#I've always thought she picked a SUPER weird time to have that conversation??

[wheeler-things]

Mike Wheeler, the Hand and Eye of Vecna, and D&D as Foreshadowing

I'm about to say something unhinged.

It's going to take a fair amount of words to unpack (sorry about that) because I need to give context before I just come out and say it. And I'm fully aware that it's just one of hundreds of possible options for s5, so I'm really not trying to convince anybody of anything just... I was thinking about foreshadowing and analogies again, and something occurred to me and then it snowballed and.... hm.

Okay, so, I talked about it a lot more in this post, but the key point for what I'm talking about here is my belief that the Party's first D&D game in s1 actually foreshadows all of the main Upside Down antagonists from seasons 1-4, with the D&D Demogorgon actually representing Henry. Essentially, my breakdown came down to this:

"Something is coming. Something hungry for blood." -> s1 -> the Demogorgon. "A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness." -> s2 -> the shadow monster. "An army of troglodytes charge into the chamber!" -> s3 -> the Mind Flayer and the Flayed. "The Demogorgon!" -> s4 -> Henry Creel.

So, the remaining unaccounted for villains (assuming that the way the characters use D&D enemies as analogies is not necessarily representative of/accurate to what they actually foreshadow within the narrative) are:

Mike's Thessalhydra

Will's Juju hoard

Eddie's Vecna

I have some speculation on the first two, but it's the third that I'm going to do a deep dive into my thoughts on.

Since this is pretty long and it takes a bit of time to get through the contextualizing, let me clarify up front that this ties into the "Mike has a connection to the Upside Down" theories which I love, but which I know are not to everyone's tastes.

Who IS Vecna (in Stranger Things)?

From the campaign in s4e1, we learn:

Vecna is hiding in plain sight among his own cultists

"His skin is shrivelled. Desiccated. And [...] he is not only missing his left arm, but his left eye"

Vecna was believed to be dead/killed by Kas

An 11 isn't enough to defeat him, but a 20 is (notably, we don't actually hear what Dustin and Erica were trying to roll to do-- based on the context of the scene, we assume that it was combat-based, but it is not explicitly laid out)

Later, in s4e2, Vecna is described (in terms that the characters start to tie to the entity we later learn is Henry, in an effort to theorize about what's going on) as:

An undead creature of great power

A spellcaster

A dark wizard

Note: In the context of Eddie's description of what happened to Chrissy, the term "Vecna's curse" is brought up. This leads into the description of Vecna's characteristics listed above, but no further details (as far as I can find or remember) are given about what Vecna's curse is like in Eddie's game. Which leads me to...

Who IS Vecna (in D&D)?

Alright, I have to admit-- I've played D&D before, but my friends have a tendency to prefer MotW/PbtA-based games, and even when we HAVE done D&D, the storylines and characters have been entirely from the DM's mind/not from anything official. As a result, everything I'm about to say here is based on what Google can tell me (I'm aware others have talked about this before, but I think it gives some useful context for where I'm going to go in this analysis, if I make sure we’re all on the same page about the background D&D lore).

The main websites that I used to get information for this part can be found here, here, and here.

So! The long and short of it seems to be that in life, Vecna was a wizard who built a "terrible empire". In order to avoid death, he turned himself into a lich, and in undeath, he continued to grow his empire. He had a lieutenant named Kas, who Vecna gifted a sword to. For unknown (though the speculation does not paint him in a positive light) reasons, Kas murdered Vecna, leaving behind only Vecna's eye and left hand along with a pile of ash. However, his spirit survived the attack and he spent "eons" regaining his former power. In the meantime, his artifacts, cults, and "dark secrets" continued corrupting others/pushing them towards evil.

It may also be notable that Vecna was known to have a "formidable and hideous" temper.

And... that's the short version of everything that I could find about Vecna in D&D.

Henry Creel as Vecna

So, this is the obvious conclusion, because the characters call Henry "Vecna", which seems to have largely lead to the audience assumption that the Vecna in Eddie's campaign definitely foreshadows Henry. And I want to start out by acknowledging that I do think this is absolutely a possibility! I could 100% be wrong about the Demogorgon in Mike's campaign representing Henry, and even if I'm not, there's nothing that says there can't be two moments of foreshadowing for the same antagonist.

If Henry is Vecna, I know there are a lot of theories about who Kas is, and I'm not interested in getting too deep into the weeds on that particular debate. With that being said, I will say that when I first watched s4 I personally thought it was obvious that, if Henry was actually the person foreshadowed by Eddie's Vecna, then El was clearly Kas and had already fulfilled her part in that role?

I mean, Henry didn't have any real power in the lab so obviously El wasn't his lieutenant. But she was clearly his favourite (or, depending on how you read his character, he at least did a good job of pretending that she was his favourite). He gave her a weapon (in that he taught her to use her anger to weaponize her powers). At first she helped him with things (ie. getting Soteria out of his neck), but later she turned against him and used the "weapon" he "gave" her in order to, as far as she understood at the time, kill him (literally turned him to ash, and he appears when we see him next in the Upside Down). But, of course, he wasn't actually dead, and in line with Eddie's campaign, he came back. El tried to face him alone, but it failed/missed just like the eleven roll.

You may or may not agree with me on that, but I personally think it's the most likely scenario. I just... can't see them recreating everyone thinking Henry has been killed for a THIRD time only to bring him back AGAIN. And in my opinion, El-as-Kas (but she's already fulfilled the role) does fit very well with what we know about Vecna from Eddie's campaign/with a number of the details from D&D.

I will also concede that you could make the case that Henry was hiding in plain sight among his cultists during the time when he was interacting with baby!El (as in, he was disguised as a lab assistant, and obviously the whole Lab is dedicated to, essentially, recreating Henry's powers so that's sort of like a cult to him, I suppose), and that he is certainly, as of the present timeline in s4, something like an undead creature as well was being very powerful and functionally a dark wizard. His flesh is even shrivelled and desiccated after his time in the Upside Down.

All of which is to say, without speculating heavily about the potential events of s5, Henry does look incredibly appealing as the thing foreshadowed by Eddie's campaign.

But…

The Case for Someone Else as Vecna

There are a few main reasons why I think that Henry is a red herring as the thing Vecna was foreshadowing.

Firstly, and least compellingly (I have to mention it, but it's not evidence that stands on its own), if Mike's Demogorgon foreshadows Henry, but the Party mis-used its name for the UD's Demogorgon because it was the monster they happened to be fighting at the time, then it stands to reason that it's possible that they may have mis-used Vecna's name to apply it to Henry for the same reason-- it was the most recent/most superficially relevant enemy the Party had fought in D&D and, as such, made for a decent enough analogy to the current situation.

Secondly, just on a narrative scale, if El has already played the Kas role in the s4 flashbacks and then has also already made her failed roll in present day s4... then literally all that's left is to roll a 20 and win? It's too smooth/too easy to take up a whole season. Obviously, the writers can throw in extra drama and struggle and tension, but if we're already past the failed 11 roll, then... it can't be too intense or else the foreshadowing loses its tight 1:1 dynamic with what's happening in the plot. And “not too intense” is very rarely what people are going for when they write a finale season.

Thirdly... despite how well Henry aligns with almost all of the descriptions of Eddie's Vecna, he does not align with what I would argue are the two most emphasized descriptors (the two that Eddie puts the most passion and physicality into describing, and the two which seem to actually make it clear to the Club that the unknown cultist is Vecna). Namely: Henry very much is not missing an eye or an arm. His left arm is odd looking, but that's not because he ever lost it and had to replace it. It appears to just be part of whatever the Upside down is doing to him/turning him into (God, I hope he's turning into a Demogorgon-- I saw someone suggest that at one point and I wish I could find the post to link it here, because I think it would be the funniest and most fitting option). And Henry's eyes both look kind of odd/cloudy now, but not only does he have both of them, but the flashback to him wandering the Upside Down after El threw him in there make it explicitly clear that his injured/initially damaged eye was his right eye. It would have been just as easy, and changed nothing about the overall narrative, if they had made Henry’s left eye blind instead/to subtly align with the Vecna analogy, so the fact that they so pointedly didn’t suggests to me that, in terms of foreshadowing, Henry may not actually be Vecna at all. In fact, there is nothing at all that I can remember connecting Henry to the idea of left eyes, except that the characters call him Vecna, and Eddie's Vecna is described as being devoid of one.

Also (and this is just a small point), I do think that it's interesting that in D&D, Vecna's backstory includes him creating a dark empire, and there are a lot of theories abounding about the idea that someone in the main cast created or significantly altered the Upside Down (I've mostly seen them about Will and Mike, but I imagine there are other similar theories for other characters). Because what we know for sure is that Henry absolutely did not create it, and likely did not significantly alter it either (at least not until he met the shadow monster), I do think that it's worth noting that this is another way in which Henry's character diverges from at least the D&D version of Vecna.

Detour: How do Superpowers Work in Stranger Things?

I may or may not have driven myself mad trying to figure this out. And I also may or may not have spent a long time resigned to the idea that Kali had been retconned by s4 showing that all the other numbers seem to have basically the same powers as Henry and El (with the possible exception of El's ability to open portals into the UD-- unless Henry had this ability as well before the Mind Flayer took a chunk out of El in s3... we simply don't know yet).

I feel like I maybe heard something, at one point, that suggested that all of the kids in the lab had telekinesis and then also at least one other power. However, I can't find a source on that? Also, I don't believe there's any direct evidence of this shown in s4 (and Kali's powers outright contradict it), given that the only non-telekinetic power that we were shown by anybody but Henry and El was 010 who was able to see what others were doing in his mind (which seemed to be very similar to El's mind void abilities, if maybe a little stronger or more well-practised).

Either way, I think the evidence given in the show suggests that there are three possible ways to develop or obtain supernatural abilities in the Stranger Things universe.

Via experimentation. This was the case for El, and very likely also most of the other kids in the Lab. It also seems to have been the case for El's mother, who we see being able to flicker the lights and change the channels on her television with her mind.

Through infiltration by and/or extended exposure to the Upside Down. I'm a little more tentative on this one, because my main example of this is Will, and we all know that there are a LOT of theories about Will's abilities. And I want to stress that I cannot definitively say they're wrong. All I can say is that, as the show exists right now, one of many possible readings is that Will's abilities, such as sensing the Mind Flayer, seem to be a result of his experiences with the Upside Down. If this is accurate, then it represents a method of obtaining powers that is distinct from how El got hers. I’m not at all trying to discount the possibility that Will could have other powers that he was born with or developed due to experimentation (I love a good Will-born-with-powers theory!), I just want to consider the possibility that Will’s powers could be a result of his experiences with the Upside Down.

Being born with them/developing them spontaneously. Henry is the obvious example of this, but I also believe that Kali is another example. Her powers are completely different than those of the other numbers. Moreover, Kali was abducted when she was five, unlike El who was abducted as an infant. To me, this suggests that Kali was likely not the result of Brenner's experimentation, but rather, more similar to Henry in that she spontaneously developed powers, and Brenner took advantage of that fact. If this is the case, it would explain why Kali's powers are so different from those of everybody else that we've seen-- because it is likely that Brenner used Henry Creel as the basis upon which his experiments were developed, explaining why they largely seem to have powers very similar to Henry.

If this assessment is correct (and I cannot stress enough how speculative I am being here because this is still a huge mystery in the show itself), then I do think it's interesting that Henry (who is almost certainly going to be the main/active antagonist for the vast majority of s4, even if he doesn't turn out to be "Vecna" from Eddie's campaign in the end) represents 3/3 of these points (he was experimented on by Brenner, he has been changed by the Upside Down, and he developed his powers spontaneously), and yet, out of our protagonists, only 2/3 of those points are currently represented (El who developed her powers via experimentation, and Will who likely/possibly-- I know everyone has their own strong opinions on this developed them via exposure to the Upside Down)?

In reality, I think that if my interpretation of how getting superpowers works in this universe is accurate, then it seems to me that we will very likely have a character with powers that developed naturally to complement El and Will.

However, both for narrative reasons (it would feel too shoehorned in/too Deus ex Machina) and for fitting in with the other established characters who seem to have spontaneously developed powers reasons, it would not make sense for any of our protagonists to all of a sudden start moving things with their minds. Narratively, it would just seem like it was being added in at the last minute and, anyway, it seems like Kali developed her powers/showed clear signs of them before the age of five, and Henry developed his around the age of twelve, so it’s likely that if any of our characters were going to develop powers, it would start before their teenage years.

So, assuming we're not getting Erica (God, I wish) or Holly (...I mean, I wouldn't complain) suddenly developing powers of their own, it seems likely that if any of our characters are going to have spontaneous powers, they likely already have them/are already using them. However, I don't think any of our beloved ensemble cast would know they have powers and not share that with the class. They all want to beat the Upside Down, and El and Will have already more than shown how useful superpowers are in that effort.

And... on a narrative level, let's be real. If this is the direction things are going, the reveal of these powers/abilities cannot be a joyous occasion. It has to hurt. Because if it doesn't hurt, we're back to the Deus ex Machina issue. But if it hurts-- if the reveal causes severe conflict for the character in question and with the people around them, if it breaks them down and reveals new things about them, if the reveal feels like a loss, in the moment when it comes about, rather than a win for the cast... then it might work.

For that to happen, the repressed/extant but unknown powers have to connect to the Upside Down. They have to have had a significant hand in all the pain that our characters have gone through. Possibly via either creating the Upside Down or the shadow monster, or else through some other connection. But the connection has to be there, because the reveal needs to cause fear, pain, and conflict for the characters.

Detour Cont'd: So... Who Is It?

So... if my wild speculation above is in any way accurate, I think it's worth taking a look at our established characters to see who could have done it.

So, Henry was wandering the Upside Down from 1979 onwards, El opened her first gate in that same year, so I suspect that if any of our characters did accidentally create/influence the Upside Down it likely happened starting around this time. In '79 (dangerously assuming my math is correct), Nancy (also Jonathan and Robin) would have been 11-12, and the Party would have been 7-8, making them the primary possibilities. - I think it's fair to assume that if they're doing this, it would be a major character that we've known since s1, so that discounts Robin and Max. - Additionally, given the composition of the final shot of s4, I think it's reasonable to assume that this character would be in that final shot, because they would have a significant role to play in s5. That cuts out Lucas and Dustin as well. - I'll also say that we can cut out El and Will, since their powers are (under this specific interpretation) already accounted for. - That leaves the remaining options as: Nancy, Jonathan, and Mike. - And, I mean... Mike's the one who's in the middle of that final shot, just as much as Will is. Mike's the one who always knows weird random stuff about the Upside Down and about El's powers. Mike's the one whose plans always work out. Mike's the only one who has never managed to land a punch/at least not managed to land a punch in the A plot of a season climax. Mike's the one whose emotions are a total mystery to the audience (outside of those who engage in intense rewatching and analysis to pick it apart lol). And… Mike’s the one who’s always depicted in a trio with El and Will (I know this is love triangle imagery, but it could potentially have a double meaning). - My point being-- if all of my previous reasoning/interpreting is accurate, then Mike is the only character who makes any sense in this role.

Also, just talking about logistics here-- in order to be comprehensible to audience members who are not about to sit down and rewatch the show a million times in order to pick up on subtle clues and hints, there are a few issues that are going to require a decent amount of screen time in order to explain/develop in s5. To my mind, (outside of ship dynamics) those are:

Where is Max? Why can't El find her?

What is Will's connection to the Upside Down? Did the Demogorgon really take Will in s1? Why is Henry/the Mind Flayer so focused on him?

Why is the Upside Down stuck in time/why and how did it start looking like Hawkins?

What the hell is going on in Mike Wheeler's head?

How will everybody react to the Upside Down and its monsters now that they're bound to start becoming common knowledge around Hawkins?

How are they going to deal with the military? What is going to happen to El if her location is compromised? How will this impact the fight against Henry/the Upside Down?

What is the relationship between Henry and the shadow monster/Mind Flayer? Is it possible for the gang to kill/destroy/incapacitate both? How will they do that?

My point is, there's one question on this list that doesn't seem to be connected into the Upside Down plot in any way-- and that's point 4. The question about Mike. Because realistically speaking, Stranger Things has a Mike Wheeler-shaped problem. He's a protagonist every season, and he's literally equally sharing the centre of the screen with Will in the final shot of s4, so if we're getting a Will Byers protagonist moment in s5, I think it's safe to suggest that we're also getting a Mike Wheeler protagonist moment.

But generally speaking, people don't want a Mike Wheeler protagonist moment, because people don't like him. And obviously that's because the underlying issues that he's going through have been hidden from plain view, but, like... you don't do that for no reason. Narratively speaking, you only do that if you're amping up for a big reveal.

And, yes. Mike and Will getting together would absolutely be a massive reveal and I can fully understand why they wouldn't want to spoil it... but. To get people to care about Mike again, and to believe that he "deserves" Will, they need to devote time and narrative space to explaining Mike's emotional state, both regarding his sexuality, and regarding whatever mental health issues he's struggling with. And they could have put more of this in s4! Mike and Will had FOUR heart to hearts, discounting the van scene. They very much could have had Mike express some of his (likely) experiences with depression and/or PTSD, without having to show their hand about his sexuality/feelings for Will. Doing so would have helped the audience have more sympathy for/understanding of Mike, AND would have significantly cut down on the ground they have to cover with his character in s5.

Because... they're going to need to take up a fair amount of time in s5 to show all of the stuff they need to cover with Mike if they actually are intending to follow through with him being queer and also, like, not beloathed by a large swath of the audience, they're going to need to connect his emotional issues to the Upside Down/A plot somehow. Which they can absolutely do! Henry's whole thing is perfect for that. And it worked with Max-- but there's a difference.

Because, with Max, her experiences with Henry/Vecna's curse were used to give the audience new information to help solve the mystery of the season. But we don't need that again. And... sure, Mike could get cursed/attacked and learn something useful in the fight against Henry, in addition to showcasing all the stuff that's going on inside his head, but given that Will's back in town and is already psychically linked with Henry/the Mind Flayer... I mean, it seems more natural to have that dynamic fall to Will?

This is a lot of talking, but my POINT is... they did not have to hold Mike's emotional state so close to their chests. Let's be real-- they could have at least started to outline the idea that Mike might be struggling with mental health issues, and nobody who isn't already reading the writing on the wall for Mike/Will would be jumping to assume it meant he was struggling with any gay feelings. Like, let's be absolutely real here: they could have had Mike outright say "I don't know, it's like you left and all of a sudden I didn't have the energy to do anything all I could do was sit around and miss you" to Will and people would have understood it as "ohhhh he was depressed because he missed El/has trauma about El disappearing on him/leaving him".

So, if we're reading Mike correctly-- if he's struggling with mental health issues and they're putting in all the little clues and hints to it that we're picking up on/that will be obvious on a rewatch after some huge reveal... then whatever he's going through has to tie into the supernatural plot in a big way. And, more than that, it needs to be linked to it in a way that is surprising enough/enough of a twist to warrant all this secrecy about it.

