#I'm not sure that kind of lightning can strike twice

[stopthefeeling]

i realised last night i don't actually want robert back

[zeroducks-2]

Sometimes I think about Thawne admitting he has done some heinous stuff to Barry that Barry doesn't even know and I'm like ok did you fuck him? Did you stick your dick in this poor sod at some point and Barry doesn't even realize it cause Thawne's faster than him and his fast healing is making him think his body ache feels good? Thawne was saying shit about turning back time to adopt Barry and groom him like he got my head running shamelessly saying his kink to his crush's face like that hmmm

Okay I KNOW this ask is not serious but I have the chance to talk about my beautiful little meow meow and I will take it, so I will split my answer in two, the unserious answer and the serious answer.

The unserious answer is that I love it about Eobard that he's so open about what he likes. He went (paraphrased) "Hey did you know I was in love with your uncle :D" at Wally one time, and then proceeded to beat the shit out of him. He used to write in his diary about how alone he was and how just thinking about Barry made him feel better. Gayass nerd dweeb he had a crush on Barry since he was a damn child. We could just go on and assume he did stick his dick in there (maybe when Barry hadn't still been hit by lightning), because at this point I wouldn't be surprised (I do believe he used to touch and hold Barry at superspeed back then but that's just me we don't really have canon confirmation of this YET! YET!!! ahem.)

The serious answer is that he's just playing. Eobard is good at saying things that will rile people up, but it doesn't always work on Barry (because Barry knows him), and so he will say a bunch of shit in the attempt to get a reaction. When he says that he did unspekable things that make killing Nora pale in comparison, when he says that he's going to kill Iris (or any other "flashfamily" member), when he says that he'll go back in time and do this and that, adopt Barry (I really fucking loved that one btw), whatever, he's just provoking. He's trying to make Barry mad basically.

I'm saying this because he does not do any of what he says even if he could, at any given time. He can move through time easily, and he does it constantly. He says himself in Finish Line that this is not his first rodeo in this timeline, and we have the confirmation that during the events of Lightning Strikes Twice there are two Eobards around.

Look at this:

This is the beginning of Lightning Strikes Twice. As you can see Eobard is there spying on people, but the thing is that we also know FOR SURE that he is currently locked up in a cell, looking like this:

(the person speaking is August btw)

So yeah, he's in two places at the same time, running around and watching things unfold, and also tied up to that freaky bondage contraption from which Barry will break him out lol.

Also it's worth noting that he's so fast he runs laps around Wally and can go entirely unseen by him, and Wally calls himself the fastest man who ever lived. His powers make it so he can come in and out of the timestream and run through it without any kind of external aid - he does it while being "trapped" in Paradox' dimension, and is precise enough when he interacts with the timestream to not cause any kind of ripple effect (like again when he saved Chris in Flash Age).

If he wanted to hurt Barry like he says he does, he could. If he actually wanted to do any of the shit he brags about he'd just do it without threatening Barry about it. He's just playing, trying to get a reaction out of his crush, and sometimes it works! Sometimes Barry actually gets worked up. But in fairness, most of the time Barry's reaction is 😒🙄 because all of what I just said, Barry knows too lol.

(indeed Barry is also very scared that Eobard might actually hurt the people he loves, because he knows that Eo could and is aware of how easily he would do it. Not many people can defend from a speedster especially if they don't know he's coming. And no one can defend against this yellow menace of a banana man altering the timeline however the fuck he prefers. Luckily for everyone involved, he's not interested in altering the timeline any more than he already did, at least for now)

[eddiediazismyhusband]

Hi! A bit of a weird ask here, hope you don't mind. (I swear it's not meant in bad faith)

So, I'm new to the fandom. I'd wanted to watch the show for a while and I finally found time. I did like it, and all the characters, esp Hen and Buck.

Even previous to watching it, I had seen many posts about Buddie. I didn't think much of it until I watched the show. And now I can say... I don't see it. Like, from Buck's side? Sure. But from Eddie's? Not so much.

They both clearly act like Christopher's co-parents a lot, and that's where I'm like "oh, maybe there IS something". But outside of that, I actually see their interactions as mostly platonic. And when I see people talk about it, I see mostly about how Eddie completely trusts Buck with his son (which I agree with and makes a good point), but not much else.

So, what am I missing? Sometimes some characters are harder for me to "read", so I know there could be stuff that I'm missing. What interactions do you see from them that are so clearly romantic (at least more so than they are platonic)? In which ways do you see Eddie showing feelings for Buck?

Sorry about such a long ask. This might be more of a rant (oops). I just really want to understand, bc everyone's so sure... and I'm not. (Also, thanks for reading if you got this far)

So i’m obviously not going to tell you thst your interpretation is wrong- art is subjective and your interpretation of things is completely valid.

that being said, to me i see myself in eddie in a lot of ways:

- only son in the family, so i had unrealistic expectations fixed on me about what my life as a “man” should look like (im not a man, im nonbinary but i was still amab so to my parents i’ve always been a ‘man’)

- raised in a very religious household where there were certain expectations on who i would one day marry and have a family with (because not getting married at all and never having kids was out of the question)

- i was repressed for years emotionally (and sexually) due to pressure from my parents/church and thought there was something “wrong” with me for the feelings i felt

- i often revert to anger as my default defense mechanism because i have repressed my emotions for so long (which is something i am working through in therapy)

so seeing those things i relate to reflected in eddie, it is easy for me to pick up on subtext (whether intentional or not) when it comes to his sexuality/feelings for Buck.

you mentioned eddie trusting buck with christopher— to me this is one of the clearest examples of eddie’s true feelings for buck because he completely trusts the most precious thing in his life with Buck, but he has never even come close to that same kind of trust with any of his romantic partners… even shannon he was apprehensive about letting her back into chris’s life. this means he trusts buck on a level he has never trusted anyone else before— and not to get into psychology, but often when people are repressed emotionally, they find ways to feed those feelings without overtly feeding them if that makes sense. so eddie giving chris (who is practically his whole heart) to buck is essentially eddie offering up his heart on a platter.

so that gets that one out of the way.

as for other examples… i am going to state again that eddie is more repressed than buck and doesn’t show emotion as easily as buck does so Buck’s attraction/feelings are going to be more clear-cut and obvious.

but i am constantly seeing examples of eddie’s feelings for buck interwoven subtly through things:

- crying over buck after the lightning strike when we had only ever seen him cry twice before

- the hurt in his face when buck said natalia was the only person who “saw” him

- the way that he gets overly jealous and acts petty around buck’s romantic partners (the most egregious being Taylor, but we have seen it happen in his other relationships as well)

- the fact that he has never been able to fully allow himself to have feelings for the women he’s dated

- he is looking for a mother figure (second parental unit for chris) but has already effectively filled that role with buck

- he is constantly looking at buck like he hung the stars and the sun and the moon

- he has only started going off the deep end of this fixation with shannon after buck came out to him, and he is onyl actively remembering their relationship as what he wished it had been rather than what it was— something i used to do back when i was still in denial about my sexuality was imagining this dream life where i was happily married to a woman because that is what i was supposed to want, not because it’s what i actually wanted

- eddie is the only one who has shown he understands buck’s recklessness is less him being reckless/thinking he’s unbreakable, but that it’s actually buck seeing himself as invaluable enough that getting hurt wouldn’t affect anyone around him

- one of my favorite scenes is post lightning-strike when eddie climbed the ladder and instead of trying to lower buck to the ground immediately, he initially tries to pull buck closer to him while screaming for him

the list could go on and on and if anyone else wants to leave their observations on eddie’s feelings for buck in the replies by all means please do! but these are just a few ways in which i have personally seen eddie’s devotion to buck portrayed in a light that is much deeper than a platonic level.

i hope this made sense and offers a new perspective for you, and i’m glad that even though you haven’t seen enough evidence in your own interpretation, your first instinct isn’t to jump down people’s throats to tell them they are wrong, but instead reaching out and asking for other opinions to better contextualize why us buddie shippers are so invested in these two!

(and never apologize for a long ask to me… if there’s one thing about me i love to yap lmao)

i hope you have a lovely day, anon!! 💕💕

[queenjunothegreat]

What do you think about the powers of the demigods in canon? Especially those of the children of the Big Three?

I love Percy but I think Rick went a bit overboard with all the powers he gave him. Thalia and Jason are children of the king of the gods and have pretty pathetic powers, at least in my opinion.

In GENERAL, I'm pretty okay with Percy's powerset. I think healing him with water was maybe a BIT much, and it seems wildly unfair to have him be able to control ALL types of liquid. Like, sure I'll accept lakes and rivers and stuff because those would have nereids or some other kind of spirit who might have some sort of allegiance to Poseidon, but I feel like it should for sure be up to them what powers he gets and how much control he has. It's kind of hard to put a HARD limit on what his powers should be though because Poseidon has just a LAUNDRY list of titles. The talking to horses thing ABSOLUTELY has to stay, idc what other powers you take from him.

Nico and Hazel I feel are in a pretty good spot, in all honesty. I really like the fact that Nico's powers focus more on the dead whereas Hazel's focuses on the riches aspect of Hades/Pluto. I haven't read ToA or TSATS so I'm not SUPER familiar with all of Nico's powers beyond raising the dead, but his powers do seem to really overshadow Hazel's sometimes, which is a bit of a bummer. She does have her Mist skills, though, so maybe that balances it out.

Now. The REAL talking point. Thalia and Jason. While it does seem like their powers are absolutely wimpy compared to the other three Big Three kids we've seen, I don't NECESSARILY think that's a bad thing? Like, the powers demigods have are often described as gifts from their parents. Zeus... doesn't strike me as the type to be handing out gifts to his kids, and I think that would go DOUBLE for Jason. Like, not only is Jason not even really his kid anymore after he gave him to Juno, there is a bit of a... family tradition of the youngest son killing and overthrowing his dad. I highly doubt Jupiter is gonna pile his bouncing baby boy with the tools needed to kill and overthrow him. That being said, I think it would have been neat to see Jupiter give him powers that wouldn't necessarily be enough to overpower gods, such as making him extra strong or just SUPER sturdy. Jason survived getting struck by lightning? Oh, he's not immune to lightning, he's just built like that. Stuff that would give Jason the edge over most demigods so that Jupiter can brag about his son being better than everyone, but not enough to be a threat. Also, my BIGGEST gripe about Jason's powers is that he should be able to use them as easy as breathing. He doesn't even have to THINK about it. Like, number one he is JUPITER'S kid. The air is his father's domain it does what he says no questions asked. And number two he's been doing this since before he learned how to spell his name. He has as much training than the rest of the Seven PUT TOGETHER. Thalia is a slightly different case, because I honestly think she would actively avoid using any powers that relate her to her father, like, at all. She could be twice as tricked out as Percy and she'd still be like "Fuck you, dad, I'm not using any of this shit." I mean, her most iconic weapon is her shield which is a symbol of ATHENA. She wants as little to do with Zeus as possible, so there's no telling what her powers could be if she actual tried to use them. Probably not very much, if I'm being honest because Zeus is shit.

Anywho, sorry for the yap! Thanks for the question!

[gyokujyn]

A Softer World Remix Masterpost

For the Captain America: The Winter Soldier 10th Anniversary Event, I may have gone a little overboard remixing A Softer World comics in the style of @asofteravenger. Here is a comprehensive list of every remix I posted, including the rejects which did not make the cut for the original event.

CATWS 10th Anniversary Event Remixes by Day

Key 💜: Personal Favourites ⭐ : Fan Favourites

🔴 March 26th: On Your Left ◽close enough for government work [prompt: PTSD; char: bucky] ◽is this progress? [prompt: first meetings; char: steve, nat, sam] ◽when home is a person SkyMiles won't get you there [prompt: the smithsonian; char: steve, bucky] 💜who the hell is bucky? [prompt: the smithsonian; char: steve, bucky]

🔴 March 27th: Steve Rogers ◽for a treat [prompt: guilt; char: steve, howling commandos] 💜guilt will quench a fire as surely as the thawing winter [prompt: guilt; char: steve, strike team] 💜haha that's a totally normal answer to the question [prompt: fave steve quote; char: sam, steve] ◽it's what they call a catch-22 [prompt: elevator; char: steve, brock, strike team] ◽put it on the list [prompt: Steve's List; char: steve] ◽what could go wrong? [prompt: camp lehigh; char: zola]

🔴 March 28th: SHIELD ◽either way I'll be leaving you bleeding [prompt: weapons; bucky, steve] ◽i'm so sorry [prompt: compromised; char: steve, nick] ◽it is cold. [prompt: fave scene; char: bucky] 💜probably the windows too [prompt: neighbor; char: steve, sharon]

🔴 March 29th: Natasha Romanoff ◽are you? [prompt: fave nat quote; nat, pierce] 💜as soon as he's dead i can be on my way [prompt: natasha romanoff; char: nat, bucky] ◽get loved loser [prompt: disguise; char: nat, steve] ◽now i want cinnabon [prompt: mall; char: steve, strike] ◽who needs good choices anyway? [prompt: redemption; char: nat, steve]

🔴 March 30th: TWS Cast ◽and they were first mates [prompt: tws cast; char: tws cast] ◽do you think we could catch lightning in a bottle twice? [prompt: press conference; char: tws cast] ◽shh he eepy [prompt: stunts; char: tws cast] 💜try a knife flip! [prompt: stunts; char: sebastian stan]

🔴 March 31st: Sam Wilson 💜c'mon sam it was one time [prompt: wings; char: sam, bucky] ◽extra virgin [prompt: fave sam quote; char: sam, rumlow] ◽have you ever known what it's like to feel the exhilaration of really flying [prompt: sam wilson; char: sam] ◽oops sorry maria [prompt: sam wilson; char: sam, maria] ⭐the graveyard of our memories [prompt: Dept of VA; char: sam]; all our mausoleums have eyes [prompt: none (bonus); char: bucky, steve]

🔴 April 1st: HYDRA ◽and in such creative ways [prompt: fave fight; char: bucky] ◽beatings shall continue until morale improves [prompt: project insight; char: none] ◽besides what grave could hold you? [prompt: strike; char: rumlow, steve] ◽how many gunshot wounds is an orgasm? [prompt: fave fight; char: bucky, steve] ◽oh it's supposed to be enemies TO lovers [prompt: fave fight; char: bucky, steve] 💜scream for daddy [prompt: hydra; char: pierce, bucky] ◽tony only watches vanilla het porn pass it on [prompt: project insight; char: tony] 💜what kind of monster leaves the milk out on the counter? [prompt: hydra; char: pierce] ◽you don't have to be the fastest runner you just have to be faster than Project Insight [prompt: fave fight; char: rumlow, sam]

🔴 April 2nd: Bucky Barnes ◽a ghost story [prompt: ghost story; char: bucky, steve] ◽and then you remember [prompt: memories; bucky] ◽baby did you forget to take your meds? [prompt: memories; char: steve, bucky] 💜but spare the rod and spoil the child [prompt: bank; char: bucky, pierce, rumlow] ◽i kicked off bucky's world revenge tour 2k14 and all i got was half-drowned in the potomac [prompt: revenge; char: bucky, steve] ⭐i've always been an overachiever [prompt: revenge; char: steve, bucky] 💜past tense [prompt: "but i knew him"; char: steve, bucky] ◽rlb [prompt: revenge; char: bucky, steve] ◽the unpaid internship of a lifetime [prompt: bucky barnes; char: bucky, zola] ◽what gives a ghost nightmares [prompt: bucky barnes; char: bucky, steve] ◽ya gotov otvechat [prompt: bank; char: bucky]

🔴 April 3rd: Cap Quartet 💜advanced car surfing for dummies [prompt: cap quartet; char: nat, steve, sam, bucky] 💜alexa play jolene [prompt: cap quartet; char: nat, steve, sam, bucky] ◽gotta catch 'em all [prompt: cap quartet; char: bucky, nat, sam, steve] ◽hi i'm captain america [prompt: bedside vigil; char: sam, steve] ◽or a blond carnie with hearing aids and really good aim [prompt: cap quartet; char: steve, nat, sam, bucky] ◽peer pressure [prompt: fave duo; char: nat, steve] ◽some people get both [prompt: found family; char: nat, sam, steve]

🔴 April 4th: To the End of the Line ⭐but you can't seem to convince them of that [prompt: devotion; char: steve, bucky] ◽cause i'm with you til the end of the line pal [prompt: to the end of the line; char: steve, bucky] 💜i stopped remembering the exact weight of your hand and now i only know it with a knife [prompt: 1940s; char: steve, bucky] ⭐or die trying [prompt: reunion; char: bucky, steve] ◽sorry officer we'll remember to use the gag next time [prompt: helicarrier; char: steve, bucky] ◽that'll teach me [prompt: identity porn; char: steve, bucky] ◽the good news it can't be illegal if there's no word for it [prompt: fave stucky scene; char: bucky, steve] ◽the safe word is jersey [prompt: devotion; char: bucky, steve] 💜this is not what getting railed means [prompt: helicarrier; char: bucky] 💜walt disney did not prepare me for this body count [prompt: identity porn; char: steve] ◽we've had too many next times already [prompt: schoolyard to battlefield; char: bucky, steve] ◽yes even that [prompt: helicarrier; char: steve] ◽you either die young or live long enough to become the cautionary tale [prompt: devotion; char: bucky, steve]

CATWS 10th Anniversary | REJECTS!

