#JUST CLARIFYING IN CASE PEOPLE SEE THIS AND GET EXCITED

[weaselishmcdiesel]

GRIPS YOU. I would love to play test if you wanted

NOTED!

[squishescommishes]

about to plug away more on some comms now but this month's base wips are up for a vote now on patreon! this month ended up being fluffy shrimps and i had fun coming up with the ideas 83c

[rynbutt]

pierced. pt. 6 | spencer reid.

Spencer needed to stop getting in his own way of what he wanted.

you will find the other parts on my masterlist

cw: kissing, suggestive sentence in there somewhere, mentions of alcohol, angst if you squint, flufffff

a/n: aahhh!!!! (smut in the next part)

“She looked like you.”

You stopped stroking your hand through Spencer’s hair at his confession. He had been sitting with you on your couch for almost an hour, his head lying comfortably on the couch cushions as he faced you. You glanced up at him, your brows knitted together.

“Who did?” you whispered gently, twirling a piece of his hair between your fingers.

“One of the victims… in the case we worked,” he clarified, almost hesitating with his words like he was embarrassed to admit it. 

You frowned, “did it… frighten you?”

Spencer shrugged, “I think it made me realise how dangerous my life is. My job is my life and it made me think about all the things that have happened to me and my friends because of this job… Someone was killed in the apartment across from you, and Hotch lost his wife, Y/N. It just… freaks me out a bit.”

You listened to Spencer talk, running a hand through his hair as he admitted to the things that were bothering him. You understood why Spencer was worried, you would be too if you had a job like Spencer’s. He worked to find some of the most dangerous people in the world, you commended him for that. 

You took in a breath, “I would be worried too, Spence. And it must bug you even more than you can’t guarantee the safety of the people you love and care about.”

“It does,” Spencer sighed, his hand reaching out to hold yours.

“Are you trying to tell me something, Spencer?” You asked softly, “you don’t want to see me again?-”

“What? No!” Spencer quickly said, standing up from the couch quickly. “I mean… No, I want to see you again. I want to hold your hand whenever I want and-and go on dates, it’s just-” Spencer let out a soft groan as he rubbed his hands down his face.

“You want to keep me safe?” you asked, standing up to pull Spencer’s hands away from his face. Spencer looked at you, almost amazed at how you knew what he wanted to say.

“Yeah,” he replied, holding your hands gently. “I just wish it was simple.”

You sighed, “I know,” you leaned in to wrap your arms around him in a tight hug, “me too.”

“...I can still see you though, right?” He muttered against your hair.

You chuckled softly, pulling away to cup his face, “of course you can, Spence… We can take things slow, keep everything private… I just want you to be happy.”

Spencer beamed at your answer, pressing a kiss to your forehead, “I want you to be happy too.”

Your palms were sweaty as you stood outside Rossi’s house clutching a bottle of wine in one hand while Spencer gently held your other hand. You don’t know why you were nervous, you’d met everyone before. But to be fair, you were slightly tipsy the last time. You spent the afternoon getting ready, styling your hair and doing your makeup nice for the occasion. Spencer came over to pick you up and yes, you may have got distracted against the kitchen counter for a good 30 minutes, but you were finally here.

“Shit, I’m nervous,” you admitted. 

“What? Why are you nervous?” Spencer asked, lifting his hand to knock at the door before stopping himself to look at you.

“I don’t know! I was tipsy the last time I met everyone,” you whisper-shouted the last part, making Spencer chuckle softly. 

“Well,” he stepped down off the top step, standing in front of you, “you look really beautiful and you shouldn’t feel nervous… Garcia has been very excited to hang out with you again and Rossi and Morgan have been bugging me about bringing you along to one of these for a while now.”

You smiled softly, “really?” “Oh yeah,” Spencer replied, “So for the foreseeable future, you’re kind of obligated to come.”

“Oh really?” You raised a brow. “You plan on keeping me around for the foreseeable future?” you teased.

“I mean, I kind of like you,” he teased back, “and you have a nice rack-”

“Spencer!” you punched his shoulder as he giggled like a child. “So vulgar.”

“You like it,” Spencer grinned, putting a hand around your waist and leaning down to kiss you. You cupped his face gently, letting him pull your body tight against his.

