked, getting close to him, "Is everything okay?"

"It was Camille," he said, turning to look at you and showing you a small smile, one that gave away his contentment about it, "She said she wants to talk in person, to work things out."

"Oh that's, that's good I guess." You tried your best to give him a fake smile.

"It's more than good, this is great!" his smile widened as he moved from his place and wrapped an arm around your shoulders to give you to where your friends were calling for both of you, "Never thought this year would end like this."

His words echoed in your head as you stood with your friends who counted down the seconds until midnight, and a single wish came to your mind: I wish loving him didn't hurt so much

2023

The familiar setting at Jonny's place made you feel comfortable and at ease, no matter how busy your lives had been that year, your friends would always show up to celebrate the new year together and that was something you deeply cherished

This year had been extra special, with every aspect of your life blossoming, but there was a certain thing that made 2023 a great year: your relationship with Harry.

You two had become even closer that you were before, you had always been best friends who shared everything but things felt different now.

Maybe it was the way you exchanged looks that lasted a bit too long, the accidental touches that sent shivers down your spine, or the things you both didn't say but felt.

You couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Harry finally felt something more too. But your intrusive thoughts, the fear of ruining your friendship and the amount of times you've been heartbroken over the years kept pushing these thoughts away every time they popped up.

"Praying to the God's above that Harry finally kisses you at midnight?" Ellis' voice almost made you jump on your spot on the couch, she plopped next to you with a beer on her hand and a cocky smile.

"Ellis! What are you on about!" you complained, making her roll her eyes.

"Come on! We all know that's what you wish for every birthday, and we've noticed that he can’t keep his hands off you tonight, walking in hand in hand and all."

It was your turn to roll your eyes, but you could feel your stomach twist at her words.

After a few more drinks and not so subtle teasing from your friends about you and Harry, you slipped away for a bit, needing a break from the noise. Soon enough Harry spotted you by the window, looking up at the stars.

"Hey," Harry said standing next to you, you smiled as you felt his arm wrap around your waist, "The countdown is about to begin."

"Let's go join them then." You moved from the window and tried to head towards the living room, but Harry's hand grabbing yours made you stop on your tracks.

"Actually," he avoided your eyes, focusing on the scenery outside for a moment, "I've been wanting to talk to you about something, I don't even know if this is the ideal time but-"

"Hey," you cut him off, finding his eyes and giving him a tender smile, "It's okay, you know you can tell me anything."

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, about this year and everything that changed, especially between us," he began, his voice soft yet determined, and your face full of confusion and anticipation.

"These past years have been a whirlwind," Harry continued, "But in all the chaos and changes, there's been one constant, You. And I've been blind to not recognize what that means."

Your breath caught in your throat and you could swear you felt your palms drench in sweat.

"I've wasted too much time not acknowledging it, not admitting it to myself and hurting you in the process," Harry spoke again, his voice laced with a tingle of sadness. "I cherish our friendship deeply, but I've come to understand that what I feel for you goes beyond just friendship. It's something deeper, something I've been too oblivious to see clearly for my own selfish reasons."

His words hung in the air, you could hardly believe what you were hearing, the words you'd secretly longed for so many years, spoken by the person who meant the world to you.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you, I've loved you for longer than I realized, and I don't want another year passing without telling you."

Tears welled up in your eyes and without a word, you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. It felt like the weight of the years of unspoken emotions was finally lifted, and in that moment, everything felt right.

"I love you too," you whispered, your voice filled with a all kinds of emotions. "I've always loved you, Harry."

From afar, you could hear the cheers and celebrations of a New Year, the clock had reached midnight and your friends already made their wishes.

And as you finally kissed the man you loved after he confessed that he loved you too, there was nothing else you'd rather wish for.

[krazyyyyyy]

Sweet Promises Hyugo/Reader

Synopsis: A vow between two childhood friends to make their friendship last forever...

Words: 1346

Notes: I apologize in advance if my uploading schedule has become a bit funky lately, writer's block is hitting extremely hard right now and with all my WIPS, it couldn't be any more tiring.

But I hope you enjoy this in the meantime <3

Hugging your knees to your chest, you stare in awe at the graceful flight of a bumblebee as it lands on the delicate petal of one of the many sunflowers that were planted in your family's garden. You continued to watch as the little bee crawled toward the center of the flower and started to drink the nectar.

You wish you could be a bee…

To fly around and drink the sweetness of nectar all day with not a worry on their small minds. They didn't have to deal with endless lectures that came from their parents; no worries about table manners or how properly dressed they were at gatherings… it all seemed like a dream to you.

Once the bee had its fill of nectar, it buzzed happily before taking off to another part of the garden, leaving you all alone.

Even with the bee gone, you stare at the sunflower with thoughts running through your head. How did the nectar taste? If the bee enjoyed it so much, maybe you could too–but you might get in trouble if your father caught you doing such an unladylike act… on the other hand, he was busy at the moment. And what he didn’t know wouldn’t kill him.

Slowly, you reach your small pointer finger toward the center of the sunflower. Maybe there would be some leftover nectar from where the bee drank, but then again, you weren’t exactly a bee and had no idea how the whole nectar thing worked.

Just when your finger is about to make contact with the seeds of the flower, the sudden patter of small feet in the grass behind you, along with a voice shouting your name, stops you in your tracks.

“Y/N! There you are!”

Before you could even turn around, a pair of arms wrap around your neck and bring you into a tight hug from behind. They rested their face against the side of their head, giving you a glimpse of their distinctive cyan hair, which you recognized instantly.

“Hyugo? What are you doing here?” You question, turning your head slightly to look at the little boy behind you.

Never letting go of his hold of you, he speaks happily, “Dad said he had some business stuff with Mr. L/N so he said we could go play outside with you!” He finally lets go of you to cross his arms in a pouting manner, “I tried to make Geo come out, but he’s too busy being a grump right now. Something about it being too hot outside for him.” 

You giggle at that, “Since when is he ever not a grump?”

Hyugo laughs with you, “True…but sometimes he’s a little less grumpy when you're around.” The little boy teases you with a devious smile imprinted painted on his face.

“Shut up! He is not”

“Is too!”

It was now your turn to cross your arms and pout, all while glaring daggers at the boy you supposedly called your best friend. He smiled innocently under your intense glare. And instead of forging some kind of apology, he takes your hand in his to try to tug you toward a different part of your backyard.

“Come on, I have something to show you!” The boy tugs endlessly on your clasped hands, but your feet stay rooted in place, still showing signs of annoyance from his recent comment.

“Why can’t you just show me here?” You raise an eyebrow at the young boy as he still determinedly tugs on your hand in an attempt to bring you along with him. If there was anything you knew about Hyugo, it is that he never gave up, an admirable trait…but also an annoying one at the same time.

“Because it’s super special! Now, can we go? Pleaseeeeee?” He pleads with you with puppy dog eyes that you know better than to try to resist.

“Fineeee” You groan, finally giving in to the boy’s pleas. The little cyan-hair boy lets out a cheer of victory before giddily leading you hand in hand toward his desired spot.

He led you to a secluded part of your backyard, where a giant, overgrown oak tree stood towering over the two children. You were confused as to what Hyugo was trying to show you; considering you two would visit this tree anytime Hyugo’s family would come to visit, both of you spending hours on hours climbing the large tree to see if either of you could reach the top–a challenge that remains to be accomplished.

Staring up at the tree you begin to speak “Ok, so what was it you wan–” 

“Wait! First, you have to close your eyes!” Hyugo abruptly cuts you off. 

“Why?”

“Just do it!”

You groan, closing your eyes, shrouding the world around you in complete darkness.

“Okay! Now no peeking!”

“I won’t!”

For the next few minutes, you stand in your spot with your eyes covered, doing your best to ignore every urge that tells you to peek. And just when curiosity was about to get the best of you, you hear Hyugo call out.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now. But turn around slowly!” The boy can barely contain his excitement.

Following what your friend says, open your eyes before slowly turning your body to face where Hyugo would be.

The sight in front of you leaves you more confused than you were just moments ago.

In front of you, Hyugo was down on one knee with a watermelon-flavored ring pop extended out to you.

“Marry me Y/N!” The little boy shouted, his cheeks a small tint of red.

“What?” You were beyond confused, at the young age of seven you barely understood the concept of multiplication nonetheless marriage.

“I saw it in a movie yesterday! It said when you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you give them a ring and ask them to marry you,” His smile widened as he gestured to the ring pop he held in his hand, “This way we can be friends forever!”

Least that made two children who knew zero to nothing about the concept of marriage… 

You looked at the candied ring in his hand. “Really?” You question in disbelief. You had never heard of such a thing before, a way that you and Hyugo could remain friends forever…it sounded almost too good to be true.

“Yeah!” Hyugo cheers. 

“Then yes! I will marry you!” You exclaim, “Let's be friends forever!”

“Friends forever!” 

With that, Hyugo stands up from his kneeling positioning to excitedly gift you the green ring pop. You knew the ring was made of candy, yet you couldn’t find it in yourself to take even a lick of the precious confectionery as you gently slide the ring onto your middle finger.

Hyugo suddenly springs up in realization, “Oh! I also have another one for myself!” He digs into the pocket of his cargo pants, pulling out a wrapped ring pop. Quickly, unwrapping the small treat, he presents the shining blue ring pop to you. “See? It’s blue raspberry, mom said it looked just like my hair!”. 

You marvel at the blue ring pop, “It does!” You both fall into laughter together at the silly comparison.

Hyugo then slides his own candy ring onto his middle finger, but not before giving it a few small licks, savoring its strong artificial flavor. His gaze then lingers toward the top of the oak tree; his devious smirk returns as his eyes shift back to you.

“Last one to the top is a rotten egg!” He shouts to you, running toward the base of the oak tree.

It takes you a few moments to fully register what he says, but when you do you're quick to chase after your friend, who was already partially up the base of the tree. “Come on Hyugo! That’s not fair!”

Neither one of you made up the top of that tree that day.

But you both made a core memory that would stay with you for the rest of your lives…

[touchtheinvisiblestars]

Imagine Pope telling Benny you've gone missing while on a stakeout

"Come on man, why all the cloak and dagger?" Benny jibed, "you're going to have to tell us why we're here anyway. Why did we have to follow some ridiculous instructions to get here."

"'cause we're all probably being watched, I couldn't risk anything else going wrong with this mission."

"What do you mean?" Frankie questioned. The atmosphere suddenly got very thick and uneasy.

"I um, so-" Santiago paused, unsure of how to start.

"Spit it out Pope." Tom jumped in.

"Okay, so you know I mentioned the set timings they brought people in, under the cover of night so they had more privacy?" the silence continued, "so with them knowing who I am. I needed to bring in a face they wouldn't bat an eyelid at..."

All four men wore heavy set expressions, cogs turning in their minds at where Santiago was going with this. Benny shared a look with his brother. Not liking where this was going.

"So I called in some help. Just know I didn't force this okay. I asked for a favour."

"Christ man. Spit it out." Will snapped. Not liking how sheepish Santiago was acting.

"It's Y/N. Okay she was doing some night recon for me and two days ago she went radio silent. And we had a strict agreement to check in once every 24 hours. So I knew she was okay." Santiago blurted out.

"Are you fucking kidding?" Benny asked, not sure how to take the news.

"I can't tell you how much I wish I was Ben. I'm sorry."