Key 💜: Personal Favourites ⭐ : Fan Favourites

Run | Series MasterPost featuring: ◽alexa play run this town by jay-z rihanna and kanye west [char: nick] 💜alexa play run by daughter [char: nat] ◽alexa play run (beautiful things)(highsociety remix) by awolnation [char: bucky] ◽alexa play run boy run by woodkid [char: steve] ◽alexa play run by onerepublic [char: sam]

Barbershop Quartet (feat. any two+ except Stucky) | REJECTS! ◽hands off the boots [prompt: natasha romanoff] 💜he's a smooth operator [prompt: none] 💜she's gonna bite someone [prompt: disguise] ◽untitled (working title: all of it goes) [prompt: cap quartet] ◽untitled (working title: do i gotta make more romanorogers?) [prompt: none]

Bucky | REJECTS! ◽and a whole lot of UST [prompt: helicarrier] ◽untitled (working title: are u new) [prompt: bucky barnes] ◽untitled (working title: head injury) [prompt: bucky barnes]

HYDRA (Pierce, Rumlow, Zola, et al. feat. others) | REJECTS! ◽and your very own unicorn [prompt: hydra] ⭐but i knew him [prompt: "but i knew him"] ◽gotta look out for your assigned alphabet soup guy [prompt: project insight] ◽i thought this was america [prompt: none] 💜like parking in a driveway [prompt: elevator] ◽the road to hell is paved with kicking your ass [prompt: none]

Nick (feat. the Barbershop Quartet) | REJECTS! ◽untitled (working title: and AARP!) [prompt: project insight]

Steve | REJECTS! ◽and almost dead is still slightly alive [prompt: steve rogers] 💜glory [prompt: steve rogers, character bleed] ◽it is a disney property [prompt: steve rogers] ◽knock knock mf (working title: this one might send me to hell) [prompt: memories] ◽untitled (working title: elevator) [prompt: elevator] ◽untitled (working title: good work ethic) [prompt: guilt] ⭐untitled (working title: trade off) [prompt: none]

Stucky | REJECTS! 💜alexa play who wants to live forever [prompt: to the end of the line] ◽all our mausoleums have eyes (alt panel) [prompt: none (bonus panel)] ⭐body language [prompt: reunion] ⭐he's a little confused but he's got the spirit [prompt: none] 💜how it makes you a weapon [prompt: none, memories] ⭐just your hand on my body again [prompt: devotion] ◽we call this a midwest goodbye [prompt: fave fight, helicarrier] ◽untitled (working title: terrorist) [prompt: fave fight]

[an-aura-about-you]

am I really gonna move on with another chapter of Handbook for Mortals right now?

why yes, yes I am. because I know what comes next in this chapter, too, and I have no idea what this recap is gonna look like.

Chapter 15:

when we last left our hero, Scheherazade's relationship is on the rocks due to a make out with tongue misunderstanding that she decided not to clear up the easiest way possible and now Mac has left the show.

Chapter 15: The Tower

-the card chosen for the chapter title is actually relevant for once.

-staying true to the rest of the book so far, we skip over the entire show and go straight to the finale. we're finally gonna see a magic trick Zade performs for her job besides the high dive trick she auditioned with.

-Zade has decided to use "complex deep chaos-based magick" for this trick, which is dangerous because it can backfire if not done correctly. she does this because..... why does she do this?

once again all of Zeb's concern is 100% warranted.

-Zade has never done anything this hard or complex before, which means now is clearly a great time to start.

-Sofia got her singing job. good for her. glad to see she's living the dream. <3

-we've already started on the Incredibly Dangerous Illusion and Zade's mind is wandering to Mac. good start!

-she is, for some reason, conflicted about what she should say to Mac about who Charles is to her.

-ok so we've got the first bit of what this illusion does: generates a storm indoors. okay. neat.

-Zade reminds us twice in two back to back paragraphs that the power she's messing with is both strong and volatile AND that she hasn't quite mastered it yet. again, solid plan here. can't see how it might go wrong. definitely something you should do for Knockoff David Daddy Copperfield.

-"...it can all go to H-E-double-hockey-sticks real quick."

this book is supposedly not a YA book.

-Charles has been narrating her illusion, and she says he's a gifted storyteller like all magicians should be, but the whole purpose of magician patter is misdirection! something Charles doesn't need to provide in an illusion using Real Fucking Magic.

-next part of the illusion: the storm makes a wave crash over Zade, causing her to disappear.

-next part: rain from the storm turns to sand as it hits the stage and piles up only to be struck by lightning, leaving a glass sculpture of Zade. I feel like I'm watching a knockoff Salvador Dali painting come to life.

-we get a warning that Zade is Not Feeling So Great at this stage of the illusion.

-next part: another lighting strike, this one producing a rapidly growing apple tree complete with full grown man that falls out of it.

-"I could actually feel the wonder in the audience." really? because I kinda feel the way I would had someone put on a tame knockoff of a Lynch movie at a planetarium. I would think it's a nice visual thing with some obvious human parts working in it, but my own guess as an audience member would be this was some kind of shadowcast projection thing. all of it is impossible to such a degree that no sleight of hand is feasible for it. so without the explanation that it's all Real Actual Magic, the obvious fill in is this is some really good special effects and Zade actually isn't doing anything except acting against a projection. kinda like the Liam Neeson stuff in Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.

she is, by all appearances, doing less than an actual magician's assistant would since I learned from the Breaking the Magician's Code specials that a lot of magic tricks rely on the skills of a well trained assistant or assistants.

-they throw some apples from the apple tree as a proof that it's real, which is the first thing that could possibly have a sleight of hand counterpart and thus is the first thing I as an audience member would consider a magic trick in all this.

-also are we sure chaos-magick apples are safe to eat?

-let's see, the man chops the apple tree down, wood chips fly into the audience. again, I would consider this bit a possible trick, but all of it feels like I'm just in some kind of interactive show? you know like the ones where you're like on the river rapids and it sprays water on you? this just doesn't feel like a magic trick overall, it feels like watching a short story.

-"If anyone had doubted it was a real tree they would have had to believe it at this point." no they wouldn't because it's not difficult to project the image of a falling tree, make the sound of a tree crashing into a stage, and throwing wood chips into the audience. also, why would you WANT them to think it's a real tree when you are trying to keep your magic SECRET?

-tree catches fire somehow (it is not specified as an explosion, but even then I don't know if any apple trees are also explody trees?) and a wind blows the sand up, blocking this from view.

-sand settles, fire and tree are gone, replaced by a wardrobe. the man opens the wardrobe to show it's empty, closes it, opens it again to take out a guitar and start playing. again, all things that are simple to do with projection and a sound system.

-he also puts the glass sculpture of Zade in the wardrobe

-Zade is feeling even worse and tells us she has to hold it together for just a bit longer because the illusion is almost done. good.

-wardrobe is struck by lightning, splits in two, and Zade is revealed. she then pulls an apple from her pocket, takes a bite, and faints. the man catches her, kisses her, and she wakes up. she gives him a bite of the apple, he disappears. so the man appearing and disappearing could be an illusion. that makes like 2-3 disappearing/reappearing tricks all in one with a whole bunch of special effects around them that I don't care about.

you know what's more impressive to me? the simple illusions. in fact, one of the ones that still gets me every time I see it is how the Phantom disappears at the end of The Phantom of the Opera as performed at the Royal Albert Hall. it's a simple but effective execution and stands out even more since it's not a magic show but a musical.

but this, this is SUPPOSED to be a magic show! there should be a LOT of magic! and it can be impressive to see multiple displays of the same kind of trick, especially with a specialist in it, but the thing about disappearing/reappearing act is it's the same visuals over and over again! idk maybe that's my bias since I tend to not care as much for disappearing acts, but I literally just cited a disappearing illusion as a favorite!

here, let's look at a simpler display I find more impressive than whatever the fuck Zade is doing with chaos magick. this is Francis Tabary, a magician who specializes in rope illusions:

I first saw a variation of this routine in the mid-90s on The World's Greatest Magic and I still enjoy seeing it. every single trick is just done with a rope, but it is visually varied and interesting. I get the feeling I could be sitting less than three feet away from him and I still wouldn't be able to fully see how he does it.

(also I love when he has to do his patter in English because he says, "I hope you will understand what I say and not what I do.")

-that was a nice detour and now I'm gonna go back to the book.

-Charles puts the cloak on Zade, who feels like she's dying inside. Me Too, Girl.

-lightning strikes Zade and she disappears. apparently with the magic going wrong she actually felt the lighting. why would you subject yourself to this when you didn't have to? literally you didn't have to. there was no reason to do a trick like this. why did you build the trick like this?

-Charles then picks up an apple, takes a bite, and disappears. that's it, the trick is finally over after 10 pages of description. this is the thing Zade has been working on with Charles that merited a big red carpet premiere. I want my $2 for the children's admission ticket for the planetarium field trip back.

-pfffff piece of shit dad out there taking his bows not even noticing that Zade's not out there to bow with him because she's suffering from magic internal bleeding.

-also, damn, gotta say Cam's doing a good job running this show on the fly. not one missed cue! that we know about, anyway. let's be real, that does seem like even odds on this being either a detail Sarem would ignore completely or would spend a solid 2/5ths of the chapter going over.

-the cat is sitting on the book again. also me, he is sitting on me.

-Zade manages to collapse in Zeb's arms, which wouldn't have been her first choice because she'd much rather do that with Jackson. but Zeb is like one of the few people who's gonna know what's going on! this is like the ideal situation once shit's fucked!

-Zade tells the gang backstage to call her mother before things go black.

then we get this:

That's the last thing I personally remembered from that day. Later, after I'd had some time to rest, I pulled out the memories of what everyone else saw and what happened.

so good news, we know Zade is gonna be perfectly fine! no need to worry about pesky things like tension!

-apparently fucking the magic up enough has left Zade in a state where she's practically choking on her own blood.

-Mac came back in time for all this btw. and instead of anyone trying to put Zade down in the recovery position (which idk if that's even appropriate for this but that seems moot since magic malady) or listen to the 911 dispatcher that Tad had Riley call, they just let Mac take over holding Zade.

-oh my god, even with all this going on, Zade notices in the memories that Zeb looks somewhat upset and thinks, "Maybe he didn't hate me after all." priorities.

-Charles says he's going with Mac to the hospital, and Mac is burned by this but at least has the good sense not to argue right now.

-omg Zade has to tell us the memories are painful to see because all of the people who love her are hurting soooooo much to see her suffering~

-Mac has enough of himself put together to be pissed at having to drive Charles and Charles is too upset to notice.

-Zade is actually getting care from a doctor that is implied to be the head doctor of the hospital. nothing but the finest for our mary sue.

-oh boy here we fucking go guys: the doctor asks for a member of the family since Zade is unconscious and can't consent. after being pressed, Charles reveals that he's Zade's father.

was it worth it?

-Mac then says he saw Charles and Zade kiss, which clearly grosses Charles out. also a lie since remember he couldn't bare [sic] to watch Zade and Spellman kiss.

-I don't know why Mac needs to talk about this now when the doctor obviously needs somebody to give the go-ahead on something. which also doesn't make sense to me because it seems like they could still do something to at least stabilize Zade, but maybe they're at that point and it's just not specified.

-omg Mac asks Charles if Zade knew this and he said yes. the book is right here confirming that Zade has known that Charles is her father. 0 excuses for any of the bullshit she's been pulling.

-apparently Zade found out recently, but by "recently" we mean "since basically the start of the book and that's when she came to work for him," which still means "the whole time," for our purposes.

ok to be fair it is not made clear if she knew before or after she actually got the job. it's possible this reveal happened during the conversation we were not made privy to in chapter 2. but it's ambiguous enough that it's possible Zade has known since chapter 0.

-Mac rethinks everything and considers how it makes sense now, but I still thing Zade's behavior has incestuous tones, like how she tried to reassure Mac about Spellman taking her to dinner with, "A girl's gotta eat." Zade obfuscated everything in the worst possible way when she could have used other tactics.

-also as far as why Charles hasn't said anything until now, he said he was abiding by Dela's wish to keep it secret. it is not made clear if this is some kind of binding magic taboo or not. it's certainly implied to be, but so far we haven't been made aware of the terms of this taboo. which seems pretty important since not only has he just broken it by telling the doctor, it seems possible that he ALSO broke it by telling Zade!

this also puts chapter 0 in a different light if the catalyst for Zade leaving home was finding out Spellman is her father, which would actually make sense. but again, if that's the case, then that means Zade knew the entire time and has been emotionally tormenting Mac for no good reason.

-I Would Like It If This Book Stopped Talking About The Concept Of Zade And Her Dad Making Out.

-Charles then tells Mac that Zade kissed him on the cheek, making the make out with tongue paragraph from the last chapter even worse since we were just gonna see the same thing in THIS chapter!

-Mac said Zade wasn't lying, but she was!! it's called lying by omission! she was intentionally leaving important information out!

That!

Is!

Lying!!!!!!

-oh hey Lambo Girl is here! she's here just to be seen for some reason. who knows why.

-the doctor makes an offhand mention of Dr. House and the book grinds to a halt for a full page to explain who House is because Charles didn't get the reference.

-man, it's so sad seeing Zade in her ICU hospital bed all covered in IV lines and tubes knowing full well she's gonna be perfectly fine by the end of the book.

-Dela calls Charles right after they all get settled in the room. damn, this is what you're using your magic for?

-Dela knows what's wrong. Charles suggests she come to Las Vegas. Dela insists they have to bring Zade to Tennessee. WHY? doesn't this sound like the more dangerous thing to do?

-Dela's explanation is that she needs her tools and her altar. I'm calling bullshit. you can bring your tools and build an altar where you need to. even if it needs like a special altar, you don't think you can find one in Vegas? we already know there are other people who know magic here; if it's like a church thing where it doesn't have to be an altar you build yourself, why not use one there? and if it has to be one you made, why not make one? this just sounds like putting your daughter through needless risk.

-"She could die. Couldn't she?" but she won't because she's telling the story.

-Dela is laying out tarot cards during this conversation. "She examined the cards carefully as if she were deciphering a code. That's kind of how reading cards goes." the narration says that like it hasn't shown us Zade doing the most incompetent card reading I have ever seen.

-why is Zade giving us a tarot card lesson while recounting her near-death experience?

-"Only sometimes can you change your destiny but that is hard and is a subject for another time and a later book." are you seriously giving me your discount knockoff May Those Who Accept Their Fate Be Granted Happiness, May Those Who Defy Their Fate Be Granted Glory speech, Miss "The Cards Haven't Told Me Which Boy I Should Marry"? not to mention a Michael Ende-esque hint to tantalize at another book.

-we get a full paragraph to explain the waxing and waning moon. not just the significance of those times in witchcraft, which even that's dumbed down, but what waxing and waning themselves mean.

you've literally covered this book with the triple moon symbol.

also Dela mentions the moon is waning. this could have been the opening to give the context that would explain it without having to go all baby dictionary on us, like saying the spell will have to be done on the night of the new moon.

-I'm glad the doctor likewise thinks letting Zade fly to Tennessee in her condition is nutso bananas.

-oof, the doctor's gonna make Charles sign a release that he understands that Zade is now his responsibility and that this may kill her. his priority, according to the narration, is avoiding a lawsuit. good god, does ANYONE in this book have even a shred of compassion? possibly not considering Sarem's callousness.

and the chapter ends with Charles telling Mac the two of them need to take Zade to Tennessee and reaffirming everything we had just learned from Dela.

just to rephrase this, the chapter ends with our big strong powerful honest to goodness magic using not like other girls protagonist at death's door for reasons that are pretty much her fault and needing to be rescued by her mother, her father, and the guy she's been kissing but they have not defined their relationship and parted on bad terms when they last saw each other and also she's been lying by omission to him. I think that covers everything.