AND (and this is a hill I am prepared to die on)... Will and El are both main characters, but so is Mike. The plot would not have started without Will. The plot would not have started without El. But also... the plot would not have started without Mike. Without Mike things are totally different, because whoever found El instead would not have been the exact combination of nurturing and feral that made s1 Mike hide her in his basement/believe her the instant she implied she even maybe knew how to find Will. And that's just the first thing that he did which unquestionably pushed the plot in the direction it's going. There's a reason he shares centre screen with Will at the end of s4 (after El had her extended closeup because I'm sure she's going to continue having her protagonist moment in s5, AS SHE SHOULD). Mike isn't just a love interest. He's a protagonist in his own right-- this is his coming of age story, just as much as it is Will's and El's. And, while it's entirely possible that they might have a plan that includes him being the only one of the trio without any particular personal connection to the supernatural plot, I do think it's worth considering that, just as is the case for Will and El, it's at least possible that Mike might have a plotline outside of his romantic relationships, and that, as the third protagonist/third leg of the protagonist trio... it's at least possible that said plotline might have direct ties to the supernatural A plot.

(Also, yes, the ending shot does also suggest that Hop, Joyce, Nancy, and Jonathan are also protagonists for s5-- I feel like this tracks with their roles in s1, and I fully expect them to play major roles in s5, but if this is actually a coming of age story, then it's the Party who are, really, the ones spending this whole time coming of age. That's why I'm making the distinction.)

I bring all of this up, because I believe that it lends context to why I think it is possible that Eddie's Vecna actually references/foreshadows Mike, in particular's, s5 role.

Mike as Vecna

So, here's the thing. If Mike did create the Upside Down, or at least the shadow monster, then he (or at least his repressed emotions and/or dark thoughts) is an antagonistic force in the show. That doesn't mean he's bad or evil (Will was an antagonistic force in s2, and he's sort of the exact opposite of bad or evil). Meaning that it would make sense to foreshadow him as an antagonist, even if ultimately he is a protagonist/on the side of the rest of the gang.

Returning to what we know about Vecna from the show, I'd like to combine it with some of the common theories/ideas that I've seen floating around regarding Mike's potential plot/future in s5.

First of all, Eddie's Vecna is shown hiding among the cultists. Mike obviously doesn't have a cult, although, if he is (unintentionally) the cause of all the Upside Down business, he is hiding in plain sight, both to the other characters and to the audience.

^ Bringing back this screenshot for absolutely no reason at all

I would also point out that Mike is the only character, of the viable list (even expanded back out to include Will and El) of those who could even maybe have played the role in creating/influencing the Upside Down, who is also a member of the Hellfire Club. By which I mean, Mike might not actually be in a cult, but Hawkins at large sure thinks he is.

Now, obviously, Mike isn't dead/hasn't been killed by anybody. But everybody is always talking about all of he death flags around Mike coming into s5, and I, at least, am of the opinion that he can't die permanently (for the same reason that Will and El can't perma-die-- all of them are way too self-sacrificial and willing to throw their lives away for everyone else, so killing them would literally just be them... doing what they always do, which is not ideal for a death scene, especially in a show where the death of major characters is used as infrequently as it is in Stranger Things). If he dies and then comes back to life, or at least seems to have died, this might fulfill the "undead" requirement.

Obviously, how the issue of Kas would come up in this storyline, would be much more questionable than in Henry's. If I'm on the right track here, though, I wouldn't really expect us to know at this point, because it would likely come up in s5 anyway. What I will say is that, if I were to speculate about s5... since Mike is the leader of the Party, and Kas was Vecna's lieutenant, if this is the direction they're going, then I would expect one of the Party members (probably not Will or El because I have some... thoughts about them in the context of the Vecna analogy) to play the role. However, I really can't see any of them intentionally killing/betraying Mike, so my best guess is that if this is happening, it's going to be more a thing of Mike self-sacrificing/endangering himself in order to protect one of the Party members, rather than them intentionally/personally striking the blow. That's SUPER speculative, though, and not founded in very much except... Mike's character as a whole. Also, in D&D's lore, all that was left of Vecna after Kas had killed him, besides the Hand and the Eye, was a pile of ashes-- which fits really seamlessly into Mike's narration of his D&D character dying a fiery, self-sacrificial death at the end of Will's campaign.

Eddie's Vecna is a spellcaster/dark wizard, which are terms that would fit anyone, Mike included, in the scenario where they created/significantly influenced the Upside Down/shadow monster.

In terms of Mike's appearance, obviously he does not appear shrivelled and desiccated (though we'll have to see what s5 brings on that front), but I will note that there are a LOT of theories about Mike losing an arm and possibly an eye as well. Additionally, Mike's left eye, in particular, is often shrouded in shadow. I've already written a different post about that, so I won't go too into detail, but you can look at it here.

^ A sample of some of the left eye shadows

If the theories about Mike creating the Upside Down or at least the shadow monster are accurate, then that fulfills the D&D Vecna's backstory of having built a dark empire before his undeath.

In the context of Mike, I also think it's interesting that one of the things D&D's Vecna is known for is his "dark secrets". Like... I mean, we all know Mike is full of secrets. And it's very likely that they're "dark"-- not necessarily in the way that D&D Vecna's secrets are dark, but more so in the way of, like, mental health issues can be very dark when you're living through them. I mean... Max had "dark secrets" this season, too (though, obviously, totally different in nature and context than Mike's), but the narrative difference (outside of all the cool character stuff they were doing with Max-- this is not a Max post so I won't get too into it, but I just want to make it super clear that Max has a LOT of interesting stuff going on in s4 in her own right) is that those came to light, while Mike's stayed hidden.

Also... okay let me just put this here:

(Link to the site I got that from is in the Vecna in D&D section)

"The godlike supremacy they crave". Does that... not sound like Henry? I mentioned Henry turning into a Demogorgon back in the Henry as Vecna section of this post, but... I think I'm just saying that it could legitimately be happening? I don't know. Maybe I'm just being overly enticed by the idea of Henry's hubris making him believe that he's the one in control of the Upside Down/the shadow monster/Mind Flayer when, in reality, the truth is that he's simply blinded to what's happening to him by his own arrogance and ambition.

Anyway... finally, I'll point out that D&D's Vecna is also known for his "formidable temper". And, like... I just... okay, so a lot of characters in Stranger Things have tempers and anger issues. But the thing with Mike's is that it's portrayed... kind of differently? Like, if you push Jonathan or Steve hard enough on the right pressure points, they'll snap and physically fight you (we've seen it), and El's basically the same except that she generally has the psychic force to skip the fight and simply toss you aside like a ragdoll. If you push Will or Nancy or Hopper hard enough on the right pressure points, they'll get sarcastic and frustrated and snippy (and depending on who you are, Hopper and maybe also Nancy might also punch you lbr-- here's hoping for Nancy punching someone out in s5). But Mike?

a) Mike's kind of constantly on the verge of getting mad (except, typically, when he's alone with Will and usually also El pre-s4). He's annoyed by everything, prickly towards basically everyone unless he knows them very well, and easily upset if he doesn't get his way/doesn't feel consulted about what's happening. None of which erases his positive qualities, and all of which are explainable, but it's undeniable that there's an angry element to his character.

b) When Mike does actually get properly mad, he shoots to kill. "What is WRONG with you?" "It's not MY fault you don't like girls!" "She didn't LOOK fine...", like. Every season, he says something so harsh it leaves the other person/people speechless. And that's NOT to say that Mike's a bad kid. He's a child who has suffered a lot of trauma, and who was already prone to fits of annoyance before all the bad stuff started happening. Of course he lashes out. AND it does seem like he's making an attempt to improve especially as of s4 (probably because the rain fight really scared him tbh). I'm not saying he's bad, I'm just saying that one of his flaws, which he does seem to be working on, is that he has a tendency to get angry and say things that he might mean in the moment, but which are more hurtful than he wants them to be.

c) I find the scene where Mike breaks down in Hopper's arms in s2 incredibly telling. Obviously, this was Mike under extreme circumstances. I'm not suggesting that level of rage and pain is Mike's typical baseline level. But what I am saying is... that breakdown did not develop overnight. That was something Mike was building towards since s1e1. And then he lets it out with fists and screams and sobs. And then he boxes it away and gets back to plotting how to stop the Mind Flayer and save Will like nothing happened. And nobody brings it up ever again (I mean... let's be honest... the only person who WOULD 100% have brought it up later was passed out in a drug-induced nap at the time, so it's very likely that Will doesn't know about that breakdown... just like he probably doesn't know about the quarry). And just like every other character, Mike keeps getting traumatized on top of all the pain that caused that original breakdown. And...

I don't know. I guess I'm just saying that it's undeniable that Mike has a temper, though he's not the only character who does. And that Mike's inevitable s5 breakdown will probably involve rage as well as tears. Does Mike have a "formidable and hideous temper"? I don't know. I think that sort of depends on who is judging. I am pretty sure that Mike thinks he does, though.

And... lastly... this is just a parallel that I thought was interesting, which probably doesn't mean anything, probably it's just a coincidence, but I'm already deep enough into this analysis that I've lost my mind so...

^ s1 Mike covers his left eye while indicating/faking a headache

^ s4 Eddie covers his left eye with an upside down hand to mimic being Vecna

The Eye and Hand of Vecna in This Context

Something that has been bothering me is this:

Mike, Will, and El are obviously paralleled to two trios from other franchises, with Will and El, respectively, as the "head"/primary character in the trio.

They're paralleled to Harry/Ron/Hermione (no, I don't like talking about HP parallels very much because //gestures at everything about JKR with my very trans hands, but I don't think that discomfort on my end negates the obvious parallels), with Will generally functioning as Harry (although I'm aware that Will and Mike get the Ron/Hermione treatment in the airport), with everything to do with his connection with Henry.

They're also paralleled to Luke/Leia/Han, with El generally functioning as Luke.

So, the thing that has been bothering me is: if Mike is just as much a protagonist as Will and El are, and not just a romantic interest for the two of them, why isn't there also a trio in which Mike gets to play the leading role? And, uh... so... I have a thought about that, but it requires me to dig a bit deeper into the lore behind the artifacts left after Kas (nominally) killed Vecna in D&D lore: the Hand and the Eye.

The Hand of Vecna:

The Eye of Vecna:

(link to the site where I took these screenshots from is included in the section about Vecna in D&D)

So... if (and I'm very aware that it's a big if) Mike is going to turn out to have been foreshadowed by Eddie's Vecna, then I believe that this is the trio he's at the head of. Vecna/Eye of Vecna/Hand of Vecna, with El as the Hand and Will as the Eye.

I mean, the Hand's thing is strength (El's telekinesis lends strength to her/anybody she is helping use it for-- ie. flipping the car in s3, where flipping it back over requires multiple people and Mike's lever system). It improves attacks during combat (again... El's telekinesis sort of makes her the gang's heavy hitter). It can apparently also freeze creatures (we see El do this at least twice in s1-- she freezes Troy in place after he tries to attack Mike, and freezes the Demogorgon in place when it's trying to attack the Party). And it can be used to cast a number of different spells including Teleport (El can't exactly teleport, but she can use the mind void to travel anywhere a given person is in her mind) and some necromantic spells.

Interestingly, although they're not spells the Hand can provide according to screenshot above, bringing back the dead, like El does to Max at the end of s4, can be done using a necromantic spell in D&D.

And the Eye... I mean. Truesight is right there. But in general, it's a lot about being able to see through just about everything (including time, which is pretty interesting), with fits pretty well with Will as the spy/Will as the sensor of all things Upside Down. The spells it can cast are pretty interesting as well, and do make me wonder if the fact that Will was (or possibly still ever so slightly is?) part of the hivemind might give him some ability to control what the hivemind does? I don't know, but it's a thought.

Also, the effect of using the Eye is really interesting, given the fact that Will was infected by the shadow monster/Mind Flayer right at the moment when he tried to order it to "go away" (failed Dominate Monster?), and then the whole possession got worse/his soul was almost consumed leaving him essentially a puppet under the control of the shadow monster/Mind Flayer after he attempted to spy back (possibly failed Clairvoyance?). Also, fun fact: Disintegrate causes a "thin green ray" to "spring from your finger" in order to turn a target to dust. I can't help but think about Will the Wise's green fireballs.

I don't know… I just think the parallels are worth thinking about.

To be 100% clear, I'm not saying that Will and El's powers/abilities come from Mike (just like in the HP parallel, Will paralleling Harry/the Chosen One doesn't take away from El or Mike's positions as co-protagonists with him, or in the SW parallel, El paralleling Luke doesn't mean that she's the only protagonist/Chosen One in ST). Nor am I suggesting that Mike in any way owns Will or El. I'm only pointing out that there are some striking similarities between their powers/experiences and the effects of Hand and Eye in D&D, so if the theories about Mike creating the Upside Down/shadow monster are correct, then... those similarities are interesting.

(But, hey, I mean, fun fact-- if this is actually the intended read, then all three are paralleling powerful wizards in popular culture, which is fun.)

Also also... something I've always found super weird is that Will's eyes go brown when he's possessed, never black. Which... is odd, because black is traditional for possessions, and it would look more unnatural, it would align more with the shadow monster's colours, and it would be a really clear signal to the audience that there's something wrong with the colour of his eyes because as it stands, unless you already know that Will has hazel eyes, nothing seems off (especially because the characters never mention the change either). I mean, the shadow monster is black/dark grey. Henry's eyes are blue and never go darker than that. But Mike's eyes are just about that same shade of brown that Will's were when they were at their darkest...

I mean, if nothing else, Mike as Vecna and Will and El as the Eye and Hand would explain why Mike keeps losing (being cut off from) both of them.

And, I mean... we all know Will tends to hang out on Mike's left, but so does El (it's just less obvious with El, because she also has a motif of facing Mike head on). Largely (though not always-- if there's a true pattern, I can't tell what it is), when they're not in this alignment is when they're disagreeing/not on the same page/not pretending to be on the same page with Mike. I mean... you know. Something something, Vecna's left hand and left eye?

No, Seriously, Will and El are So Often on Mike's Left

^ Just a sample of the relevant shots

The Good News

Now that I've gotten through all of this, I do want to say that, even if Eddie's Vecna is foreshadowing something about Mike's role in the supernatural plot of s5, I don't believe they're setting him up to be a true villain. Like... if Mike did actually create the Upside Down/the shadow monster/in some way impact them, I very much do not believe that he is aware of it as of s4, nor do I believe that he would ever intentionally hurt any of the people that the Upside Down has tormented all these years. Well, except himself [gunshot]

Obviously he would be absolutely ripped open if he learned any of what happened was in any way his fault. He'd be absolutely gutted. If you're a "Mike needs to have a sobbing, screaming breakdown in s5" kind of person, man would you get your wish and then some.

My point is, even if they're setting up a twist where Mike('s repressed emotions) have been an antagonistic force all along, I very much do not believe that Mike is being set up as an antagonist, in his own right.

This is where I'm going to bring it back to the fact that we don't actually know what Dustin or Erica were rolling to do. Most likely, in the game itself, they were rolling for various attacks. But we don't hear that. And we don't actually hear Eddie ever say that Vecna was killed, it's just implied from the context of the scene. Which to me means that the ending is not set in even analogous stone. If Vecna does foreshadow Mike's role in the supernatural plot, then all we know is that an Eleven alone can't defeat/solve whatever's going wrong with him, but a twenty (whatever is defined as a twenty) can.

By which I mean, I don't think Mike has to die in the end in order to fit with the analogy.

Also! I think it's really important that Eddie's D&D session is the only one that we see Mike participating in, where he doesn't do any active narrating. Obviously he narrates for the Demogorgon and Thessalhydra campaigns. However, he also takes over narrating for Will's campaign, when he decides to light a fire and sacrifice himself to destroy the Juju hoard.

In Eddie's campaign, though, he follows along. His PC 0's out (which could reference a future physical injury, or an inability on his part to keep fighting for some other reason), and they call a time out to discuss. During that conversation, Dustin specifically asks Mike for his opinion on what they should do (which I have some Thoughts about in the broader context of Dustin's characterization in s4, but those are so wildly outside the bounds of this post-- I'll make a different post later), and Mike really does act like a good leader. He asks Dustin and Erica for context on their HP, and assesses that if they keep fighting it will be difficult, but in the end he tells them that the call is up to them, because their characters are the only ones left on the battle field. That's all he says about the game. And I think the fact that all he says is that the fight will be "difficult" is really good news, because it means that the ending is more open.

Finally, it's possible that if Mike is actually the person being foreshadowed by the use of Vecna in Eddie's campaign, and if Will and El are intentionally paralleled to the Eye and the Hand respectively, then Mike's lost hand/eye signals may not necessarily literally mean that he's going to lose his body parts, but rather that he's going to lose or feel like he's lost both Will and El one more time before everything is over.

The Bad News

IF any of this is correct-- specifically, IF Mike did create the shadow monster or the Upside Down or even just influenced it in some way... even if Henry was somehow exercising power over it to make it more dangerous than necessary... I'm just not convinced that everybody would be able to forgive him.

I mean... Will, obviously would. That's kind of a foregone conclusion, especially since at least in the scenario I'm speculating about, none of what happened would be anything Mike knew he was in any way complicit in until after the fact.

I also think El would probably be able to understand pretty quickly given that she knows what it's like to do something without knowing you can do it, and to have to come to terms with the fact that others have suffered as a result. That being said, if we DO get Mike in the scenario I've been outlining, and then we DON'T get a parallel to the s1 "I'm the monster" "no you're not the monster-- you saved me" scene, except with Mike saying that he's the monster, and El assuring him that he's not because there's no such thing as being a monster or a superhero, but he was her first ever friend so she could never consider him a monster? I'll sue.

A lot of the others I'm way more up in the air about, because I really think it would come down to a lot of context in how it was portrayed, whether the others could manage to get into a somewhat normal groove with him ever again (though I highly doubt they'd have the Party end the show broken up, so I suspect they, at least, would find a way to come to terms with what happened).

But really... it's Nancy that concerns me? In literally any scenario where Mike might have had ANYTHING to do with the Upside Down in any capacity outside of what we've explicitly seen in the show. Whether he knew what he was doing or not. Whether Henry was the one orchestrating things in s1-s4/presumably at least early s5 or not. I just...

I can see a path where she could forgive him, right? Though I'm really worried that's a path where she would forgive him and take all that blame and put it onto herself because he was he little brother and she didn't notice.

But I just... I don't know.

I just know how horribly she's raked herself over the coals over Barb's death ever since s1, and I just worry about whether she would be able to accept that, in the scenario I've been outlining, Mike didn't actually mean to do anything/couldn't actually have stopped it because he didn't know it was happening. Because I suspect that in order for Nancy to get to that place, she'd have to confront the fact that SHE isn't at fault for what happened to Barb, either. That she did not do anything wrong (at least, not wrong enough that she deserves to be still agonizing over it four years later) by telling Barb to go home that night. That there was no way Nancy could have known that something bad was happening to Barb, and that the fact that she didn't stop what was happening BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS ANYTHING FOR HER TO STOP, doesn't mean she's in any way at fault.