All five men had a soft spot for you. Having known you for a number of years. Friendships had developed across continents with them. They all cared about your safety as they did each other. Spending time both on the battlefield and at home. You'd even moved cities to be closer to the group. Since then spending a huge chunk of your time with the Miller brothers. Well. One to be particular. Benny and you had a different kind of relationship. One that had never progressed from the gooey eyed longing looks at one another from across the pool table. Among every other place you guys hung out. You supported him ringside at every match. Cheering him on and giving him the push to fight just that little bit harder. Earning you the title of good luck charm after Bennys fourth win in a row once you started coming along.

Saying that you had a special place with all of the guys. You were a constant with Frankies family. Supporting his wife while Frankie had his drug charges cleared up.

You even introduced Will to his fiancée.

Tom had listened to your advice on how he would be able to start repairing his relationship with his daughter. Resulting in them going on their first dad-daughter camping weekend.

Pope had always been a bit of an enigma with the group. But you too had a special place with him. You helped him hash out many a crazy idea. Toning them down when he got too into the idea of taking down huge conglomerates widely known to be untouchable.

"Fuck. Where was she last supposed to reach you?" Benny asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"She always called my phone from a payphone just outside the market. At two o'clock. But that last two days I've heard nothing."

"Where was she staying?"

"At a hotel on the outskirts of town, room 203. Self catering kind of deal."

"Right, Fish and Will. Go to that payphone and see if there's any sign there. I'm going to stay put see if she turns up here. Benny-"

"Go to the hotel. Got it."

The boys sprung into motion. Grabbing what they needed and heading for the truck they arrived in.

"Benny, I'll drop you off at the hotel." Santiago offered, earning a nod from Ben.

He followed closely behind Santiago. Still on the fence about whether he should give him an earful in the car of the way.

"She better be alright."

"I know. You're gonna kick my ass if she isn't."

"Damn right. But I know you didn't do this on purpose."

The ride was pretty quiet from then on. Both men itching to get to the hotel to confirm their hopes.

Benny couldn't help but scan everyone's face as they passed. Hoping she would just appear on a street corner unharmed.

Pulling up in the car park to the hotel. Benny was out the door even before Santiago could turn off the engine. Scanning the room numbers he headed for the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he followed the descending numbers. 213, 212, 211... Round the corner to the side of the block. He continued, 206, 205, 204... Pausing as he locked eyes on 203. Bracing himself for the worst he reached to twist the door handle, light pressure made the already opened door swing fully open.

Letting out a quiet whistle. Signalling to Santiago, Benny reached for the pistol he had stashed in the back of his trousers. With the curtains pulled the room was dim, when he didn't immediately spot you his guard remained on high alert. The room didn't look trashed. But it didn't exactly look neat and tidy. There was some semblance of disarray.

Benny recognised your belongings though. The notebook you always scribbled in. The snacks you never went anywhere without. He even recognised one of his boxing sweatshirts in the messy bed.

Relaxing his stance, Santiago took over scanning the rest of the room. Benny looked through the ripped up paperwork on the bed, seeing you'd made notes about the targets for him. Santi headed for the bathroom, to cover all bases.

"Benny get in here now!" Santiagos voice jolted Benny out of his thoughts.

Preparing himself to see something he didn't want to, he practically ran into the bathroom. Almost tripping over a crouching Santi. Who was hovering over your unconscious figure slumped in between the wall and the toilet bowl.

[formulaa-1]

Heyyyy, could you bring another one with Max, but now something with a little drama? I love drama

hey so I added a bit of writing to this one so I could give it more drama <3 but there are insta posts at the end and that’s how they expose there relationship ,also this is my first time writing so bare with me :) hope this fulfills your wishes <3

jealousy👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

insta au at the end >

y/n Horner x max verstappen

you’ve traveled the world with your dad and gone to every Grand Prix with him since you were 8 years old. Along the way you fell in love with your dads golden driver and have been dating him privately for 8 months,,Charles asks you on a date and he gets he gets jealous.

-

You had just gotten in the lift and pressed the button when you heard a familiar voice yelling out to you.

“can you hold the door please ?”

You held the door open and squinted to see who was yelling. You smiled brightly as the figures came closer and it was none other than Ferraris golden boy Charles Leclerc.

“Charles !” You beamed .

“Y/n! I didn’t realise red bull were staying at this hotel too” he said whilst panting and pressing his floor number.

“Did you not see my dad and max outside” you chuckled.

Over the years you had found yourself getting close to most of the drivers and had even befriended a handful of them. One of which was Charles.

Charles would always flirt with you and it definitely did not go unnoticed by max.

you always brushed off his flirty comments and remarks not thinking much of it ad he never made any moves on you and was always the perfect gentleman.

Besides, a little harmless flirting never hurt anyone.

“haha no Iv been in the hotel bar with some of the engineers for the past hour”

“Drinking on a work night are we ?” You smirked.

he chuckles and runs a hand through his hair before turning his body towards you with a nervous expression on his face as he rushes out a quick…

“After the race, do you maybe wanna go out on a date and get some food or something?”

your smile drops and you suddenly feel a pool of guilt build up in your chest.

“Oh Uhm Charles, I love you..but not like that and Uhm, I’m sort of with someone.”

you speak so quietly it almost comes out in a whisper.

The last thing you want to do is upset him and hurt his feelings. You love him and the friendship you’ve built with him but your feelings towards him are and have always been purely platonic.

“Oh. Uhm okay, no yeah that’s fine” he rushes out and you feel how his mood immediately shifted.

“we’re still cool though right? I mean we can still be friends?” He quickly adds before I can speak again.

“Of course we can Charles!” You gush out and give him a quick hug.

As your pulling away the lift stops and the doors open revealing max.

max looks up and immediately frowns. Why was Charles hugging you? He hated the way Charles looked at you and all of his flirty remarks he made towards you,but most of all he hated the fact that he could do anything about it.

you mutter a goodbye to Charles before grabbing your bag and walking out of the lift smiling at max as you do so.

“hey where’s my dad ?” you question as you began walking to your room,max hot on your tail.

“he had a meeting.” He sharply replies as you reach your room and unlock the door.

“what’s wrong?” you asked quietly.

you already knew what was wrong and you knew that he got pissed off when Charles would flirt with you but you were in a tricky position.

Your relationship wasn’t public yet,therefore your back was against the wall and you couldn’t do anything about it.

“Him. He’s always fucking flirting with you” he says while moving to the bed and gesturing you to sit on his lap.

you sit on his lap and pull him into a short but sweet kiss.

he grabs your hands and put them on his cheeks before looking into your eyes and saying…

“I want to go public y/n.”

you smile brightly as you grab your phone and immediately type up relationship launching on Instagram and show him.

“Finally!!!!This is what I had in mind !! We could soft launch”

he hums before lifting you up and putting you down gently on the bed before crawling on top of you.

“I was thinking hard launching”

and so that’s what you did.

y/nusername

y/nusername: hopefully my dad won’t be too mad…🤭

tagged:maxverstappen33

Liked by maxverstappen33, christanhorner ,therealgerihalliwell and 703,456 others

view all 67,319 comments

christanhorner: imagine finding out that your daughters in a relationship with one of your drivers through Instagram.

y/nusername: couldn’t be u 🫶🏻 joking love u dad ❤️

therealgerihalliwell: so cute 🤍

verstappen33fan: WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN??

username3849: WHAT THE HELL??

Mv33biggestfann: Iv been shipping this for the longest time… my dreams have come true.😍😍

redbullracing: favourite paddock couple🙌🏼💙

fan38: oh.my.god. Christians comment IM DEAD.

maxverstappen33

maxverstappen33: happiest 8 months of my life❤️

tagged y/nusername

Liked by christianhorner, victoriaverstappen and 1,124,561 others

view all 157,200 comments

victoriaverstappen: my favourite couple <3 Luka and Lio miss there uncle max and auntie y/n!

y/nusername: Awh🥹 I can’t wait to see you all again <3

sophiekumpen: 😍😍😍

Liked by y/nusername

mv33biggestfan1: omg maxs nephews call y/n there auntie 🥹🥹

user8383:I’m so single.

(authors note- this took forever also I’m trying to work through the requests but there’s quite a few and I probably won’t do one with writing for a while cos this one took a while to make and I wanna stick to making 2 posts a day if possible but sometimes it will be a bit hard to do so ,especially Saturdays )

[transsongtaewon]

On the screen, a man and a woman kissed in the rain, possibly while crying.

Based on Yoohyun's half-hearted observations on the drama, before this scene, they had broken up no less than three times, destroyed multiple life-long friendships, and been, just, really annoying all the way through. But now they had their happy ending. At least until they found out that the man had slept with the woman's evil twin. Yoohyun wasn't sure if the man knew it was the twin and not the woman, but he also did not particularly care.

He mostly just wanted the drama to end.

Not that he had anything better to do while waiting for Yoojin to get done at the vet clinic. Technically, Yoojin's shift had ended ten minutes ago, but it wasn't like a secretary could just hang up in the middle of a phone-call, no matter how annoying the caller was. At least that's what Yoojin claimed, Yoohyun did not feel the same.

But until Yoojin came to get him, he would just have to sit in the waiting room and watch the drama the clinic for some reason considered suitable waiting-room-entertainment. Maybe it had been chosen because there was an entire arc centered around a dog dying and was therefore deemed thematically relevant for people who came to the clinic to have their dogs put down.

When those episodes aired the waiting room was filled with more sniffles than usual.

Yoohyun really wished the drama had never been filmed back then.

"Did you have to wait long?"

"No, hyung."

Yoojin was wearing the jacket he had been given at his delivery job, still layered above the vet-clinic scrubs, looking exhausted but cheerful. The same as he always did.

Yoohyun smiled at him. Yoojin grinned back.

Yoojin cast a look at the tv where the man and the woman were now holding hands in a park, interrupted by occasional shots of the woman-but-with-glasses-on (the evil twin) looking menacing.

He sighed dreamily. "Ah, love. Beautiful, isn't it?"

Yoohyun was not entirely sure what exactly was supposed to be beautiful about all the miscommunication and tears he had been told by countless shows and movies were the pinnacle of love, but he nodded along anyway.

"And to think one day, my beloved little brother will find love for himself." Yoojin ruffled his hair, making Yoohyun pout a little.

"But I already love you more than anyone, hyung."

Yoojin laughed, clearly touched but also bemused. "But Yoohyun-ah, I don't meant that kind of love. I mean when you grow up and meet a nice girl to settle down with and I get to babysit all my cute nieces and nephews."

"Mhm."

Yoohyun decided not to protest any more. Yoojin seemed to care greatly about Yoohyun's hypothetical romantic future, even if Yoohyun knew deep down that he would never love anyone that way.

He realised this basically the moment the concept of romantic love started being floated around by the adults in his life, be it by the kindergarten teachers calling any boys and girls playing together "little boyfriends and girlfriends" or fairy tales declaring the power of the love's kiss. It all sounded rather silly to him.

Very few seemed to share his perspective on the matter, though. Maybe he was just born different. It wouldn't be the only way he failed to match the expectations for a person.

"Come on, Yoohyun. We have to run if we want to catch the bus."

Yoohyun got up and patted down his school uniform, making sure he didn't leave anything behind in the waiting room. As they went outside, he threw one last glance at where the man and the woman were having carefully choreographed, mostly implied sex and knew that this would never be him.

Written for Sctir Pride Week Day 5: "Born This Way"

[ipostdumbthings]

Moonlit Dinner Date

Pairing: Gale/Tav

Characters: Gale, Tav, Astarion, Karlach

Rating: G

Genre: Romantic Fluff

Summary: Gale returns to camp one evening to discover a wild magic mishap from sorcerer Tav. Pre-relationship.