“Oi,” Rossi grumbled. You and Spencer shot away from each other. “No kissing on my porch.”

“Sorry, sir,” You squeaked out, quickly scurrying inside as Spencer followed you like a puppy.

You felt her hug before you saw her, Penelope throwing her arms around you in a tight hug. You chuckled and hugged her back, “I haven’t seen you in forever! I keep telling Reid to bring you along to stuff but he always says you’re busy,” she frowned.

You knew half of that was true, your job was demanding and you had four huge projects you were working on and you were thinking about going back to school. The other half was that Spencer was nervous to over involve you in things, partly because he didn’t want to scare you off and because he wanted to keep your dating life fairly private. 

“Yeah, I have been busy, I’m sorry,” you winced.

“Oh, don’t be silly!” Penelope waved you off, “Come on, we’re sitting in here.” Penelope grabbed your hand and started dragging you to the kitchen. Spencer and Rossi followed behind you, Rossi berating Spencer for being late, which Spencer blamed on traffic (liar).

You were met with an outpouring of affectionate greetings as Penelope brought you into the kitchen, which smelled amazing. You placed the bottle of wine down on the counter which JJ and Emily immediately began inspecting.

“Hi, everyone,” you greeted shyly, feeling Spencer’s arm wrap around your waist.

“Hey, lovers,” Morgan grinned cheekily. 

“Oooh,” Rossi picked up the bottle of wine you bought, “good taste in reds, I see.”

“I used to be a bartender. I couldn’t afford to have bad recommendations,” you shrugged.

“Mmm, I like you,” Rossi’s eyes narrowed as he pointed at you. You grinned up at Spencer, letting him plant a soft kiss on your temple. 

Rossi continued to prepare dinner, blatantly refusing to let anyone help him even though he had about four things, all of which smelled amazing. You sat by Emily, JJ and Penelope, letting them ask you a myriad of questions about you and Spencer.

“How long have you two been together now?” Emily asked, leaning her chin on her fist on the counter.

“Uh, about two months,” you replied, thinking for a moment. “But we’re not like, together-together. Just dating.”

“...He hasn’t asked you to be his girlfriend?” JJ asked.

“No, not yet. I think he wants to take things slow,” you said with a smile. Emily, JJ and Penelope shared a knowing look with each other. “...What?”

“Nothing,” Emily shrugged.

“Oh, come on, don’t leave me hanging like that,” you pouted.

“He just talks about you a lot, sweetie,” Penelope grinned, “‘Y/N told me that already’, ‘Y/N makes my coffee better’, ‘No, I’m meeting with Y/N for lunch’, ‘I have plans, I’m hanging out with Y/N’, it’s all the time.”

“I’ve never seen him so happy,” JJ smiled, staring at you sideways. You glanced over your shoulder at Spencer, who was already looking at you. He lifted his hand, waving at you from across the room where he stood with Morgan, Hotch and Hotch’s son Jack.

“He makes me happy too,” you replied with a grin.

“Awww,” Penelope cooed, wrapping her arms around you, “take care of our boy wonder.”

“Dinner is ready,” Rossi sang. “And you are right, it smells divine.”

You sat next to Spencer at the dining table, feeling his warm hand rest on your knee under the table. You smiled to yourself, resting your hand over his. You enjoyed your meal with everyone, revelling in the compliments over your choice of wine. You watched as Jack showed Spencer his dinosaur figurines at the table, your heart fluttering at the sight of Spencer playing with Hotch’s son like he was a big kid himself. 

Once everyone finished dinner, you helped Rossi clean up the table, even after he insisted you sit down and drink some more wine. You ignored his protests and helped him clean up and he made a comment along the lines of, “it’s like arguing with Spencer.”

Spencer ended up helping too, encouraging Rossi to let you and Spencer do the dishes since he cooked all afternoon. Rossi threw his hands up in defeat, sitting back down in his chair and topping off his glass of wine. The two of you stood began cleaning the kitchen and Spencer seemed fussy, like there was something on his mind.

“What’s on your mind?” You asked as you rinsed the clean dishes, soap suds clinging to your forearms. Spencer stopped drying one of the wine glasses, turning to give you his full attention.