And... I REALLY hope we're going to get to see Nancy confronting that head on in s5. But it just.... concerns me in the context of these theories about Mike's potential supernatural role.

[maxsimagination]

𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜 - 𝗹.𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗽

warnings: talk of homophobia, slight angst, fluff

a/n: i do not condone homophobia in any way, shape or form, this is just an imagine and is not reality.

• part 1 • part 2

-----

"hey ma, how are you?"

it was my weekly call to family that were back in australia.

"honey, i'm good, how are you? how's england?"

i had lived in australia for most of my life before moving across the globe to england to play professional football. i was only 19 when i got picked up by manchester city, the sky blues offering me a 3-year contract that i couldn't turn down. now, four years later, i was still here, still wearing the same sky blue jersey with pride.

"england's good. we've got another game on this week, a home game this time."

my family weren't always super supportive of my choice to be a footballer, but never said anything outright. i still knew of the disapproval, but that didn't stop me from playing.

"that's good, honey. found any guys that you like?"

my ma brushed off the football talk and quickly moved to her favourite topic. she was openly christian, as well as my pa, but she always had something to say.

"no ma, no boys. i've said this."

it was a lost cause from there because my ma was unrelenting in her lecture on how a woman belonged with a man, so on and so forth. i made up an excuse of how i had to go to practice or something just to get out of the call.

i couldn't even count on my fingers the amount of times i've been told that homosexuality is a sin, that's how much she's told me.

——

practice next day was nothing new, gareth had us running the normal drills with some one-touch shooting to finish it off before a break. all the girls were in the shade with the water coolers just chatting when i sidled up. lauren crept up behind me and squirted water on my head to surprise me. i shrieked and turned around to get her back.

we were basically best friends, being attached at the hip all the time and both being starting strikers for man city.

"loz! not cool!"

she cackled at my unimpressed expression and walked back over with a promise of no more water fights. we joined back into the conversation with the others, they were all laughing hysterically at alanna's story of a date she'd gone on with a girl and it hadn't gone to plan. each of the other girls then added in their own wayward date stories.

the little group turned to me and lauren, asking our opinions and stories. lauren was quick to tell her funny moments while i was quiet, thinking.

"what about you, y/n? any weird dates?"

the tallest of our group, bunny, broke me out of my thoughts with her question. i looked up, slightly caught off guard, and everyone had turned to look at me. about 5 pairs of eyes bore into me, psyching my brain out and panic rose in my mind.

"i- no. no stories. sorry i've got to go."

the anxiety got the best of me and i turned to run back inside of the changing rooms. in the back of my mind, i knew that i was being irrational and the girls would definitely have questions about my behaviour but that wasn't my priority right now.

all i could focus on was the quickening pace of my breath and the sound of my cleats when they hit the floor. i reached the lockers and sat in my cubby, eyes closed and trying to calm myself down. i was so in my head that i didn't hear the door open or anyone enter the room.

"y/n are you okay?" lauren's voice startled me and my eyes popped open.

"i'm fine."

i was apparently too quick to respond to that question when lauren cocked her eyebrow at me.

"ok so maybe i'm not fine."

i mumbled out and lauren moved to sit next to me. she didn't push me to speak, just sat with me until i was comfortable to tell her what was wrong.

"im scared.

everyone was talking about their dating stories, and i thought that i wouldn't be accepted."

most of the team were open about their sexuality and who they went out with, but i was the opposite. being brought up in an environment where the christian way was the only way, i was taught that a woman must be with a man and there was no other option.

"i thought that the girls wouldn't accept me."

"y/n we will support you no matter what. i will support you no matter what."

i knew from about the age of seventeen that i was anything but heterosexual. but i struggled to accept that fact in my own mind, which made it extremely hard for me to express that to others. i never talked about the topic, preferring to avoid it altogether.

but right now, lauren sitting next to me waiting for me to really tell her what was going on, i decided fuck it, tell her.

"ithinkilikegirls."

it came out rushed and the words strung together in one sentence that hid the real meaning.

"um, slower please?"

lauren had a smile on her face, but she knew how difficult a topic this was.

"i like girls."

three words that held so much meaning. lauren didn't say anything, she just pulled me into a hug. her hands rubbed up and down my back soothingly. i embraced the hug, tears slowly pricking at my eyes and i let them fall.

"i'm so proud of you."

[fandomstickyy]

Watching A Movie With A Rape Scene

Angst/COMFORT

18++ MDNI

------

CW: mentions of rape, NOTHING GRAPHIC, comfort from these menzes

-----

Au: I'm a bit of a film nerd so I'm always looking for indie/low budget bangers and a few movies I've seen have straight up r#pe scenes! Idk why I terrorize myself. Thought of these scenarios to ease the pain 💀. ANYWAY this post is probably super random but I've seen a lot of wild fics on here so whatever it's not too bad.

It's all fluff!! <3. Take care of yourselves !! Don't read if you're not up for it

--------

Deku

° wants to turn the movie off completely

°is super mad if the scene feels unnecessary to the plot. Really sensitive ab it. Even if it makes sense for the plot he's still mad.

°Rethinks his opinion on the entire movie

° if you don't wanna watch it anymore then he is zooming around to get snacks and put on something cute and/or comforting.

°"you want an extra blanket? We have chocolate you want chocolate??"

°"izuku please sit down, I'm okay."

°very touchy the rest of the night. Almost as if physically apolozing for you having to see that 🥺. Touches are light and needy

Bakugo

° he's REALLY uncomfortable

° I mean it goes to say they all are BUT he seems like the guy to freeze up at first

° mind RACING

°body stiff

° 0-100 instant stress. Just thinking "UGH WTF! I didn't know this shit was in the movie when I picked it out! I hope she knows i didnt know" "👀 damn do I turn it off!? Would that be weird ??" "Is she uncomfortable-"

°he'll blurt smth out about the @ssaulter being a piece of shit or smth.

°he pays a lot of attention to how your reacting to his statement. Wants to make it clear that he would NEVER think that's okay. He can be rough around the edges even sharp at times but he would never cross that boundary w you or anyone else nor does he think that's okay (goes w all of them but I feel bakugo knows he's a little more aggressive than the rest I can see him being a little insecure that anyone would possibly THINK he would sympathies with or do smth so shameful and cruel)

° if he sees you're really affected by the scene, he will pull up every reason that the movie is "actually trash" and that the filmmakers are "demented"

° would turn it off if you're really not feeling the movie anymore

Kirishima

°similar to bakugo there's an instant panic. It's that tense in their muscles, that shift in their eyes to you, to the tv, to you, to the wall.

°there's more hesitation with kirishima because he wants to protect you but doesn't want to treat you like your some kid that can't protect themself

°back and forth, back and forth, back-

°"He- hey baby I don't think your eyes need to see that, right??" Reaching to fast-forward with an awkward laugh which makes you laugh hard

°why this man can't stop stutterin ????

°you adore the way he's so caring about it but the act was just too wholesome not to laugh

°"What?? C-comeon I don't want you to see that. .. it's not beautiful.. and you should only witness things that are beautiful .." (BRUH PLEASE-)

°holds you tight the rest of the movie

°giving small kisses on your head, arms, shoulder

° when the movie is over, just wants to hold you close for a moment in silence

° maybe asks if if you're okay after seeing that even though he fastforwarded through

Denki

°instant reaction

°covers your eyes !!

° "LALALA!! how was your day baby??"

° closes his eyes too!

° he might as well just fast forward or smth, but he kinda just dived over to you before thinking ab it <3.

°yall 100% get caught up in the conversation, hands over your eyes and everything. Maybe he brings up a funny moment when yall were hanging w friends recently or the way the bathroom door looks like it has a face and he's judgey and his name is Willfred the III

°laugh until you snort when yall realize the r#pe scene is over and has BEEN over

°bored w the movie anyway and change it to Shrek

[unreliablesnake]

The first proper date (Kyle "Gaz" Garrick x reader)

Summary: You go on her first proper date with Gaz.

Note: The reader's call sign is Mare. Yes, originally she's gonna be with Ghost, but I just wanted write this stand-alone one-shot.

Warning: afab!reader

There was something about the way Gaz could look at you that made your breath catch in your throat, making you freeze like a deer in the headlights. His eyes usually spoke louder than words, silently telling you what he was thinking about even when you were on a mission.

You could be in a crowded room, your eyes locking for only a few seconds, and you would know all the dirty things he would like to do with you once you left. It made you feel embarrassed, because you didn't want to be that girl, the one who so desperately needed her boyfriend's affection.

"Why don't we get out of here?" he asked, leaning so close to your ear that his lips brushed against your earlobe.

It sent shivers down your spine and you reached out to grab his jacket, looking for something that could keep you grounded. You couldn't manage to say anything, so you simply nodded, then followed him outside.

On the street his hand found yours, fingers tightly wrapping around yours as you walked side by side. This was the first time you went on a proper date in years. Sure, Graves often took you to parties, but you were just friends, so it wasn't the same.

Gaz had done his best to keep you entertained the entire night, cracking jokes every now and then, and guiding you to his funniest friends to let you be part of interesting conversations. The private part of his life surprised you. What you see on missions isn't always in line with one's true personality.

And Gaz was funny. And weird. And intelligent. And so fucking handsome.

The worst part? He was painfully aware of this.

He took you home, not ready to let you go to the hotel just yet. "I don't even know why you stay there. You should be here. With me," he told you with a smile as you stood in the elevator.

He had you pinned against the wall, his fingers curled around your throat, thumb pushing your chin up to make you look him in the eye. His lips were hovering just above yours, as if he was trying to torture you by not letting you close the gap.

The elevator came to a halt and the door opened, so he let you go and stepped out, acting as if nothing happened in there. You followed him, legs still weak, your panties already damp from the wetness of your cunt. This man had you in a chokehold and you desperately wanted to thank him.

"Krusty's gonna be super excited to meet someone new," he noted as he opened the door to his apartment, talking about his beloved border collie you had heard so much about already.

You couldn't hold back your laugh at the thought of the dog's name. "I still can't believe you named your dog after Krusty the Clown."

"Hey, I grew up watching The Simpsons," he said in his defense. "I learned to appreciate this sad old clown when I got older."

Raising a hand to your mouth, you had to bite on your thumb to stop yourself from kissing him. You couldn't do it in the hallway, because if you did, you didn't know if you could stop at a kiss. You wanted him so badly that it took all of your willpower to resist him.

Once inside, you were greeted by the black and white furball, and the dog immediately showed he liked you by licking your hand. Gaz kneeled down and hugged the dog, even picking up a nearby toy to see if he wanted to play.

But the dog was too excited to have him back, the toy wasn't interesting at all. "I've only been gone for a few hours. Imagine what he's like when I'm on a longer mission," he explained with a smile. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Maybe water, thanks."

You watched as he went into the kitchen to get a glass and some water for you and couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to be here with him for longer than a fleeting visit. Maybe you could make breakfast together, cook together, or just chill on the couch and watch some movie.

It was something you weren't used to, the idea was alien and normally seemed so impossible to happen. But as you looked at him, it still felt possible. Gaz was the kind of guy who could give you that, a normal relationship that was more than just being friends with benefits.

When he returned he began to caress your cheek as he watched you. "What are you thinking about?" he asked with an interested look in his brown eyes.

"You," you admitted.

"Oh, is that so?" He was close to you again, so dangerously close. But he probably knew that and it was intentional. "What about me?"

Instead of answering, you leaned in to kiss him, lips moving slowly, carefully tasting him when your tongue found its way into his mouth. You could feel him smile into the kiss as he put his hands around your neck and pulled you closer than you thought was possible.

Even though he pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours and watched your face, studying every little movement, and the look in your eyes. He wanted to know everything to plan his next move.

"I know what you want," he began quietly, "but you'll have to wait."

He was killing you, damn it. "Why?"

"Because I say so," Gaz said with a short laugh.

"Are you enjoying this?"

He gave you a quick kiss, obviously satisfied to hear you whimper when he pulled away again. "Oh, you have no idea. But I picked a movie for us, so we'll watch that first."

With a sigh you nodded, accepting your faith. He took your hand and pulled you towards the couch, where you sat down and rested your head on his shoulder. Gaz looked over at you with a smile as he wrapped an arm around you. It was nice. It was new. It was different. It made you all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Maybe you were starting to fall in love with him.

[witchthewriter]

Hullo!

I'm the quotev reader that said they'd get a tumblr jsut for the specific writings lol

I've followed, done 5 reblogs & a shout-out I'm pretty sure because i wanted to go all the way with level four!

literally have never requested from a fanfic book before so yk i kinda have to keep going back and forth to see what i need to do. So i'm just going to list stuff off that i see is required and whatnot.

personality: It changes depending on the person but I'm consistentley trying to make people smile and laugh, and I gernerally observe lot's of people, I'm quiet around people I don't know but as soon as you choose to talk to me first I'm going to sound insane.

sexuality: Pansexual! :D

pronouns: She/They

MBTI: ESTP-T

Zodiac Big 3: Aries Sun, Taurus Moon, and Aquarius Rising

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

likes/dislikes: I like wearing hoodies all the time, I love music, I love dying my hair, I don't like people who make fun of things before they try it (please don't kill me because I like pineapple pizza-)

hobbies: Drawing digitally and traditionally, writing fanfics, improv

fandoms: Stranger things, Harry Potter, Marvel (my fav three out of the billions im in)

and just as a little extra thing, my fav characters from the top 3 fandom both boy and girl; ST: Steve "The Hair" Harrington & Robin Buckley, HP: Fred&George Weasly & Luna Lovegood, Marvel: James "Bucky" Buchanan Barnes & Yelena Belova

Want one? Here be the rules 🦋

What each ship has in common:

⋆ Kind-hearted ⋆ Brave ⋆ Loyal ⋆ Fun-loving  ⋆ People look up to them

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with Steve Harrington. I think he would be a great match for you - he’s such a charismatic but good natured guy, that you couldn’t help BUT fall for him. The way he would look at you, would make you swoon. 

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・Always driving you in his car  - you’re like a passenger princess. You’re things are scattered around his car; hair bands, perfumes, receipts, bobby pins etc. 

・He lovingly gazes at you, and sometimes it’s weird because it goes for ages. And you’re like, “Steve? Steeeeveeeeee! Stop!” 

   “Huh? Oh sorry babe, you’re just so amazing.” 

・Will be the bf that talks about you to everyone. 

     “And look at this picture, look how cute she is!” 

・Will always be there for you - even if it’s 3 am and he’s fast asleep. You’ll call him and he’ll jump in the car, bleary eyed and pick you up

・SUPER protective of you

     “Ugh, no. No way, you are NOT coming with us.”

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢  

You’re determination and ideas. He loves listening to you talk, how you think and what you believe in. You’ve had a lot of discussions that he’s never had before, and he thinks you’re amazing. 

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑  

Robin Buckley! I think you guys would have such awesome conversations, a deep connection and she would see you as family. 

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with George Weasley! I think you would be better suited to the more sensitive twin. He’s more emotionally mature. 

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・Not caring about the opinions of other people - especially other Slytherins because they are constantly judging you. 

・Always standing up for each other

・Probably getting into trouble, a lot of detention. 

・He’s so much taller than you are, so you have to stand on your tippy toes to kiss him

・ Ginny being wary of you at first because you’re a Slytherin, but when you first visited the Burrow, and she actually got to know you- her opinion changed. You were so much more chill than she thought you would be. 

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢  

Your good heart. And your humour. Don’t forget about the humour. He loves making you laugh, and you have so many inside jokes. He feels so safe and comfortable around you. 

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑  

Fred Weasley - I mean c’mon. You would totally egg him on and rev him up to do pranks. Sometimes George has to set boundaries because you told Fred how to get into the Slytherin common room. And he had all these pranks ready, especially for Malfoy, but George reminded you that you would get into a lot of trouble if it got out. 

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐥

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

I ship you with Bucky Barnes! I think you would be enamored by his grumpy demeanor, and constantly call him ‘old man.’ He would secretly love it though. 

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

・Showing him what he’s missed out on - shows, movies, books, social media, the internet etc 

・I think he’s more of a homebody and would love to stay home and snuggle. He’s a great cuddler. 

・Getting pets together, probably a dog and a cat. And although Bucky initially says he doesn’t like cats, he grows to absolutely adore it. 

・You’re the only one that can make Bucky genuinely laugh and smile. It makes you feel like you’ve achieved something great when you do so. 

・Bucky and Yelena initally hated each other at first but then started to bond over their past. They would randomly dip in and out of Russian. 

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢  

You’re his hope, he just loves you as a whole person. Every part of you brings him joy and it’s like life is worth living with you around. 

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑  

Yelena!!!! She almost like a female version of Bucky, although less grumpy and more gen-z like. She loves doing normal best friend things with you - shopping, movies, sleep overs etc. So Bucky better get used to her, because she’s sticking around. 

[inafb]

Are These Friends?

I think I've addressed this before but my "blog" is more so my place to vent and find other like-minded, stressed, and generally 'done with the bullshit life has had to offer' individuals.

What brought me to tumblr? Well it's free for one but it's mainly because I don't really have an outlet in which I feel I can just release my frustrations and not feel like I'm annoying someone else or feel like my friendships are one-sided.

I have like two friends and I am constantly battling in my head insecurities and thoughts about "am I annoying" or "am I unloading my problems on them too much?" I try not to overthink but it's hard when their actions and responses or no response at all leave me feeling like I definitely am.

One of these friends is great when I talk to her. She listens for hours and she's very supportive. Yet, whenever I call her she doesn't pick up. Maybe once every blue moon but it's very rare and when I text her she doesn't respond either. Now, granted, she's not a texter and neither am I which is why our conversations are always phone based but still. She could still send me back a voice message.

It makes me feel weird, like she's screening my calls but whenever she calls me I pick up. I also feel like that makes it hard to say no when she wants to use my afterpay because I really don't like mixing friends and money due to a really bad experience with that.

Then the other friend I have we used to be super close in the past but we had a falling out. We are talking now but it's not the same and it will likely never be. She has a tendency to leave me on read and not respond and then the next time we talk is because I reached out to her. Previously, I have ended a friendship because I felt like I was always reaching out to them to talk and I felt like I was trying to hold onto something that was fading away.

With her, I feel like I'm trying too hard and overthinking every text. Like "Oh I probably shouldn't say this because she'll stop responding." Even if she doesn't stop responding because of what I'm saying, the fact that she doesn't attempt to reach out after a couple or more days pass is what really bothers me. How is it that I'm left on read but I'm the one to reignite the convo? AND the only reason I need to is whenever I'm in crisis or need to vent because if I don't get some of this stuff off my chest, I will truly be a fucking sobbing mess.

And nobody wants that.

I want friends who want to talk to me, friends who don't leave me on read for 5 days or not answer my calls because they don't want to talk to me when I need them but call me when they need me. I have NEVER had an equally balanced friendship and all of those friendships have disappeared or died violently.