It was still fairly early in the evening when Gale found himself strolling back into camp, clean for the first time in days. Camp had been made late in the afternoon, they’d stopped near a river and a turn order was quickly established to get everyone in camp a turn to a small but blissful amount of privacy, and freedom from the muck and sweat. He was still toweling off his hair when he stepped foot in camp proper,only to find himself almost bumping directly into a certain pale companion of the vampiric persuasion. The look on the elf’s face made it clear that he’d been waiting for Gale for a while now, a look that said “you’re wasting my time”. The wizard didn’t love how often he saw it.

“Here’s something I never thought I’d say, but thank the gods you’re here Gale we need your help.” It might have been a jab at him, but Astarion wasn’t wielding his particularly cruel tone of voice, did Gale actually detect something genuine there? He opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off immediately, not by the man before him, but by the bleating of a sheep. Of course. He didn’t need to look, but he did anyway, sidestepping the elf to join the camp proper. Not too far from the fire was a sheep, a rope tied loosely to its neck to keep it from wandering off. Affectionately petting and tending to it was Karlach, who looked all the more excited to see Gale.

“Tav?” He asked, already so certain of the answer, but received further confirmation when he spotted the bowl of water someone had laid beside the sheep with the name “Tav '' hastily painted on the side, no doubt Karlach’s work. It could be hard to believe that a woman of so much heat could have such a soft heart.

“Yes, she got a little bold with her spell casting I’m afraid,” Astarion replied, a certain quirk to the corner of his mouth indicating just how funny he found all this. It had endlessly fascinated Gale just how well Tav could get along with everyone here, and how someone with so much kindness and concern for others could find genuine affection and camaraderie with someone like Astarion. He was certain for the elf’s part, the friendship had mostly been a great source of amusement, provided he was well outside the blast radius when something went wrong. But Tav had disagreed with Gale during one of their chats about that, well not entirely, she knew Astarion found it funny when her magic went awry, but she was positive there was a genuine connection of trust and friendship between them. That was getting off track though, there was very much a situation he was faced with, one that was frankly frustrating, and should’ve been avoided based on his and her previous conversations. He heaved a sigh so deep he felt it in his soul.

“I specifically asked her not to cast her magic in camp for this reason. Could’ve been a fireball that sent all the tents up in flames,” he said, adopting a chastising tone as he addressed the sheep more than the two people. Sorcerer’s and wizards rarely saw eye to eye under the best of circumstances, given their different philosophies, their different experiences with magic. Sorcerers took magic for granted, and the one type of sorcerer you didn’t want with that sort of flippant attitude was one of wild magic, and yet Tav seemed blissfully unconcerned by the chaos she was capable of wreaking. He’d hope she’d learn something from this, but he knew better.

“Oh, no, that’s not what we need help with,” Astarion said, his genuine delight only seeming to swell.

“When you say it like that Astarion, it makes me feel like we’ve been arseholes,” Karlach said sounding like a guilty child. She even wore a pout. 

“She’s got grass, we put down a clean water bowl for her, her precious sheepish heart yearns for nothing. Frankly I wish people tended to my needs the way we’ve been keeping her for the better part of the half hour.” The elf sounded defensive, but not in a way that indicated he felt bad in the slightest for anything that was happening. Gale pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a certain weariness he imagined his mother must have felt when she was dealing with his youthful magical indiscretions.

“If it’s not about Tav the sheep, then what exactly did you need?” The question was quick, clipped, and demanded an answer.

“Well, it’s not not about Tav and her adorable little hooves.” The way Karlach emphasized the last three words was further hammered home by her taking Tav’s sheep face in her hands and cooing at her.

“It’s a bet,” Astarion said, and could not suppress a grin as he spoke, “we were wondering if, someone were to… shear her, you know, shave off all the wool, while she’s a sheep…” 

“Would she pop back to being a human bald or naked? And what would happen to the wool when she turned back? Would that be her hair? Her clothes? Or would it stay wool?” Karlach finished the question, redirecting her gaze back to Gale with genuine curiosity. He blinked at the absurdity of the question, at the knowledge that they had been patiently waiting for him for half an hour just to ask. Karlach didn’t surprise him as much, but he would’ve assumed Astarion for the sort to get to the bottom of the matter himself.

“Ah. Well, I can't say I’ve ever tried it. Honestly I’m impressed at the restraint you’ve shown in not simply attempting it yourself.” He’d said it as a joke, but the look on Karlach’s face had the deep sigh renewed.

“We thought about it, but I’m too pretty for such a menial task, Karlach is too afraid of hurting her, and Halsin gave us a very stern ‘no’ and that same disapproving look you seem to be wearing right now.” Well, at least someone in the camp could be trusted to behave like an adult. He held Astarion’s gaze for several moments, making sure he fully expressed said disappointment, before finally looking back at the popular subject of the evening, Tav. He should still be irritated, but he had to admit the question was an interesting one, and far be it from him to not indulge the curiosity of others in regards to magic. Even if he didn’t exactly have an answer.

“Ignoring the ethical implications of you two attempting to shave one of your friends while they’re completely indisposed, hypothetically-“ he was cut off when the sheep made eye contact with him, and he felt the sudden, intense connection brought on by the tadpoles locked in their brains. For just a moment it didn’t make sense, just sheep sounds and flashes of the grass on the ground at the camp, but then he felt it: the disappointment. The sheep held his gaze, drifting to thoughts of the clearing nearby, the one with bright green grass.

“Wait. What just happened?” The words from Karlach pulled him from the moment, and his bewildered stare must have made it obvious.

“Did she just use the tadpole on you?” Astarion sounded positively delighted, the airy laugh erupting from him. Gale glared.

“Oh was it Tav-Tav, or Sheep-Tav? Why didn’t she do it to me? I was just staring into her little face?” Karlach asked with a mix of absolute whimsy and disappointment. She gently rested her hands under Tav’s face to coax the sheep to look at her again.

“Don’t take it personally, Karlach, she’s not really Tav right now, she’s well and truly a sheep,and you two were wrong about her wanting for nothing, she wants better grass.” With that he crossed the space to his tent and returned everything he’d taken for his bath, then snatched up a book. There was no telling how long it would take for Tav to become human again, and she’d been very clear about what she wanted. He could sit with her for a while as she indulged in sheepish pleasures.

“Shit are we being bad sheep guardians?” Karlach asked with a groan, she did start untying the rope from the stake in the ground, which she handed over to Gale when he approached.

“Do you mean shepherds?” Astarion asked, but Gale was very much through with the tom-foolery of the evening. Taking the rope in hand, he gave Tav the gentlest of tugs to get her moving.

“I’m going to take her to a clearing nearby, if she’s going to return to humanity with the taste of grass in her mouth it might as well be good grass.” Tav may have frustrated him at times to no end, but there was no denying that he respected her. Valued her, even. She was competent at decision making under catastrophic circumstances, unwaveringly compassionate to those in need, and a damn fine friend to anyone that allowed her to be. There were times that his fondness for her only increased his frustration about her casual disposition to her brand of chaos. He wanted her to care enough to take care of herself, to be careful. But he supposed, at least for the time being, she had him to do the worrying for her. Seemed a few others were up to the task too.

“Don’t forget her water bowl, Gale, I put her name on it and everything, you know, for next time it happens.” Karlach almost spilled the water bowl in her haste to hand it over, genuinely concerned he may leave it behind. The wizard took the bowl with a small bow of his head, yes even when he wasn’t around to watch after her, Tav was usually in good hands.

“I’m certain she’ll be touched by the kind gesture. Now come along, Tav.” With that, he gave another gentle tug on the rope, and sheep Tav seemed to know exactly what to do, which he supposed made sense, she had requested this.

—

He did have to give her credit for good timing, though, it was a lovely night. Stars twinkling above, the moon brilliantly lighting their little clearing. The air was cool, but not cold. A nice gentle breeze carried the sounds of the night time wildlife beginning their evening. Perfect night to sit with a book and enjoy the world for all its splendor.Even the company was pleasant, now satisfied with the grass she had available Tav was content to silently wander and munch nearby. He’d take breaks from the page to glance up at her to make sure she was fine, and frankly marvel at how he managed to enjoy her presence even as a sheep.

The two had shared many late night evening talks, mostly about the sort of things one expects a wizard and a sorcerer to discuss. Magic and its nature, mysteries of the universe, that sort of thing. They talked about other things, and he was constantly amazed by how much he enjoyed those chats just as much as he enjoyed the ones on his favorite subjects. Even in these trying times she approached life with enthusiasm, with passion and joy. Not to say she wasn’t aware of the impending doom that loomed above them, she’d let slip her air of exuberant confidence a few times to reveal just how deeply afraid she was. He’d realized then that she was attempting to shoulder all the worries of the team, that she’d been determined to be the source of comfort and hope when they couldn’t be one to themselves. He didn’t envy her. He did want to help her though. Which was yet another reason he was sitting out here with her.

It was a wonderful, quiet hour that past, and sheep Tav had settled in the grass and was deep into a snore when the magic dispelled. One moment a sheep snoozed happily, the next there was Tav. She sat up quickly, facing away from Gale. She twisted her head back and forth before rising to her feet. When she finally spotted Gale she broke into a big grin. A big, beautiful grin. She looked relieved to see him, happy to see him. He blinked back at her, and felt something stir in his chest that felt suspiciously like his heart fluttering. He hoped it was dark enough that she’d miss the faint tingle of redness on his cheeks he felt forming. A moment passed before he realized he was staring at her, and he quickly cleared his throat to break the silence.

“You should know, your dear friends seriously debated shearing you in pursuit of scientific curiosity,” he said, he’d intended his tone to be more chastising, after all he had asked her not to cast in camp for a reason. But his heart wasn’t in that, not at the moment, not with her looking at him like he was her safety, her comfort. It came out as the gentle, affectionate tease it truly was. Of course he knew he’d been fond of her already, but that look on her face under starlit skies was forcing him towards some rather hasty and unexpected realizations about just how fond of her he was.

“Oh to see if I turn out bald or naked?” She asked with an easy laugh, as she took a seat on the ground directly beside him. The urge to put an arm around her was one of the hardest he’s ever had to suppress. He settled for tilting his head to the side as he peered at her, watching the expression of good humor form on her face. He was finding he liked that one quite a bit too.

“A question you seem to have pondered quite a bit yourself,” he remarked.

“Well I’ve spent more than my fair share of time as a sheep. Always wondered why it was a sheep. Honestly, the universe probably knows I’d be too powerful as a cat.” She was looking directly into his eyes as she spoke, and he found himself even more acutely aware of how close they were and how intimate this moment between them was. The idea of her as a cat, however, was enough to get a laugh from him. Surely she’d be the sort to knock everything over, to break all your favorite things, and just when you were sure it was time to get rid of her, cuddle up on your lap and make you love her all over again.

“With your predisposition for chaos? I suspect you may be right.” He loved the way that made her laugh, the way her nose crinkled as her whole face lit up. She gave him a gentle shove on the shoulder, and he made a mental note to ensure an abundant future of that. She finished laughing and for a brief moment she sat and peered up at the stars before she looked back to the grass she’d been eating not ago.

“Awfully nice of you, though, to bring me out to this lovely patch of Baldurian Bluegrass.” She looked thankful. He blinked at her, and then looked at the grass, and then back at her.