“How do you know I’ve got something on my mind?” He asked curiously. 

“I feel like I can read you pretty well, Spence,” you retorted.

“You’d be a good profiler,” Spencer said, bumping your shoulder.

“Yeah, no thanks,” you chuckled, hanging him another dish to be dried. 

A comfortable silence hung in the air before he spoke again, “...how would you feel if… If I asked you to be my girlfriend?”

You stopped what you were doing to look at him, “...You want me to be your girlfriend?”

“...Yeah, I do,” Spencer muttered softly, “only if you want to be my girlfriend, of course,” he quickly said.

Your heart was in your throat, trying to suppress the smile that wanted to break out across your face. “You mean that?”

“Yeah… I really like you, Y/N. And I know we said we wanted to move slowly but it’s driving me crazy not being able to call you my girlfriend, you know?” He admitted, putting the rag on the counter to grab your hands.

“I really like you too, Spencer.”

“So… will you be my girlfriend?” He asked, eyes narrowing with nervousness.

“I’d love to be your girlfriend, Spencer Reid,” you grinned. Spencer let out a breath of relief, unsure of where to put all the excitement building up in his chest. He had no idea how he landed someone like you. He suddenly planted a kiss on your lips, cupping your face in his warm hands.

“Thank you,” he whispered against your lips.

“Why are you thanking me?” you chuckled.

“For giving me your number,” he admitted, “I would have been too nervous to ask for it myself.”

“What can I say,” you shrugged, “you were just too cute to let go.”

Spencer smiled and planted another kiss to your lips, a deeper kiss that made your heart flutter and your toes curl. Your fists held his shirt, pulling him closer. He pushed you against the counter gently, his hand gripping the side of your neck to tilt your head back, deepening the kiss.

“Oi,” Rossi grumbled, louder than the first time he caught you two, “no kissing in my kitchen.”

a/n: Rossi is me

taglist: @crazycat-ladys-blog @cillsnostalgia @secretly-tumb1r @33-81 @elissanatok @outrunangelss @cultish-corner @666-gothic-bat-666 @evvy96 @littlemarvelstan8 @sarai-ibn-la-ahad @meg-black @dreamsarebig @anuncalledbridge @fioletowelowe @ladylincoln @spencerreidsgf420 @bollzinurmouth @scarlettssub @ipseitydelrey @donttrustlove @mcntsee @ruziazyn @valinherfantasyworld @khxna @maybe-not-this @shardsofmarxx @danadinosaur3 @justsarahbella @ah-blossom @lorelaireid @btskzfav @reidsdoll

[whiskeyghoul]

Pt2. || She blinded me with science || [Spencer Reid x Goth!Reader]

Read part 1 here

Read part 3 here

A/N: OMG I can’t believe how much people enjoyed part 1? Seriously, as I am finishing this part up it has reached over 500 notes, I am shocked and so very thankful for the love. I didn’t expect it. A silly little fic not proof read, totally self indulgent, really this is so wonderful and I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read it and reblog, like or comment on it. I hope part 2 doesn’t disappoint. Part 3 is going to be here soon too, which will be the unofficial date.

WC: 1,9K ~

Tags: Fluff, just fluff, Spencer is a flustered mess, Alt!Reader, Goth!Reader, 2 idiots flirting, Reader and Penelope are besties, use of Y/N, Penelope has been playing matchmaker, alluding to a date, crushes.

Warnings: None. 

Your pov.

It was a late Sunday afternoon. You were sitting on Penelope Garcia’s couch, cup of hot tea in hand. Legs curled up on the couch with a colorful blanket over your lap. It clashed just ever so slightly with your dark outfit. The two of you are in complete contrast to each other. Penelope was a ball of color in a bright purple dress with a lemon pattern, large yellow earrings and a blue bolero sweater. Compared to your all black ensemble she was a ray of sunshine. An array of snacks spread out over the coffee table. The aforementioned peppy blonde was sitting next to you on the couch. Deeply engrossed with the romance show playing on the TV. You watched it together every Sunday, when a new episode would come out. Today your mind was somewhere else completely.