[happy-tori-friends]

Foe prompts,can I ask for one between Lifty and Shifty,with the platonic sentence starter-'You're important to me,you little shit' please?

you got it!

this ended up a lil longer, and i went into some of my Curse Lore ideas (bc i like to cause pain). im not sure how happy i am with it. but it is existing. (tradition to reblog some more prompts after clearing the inbox is starting now. i'm gonna find some heatwave prompts *dances*)

The clock read 12:00 am when Lifty opened his eyes, jolting up and gasping for breath. Physically, any injuries that he'd gotten due to the curse had healed, but for the next twenty four hours, he would still be feeling pain and sensations. Because repeatedly dying gruesome deaths and then being revived was just too tame of a curse.

One minute he was running behind Shifty in a thunderstorm, carrying the spoils of their latest heist, the next he was waking up nearly a whole day later, jittering and struggling to breathe. His chest hurt, too. The cons of going out just after midnight and in a storm, he supposed.

Lifty glanced over at his brother's bed, but Shifty wasn't there. He got to his feet with a sigh, letting out a groan as his legs threatened to not cooperate, and then blew the hair out of his eyes. With slow, unsteady steps, he made his way to the door, only for it to open suddenly as he reached to grab the doorknob. Startled, he tried to step backwards, but lost his balance and fell.

Shifty let out a snort, covering his mouth as he tried to stifle his laughter. Lifty could only sigh again - he was losing count of how many times he'd done so since waking up. Disgruntled, he decided that maybe laying on the floor was better than trying to pull himself up. It was uncomfortable, sure, but laying there for the day did mean the tingling and shaking might not be too big of a problem.

Finally, Shifty stopped snickering, clearing his throat. “How're you feeling?” he asked, kneeling down and extending a hand to his brother.

Lifty took the offered hand and let himself be pulled up. “Fine, I guess. My body feels all tingly, kind of like with electrocution. My chest hurts and I feel kind of breathless too but… It could be worse, I guess.” Letting go of his brother's hand, he went to sit on his bed once more, his right hand pushing his bangs out of his eyes once more. “I'm more surprised you survived, honestly.”

“Lightning never strikes in the same place twice,” Shifty rolled his eyes, making his way to his own bed and flopping onto it.

Rolling his eyes, Lifty let out a small laugh. “That doesn't make sense. You were ahead of me. I just got unlucky.”

Neither of them spoke for a little while, but Lifty could hear Shifty moving, softly grumbling as he did so. Sleep often evaded them, which they did take advantage of with nighttime heists, but it did get incredibly annoying, especially after repeated struggles of attempting to sleep, waking up too early, or just not sleeping well. Dying didn't even make them feel any more rested - it probably just made them feel the opposite. No benefits even with all the bullshit the curse put them through.

Finally, after groaning and likely accepting he would remain uncomfortable, Shifty spoke. “It was really fucking boring yesterday,” he muttered, “kind of lonely too.”

Lifty turned his head towards his brother, blinking. He didn't say anything at first, somewhat surprised that Shifty would even admit that. “You probably could have done a lot of things without me,” he replied, not really sure how to react. “I mean… it was probably nice for you to not have to deal with me for a while.”

Shifty took a breath, rolling over to face him. “It's that I didn't get a choice in the matter,” he mumbled, “Yeah, we do our own things sometimes. We got to choose to do it, and if we needed each other, we could call or text. And if I survived and you didn't, it was never… the whole entire day.”

Lifty smiled slightly, glancing over at Shifty. “You missed me,” he stated, a teasing edge to his voice. “You didn't know what to do because me being gone threw you off.” His smile turned into a grin, the pain and jittering ignored in favor of messing with Shifty.

Shifty responded with a chuckle and an eye roll. “Of course I missed you. You're my brother. You're important to me, you little shit.”

There were times Shifty left him behind to save his own skin. There were times they barely reacted to the others’ death. There were times they fought, but Lifty cared about Shifty, and Shifty cared back, though he didn't often show it all too visibly. They were family, the only family they had left. Sometimes, a good reminder of how much they cared about each other did good, though. The chest pain still remained, but Lifty's heart felt full of warm and fuzzy feelings.

“You're important to me too, but I don't think ‘little shit’ is correct. We're the same height,” Lifty teased, grin growing wider. He could see Shifty narrow his eyes, even in the darkness, and he laughed in response.

“Fuck you, I take it back,” Shifty huffed, flopping over onto his other side. There was still a fond playfulness in his voice, however, even as he began to insult his brother. “You're the worst ever and I'm gonna fucking strangle you when you sleep one of these days.”

With one final eye roll, Lifty forced his laughter to die down. “Just shut up and try to go to sleep yourself,” he retorted, grabbing one of his spare pillows and laying his head against it.

The fact that Shifty was willing to admit he cared tonight made him feel safer and relaxed, for some reason. Feeling safer made him feel a little more willing to let drowsiness take him. Lifty let out a soft, content sigh as he let slumber take him, grateful to be able to sleep, no matter how long.

[tentacledtherapist]

To be fair, I felt the same way about Lisa, but in reverse. In this world, when you die you stay in your body, or somewhere nearby at least. I'm not quite sure because it is unusual to be put back in your body. When I woke up under the dirt it was just as dark as it had been but things started to hurt again. Normally, it was dark. Dark and quiet and lonely. No matter how many others are buried around you, you cannot hear them. You are completely alone. The only thing you can hear is when someone talks about you. When I first died there was only a few voices. But then it was quiet for a long time. Nobody remembered any of us in Bachelor's Cemetary. There wasn't anyone to visit. Not once your family was gone.

Then I heard her voice. I thought I had finally gone mad in the long dark silence. But I could hear her. She would talk to me and tell me everything. And though I could not respond it was as though I could reach up through the soft moss and touch her. The more I listened the more I understood. The more I understood the more I wished I could pull myself from the grave and tell her that myself. About losing your family. About love. About poetry.

And when she came to me, weak and weary and wished to be with me, just as much as I wished to be with her, some cruel God heard the dead and the living wishing to unite. And we did.

I loved her immediately. Her shrine at my headstone touched me. I knew who she was and how to find her, but I had never seen her face and finally I would. It is true, I misunderstood what she had meant when her request to be with me was granted. But I was with her. That is what mattered to me. And when the world turned its back on her over and over? What would I not do to open closed doors?

There are things I remember. I remember the feeling of bugs. I remember the fear when they threatened to incarcerate her. Reminded of all the awful things they did to people there in my time. I didn't know that things had changed, not that it is much better now, but I couldn't let anyone hurt her. I remember dancing with her. I remember hugs too, the bone creaking, crushing hugs. The feeling of alien limbs. I remember what happened at the end of our story, and after.

They say lightning never strikes the same place twice. But the lightning that brough me back, I'm certain, is the same that struck Lisa's grave and gave her life again, one that heard the dead and living wishing once more to meet.

She was quite worse for wear, but then, so had I. We found our own way, eventually. I started working as a mortuary assistant. I didn't like the work. The dead haunted me in such a way only those already passed can feel. But I was able to not only recover eyes for Lisa, but new skin as well. No one would notice flesh missing when a body is cremated. And when her hair grew back she was good as new, with only stitches here and there. Not a happy ending, but a nice one.

Again, these things don't feel like memories, but immutable truths. Other's experiences, of course, are just as true for them as mine are for me, but this is just how I feel them. Sometimes memories like these are foggy but this is... very clear to me. I've only had memories this clear once or twice.

Oh, and my name was Adam. But I like Creature too.

- Creature

P.s.: Your dress looks lovely.

adam… it’s really nice. very fitting. not that my opinion matters much in terms of your name, but. i like it

i should really be apologizing for how i treated creature early on. it wasn’t very kind, nice maybe, but definitely not kind. i’m not exactly proud of it. i hope i made up for it in the end, though.

i understand what you mean when you say knowing things. i agree with them, but also i just know them to be true. they’re immutable, however fuzzy or minor mine seem to be. anything else feels weird, wrong. your memories are so vivid… i wish i could share what i remember in as much detail as you’ve shared with me, but my memory usually doesn’t work like that. i’ll share whatever i do remember, though. whatever you wanna know

i remember how angry i was when he swung at taffy, and i remember how quickly that all faded when i saw him at bachelor’s and everything just sort of… clicked into place? i was kinda an idiot, blinded by a dick (literally). took a bit of a smack to reality to get me to see what was real and in front of me the whole time. glad it finally happened though. one of those stereotypical “he fell first, she fell harder” situations, though i dunno if either of us fell ‘harder’ or whatever. it all just kinda hit me at once, while he probably had a longer time for it to build up so it was less of a blow when it did hit— actually that’s probably exactly what the trope means—

i remember continuing to sew as soon as my fine motor skills returned. i think i helped out with out finances through my sewing. not so much working for a ‘wayne’ at the dry cleaner’s but more through independent work, making clothes directly for people and mending and such. i just have lots of little memories of a needle in hand. and working a lot on trying to thread the needle with different eyes as i got used to them

i remember his fingers in my hair (as cheesy, bride of frankenstein-y as it sounds, i remember white streaks from the electrocution), reading poetry or a book or just talking. jeezus, i loved hearing his voice once he could talk. the words are lost, but i know his voice. the exact time or moment is gone, but i remember the feeling of his hands playing with my hair once it grew back so vividly sometimes i can still feel it? same with his hugs. sometimes if i think about it a little too long, i can still feel the hugs crushing the air out of my lungs in the best way

he tried to teach me to waltz. i wasn’t very good. i tried to teach him modern (for the time) dancing. he wasn’t very good. but it was sweet. silly. he would play the piano and i would make up lyrics as i hummed along. i liked nicknames, even after everything. his hair got really soft after a few good rounds of modern shampoo and conditioner. i used to practice braiding it to test my fine motor skills. still did in the quiet moments. i really liked playing with his hair. i liked all physical contact with him, really. i just kinda… lounged on him like a cat, a lot. i don’t think he minded much, though—

like you said, not a ‘fairy tale happy ending’, but a nice one. the one where we were together. that’s the most important thing, i think

- Lisa

[bells-of-black-sunday]

"Nnn ... " His forehead is crowned in an icy sweat that drips down his temples to become lost within his mass of nightly curls, his body contorts as visions wrap themselves around him, squeezing tight. Haru is unable to help the way his body spasms as the nightmare sinks its venomous fangs into him, the constriction of his sleeping bag only causes him to thrash more - as though the airy taffeta had been stuffed full of sand. Misery etches onto his face, a carved expression his pride would never allow him to make without the blessed unawareness of sleep; he cannot fight the swirling, crackling sound of embers that nestles into his mind. Each little snap pops in his mind, as though the blood vessels along his skull were bursting:

Pain. Pain. Pain.

His skin catches alight in a blazing inferno that rips a pained shriek from his lips, and he can feel himself being burned away - piece by piece. The world shatters into black as he finds himself drifting further and further of what was once "Haruko", the only thing he can cling to is the pair of disembodied hands floating before his minds eye. The artist watches them carefully, unable to tear away from observing the way his blood pools below ... down ... down ... how much farther could he fall? - A violent kick forces him back to reality once more and a snarl rumbles from behind his clenched teeth, air sucking in with a hiss while the inferno continues to blaze deep inside the black scarred bracelets etched into his wrists. The world spins. Where was he...?

Tarhos had really only been gone a moment, left to go talk with Robin while he chopped firewood leaving Haru to his rest from the long drive up. Usually he wouldn't think to invite his boss, as much as he liked him, there was never a Robin without... Danny. Danny was a complete other can of worms. He sure as hell wasn't just a writer for the newspaper, he knew that sadistic smile well enough to know he delighted in something far more than just telling a story. He had blood on his hands. Whether it was fresh or in the past the bodyguard wasn't certain, but he didn't trust that man.

However and probably the biggest issue:

He had left Danny to get his and Robin's tent set up and unknowingly to him... his poor boyfriend was having one of his usual nightmares in theirs. The swift kick wasn't from the kind and caring man that actually had his best interest at heart, no... it was Danny. Sweet Danny with the pretty eyes that held nothing when looking down at the artist. Not even one of his practiced smiles. No. He seemed annoyed at the other's misery like this small inconvenience was not worth the joy he got from actually harming him for once.

Truthfully knowing he was practically immune in the city had made him more bold. Less inclined to keep up the Jed Olsen facade like he knew he should, but... Haru was different. He interested him for far more grim reasons than he'll ever let him know. How many times had he fantasied about sliding his knife between his ribs? Everyone loved a lightning strikes twice story and the artist had already escaped one killer. He'd love to trap him in the jaws of another. Still... for Robin's sake he crouched down, "Did you want me to get your war dog? I'm sure he's far better company, just didn't know you were still a kid that needed a night light."

If even Robin hated him calling the veteran that, he could only imagine how much that dug under Haru's skin. And that was the point of it. He wanted to see that anger the other always hid. He wanted to see how far he could push him and what better way to do that when he was already riding horrible emotions. Most importantly to the killer: he was sitting just out of reach for someone already tangled up in a sleeping bag.

[pauleenantonetb]

Hey! My name is Pauleen Antonet B. Barreo, or you can call me Pau, as everyone calls me that way. I just turned 16 years old, and I was born on October 07, 2006. I am just a simple girl who lives in the peaceful city of Tuguegarao, province of Cagayan. I have 2 siblings; an older brother, Laurence, and a younger sister, Atasha. My lovely parents are Roy and Maricel. I am close to my family because I always thought that they would be by my side when no one else would. My favorite color is yellow. Yellow is the color of the sun. It represents hope, energy, joy, happiness, and friendship. I am just an introverted girl who is always shy and embarrassed by everything she does. I have three trusted friends: Caryl, Joanna, and Hanna. I am that kind of person who is not good at socializing, someone who is picky when it comes to choosing friends.

I have a lot of hobbies. Dancing, reading novels, and watching my favorite K-pop groups are some of them. My favorite Kpop groups are Twice for girl groups and Seventeen for boy groups. I love to listen to their music; it is very comforting. Kim Dahyun, the group's lead rapper, is my favorite in Twice. She caught my attention when I was still discovering Twice. She is the sweetest human I have ever met. Meanwhile, in Seventeen, my bias is Kim Mingyu, the tallest member of the group. He is a giant baby. He may look cold and snobby in pictures, but he is one of the most softest people you’ve ever met. He is my ideal man as he knows how to cook, how to clean, is the kindest and sweetest person, and the most idealistic man ever. I love them so much. I am genuinely hoping to see them someday.

About my three best friends: I am very lucky to have them. They are always there, comforting and giving me advice whenever life gets hard. I am paranoid about making new friends. Something bad happened when I was in junior high school. My so-called friends betrayed us, calling us names, spreading false rumors, and getting us bullied. Since then, I have become self-conscious, thinking that they might judge me again for committing mistakes. I have male friends, but I am not that close to them that I share my problems with them. I have always wanted to have guy friends, but I am awkward around them. They say that guy friends are better than girl friends.

I don’t really pay attention to what you will say about me, whether it is something good or bad, but it will surely affect me. I will start doubting myself. I will cry myself to sleep thinking about what you said about me. I don’t really show my emotions to everyone, but when I am alone, it will strike me like lightning. I don’t show my emotions, but I am hurting more than you think.

I will end my introduction with lyrics from songs by my favorite K-pop groups.

One in a Million of Twice. "One in a Million, cheer up, you're something special. One in a Million, the only one in the world. " "Whatever they say, don’t be afraid."

Circles of Seventeen "It will be okay, like the hands of a clock; it will find its place again after going in circles."

-Where do I see myself 10 years from now? Was my learning in SPUP vital to where I am leading to? 

I see myself 10 years from now as a successful psychologist, living independently, financially stable, exploring the world, and living the best of my life. Yes, it is very vital. SPUP will help me achieve my goals in life. It will always be my pleasure that I have the chance to study at an internationally recognized school.

-Was STEM the best choice after all? 

Yes, the strand STEM is the best choice for the course I want to pursue in college. Although STEM is hard, it will help me in college. I will thank myself in the future that I got STEM, even if there are people who are saying that I should not take STEM because it is very hard. I don't regret getting STEM as long as I'm having fun in senior high school. 

-What course will you take in college and why?

I'll go with B.S. Psychology, it piqued my interest while reading a Wattpad story about a girl who is a college student enrolled in the B.S Psychology course. I did some research on it, and it captivates my interest because I am a good listener. I want to assist mentally unstable people in becoming stable because I can imagine the weight of their hearts carrying their emotions alone. I am the type of person who enjoys listening to people rant and express their opinions. My only piece of advice is to think before you speak to someone. For you, you took it as a joke, that someone might have been doubting herself/himself because of what you said. Be careful on what you say. Mental health matters.