“… You know what type of grass this is?” He must have sounded incredulous from her next little laugh. Tav was not much of an expert on the great outdoors, she’d never successfully identified an animal track, knew absolutely no potion ingredients, and seemed to be allergic to most things they came in contact with. She smiled a knowing smile and shrugged her shoulders.

“When I realized that I would be spending a decent amount of time as a sheep, I started growing little patches of grass at home, and had some brought in from all sorts of places. I figured, you know, spoil myself.” It was his turn to laugh, he shouldn’t have been surprised in the first place. That was exactly the sort of thing Tav did. 

“Ah yes, exotic grasses from across the globe. Truly a feast fit for a sheep of your caliber.” He teased, and felt that flicker in his heart when her eyes were back to him.

“But the one I always eat the most is the boring one, Baldurian Bluegrass.But do you realize what that means?” She asks leaning just enough that it felt like they were conspiring about something together.

“I can’t even imagine what’s about to come out of your mouth.” It wasn’t the first time that had happened, and he knew with such certainty that it would far from be the last. It excited him in a way that he hadn’t expected it to.

“You just took me out for a nice moonlit dinner with my favorite food. If you keep this up, Gale, I’m going to think you’re into me.” It was a joke, he was certain. Wasn’t he certain? He could almost be bold enough to lean over and kiss her, to wrap that arm around her and hold her. To spend the evening like this teasing and talking together. Almost.

“We should get back to camp, Karlach will be both relieved and disappointed by your reversion,” he said and cursed himself for being a coward. Tav took pity on him it seemed, leaned in and kissed his cheek, and he felt his heart absolutely pound in his chest. She rose to her feet quickly thereafter and offered her hand to him to help him up, which he gratefully accepted.

“Thank you, Gale, for taking care of me,” and there was that smile again, but it didn’t linger for long, and she was quickly starting the short walk back to camp. He didn’t let her get too far ahead though.

“It was a privilege and an honor, my lady.” He did stop to pick up her water bowl though, with her luck it would be helpful soon enough.

[abarero]

Mikoto and Hanna (and Love)

(Or Abarero spent too much time thinking about the Greek Types of Love, the Color Wheel Theory of Love based on them and then wrote this in the middle of the night)

Spoilers for Magia Record Arc 2, Sayonara Storage and Memory Drops.

Mikoto and Hanna both pose a unique view into love, because prior to each other, we come to understand they really had no true experience with it. Both their family lives were severely lacking affection from parent to child, let alone between the parents who spent more time arguing than anything else. It comes to the assumption that if they did see or receive any love it would be most likely an outsider’s view of it as opposed to part of it. This may have been via movies and TV shows or even fellow students in their lives that were dating. So we can guess their understanding of love is probably lacking and perhaps a bit biased towards a fantasy view of it from fiction.

Mikoto has her false family, after becoming a magical girl and getting her parents out of her life, but that comes with the added layer that she knew any affection from them was fake. The family even mistaken calls her their actual daughter’s name at times, which would just drive home that feeling that the love isn’t real. She’s playing house, but the familial love she’s seeking is still only on the surface.

It’s interesting then to me that one of the kinds of love Mikoto has is Storge- the kind known as familial love. Storgic love often develops gradually out of friendship and Storgic lovers sometimes cannot pinpoint the moment that friendship turned to love. (Sometimes you will see this type referred to as Philia, but the color theory uses the term Storge for both friendship-based love and family-based love). Interestingly enough, I feel the umbrella term of Storge fits Mikoto better than just Storge or Philia by themselves.

Mikoto has always been about finding a place, a family, where she can be a normal girl. The closest she ever comes to that is with Hanna during Memory Drops, when they spend their days working and living together. This is Mikoto’s ideal love because it’s the one love she’s never had and yet so desperately craves. It’s when she’s the happiest too.

This leads into her other kind of love: Mania. Mania is obsessive love. Lee defines Manic love as flowing out of a desire to hold one's partner in high esteem and wanting to love and be loved in this way, seeing specialness in the interaction. This type of love tends to lead a person into a type of madness and they feel that they "need" their partner. Mikoto really shows this love in Memory Drops, where her last wish and desire is just to have Hanna back. To her, Hanna is everything and her world revolves around her completely. Her love here is intense and possessive, jealousy showing up when Hanna and Nanaka interact.

Given Mikoto’s desperation for love and affection, it’s really not surprising to see her love as Mania. Upon receiving love, she wants to hoard that feeling and person to herself, afraid to lose it. But it’s quite tragic given her background to see how her love manifests as both Storge and Mania- the ideal and the extreme.

Hanna, on the flip side, has Storge as a love but also Agape. Agape is often defined as unconditional, sacrificial love. Agape is the kind of love that is felt by a person willing to do anything for another, including sacrificing themselves, without expecting anything in return. This is Hanna, over and over again she’s willing to do anything for Mikoto. Even if it means becoming a villain. In Sayonara Storage, we see Hanna playing along but ultimately sacrificing herself in hopes it can save Mikoto. She does something similar in Memory Drops on realizing Mikoto is the reason behind the strange occurrences.

This also manifests in how Hanna is always forgiving of Mikoto’s wrongs, but resolves to die because of her own crimes. Her love of Mikoto is such that she sees herself as the tainted one while Mikoto is seen as pure.

What I find interesting in the overall picture is that aside from them both having Storge as their core ideal love, their extremes (Agape and Mania) are at almost opposite ends of each other; one self-sacrificing and the other possessive.

I think it’s what ultimately leads to their tragedy. While they share an ideal, their extremes lead them to make choices that end tragically. And I find that quite poignant. Like here’s two girls who only wanted to have a happy life together, but due to circumstances and extremes of their affection, they meet an untimely end.

But it’s why I feel their characters and story are so important. To see them go to these extremes for one another, to see them idealize the one love they never had, is just a beautifully tragic thing. It’s a very Greek Tragedy kind of story, and so I hope I’ve done even a fraction of conveying their depth in this essay.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Aita for kissing my best friend, even without having feelings for her

So I (19m) kissed my best friend (19f) a few years ago and it’s still a major cause of conflict within our friends, anytime it gets mentioned.

For context: when I was 16 I met this girl (who even now I have to admit) I fell head over heels for. We came from two completely different backgrounds and were polar opposites on the outside but idk something about us just clicked. However we were 16 and stupid and really still kids. As much as we cared about each other we fought ALOT. She had this need to be perfect (her parents are the worst and put wayyyyyy too much on her) and I was undiagnosed with adhd which in the past has lead me to do some pretty stupid things impulsively . This included.

I constantly was fighting for this girls attention, even after we had started dating. It seemed like to me back then she cared about everything more then me, so I’d do stupid things to get her attention because I thought that fighting with her at least meant I had her attention. Dumb I know, I can see how stupid that was.

Anyways we had a bigger fight then normal but there was a class trip going on (my gf and best friend went I didn’t) so it gave us enough time to cool off. When I saw them next, my gf ran up to me and hugged me saying she’d missed me. I had missed her too, but then she instantly went back to obsessing over school work and shit. Ignoring me.

That’s when I did something stupid. I kissed my best friend. I knew she’d started to develop feelings for me sometime around after her and her bf had broken up (they broke up because he was insanely jealous of our friendship) and I kinda took advantage of that and when she tried to kiss when we were alone. I didn’t stop her . See I knew my gf and her NEVER got along, like hated each other. And I for a split second I thought to myself how this would get her attention on me again. I pulled away once my brain actually caught up to what was happening and I made her keep it a secret.

Nether the less a boy in our class had spotted us and a few days later told my gf in front of EVERYONE.

She was broken hearted and I felt shit. It was like a part of me died seeing her face when she heard. I had completely betrayed her and we were both devastated. But that’s not even the worst part. (Unknown by me) her and my best friend had been assigned to the same group on the class trip, and had become friends.

She kissed me right after becoming friends with my gf.

Anyways we broke up. Which I completely understand, she deserves better then me, I always knew that. Her dad always knew that and I just don’t understand how’s she ever loved me to begin with. I’ll never stop regretting what happened.

But even know 3 YEARS later it’s tearing up our friend group anytime someone mentions it. I’m still friends with this girl ( I actually dated her for a little while to try and save face but we ended up breaking up because she knew I still loved my ex)

Am I the asshole for just wishing we could all leave this in the past? Like I know it was a horrid thing but it’s been 3 years and I don’t think it should still be causing as much conflict as it is

What are these acronyms?

[qprpbj]

do you have any tips on how to start writing fics?

the outsiders brainrot actually has me coming up with ideas and i have a desire to start writing them into actual stories but i've never written outside of class papers/assignments and i don't really know where/how to start since it's all just my own prompts and ideas and there's no grading rubric lmaoooo

like do you plan out each fic with a list first or do you just start writing about the main plot point of the chapter and fill in out of order or do you just start writing and see where it takes you... do you do any research while you're planning or pull from other authors/fics/posts or write from experience...

how do you decide when to stop writing or decide on which endings/paths/plot points to go with... the deadly combo of indecisiveness and perfectionism along with having no guidelines or due dates is crippling me so im asking some of my fav authors (who have also been inspiring me to write and be creative)

wait hi this is so sweet thank you!!! 🥹🥹 i will preface All This (sorry i yapped so much lol) by. i’ve been writing fic for like ten years and i think a lot of my old fic, while deeply cringe and awful, was all very important to getting me where i am today where i feel i can accurately get across what im trying to say!!!

first. hone your ideas!!! try to find a good niche you feel comfortable in (but also. don’t limit your creativity!!!). idk for me it’s easier to start specific and small rather than super general bc then i have Tooooo much freedom u know. i think my niche sorta across fandoms is generally softer dialogue, exploring close siblings or familial or friendship bonds an dynamics through situation, a lot of fluff, maybe a lil hurt comfort

i basically exclusively write in order! unless i get a really cool line/paragraph in my head that i write out and save for later to fit in somewhere. i usually have a like one-line idea that just Comes to me (ex. this was my entire line idea that turned into that pony getting jumped fic!)

then i’ll expand it a little more into a shitty little paragraph (ex. here’s a few!!!)

and then tbh after that i just kinda write everything in order from top to bottom from there. i wish i were more organized tbh and writing long fic/chaptered stuff is still sooo hard for me (which is why i don’t do it much yet lol) but im really trying to break out of it!! slowly we are learning!!! retaining the inspo and drive necessary to write that much is harddddd lmfao

before writing i always do have a solid idea where i want it to start and go and end though. like that ponyboy jumping fic i Knew i wanted to have pony get jumped in the opening scene, then go home, try to break down cutting his own hair, brothers come in and talk him down and it ends with talking abt johnny, even if i didn’t like. List that all out in words in a document.

definitely do research!!! espppp for outsiders bc it was like 60 years ago!!! well researched fics are soooo obviously tonally different and it’s always super obvious imo when that sort of care is put into ur writing. that fic i wrote about darry getting a panic attack was important researching bc panic attacks weren’t well known or researched or even Called panic attacks back then, so it’d be hella jarring seeing like 1967 13y/o pony whip out “you’re having a panic attack darry 🤓👆” yk lmfaoo

i SOO get the perfectionism and having no due dates thing btw. i have literally like 5 fics i’ve started and not finished in my docs rn with like 15 more ideas i wanna write someday. tbh! try to enter that Hyperfixation Zone and be really excited about what you’re making!!! helps it go by easier bc i swear sometimes i’ll write fic and it feels like pulling teeth even though it’s supposed to be fun!!!