I truly want to say something but at this point I'm self-conscious about even that. I can hear their thoughts in my head once I address it. Like "damn bitch, you always got a problem with SOMETHING!" They'll most likely decide that they do not have time or the patience to be dealing with me and all my problems and gaslight me saying I'm overthinking things. But I'm not really overthinking anything, their actions may not have the intention of making me feel like they don't want to talk to me but they also aren't explicitly saying "I'm not answering right now because of xyz..." so I have to interpret these actions based on previous experiences. My previous experiences with all kinds of people have led me to this conclusion.

At this point, I am just going to try and keep my shit to myself or tumblr because being in constant turmoil about how people feel about me is exhausting.

At this point, I am completely alone. No real emotional support from family or friends so I am trying to find a way to rely on myself or other people who feel the same so I don't feel so lonely in my sadness.

[twistednuns]

August 2023

Manu helped me with the fridge disaster - I actually had to ask for assistance with the lifting because I wasn't strong enough to do it on my own. I'm still learning this lesson... He and Do endured my quick temper and bitchiness due to acute overwhelm during that week. Grateful.

Sushi with grilled salmon and avocado, pre-cut fresh fruit.

Learning about anisocoria. I always thought I was weird for having different pupil sizes.

Finding a flyer for a Kundalini yoga studio nearby. Fantastic recipes in Schrot und Korn magazine.

My first shower at home. Spa-feeling: a fluffy bathrobe, expensive hair care products, a hair dryer...

Becoming a patron for Fran Meneses, one of my favourite illustrators. I love her little photo updates, podcasts and videos.

How easy it is to share dishes with the Friendzone - I love our little dinner collaborations (we met at Schuhbauers in Freising).

Having access to all my clothes, make-up and jewellery again!

Driving to the thermal bath in Bad Aibling with Do. Hanging out in the relaxation dome where they play music underwater. Doris kissed me! Interesting. I really hope starting this again won't hurt her. Afterwards we had dinner at an Italian restaurant. Highlight: pickled onions with balsamic vinegar.

I got to drive Do's car a few times and actually got a rental car to run a few errands. I enjoy driving so much! I might actually be time to get my own car again.

Slowly bringing the apartment back to life. So much to do but I secretly loved it.

Being offered a garden plot while chatting to a lady in the plant department of the local hardware store. Sadly it's too far away for me.

I'm really proud of my balcony makeover. It took me a whole day but it's absolutely lovely out there now. The only thing still missing is a parasol. It was such a good idea to bring my old chair from my grandma's house and get a carpet. Very cosy.

A walk along the river in Thalkirchen with Chris. Getting Cornetto Bottermelk from the kiosk.

Cycling to Alnatura to save a bag of baked goods. Getting my favourite tofu. Meeting Manu at Woolworth, then buying him an ice-cream in his lunch break.

A great conversation with Michael about meditation, enlightenment, philosophy (and excrements to be completely honest). I love that I seem to attract people like that now.

Trolli's giant cheeseburger gummy candy.

Being almost done with my apartment. Starting to decorate and dealing with my mum's crystals.

Watching a thunderstorm on my balcony.

Making a big batch of Bhindi Masala.

Starting to dream again, waking up at 7:30am every day.

Organising my recipe book.

I finally started to watch She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and I love it. It's sparkly, swirly, queer, magical.

Picking wild strawberries on the balcony.

Meeting Becky at our usual spot, the Italian restaurant terrace around the corner. It's just always good to see her, we really seem to get each other. I told her how difficult it is for me to be back and how it feels like I'm simply forgetting what I've learned, falling back into old patterns and ways of thinking immediately. She completely understood. Reassuring. We want to go to the theatre together soon, join an improv and dance class and declutter our wardrobes together and sell everything at the fleamarket.

An inspired morning. Tea and journalling outside. Facial massage. Reciting the five mindfulness trainings (and regretting not going to Bordeaux to volunteer at the Educator's retreat a little). Being super motivated to act like the person I want to be. Fake it till I make it.

Cycling to Maria Einsiedel with Manu. He bought me cherry Capri Sun and gummy candy, brought buttered pretzels. We played a card game, met Chris in the water and a former student at the gas station. Just playing/fighting/piggy back rides in the water were so much fun. Afterwards we made my favourite pasta dish at his place and watched a Bibi Blocksberg movie.

A cold morning after a big thunderstorm. Inspecting the damage on the balcony, hanging everything up to dry. Making a big cup of matcha. Making dinner plans for Japanese tapas. Adopting a passion fruit tree in Spain via CrowdFarming!

Seeing how quickly my nasturtium is sprouting and growing. It only took a few days of sunshine to see the first tiny leaves - usually it can take up to three weeks to see growth.

A balcony session with Becky. Going to the supermarket together (and I didn't buy a single thing even though I was tempted, I'm super proud of myself). Simply hanging out like we used to do with our school friends as kids.

The fantastic smell of Jen+Len ginger rosemary soap. It makes me happy every time I wash my hands.

Elaborate (ayurvedic) skin care rituals in the morning. Cleaning my nose with salt water, scraping my tongue. Facial yoga and gua sha.

Riding my bike to Westend. Realizing that it's not even that far to go downtown and that I should do it more often.

All you can eat Japanese tapas with Lena and Christian. Talking about our personalities and habits. Making plans for future collaborations. I could probably invest in his business and create my own job there. Make art, teach... I'm actually considering it.

Being genuinely surprised by the first spot of rainbow light after hanging up two crystals at the trellis.

My first Isar boat ride ever! And, as luck would have it, I went with Fabi whom I hadn't seen in over two years. Frank cancelled last minute. We got snacks at the supermarket and carried everything to the river. So far so good. Ate a whole box of strawberries and some fine mountain cheese. White chocolate and lemon Mozart balls. But then the adventure really started. We got stuck in a bunch of trees. Of course we discovered a hole in the boat when we got out of the water to reach the next part of the river. But people were so friendly and helpful, they gave us their repair kit and got tape for us from the car, helped us out with an extra pump. After we turned turtle and lost half our stuff, some guys down the stream fished out a good part of it so we had almost everything back! An incredible day. In the end we found a spot near the road to get out, saw a huge dead beaver, carried everything uphill and rented a car to carry it home. I needed some comfort and ease. Wearing warm clothes and stopping at McDonald's was such a treat. We even made it back to the river at night to stop by the Burner event. And it was lovely how at ease I felt with Fabi! Perhaps we actually used to be better friends than I thought.

Appreciation for my body. I wonder what I did to be in quite decent shape at the moment. I love cycling everywhere. Stretching. Even hard things like walking uphill for a long time aren't that bad anymore but it's probably mainly my mental attitude. I see it as a challenge, a journey rather than something impossible and unpleasant.

Feeling a lot of awe and gratitude for Pachamama eating breakfast in my balcony nook. Juicy mangos, tart cacao nibs... It's so amazing what nature provides. Lighting a candle, giving thanks.

Autogrill (I'm so obsessed I even invented a little song for whenever I see one of them) cappuccinos and PocketCoffee summer edition (a tiny cup of espresso with a straw - how lovely and childish, it reminds me of Capri Sun).

Driving down to Italy. The best snacks. Do planning everything. Staying at a vineyard. The sunset. SUPing with a beautiful vista if the mountains at Lago di Garda.

An osteria in the countryside with cheap prices and great pizza. Ravenously eating my salad first.

Shopping at the Italian supermarket. Pistachio and truffle heaven. Amarena cherries. Aromatic peaches.

The hot Tuscan air. Dry landscape. A mountain valley. Cypresses and empty houses in the countryside.

Hanging out by the pool for hours. Playing with Rexi, my old floating toy alligator (and killing him by jumping into the water on his back). Playing rummikub, choosing from five different kinds of ice-cream sandwiches/popsicles.

A shooting star over the pool!

Waking up on a cool morning. Sleeping in. Creative dreams. Feeling good. Less pain in my hip (presumably).

A day at a white sandy beach near Vada. My golden skin and nail polish against the Caribbean turquoise water. Taking photos with a disposable underwater camera. Sitting on each other's backs in the water. Focaccia and ice cream.

Sagra Porcini in Arcille. Delicious Tagliatelle with mushrooms and Tortelli with sage butter. Watching the sun vanish behind a hill, the big bright half moon right behind us. Night swimming in the pool. Watching two episodes of Pumuckl. Repair.

We both said "Ein Sumpf!" at the same time and interlocked our pinkies. I wished for our connection, love, friendship to survive this challenge.

The amazing view over the valley from the crystal clear pool at my last stop. Water acoustics. A big, friendly (and deaf) Golden Retriever and a few cats running around.

We said goodbye one more time. Last time I cried at the Pacific in Mazunte, Mexico. This time at platform one, Stazione di Grosseto, Italy. Why does it always feel so final? Going home alone felt right. But it was so hard to leave her behind. She's right, something's not working and I'm hurting her. But she's my family. I don't wanna lose her. I have hope that we can turn this into something good with a bit of distance and time which is said to heal all wounds.

Looking up just to see 180° of the Mediterranean in the train window.

Adulting. Scheduling appointments. Responding to messages.

Finding the head of a single yellow rose on the ground.

The bakery bag I saved via TooGoodtoGo contained a loaf of bread I really like.

Christian Lacroix' colorful fabric designs for Desigual.

The second episode of the new Queer Eye season. Steph is such a cute person. And Jonathan's dresses are bombdotcom.

Finally deleting an app I wasted too much time with.

My first time at the Munich Wake-Up sangha. Meeting new people, listening and talking, singing together felt great. And I really needed that meditation.

Turning a mediocre pasta dish into a delicious pasta bake.

Finding out about Capri Sun cherry sirup. Sparkly nail polish, highlighter and delicious lip oil from Catrice (might have to get all of them).

Chatting to the medical assistant at the orthopedic practice who still remembers me and is super friendly. She shares all the hot gossip and even promised to take a picture of her 26-year-old house plant for me until my next appointment.

Visiting Manu at Isi's place where he's currently catsitting. Meeting Kovo, falling in love with him. Such a gentle, soft chonky boi. A relaxing parting gift.

Learning about the choir weekend and signing up at the last minute.

My _bias towards action _ principle in action. I usually regret NOT doing something so much more. I didn't feel too great this week but still went out every single evening and socialized.

Meeting the folks from my choir after my year-long absence! Getting to know Ille, the oldest choir member. She's such a Gemini: she loves languages and learning new things, just like me.

Half a buttered roll with sea salt and honey.

Breakfast celebration. Lighting a candle, a crystal and a flower to complete the set. Lovely coffee and fresh fruit. Sitting by the window, listening to a podcast and observing the wildlife in the trees outside.

Rapunzel's Almond Coconut spread is so freaking delicious I can't allow myself to buy it. Like, ever. It's basically Raffaello in a jar.

Sauerkraut. I've missed it so much. Roasted oven veggies with halloumi. All the right spices. Gosh, I love having my own kitchen back.

A quick phone call with Hanna. I'm looking forward to our appointments next month!

Learning what an okra plant looks like. Now I want to grow my own!

Berry tiramisu overnight oats.

A voice message marathon with Michael about numerology, Kundalini, the spiritual path, finding balance and so on.

[sharpietriesagain]

1/8/22

I'm supposed to be journaling every day and I didn't have anything exciting to share. Still don't. However, it's time to thought dump.

Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment that I'm slightly nervous about. This was supposed to have been in September, but things were pure chaos, so now, finally, we're going to get an update on my health bs. I don't want to go. And I have to go alone and that kinda sucks.

My body dysmorphia is on the fritz. I had a conversation with a friend about having it in my head that I weigh more than I do, which is depressing. I actually get "officially" weighed by the doctor tomorrow as well, so here's to hoping it will ease my mind (I don't trust the scale at home). I shouldn't be bitching, to be honest. I was not super heavy to begin with. At least when I was at that weight, I didn't think so. Again, weird to think about. Today I tried on a new outfit that was a gift and wouldn't you know, it's too big. Yay, but also, what?

This is going to blend with my dysmorphia, but the confusion surrounding my sexuality. Gag. I don't like even analyzing it because I've always been like "Yeah, I like who I like and I am who I am" but I've never made it my personality or my like, "label," I guess? So, I saw a photo of me from two years ago and I was trying to pick out what I liked about myself in that photo. Hair? It was boiling hot and humid that day. I could take it or leave it. My legs? They just...look weird in feminine shorts. I have no problem with them, but my bottoms did not match me. Nor did my top. My clothes did not match how I see myself in my head. My hands were actually my favorite part of the photo. I have kind of big, sort of masculine hands. They did not match my outfit. So...kind of think I need to ditch the feminine outfits. Go with the gender neutral stuff. See if I feel more comfortable. I think that would help me a lot. Also, I am a cis female. She/her. All of that I feel 100% solid with. Just not my appearance. Also thinking of cutting my hair this summer. We shall see.

I think that's it for this post. As far as the shady shit I've had a feeling about, I'm now thinking it has something to do with a little shitty, shady business that has come up with work. Could possibly quit over it. I feel like it's that serious. We shall see.

[bbysamu]

#Haikyuu boy when he suspects his teammate has a crush on you

featuring:: OIKAWA Toru, KUROO Tetsuo, AZUMANE Asahi, SUNA Rintaro 

genre:: slice of life / fluff 

warning:: none! 

a/n: hehehe jealous Haikyuu boys are kind of cute 

❥ OIKAWA Toru

Oikawa is seething as he watches Kindaichi blush while listening to you describe some weird animal you saw on discovery channel. Oikawa always thought he’d feel a sense of pride if he catches his teammate crushing on you. Yet, watching the slow smile spread on his kouhai’s face and the obvious deep tint in his cheeks as you pat his shoulder for emphasis, Oikawa is angry. And when Oikawa is angry, Oikawa is petty. You jump slightly when you feel the pretty setter’s arms snake around your waist. “Toru! You scared me! sneaking up like that...” Oikawa smiles down at you, “I just wanted to see what MY GIRLFRIEND and my kouhai were laughing about”. “oh I was just telling Kindaichi about this fish I saw on the TV last night. It could glow in the dark! and Kindaichi was just telling me about how he loves glow-in-the-dark fishes.” Oikawa turns to Kindaichi, who seems to shrink under the glower of his captain, “oh does he now? Does Kindaichi like the fishes MY GIRLFRIEND saw on the tv last night?” Kindaichi nods slightly, “yeah, I've always been pretty fascinated with fishes”. Oikawa smiles, “that’s cool! You know what else was very cool? When MY GIRLFRIEND and I went on a DATE to the aquarium. It was super fun. MY GIRLFRIEND and I saw so many different kind of fishes. MY GIRLFRIEND even bought us matching BOYFRIEND and GIRLFRIEND fish rings. She got the clown fish one and I'm the anemone. MY GIRLFRIEND AND I can’t be separated. MY GIRL--”. Oikawa was interrupted by Iwaizumi. “SHUT UP OIKAWA! We get that Y/N your girlfriend! Just shut up already”. Oikawa turns to Kindaichi, “do you get that Kindaichi?” Kindaichi nods quickly before running away. “Toru...” You sigh, “why are you so petty? We were just talking”. Toru laughs before pulling you close, “sorry babe. I just get so jealous when MY GIRLFRIEND talks to my teammate who has a crush on her”.

❥ KUROO Tetsuro 

He glares across the room at Lev, who’s little crush on you was starting to get on his nerves. Lev was anything but subtle. It was the annoying way he butted in when the two of you are walking home, offering to carry your backpack, as if Kuroo hadn’t already offered the moment he saw you. It was the annoying way he yells “Y/n-senpai!” when you visit them at practice and runs up to you like a little puppy, when Kuroo should’ve been the one to greet you first. Kuroo knows Lev was no threat to your relationship and as captain, he really should just let it go. So why is he picking on the tall middle blocker and making him run extra dive practices? “Kuroo, can I take a break now?” Lev asks, out of breath from diving onto the floor for twenty minutes. Kuroo was about to say “no”, when Yaku steps in, “yeah take a break Lev”. Kuroo glares down at the Libero as Yaku glares up. “Get a grip on yourself Kuroo. You’re gonna kill the kid”. “Maybe he should’ve thought of that before he’s goes around flirting with MY girlfriend”. Yaku laughs, “so this is what its about? Man, you’re petty. Just talk to him”. Your pretty laughter interrupted his conversation as he looks to his left and sees Lev cracking some jokes with you. Kuroo turns back to Yaku, “don’t worry, I'll talk to him after practice. But only after another twenty minutes of diving practice”. “Kuroo....” Yaku warns. “what? I’m not being petty. You know he needs it”. 

❥ AZUMANE Asahi 

Asahi is a calm and kind man. He hates confrontation of any kind, which is why he’s sweating profusely as he watches Sugawara chatting and laughing with you. Asahi knows Sugawara would never try to ruin your relationship, but he also sees the way the pretty setter’s eyes lingers on you for just a tad bit too long. He walks over and awkwardly inserts himself into the conversation, purposely putting distance between you and Sugawara “hahaha, what are we laughing about guys?” You look at him and smiled, “just about the new Jujutsu Kaisen episode. Babe, you watched it right?” “no, I didn’t yet”. “no worries, I can re-watch it with you!”. Pretty soon, you and Suga resume your conversation. Asahi was not about to confront his friend for taking up his time with you, but he wasn’t about to let this conversation go on any further. He checks his invisible watch, “oh no Y/n! It’s getting so late, we gotta go! Bye Suga!” He pulls you away before you have to time react. Asahi glances back slightly to see if the setter was watching the two of you and he was. Asahi hates himself for being so petty, but he couldn’t help himself as he tightens his hand around your waist and pulls you into a kiss. “woah, babe, what was that for?” “nothing, I just love you, you know that right?” You smile, “yes, but prove it to me again?” He doesn't even hesitate as he leans down again. 

❥ SUNA Rintaro

Suna definitely considers himself an observant person, which is why Atsumu’s little crush on you was immediately discovered by him. It wasn't that Suna was angry. Atsumu is his friend and honestly, who can blame him for having a crush on you when you’re....you. Suna wasn’t angry, he was just annoyed. He was annoyed to see the faintest hint of blush on Atsumu’s ears whenever he talks to you or the goofy smile the faux blonde is unable to wipe off when you smile at him. Suna is sure he’d explode if he sees Atsumu shyly glancing at you one more time, whenever he thinks people aren’t looking. Which brings us to the situation at hand. Atsumu walks into the empty locker room, “Yo Suna, you said you wanted to talk?” “Atsumu, do you like Y/N?” Atsumu couldn’t stop the heat from rushing to his cheeks as he sputters, “what? no! of course not!” Suna smiles, “you don’t have to lie, I'm not mad”. Atsumu knows he can’t hide this from the observant middle blocker. “I’m sorry man. It’ll go away soon I promise.”  Suna puts his hand on his shoulder, “yeah I know. Thanks for being honest. Maybe it’ll help to distance yourself from her these days.” It was both a kind suggestion and a thinly-veiled threat at the same time. Atsumu nods. Suna pats his friend’s shoulder before meeting you outside the gym. “Why are you smiling like this, Rin?” He glances down at you gently and lovingly, “nothing, just happy to get something off my chest”.

stay fetch, xoxo

[ming-yu-hao]

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder | Chapter 3

Pairing: fratboy!mingyu x female reader

Word Count: 6k

Synopsis: When you transferred to a different university, you and Wonwoo promised that you would make long distance work. But distance proves to be more difficult than you both originally thought.