(photo is from pinterest)

[saphirered]

Heyo! Saw you wanted some individual character requests! I'm a sucker for Grog, and there isn't enough out there for him, so I was wondering if you could do a Grog x Sorceress!reader where the reader doesn't think grog would have a reason to like her since she isn't a melee fighter. Thank you so much!

P.s. Your writing is amazing, and I always love reading your works! ❤️

Thank you for the request! I'm glad you like my writing and hope you enjoy this one! Turned out a bit longer than I intended but that means more content. Anyway, Enjoy! 😘

Seated on the stone balustrade feet dangling over the edge looking over the city in front of you you twiddle your thumbs. You needed a moment away from everyone to sort your mind on your own. There’s a solitude in the dark clouds looming above and the first drops of rain signalling an oncoming storm and it’s never failed you before. Even while there’s no one around, you can confide in such storms knowing your words will be heard but carried away upon the wind and drowned out by the rain and thunder. A good storm won’t judge or hold a grudge. It will simply accept and listen. So here you’ll stay speaking your worries into the abyss and hope for some clarity or ease of mind and heart.

Back inside Grog sits on one side of the table, Scanlan at the other. They hold their respective tankards at the ready as the gnome counts down. By the end of the countdown they swing back their drinks finishing them as fast as they can being cheered on by the rest of Vox Machina and other witnesses to this drinking game. Grog’s determined to win this. While he’s pretty sure his tankard is actually a bucket with a handle, it’s more to scale compared to the gnome’s. Ale spills over the sides of Scanlan’s drink but Grog keeps it neat. No wasting ale after all.

With one last big chug Grog finishes the drink, slams it down on the table roaring in victory as the table shakes beneath his hit. Scanlan puts the remainder of his drink down on the table wiping his face disappointed. Grog looks around the crowd. Some are happy celebrating with him, others pass over money to the happy people for paying up on whatever amount they lost in their bets. How could they even consider Scanlan would win. He’s the best of the best after all and no one can out drink the all mighty Grog. He doesn’t spot you among the crowd and the victory doesn’t feel as sweet anymore. He really hoped you could have seen this one. Where had you gone?

Before Grog can get up and go find you he’s given a refill and the next challenger approaches. New bets are placed, Vex massages his shoulders giving him a pep talk and noting how he’s been making her a lot of money so better keep it up. He doesn’t want to disappoint his friends. One more game. Then he’ll go find you wherever you went.

The next game comes along, and another, and another but he’s done. No more games. When another challenger approaches and the game starts he doesn’t pick up the tankard and pushes away from the table. People ask him what the hell he’s doing but he ignores them. They’ve kept him long enough so he just up and walks before they can stop him. Grog leaves the room but Pike follows behind him worried for her buddy. He never refuses a good ale or a challenge, let alone the two combined.

“Grog? Grog, wait up!” Pike rushes after him leaving the banquet hall behind. Determined Grog still keeps walking but slows down his pace enough to let Pike catch up with him.

“Where are you going? There’s still plenty of ale to be drunk!” Pike reaches for the goliath’s hand to pull him to a stop. He does and turns to face Pike.

“I think I’ve had enough.” Grog says and Pike gasps. Never, never does Grog think he’s had enough to drink. Something must be wrong with him. Is he ill? Does he have a fever? Did someone poison her buddy’s drink? She might go on a war path if someone did and ruined his fun! But Grog seems okay. Physically that is. He’s fine.

“Do you know where she went?” Grog asks, maybe Pike can help him find you and maybe she can talk to you why you left. He doesn’t think you’d want to talk to him about that kind of stuff and while he’d consider himself a good listener, if something’s really up Pike always knows what to do. She can help.

“Who?”

“The pretty sorceress.” Grog states as a matter of fact and it is. Anyone who dares say otherwise clearly need some of those glass thingies Percy keeps on his nose and make him look smart.

“Oh, I don’t know Grog. She left to go get some fresh air.” Pike searches her mind to see where you might have gone. There’s a few places that come to mind but it’s all narrowed down to just the one when thunder rumbles through the sky. She knows exactly where you went and by the looks of it so does Grog.

Grog knows there’s only one place you really love to watch a storm unfold. You’ve told him before and you’ve even watched some storms together there. He shares a look with Pike and picks up his step going where he knows you’ll be, still dragging pike behind. When she doesn’t move fast enough he swings her up on his shoulders, running up the steps as far as they’ll take him, dodging a torch and pushing aside a guard here and there.

Then around the corner he sees you. Feet dangling over the edge, a single push away from what could possibly be a death drop, hand outstretched catching the rain with a sad smile on your face. You’re absolutely gorgeous. More alluring than anyone ever could. If he could paint, Grog would make sure this moment would be captured for eternity just so he would never forget. Maybe he can get some money from Vex to hire a painter? If Scanlan did it, why shouldn’t he?

You’re seated alone at the top of the tower. Lightning flashes through the clouds, sometimes branching down to strike the ground be it mountain or forest, you’re in a valley of safety surrounded by the storm. The drops of rain hit your outstretched arm extended beyond the cover of the overhanging. Cold as they are to the touch you watch them glide around your arm with movement until they too, continue their descend.

“…Sometimes I wish I would just have the courage but I don’t.” You speak into the skies. A burst of lightning strikes in the mountains, the sound echoing and even this high up you can feel the slight tremor of the ground. You know a storm is no sentient being but you read it like a reply no less and continue.

“I’m not a fighter. I don’t know how to wield a sword or an axe. I can barely lift one. We have such vastly different lives. Grog’s got no reason to like me in any way.” Thunder strikes again you smile briefly. You’ve come to terms you’ll always like Grog and your feelings wouldn’t be reciprocated. The only reason you’re even spending time together in the first place is because you’re both involved with Vox Machina in one way or another. You’ve got hardly anything in common so if you hadn’t met through them Grog probably wouldn’t even have thought about you twice.

That may sound sad and you’re thankful for getting to know him but Grog has his own life and interests so why should he bother indulging you in yours. He’s already not a big fan of magic and you won’t bother attempting to teach him. It’s not like it’s any interesting stuff and he’d probably be bored out of his mind the entire time. Then again, the theoretics of magic might just not be your strong suit either. It’s more of a natural born gift.

Grog gets this weird feeling in his chest as if he’s been hit by something and it’s being twisted. Kind of like when he got shot by an arrow and Pike had to remove it. It’s not a good feeling. Checking for injury just to make sure he’s fine. It’s clear to him he feels this on the inside; his heart bleeds a little for you. You shouldn’t think that way. He likes you. He likes you a lot actually so you couldn’t be more wrong. Pike nudges him to set her down. He does as they remain around the corner, leaving you unaware of their presence.

“Go talk to her.” Pike whispers and Grog panics for a brief second. How is he even supposed to do this? What is he supposed to say? He doesn’t know how this psychology stuff works. That’s what Pike’s for. If people feel sad they often come to her, talk about their worries and problems and then they feel better. How’s he supposed to do that? He’s not Pike.

“She needs you, Grog. I know you like her and she needs you. Go talk to her.” Pike nudges him on into your direction. The goliath isn’t physically moved by her effort but he does move. If Pike says you need him, if you really need him then he’ll be there. Looking over his shoulder one last time to ask Pike for some advise she’s already half way down the stairs leaving you with him. Grog thinks hard for a moment but thinking isn’t his strong suit either so he’ll do what he always does; face the problem head on.

A throat clears behind you and you almost slip from the fright it gave you. A heavy step rushes forward and an arm wraps around your waist pulling you back before you can fall. You’d have spells to save you in case you did fall but you’d rather not and are grateful for your valiant saviour. The bare arm wrapped around your waist is covered in tattoos, markings and scars and engulfs the majority of your middle. It doesn’t take a fool to know this arm belongs to Grog Strongjaw himself.

Flustered you allow the goliath to pull you back onto solid ground and off the balustrade entirely before he lets go of you, making sure you’re right on your feet. How much of your conversation with the skies did he hear? Did he hear anything at all? Grog steps back and stares at his boots. He doesn’t only appear to be more embarrassed than you feel but also apologetic.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Please don’t fall again and please don’t be angry at me.” Grog closes his eyes tightly afraid you might be mad at him as he was the cause of you almost experiencing a death drop. You’re basically gods but if we’ve learned anything from Keyleth; that doesn’t save you from a splat.

You step forward grab one of his hands in yours drawing his attention. With your index finger you tilt his chin up just enough so he’s looking at you and not over you. These gestures are enough for Grog to open his eyes. When there’s no look of anger on your face the tension in his body falls away just slightly. There’s still some rigidness from nerves but he’s closer to usual Grog.

“Chin up, big guy. You saved me too. I’m not mad.” You smile and the smile is returned. The air is still somewhat awkward so you decided you best get this over with and clear it up.

“How much did you hear?” You ask. The blush rushing to Grog’s cheeks and frantic glancing around to make sure no one else is here to witness it tells you he heard enough.

With a deep sigh you step back to the balustrade sitting down upon it once more but now to face Grog instead of the sky, your hair blowing lightly in the breeze, the rain and occasional illuminated sky behind you leave him staring yet again forgetting your question. He’s just captivated but you calling his name snaps him out of it. Saved it. Still got it. As long as he doesn’t turn to ‘drunk Keyleth’ levels he’ll consider it a win.

“I-uhhhh…. Why don’t you think I like you?” Grog twiddles his thumbs rocking back and forth from his tiptoes to his heels in anticipation of your answer. He knows he heard you tell the sky but he wants to be sure because if he gave you any reason to believe he didn’t like you, he did do something wrong. He’ll pick you over any of those other fools down stairs. He might just even pick you over the best ale. He’d already picked you over the ale he’d been offered. If that isn’t testament to his fondness of you, then what is?

“Ah, so you did hear that. I just- I think-. Ugh, why is this so hard?” You try to express your reasons but words are difficult and feelings even more so to describe yet still you try. Grog waits patiently either way.

“Do you think we would have been friends were it not for our lives being tied together as they are now?” You ask the dreaded question. You don’t even know if you really want the answer afraid that it may break any semblance of hope you had somewhere in your mind. Grog’s brow furrows, deep in thought but mostly confusion.

“Of course we would be. Why wouldn’t we?”

“Because I’m not like you. I’m not a fighter. I stay back with my spells and incantations while you run in axe swinging taking down anyone in your path. I read while you train. I sit around in my tower watching the skies while you go out and drink the town dry looking for a fight to enjoy. I could never do what you do and I do not dare to assume you’d have any interest in doing what I do.” The thoughts and feelings find words. A tension lifts from your chest like a breath you didn’t know you were holding just by speaking your mind to the goliath in question.

Grog knows damn well you’re not a fighter in the traditional sense. No steel or arrows for you but that does not mean you’re not a fighter in your own right. If he’s learned anything a fighter comes in many shapes and forms and you fit the description perfectly. You’ve shown determination and strength, courage against all odds and immense skill. You are a fighter.

“When I run into danger kicking ass who’s had my back every time?” Grog asks. There’s a harshness and authority in his voice indicating he’s leading somewhere and you better answer.

“We all have-“ Grog cuts you off.

“No. You have had my back every time.” He corrects. “Who comes watch me train, throwing spells to keep me on my toes? Who does it while reading her books completing not one but two tasks at the same time?”

“I do.” You admit.

“And who helps me kick ass in bar fights? Who cheers me on or joins me in any gamble or drinking game? Who is the best drinking buddy? You are. Now, who spends time with you watching storms whenever they occur up here in the tower or anywhere else?”

“You… do…” Grog’s right.

“I like to spend time with you because I like you. I don’t care you don’t swing an axe. That firestorm you do works just the same and looks way more badass. I’m not the smartest but I know two of the same are not always useful and can be too much. What are you going to do with two when you only need one. You need difference so they compitry- complitarity- colmpli-“ Grog struggles with that word. He’s heard Percy use it in a similar context but why is it such a difficult word to recall. He still tries and just hopes you’ll get what he’s trying to say.

“Complimentary?” You ask. You fear Grog might get himself a migraine if he tries any harder. You still don’t think that’s the correct use of the word but you get it. He’s trying to lift your spirits and it’s working.

“That one. Yes. Complimentary. I don’t just like you, I love you for who you are. You’re special and being different makes you special.” Grog admits he tries to fight the heat rising to his cheeks from admitting what he did but when he sees your smile grow, that’s enough to push his pride aside and let it be. Maybe he can do this thing Pike usually does after all? Maybe not unless it’s you. When he tells you he loves you he means it. When he has to say it to the likes of Vax he’d rather eat his own boots for lunch.

You gesture with your hand and beckon the goliath over to come closer. You rise to stand on the edge of the balustrade and wrap your arms around Grog’s neck holding him close. You feel his arms wrap around you in turn and pull you closer to where your feet barely touch the stone.

“Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.” You pull back to look Grog in the eyes as he still holds onto you and take his cheeks between your hands giving him a quick kiss. Grog’s eyes light up and lifts you up higher offering you a kiss of his own. Sweet and short and filled with glee. He sets you back down on your feet but doesn’t let go of you yet.

“Do you want to go back downstairs? Last I checked there was a drinking game going on? Should we show them what we’re made off?” You grin and the proud look on Grog’s face tells you enough to know exactly what you’re talking about.

“Let me tell you the tale of my grand victories-“ Grog starts as he begins leading you back down the stairs, arm wrapped around your shoulders pulling you into his side as you walk.

[dizzydancingdreamer]

The Daughter of Aphrodite | Leo Valdez

Hello Lovelies! So I was inspired by my classics class and figured hey, what better than to write about Leo Valdez to make the cravings go away? This is my first Leo fic and I decided to take up a third person perspective because it felt right. It’s really fluffy and I hope you all enjoy! Until next time, all my love!

Description: Leo and y/n have been pining after each other for too long. Her friends help her come up with a plan to get close to him, now she has to cross her fingers that her mother, Aphrodite, doesn’t step in.

Pairing: Leo Valdez x Female!Reader

Warnings: Absolutely none

Word Count: 2.7k

Tags: FLUFF

(Pics not mine but mood board is :) )

Her hands were covered in dirt, a trait most uncommon to a daughter of Aphrodite. Somehow, though, she wore it like a pair of silk evening gloves. Her hair was messy, thrown in a bun atop her head, but every strand that fell around her face seemed as though placed by the gods themselves. Even in chaos she was perfect.

Leo leaned precariously against a two by four, watching the daughters of Aphrodite and Demeter replant the gardens around camp. Well, more like the daughters of Demeter and one daughter of Aphrodite. The rest of the Aphrodite sisters were lounging in the sun, avoiding the mud. He couldn’t help but smile when one of her friends gingerly rubbed some dirt off her face. He could almost hear the girl scold her. Always getting your hands dirty, hun.

“Just talk to her already man.” 

“I have, multiple times. At least a couple times a day.” 

Jason ran a frustrated hand through his hair, watching as his friend watched the girl he loved from a distance. Everyone at the camp knew how Leo felt, everyone except her. She was every bit as pure as she was kind. Not to mention loving, gentle, and patient. She was everything he knew he needed and, even more so, everything he desperately wanted. 

“You know what I mean.”

Leo turned to his best friend, a lazy smile plastered on his face, “I know, man. I will.”

Jason only grumbled before heading off. Leo always said that. Clearly he hadn’t followed through yet. Not that it mattered. No one was exactly raring to go head to head with the boy who could light his entire body on fire. His girl would remain his girl until he could work up the courage to, well, make her his girl. Still, Jason just wanted his friend to be happy. 

Leo watched her for another moment before heading off to do what he was supposed to be doing; fixing the door for the sons of Ares. 

Across the green, musical giggles filled the spaces between the chatter. Her laughs were contagious, the Demeter girls rolling around in the plots they were supposed to be filling with hydrangeas, clutching their stomachs with red faces. The other girls, her sisters, also laughed, just a little more contained. They sipped on pink lemonade, twirling the straws in dainty fingers.

“So you’re telling me,” Arabella, a Demeter daughter with wayward curls, barely contained a chuckle, “you have never been kissed.”

Dawn, one of y/n’s sisters, chimed in with a few of her own runaway giggles, “don’t forget the best part: she’s never been kissed because every time a boy gets close, mother steps in!”

They collapsed again in another fit, filling the camp with some much needed life. She smiled sweetly, cheeks blushed like an angel, giggling right along with them. It was funny after all. She liked making her friends smile, it made her feel warm inside. 

“Is it really true? Every time a boy has gone to kiss you Aphrodite has stepped between it?’

Her voice was pure honey, slow and sugary, “oh yes. One time, right as a boy leaned in, a bolt of lightning struck the ground, right at his feet. I’m not sure what she told Zeus to get him to do it. Mother has her ways, I'm sure.”