last thing. try and find friends to bounce ideas off of and go crazy with you <3 or ppl to beta read!!! makes writing SO much easier and sm more fun having a your own lil personal cheerleader!!! if you ever need a beta id be soooo happy to read whatever you’ve got and hype u up!!! <3 i hope this helped at least a little bit LOL my writing process is kinda chaotic ngl

[wildflowerluver]

HI I LOVE YOUR WORKS AND YOURE AWESOME !!! some of my fav hotch fics ever for real <3

if you’re still looking for ideas for the aaron hurt/comfort idea you posted about i thought i'd try to supply you with inspo ! maybe reader is an anxious overthinker (couldn't be any of us hotch stans wdym) and is feeling really anxious bc they feel like they made a friend mad/upset for some reason bc the friend seemed a little off + hasn't replied to readers messages. so poor reader is just so concerned and scared they did something wrong and on top of that they're tired, stressed, and overall overwhelmed so they just CRYYY and ofc hotch comes along and does his comfort thing and reasons through it with them. and then reader's friend texts them back like hey sorry i was really busy today but yeah! we should definitely go out more, i had a ton of fun today!! bc we need closure here LOL and then reader can cuddle and fall asleep with hotch to get out any lingering anxiety and take care of that sleepiness fr

THIS IS SO LONG IM SORRY MY BRAIN WAS TRYING SO HARD TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING AND IT TRIED A LITTLE TOO HARD I THINK LMAO hopefully this sparks something for you tho ! of course feel free to do what you wish with this, change it around, whatever it may be there's always no pressure !! happy vibes for you <3

(ria!!! thank u for ur request ily <33) fem!reader, anxiety, mentions of past friendship issues, hurt/comfort vibes, 1k words

ʚ♡ɞ

you had a natural tendency to overthink.

every interaction, big or small, seemed to replay in your head for hours. had you said something off? did that person see something strange about you?

you were terrified to tell aaron about your struggles with anxiety and overthinking. it hadn’t gone well in the past several times and you didn’t want aaron to leave too. but, he didn’t. it never even crossed your mind.

aaron collected you in his arms, squeezing you tightly and thanking you for telling him. he asked what you needed from him.

“reassurance,” you spoke tentatively. not once had a previous partner asked how they could help. “and maybe a kiss.”

his laugh was full-body, lips upturning. “i think both of those can definitely be arranged.”

___

aaron hadn’t been home a lot recently.

he was away on a case down in texas, then swarmed with meetings and paperwork, another local case, and more paperwork. the absence of him was starting to impact you severely.

just in the way you were open about your anxiety, he was open about his job and the time aspect of it. he called or texted, reassuring (like he promised), that he would be home soon or the timeframe of the case. you just couldn’t help your intrusive thoughts from creeping up. 

you tried to fill his absence in a productive way, maximizing the time you had outside of work by reaching out to some friends to hang out. your friend B and you set up a lunch date. she was a close friend and you knew being in her company would help your mood.

usually when you’re with her, time seems to go by fast and conversation flows easily. this time was the opposite. you had met for lunch downtown and expected it to be like it always was. instead, it felt so forced it was almost uncomfortable. naturally, your brain had drifted into believing it was something you had said.

you were on autopilot going home, brain reeling at lunch. you wanted aaron. he always knew what to say or do and was your number one comfort. but he wasn’t here. 

you trudged into the house, haphazardly dropping your bag. you sat in front of the fireplace, it wasn’t warm but in your mind it was. 

it was the first time in weeks you felt like you had a moment to stop. 

the tears came hot and fast.

you buried your head in your knees, arms wrapping around your legs as your body shook. everything felt wrong and you were so terrified you had hurt B.

you were exhausted. 

the back door open and closed. you hardly took notice. your head was pounding.

“honey!” aaron’s voice rang through the home. “i’m home!”

his voice only made you cry harder, though you kept your sobs muffled by the fabric of your pants. it was early, he shouldn’t be home yet. why was he home?

“honey?” he called again. “i got off early today, sent the entire team home early too. figured we all-”

he stopped dead in his tracks when he entered the living room and his eyes fell on you. “oh, honey.”

in an instant, aaron was kneeling down at your side. the second his hand touched your back, you broke. you threw your body into him, needing to feel him close. he held you while you cried, hand rubbing up your back. he didn’t shush you or help you calm down just yet. you just needed to cry.

after a few minutes aaron pulled back, hands reaching up to cup your face. he thumbed away a few stray tears that continued to roll. 

“what’s hurting you?”

you took a deep breath before explaining. it was always easy with aaron to be honest. you rambled about his absence, how you missed him, how work had been a little tough lately, lunch with B, how you feel like you said or did something that made it feel off. everything.

though aaron had sat back on the carpet, your hands remained interlocked. he squeezed them occasionally throughout your words.

he collected you in his arms when you finished. “i’m so sorry about being away. i shouldn’t be going anywhere for awhile. i’m sure B is okay. you didn’t say anything off. maybe she was just having a bad day.”

your phone dinged on the table.

aaron picked it up, features softening at the text. perfect timing.

‘hey! so sorry if i seemed a little off at lunch today - work has just been super crazy and i got an email right before about a deadline being pushed up so i was distracted. it was still so so nice to get together, we should definitely do it again sometime soon!!’

he showed you the text B just sent. his hand fell to the small of your back again, finding the patch of exposed skin and leaving his hand there. 

B’s text eased your anxiety. you didn’t do anything wrong. she was just having an off day.

“do you feel better? about B at least?”

you hummed. “a little, yeah.”

you slumped into aaron’s side. “can we go lay down for a little?”

he kissed your cheek. “absolutely.” 

aaron guided you upstairs, stopping though to put his work things away though he motioned for you to head into the bedroom to get settled.

you kept the lights in the room off before crawling into bed. physical and mental exhaustion was clouding your brain.  

aaron padded in a few seconds after you, quickly changing out of his work clothes and into soft sweatpants and a shirt. he stopped at the edge of the bed, eyes peering down at you.

“how are we doing this tonight?” he motioned toward the bed with his hand.

“can you just hold me?”

he smiled softly. “of course honey.”

aaron slid under the covers beside you. he raised one arm, an open invitation for you to curl up. you did, sliding over and tangling your legs with his. he, in turn, tucked you under his chin and brought his arms to cocoon around you.

“it’s gonna be okay, i promise.”

he sealed his words with a strong kiss to the crown of your head. 

somehow you knew it would.

[hugheshugs]

Hey Bestie

How about jealous possessive Quinn hughes?

quinn wasn't the jealous type, at least for as long as you'd known him—which, in his defence, wasn't very long.

you met him a year ago at a house party, the two of you too shy to have fun as it was clearly out of your comfort zones at the time. the people you both had come with were mutual friends who basically left you two alone together, and you'd never left each other's sides ever since.

before we start—you weren't dating.

no, you were strictly off limits in his head. he didn't want to ruin the amazing friendship he already had with you. was he scared? yes. would he ever admit it? absolutely not.

everyone knew he had feelings for you and that you had feelings for him, but it seemed to be more of an unspoken rule that no one uttered a single word about it to your faces. you both knew you had feelings for each other, you were just too nervous to act on them.

as if things couldn't get worse, his friends decided to create a full circle moment. elias and brock were throwing a season kickoff party for god knows what reason, something about unfinished business. of course you were invited, along with nearly a hundred other people you didn't recognize.

quinn was late. you were starting to think maybe he wouldn't show up as you leaned against the kitchen island, watching nils and elias on the dance floor.

"hello, my friend!" a loud russian voice broke you out of your thoughts. you held back a frightened jump, looking up at the young canuck.

"hey, podz," you grinned. "what's up?"

"where's your boy? i've been looking for him."

your cheeks flushed. "he's not my boy."

"oh, he is not?" he perked up, swirling the drink in his hand. "i have a friend i like you to meet."

before you could politely decline, he gently grabbed your hand and brought you outside. the cold vancouver air hit your face and you wished for nothing more than to be back inside.

"this my friend mickey," he introduced.

the boy was tall... that was all he had going for him. his hair was unkept, his outfit screamed douche and the cigarette in his hand completely turned you off.

"hi, i'm y/n. nice to meet you."

"nice to meet you too," he looked you up and down, vasily somehow completely oblivious. "you've got pretty lips."

your eyes crinkled at his bold statement and you held back the urge to say what the fuck? i just met you.

"okay.." you looked down at the ground, shifting under his uncomfortable gaze. you shivered as another gust of wind hit you.

"do you want my jacket?"

you immediately shook your head. "no, no. it's okay, i'm not cold."

"i can see you shivering, babe. here, it's no problem," he insisted, shrugging his leather jacket off before placing it over your shoulders.

"thank you," you mumbled, fiddling with your fingers.

it felt wrong. all you wanted was quinn, who you didn't know was inside searching for you. he'd arrived merely moments after you'd been brought outside and you were nowhere to be seen.

he checked the kitchen, the basement, the dance floor, the living room—everywhere. he even asked your friends who said they hadn't seen you since you got here which only concerned him even more.

his worried eyes caught sight of brock's and he rushed towards him, trying his best not to knock anyone over.

"boes, have you seen y/n? i-i can't find her, i don't know where she is and she told me she was here. i've checked everywhere," he ran an anxious hand through his hair. "you've gotta help me find her."

"bro, i just saw her outside two seconds ago. you sure you checked everywhere," brock chuckled lightly, shoving his shoulder playfully.

"oh my god," he groaned to which brock laughed harder. "i hate you."

he immediately made his way to the back porch, brock following behind him as they saw you alone with a guy they didn't recognize. quinn stopped in his tracks, looking back at brock who gave him the same look.

"who the fuck is that guy?"

"i don't know but.. is she wearing his jacket," brock squinted, trying to get a better look.

the feeling in quinn's chest was unrecognizable. it was a burning rage, a flaming heat he'd never felt before. his heart thumped rapidly against his chest, his fingers clenched into fists and his jaw turned sharper than ever.

before brock could hold him back, he was already walking towards you. brock texted elias immediately, not knowing what was about to happen but he wanted him to be here incase quinn did something stupid.

mickey was actually quite charming after some cleaner words came out of his mouth. you were laughing at one of his jokes as the jacket around your shoulders fell to the ground and a familiar arm snaked around your waist.

"quinn!" you exclaimed, giving him a smile. he didn't return it back, almost making you cower back but you shrugged it off. "this is mickey, he's podz's friend."

oh, quinn was sure to give his teammate an earful at practice. he simply glared at the boy who took a drag from his cigarette.

"get the fuck away from her."

your throat ran dry at quinn's unexpected words, mickey nearly choking.

"quinn," you gasped. "don't be rude."

"i'm not being rude, he's getting too close to you and you're mine. back the fuck off," he held his ground, holding you firmly.

"okay, okay," mickey held his hands up in surrender. "didn't know she was yours, little dude."

he walked away and laughter flooded both your ears from behind. you turned to find brock and elias hunched over in hysterics, furrowing your eyebrows before looking back at quinn.

"what was that? what's gotten into you, he was being nice," you frowned, watching his eyes shift from a soft gaze back to the hard one he was sporting just a minute ago.

he let you go and shuffled over to the jacket on the ground, stepping on it aggressively before kicking it away.

"he wasn't being nice," he turned back to you. "guys like that aren't nice to girls like you without a good reason."

"quinn, that's mean."

he sighed before taking a deep breath. you were right, he'd gone way too far. the more brock and elias kept laughing, the more you wanted to join them but you had to keep a straight face.