This Chapter’s Tags: angst, protected sex, finger sucking, grinding, light choking/spanking/dirty talk, mingyu just being an ass man, riding, cheating obviously

Warning: THIS SERIES IS ABOUT CHEATING. DO NOT READ IF IT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE!

A/N: Y’ALLLLL I’m sorry this took me forever to upload... I just got super busy but there won’t be as long as a wait for the next chapter! As always feedback is appreciated and I hope you guys like this :)

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Your knees quivered beneath you as you pulled the soft fabric of your leggings up your thighs and over your hips. You bent down to pick up your shirt that was still balled up on the floor, and when you stood again you could hear the bed rustle behind you as Mingyu shifted his weight.

Guilt didn't hit you until you slipped your shirt back over your head, fully dressing yourself once again.

What had you done?

Without looking at him, you spoke: "I think I should go now."

He was silent.

You stepped over to the door, your hand about to twist the knob when he finally called out to you.

"Y/N."

You looked at him. He was sitting up on his bed; his dark hair was a mess, hanging over his forehead. His lips were parted like he didn't know what to say.

"Um, don't forget your jacket. It's cold outside." He pointed to your jacket that was still discarded on the floor.

"Oh, thanks," you said with your voice wavering. You quickly picked up the jacket and headed for the door again.

"Text me when you get home, okay?" Mingyu rushed to say. The corners of his mouth quirked up into a thin, awkward smile and you nodded your head in response.

Why did he suddenly care? He used to just be some guy you sat next to in class. When did he want to become your friend? When did he start to become protective over you? Was this all really just because of his half-drunken encounter with you at that party? Did the moment you two shared that night cause him to feel some kind of attachment to you? Thinking about it all made your head spin. Nothing made sense to you anymore.

You turned the knob and cracked open the door when Mingyu spoke again.

"Um, also... you know, if you ever need anything... I'm here for you." His voice shook a bit.

You exhaled. "Thank you."

You slipped out of his room before he could say anything else and stepped down the stairs quietly, attempting to dart out the front door before anyone could see you. There was a small group of people hanging out in the living room like Mingyu had said, their laughter and conversations loud and echoing through the house.

When you reached the bottom of the stairs, you kept your gaze down at your feet while you scanned the floor for your shoes.

"Y/N?" You heard a voice call from behind you.

You huffed out a quiet breath in frustration before turning around with an overly sweet smile on your face. Your eyes landed on Seungcheol.

"Oh, hey! It's weird not seeing Jisoo following you around." You joked.

Seungcheol smiled sheepishly. "Yeah..." He trailed off, looking down at the ground.

"Are you guys dating?" You probed with a raised eyebrow.

"I wanted to talk to you about that, actually." He admitted, making eye contact with you. Curiosity plagued you, and you stared at him expectantly as you waited for him to speak. "I wanna do something special for her when I ask her out... just cause, I don't know, I really like her." He stammered nervously, lowering his voice so no one could eavesdrop.

You gave him a genuine smile. You were happy that Jisoo had found someone that truly liked her. Ever since the beginning of the semester, she had been cycling through an array of terrible guys that used and ghosted her. Seungcheol seemed like a genuinely good person; you trusted him to take care of her.

You brought your hand to your chin as you pondered for a moment. "Well, if I'm being honest, she's, like, a huge hopeless romantic. Loves cheesy romance movies and stuff." You started, "If you took her out to a nice dinner and walked around some really pretty, romantic place after, that'd be her dream come true."

Seungcheol nodded, his eyes glazed over in deep thought as he acknowledged your advice. "Yeah, that sounds like her." He smiled. "Thanks."

You nodded. "So... how did the raffle go?"

"It went really good, actually." He responded, shoving his hands in his pockets. "The money's going to a child psychology organization. I've been doing research with them for a few months now."

Your eyes lit up in interest at his story. "That's really cool. Have you discovered any groundbreaking research yet?" You half-joked.

He chuckled, "I guess a little bit."

A lightbulb suddenly went off in your brain. "Hey, do you think I could interview you about all this research stuff you've done? I need to write an article for class."

Seungcheol shrugged. "Sure."

You spent the next few minutes probing him about how he got involved in the program, what he had been researching, his motivation to study child psychology—all while taking down notes on your phone. He explained to you how he had struggled with anxiety his whole life and wanted to find a way to help others. In the back of your mind, this was all affirming why he was such a good match for Jisoo. He was caring, passionate, charitable. Your heart warmed at the thought of Jisoo finally settling down with someone who was actually a good person.

Your interview came to an end and you thanked Seungcheol for helping you out. He nodded before glancing down at the jacket you were carrying in your arms.

"Were you planning on leaving?" He asked.

"Yeah, I need to go work on homework and stuff." You answered.

He attempted to suppress his smirk by biting his lip. "You and Mingyu didn't get much work done together?" He raised his eyebrows at you.

You felt your heart drop into your stomach. "What?"

"Relax, I'm just kidding." Seungcheol laughed. "He just seemed comfortable with you earlier, you know?"

The tension in your stomach loosened a little as you realized that he didn't actually know what happened between you two. This is exactly what Mingyu was worried about earlier. So it was true that Seungcheol liked to play matchmaker and get involved in everyone else's relationships.

"There's nothing going on between you guys?" Seungcheol questioned after you didn't respond.

You felt your cheeks grow hot with irritation. "No. I have a boyfriend." You said curtly.

Seungcheol's mouth formed an O-shape at the sudden coldness in your tone. "I-I'm sorry, I was just kidding." He quickly apologized.

"It's okay." You sighed. You glanced around for your shoes, avoiding his regretful gaze.

"Well, I really have to get going. Thanks for helping me out." You said as you slipped on your shoes.

He smiled apologetically and walked you over to the door. "See you, Y/N!" He called behind you as you stepped out into the cold.

You buried yourself in work for the next two days. You figured it was easier to just get lost in the flow of doing assignment after assignment rather than to think about what happened.

But no matter what you did, your mind still wandered back to that moment—when your lips finally met Mingyu's, and his body pressed against yours.

The worst part was that you didn't even try to stop him: you had agreed to it, and God, you even thanked him for it! You weren't even sure if you could regret what happened. You hated yourself for betraying Wonwoo's trust, but at the same time you craved attention and affection. Mingyu just happened to be the one that fulfilled your wishes after all this time.

You would never tell Mingyu that, of course. Honestly, you were unsure if you could even face him about it. He could tell that you felt guilty afterwards. If you just finished this stupid project and avoided him for the rest of the semester, he would probably get the hint and leave you alone.

It was Saturday evening when you typed the last words of your article on Seungcheol and his research. You hadn't talked to Mingyu since you left his room on Thursday night, but you needed him to complete his share of the work. Sighing, you picked up your phone and pulled up your messages with him. You quickly explained what kind of pictures he needed to take and told him to send them to you (so you could avoid seeing him anymore than you needed to).

You clicked out of your conversation, and that's when your eyes landed on the messages that were still unread by Wonwoo. You wanted to ask him what he was doing, but after three days with no response, it felt pathetic to even attempt to strike up a conversation now.

The sound of the door knob jiggling startled you before Jisoo busted into the room a moment later.

"Y/N!" She cheered in a sing-song voice. "We have another party to go to tonight!"

You already knew exactly where this party was going to be, and you felt your stomach drop at the thought of running into Mingyu.

You shook your head. "No way, Jisoo. I'm way too busy." You lied.

She pouted her lips at you. "Really? You've been working nonstop. How're you still not done?"

You shrugged and let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Well, you can take a break for a few hours. I promise I won't leave you this time. You can hangout with me and Cheol." She begged, looking at you with wide, saddened eyes.

Your phone vibrated between your hands, and when you glanced down you saw Mingyu's name on the screen.

Mingyu: I'm actually gonna be out studying and working on some stuff with a friend tonight. I promise I'll get the pics for you tomorrow :) Sent at 7:37 PM

You thought it was a little weird for a guy like Mingyu to be studying on a Saturday night, but when you realized that he wouldn't be at the party, relief flooded over you.

You looked up at Jisoo and saw her still expectantly staring at you, waiting for your response.

"I- I guess I could go for a bit."

"YES!" Seungkwan shrieked as he successfully landed another ball in one of Jisoo's cups. He turned to you and wildly smacked your palm in a high five, nearly hitting you in the face. Your stomach was starting to hurt from laughing for the past ten minutes over the intense match of beer pong in front of you.

The crowd around the table reacted loudly, some cheering and some booing as Jisoo downed another cup of alcohol. She shivered at the taste and Seungcheol came up from behind to pat her on the back. His lips moved as he said something to her, but with music blasting through the house so loud, you couldn't make out a single word.

Your phone vibrated in your back pocket. Without much thought, you pulled it out and quickly glanced at the screen.

Your heart sank into your stomach as you realized: Wonwoo was calling.

"Fuck," you muttered under your breath. You had completely forgotten that Saturday's were now reserved for your FaceTime dates.

You looked up at everyone with wide eyes, but they were too immersed in the game to notice your reaction. You pushed your way through the crowd and slipped into the bathroom before Jisoo or anyone else could come looking for you.

By the time you reached the bathroom and locked the door, the FaceTime call had already stopped ringing. Leaning against the door, you scrolled through your contacts and called back, but only as a phone call.

Wonwoo answered after two rings.

"Hey, everything alright?" He asked.

You swallowed. "Uh... yeah."

"Why didn't you FaceTime?" He continued. You hesitated, but then he spoke before you could say anything. "Why is it so loud? Where are you?"

You cursed yourself for not running away to a room that was farther away from all the music and noise outside the door. Fidgeting with your fingers, you answered: "A party."

"Oookay," he scoffed. "You could've at least let me know if you were gonna go out. But it's fine. Have fun, I guess." He responded coldly.

Your brows furrowed together instinctively. Now it was your turn to scoff at him. "You're not serious, are you?" The skin of your face grew warmer. Wonwoo was quiet. "I forgot. Sorry." You admitted through grit teeth.

"Why're you so mad?" He questioned in a defensive tone.

You rolled your eyes. "This is the first time I've ever cancelled on you and it was an accident. Do I need to remind you of all the times you ditched me?"

Wonwoo didn't respond.

"And what the fuck have you been doing the past three days that you couldn't respond to me?" You spat. Blood was rushing through your veins quickly now as anger took over.

He sighed through the receiver. "I was busy."

"Does it really take that much time to send a text to your fucking girlfriend?" Your voice began to rise. "How do you expect this to work if you don't even talk to me?"

"I'm sor-" He began to speak, but you interrupted him.

"You know, sometimes it feels like I'm dating nobody!" You cried. "Do you even realize how lonely I feel?" Your voice shook with each word as your throat grew tighter; tears welled up in your eyes. You didn't want to cry, but all the frustration you had bottled up the past couple months was finally spilling over.

In a calm voice, all Wonwoo said was: "I'm trying."

"Not hard enough." You scoffed.

"What the fuck, Y/N? Where is this coming from?" He cried. The sudden rise in his voice startled you a bit.

The phone shook in your grasp. "You act like I don't even exist! How can you call that trying?"

"Fuck, I'm not dealing with this right now. Go back to your stupid fucking party." He snapped.

"Yeah, just go and ignore me again!" You laughed sardonically.

The three tones of the call ending sounded abruptly. You looked down at your phone in shock. He had hung up on you.

Your hands balled into fists as you threw your head back against the door. Your jaw was tense, but your bottom lip still quivered.

He had done it again. It seemed it was becoming easy for him at this point—abandoning you when you needed him.

This wasn't going to last much longer if the two of you couldn't figure this out.

When you pressed your lips into a thin line, tears slipped down, staining the bags under your eyes with makeup.

Was he giving up on you?

Your head began to pound. You couldn't stand being in this hot bathroom any longer, much less this party in general. You wiped your cheeks with the back of your hand and turned to unlock the door.

As you took a step out of the bathroom, you kept your gaze locked on your feet; you didn't want anyone to notice the state you were currently in.

Not even a moment after opening the door, you collided with a tall, warm body.

"Sorry," you mumbled, pushing past.

"Y/N?" A familiar voice called. Strong hands grasped your forearm, and you glanced up at the figure.

Mingyu.

What force was bringing you back to him once again?

His lips parted in a small gasp as he noticed the redness in your tearful eyes. "Hey, what's wrong? Come here."

Before you could protest, he guided you back into the bathroom, closing and locking the door so no one could bother you two.

You kept your eyes down at the ground, unable to look at him. As he approached you, the heat of his skin radiated against you.

"I thought you were out studying." You spoke, breaking the silence.

Mingyu's hands found your jaw. He ran the smooth skin of his thumbs over your cheeks, wiping the tears that remained. "I finished early," he explained.

"Look at me," Mingyu whispered. You swallowed and blinked before meeting his eyes.

You didn't notice the thin, black-rimmed glasses that were resting on his nose before. His dark hair was pushed back, and his tan skin glowed under the bathroom light. You hated how instinctively drawn you felt to his presence.

You started to think that Kim Mingyu might be the Devil, disguised in the form of a beautiful boy that always knew the right words to say. He was here to tempt you, to swindle you at your most vulnerable moments, to test your fidelity. And you were weak enough to cave in.

"Is it your boyfriend?" He asked.

The gaze he held on you was so intense that you found yourself staring at the frames of his glasses instead of his eyes. You nodded silently in response to his question.

"Talk to me. What happened?" Mingyu cooed as he stroked your cheeks with his thumbs.

"I-" You started, but let out a sigh instead. "We just fought. I don't know. I don't wanna talk about it." You rambled.

"Okay," he nodded. "Sorry if I pushed it." He removed his hands from your face. The skin suddenly felt cold without his touch.

He sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "We can talk about something else."

You stood still, nodding, but couldn't think of anything to say.

"You know," Mingyu started, "You look really pretty. Even when you're crying." Your skin flushed at the compliment.

Rolling your eyes playfully, you wiped the last remnants of makeup off your cheeks. "Is that your go-to line for every girl?" You joked.

"No," he replied. "Just cause I'm in a frat doesn't mean I'm a douche."

You snickered under your breath. "Yeah, but there's gotta be so many girls that hit on you."

"There's some," he shrugged. "Doesn't mean I flirt back."

Your legs were beginning to grow tired from standing, so you walked over to the counter and sat on the edge. You gripped the ledge to keep your balance, swinging your legs back and forth.

Mingyu stood in his same spot, but turned in your direction. He quirked his eyebrows at you. "Are you suggesting that I'm attractive enough to have hundreds of girls swooning over me?" He shot you a teasing grin.

You chuckled and shook your head. "You wish."

Mingyu's jaw dropped in a fake expression of shock as he came closer to you, but he stood to the side to stare at himself in the mirror. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Since when do you wear glasses?" You inquired.

"Since forever." He replied.

Mingyu placed his hands on the edge of the counter, pushing his weight onto them. The muscles in his arms were prominent through his black shirt. Your eyes dragged across his figure, eventually landing on his face again.

"I like them. They look good." You said.

He glanced at you, his eyes laced with hints of suspicion. "Thanks," he said with his voice a little uneven. He cleared his throat and stood up straight. "Did I help get your mind off him a bit?"

You winced at the mention of Wonwoo, but nodded. "Yeah, you did. Thank you." You exhaled.

Mingyu smiled to himself and his eyes met yours once again. "Good. I feel like it's the least I can do to help."

As you stared at him, you admired his features—his soft, clear complexion and plump lips. You suddenly became aware of how close he was to you; his hand was resting only a few inches away from your thigh. Your mind thought back to how it felt when those hands caressed the bare skin of your body. Impulsively, your thighs pressed together at the revisitation of the memory.

The room felt like it had instantly shot up ten degrees, and the heat left your judgement clouded like a foggy mirror. If Mingyu really was the Devil, his plan was working.

You leaned towards him until your face was only a few inches from his. Your breath caught in your throat as you went to speak.

"I really wanna kiss you right now." You admitted quickly, your eyes focused on his lips.

Mingyu backed away. "Are you drunk?" He asked. His eyes were wide with concern as he scanned you.

You remained where you were, embarrassment creeping up on you as you rapidly shook your head. "I haven't drank anything."

Mingyu chewed on his bottom lip. "I- I don't think it's a good idea. After last time..." he trailed off, glancing up to peek at your reaction. "I don't want you to do something you'll regret again."

"I don't regret it." You blurted before you could stop yourself.

You weren't sure what you were doing or where you wanted to go with this, but you couldn't stop. A feeling of lust had possessed you at this point, controlling your every word and action.

Mingyu looked taken aback at your confession, standing up straighter. His lips were parted in uncertainty, but you watched as his eyes flicked down to look at your lips.

"You don't?" He asked, inching closer to you.

Your heart was beating rapidly in your chest now. You quickly shook your head. "No."

His right hand found a place to rest under your chin, tilting your head up to look at him as his face neared yours. He swiped his thumb over your bottom lip.

"Are you sure?" He whispered.

Desire had overcome you so strongly at this point that you couldn't bring yourself to answer him through words. Instead, you crashed your lips onto his.

Mingyu responded eagerly, his kisses fueled with the same amount of force. Your hands quickly found purchase on the nape of his neck, pulling his body closer to yours. Right as you spread your legs to allow him to stand in between them, Mingyu's tongue darted against your lips, slipping into your mouth when you parted your lips for him.

He placed his left hand on your inner thigh, roughly squeezing the flesh between his fingers as he deepened the kiss. You moaned into his mouth, and he dragged his other hand down to the small of your back to pull you closer to him.

Now your core was pressed against his. Mingyu removed his lips from yours, only to place open-mouthed kisses on the area below your ear. You jerked your hips up as he nibbled lightly on the skin, the friction between your thighs growing.

Your jaw hung open as your arousal increased with each moment; your breathing became heavy while you panted into his ear. He sucked on your collarbone, and a chill shot it's way up your spine. You whimpered loudly and you could feel Mingyu smirk against your skin.

"You sound so pretty," he mumbled, his lips brushing against your skin as he spoke. He lifted his head, his tongue poking out of his cheek while he observed you. Your head was thrown back, eyes half shut, and you were ever so slightly grinding your hips against his for the smallest bit of relief.

Mingyu brought his fingers up to your lips, tapping on the soft skin to catch your attention. "Suck," he said, watching as you obediently parted your lips for him. He shoved two of his fingers into your mouth and pressed them down against your tongue. You could feel wetness building up between your legs. Even though it wasn't anything extreme, Wonwoo never did stuff like this with you in bed. You had to admit, all the new things that Mingyu was introducing to you excited you.