“Well,” the giggles died down but the atmosphere remained light, “if you could kiss any boy here, without Aphrodite striking him down that is, who would it be?”

Her eyes widened a touch at the question. One boy immediately swam to her mind but she brushed it away quickly, her smile still neatly in place. She knew for a fact that he wasn’t interested in her like that so there was no reason to offer his name to the group. Regardless, though, her heart still fluttered for a certain son of Hephaestus. 

She coiled a loose strand of hair around her finger, her charm bracelet jingling gently on her wrist, “hmm, I’m not sure.”

Her sisters eyed each other cheekily before peering around the camp. When their gaze landed on precisely who they had been looking for, they giggled a collective hum. 

“How about him, hun? Would you kiss him if you could?” Daisy nodded her glass across the field.

Her eyes wandered with her sister’s gesture, past a couple of younger campers playing a game, to a boy fixing what looked like the door to the Ares cabin. Silly boys, always rough housing. That cabin had to have the window fixed just last week. Her eyes lingered on him a little longer than they should have considering she was trying to convince her sisters that she didn’t like him. Her soft lip pulled between her teeth as he ran a hand through his hair. 

Giggles erupted around her again, pulling her from her daze with heated cheeks, “Leo? He would never kiss me.”

The giggles only increased. Her eyes shifted quickly to the Ares cabin, hoping to Zeus that her group wasn’t causing too much of a scene. She wasn’t so lucky. Her eyes met Leo’s brown ones from across the lawn, her nose instantly burning. She tried to look away, she wanted to. Well, she thought she wanted to, at least, but his eyes held hers in a way that made it impossible to look anywhere else. 

She bit her lip again and he smirked, his lips pulling tight in a way that should be a crime. His skin caught the light like a gem, shining from his labour in the hot sun. When he noticed her eyes, drawing over his face and arms, his grin widened and her heart stuttered dramatically. When he winked at her and went back to work, her heart stopped. 

“Oh, hun,” Arabella’s hand swept under her chin, pulling y/n’s focus from the fire boy, “you’re clueless, aren’t you? Have your sisters taught you nothing? That boy is smitten.”

Sarah Beth, her eldest sister, huffed indulgently, a teasing smile on her rosy lips, “oh we tried, Ara, trust us we did. Sis is helpless. Blame it on mother.”

Y/n whined, the sound like one of Apollo’s harps, “what do I do? I’m cursed!”

Even in her torment she giggled, rubbing her cheek affectionately in Arabella’s palm. Arabella smiled lovingly, an idea sparking as she pulled y/n’s face back up. It was a foolproof one, too. Arabella looked at her wide eyes, watching them dart across the green to the boy she was clearly head over heels for. Yes, it needed more than anything to be foolproof.

Arabella poured a fresh glass of lemonade, taking extra care to mix enough ice with the pink liquid. She plopped a straw in it, stirring it once, twice, three times before shoving it in y/n’s perfectly polished nails. 

Her eyebrows scrunched, a cute confusion laid over her features, “I have lemonade, Bella.”

Arabella had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, “it’s not for you,” her eyes tilted to Leo, “he looks thirsty, hun. I think he wants a drink.”

“I don’t think lemonade is what he’s after,” Sara Beth didn’t look up from her own drink but her cat like grin said it all.

Her sisters had to stifle another wave of giggles as she gingerly passed the lemonade back and forth between her hands, contemplating whether or not to go to him. When she looked over at him for the hundredth time in an hour, she made up her mind. It was now or never.

She stood, much too gracefully for a girl with a heart racing a mile a minute, and took a deep breath, “please, mother, do be nice. He’s a lovely boy. I really like him.”

“Go get him, tiger,” Arabella nudged her gently towards the mechanic, a proud smile on every girl in and around the flowerbeds.

The walk across the green felt like it was never ending and much too short all at the same time. Every step that she took towards his crouched figure she debated downing the liquid herself and then running away. But no, she couldn’t. He was like a magnet, drawing her towards him with ridiculous ease. He didn’t even know he was doing it, that was the worst part. The tips of her ears felt hot, her feet stopping a few feet away from him. Oh, gods, what did she get herself into this time?

Leo’s hands stalled, a flowery scent curling around his face and clinging to his skin. He closed his eyes, breathing in as much of it as he could. That had to be what heaven smelled like, he just knew it. Like chrysanthemums and honeydew. Yes, he knew for certain. He drew another breath. Gods, he couldn’t get enough. 

“Hey, Leo,” her voice went high, her words like unintentional poetry, “whatcha working on there?” 

Why did she say that? She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. So silly, what did it look like he was doing? When she opened them Leo was looking at her, a loose grin on his lips, a glint in his chocolate eyes. Her chest squeezed fervently.

“I’ll give you one guess,” his eyes glanced to the door before landing back on her, peering at her from his seat on the ground.

She scrunched her nose at him, trying not to giggle as he stood to face her, “oh ha ha, very funny.”

Leo laughed easily, a sound less honeyed than her own but still so sweet, “that’s my job. Well, when I’m not picking up after Ares’ sons. Can you believe they split the door in half?”

She glanced up at him, her doe eyes dancing over his tanned skin and black curls, unable to fight the butterflies that bounded inside her chest. He really was something. She held the glass a touch tighter when she breathed in his motor oil and nutmeg scent. She was certain this was what Olympus smelled like, not that she’d ever been.

“Honestly yes, I can,” she met his eyes again, sucking in a small breath when they drew down her body to the drink she had yet to hand over.

His eyes flitted back to hers and darkened a touch, a knowing smirk plastered on his lips, “say, is that for me, cariño?” 

Her cheeks flamed and she knew if she lifted a hand to them they would be hot to the touch. How fitting. 

“Erm,” she stalled, pulling her lip between her teeth once more, her eyes shifted to the grass at her toes, “I thought you might like some lemonade? If not that’s ok! It was silly of me, I’m sorry, I can just-”

Leo’s hand closed around hers, pulling the glass, and by default her, closer to his heady nutmeg chest, “I’d love some, thank you.”

His voice had lost its playful edge, only the soft warmth remained. He lifted the glass to his lips, drawing her hands with his as he took the first sip. She could practically hear her sisters swoon from across the grass. Wow, she’s really doing it isn’t she? Way to go, sis! Her whole body heated this time, her neck to her toes consumed by lapping flames. It was intoxicating.

Leo took the glass from her hands and set it on the step beside him, the taste of strawberries pungent on his lips. When he glanced back at her, he ran his tongue across his lip. The light hit her in a way that was entirely ethereal, clinging to her skin in a way that defied the laws of physics. It was maddening, like standing next to one of the muses themselves. God’s when did this ever happen to someone like him?

“It’s my sister’s recipe,” she fiddled with her fingers, lost with what to do without the glass to hold onto, “I hope you like it.”

He closed the small gap between them even more, pulling her fingers into his. Her heart skyrocketed, his hand was warm and calloused. His fingers fit too perfectly into the spaces between her own. Was it normal to be this breathless?

“It was sweet,” he squeezed his hand in hers, his voice carefree but low.

He slipped his other arm around her waist, thanking the gods for wherever his courage was miraculously stemming from. She practically buzzed in his arms, her melon and flower perfume melting around him. He bit the inside of his cheek. Was it perfume, or was it just her supple skin?

“I like sweet things,” he mused, revelling in the way her eyes widened, catching his innuendo without missing a beat. 

Her mind was stuck on his hand. It was on her back, low on her spine, his fingers lightly tickling up and down. She avoided arching into his fingers. It was heavenly. He was good with his hands and it showed.

Her eyes brushed over him once more, stopping on his lips for a millisecond too long, “she makes muffins too.”

He tightened his arm around her, drawing the daughter of Aphrodite against his chest. Gods, she was soft.

“I don’t want muffins, cariño.”

Now or never, Leo. He leaned his head down, his nose brushing hers sweetly.

Please, mother, let me have this. She tilted her head up, her hands sliding up his chest. 

Leo’s lips found hers at the same time her hands circled his neck. His lips were slow, testing to see if she would kiss him back, as if it was even an option for her not to with the way the flames, his flames, were licking at her skin. How did he do it? She felt like the sun; his lips tasted like fire and recklessness. And strawberries, a bushel of them.

She took his sweet kiss, savoured it, and then slammed her lips back against his, slipping her hands into his raven locks and tugging-- hard. He moaned softly against her sweet lips, giving in to every demand her mouth challenged. How could her lips be sweeter than the lemonade? He clutched her harder against him. 

She pulled back only when her lungs demanded it, leaning her forehead against his heaving chest. She took the staggering lack of lightning as a good sign as a dizzying warmth filled her chest. He pressed his face against her hair, nuzzling against her sweetness lovingly. He had been waiting forever for that and he wasn’t about to let her go just yet.

Her fingers slid back down his chest, curling around his shirt, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to distract you, Leo.”

What? He pulled his head away from her hair, staring into her doe eyes confused. And then he laughed, a full laugh that had his whole chest shaking and hers as well, before drawing his lips back to hers. He tugged her bottom lip between his lip, his hands squeezing her hips fiercely. She’s mad, beautiful but out of her mind. Gods.

“Cariño,” his lips brushed over hers, his words mingling with her breaths, “I kissed you. And trust me, I wanted to. Believe it or not, I don’t owe anything to the Ares’ brothers. You, on the other hand, have all my time at your disposal.”

He didn’t wait for her to answer before closing his lips over hers. There was a lot of lost time he was more than ready to make up for.

Meanwhile, across the green stood Jason, Sarah Beth, and Arabella, their heads close together but their eyes glued to the Ares cabin.

“I’m taking credit for this,” Jason and Arabellas’ voices mingled, proud and in sync.

Their eyes flashed to each other, “no, I did this!”

Sara Beth just giggled lusciously, twirling the straw of her own lemonade in lazy circles.

[bereft-of-frogs]

Hi! I know it might not be what you want forever, but is there any just kind of office jobs or something admin around? I really didn't know what I wanted to do and have ended up here, but honestly it's not bad at all. It's not my passion, but it's a lot better than some of the other jobs I've had and it's not life or death so I can leave it in the evening and weekends and focus on what I am passionate about. Anyway, sorry if this isn't helpful. I hope inspiration strikes you.

Thanks for messaging anon! (I'm assuming this is the same anon due to phrasing, but if I'm wrong thank you anons.)

I guess yeah what I'm really looking for is perhaps unfair. Having my cake and eating it too. Lightning striking twice. Because I really enjoy writing and I feel that I'm fairly good at it and it comes easy but I'm unwilling to stake my livelihood on it because I feel like then I won't enjoy it, and I know I'll get way too into my own head and even if I could work on my self-confidence, I genuinely think I would need a full personality shift to not go completely insane attempting to rely on my writing output (and that covers not just fiction writing, but other writing and writing-adjacent tasks, academic, freelance, etc). And I can, and probably will, go to find an admin or customer service or hospitality job that will be sufficient, but I do just sometimes get kind of greedy and want a day job/day 'career' that feels equally fulfilling to me. I don't know, it's also been a bit hard moving back home too because my parents care so much about their jobs. Especially my dad. I left a career track 10 years ago to 'find something I cared about as much as my dad cares about his job' (something I literally said in my justification for quitting) and I still feel like I haven't found it.

*Like he was for sure an outlier in society in that he knew what he wanted to do when he was 18 and just went out and did it (and it was a steady full-time union job)

Not feeling self-conscious about direction change is definitely something to work on haha. I think I have at least half a good excuse (as much as I liked a lot of parts of grad school, it ended on an extremely sour note) but it's hard because there's like...a lot of well meaning people (especially my older relatives) who don't really know that much about the job market and are trying to make helpful suggestions and it's tiring to explain all the factors that are contributing to me being a bit adrift right now. (Like I get so many suggestions to become a librarian/archivist or teach high school...and I'm like 'you all know those require specialized degrees and skillsets?') I just sort of thank them and move on, to avoid the explanation.

[jamestrmtx]

The Bebop Blues - [Animal Crossing | Tom Nook x Reader]

[Gender-Neutral Reader | Slow Burn + Tragicomedy]

Chapter Two | Oh My God, They Were Business Partners (Part 1 of 2 | His POV)

[First] | [Previous] | [Next]

Friend.

That word -- however simple -- sounds off, yet he dismisses that when reminded of what it implies.

He wasn't one of those guys.

...Or was he?

Tom sighs and proceeds to wear a jacket for tonight, regardless of how little he feels the need for it. He wasn't taking any chances this time, and much less considering it is them who would have the spotlight tonight. The thought of spending another moment together at the beach makes his face warm up and his heart race twice as fast. Those feelings are fluttery enough to make him feel young again -- like a teen experiencing their first love.

"Ready to go, Tom?"

His heart takes a leap and he has to gather all the strength necessary in order to not display any shock. To cover up, he harrumphs, checks himself one last time in the mirror, and turns around to be greeted by a warm, smiling face. "Y- Yes," Tom blurts out, awestruck. He presses his tail against the counter to hide the fact that it's wagging just like a puppy's and controls his nose to keep it from twitching like a bunny's. "You look wonderful, by the way," he adds, gaining some courage. "The colours compliment you well."

"You think so?" the human asks, smiling. They then grin wide and perform a full, three-sixty spin to show him their outfit, this one mainly composed of a sharp-looking (dress/tux) and shoes fitting for the elegance it gives off, both with a colour opposite to their skin tone. A simpler but no less eye-catching accessory clings onto their head and an umbrella of equal splendour tops off their attire, in spite of it mostly being used to shield them away from the rain. They close the umbrella, step inside, and set it down next to the terminal when he suggests that they do so. "I forgot to buy some shoes that matched with my other outfit, so I had to improvise a bit!"

"...You look lovely, either way," Tom mutters, words nearly a whisper and further difficult to hear when loud thunder crashes from nearby.

"What?" they ask, still smiling, but now raising an (in-game, non-existent) eyebrow. "I, um��� I couldn't catch that, I'm afraid."

His throat hurts with how dry it becomes. 

Mother Nature has saved him from a possible screw-up, so he takes a moment to close his eyes and thank her in his mind -- multiple times in a row, and quickly, too. Were Resident Services not air-conditioned, he would likely be sweating bullets by now. Electricity and it still being able to work in spite of the growing thunderstorm is yet another thing he's grateful for.

"We should wait until the rain stops a bit more," he says, squinting his eyes to direct a smile back at them. "Would you like to stay for some tea and snacks?"

As if jinxing the situation, Tom sees them pull out a napkin and sneeze into it, though it's evident they try not to be caught by him -- judging by how stealthy they are about it. They go as far as to look away and make the sneeze as quiet as possible, a sight amusing to him, but likely not so much to them. Still, he goes in favour of their wishes and says nothing about it.

"Sure -- That would be nice," they reply, nodding.

He nods back and gestures for them to follow him over to his desk.

"There's a spare jacket over there," he says, pointing with his eyes and nose to a corner of the room, where a few items lay hanging on the wall. "Feel free to use it, if you're cold."

"Thank you."

Though he can't see their face now that he has his back turned to them, Tom feels his chest warm up with the tone they've just used. Notwithstanding it being a simple and quick 'thank you', their voice is what stands out. It's a happy one, with a hint of surprise hidden in it. The thought makes him wonder if he'd caught them by surprise, yet he again reminds himself that he's still only their friend -- getting ahead of himself would do him no good. He'd rather be struck by lightning than even consider the idea of forcing his feelings on them or so much as persuade them into anything.

With that reminder, the man holds in a breath, sighs it out, and goes back to working on the tea afterwards.

He first takes the boiling water from the kettle and pours equal amounts in two cups. Then, he grabs two tea packets, opens them, and sprinkles them in, these instantly sending a subtle, herbal aroma into the air. The process is topped off by some honey, a pinch of sugar, and a mint leaf. A floral scent forms when all the ingredients combine and helps calm his busy mind down to a slight worry, though it doesn't last for long; he takes a quick glance back at the human the very moment he hears their footsteps and fabric shift as they slip the jacket on. Their presence had always left him a bit on-edge, though it's more prominent now that he's acknowledged a different kind of liking towards them. It's even more evident at the present, as it's hard to ignore them with Isabelle currently gone.

Rain drops hitting the roof create a lullaby and prompt him to check on how the line for karaoke's going so far, an observation obtained from the view of the window nearest to him. No more than two people can be seen waiting: one a villager and the other a tourist. The two entertain themselves through some small talk, but there's no denying by the look on their faces that they're not so hopeful about the rain ceasing anytime soon. Tom then shakes his head and lets out another breath when he realizes he's trying to buy himself time to avoid messing up further around the human. After an entire year of knowing them, it felt strange being alone with them now -- as it made him too awkward for his own good. 