"you're right, i'm sorry. i don't know what got into me—"

"you were jealous," the boys walked over, elias swinging his arm around quinn's shoulders. "admit it, you were jealous."

brock did the same to you and you smiled up at him. "he was just talking, quinn. you were so mean, plus you kicked his jacket into the mud over there."

quinn's head whipped towards where brock's hand pointed and his face clenched in disbelief. the expensive leather jacket was covered in thick mud and he couldn't believe what he'd done because of a stupid emotion he'd never felt until now.

"okay.. maybe i was a little jealous."

"we know you were, little dude."

[potatomountain]

TLaM Chapter 3

"The Cozy Dragon Tavern”

mutant reader x human ateez- Seonghwa Focus

Word count: 2.9k

Warnings: there will be potential triggers for anxiety and mental illnesses all throughout this story. Not all characters are nice at first. 

AN: not all chapters are going to be long, a reminder a lot of the times i don't edit my works. Not gunna lie it took me awhile to figure out what to call the tavern xD but i love it haha. a reminder also that this is a slow burn, its going to take awhile for mc to meet and trust each of the eight but she’ll get there!

This is a work of fiction, in particular Fan fiction, and in no way is this a representation or an accurate depiction of ATEEZ or any other idols/people used for this work.

Any feedback is always appreciated and adored! Comment on the masterlist to be added to the taglist <3

Masterlist

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...

Things weren't improving at home, the tension was still so palpable I felt like I could cut it with my claws. It had barely been a full week before he figured out my routine and how to avoid me best. He would shower and eat while I slept through the mornings and I would do the same at night when I was sure he wouldn't leave his room. 

I wasn't trying to avoid him, just not make him any more uncomfortable than I'm sure he was. Okay… I was just as uncomfortable but more so because it wasn't just my space any more, and he didn't like me. Maybe if…

No, what good would it do if he did like me? Not like I knew how to talk to other people. It had always been my father and his team, and my mother when she had custody. I didn't know the first thing about friendships, or how to build them. How do you socialize without talking about the clear differences between you and the other person? 

My lack of social experience and relationships outside of my father and his research team left much to be desired; it actually irked me. Could I really make connections? Despite being what I am? Would others see past it?

The questions and unknowns plagued me all night, leaving me disgruntled and annoyed at the lack of sleep in the morning. My agitation had me hyper aware, the sound of the shower waking me from the bit of sleep I did manage to receive. 

Even without my father's request that we get along, I didn't want to live like this. Grumbling, I pulled myself out of bed, taking a moment to fully mask as I scoured my room for clean clothes. I couldn't ask San to open up to me when I wasn't social or welcoming to begin with. I should learn, definitely.

With newfound determination, and mismatched sweats loosely hanging on my body, I stepped out of my room the moment he left the bathroom between our rooms.

He froze, towel hanging around his waist and water still dripping off his body. I knew he was attractive, at least by human standards, but my cheeks flushed only because of the embarrassment I felt for staring. I opened my mouth to apologize, only to reach out in a hurry when he turned for his door with newfound haste. "Wait I- I need to say something!"

Hand hanging in the air inches from him, his own stopped on the door handle. The fact he was giving pause filled me with relief, and I rushed on. "I'm sorry you're stuck here with me but I don't think it's a good idea to continue pretending the other doesn't exist; not just because my father wishes we get along… I really want to get along, and I want this place to be comfy for the both of us."

"It's fine-"

"It isn't." I cut off his protests, lowering my hand to my front pouch pocket. "I don't know how to talk to other people, or get along with others, and not just because of what I am… but I'd like to try. You probably think a Typhon doesn't deserve friendships and you're probably right…"

He scoffed, but didn't elaborate, which just solidified the thought in my mind. "We don't have to be friends but I would like you to be comfortable here and eventually in my presence. However long it takes that's okay, I'm going to give you space. I'll be spending more time outside the apartment for a start, so please make this place comfortable for you. That's all I wanted to say." 

I turned to my room and shut the door before he got a chance to reply, cheeks heated and blue. I replayed the conversation in my head over and over while leaning against my door, until I heard the sound of his music filling his room. "I probably didn't make much sense. Gosh how many times did I just say the same thing? He probably thinks I'm awkward…"

Groaning, I pushed forward to find my bag and my nearly forgotten beanie. I was serious about one thing, and that was giving him space which I couldn't do constantly holed up in my room where there was the chance of running into me.

Bag, keys, phone, beanie, and finally sunglasses. It was an afterthought that had me stepping into the kitchen and writing a neat little note for him with my number, just in case. He didn't need to know where I was going, not yet.

Father would like that I was going to a Typhon shelter of sorts; especially since Doctor Park made it clear that Father didn't like the owner so well.

Without a second thought I was out the door, making the surprisingly not too long of a trip to what I hoped Doctor Park was right about: my new safe space.

The neighborhood wasn't far from my own, just two train stops on the subway and a five minute walk from there. It was one of the few industrial neighborhoods that was now an odd mix of residential buildings and failing businesses, probably due to the crime rate in the area. However, the shelter I came across stood out like a sore thumb.

The clean red brick behind an iron fence looked more like a prison at first, the tinted windows making it hard to see inside. The front gates were open and inviting but it was the large wooden sign above two large metal doors that changed the vibe of the building entirely. I had thought the name odd but, seeing the building, it was kind of fitting.

The Cozy Dragon Tavern. 

It said all it needed as to what was inside. It was a place that was to be safe to Monsters for both rest and relaxation, really fitting.

The tinted windows kept onlookers from peering into the comfortable space not meant for them, while giving the insiders a sense of normalcy to see the outside world. The gate was necessary no doubt, but left unguarded to be inviting; though even as I walked up to the door I knew I was being monitored. Have to keep the patrons safe right?

Despite how run down the door looked, it opened smoothly without much sound, but I could vaguely hear a chime further inside the building. Behind the shades my eyes took a moment to adjust to the lighting change as it was dimmer inside, no fluorescence.

I heard the footsteps before I saw who they belonged to, exiting a wide archway and stepping into the dim hallway a few feet in front of me. "Welcome to the Cozy Dragon Tavern! What can I do for you today?"

The tall human lifted his eyes from the phone in his hand to find me frozen in place just inside the door, wide eyed. He was beautiful, with platinum blonde hair that was almost white, and a face that I could only describe as gentle masculine beauty. I was staring, jaw slack enough he could tell I was even with the glasses in the way. My silence and awkwardness didn't seem to bother him, plush lips pulling up into a warm welcoming smile.

"First time?"

I could only nod.

"Do you need shelter?" I shook my head as he turned towards me but didn't step forward. "Just need a safe space to relax?" When I nodded he seemed to beam brighter. "Right in here is our lounge and rec room." He pointed to the arch to my left in which he had just left, then pointed to a set of double doors to my right. "Right through there us more for the younger one's, but you are welcome to play with them as well. There are only two children here now."

"Children? Typhon?" I asked incredulously.

"Mhmm. Would you like to meet them?"

I could hardly recall the last time I saw a Typhon child, considering most parents kept them homeschooled and indoors until they could properly pass as more of a human. Even those in public were rare.

I didn't think meeting one in an unfamiliar place would be good for me, I could already feel my spine moving as my nerves were on high alert. "Maybe later… I-" I blanked, looking down at my hands. Now that I was here- what did I want to do? 

As if sensing my internal struggle, the human put his phone away and motioned back to the direction he had come from. "How about for starters you take a seat and look over the small menu we have? First drink is on the house. I just need to check in on the kiddos."

I nodded, a bit disoriented as I watched him head into the double doors. Taking his advice I stepped further into the inn and into the lounge, my eyes nearly bulging out. There were all sorts of seats, from bean bags to leather recliners to tall stools, as well as an assortment of tables; with a variety of choices, I wasn't sure where to sit. 

The tingling up my back reminded me of what to avoid however, and I ended up sitting on a half circular ottoman, it's pair circling the other half of the coffee table between them. I angled my back away from the door, thankful that the only other one here was someone napping to the far left by a second door, their upper half hidden by a large beefy jacket.

Each table had a small pop-up in the center with a QR code under the words "Welcome, scan me to order!" I marveled at the menu that popped up on my phone a second later, reminding me of an old tavern menu, split into two parts: Typhon favorites, human favorites.

A place that caters to both? And with the base page for Typhons? It felt odd, surreal even, for such inclusion. It didn't even stop there- each product listed had an option to view the description given by the researchers who approved of these dishes, or of famous Typhons who liked the dish. 

I wasn't hungry just yet, but they really did look good. The drinks though? An even longer list of teas and drinks exclusive for Typhon digestive systems, including my favorite teas. 

My mind was reeling, nerves on edge as this felt too good to be real. What was the catch? What did this place want with Typhon's? Not even the other shelters I heard of gave much care to Typhon's, not this much.

A part of me felt seen, and it was quite scary.

Was this the doing of Doctor Park's son? The twist in my stomach decided my drink order for me as I set my phone down, brows furrowed. There was no reason to be scared just yet, I should at least have a cup of tea first.

The soft click of a door caught my attention, raising my head in time to see the human enter the room. "Are you ready?"

I nodded, staring up at the man and scrutinizing his appearance once more. His clothes were simple pastel fabrics, a lavender button up sweater and white slacks, giving off soft vibes despite how dangerously beautiful his face was. Just looking at him I felt no hostility or judgment, which made it easy to relax a bit in his presence. "Yes- the honey lavender tea for Typhons, extra honey and extra hot?"

"Sure thing. I'll grab that for you- make yourself comfortable." He motioned to my accessories. "Our mission is to be a cozy place for dragons after all."

Dragons. I liked that a whole lot more than Typhons.

Without a response from me, he left through the archway and made a left. I could hear him enter another room, but I tuned out the sounds of the kitchen. Instead I took his suggestion once more and pulled off my glasses and hat, suppressing a shiver at the lack of coverage.

It occurred to me then that it didn't feel as cold as I thought it would, in fact it was warmer inside than outside despite the summer heat. Did they take that into account as well? It was almost warm enough to- no, I should keep my sweaters on.

Instead I took the time to look around a bit more. There were different seating areas throughout the rather large room with quite a bit of space between them. To the right were two large tinted windows, both with their own seating arrangements in front of them and tables. The wall behind me had a built-in fireplace, electronic, that I just realized was on and heating up the room. On either side of the stone mantle were stone shelves with a variety of books and tabletop games to pass the time, with a flat screen TV above the mantle that currently wasn't on. A sign next to it read: want to play a game or use the internet? Scan this code! With a QR code under it.

To the left of the room were a few more seating arrangements, two of them in the back left corner were hidden by privacy screens. There was a large door next to them with a bathroom sign, and then a sectional couch to the right with the sleeping figure where the bit of light from the windows wouldn't even reach.

There were about ten seating areas in a large room about twenty-four meters long and twelve meters wide, plenty of space really. The walls were a pastel blue with dim yellow lights that provided just enough light to make the space cozy. Most of the furniture were blues or blacks, with pastel touches that gave it a homey feel. It felt quite comfortable, and isolated enough I almost forgot I wasn't alone.

Almost.

It wasn't the sleeping figure that reminded me, but the man from before returning with a small tray. He set it on the other side of the table, smiling over at me as he set the items in front of me: a small teapot and teacup with a side of sugar cubes and all natural honey. Even the teapot was cute with its matching cup but- "I thought only the first drink was free?"