You hummed against him as he stuffed your mouth, almost gagging when his fingers neared the back of your throat. You swirled your tongue around his digits before he quickly pulled them away. You opened your eyes, staring at him in confusion, but his hungry gaze was already locked in on your core. He fumbled with the button of your jeans, and you felt your arousal suddenly spike at the thought of his fingers inside you.

You helped him shuffle your jeans over your ass and down to your knees. He bit his lip as he stared at your clothed heat, his cock stiffening beneath his own jeans, and pressed his dampened fingers to your clit through the fabric of your underwear.

You gasped quietly at the contact, but it wasn't enough. "Mmh, Mingyu," you whined. "Please."

"So needy," he teased with a smirk on his lips. He slipped his fingers beneath the fabric, pressing into your slick folds. His breathing grew heavier. "How're you so wet? I barely even touched you." He breathed against your cheek before he pressed a soft kiss to it. You blushed at his teasing words.

Mingyu rubbed your clit in slow circles, spreading your arousal around your folds. He pressed his lips to yours again, swallowing the moans you were letting out. He dragged his fingers down your heat, teasing your entrance by avoiding it. You clenched around nothing.

"Mingyu, I need you," you muttered against his lips.

"My fingers?" He questioned teasingly, pushing the tips of his digits into your core.

Desire was eating away at you, clouding your thoughts and replacing them with lust-filled ones. You bucked your hips up into his hand, whimpering beneath him.

"No, I want... you." You panted, looking up at him. Embarrassment picked away at you due to your vague request. His eyes appeared even darker than usual as he stared down at you with lust, registering what you were asking for.

Just as he was about to speak, the door knob shook, followed by loud pounding on the door. You jumped, and Mingyu quickly pulled his fingers away from your heat, leaving you with nothing.

"Open up!" A voice called from outside the door. "I have to piss!"

Oh, how wonderful.

You looked to Mingyu with wide eyes, and he motioned for you to stand up. "Pull your pants up!" He shouted at you in a whisper as he wiped his hands on his jeans. He stepped away from the counter, pressing his lips together in frustration as he realized the tent in his pants was painfully obvious.

You pushed yourself off the counter, standing up with shaky legs as you quickly pulled your pants over your hips and re-buttoned them.

The door knob jiggled again. "I'm literally gonna piss myself if you don't open this door in five seconds!" The same voice cried.

"What do we do?" You whispered to Mingyu.

He sighed. "Get out of here as fast as possible and go to my room." Your stomach flipped at the mention of his bedroom; you were really about to go through with this. He reached his hand out for you to grab, and you took hold of it as he led you both to the door.

Mingyu fumbled with the lock, and the door busted open a moment later, revealing a very drunken boy on the other side. He looked both of you up and down. You ducked down slightly, attempting to hide your face behind Mingyu's broad shoulders.

"Fuck, Mingyu? Really? The bathroom?" The boy said with disgust.

Mingyu rolled his eyes, his hand squeezing yours tighter. "Fuck off, Soonyoung." He replied before rushing out of the bathroom with you following close behind.

You couldn't help giggling at Mingyu's comment. He glanced over his shoulder when he noticed you laughing, a smile finding its way to his own lips as he chuckled at you. "Was I too harsh?" He joked.

Mingyu dragged you through the house quickly, and when you reached the bottom of the stairs, he pushed you in front of him to lead the way. You rushed up the steps, and when you neared the top, a sudden smack was delivered to your butt.

You let out a cry, followed by laughter of disbelief. "Mingyu!" You exclaimed with your jaw dropped once you reached the top of the stairs.

Mingyu stood behind you, his hands gripping your waist. He giggled into your ear. "I'm sorry, your ass is so cute." He placed a soft peck to your cheek.

"Let's go," he whispered, his voice suddenly an octave lower. Your stomach twisted, and Mingyu began leading you towards his room with his hands still on your hips.

He let go of you to twist the knob and push the door open, but as soon as you stepped foot into his room, his hands found your waist again and hurriedly pushed you further past the door. He kicked the door closed behind him, pushing you up against the wood. His lips quickly found yours, kissing you with even more intensity than before.

You could barely catch your breath as Mingyu gave you more rough kisses. He was being taken over by lust; he pressed himself against you, allowing you to feel the hardness in his pants. You ran one hand from his shoulder down his chest and stomach, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt tensing at your touch. Finally you palmed him through his jeans and he groaned against your mouth.

"Fuck, you're driving me crazy." He whispered before placing one more messy kiss to your lips. He pulled away to slip his fingers under the hem of your shirt, pulling it over your head quickly and tossing it to the floor. His lips found your neck again, and you moaned as his tongue darted out to lick your sensitive spot. His hands were on your ass, pulling you closer to him and squeezing the soft skin.

Your head rolled back. "Shit, Mingyu," you moaned. "I need you now."

Mingyu pulled away to look down at you with a grin on his face. "Yeah?" He raised his eyebrow. He spanked your ass lightly, causing you to whimper and lean into him. "Go to the bed." He demanded, stepping away from you.

You walked to the bed, trying to swing your hips to hide the nervous wobble in your knees. You felt Mingyu come up behind you, his body pressing against yours. His stiff cock was brushing against your thigh. You turned around, sitting on the edge of the bed as you looked up at him.

"When are you gonna take this off?" You questioned while toying with the fabric of his shirt.

He chewed on his lip as he smirked at you. Without a word, he pulled it over his head, exposing his muscular arms and toned chest. Your eyes dragged hungrily over his torso, drinking in the sight of the outline of his abs.

"Better?" He teased, interrupting your admiring of his body. You looked up at his face. His glasses still rested on his nose, but his hair was slightly disheveled and his lips were now pink and swollen from kissing yours. You were breathless. He was beautiful, and you wanted him so badly.

You perked up from the position you were sitting in, a surge of confidence driven by desire guiding you. "Lie down," you commanded. Mingyu looked taken aback for a moment as he processed your sudden dominance, but he just chuckled and laid down without protest.

Once his back was against the mattress and he was splayed out beneath you, you crawled up towards him, straddling his hips. You dragged your hands down his chest, admiring the softness and warmth of his skin while you began to grind against him.

Mingyu threw his head back as he moaned softly, and you felt yourself clench at the sound. You leaned down, pressing your chest to his as you left kisses on his neck. His hips bucked up into your center. The friction between your bodies was so intense it was driving you insane.

You felt his fingers drag across your spine, causing goosebumps to from across your skin. He fumbled with the clasp of your bra and pulled the straps down your arms. You sat up to fully pull it off and throw it somewhere in the room, and Mingyu quickly brought his hands to your breasts. He squeezed the sensitive buds, twisting your nipples between his fingers. You moaned and pressed your hips into his even harder.

"Ride me," Mingyu mumbled into your ear. Unable to form any words, you nodded, reaching for the button of his jeans.

You lifted yourself off him to help him unzip his pants, and once he started pulling them off you kneeled to the side to discard your own jeans. Just as you began pulling your underwear down your thighs, Mingyu reached for the nightstand next to his bed, shuffling around in the drawer and eventually pulling out a condom.

He pulled his cock out of his boxers, and it stood stiffly against his stomach. He quickly ripped open the package, sliding the latex over his shaft. You straddled his thighs again, about to sink yourself onto him when he quickly grabbed your hips.

"No, no." He said. "Turn around."

You looked at him in confusion. "But-"

"Just trust me," he added, pressing a soft kiss to your chest.

You turned around so your back was facing him, still straddling his thighs. He kept one hand on your waist as the other reached for his cock. He guided the stiff head through your folds, wetting his cock with your arousal. When the tip brushed against your clit you whimpered as you clenched around nothing again.

"Please, Mingyu," you whined.

He dragged the head down to your entrance, finally pushing into you. Both of his hands rested on your hips now as he slowly sunk you down onto him.

You moaned at the slight burning sensation the stretch left behind. It had already been months since a dick was last inside you, and with Mingyu's size it was even more intense.

You aided by lowering yourself onto his cock, and once he bottomed out inside you he stayed still to let you adjust. His dick twitched inside you, and you clenched around him in response.

"You're so fucking tight," he moaned into your ear. He began nibbling and sucking at the skin between your neck and shoulder from behind you, and you whined in response.

You lifted yourself off him slowly, basking in the feeling of his cock rubbing against your walls. You sunk down fully onto him before raising your hips again, finally beginning to ride him.

Mingyu allowed you to work yourself against his length while he brought one hand to your breast again. You moaned loudly as he squeezed the flesh between his fingers and bucked his hips up into you.

"Mmmh, shit, you feel so good," you babbled before crying loudly again. Mingyu quickly brought his other hand up to your throat, lightly choking you.

"Shhh, baby." He whispered against your skin. "You can't be so loud." His words were followed by another soft slap to your ass, making you whine quietly.

He let go of your throat, bringing both of his hands to your waist once again to speed up your pace. He angled his hips so he could thrust up into you at the same time, and the angle caused him to hit your sensitive spot every time. You panted loudly as the pressure in your lower stomach grew, and you ground yourself against his cock, clenching around him.

"Shit." Mingyu choked out breathlessly. "Tight little pussy's taking me so well."

Maybe it was the filthy words that left his mouth, or the way Mingyu took hold of your hips to slow your pace and thrust into you especially hard, but you felt yourself tip over the edge, your mind cloudy as pleasure overtook you. You couldn't even tell if you were crying out loudly, but you assumed so by the way Mingyu suddenly pulled himself out of you and pushed you forward until your face was pressed into the mattress and he was kneeled behind you.

He thrusted into you roughly now, trying to reach his own high. Your eyes were rolling back into your head as your core tingled with oversensitivity, and you could feel yourself drooling onto the sheets.

He came with a particularly rough grunt, pausing his movements as his cum emptied into the condom inside you. He moaned breathlessly and he slowly pumped himself in and out of you to milk his orgasm. Finally, he pulled himself completely out, and his hand ran across your spine.

"You okay?" He asked, and you lifted yourself onto your hands and knees, nodding. Mingyu looked down at your legs, his lips dropping in a slight gasp. "Your thighs are shaking." He noted out loud.

Your face burnt with embarrassment as you kneeled back onto your knees. When you finally turned to look at Mingyu, he was tossing the condom into the trash. His hair was now pressed to his forehead with sweat and his cheeks were tinted a shade of pink. When his eyes met yours, his lips quirked up into a smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get rough with you." He apologized. He sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

You shook your head. "N-no, it's okay," you croaked out, finally able to formulate words now that all the post-orgasm bliss was fading away.

You didn't know why, but you felt like you had to be near him. You crawled up towards him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. It felt natural. Comfortable. It reminded you of how you felt with Wonwoo. And despite how much you enjoyed feeling Mingyu's soft lips against yours, that thought terrified you.

"Do you regret this?" He mumbled against your lips.

It scared you—the way you were able to betray Wonwoo so easily. Here you were, in bed with another boy: one that you shared inside jokes with and stole kisses from and ran to for comfort. All that you had built with Wonwoo over the past two years—were some miles apart really enough to tear everything down?

You answered honestly.

"No."

[nexyra]

What is your take on rwby chara's mbti types? I think

Weiss - xSTJ, thought that she was ESTJ at first but ISTJ makes a lot of sense too.

Winter - ESTJ

Pyrrha - ESFJ

Emerald - ISFJ (I've seen some ppl type her as INFJ but I don't see how she is a Ni dom?)

Whitley - ENTJ? I'm honestly not sure abt that..

Adam - fucked up xNFJ, probably INFJ (seen him typed as xNTJ but his delusional thinking process imo screams unhealthy Ti and I think his manipulation of Blake and the WF is more Fe than Te

Qrow - was thinking ISTP but with the more recent volumes I'm really not sure..

Penny - ENFP

Ozpin - Uuuuuh INTP maybe?? But I've seen some people type him as INFJ. INFJ 5w6 would make sense as to why he might appear as an INTP but idk..

Bartholomew- ENTP

Jaune - no fucking idea honestly

Ironwood - ENTJ

Sun - Seen ppl type him as ENFP but I don't see any Ne at all..,,ESFP?

Yang - ESxP, maybe ESTP

Cinder - INTJ

Mercury - ISTP

Oscar - ISFJ

Ren - ISTx?

Hello anon ! I see my love for typology hasn't gone unnoticed 😂 Thank you so much for the ask !

I prefer enneagram over MBTI because I find it easier to type; so fair warning that I'm not an authority on MBTI-typing. But I do have have an ongoing RWBY typing that includes MBTI sooo... here goes !

(I'm putting my ennea typings along with it, but not explaining them on this post)

➸ RWBYJNPR

Ruby • xNFP 6w7 9w1 2w3?

I just can't decide between the two fors Ruby because... it kind of goes both way ??? Like Ruby definitely feels as INFP for the first half of the series; she's got a clear Fi > Ne preference... But then when she develops her Tert in V6 it's just... Te ? And she really doesn't show much Si actually she fits more the Si inf vibe in the form of forgetting about bad memories and her mom until people dig it up and she's like "nooo !" ?? So it looks like Te > Si but also Fi > Ne; conclusion idfk

Weiss • ISTJ 1w2 6w5 3w4 sp/so

Clear Fi tert rearing its head along with the 1 so I'm going with ISTJ; I also never really saw any Ne. Her type isn't too disagreed upon so tell me if you want a lenghtier explanation.

Blake • ISFP 6w5 9w8 4w3 (in some order)

Wooh this might get the anger of some (i have experience with the INFJ typers) but Blake goddamn REEKS of Fi. Less so recently but for the first seasons oh my god. She straights up catch you by the shirt and tells you "I'm doing the right thing"; and said right thing is so heavily dependant on her own subjectives values, which is why Blake can't reconcile with the current White Fang; because she doesn't have a strong Je vision of "what objectively works in the end", she only sees actions in terms of immediate right and wrong, and this b&w dichotomy stems from herself. What the WF is doing is wrong and the circumstances don't matter for judging the morality of their actions (of course I'm not talking about murder here bc that's pretty wrong ALL THE TIME but for example the stealing occuring in V1 bc of the WF is a better example)

Yang • ESXP 7w8 8w7 2w3

I'm sorry about that but I can't help you on that aspect anon, I still can't make up my mind about whether Yang has Fi or Ti. I have seen arguments for both, and i'm not the best at picking up on Ti so it's hard for me to tell.

Jaune • ESFJ 6w7 3w2 9w1

No strong opinions on his MBTI, it's kinda just based on vibes

Nora • ENFP 6w7 9w8 3w2

Textbook ENFP, not much to say here x))

Pyrrha • XXFJ 2w1 1w2 6?

In my list Pyrrha is currently written down as ISFJ but that's mostly based on the general consensus and me wanting to get rid of the XX. I don't actually have any convincing arguments to decide on Ni or Si, so I could go either way if someone else makes their case well. I feel like she's Fe aux more than dom, but even about that I could change my mind. Pyrrha didn't have that much screentime in the end :((

Ren • ISTJ? 9w1 5w4 4w5

Ironically I'm not sure about his type, kind of like you. I've mentionned I'm not very good at picking up on Ti right ? And Ren was a background character before V4 really. I had him written down as ISTP for a while but I've seen some convincing arguments for ISTJ so I might lean toward that actually but who knows. The thing I'm very confident about is his 5 fix = )

➸ Faunus bonus

Sun • ESFP 7w6 2w3 9w1 so/sx

I don't see any Ne at all either so I don't understand the ENFP typings...?? Maybe the 7 stereotypes ? Imo Sun is just a very good boy; certified ESFP 7 himbo; triple positive sunshine !

Ilia • Ti-Fe axis ?

Again, not enough screentime for me to make an educated guess. My only certainty is : not high Fi. It's the source of their conflicts. Blake confidence in absolute right & wrong, tracing lines in the sand between acceptable & unacceptable. Whereas Ilia can only shake her head and say "Because it works", or cry out "I don't know what else to do !"

Adam • 3w4 8w7 6w5

I honestly don't really have much of an opinion about Adam's MBTI, i'm sorry anon ;; I don't know enough about how he thinks

➸ Oz-related things and his circle

Ozpin • INFJ 5w4 2w1 1w9

I would personally call him an INFJ. I... never really got INTP vibes from him ? I don't see the Fe inf work out with his interactions : he's always rather at ease, he knows how to navigate around people... His focus inherently lies on doing what's best for the "group", the people, humanity. Fx functions are both concerned with ethics, in different ways, and I think Oz reflects that well. He IS concerned with the moral weight of his actions, but it's a more adaptable and unpersonnal concern than Fi people. He regards Ironwood's soul machines as something wrong, but can still agree to use it if the situations demand it for example. So... if the INFJ + 5 makes sense to you, well that's what I'm typing him personally. I also feel like Ni fits him more than Ne. Ozpin has a very linear way of planning, he does use his fair share of symbolism in every day conversation... Even when taking decisions, he... kind of cares about the meaning of things a lot ? It's hard to explain but like; the way he highlights the difference between an army and a guardian, and the emotionnal response it brings. I don't know it feels like there's some Ni vibes in there x)

Oscar • ISFJ 9w8 6w7 3w2

Oscar's type honestly isn't the one I would have the easiest time explaining in lenght but yea. It's mostly vibes; also just like Ozpin he doesn't seem to have a particularly Fi reasonning. And he feels more grounded, I don't really remember any Ni so... yay ?

Ironwood • ENFJ 6w5 1w2 3w4 (pre-Vol8); ENTJ (post-Vol8)

Might be weird if you think he was a dictator from the start, but I kind of entertained the idea of Ironwood being Fe dom ? From his very first interaction it was very clear that he was a Je dom to me; he's all about objective results; he doesn't give off the "internal framework" or "personnal values" vibe AT ALL; so it was more a matter of picking Te or Fe. He LOOKS super Te don't get me wrong; but he also has an enneagram tritype that is very common amongst XXTJs (and TJs stereotypes thus derive from it). And just like Oz, his focus at all time seemed to be the greater good and doing what's best for the people still. So I was like... Eh, a "harsh" ENFJ I think that's interesting ? Plus Fe ethics actually derive from their environment, kinda like "everyone agrees that Y is wrong", and if you consider that James is from Atlas... Well his way of thinking and ethics align pretty well with the military.

His character took a turn for the worse in V8 (whether too quick or not depends on who you ask) and past that point he's a clear ENTJ; but I feel like it was more debatable before that. Idk though I might be overthinking this in the hope of making more interesting combinations xD

Qrow • ISTP 4w3 6w7? 1w9? sp/sx

I don't really see anything else than ISTP for Qrow... But he's not a character I would want to find Ti arguments for either.

Raven • ENTJ Cp6w5 8w9 3w4

Most villains get called ENTJ at the first occasions tbh zlqfznhqzkf but I think it fits Raven for the most part actually...

➸ Atlas

Winter • ESTJ 1w9 3w4 6w5

The whole Schnee family has the same enneagram tritype in different order/different wings, it's ridiculous I think she has a higher Te than Weiss, and Fi inf fits her more. She struggles more to reconcile with her emotions and the idea of a personal right/wrong than her little sis.