To fight against that, he picks up both tea cups, turns around, and almost drops them when he sees the state they're in.

They're dozed off on his office chair, managing to look peaceful regardless of them being in such a cramped space. They have his jacket zipped all the way up, and their head is tilted to the side, cuddled up against the hoodie as faint snores leave their mouth, chest rising and falling with each one. It's a true, refreshing sight for Tom's sore eyes, but it ends quickly once another thunder crashes -- louder and undoubtedly closer than the first one.

The sound makes them wake up with a jolt and face him with wide eyes. A tired look combined with their shock causes for him to worry over their well-being more than he often did on a daily basis, so he pushes all his doubts aside and approaches them without further hesitation. "Here's your tea," he says, handing them one of the cups. "It's lemon and orange, with a bit of honey and mint." He smiles when they do and tries not to flinch when their fingers graze his hand as they reach for the tea. "Let me know if it needs more sugar. I'll go search for some snacks now."

"Thanks, Tom," they reply, smile brightening. They then set the cup down on the desk and shift in their seat. Steam rises as they observe the liquid, and a subtle frown shows up on their face. Their contemplative state lasts until more lightning strikes, snapping them out of their trance. "How… How long was I out, anyway? The rain's still going strong."

Growing more and more worried, the man sets his own cup of tea down, rummages through his belongings for a mirror, and gives it to them after. "Only ten minutes or so." His hand stiffens when they grab the mirror and he finds it hard to let it go; their fingers brushing with his palm only worsen his case twice as much. "I don't mean to pry or intervene in anything personal, but…" He breathes in, closes his eyes, and lets his tension out with a quiet huff. "Have you been getting enough rest lately?" His question is a mixture of awkwardness and concern as he tries to push through his uncertainty. "You…" He hesitates. "You seem tired today, even though it is your turn to perform for tonight first."

Just when Tom thinks he's controlled how flustered he feels around his crush, they smile again and contribute to him breaking the world record for fastest pulse.

"That's precisely why I haven't slept much these past few days." Their confession's blunt but serene, allowing his worry to lessen as they continue with, "I practiced for a whole month -- It's... It's a shame I won't be able to sing to a bigger crowd yet, I'll admit. I've been getting ready for far too long now!"

Fire alarms ring in his mind as an idea surges through all of his worries.

"Would you like to sing for me, then?" he asks, gulping tension away.

Silence stays for some time, a would-be good sign -- didn't the human look so taken aback by the offer.

"Of- Of course," they blurt out, eyes wide and mouth agape. "I'd love to!" Far too sudden for him to withstand, they set their cup down once more, stand up, and thank him in the form of a slap to his back -- albeit, carefully to avoid spilling his tea everywhere. "Honestly, I- I can't thank you enough for this. You're the best business partner there is, a- and I'm… I'm super glad to have met you, Tom!"

The human returns to their seat, retrieves their drink, and finishes off what little's left of it. Meanwhile, Tom stares in a daze, at a dire need to recover from both their actions and words alike. He drinks his own cup and later goes to look for some snacks, though he can't quite shake that feeling away. It's like trying to get the scent of herbs out of a shirt. No matter how many times the fabric is washed, the aroma still comes out and brings forth any memories related to it. He had to either keep washing it in hopes of finally getting rid of it -- or accept its fate, and either succumb to it or throw it in the garbage. None of these choices he's too sure of, so he relents with the flow of things for the moment being.

"Again…" Their voice turns quiet as he lays out a bowl of snacks next to their empty cup of tea. "Thank you. You should have some, too!"

The man smiles at them and nods, too stricken to use his words presently. 

A few moments later, he sits down beside them and meets their gaze. 

"...I should be thanking you for your company," he says, sentence rushing out of his mouth before he can even register the meaning behind it. "You've been a wonderful friend to me, (Y/N)."

They smile back and wink. "Right back atcha, Tom."

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• • •

Updates will be weekly on Sundays from here on out!

[fuseboxspoilers]

here's the script that i have for ep. 36

Welcome back to Love Island where tensions are high but Bruno's hair is higher.

And today I'm not the only one snooping into the Islander's business… NAJUMA: …I'm too intrusive.

There's no way better way to relieve stress than some friendly competition.

THABI: I volunteer as tribute!

But let's see who gets chased and who does the chasing in a game I'm sure will have no emotional repercussions whatsoever.

Everyone is milling about the kitchen making breakfast and chatting. YOUCEF: Tom can you pass me the coffee? TOM: Najuma's closer but sure I'll get that for you! NAJUMA: Oh he won't ask me I'm too intrusive. ANGIE: Not this again…

Bruno is miming a samba as he fills a pot of oats with water. VALENTINA: Don't put that down the sink again. BRUNO: Lightning never strikes twice! ANGIE: But this is not lightning it's porridge Bruno. CORA: And that's not true! CORA: I've seen lightning strike the same place loads of times. BRUNO: There's a lot of hostility about my porridge right now. PLAYER THINKING: I don't think it's about the porridge… Najuma and Youcef are pointedly not speaking to each other their eyes meet and both of them quickly look down.

PLAYER THINKING: It's pretty chilly between those too and it's bringing the energy down. You and (partner) have managed to grab a space on the counter. (partner): I could always unclog the sink again. PLAYER: You make it sound way more romantic than it was. (partner): Was that romantic for you? Was I topless? PLAYER: Oh yes yes you were. I don't remember why… (partner): Am I not a professional enough plumber?

You and (partner) have managed to grab a space on the counter. (partner): You'd think a comedian could read the room a bit better. (partner): He's bitten off more than he can chew over there. (partner): But you can't chew porridge and that might be the problem… PLAYER: Are you making a joke right now? (partner): Sorry is it the wrong time?

You and (partner) have managed to grab a space on the counter. (partner): I can sort of tell why people are annoyed with him. (partner): He's bitten off more than he can chew over there. (partner): But you can't chew porridge and that might be the problem… PLAYER: Are you making a joke right now? (partner): Sorry is it the wrong time?

(partner) hurries over to you fleeing before the others can continue telling Bruno off. (partner): I think I'd bitten off more than I could chew over there. (partner): But you're not supposed to chew porridge. So that might be the problem… PLAYER: Are you making a joke right now? (partner): Sorry is it the wrong time?

You and (partner) have managed to grab a space on the counter. (partner): Poor Bruno he never stood a chance! (partner): He's bitten off more than he can chew over there. (partner): But you can't chew porridge and that might be the problem… PLAYER : Are you making a joke right now? (partner): Sorry is it the wrong time?

PLAYER : I'm kind of into it. (partner) grins and you chuckle.

PLAYER THINKING: How do I feel about jokes right now? It's working for me So grateful Please stop

PLAYER : I'm kind of into it. (partner) grins and you chuckle.

PLAYER : Not feeling too jokey. PLAYER : It's a bit too tense. (partner) gives your hand a squeeze. (partner): How's a tofu scramble sound to you? (if vegan) PLAYER : Perfect! You and (partner) gather two chopping boards some knives vegetables and a few blocks of tofu.

(partner): How's a fancy omelette sound to you? (not vegan) (partner): For a change of pace? PLAYER HAPPY: Perfect! You and (partner) gather two chopping boards some knives vegetables and some eggs.

The pair of you start dicing vegetables. (if with najuma) PLAYER : What's eating you up babe? (partner): What do you mean? PLAYER : You and Youcef! (partner) fumbles a bell pepper. (partner): Could we not talk about this right now? (partner): I don't want to spoil breakfast… PLAYER : OK let's focus on cooking for now.

PLAYER : Can you feel the tension between Youcef and Najuma? (if not with najuma) (partner): Yes! I'm so glad you said something. (partner): When I get in their eyeline it's like standing out in a snowstorm. (partner) gives you a grateful smile. Together you get all the veg prepped and (partner) is heating some oil in a frying pan.

PLAYER THINKING: How do I feel about Youcef and Najuma's tension? Hopefully they sort it soon Better their drama than ours It's not really our business

PLAYER : It's making everyone uncomfortable. PLAYER : And I don't like seeing those two like this. (partner) gives you a grateful smile.

PLAYER : I'd much rather be seeing someone else's mess than living through my own. (partner) gives you a wry smile.

PLAYER : Let's keep our noses to ourselves. (partner): Agreed! (partner) gives you a grateful smile.

Together you get all the veg prepped and (partner) is heating some oil in a frying pan. (partner): I know some people have very strong feelings on proper scramble technique. (partner): Are you a tofu connoisseur? PLAYER THINKING: Do I care how breakfast gets made? No thoughts Not mushy I have many thoughts

PLAYER : Head empty. PLAYER : As long as brekkie is ready before I starve I couldn't care less! (partner): She's living on the cutting edge. You wink at (partner). PLAYER HAPPY: You love it! (partner) rolls their eyes. (partner) HAPPY: Let's get this show on the road then! PLAYER : Please I beg you.

PLAYER : I can't stand a mush it makes me think of baby food. PLAYER : And if you say I'm your baby I'll scream. (partner) laughs so hard they nearly drops the chopped onions they just picked up. (partner) HAPPY: A firm meal coming right up! (partner) : Oh really? You cough and draw your shoulders up.

PLAYER : Size of the veg chunks proportion of salt to other seasoning… PLAYER : Finishing on the hob or in the oven getting too dry to maintain shape or being wet to have a shape… PLAYER : Milk or no milk? What about butter or veggie spread? Will there be cream? PLAYER : And those onions? I hope they're not going in raw they will stay raw and… (partner) laughs so hard { } nearly drops the chopped onions { } just picked up. (partner) HAPPY: With your expert guidance we will make the perfect breakfast! You give (partner) a peck on the cheek and { } smiles.

(partner) : I need to be upfront. I have this way I do omelettes. (partner) : I like to preheat the pan over a low heat for minutes before I put the eggs in. (partner) : Otherwise you get a splotchy omelette. And that's basically a sin. (partner) : I've always been a low and slow omelette maker. PLAYER THINKING: Am I going to hang around for the low and slow? Whatever you say That's too long You can't be serious?

PLAYER : The food gets made we get fed everybody's happy. (partner) : You sure? Lots of people don't like waiting around. PLAYER : Honestly it's fine. You know best! PLAYER : Do we… do anything while we wait? (partner) : Just be. PLAYER : Be what? (partner) : In the moment. Present. PLAYER : (partner) please I'm not waiting ages for a pan to heat up. (partner) : Oh. No one's ever… PLAYER HAPPY: Said they weren't going to wait until their th birthday for a pan to heat up? You chuckle and pat (partner) on the shoulder. PLAYER HAPPY: How about we split the difference and wait half as long as you usually do? (partner) is visibly confused but turns up the heat on the pan. (partner) : Half as long…

(partner) : I know some people have very strong feelings on proper omelette preparation.f (partner) : Are you an egg connoisseur? PLAYER THINKING: Do I care how breakfast gets made? No thoughts Not mushy I have many thoughts Nar

PLAYER : How about you go make us some tea and I'll do the food? (partner) HAPPY: Sounds like a good plan! (partner) wanders off and you start cooking. (partner) returns with two steaming mugs of tea.

PLAYER : Could you 'be in the moment' and make tea? (partner): I suppose so… (partner) wanders off and you start cooking. (partner) returns with two steaming mugs of tea.

After not too long breakfast is ready. Everyone is lingering in the kitchen to eat. BRUNO : I've had enough! All eyes are on Bruno as he waves his fork in the air. BRUNO : The memorial we had for my goldfish rest in peace Mrs Bubbles was more upbeat than this. BRUNO HAPPY: Let's play a game! TIFFANY HAPPY: Oh yes! What's the game? BRUNO : I knew I liked you for a reason Tiffany. Bruno hops up on the counter towering above everyone else. BRUNO : Two teams! BRUNO : Girls versus boys and Will. Will smiles warmly at Bruno. Bruno gives him a wink. WILL HAPPY: Thanks man. BRUNO : The objective of the game is to steal all of the opposing team's water bottles. TOM HAPPY: Brilliant! BRUNO : Easy Tommy. BRUNO : I've not explained how you get the water bottles yet. Tom giggles and playfully throws his hand up in defeat. BRUNO : Each player will have a target on the other team. You have to perform a trick on your target to get their bottle. BRUNO : If your bottle gets taken… BRUNO : You have to come back to the kitchen. We can't have anyone getting dehydrated! PLAYER : How do we know who our targets are? (partner) : Yeah and how do we know what the tricks are? BRUNO : Simple! Your captain tells you! Captains are immune and will be waiting here in the kitchen.

BRUNO : I would like to nominate myself as boys' captain. What do the boys say? Nobody speaks. BRUNO HAPPY: I will take your silence as approval! Now we need a girl's captain? Thabi's hand shoots up. THABI HAPPY: I volunteer as tribute! The girls cheer for Thabi. Bruno casts a disapproving eye over the silent boys. BRUNO : Where's that enthusiasm eh? ANGIE : There's still more girls than boys. BRUNO : Oh yeah want to join our team? ANGIE : Yeah go on then. VALENTINA : What? That's not fair! THABI : No it's alright Valentina. We'll still win! THABI : But first I need to confer with my esteemed counterpart.

Thabi strides over to the counter Bruno is stood on and holds her arms out. THABI : Come on Captain Bruno we have to make sure we don't give out the same tricks. Bruno hops from the countertop into Thabi's arms. THABI : Um… I was going to help you down… BRUNO : This was more fun! Carry me to the lawn Captain Thabi we can't risk being overheard. Thabi carries Bruno out of the kitchen and towards the lawn.

PLAYER THINKING: She's so strong. The teams group together and watch the captains chatting outside. Thabi has put Bruno down. PLAYER THINKING: I wonder who I'll get? Bruno and Thabi return to the kitchen. Thabi heads over to the boys and Angie. Bruno comes over to you and the girls. He whispers first to Tiffany and she looks worried. Then he whispers to Najuma and she looks annoyed. BRUNO : PLAYER you're up next! PLAYER THINKING: He's going to give me a target. {premium} PLAYER THINKING: Maybe I can convince him to give me the target I want? *Let's charm him I don't mind PLAYER THINKING: Am I sure I don't have anyone I want? *I do actually Roll the dice BRUNO : Come closer so I can whisper to you! You get closer to Bruno. He leans in and cups his hand over your ear. BRUNO : Your target is blank.

BRUNO : Come closer so I can whisper to you! You get closer to Bruno and put your hands on his shoulders. PLAYER : I have a proposition for you. Bruno looks faux scandalised. BRUNO : I'm not that kind of girl. PLAYER : Cut that out! BRUNO HAPPY: Aha! OK what is it? PLAYER : Let me pick my target. BRUNO HAPPY: Highly unorthodox. And I should know one of my great uncles is an Orthodox priest. PLAYER : I said cut it out! Bruno wheezes out a laugh. BRUNO : So say I do let you pick your target… what are you offering? PLAYER THINKING: What can I give Bruno? A big dinner A cake A steamy kiss Gossip

PLAYER : The most lavish meal. PLAYER : You'll eat like a king! BRUNO : Not just any king I want to eat like The King himself. PLAYER : Who? BRUNO : Tom! Like Tom! I bet he eats really well… PLAYER : Yeah sure you can eat a meal as fancy as one Tom would have.

PLAYER : A massive one. PLAYER : With your name and face on it. BRUNO : Can it be in the shape of my face? PLAYER : Whatever shape you want!

PLAYER : I promise you it will be in the top five kisses of your life. BRUNO : And that's a guarantee? PLAYER : Cross my heart!

PLAYER : The spiciest and juiciest you ever did hear. BRUNO : Ooh scandalous! BRUNO : But there's something I've always wanted to know. BRUNO : Will you find out how Lexi kept her hair so shiny? PLAYER : Bruno she's not even… BRUNO : Please I need to know! PLAYER : Okay I'll find out.

BRUNO HAPPY: Sold! PLAYER : That was easy… BRUNO : Sometimes the simple pleasures are the best. BRUNO : Right well… there's Will Tom and James left. Who do you want to get? PLAYER THINKING: Which one do I want to pick?

BRUNO : And so PLAYER will have the most mysterious game… BRUNO : Willem Kimura.

BRUNO : And so PLAYER will have the most refined game. BRUNO : Tom Beresford-King.

BRUNO : And so PLAYER will have the kindest game of all. BRUNO : James Barker.

BRUNO : You have to trick (target) into kissing you to get { } water bottle. BRUNO : You have to sneak a spoon into his pocket to get his water bottle.

He waggles his eyebrows at you and then moves on to Cora. Bruno whispers to Valentina and she grins. Then he hurries over to Angie and the boys.