He chuckled, a sweet sound that had color flooding my cheeks. "Yes, a pot of tea counts as one drink here." He stood up once again, moving the tray behind him. "My name is Seonghwa, Park Seonghwa, and I'm the owner here. Please tell me if I can do anything more to help you relax."

I stiffened at his name, a fact he noticed and stopped him from turning to leave. "Are you alright?"

Clearing my throat I looked up at him, taking in his features once more. "Ah, I can see the resemblance now. Actually… Doctor Park recommended this place to me."

"My father?" His smile was gone, brows lifted in shock but he didn't seem upset by the news. "Are you one of the Typhon's he works with?"

"Yes." I relaxed a bit, even though he moved to sit in the ottoman across from me. "He said this is a good safe space for those like me… you really put a lot of thought into this place huh?"

The blue of my skin deepened as he beamed with pride, nodding along. "Yes, Dad gives me a lot of pointers and works with me on what kind of environment and things help a Typhon. I wanted to make a place where they feel like they can belong. I hope you can feel like that here Miss… I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

Swallowing the lump in my throat I looked down at the tea, feeling tears bubble behind my eyes. Barely audible for him, I muttered my name. "Call me whatever you like though."

Glancing up through my lashes I caught him staring with an expression I wasn't used to seeing on a human when looking at me: genuine awe.

"You have the prettiest blue cheeks Miss… can I call you Blue?"

I shrugged. "Sure if you want. Do you mind if I call you by your name?"

"By all means." Grinning from ear to ear he motioned to the tea. "Enjoy your tea, and if you like I can give you a tour afterwards. I'd like to get your opinion on this place." He stood up slowly, keeping a respectable distance from me at all times which I appreciated.

But I shook my head. "I don't think I'll be staying long… new places take a lot out of me, even if they do feel cozy."

"Hmmm noted. So I should create a reason for Typhon's to come back?"

I felt the corner of my lips twitch, pouring myself some tea and adding a nice dollop of honey. "Honestly… I think you already have."

Shocked, he gawked down at me, blinking a few times to process my words. "Does that mean you want to come back?" He leaned a bit closer, hopeful.

Instead of answering right away I took a sip of the tea, reveling in the heat that ran down my esophagus and spread warmth throughout my body. He was still waiting with bated breath as I set the teacup down. "This is some really good tea Seonghwa." Wanting to ease him just a bit I pulled my lips up into a small smile, giving a soft nod. "Worth coming back for."

=================

taglist (comment on masterlist to be added!)

@justhere4kpop  /  @hwaightme-recs  /  @candypop1611  /  @legohwas /   @spooo00oky

[trillscienceofficer]

A long time ago @nebulouscoffee asked me to write the DVD commentary of “Best Left” (which is a Raffi/Seven/B'Elanna fic set between Picard S1 and 2) and now I'm finally doing that.

This is inevitably going to get long because the fic itself is much longer than anything else I've ever posted, and I still have so many feelings for a story I put a lot of effort and heart into! But first things first, here's chapter one.

Cris, I know you’re really busy these days on the Stargazer, so I’ll keep this short.

As I was coming up with ideas for “Best Left”, my main goal was to have Raffi (which I knew would be the POV character) in a very different place than where we see her first on Star Trek: Picard. I wanted her, by this point established, long-distance relationship with Seven be a part of the network in which Raffi is now deeply enmeshed (ie La Sirena's crew). That said though, both canon events (by this time Rios has been made captain) and my plot ideas were not very accommodating of having literally everyone on board the ship. It would've been too unwieldy for a project that was already shaping up to be very ambitious for my standards. But while Jurati and Picard's absence is, I think, not that big of a deal, I still very much wanted to underline Raffi and Cris' friendship, which I think is essential in order to understand Raffi and one of the few relationships she's had that didn't go sour on her. I obviated to his physical absence with both real and imaginary correspondence, from which Raffi could draw strength in difficult moments. The fic both begins and closes with Raffi writing a message to him.

Raffi hits send on the message and looks up only to find Elnor at her side, looking just as morose as he’d been a few days earlier, when she’d told him first about the road trip idea. She sighs internally; the queue to transporter hub number four advances. It’s a busy day on the new Betazed spacedock, but luckily no one among the crowd seems the wiser to a Romulan young adult carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He holds the straps of his bag and his staff with a white-knuckle grip. Raffi hooks her left arm into the crook of Elnor’s right. “What’s the matter?”

Rereading this I remembered how fun it was to write Raffi and Elnor interact. My intention here (and throughout the fic) was to have Raffi obviously care for him while also not losing her somewhat world-weary attitude because of her affection. Raffi is still a woman who analyzes everything around her, and acts accordingly—not to mention all the unacknowledged guilt she carries wrt her son Gabe. I didn't want to have Raffi be straightforwardly ‘maternal’, it didn't feel right and I think older women in fiction should be allowed to have mixed feelings about this role more often. Plus, like Raffi herself realizes later in the fic, Elnor has already had plenty of other women bossing him around all his life, he doesn't need one more.

Soji is at the navigation console, smiling and waving a little awkwardly. And finally, Seven watching them from the captain’s chair, which she occupies with ease, leaning on one armrest. The very image of the roguish pirate captain; Cris wishes he could pull it off this well. “Welcome aboard,” Seven says, the hint of a smirk on her lips, as if she’d just heard every single one of Raffi’s thoughts.

I honestly think Raffi is constantly roasting Cris in her head. Also when rereading I was surprised about this reprise of the idea of mind-reading from the previous dialogue between Raffi and Elnor, that was cool and I can't remember if I even wrote it entirely on purpose. In any case, I wanted to have both Soji and Elnor along for this story because (1) they could offer an interesting outsider perspective on the older women drama about to unfold and (2) I wanted to have them interact with each other and have an adventure that had nothing to do with their specific backstories. Writing Soji in this story was so much fun! It was a nice challenge to balance her characterization between the right amounts of deadpan honesty and genuine care, and making it obvious that she's still figuring out how she wants to live her life.

“I don’t think Cris would forgive me if I tried to take La Sirena into another Borg transwarp conduit,” Soji says. “And honestly I’m not sure the ship can take it.” “It wasn’t particularly pleasant on a Borg cube either,” Seven adds. “As I’m sure Elnor remembers.” “Crashing on the surface was worse,” he replies, and some of the gloom lifts from his face. The effect Seven has on people sometimes—but Raffi should be the last to judge, shouldn’t she? It’s not as if seeing Seven again, sitting on that chair so lazily and yet still projecting intent, isn’t reminding Raffi of the few weeks they’d spent on board La Sirena before. But it’s probably best if she revisits that particular recap reel in private.

I based this little Seven-Elnor interaction from my own feelings about my Cool Aunt, which I think are fitting lmao (ie especially as kid, if she was speaking to me I would immediately feel better no matter what)

Also while rereading I was like, damn I made this first half of the chapter so horny... but I've been in a ldr myself and this is pretty true to my own experience. Reuniting always means a mixture of attraction and awkwardness, and it's what I wanted to convey about Raffi and Seven here, especially since they both have a hard time trusting in people or believing that they're capable of being around people without fucking it up. The following misunderstanding about room assignments is part of this pattern.

She’s re-learning restraint, in the hardest way possible, in other facets of her life.

So here comes the part of this fic I agonized over the most... Raffi's history of substance abuse and her current commitment to sobriety. I thought the latter is what fit better with Raffi's actions on the second half of S1 (ie locking herself out of the replicator) and some scenes of S2—imho those are clues that she (wants to) simply quit. Now, a commitment to complete sobriety (including weed snakeleaf, like in a 12-step program) is not necessarily an effective way to treat addiction long term—actually quite the opposite, from what I could learn from the research I did, even if still the most popular recommended form of treatment today. I'm not entirely sure it would be at all recommended in the 24th century. So how to reconcile this with the hints about Raffi quitting cold-turkey? Is it even something I would want to depict in a good light? What I eventually tried to do is treat the matter strictly from a character perspective. I hinted that Raffi is seeing a counselor, and now feeling part of a network of people, and is now restored to her place in society via Starfleet (from her perspective). Sobriety is something she thinks she should do and can do now, so that's what Raffi did; it's all part of her wider commitment to live a different life. If this also has a whiff of self-punishment... I don't think you'd be entirely wrong. I tried to hint that Raffi has her own thoughts on her addiction but I don't necessarily share them myself (see the disclaimer on top of chapter 4), and those thoughts might be another way in which she's denying herself (because no one else grants it to her either) the compassion I think she deserves. It's a really complex topic and I don't know if I did it justice here. I welcome feedback if you have any.

She’d thought she’d lost any interest in making out, over the years—she was surprised to find out how much Seven enjoys it, and how much of that enjoyment is infectious.

I have this headcanon that Seven really enjoys making out (it's appeared in other fic of mine too, eg “Doing the Unstuck”) and her partners never expect this of her. I think I like the idea that Seven's approach to sex and intimacy is still about the sudden thrill of closeness she displayed when she twirled Chakotay around in order to kiss him lol. I especially like the idea it's one of the things about Seven that's not changed despite all that happened to her since said kiss, and that she could bring Raffi to enjoy making out again as well.

It’s still the same suitcase-shaped contraption that she cobbled together months earlier with Borg parts from the Artifact, as far as Raffi can tell. Some other parts Seven had replicated on La Sirena, and then had proceeded to build the device with surprising ease. She’d explained that it was a modular design she and other friends had come up with over the years. It hadn’t been the first time she’d found herself needing a regenerator without having one handy. Raffi had admired her resourcefulness then, and still does now.

I ranted a lot about Seven's regeneration last summer, and all my thoughts and headcanons ended up in this fic. Regeneration for Seven is now a bit different than what it used to be on Voyager; still a necessity but quicker, and something that doesn't tie her down to bulky machinery any longer. Something that ultimately Seven has more control over. However, it's also a necessity that now needs to be articulated explicitly to the people she's close to, and that other people have to learn to take into account about her. I also wanted Seven to determine clear boundaries around regeneration—eg, here she doesn't want other people around when she regenerates—but boundaries that she is still constantly renegotiating, as it happens in chapter two when she invites Raffi to stay. Seven isn't used to be around people much anymore, so she's still adapting to new realities (like her relationship with Raffi) and rethinking what is comfortable for her.

“I hope your other stops were less frustrating than Trill,” Raffi offers, making her presence known. Soji looks up at her, and her face breaks into a smile. “Oh hey, I didn’t realize you were here, Raffi. But yes, I can honestly say it was the worst one so far. I think, and Agnes agrees, that their academic institutions really opposed the lifting of the synth ban for some reason.”

This little piece of Trill worldbuilding came to be because in “Second Self” Una McCormack wrote that Raffi has taken part in the zhian'tara of a colleague. Which is absolutely bonkers to me!! I couldn't help myself and expand on it a bit, all the while maintaining my stance on Trill being very conservative when it comes to decide on people's personhood. I know it's maybe controversial but I really don't think Trill institutions are that enlightened on the topic. They might think they are, but in presence of someone like Soji the appearance would crumble immediately. I honestly loved revisiting my Trill feelings through Raffi and Soji, I haven't written Dax fic in a very long time, so this was a nice way for me to scratch that itch.

Raffi crosses her legs, raises an eyebrow. She’s reminded all too well of when Soji had first come aboard, the confusion of a young woman whose entire life as she knew it had been a deception. She can recall how Soji described her relationship with Narek, and how Raffi had been the one to name his behavior for what it was. Maybe some pointing out of the obvious is needed here too.