Penny • ENFP 4w3 6w7 9w1 sx/so

Perfect example of a healthy 4, she's a great friend a cutie pie. ... Sorry we were talking about MBTI x) Well again, textbook ENFP. Not much to debate here.

Whitley • 3w4 1w9 6w5?

Not enough material for me to guess a MBTI type correctly either, sorry... I could see some kind of xNTJ yea but it's really just vibes and not enough concrete.

➸ Antagonists and Extras

Cinder • 8w7 3w4 6w5

Never cared to guess her MBTI type. I hereby type her as insufferable qkfqskfq. More seriously, I don't really know sorry Anon :/

Emerald • 2w3 ?w? ?w?

I never got Fe vibes from her tbh, I just think she's a 2. And Fe as a function is very infused with 2 stereotypes. So yea. Like, she isn't even that worried about the morality of her actions or anything more than the other villains. She just cares more about her personal relationships and being loved, so she automatically looks much nicer, especially with 2 mechanisms of trying to make herself useful and needed. Also because she's surrounded by 8-ish people xD

Mercury • 8w9 7w8 ?w?

ISTP doesn't sound too farfeteched, but I never MBTI-typed him either, sorry.

+

Bartholomew Oobleck • xSxJ 5w4

The only vibe he gave me is Si somewhere because of all his talks about learning from the past and everything repeats itself and it's a mine of informations at Mountain Glen... That's really the only time I tried to put down anything for him, and it was Si + 5. He could be some kind of xNTP nerd too for sure, but that's more vibe and I couldn't make an actual argument for it.

[taisush-i]

heya I'll send in a matchup!!

they look amazing btw :)

I'm mari! my pronouns are she/they

My love language is Quality time, I'm not really into like Physical touch because I tend to get uncomfortable or irritated- but If my partner is into it, the least I will do is hand holding or cuddles (me being the big spoon bc I cringe at the thought for some reason.) But quality time is a biggie, I just like someone being there and we could just spend time together.

I'm an Ambivert! I tend to be very socially awkward and I need someone to start a conversation with me, because if not then silence. I tend to be more shy around new people or sometimes family if I don't know what to say, But majority with friends n family I'm pretty cheerful and talkative. I'm always laughing or being extra, crackin jokes and just being myself! I also tend to flirt with my friends and joke about us dating (like i told my friend that I am her girlfriend and called her "babygirl"). My friends would say I'm really nice and funny, I always try my best to be there for them and give the best advice when they need it the most :) I am reliable and understanding, I try to think about how the other person feels, but sometimes I say stuff without thinkin. Though, I also have been told I am too forgiving, a pushover, oblivous and not vocal. which has caused a lot of friend ships to end for me. I'm trying to better those cons but honestly sometimes I am so desperate to have at least one friend and sometimes I can't help but be that way. I'm not v vocal about my thoughts or feeling unless it is with a friend I trust or someone. I have been through bullying and drama that caused a lot of pent up anger and made me sort of insecure. Which sometimes I get so angry for no reason when I think about it, though I am building my confidence with oversized clothing :> I think I am pretty readable at this point, my family says they know how i'm feeling because of my face ( they say I mope.), but also when I don't like something someone says I start to get quiet and shut down. My answers start to get short too, but I mean it's for the best. Though I can suddenly blow up at someone if they push it ( touching me without permission, poking at me if I say stop the first 3 times, but i give this " u better fkin quit I'm not playing." look and tone if I get annoyed and that leads me to just get up and leave or start yelling.) I can get moody, so sometimes I am irritable or just feelin lazy. I PROCRASTINATE SM, like its unreal. I would like someone who can confine in me or that I can do so with them :>

I really love my thighs, weird but I take pride in thicc thighs.

I don't mind male or female! but i'll pick male if needin one!

no certain group! ^^

I have a very intense fear of BUGS. I am usually jumpy over anything, but those nasty things make me wanna scream and run. Even if it isn't touching me my heart will go brr and I will scream.

I am a chatter box, I COULD TALK FOR HOURS ABOUT ANYTHING.

Hey!! I've seen your matchups, they're pretty cool! tysm for the feedback as well - i hope you like these!

request processing...

upload complete!

your match: Oboro Shirakumo!

✦ will chatter with you

✦ he'll lay his head on your lap

✦ his hair is super soft too

✦ and by dating this boy you're also now an official member of the Rooftop Squad

✦ Oboro is a little on the physical side of affection, but he always respects your boundaries

✦ he really loves to carry you around on a cloud though

✦ they're the softest things in the world

✦ Oboro also loves quality time

✦ things like binging tv and movies! that's really fun for him

✦ or even just taking a walk

✦ he typically starts the conversations

✦ he thinks you look adorable in everything

✦ but he really loves it when you wear his jacket

✦ the rest of the Rooftop Squad teases you and Hizashi for your fear of bugs but it's all in good fun

[septicstories]

When Will You Realize (UNEDITED)

A/N: @you-said-yes is a bloody freaking genius and came up with this idea for the multiverse twins, and I'm in love. So, I'm gonna write this (Peter-centric, of course) and attempt to do it justice! I just hope I don't goof this masterpiece up too much.

Genre: Angst

Warnings: cursing (duh, it's me), family drama, Charles + Logan + Hank ignore Wanda and Pietro because they need Peter, very brief mentioning of a needle, sad Peter + Wanda + Pietro, Pietro having the nickname "Piet" (pronounced as the first bit of his name, not diet with a "p"), no beta readers or edits (sorry)

Word Count: 3.3k (3,380)

"Peter! The cops are here! ... again."

When Wanda had yelled that down to him, Peter only found himself sighing. What store manager is accusing him of shoplifting this time? Did that punk-ass kid behind the counter at 7/11 rat him out again?

But Peter didn't do anything about it.

Nope.

Well... actually... maybe a quick pick-pocket wouldn't hurt, right? Just see who the hell these cops are, maybe spook them when he says their names. Unless he already knows them, then that'd be weird.

Peter let go of the paddle he was using, calmly walking upstairs as time just slowed around him, nearly to a halt. He was greeted with three new faces, all three of the men. None of them looked like cops.

He went into the pocket of the man with hella sideburns, opening up his wallet, only to see a folded-up piece of paper instead of a badge.

After looking over the paper for a moment, Peter found himself grinning. This was a rental agreement for a car. These guys were from out of town.

Peter folded the paper, replacing it into the man's wallet before slipping it back into his pocket. And with new confidence, he went back to his basement and continued to play his solo game of ping-pong as he waited for the men to come down.

He heard one of the stairs creak, a sure sign that it wasn't one of his siblings. A very particular spot on one of the stairs made the most obnoxious creaking noise, and it was the only way he was able to identify anyone new.

"What do you guys want?"

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Peter just kept going from one end of the table to another, waiting for his brother to come down so the two could go even faster.

"I didn't do anything!"

Of course, that was what he was waiting for before the cops showed up. But now, he was just waiting for them to all get down here. He was just showing off at this point.

Peter dropped his paddle once again, slowly stretching across his couch. Well, slow for him. To the three men, it probably looked like it happened in the blink of an eye.

"I've been here all day."

A shit-eating grin spread across his face as the three men turned to him, one staring at him as though he were an animal at the zoo. The other two seemed exasperated.

"Just... relax, Peter. We're not cops--"

"'Course you're not cops, if you were cops, you wouldn't be driving a rental car." Peter interrupted.

"You're not cops?"

Peter didn't even hear Pietro come down the stairs.

"How'd you know we got a rental car?" the man with long hair and sunglasses asked.

"I checked your registration while you were walking through the door." Peter shrugged.

"Peter!"

Wanda must've recently come down as well, as she lightly smacked Peter's shoulder, like a scolding mother rather than an older sister.

"I also had some time to kill, so I went through your rental agreements and saw you're from out of town." Peter's shit-eating grin just spread across his face, before it dropped into a look of confusion. "Are you FBI?"

Peter shot up, grabbing the nearest wallet, which came from the guy with sunglasses. Nothing that a cop would carry. But there was a business card.

"Nope, you're not cops," he said in a near-mumble, reading the card.

"Peter!"

"Hey, what's with this Gifted Youngsters place?" Peter asked, ignoring his sister's scolding tone as he dropped the wallet, heading over to one of his many mini-fridges.

Peter grabbed two popsicles out of the fridge, slightly melted but still solid, handing one to his brother before beginning to munch on one.

"When I knew him, he wasn't so... young."

That was all he caught out of the conversation the three men had.

"Young?" Peter asked with his mouth full. "You're just old!"

"Peter, don't be rude," Pietro said, opening his popsicle and beginning to eat it at a monstrous pace.

"Both of you, stop!" Wanda said, her eyes beginning to shimmer a bright red color.

"So you're not afraid to show your powers." one of the men said.

"Powers, what powers?" Wanda squeaked out, her eyes flaring red before returning to their usual color.

"You see something strange here?" Pietro asked, leaning against Wanda with an empty popsicle stick in his hand.

"Nothing anybody would believe if you told them?" Peter asked, a massive smirk on his face.

When he saw the tired look on one of the men's faces, he did a little internal victory dance, patting himself on the back for that.

With the cockiest fucking look on his face, Peter went over to the pong machine in his room, turning it on.

"So who are you, what do you want?"

"We need your help, Peter."

"With what?" Wanda and Pietro asked in unison, glaring daggers into the three men.

"To break into a highly secure facility. And to get someone out."

"A prison break?" Wanda asked, her eyes widening.

Peter just chuckled, smirking. "That's illegal you know."

"Well, only if you get caught."

"Okay, no. Peter's not going." Wanda said, her fists clenched by her sides.

Exactly as she said that, Peter asked "What's in it for me?"

"Peter, no, this is an awful--" "You, you kleptomaniac, get to break into the Pentagon."

Peter's fingers froze on the joystick, pausing. The Pentagon? The fucking Pentagon? Wait, were these guys actually cops? Like, undercover cops who are actually good at their jobs?

"How do I know I can trust you?" Peter asked, arching an eyebrow, slowly turning from the machine.

"Because we're just like you."

Peter stiffened, eyes bouncing between each of the three men. They all look normal, albeit a bit like hobos, but still normal. They didn't have any of the physical bits to a mutation, the lucky sons of bitches.

"Show him."

An absolutely disgusting squelching noise filled the room as the man with sideburns had bone breaking through his clenched fists, into a trio of boney claws, gnarly and super gross.

Peter's breath hitched as he watched, before gulping and nodding. "It's cool but it's disgusting."

"So? Are you coming with us?"

"No, he's not," Wanda spoke up again. "Listen, I don't know who the hell you are and why you're asking for Peter to help you break into the Pentagon, nor do I want to know who you're breaking out of the Pentagon, but my baby brother won't be joining you."

Peter rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Who are you to make decisions for me? I'm fucking 17, Wanda! I'm not gonna be staying in this damn house my whole life!"

Peter stood up, going over to his closet, and grabbing a backpack.

"Look, I know you guys are gonna drive me there and there's probably a plan. Fill me in on our way there. I need to bring food so I don't pass out on you guys."

"Peter, ple--" "We'll meet you outside. Thank you, Peter." the man with the sunglasses said as the three left the basement.

Pietro and Wanda shared a glance before heading up the stairs. "Wait for a second!"

Peter shook his head, grabbing the nearest box of food and stuffing it into his bag.

I'm not a baby. I'm 17. I can't stay here for the rest of my life because of humanity. I can't do that to myself. I'd rather be slaughtered for my mutation than sit the hell still and never leave this fucking house.

Pietro and Wanda couldn't keep him here. He loved them both to death, and he'd absolutely come to visit. But he couldn't stay. Even just a taste of adventure like this would be enough to sate him for the day. Maybe a few.

Besides, it wasn't like he was leaving for good. He was gonna come back. Probably. Y'know, assuming he doesn't get caught and shot to death.

Peter gulped.

That won't happen... right?

"Nah, I'll be fine," Peter mumbled to himself, grabbing another box of snacks and opting to grab a hair tie as well. The clock on his wall was ticking slower and slower the deeper into thought he got.

They wouldn't let him get hurt, right? He'd be a-okay.

"Slow down, you crazy child."

Peter stiffened for a moment.

That creaky stair was a blessing and a curse.

Reluctantly, he looked at Wanda, giving her a glare as time sped up. Pietro was right behind her.

"You're so ambitious for a juvenile."

Peter rolled his eyes again.

With this shit.

"But then, if you're so smart, tell me, why are you still so afraid?" Peter asked sarcastically, a scowl finding its way onto his face.

Wanda and Pietro give each other another look before they come closer to Peter. Peter went over to another side of his room, grabbing another box of food, this one already opened.

"Where's the fire? What's the hurry about?" Pietro asked, letting out a nervous laugh as he joked. The tension in the room was making everybody uncomfortable.

They get a bit closer, and Peter forcefully shoved what was bound to be a squished Twinkie into his backpack.

"You better cool it off before you burn it out. You got so much to do."

Pietro and Peter's eyes met, making Peter's resolve crack. Just a little bit. Not much. But a little bit.

Wanda's hand landing on his shoulder wasn't much help.

"And only so many hours of the day."

Wanda's voice was always soft and soothing. The Sokovian lullabies she'd hum to him when he was a child would sometimes play through his head when he was stressed out, and he'd even find himself mumbling the lyrics.

But not right now. Now wasn't the time for her calming voice. No, he had shit to do.

Peter brushed Wanda's hand off of him, storming away from them before speaking, "But you know when the truth is told, that you can get what you want, or you can just get old."

His tone was sharp, like a blade cutting open old sutures.

Pietro's brow furrowed, with a frown making its way onto his face, his own tone becoming less playful.

"You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through."

The scowl on Peter's face only deepened as he turned away from his siblings. He didn't need to hear all of this. Not right now.

Wanda, with that voice that made Peter want to cry, spoke up again. "When will you realize..."

Peter stiffened, a lump growing in his throat. They couldn't do this to him. They couldn't persuade him to stay. They couldn't do that.

"Vienna waits for you." Pietro and Wanda spoke together, Pietro's tone had softened a tad.

When the twins saw Peter's face when he turned around, their hearts broke a little.

Their younger brother had tears in his eyes, his mouth twitching as he took in one shaky breath after another. His mouth opened, only to clamp shut, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes tight.

Peter sped over to his dresser, digging through one of his drawers, in search of his goggles.

"Slow down," Wanda began, her voice making him stop for a single second. "You're doing fine."

Pietro piped up again. "You can't be everything you want to be before your time."

Peter clicked his tongue, fresh tears beginning to roll down his face. They had the motherfucking audacity to pull that shit on him.

"Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight," Peter said sarcastically, turning around and spreading his arms out as he gave both of his siblings a teary-eyed glare.

To them, it probably looked like the glare of a child. Pathetic. Weak. Fragile.

Did he care?

"Tonight," he mumbled again.

Nope, not one bit.

Wanda took a step forward as Peter turned back around, still looking for those damn goggles.

"Too bad, but it's the life you lead," she said calmly.

She was going to start losing composure soon, Peter was sure of it. She had to crack soon. He wasn't going to let his dam burst anymore until he knows he's not the only one who wants to cry.

"You're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need."

Peter winced as though he just got a needle stabbed into his arm. A painful pinch that'd be sore for a bit, but he'd forget about it soon.

Wanda sent Pietro a glare, which made the other speedster back down a bit. But only a bit.

"Though you can see when you're wrong, you know you can't always see when you're right." Wanda and Pietro spoke at the same time, making Peter shiver.

It bugged him the hell out whenever they did that. Creepy as shit.

Wanda made it even creepier by repeating herself. "You're right."

She came closer as Pietro spoke. "You've got your passion."

"You've got your pride," Wanda said softly, taking Peter's shaky hands into her calm grip.

They need to stop. They needed to stop doing all that shit to him. They were trying to get him to stay. They shouldn't be doing that.

Peter yanked his hand out of Wanda's grip, his other hand grabbing his goggles before stuffing them in his pockets.

"But don't you know only fools are satisfied?" Peter said bitterly, staring between the twins.

He gulped as he watched Pietro glare at him, his arm going around Wanda as he did so.

"Dream on," Pietro said dully as Peter turned his back on the twins.

"But don't imagine they'll all come true." Wanda and Pietro did their freaky twin thing again, speaking at the same time.

Peter zipped up his backpack, just trying not to cry. He just needed to get past them, and into that car, and then it would be smooth sailing from there.

"When will you realize?" Wanda asked as Peter slung the backpack over his shoulder.

"Vienna waits for you." Pietro finished with a soft murmur.

Peter didn't even need to turn around for Pietro and Wanda to know what Peter's face looked like.

Hot tears burned down his face as he shoved past his older siblings, Pietro purposefully knocking Peter's shoulder with his own. A little thing they'd do when they knew they had a rough day ahead of them. A sign. A quick "good luck. I love you."

A sob got stuck in Peter's throat as he went up the stairs, hitting that creaky stair on the way up.

Wanda, with a defeated sigh, fell back onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. There wasn't any way to stop Peter. Once his mind was set on something, he was going to do it if it were the last thing he'd do.

She just worried that this would be the last thing he'd do.

Before Wanda could even speak, Pietro's hand rested on her back as he sat beside her.

"He'll be okay, Wanda."

Peter was about to leave, fingers grazing the doorknob before he paused.

He turned to the small stand by their front door, grabbing Wanda's locket from when she and Pietro were children. Carefully, he opened it, revealing pictures of Wanda and Pietro as children.

Peter's fingers clumsily fiddled with the locket before placing it around his neck before taking in a deep breath and wiping the tears from his face.

The front door of the Maximoff household swung open as Peter left the house, his hair falling in front of his face as he left, walking at a pace that seemed a tad bit too fast to be human.

The guy with sideburns was sitting in the driver's seat of the car while the two other men stood outside the car.

"Ready?" the man with the sunglasses asked.

Peter found much more interest in the markings on his shoes, staring down at his mixed shoelaces before giving a weak response.

"Yeah."

Slow down, you crazy child. Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while.

Peter got into the back seat of the car, slamming the door shut as the other two men piled into the car. He swears he heard Pietro and Wanda in his head.

It's alright, you can afford to lose a day or two

His backpack got tucked by his feet on the floor of the car, buckling his seat belt before releasing a sigh. He wanted their voices out of his head. They needed to get out of his head, or else he may actually get fucking shot because he wasn't focused on the mission.

The Maximoff house was now quiet. The only noises came from the basement.

"When will you realize?" Pietro asked, his voice barely carrying over a whisper.

"Vienna waits for you." Wanda finished softly.

The two were leaning against each other on the couch that Peter called his bed, looking around the messy room.

A picture sat on his desk, the three of them all together and smiling. Peter was only eight when they took that picture. His two front teeth were missing from his massive grin, curly brown hair framing his face. He just looked... happy.

Peter, at that moment, felt far from that young kid he used to be. His arms crossed over his chest, doing his best to seem nonchalant. But he was stressed as hell.

In Sokovian, Peter mumbled to himself "And you know that when the truth is told, that you can get what you want, or you can just get old."

Peter could live with dying young. As morbid as it may be, he's accepted his mortality. He knew people wanted him dead because he didn't share the same species name as others.