Thabi rushes over to you and the girls waving her arms. THABI : Stay light on your feet ladies. THABI HAPPY: We're gonna win this! THABI HAPPY: Scatter! There are yelps and screams as everyone but Thabi and Bruno flees the kitchen.

You hurry over to the kitchen and grab a teaspoon from a draw. Then rush to the lawn. PLAYER THINKING: Where should I head now? RoofTerrace: James Cora Bathroom: Will Tiffany Hideaway: Tom Valentina

You creep out onto the roof terrace and find James looking out over the Villa. He has his hands cupped by his face forming binoculars. He seems lost in his own world. JAMES : All clear to the east. No sign of trouble. He turns and walks to another corner of the terrace and puts up his fake binoculars again. JAMES : No movement to the north. You step further onto the terrace and nearly trip over a hand that sneaks out from under the table. It is Cora's hand and she gives you a thumbs up. She turns her thumb down and shakes it. PLAYER THINKING: Does she want me to speak to her? Right now? You carefully drop into a belly crawl as James turns. He still hasn't seen you. JAMES : What was that? JAMES : Hmm must have been the wind…

Under the table Cora is laid on her stomach she turns her head to you and puts a finger to her lips. CORA : Will's afraid of Valentina catching him but he's mine. PLAYER : Why are you under this table if you need Will? CORA : Will finds James comforting. He thinks of him as a dad. CORA : If he gets spooked he'll come looking for James. And then I'll pounce…

CORA : Tom's afraid of Valentina catching him but he's mine. CORA : Well Tom's slightly afraid of most women but that's not the point. PLAYER : Why are you under this table if you need Tom? CORA : Tom thinks James can defend him. He thinks of him as a dad. ORA : If he gets scared enough he'll come looking for James. And then I'll pounce…

JAMES SURPRISED: PLAYER! What's going on? PLAYER THINKING: He's not seen Cora yet! PLAYER THINKING: How do I play this? I… fell You surprised me Cora run!

JAMES : And you decided to not get up? PLAYER : I was too embarrassed to get up. JAMES : We've all been there! PLAYER : Have we? JAMES : I don't know. I was trying to make you feel better about falling down. James offers you his hand and you let him help you up. Cora's hiding spot is safe.

PLAYER : I don't know who your target is. PLAYER : So I tried to hide… PLAYER HAPPY: But you've caught me! JAMES : There's no need to worry. You're not my target anyway. James offers you his hand and you let him help you up. Cora's hiding spot is safe.

JAMES SURPRISED: Excuse me?! CORA : My cover's been blown! Cora rolls out the other side of the table springs up and runs off. JAMES : How long has she been there? PLAYER : I honestly don't know. JAMES : I've really been a rubbish guard. James offers you his hand and you let him help you up. PLAYER : Wait a sec… A rubbish guard? JAMES : I didn't spot Cora on my patrol! You chuckle at him and he smiles. PLAYER HAPPY: It's OK don't beat yourself up.

PLAYER : Why are you up here? James looks out across the Villa slightly fearful. JAMES : Valentina. JAMES : I'm meant to be after her but I saw her chasing Tom on the lawn. JAMES : I thought he was going to cry. PLAYER THINKING: Valentina's not even after Tom. PLAYER THINKING: She did that for fun… JAMES : She's intimidating. I don't know how to trick her. JAMES : And Angie is an absolute menace. Tiffany jumped into the pool to escape her. PLAYER : I wish she was on my side. JAMES : I'm really grateful she is on my side. JAMES : Hold on. Why are you up here? PLAYER : Is that Valentina? You point over his shoulder at the lawn and James spins around. You slip the spoon you've been carrying into his back pocket. James turns back looking relieved. JAMES : Phew! It wasn't her… PLAYER : Check your back pocket. JAMES : What do you…? James slowly pulls the spoon from his back pocket and brings it up to look at. PLAYER HAPPY: I got you! He throws his hands up and exclaims dramatically. JAMES : Et tu PLAYER? PLAYER : Give me that water bottle and off to the kitchen with you! James hands over his water bottle and gives you a final look of exaggerated betrayal before he heads down.

PLAYER FLIRTY: I came for a little kiss. JAMES FLIRTY: Oh really? Just a little kiss? PLAYER : Yes please! JAMES HAPPY: Come here then! James gently cups your face and brings you in for a sweet kiss. His lips feel wonderfully soft. You break the kiss and whisper in his ear… PLAYER : Give me your water bottle and go to the kitchen. JAMES SURPRISED: I've been tricked! PLAYER HAPPY: Hook line and sinker! James hands over his water bottle and gives you a final look of exaggerated betrayal before he heads down.

PLAYER : I was on the hunt for someone but they aren't here. PLAYER : I should keep looking… JAMES : Yeah that checks out. JAMES HAPPY: I wish you the worst of luck! PLAYER HAPPY: We're going to defeat you! You start heading down from the roof terrace. PLAYER THINKING: Where to next?

You come to the Hideaway and find Valentina stood in the doorway. PLAYER : Hey Valentina what's happening? VALENTINA : I saw Tom run in here. PLAYER : But he's not even your target… VALENTINA : I know that! I only chased him for a bit but he kept running. VALENTINA : It was actually pretty funny. PLAYER THINKING: What do I think of Valentina chasing Tom? Comedy gold How did he get away? It was mean

VALENTINA HAPPY: I thought so!

VALENTINA : I couldn't even catch him but he kept going.

VALENTINA : You think so? VALENTINA : Well when you find him tell him I'm sorry. Valentina turns on her heel and strides out over the lawn.

VALENTINA HAPPY: He's all yours! You walk properly into the Hideaway and start to search for Tom but he's well hidden. TOM SURPRISED: PLAYER? PLAYER : Tom where are you? TOM : How do I know you can be trusted? PLAYER : Valentina's gone! Tom sits up. He has sandwiched himself between the pillows on the bed and used a blanket to cover the gaps. PLAYER : Wow! You're really good at hiding… TOM : We would play really intense games of hide and seek at St Giles. TOM : If the seekers caught you they'd throw a grapefruit at you. PLAYER : That's so… specific. Tom chuckles and nods. TOM : You would be amazed how many grapefruits a gang of determined teenagers can pull together. TOM : Anyway have you seen James? Tom has extracted himself from his hiding spot. He is lying on his back on the bed looking up at you his legs resting on the wall behind the bed. PLAYER : Because you think he's like a dad right? TOM EMBARRASSED: What? Haha! Who said that? OM : Was it Will? Youcef maybe? Were they talking about me? He lifts his head from the bed. PLAYER : Cora she was hiding under a table at the time. He flops his head back onto the bed with a huff. PLAYER : But your reaction tells me she's right? TOM : OK yeah! You've got me! TOM : He's like a… teddy bear that climbs mountains? PLAYER : Are you calling James a bear?

PLAYER : What do you need with James? TOM : To strategise! PLAYER : Why can't you strategise with Bruno? TOM : Was Bruno asking about me? He lifts his head from the bed. PLAYER : What? No he wasn't… He flops his head back onto the bed with a huff. PLAYER : But why James specifically? TOM : He's sort of like a teddy bear that can climb mountains? TOM : He has a protector vibe. PLAYER : You want James to protect you? Tom blushes furiously and covers his face with his arms. TOM EMBARRASSED: Shut up! You giggle at him and he pokes you on the arm. TOM : Why are you here? TOM : Are you hiding from Angie? PLAYER : Isn't everyone? TOM : Valentina threw a bean bag at her to get away. TOM : But no one knows who Angie has! TOM : Where is James? PLAYER THINKING: Should I tell Tom where James is? No idea Up on the terrace The kitchen I'm not telling!

PLAYER : I dunno I haven't seen him since we all left the kitchen. TOM : Blast… TOM : This isn't going to plan.

PLAYER : I saw him patrolling on the roof terrace. TOM HAPPY: Brilliant! TOM : I'll go there right now. Together we can hold off you girls…

You raise James's water bottle in the air like a trophy. PLAYER HAPPY: There can be only one! TOM SAD: My brave comrade has been betrayed. It wasn't supposed to be like this… PLAYER : No assistance for the boys sorry babe. TOM : Blast… TOM : This isn't going to plan. TOM : Especially since I've given away my hiding place to the enemy! Tom sits himself upright and braces his arms on the bed ready to stand.

PLAYER : Before you run off I've just remembered something. He pauses and looks at you. TOM : What is it? PLAYER : It's a note from Will. TOM HAPPY: Oh really? Can I have it? PLAYER HAPPY: Absolutely! It's for you anyway! You move quickly popping the spoon into Tom's shirt pocket. TOM SURPRISED: Huh? What's this? He pulls the spoon from his pocket. PLAYER HAPPY: Give me your water bottle and go to the kitchen! Realisation spreads across his features. TOM SAD: For me the game is over. Tom collects his water bottle from among the pillows and passes it to you.

PLAYER FLIRTY: Before you run off would you mind kissing the enemy? TOM FLIRTY: As you asked so nicely! He leans over and gives you a quick soft kiss. You break the kiss and whisper in his ear… PLAYER HAPPY: Give me your water bottle and go to the kitchen! Realisation spreads across his features. TOM SAD: For me the game is over. Tom collects his water bottle from among the pillows and passes it to you. He rises from the bed and straightens himself up. TOM : Be a brave soldier Tommy no tears now. He trots out of the Hideaway his head held high. PLAYER THINKING: I wonder where everyone else is?

You wander into the bathroom and find Will kneeling in the middle of the room. He is squinting at something. PLAYER THINKING: What in the… PLAYER : Will what are you doing? WILL : There were footprints leading in here. Didn't you see them? You follow his gaze and see he's inspecting a wet trail. PLAYER : Who are you following? WILL : I can't say… WILL : She might be in the room. PLAYER : Is it me? He stands and turns to face you. WILL : What if it is you? PLAYER : How could I make you tell me? WILL : I'm a pretty tough nut to crack. PLAYER THINKING: How do I make him tell me? Tickle him Jump on his back Confuse him

You close the distance between you and Will. You give him a naughty look. WILL FLIRTY: I like where this is going… You slip your hands around Will's waist and then trail your hands up his sides. Then you start tickling him mercilessly. (if coupled)

You lunge for his sides with outstretched hands. He gives you an alarmed look. You start tickling him mercilessly. He lets out peals of the silliest giggles and wriggles around trying to escape. PLAYER HAPPY: Tell me! WILL HAPPY: No! PLAYER : The tickling stops when you tell me! He is wriggling on the bathroom floor and you've crouched next to him. WILL : I'll never tell! PLAYER : You win this time… You stop tickling Will and he lays panting on the floor looking pleased with himself.

You close the distance between you and Will. You give him a naughty look. WILL FLIRTY: I like where this is going… You raise a hand trail it over his shoulder as you circle behind him. You casually sidestep him and he slowly turns to follow you with his eyes. You hop onto Will's back and he lets out a startled yelp. WILL HAPPY: This won't work! He starts spinning trying to grab you from his back. PLAYER HAPPY: Tell me! WILL : No! WILL HAPPY: If I fall over we both go down! You grumble but get off of his back.

You slowly raise your hand toward his face. WILL : Uhh what are you doing? You flourish your hand and are stood with your thumb peeking out between your fingers. PLAYER HAPPY: I've got your nose! Tell who your target is? Will is visibly baffled. WILL SURPRISED: No you don't… And I'm not going to do that. PLAYER : Why are you certain I don't? WILL : Because I can feel my nose on my face. PLAYER : Can you? Does anyone ever really feel their nose? WILL SURPRISED: You're right! WILL : I've never consciously felt my nose… PLAYER : Then you agree I have your nose! Tell me what you know! He shakes his head wearing a slightly pained expression. He touches his own nose and then looks determined. WILL : No! This isn't going to work I have my nose. WILL : I can't believe you made me doubt if I had my nose… PLAYER : Damn! You win… this time. PLAYER : So if it's not me… PLAYER : Are you sure she's in here? WILL : Hmm maybe she's already escaped. PLAYER THINKING: Do I think Will's target has left? Yeah definitely Retrace your steps I'm not sure PLAYER : I think you're right. WILL : I know we're on different sides. WILL : But thanks PLAYER. Will gives you a little wave goodbye and starts to head out of the bathroom. PLAYER : Maybe she left a fake trail for you to follow. WILL : I know we're on different sides. WILL : But thanks (partner). Will gives you a little wave goodbye and starts to head out of the bathroom. PLAYER : Your guess is as good as mine. WILL : I'll stick around for a bit then. WILL : She can't hide forever! You give Will a little wave goodbye and start leaving the bathroom.

PLAYER HAPPY: Oh wait! WILL : Oh what's up? PLAYER : I think I've got a way to help you find your target. WILL HAPPY: Really? PLAYER : Would you like it? WILL : This seems suspicious but…what is it? PLAYER THINKING: I've got to put it in your pocket. WILL : I'm intrigued. Go on… PLAYER : Close your eyes… He closes his eyes. You slip the spoon you've been carrying into one of Will's front trouser pockets. He opens his eyes and takes the spoon out of his pocket. WILL SURPRISED: I've been deceived! PLAYER HAPPY: Aha! Give me your water bottle and go to the kitchen! Will sulkily collects his water bottle from by the sink and hands it over. As he leaves the bathroom he gives you a little smile and you grin back at him. He chuckles.

PLAYER : Oh wait! WILL : What's up? PLAYER : I need to give you a kiss goodbye. WILL HAPPY: Cute! Will gives you a soft brief kiss. You catch his wrist and whisper to him… PLAYER : Give me your water bottle and go to the kitchen… You've been tricked. WILL SURPRISED: Betrayal! Will sulkily collects his water bottle from by the sink and hands it over. As he leaves the bathroom he gives you a little smile and you grin back at him. He chuckles.

TIFFANY : PLAYER is that you? PLAYER SURPRISED: Tiffany? Tiffany pokes her head out from inside the shower. TIFFANY HAPPY: You're a lifesaver! PLAYER: How long have you been hiding there? Minutes?Hours?Days?

TIFFANY : Less than an hour but somehow longer than you'd think…

TIFFANY : Honestly it started to feel like that…

TIFFANY : Ha! Yeah I bent space and time it's been a thousand years for me in that shower… PLAYER : Who's your target? She goes pale. TIFFANY : Angie. PLAYER : Oh no! TIFFANY : Oh yes! I'm going to psych myself up before I try to find her. TIFFANY HAPPY: Thanks again (partner). Her face vanishes into the shower again. You take a final look around before heading out of the bathroom. PLAYER THINKING: Where now?

You cross the lawn and head for the bean bags. PLAYER THINKING: I can take a little break. PLAYER THINKING: Angie's too busy to get me. You lay on the couches behind the bean bags. The bags have been piled up. You're crossing the lawn and spot Cora eyeing a pile of bean bags with suspicion. You catch her eye and she smiles at you. You wander over to her. CORA HAPPY: Hey PLAYER! PLAYER HAPPY: Oh hey Cora! PLAYER : Still after your target? PLAYER : How did you get off the terrace without James seeing you? CORA : I had to crawl down the stairs… She chuckles shaking her head.

PLAYER : Sorry for blowing your cover.

CORA : It's cool I couldn't have stayed there much longer. CORA : I coughed before you got there. James almost found me a few times. She chuckles shaking her head.

PLAYER : Still looking for Will (or Tom)? CORA : I'm not sure where he's hiding… PLAYER : And no luck finding him out here? CORA : None yet. I thought he might be in that bush. There is a moment of silence and then you both burst out laughing. PLAYER : I'm going to take a little break. CORA : That's fair it's been a lot of excitement. PLAYER : Want to join me? CORA : Nah you're alright I want to find Will (or Tom). I know he's nearby!

CORA HAPPY: Catch you later PLAYER! PLAYER HAPPY: Bye babe! You wave to Cora as she heads towards the Hideaway and she waves back at you.