This is one of the things that caught my attention the most when I rewatched S1—Raffi has been looking out for Soji practically from the start, calling out Narek's presence for what it was (abusive). I wanted to let Raffi speak her mind here as well, about the kind of interactions Soji has had while on tour.

A scratchy, stuttering audio signal starts playing from La Sirena’s bridge speakers. ‘—damage. Propulsion systems offline. Atmospheric controls—’ More digital artifacting of the signal. ‘—predict where the subspace eddies will take the ship. I don’t know how long I still have—’ The audio signal cuts off, then the message repeats once again. ‘—damage. Propulsion systems offline. Atmospheric controls—’ “I think that’s all of it,” Soji says, soberly. “Damn,” Raffi says, at a loss. “She’s dying, if not already dead,” Elnor says, voicing what everyone is thinking. He turns to Raffi. “What do we do?”

When she read this chapter, my partner asked me about the use of pronouns for the yet unknown person in distress—here Elnor assumes it's a she, while Raffi and Soji don't. It was actually on purpose, I wanted to hint at the fact that Elnor's default assumption is that the people that do stuff out there in space are women because the Qowat Milat usually speaks in these terms as well. Maybe it's silly, I don't know, but I wrote it in anyway as a subtle wordlbuilding detail. Maybe too subtle if it leads to pronoun confusion.

“I’m not sure I could live with myself if we didn’t try to save the crew of that ship. There’s a chance they might still be alive.” “Then let’s do it,” Raffi says with a curt nod. “You’re in command of La Sirena now.”

In the rescue scene I tried very hard to let Raffi do tactical evaluation in a way that didn't come off as callous as it sometimes does for Worf on TNG or Tuvok on Voyager—she's honestly trying to give Soji, now in command, a good overview of the situation.

Raffi takes a long look at Elnor, and to his credit he looks genuinely curious, hands folded together, leaning with his elbows on his knees. She knows better than to doubt his intentions, but—when he wants, he knows exactly when and how to ask one of his blunt questions for maximum effect, doesn’t he? In this case, distraction. She idly wonders if this is a skill that everyone in the Qowat Milat picks up, along with the assassin training. Using the truth as a finely honed blade, rather than the cudgel it’s always reminded her of.

That the absolute candor tenet of the Qowat Milat may be used in more than one way and for more than one goal is something I already written about before (ie in “Policy of Truth”). I think Raffi has her own different ideas about telling the truth because she's trained in intelligence gathering and also because pursuing the truth has always been painful for her—see her quest to find out who was behind the Mars attack. So here she's surprised to find out that Elnor's honesty is not at all a weakness, which she's assumed so far, but rather a very well-honed skill.

“It is the ship we’re looking for,” Soji confirms, going through the readings with, once again, an ease that belies her actual experiences. “It is still transmitting the distress call, though it’s extremely garbled. The hull is pressurized, somehow, at least partially. Life signs—one, I think. Humanoid. Very faint” She looks at Raffi, eyes wide, and Raffi braces herself. “We have to beam them over. The subspace tug might breach the hull at any time. I know that we have no idea who we’ll find, but they’re dying.” Goddammit. They really should’ve woken Seven up before getting here. Then again, at this point it’s probably best to ask for forgiveness than permission. If they’re all still alive to do so. But they will; a boy assassin, an android with super strength, and Raffi. Risk assessment used to be her job in Starfleet, long ago.

I still really like Raffi thinking 'oh well, too late to go back now, but at least I have backup'. I thought about her characterization a lot while writing this fic, and tried to convey her dry humor at best I can. She's really funny in canon! I really enjoyed writing her constant quips, even if they're just in her head.

Down the stairs, she hears Emil grumble. “I can’t deliver proper emergency care if you rush me.” “You’ll replicate what you need, as you need it,” Soji retorts impatiently. “Just initiate the transport.”

All EMHs are the same.

She’s older now, and out of uniform, looking much worse for wear after what she just went through. But there’d been a time more than twenty years prior when her face had been on every Federation newsfeed, along with the rest of the crew of the USS Voyager. “You know her?” Raffi turns to Soji, frozen in bemusement beside Emil. “I’ve never met her but yes, I know who she is,” Raffi says. “You two stay here and keep an eye on things. Seven needs to see this.”

I really like the way this chapter ends (so much so that it's the quote I chose for the fic summary on AO3). I thought about the idea of generational difference a lot when coming up with this fic, and how Raffi has witnessed so many momentous events, like the return of Voyager, that Elnor and even Soji really have no context for. It's an interesting aspect of having older characters that weren't around in previous shows, and an opportunity for a different perspective that unfortunately I think Star Trek: Picard squandered completely (Una McCormack was more attentive in her novels, luckily). Regardless, Raffi's experience turns out to be an asset more than once in this fic—no one aboard La Sirena at this point is as intimately aware of the events of the Dominion War as she is.

[gaffney]

Hey Daf! I love your takes on Adam so I was wondering. Which Adam/Duck friendship do you think was overlooked and would you have liked to see more of? Hope you have a good day!

thank you so much!! i’m answering this super late but i hope you have a great day too 🥹 this is a tough question though omg. there wasn’t really any focus on adam’s friendships within the ducks aside from jesse and charlie, so i could answer anyone lmao. adam & fulton, definitely. i would’ve liked to see/know their thoughts more about them being the “outsiders” that kinda stuck together in d1 (prior to jesse accepting adam). they weren’t a part of district 5 and (in d2) weren’t a part of the USA ducks, so i feel like they were occasionally caught in the middle of not knowing exactly where they stand… i also would’ve loved to see more of adam and guy!! guy always seemed to view adam in a positive light (after adam changed his ways). asking if he’s ok, “banksie said it’s cool”, that cute threeway hug with fulton in d3, and not to mention the playful “you’re the original cake-eater” in game changers. (speaking of, i wish we could’ve seen this deleted gc scene where they apparently throw snow cones…)

that said!!! i actually think adam/jesse is still the most “overlooked” even despite being one of the most popular adam (friend)ships. i say popular very loosely because the tmd fandom isn't that big 😂 but i feel like jesse’s (positive) influence on adam (or their friendship in general) often gets erased because jesse wasn’t in d3… but i think d3 is actually a great example as to why jesse was so important to adam’s character development in the first place.

adam’s entire storyline is about him unlearning how to be an asshole/bully by being a part of a team and not ONLY look after himself. jesse is a vital part in this because he holds adam accountable for his previous behavior and makes him work for it, which is emphasized towards the end where adam trusts jesse specifically to take care of ‘kicking some hawk ass’ (despite averman, guy, and charlie also being there at his side). jesse’s opinion of him holds the most weight to adam. d2 continues this: jesse is the one who invites adam along, letting us know that the cake-eater is now officially a duck. adam defends jesse from dwayne. adam defends julie from portman. he’s very much a part of the team and isn't afraid to speak his mind.

but in d3, adam is, yet again, all about self-preservation. which… is understandable because the ducks drop him like a hot potato the minute he’s off their team. but he doesn’t speak (or even look up) to defend kenny from varsity. he doesn’t speak up at the dinner even though it’s obvious he knew something was wrong. like… he hooks charlie with his stick during the first jv/varsity game which is such a hawk tactic 😭 it honestly felt like jesse was the glue between the ducks and adam because i truly don't understand how both the ducks and adam regressed within hours of him leaving the team tbh. and then nothing is ever really resolved because d3 set up a bunch of storylines only to never finish them (or, in this case, resolve it with a “well keep him” like ok thanks…where are the apologies???). anyway! all this to say i think adam with jesse and adam without jesse are two very different people and i truly would've loved to see a d3 with jesse because imo adam's storyline would've hit harder and actually made sense if it involved the person who coined the cake-eater term

[youarethedancingdean]

Day 3 of @steddie-week

Prompt: Discover, First Kiss, Kiss on my List - Hall & Oates

"So, quite the banger, Harrington," Eddie pointed out, which only had Steve chuckle. They were standing in the kitchen of the Harrington's house, both a bottle of beer in their hand. The party was more located in the living room with music and outside on the patio by the pool, they could still hear the going-ons, but it was much calmer in here.

"It's nothing compared to what I used to throw," Steve responded with a shrug. He didn't really know why he'd mentioned that, since the crowd was much more after his own taste these days. Even with the kids running around. "This is better, though," he therefore added and raised his bottle to toast Eddie. "To new friendships." He smiled when the other man clinked their bottles together.

"You know, I never expected us two to get along," Eddie said after their had a few sips of beer. "But I'm glad we are. You're much sweeter than I imagined." Steve blushed, at least he was pretty sure he did. He liked it when Eddie said nice things about him between their usual banter. "So are you," he replied softly and moved to lean against the counter right beside Eddie. Their shoulders were touching, something that happened a lot these days. Soon enough, no more words spoken, their eyes met and he noticed that Eddie was blushing, too.

Although Steve knew that Eddie was into guys, he highly doubted that he actually liked him. There was just no way. Sure, he'd wished for that since the metal head made him realize he was bisexual, but he also knew that there would just be no way. Why would an amazing guy like Eddie want to date anyone like him? Still, Steve couldn't help but glance at his lips, absentmindedly liking his own as he imagined what it would be like to kiss them. Probably breathtaking.

Eddie seemed to realize what was going on in Steve's mind or at least he moved even further into his space. "What are you doing?" he murmered, watching every small move Eddie made. Then it happened. He was kissed. By Eddie Munson. In his parents' kitchen. This couldn't be real, he had to be dreaming. "Dude," he exclaimed, gently pushing Eddie away by his shoulders, but not removing his hands after. "What're you doing?" he asked again.

Eddie's eyes widened and he quickly set his bottle on the counter, moving to leave. "Sorry, guess I got that wrong. I'm so sorry, I'll get out of your hair. Jesus H. Christ, I'm so sorry," he babbled anxiously as he looked around for his stuff and walked to the kitchen's doorway.

"Eddie, wait! It's... it's not... don't leave, okay?" Steve hurriedly pressed out, hoping it would stop Eddie from rushing out of the room. When he did stop but didn't turn around to face him again he added, "You- you didn't get it wrong, okay. I'm just surprised. I've liked you for months now, Robin is pretty sick of hearing about it. Didn't think you'd ever like me back."

Eddie turned around again eventually. "Don't fuck with me, Harrington. If you're pissed that's justified, but don't go on and be mean about it. It was an honest mistake," he begged, his eyes actually a bit watery. Now Steve's eyes widened. He didn't hesitate as he moved closer to Eddie again, the urge to console him unbearable. "I'm not fucking with you," he promised sincerely, cupping his cheek softly. "It's new for me. Liking guys, I mean. You made me realize that."

Eddie's blush deepened and Steve really enjoyed seeing that. "I don't know how this will turn out in the end, but if you do like me back for some god forsaken reason I wanna see where this goes. You wanna do that?" Eddie nodded enthusiastically. It was funny to have him speechless when Steve felt so confident in this just now. He'd always figured it would be the other way around, Eddie alwayd seemed so sure about everything. He supposed, he was wrong about that, too, then. "I'm gonna kiss you again, if you don't mind," Steve whispered with a smile and then leaned in, humming softly as their lips touched again. God, they were ever softer than they looked and kissing Eddie felt so much more real and mind-blowing than anything he could've imagined.

"Never thought I could cross kissing you off my bucket list," Eddie joked quietly after they separated and they both chuckled at that, only to kiss again seconds later.