His eyes looked out the window while the man in the sunglasses and the man with the sideburns spoke in the front seat. Hopefully not to Peter, because he wasn't paying attention.

Unfortunately, instead of seeing an empty doorstep, Pietro and Wanda were standing on the porch.

Pietro's hand was still on Wanda's back, and Peter could see the tear streaks on Wanda's face from within the car.

"You're gonna kick off before you even get halfway through," the two whispered, Pietro beginning to choke up "Why don't you realize?"

"Hey, kid, you alright?"

Peter turned to look at the guy with glasses who sat with him in the back seat, nodding with pursed lips.

"I'm good, man. What's the plan?"

Wanda and Pietro still stood on the doorstep, watching Peter look away from them. Wanda bit her lip, looking down at the ground as fat tears streamed down her face.

"Vienna waits for you." she and Pietro were so choked up, their speech was barely audible. "When will you realize?"

Peter listened in on the plan, nodding, but once they stopped saying his name, he looked back out the window. His sister was in tears as Pietro wiped at his face, making Peter's eyes well up a bit too.

With all he had in him, Peter mustered up a small, sad smile on his face. Luckily enough for him, his siblings looked up right then.

Peter gave a small wave, getting teary smiles and waves from his siblings.

The car's engine roared to life, and the group began to pull away from the Maximoff house. Peter turned in his seat a tad, watching as his siblings grew smaller and smaller in the window as the car pulled away from the Maximoff house.

At the same time, the twins watched as the car pulled away from their house, Wanda's body shuddering as she kept in unshed tears.

Pietro let out a heavy sigh as Wanda's head hit his shoulder.

"He'll be okay, Wanda. He always comes out of these things okay."

"He's breaking someone out of the pentagon, Piet. I don't want him to... y'know."

"Yeah... I know."

Peter turned back around in his seat, letting out a heavy sigh of his own.

"They'll be okay." the man with glasses murmured beside Peter.

His only response was a nod and a yawn. "I'm gonna rest up real quick, okay? Save up energy, and stuff."

Because I'm absolutely fucking drained.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Outlander: Give Me Liberty (6x05)

Lord John Grey!!! My beloved!

Cons:

I remain convinced that they never fully stuck the landing with Murtagh and Jocasta... I was a fan of Murtagh sticking around on the show as long as he did, but the fact that his lasting legacy is now as Jocasta's sadly dead lover instead of Jamie's beloved uncle/father figure is kind of annoying to me. The fact that we spent time on Jocasta mourning for Murtagh here felt very strange.

The elephant in the room whenever we're at River Run: Jocasta is a freakin' slave owner. So when we're sitting around and giggling with her, Claire's getting high with her, all that stuff, it's just super uncomfortable and never properly dealt with. The character of Mary didn't help matters. I don't remember if this is someone we'll learn more about later, I can't quite recall this plot thread from the books, but in this episode she was basically there as set dressing. We learn her mother died and that Jocasta gave her time off to grieve. Okay, so is this supposed to be like a "Jocasta is a good master" thing? Because eww. And then later she's like, telling Jamie that Jocasta has seemed down lately because of losing Murtagh, basically there to provide emotional support to her white master and her white master's family, and I'm just cringing the whole time it's happening. I'll admit I don't have a solution to offer, I'm not sure how I would have made this better, but I'm certainly always uncomfortable by the way it's just kind of... not dealt with in the story.

We have another example of Claire self-medicating in this episode, but it's rather blink-and-you-miss-it. I think one of the reasons this story isn't clicking with me is that Claire is acting completely normal and nobody suspects anything is wrong, outside of the times she's actively using the ether. Five episodes in, I guess I would expect there to be a bit more of a bleed into Claire's daily life. I wish people were picking up on subtle signs that something might be amiss. As it is, it's kind of like Claire's medicating isn't actually hurting her or anyone else, almost like it's not even a real problem. That's not what I think they're trying to imply, though.

Also, a small note, but I wasn't crazy about seeing the flashback to Claire's rape by King Louis. It felt like a weird invasive thought that had no real function beyond reminding us that sexual assault is an all too repeated theme in this show... thanks a lot...

Pros:

Let's start with stuff back at the Ridge, because you know I'm going to want to spend this whole dang review talking about my favorite character, and I've got to check in with some of the others first.

We learn that there have been some rumors running around because Roger is spending so much time with the widow Amy McCallum. Brianna is a little bothered by this, not because she thinks Roger would cheat on her, but because it does give off a certain impression. Roger, however, is enjoying feeling needed by Amy and her son Aiden, since Brianna is so self-sufficient and making all these modernizations to their home without his help. They end up talking about it and Roger creates some distance from Amy for the sake of appearances. Brianna then shares with Roger that she's pregnant!

I surprised myself by finding their story in this episode rather sweet, especially the pregnancy announcement. I think what I liked about it was that it was the kind of nuanced conflict where I understood the feelings of both people involved, and it was handled like a real couple who trust and love one another. They didn't get into some huge fight, they just have a couple conversations about it and move on. I also liked Brianna taking Lizzie, Marsali, and Malva around with her as she works out plans for modern plumbing on the Ridge. It was fun to see all these young gals on an independent little outing.

But then of course there's something more sinister afoot... on that outing, we see some sort of charm circle with finger bones in it, and by the end of the episode we've learned that Malva is the one who's up to something. The scene of her cutting off a corpse's fingers with unadulterated savage glee on her face was one I'm not likely to forget any time soon. We're heading rapidly to the point where things are going to come to a head with Malva, and I'm excited to see it. We also see her viciousness in another instant, when Roger catches her fooling around with a man, and she threatens to tell people he was kissing Amy McCallum, if Roger dares to tell Malva's father. Malva's whole innocent act is proving to be just that, an act! The actress gives such a great and sinister performance.

Jamie calling Fergus "my son" in this episode fucking slayed me as it always does, just wanted to state that for the record... after an incident where a printer's shop is attacked by a mob, and the man in question shot, Jamie worries that Fergus will be in danger in New Bern with his own print shop. Since Jocasta was the one who funded it, Jamie talks to her about it, basically warning her not to try to use her influence to get Fergus to print anything that will get him into trouble. I... know where this is going, provided the show lasts long enough to get to it, and I'm already dreading it.

Flora MacDonald's inclusion in this episode was a great deal of fun, it's always cool to see real historical figures. I'm not sure the flashback at the start with the Bonnie Prince was fully necessary, but it did help to remind us of what the show was once about. I thought they got a great actress to play her, and I like the complexity of such a figure, someone whose loyalties were once with the cause of rebellion, but now firmly align with that of the king. Just like Jamie is supposed to be, and would likely have remained, if not for his time traveling wife and daughter telling him the outcome of history...

That's of course what this show is about, more and more, as we move forward: the looming Revolution. Jamie does a great job in this episode of conversing with other advocates of the rebel cause, of speaking their language and aligning himself with their goals, but the interesting thing is, he's just backing the horse he knows is going to win. It's not that he doesn't find the idea of independence appealing or honorable in and of itself, but the situation is much more complex than that for him, and it certainly wouldn't be an easy decision if it weren't for what he knows. I like how he toes that line, by helping the printer who was printing loyalist materials, but then turning around and telling the rebels that he was fighting for the sake of a free press, not the specifics of what was being said.

And of course one of the factors making this whole thing difficult for Jamie is that it means the severing of his friendship with Lord John Grey... my bestie... also Jamie's bestie...

I love how David Berry plays John, because there's this extremely awkward tension in the air in every scene between Jamie and John, not in a way where you think they don't enjoy seeing each other, but in a way where John isn't even really trying to hide the fact that he's in love with him? And Jamie doesn't quite know how to handle it? I don't know, they just give off such chaotic energy of repressed longing on one side and genuine fondness mingled with unavoidably linked trauma on the other, and I'm deeply obsessed with it.

SO many good quotes in this one. It starts at the very beginning when John is asked if Jamie's a friend of his, and John replies without missing a beat, "one of my dearest." And when he says he has a "particular fondness for reformed Jacobites"? Please, sir. This is a Wendy's. Also, when they're in public or talking about each other to outsiders, they're all "Lord John" and "Mr. Fraser" and then they call each other "John" and "Jamie" when they're speaking privately and it warms my heart!

And also they defend the print shop together. I love how poetic this is, this moment where they're fighting side by side for the same purpose, right before they're about to be irrevocably on opposite sides of a conflict that will last for years... god, the look on John's face when it clicked what Jamie was telling him! "God, I am a fool." And Jamie trying to reassure him, and John getting all worked up... "You, you may lose your life!" He loves him so much, it's unreal. Of course, Jamie goes ahead and asks John for a huge favor, asking him to stall the Redcoats so he can rescue the rebels who are meeting, and John does it even though it goes against what he believes in. That's real friendship, baby! It's so sad, because I don't know when the story will have occasion to include John again. I know that he's not around for quite a large chunk of the story in the books. I love him and I miss him already.

So there you have it! Things are really close to boiling over on all sorts of fronts in Outlander now. In the larger political story, and with Malva at the Ridge... can't wait to see what's next!

8.5/10

[antpernas]

3/22/22

Today was supa good!

Past few days:

- Spent the weekend in WPB, did some meal prep with my beautiful wife, saw another friend of mine who moved back from Tally, went Costco shopping, bought tickets to a rodeo (the clerk was so cute...), helped my mom fix TWO printers, did some meal prep, got a firestick and watched The Wind Rises (that shit was so painful), texted my Cancer from Switzerland (he said he misses me too :'D ), saw my mommy Sag, did laundry at the house and then FINALLY left to Miami.

- When I got back to Miami, did MORE laundry, then pretty much just procrastinated until I fell asleep!

THEN TODAY was super good! I woke up early enough to get to Stats class on time, but I elected to have a full breakfast and shower instead! Got to discrete math, turned out that I was the only one to pass the exam (only one question wrong!) and since they're doing a retake on Thursday I won't have to go to class! If Lab is moved online again, I won't have to go to any classes until 6:00 PM! (Skipping statistics is basically a given at this point, sorry Dr.Serpa)

Was a little worried about the fact that I forgot to do my coding assignment, but my professor ended up not really caring and said to just turn it in anyway (whether that is because I'm one of her more applied students or because she still hasn't graded the previous assignment I do not know), so all's well that ends well. DOUBLE pleasant surprise in that I thought I had missed the deadline for the textbook assignments by going to the gym after school, but as it turns out it's not due until the 27th, so I'm good!

After C, I went to campus, entirely forgot to pick up my clothes from the tailor on the way so I had to turn around to do that. But JESUS my pants came out so great, I'm ALWAYS tailoring thrifted pants from now on. When I got back to campus, I ate my meal prep (it was super wet but it tasted great, having it with chips and draining it before eating it helped a lot). I've since watched videos on how to properly break down a rotisserie chicken, and I have brown rice instead of the weird frozen cauliflower rice now, so hopefully I'll only improve from here! After I ate, I walked around and did Duolingo just trying to stay awake.

Then physics class was pretty standard. I was there super early, so my professor and I chatted for a while. He always strikes up the most interesting conversations. Then class started and we got our exams back; I got a 95% so I'm pretty content! Given I don't absolutely shit myself on the next exam or the final, I should be passing with an A!

After school, I went home, unpacked all my stuff, took something to my Aunt's house and chatted with the family a bit, then got back home and ate before deciding to start back at the gym. I did legs, in general a pretty light day buttt it was a good first day back! I think in general I should be focusing on shorter workout sessions anyway, to really hammer in good hypertrophy. I wanted to swim afterwards, but there was a janitor cleaning the locker room until 11:30 PM and I didn't want to get home any later after that. Now I'm home just updating my journal and writing out a general to-do list for tomorrow :D

Good night!

[thatsgay-writes]

Toph x Reader

Summary: You finally propose to Toph after trying and failing for a few months. You assist Aang with the Fire Lord and get injured, now it’s a rush against time to get you to Katara to be healed.

Warning: Light cursing?

(Everyone is aged up by 10 years and instead of the comet being at the end of summer, it was in 10 years. You are also an air bender, one managed to escape and married into a earth kingdom family undercover.)

Where did everything go wrong? Toph thought as she help your now mostly limp body in her hands. She wish she could see you just once. Toph felt a semi cold hand touch her face causing her to smile. "Hey you just have to hold on for a few more minutes, okay? We are almost to Katara and Zuko, Katara can heal you." Toph pulled you into her more, not wanting to let you go anytime soon. Toph felt you grab her hand and kiss the ring on her finger. She has only wore it for a week so far and it was already her most prized possession.

*Flashback Start*

"Sokka I don't know if I can do this!" "Come on y/n, you've been in love with Toph since you were kids. Hell before you both even joined our group! If she doesn't say yes than the spirit world isn't real. And I know for a fact that it is... And it has no bathrooms!" You shake your head with a smile at Sokka trying to cheer you up. "But we're still in the middle of a war! One that is ending in a week, whether we win or not." "Well would you rather risk losing and not proposing or just pray we win and then get the chance to propose." You sigh, knowing Sokka was right. "Okay I got this. I am going to walk right up to her, get on one knee... do I need to get on one knee? It's not like she can see see me." "I would do it just in case so she doesn't beat you up." You nod at Sokka, "Okay, I am going to march back into the party, walk up to her, pull her away from the party, confess my love to her, propose, and have a fiancé!" Sokka cheers at your new fond confidence. You and Sokka do your secret handshake before walking back into the party. "I got this."

You didn't have it. You had managed to get Toph away from the party and were a stuttering mess. When you finally calmed down and were ready to speak, the party got busted and you all had to run. You tried for a whole month and every time you were about to propose, you got interrupted. It was finally your last chance before everyone got super focused and ready for the upcoming battle. You and Toph were in your tent on the bed next to each other. Yo sit up suddenly and pull Toph into a sitting position next to you. "What are you doing?" "Something I have been trying to do for the past month." You say as you reach over to grab the ring out of your bag. You grab it and face Toph again. "Okay, Toph I--" You get cut off by Aang bursting into the room with Katara right behind him. "Toph I need to---" "I'm sorry I tried to stop---" Both of them talking over each other added to your growing frustration from all your other failed attempts to propose and you finally broke. "That is it!" Katara and Aang looked at you shocked at your outburst. Sokka also came over to the tent to see what was going on.

"I have been trying for the past month to do this! And every single time I get interrupted! But not this time!" You say and grab both of Toph's hand and pull her to stand up. "Toph I love you and I have since we were kids. I had this whole big speech planned out but after getting interrupted at least 10 times trying to do this, I am going to keep it short and sweet. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know we're kind of young but you've been in my life for so long that I know we're ready for the next step. You are independent, brave, strong headed and the love of my life. Will you marry me?" Everyone was shook and Toph actually let a few tears slip. She punched you on the shoulder before pulling you into a hug, "Of course I'll marry you." You wore the biggest grin on your face for the rest of the day.

*Flashback End*

"I should have stayed with you. I should have helped you and Aang fight the fire lord." You shook your head slightly, making you dizzy. "No, your the only person in the world who can metal bend, Sokka and Suki needed your help taking out the balloons (Blimps? What are they called?)." You shivered a little and closed your eyes some. "Hey, no no no, you gotta keep your eyes open for me." "I'm just so tired..." Toph held you tighter and looked over to hang who was driving the bison. "Can Appa go any faster!?" She yelled over the wind. Aang turned around and noticed how pale you had got, he also noticed how your blood had started to drip on to the saddle. "Come on Appa, yip yip!" Aang said, forcing Appa to fly faster than ever before. Sokka, who was holding his broken arm, and Suki were sitting across from you and Toph, worry clear on their face. Suki moved over some and got your attention, "How about to help you stay awake, we talk about what you want in your wedding." Toph gave her a look of gratefulness before looking back down at you.

"Yeah no better time than the present." You smiled at the thought of marrying Toph. "We could have it under that tree you always like to go to." Toph said getting the conversation started. "But I am definitely not walking down the aisle though." You laughed. The conversation was good and light for a while but once you were almost there, everything got worse. "Yeah and then---" Toph's talking got cut off suddenly by you coughing. You turned your head to the side and coughed up blood. Toph also noticed that you had bled through the bandages wrapped around your wound. "Aang! Are we almost there!?" Toph was in complete panic now, you felt colder and you had started shaking. "We are here!" Aang jumped off of Appa and used his air bending to bring you over to Katara and Zuko. Katara saw Aang running up to them and smiled before seeing the fear on his face and your limp body floating in the air.

Katara shot up immediately and had Zuko direct Aang and Toph to a tub, while she had Suki help her get water to fill the tub. When Katara got to the bathroom, she had everyone except Toph clear out. Toph held your hand and "watched" as Katara started to heal her. After an hour so Toph was getting worried. "Is she better yet?" Katara lets out a sigh. "I've done what I can but..." "But what?" "I don't know if she'll be able to walk again." Toph squeezed your hand after hearing that.

*Time skip*

"Toph... Toph. Toph!" "Huh? What? I'm awake!" Toph practically jumped out of her seat at hearing you yell her name. You smiled at her reaction and grab her hand. "The water is cold and my fingers look like raisins and..." Toph got confused when you stopped talking. "Y/n?" "I... I... Can't..." Now Toph was worried, "You can't what?" "I can't feel my legs! Why can't I feel my legs!" You yelled, starting to freak out. Toph could feel your heart beat pick up and reached out for you to grab her other hand. 'Y/n stop! Take a deep breath. Okay? Everything will be okay, we'll work through this." You started calming down after hearing Toph's words. Everything would be alright... right?

*Time Skip*

"Ladies and Gentleman I present to you, Toph and Y/n Beifong!" All your friends cheered as you walked down the aisle holding Toph's hand. You were still paralyzed from the waist down, but Sokka had gotten together with Teo and made a contraption that allowed you to walk with little to no assistance and gave it to you as a early wedding gift. You and, shockingly, Toph both cried when they gave it to you a week before the wedding. Now you could actually stand when you and Toph did your first dance as a married couple. Toph rested her head your chest and giggled hearing your heart beat pick up. After dating for 10 years (y'all started dating at 15, got engaged at 22 and married at 25) she still managed to make you blush and act like a kid with a silly school crush. "I am so thankful that Sokka and Teo made these things for me." "I mean, I still would have married you either way." You nodded with a smile, "I know... We are probably the weirdest looking couple out here." Toph furrowed her eyebrows before "looking" up at you, "What do you mean?" "I mean a blind super powerful earth bender and a paralyzed and now bald air bender." Toph laughed at your words before rubbing the top of your head. "Yeah it's weird to feel your head now." "It's okay, I'm going to grow my hair back. I know how much you love it, especially when---" Toph punches you in the shoulder. "Really y/n? I thought I was the one in this relationship who made those types of remarks." You giggled before responding, "Well I can't just let you have all the fun now, can I?" Toph rolls her eyes and lays her head back on your chest. It's silent between you for a few beats before Toph speaks. "I can't wait to spend forever with you." You smile largely at her statement. "I can't wait to spend forever with you too."