You lay on the couches for a little while soaking up the sun. PLAYER THINKING: I suppose it's time to see where Angie's got to… You get up to leave and hear a giggle from the pile of bean bags. PLAYER THINKING: What in the…? You step carefully towards the pile. Angie leaps from her hiding place. Bean bags go tumbling everywhere. PLAYER SURPRISED: What?! She is brandishing a colander. In a flurry of flying limbs you try to avoid the ambush but tumble among the beanbags. The colander lands on your head. You are looking at the world through its little holes. ANGIE HAPPY: Whoo! Give me your water bottle! You look up to see Angie stood above you one hand on her hip and the other held out. She helps you up and takes the colander off your head. PLAYER : How long had you been under there? ANGIE : Less time than you would think. PLAYER SURPRISED: Have you been following me? How have I not seen you? ANGIE HAPPY: Now that would be telling! PLAYER HAPPY: I have to admit the best woman won. The Colander Slinger. She grins. ANGIE : I like it! But that's enough flattery! ANGIE : Surrender the goods and go to the kitchen. You hand over your water bottle and leave Angie alone as she starts doing a victory dance. You come into the kitchen. Almost everyone is here having drinks and chatting. Bruno and Thabi are making mocktails for the others. THABI : Oh no PLAYER! Who got you? PLAYER : Angie! THABI : That's rough. THABI : It's wild! She was everywhere and nowhere. WILL : I couldn't find Tiffany either. WILL : It's like she jumped in the pool and dissolved! PLAYER THINKING: He has no idea she was literally three feet from him… PLAYER : Sounds like she was learning from Anj.

TIFFANY : I'm sort of grateful Will got me. TIFFANY : I had Angie and really didn't want to have to find her. (if caught)

TOM : Who knew Angie had read the Art of War eh? Everyone laughs Thabi a little louder than the rest. THABI : Angie the Sun Tzu student… a classic. BRUNO : Don't feel too bad PLAYER. We've got mocktails on the go if you fancied one? PLAYER THINKING: Do I want a mocktail? Yeah something sweet Something spicy please Water's fine BRUNO HAPPY: Coming right up!

(partner) : You played a devious game PLAYER! (if not najuma) PLAYER : That's me a little bit naughty… a little bit nice. (partner) : And cold as ice! You clutch at your chest and pretend to swoon. PLAYER : Such slander! PLAYER : I can't help being this clever. You give (partner) a wink and grins at you.

PLAYER : How did you all end up here? VALENTINA : I lost a stand off to James on the terrace. VALENTINA : It was very dramatic. PLAYER : Then how come you're here James? JAMES : Cora avenged Valentina. JAMES : Which I didn't know she could do… TOM : Cora cornered me in the gym when I tried to save James. THABI HAPPY: The girls are doing amazingly! I can't wait to see who comes back last. BRUNO HAPPY: Don't count your chicks before they're in the coop!

Bruno passes you your drink barely breaking his banter with Thabi. PLAYER HAPPY: Thanks! BRUNO : You're welcome! BRUNO : Where was I? Oh yeah we've still got Angie out there! Your drink is cool and refreshing after a few hours of hunting around the Villa.

Najuma and Youcef burst into the kitchen bickering. Youcef goes up to Bruno. YOUCEF ANGRY: So you thought this was funny? YOUCEF : Giving me Najuma when you knew we'd not been getting along? Bruno looks confused. BRUNO SURPRISED: I didn't think it was that deep… YOUCEF ANGRY: Tu es bête comme tes pieds! YOUCEF : Urgh… you're always doing things without thinking. Bruno is shifting awkwardly on his feet. BRUNO EMBARRASSED: Alright mate I hadn't realised. I'm sorry… WILL : Woah! Is everything OK Youcef? NAJUMA : C'mon there's no need to bring Bruno into this. YOUCEF : Are you sure? Is it time for more amateur psychoanalysis from Dr Najuma? JAMES : What's going on? It feels like people are going to say stuff they'll regret. THABI : Yeah what's up with you two? Najuma looks to you pleadingly. PLAYER THINKING: Should I explain what's going on between Najuma and Youcef? Yes before it spirals I can try to It's between them

PLAYER : Najuma was saying she was worried about Youcef and (partner). YOUCEF ANGRY: In public to other people. To everyone apparently… PLAYER : And she brought up Youcef's dad but he shut her down. The room is silent all eyes are on the three of you. NAJUMA : I was trying to help. You're so weirdly closed off about these things. YOUCEF ANGRY: I didn't ask for your help. You can't talk about parts of my life you don't understand. PLAYER : But maybe she feels like she does? I've heard you two talk about how you were raised. YOUCEF : Just because we had similar childhoods doesn't mean we had the same childhood. YOUCEF ANGRY: I went through a lot when my dad left. You don't get to bring him to up play therapist. YOUCEF : I like you Najuma I do but it hurts to be reminded of him. I don't like feeling like I might be him. Youcef exhales slowly and then sniffs. NAJUMA : You've never put it like that before…

PLAYER : Najuma seemed worried about Youcef being scared of commitment with (partner). PLAYER : She mentioned his dad at one point… PLAYER : And she was asking around to confirm some theory she had? NAJUMA : I know Youcef and I had similar family lives… YOUCEF ANGRY: You had no business speculating about my life! PLAYER : Hey let's try to stay calm. PLAYER : Youcef didn't like Najuma being nosy about his relationship or his childhood. Is that fair? Youcef nods slowly. PLAYER : And Najuma didn't get how annoyed Youcef was? PLAYER : You thought you were being a good friend didn't you? Najuma nods slowly. PLAYER : Najuma sometimes the way we think people want to be helped isn't what they want at all. PLAYER : If a person doesn't want the the way you're trying to fix something all they'll do is resent you for it. NAJUMA : I guess that's right. PLAYER : Youcef people can't know what you're thinking or feeling if you make them guess. PLAYER : You have to express it. PLAYER : Najuma do you have something you want to say to Youcef?

You stay silent looking uncertainly between the two of them. NAJUMA : I was trying to tell Youcef I was worried about how committed he was. NAJUMA : And I might have brought his dad up… There is a tense silence. YOUCEF ANGRY: I went through a lot when my dad left. You don't get to bring him to up play therapist. YOUCEF : I like you Najuma I do but it hurts to be reminded of him. I don't like feeling like I might be him. Youcef exhales slowly and then sniffs. NAJUMA : You've never put it like that before… NAJUMA : I'm sorry Youcef I didn't mean to hurt you. Youcef sighs and holds his hands out. YOUCEF : And I didn't mean to get so angry. I should've said why I was feeling what I was feeling. NAJUMA : Are you offering to hug it out? YOUCEF : Yes quickly before I change my mind! Najuma and Youcef share a tentative hug.

Youcef turns to Bruno. Both boys look bashful. YOUCEF : I'm sorry Bruno I shouldn't have been so harsh. BRUNO : Thanks man I was being a bit insensitive myself. BRUNO : Do we hug now? YOUCEF : Fine! Bruno yanks Youcef into a bear hug squeezing his middle. Youcef weakly wraps his arms around Bruno's shoulders. YOUCEF : You're cutting off my circulation… BRUNO HAPPY: Whoops! Bruno releases Youcef and gives him a cheeky smile. BRUNO : How about a drink? The atmosphere in the kitchen becomes much brighter after a short while.

Angie comes running in waving her phone in the air. Cora comes running in. ANGIE SURPRISED: I have a text! CORA : A likely story… ANGIE : No really I do!

Tiffany comes charging in from the bathroom. (if not caught) TIFFANY : Have I won? WILL : There's a text. TIFFANY : Oh. OK. Cool… TIFFANY : What's it say? Islanders get ready for an early Christmas present tomorrow. Two boys fresh from the box with a bow on top. PLAYER THINKING SURPRISED: New boys?!

Boys in boxes? Competition for the affections of mystery people? Sounds like how I nearly spoiled Christmas a few years ago… I'm still not allowed back to that garden centre. Get ready for the spiciest use of a magician's box you've ever seen. And some underhanded play to get some hands on boy-shaped prizes. Get your mind out the gutter thank you very much. That's where I am. There's only room for one here. All this next time on Love Island!

[4aloysius-porteu]

i really wish i hated you || tsukishima kei

masterlist | 1 | chapter 2  | 3

pairing: tsukishima kei x f! reader

sypnosis: It was an accident that (Y/N) met a certain tall, blonde male; a memory she isn't fond of remembering, but it is where it all started. And ever since, she magically makes her to his path. The image of the bespectacled man dwelled in her mind more than she thought. Tsukishima pushed away his softer emotions and denied their existence, or at least that's what he told himself. But then, he couldn't believe that this girl he labeled as a clumsy, unlucky creature who smashed his glasses is slowly bringing these strange emotions back to him. She might be irritating and dumb sometimes, but he couldn't get himself to completely hate her. Either that destiny was stupid, or he was blessed or cursed.

genre: fanfiction, fluff

wc: 1881

(Y/N) stopped her tracks upon hearing his voice and turned around to confirm, but it was true, much to her dismay. He held his black-rimmed glasses with its left lens and frame cracked. The girl's mind went blank. She hesitantly glanced at him a few times, hoping that he would forgive her or let the incident smoothly slide.

He hissed, "Don't think you can get away with this, miss."

She sighed in defeat. The kids approached her with worried looks. She patted her heads, accepting their sympathy. "Well, playtime's over."

"But we haven't finished the game!"

"Do you still want to play?"

"Yes!"

"Next time, when you see me again at the park. Onee-chan has to go now."

She bade goodbye to the children and walked towards the guy she hit with his friend. She looked at his broken glasses again and couldn't help but to let out an exhale with anxiety. This is the result of my stupidity...

"W-What do you want me to do?" (Y/N) slurred.

" I don't know, maybe you should fix it right here and right now." The blonde guy crossed his arms and frowned.

Why don't you just get to the point?

"Replace it."

Of course, she will have to replace it. What a question to ask. She mentally rolled her eyes.

"I'll check there out if there's an optical store, I guess you will have to keep an eye on me so that I won't escape?" She pointed to the nearby mall, walking distance from the park.

"What else? Nobody trusts a stranger."

They reached the town's mall and saw an open optical store, but (Y/N) remembered her wallet. She wasn't sure if there's enough money for her to buy glasses.

"On the second thought, can I buy the glasses tomorrow? I don't think I have enough money."

"No." He instantly replied.

"Tsukki," His green-haired companion interrupted, "Maybe we can give her a chance? What if she's telling the truth?"

"I need my glasses in my everyday life, and if she doesn't have the money, I'll be happy to spare her some, but she'll have no choice to be in my debt."

How merciless. It's not like (Y/N) could blame him, but if the same thing happened to her, she would treat them nicely. She looked around the store to find a pair of glasses exactly like his, as he demanded, with his friend helping her for 30 minutes. After she gets the correct measurements and eye grade, she emptied her wallet to pay for the damn thing,

"Here." She held out the new glasses in the case. "Take care of them, it costed my LAST savings."

He took them and wore them immediately, "I am taking care of my glasses, it's just someone 'accidentally' kicked a ball on my way and knocked them off. Thank you for the horrible experience."

He excused himself and walked away. His friend stayed to talk to her.

"I'm sorry for the way he acted, he's like this most of the times. Please understand," He bowed, shyness evident in his voice.

"It's okay, it was completely my fault, so I don't mind."

"It was an accident, though. Thank you for your generosity." He soon followed the blondie that headed first.

"That was mandatory, though." (Y/N) lightly chuckled to herself.

She got out of the mall to take in the fresh air, but her soul almost left her body when a bolt of lightning strikes a tree near her, setting it on fire.

"Oh, my fucking- Did the sky just attempted to finish me?!" She said, calming herself down and looking up. The clouds were much darker than earlier.

As the townspeople bombed the burning tree with water, she ran to her apartment before it rains. There, she dropped her things on the couch and flopped to her bed, thinking what happened on this day because of her own stupidity. She groaned when she held her now empty wallet.

"Argh! Why am I so unlucky?!"She threw her wallet in frustration.

"That tall, blonde, asshole! He didn't need to embarrass me in front of people! I didn't mean it! He could've waited for tomorrow for me to replace his glasses! He's so unforgiving!" She complained, hating the thought of the said guy.

She sighed, cringe, anger, and embarrassment filling her head as she hugged her pillow.

"May karma comes to him sometime," was her last words before drifting off to a nap.

A few days passed, she went out of the house again to buy food supplies in a convenience store. It was almost nighttime. The chilly wind blew to her face and the sweet scent wafted in the store. She picked up some junk food and meat first before stopping by the confectioneries section. While choosing what shortcake flavor to pick, she bumped into something that almost made her fall to the floor, if she hadn't retained her balance.

"Oof, I'm sorry..."

Or rather, it was a person she bumped into.

She looked up and recognized the face of the man. It was the guy she's kind of mad at, but this time, he didn't have his nice friend with him.

(Y/N) took a step back, "You!"

The male looked back at her, tilting his head, observing the girl. He spoke with a monotonous expression, "Do I know you?"

Her eye twitched in irritation, "He doesn't remember me?!"

"I was the girl in the playground three days ago! I... I replaced your glasses!" She said, hesitating on the next sentence.

"Oh." His eyebrows raised, "Did the midget learned her lesson not to play a sport she's bad at?" He mocked.

"I'm not even a soccer player to begin with! What are you doing here?"

"What? Am I not allowed to buy food in a convenience store like a normal person?"

"I've been buying stuff here and I've never seen a similar face I've met twice in a week or month. That's sus."

"Maybe you are following me."

"What do I gain by following a huge, mean person like you?" (Y/N) retorted.

"Perhaps you want to get back at me after what happened days ago even if it's your fault. I don't know. Ask yourself." He took his eyes off her to choose among the sweet desserts.

She paused, analyzing his comment, "Well, you aren't completely wrong..."

"So, I am being followed? What a stalker."

"Of course not! What you said might be possible, but it's not the case right now!"

Both of them have set their eyes on an item and surprisingly the same one. A strawberry shortcake in the middle of the section. Their hands both grabbed the object before staring at each other in annoyance.

"Let go." They chorused.

"I chose it first." Said (Y/N).

"I do not see your name in it. You let go." He replied.

"How about no?"

They glared at each other for a few minutes before (Y/N)'s brows creased deeper in the middle, knowing well that this guy won't back down. "Whatever, you take it. I don't care anymore."

"Wow, thanks." He subtly rolled his eyes then walked away.

It was very awkward in the cashier where she had to wait behind him. Damn, he's so tall. Does he play any sport? Is he human? Or probably just a walking, mean tree?

What happened in the park flashed in (Y N)'s mind again. The impact of the ball might have been so painful to him since he wears glasses, where it cracked. What if the shards got into his eyes? Her wallet isn't ready for more payments, but that isn't the issue right now. She was worried about his well being. Both of them got out of the convenience store and she called the blonde male before he could get away again.

"Uhh, hey!"

He looked over his shoulder a little, "What?"

"Are your eyes okay? I mean, your glasses cracked... shards could've got inside your eyes..."

"Yes, they're fine, fortunately."

(Y/N) let out a sigh of relief. "That's... good to hear."

"But if something happened to my eyes, I will not hesitate to find you and make you pay for an eye surgery."

"You're exaggerating."

"It's not impossible. Now, go home. Elementary school students shouldn't go past the curfew."

She frowned. If only he wasn't a stranger, she would've kicked his ass to hell.

"Oh, gladly. I wouldn't want to stay near a bootleg Eiffel Tower any longer. Have a good day for you."

The blonde male left without any more words. (Y/N) sighed again in mental exhaustion, having to finish a lot of things this night. She was walking straight to her home while thinking of ideas to put in her current project when she realized that he was still walking ahead in front of her.

Where is he going?

She made her footsteps lighter, not wanting him to think that she was following him. She was thinking where does this guy live or why is he walking the same route as she does. It's not wrong to know where does this asshole stay, right? This continued for a couple of minutes before he turned around.

"Will you stop following me?"

Her eyes widened, not expecting him to know that she was behind him, "Excuse me? I'm just walking to my place?"

"Really?" He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

(Y/N) looked around to find a way to escape. There, she saw her house that she almost missed because her mind was occupied, "Oh, look. It's my house. I gotta go!"

She waved goodbye to the blonde stranger, ran to her apartment, and slammed the door, dying from the awkwardness. She proceeded to the kitchen to drop the food supplies and to cook for herself as well. The salt in the cupboard reminded her of the rude, four eyes that she just met again minutes ago. That's when she realized, she kept calling him either insults or his evident physical features when he probably has a name. She could've asked for his name earlier, but shrugged the idea off, thinking that he will never give her his name.

The common thing to do after graduating junior high is to find a decent high school. (Y/N) is scheduled to have her entrance exams next week, so she has to spend time reviewing her notes these days. She opted to go to the prefectural library the next day to get further references as she isn't satisfied with the books she has. It was Wednesday, thus it was full of people who are also preparing for their entrance exams. With her stature, it'll be easy to pass in this crowd of people but she will have to ask for help because she can't reach the books at the top of the shelves.

After wandering around the crowded library, she found an unoccupied table to quietly study. She made her way to it, carrying the heavy books she needed that was luckily located at the bottom shelves. As she set the books on the left side of the table, someone did the same on the opposite side. She looked up to see who the stranger is, only to find out that the person isn't a stranger to her anymore.

"Oh, the midget stalker is here." 

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