“He hasn’t called yet.” You spoke up. Penelope eyed you curiously, “Who?” She asked, her focus gone from the show. Her eyes peered at you with interest from behind the cat eye glasses she had picked out that day. “Doctor Reid.” You turned your head back to the TV casually, trying to not seem bothered. You could hear Penelope hold back a small squeal. It sounded more like a gasp that way. “Oh my god! Are you interested in him? What did he do to impress you? I have been trying to set you up for ages! You have shot down any person I have discussed with you. Always something wrong.” She started rambling, hearing the clink of her glass being put on the coffee table. Her hands grabbed yours, making you look back at her and rolling your eyes. “Firstly: I am not ‘interested’ in him. Secondly: I just thought he would have called by now. Or stopped by at least.” You shrugged noncommittally. You were just a little interested. Thinking back to that meeting.

When Spencer had stepped into the lab earlier that week, courtesy of Penelope, you had found his awkward demeanor endearing. He was hot, that was for sure, and tall, you remembered having to look up at him, Those dark brown eyes pinning you in place. Especially when you had stood so close together. You had wanted to tease him after watching him stumble over his sentences. See him even more flustered. It made you somewhat excited. When you had given him your number you could feel his pulse racing under his skin. He had shown many signs of being interested yet he hadn’t even texted you. It made you rethink the interaction. 

“Well, he couldn’t have stopped by. They got called on a case in Utah so he’s not really in the area right now.” Penelope clarified. Those words put your mind at ease more than you expected them to. “Oh, I guess he can’t really get to the lab then.” You shrugged. Just a little disappointed but feeling relieved that apparently he hadn’t meant to not visit you. Or maybe he had done so on purpose if he would be close. Your earlier relief was replaced by a mild panic again. Trying to convince yourself you weren’t interested in Dr. Reid. Although, he could have texted.

You could practically feel Penelope smirk as you turned your attention back on the TV. Unable to focus but pretending to. “Spence is not one for texting. He probably has been getting to the hotel at ungodly hours and hasn’t had time to call.” it was like she could read your mind. “Don’t do that.” You said with a shudder. “Do what?” Penelope questioned innocently. “Read my mind like that. It’s weird.” You answered, making her laugh. “Just goes to show how well I know you.” She answered with a smile. It was true. She knew you too well you would even argue. The fact both of you were women in a male dominated field, both dressed eccentricly, and both with a passion for cheesy movies and tv shows. It was only a matter of time until you were best friends after your first run in.

Your phone, which was placed on the table, lit up at that moment. The ringtone played at a high volume, making the cure blast through the room. Your eyes quickly flickered to the screen. Caller ID unknown. You picked up the phone, hesitant of the unknown caller, deciding to hang up instead. You had been plagued by telemarketers for the past month and really didn’t want to deal with that right now. If it was important they would call again. And they did, you still had your phone in your hands when it went off again. “Just pick it up! I will keep watch over our show, fill you in later.” Penelope said, motioning her hands for you to get up. You got off the couch, soft blanket falling to the ground as you picked up the phone. Softly padding away to the kitchen to be out of earshot of Penelope. “Y/n speaking.” you answered, waiting to hear from the other end of the line.

“Hey… ehm… is this not the right time? Are you busy?” The voice on the other end of the line made you straighten up slightly in surprise. “Doctor Reid.” You breathe out his name quietly, adding a “Now is a perfectly good time.” to your sentence. Wondering how hearing his voice through the slightly tin-like phone speaker made you feel a little flutter in your stomach. “Good… I didn’t want to bother you. You can just call me Spencer by the way. Doctor sounds too formal. I just introduce myself like that. It’s a habit. I don’t call you Doctor L/n either. So call me Spencer.” He started rambling. A smile spread across your lips, this rambly version was different from how speechless he had been in the lab. You held back a giggle. Apparently you had rendered him speechless in the lab. “Alright, Spencer.” You answered, the humor in your voice apparent. His breath hitched a little on the other side of the line. 

“Why did you call?” You asked, trying to continue on without dawdling. “Oh eh, the report, I ehm…” He was quiet for a moment. It crossed your mind that maybe he didn’t need to speak with you, but he wanted to. “Yes?” You urged after a silence had fallen on the other side of the phone line. There was an intake of breath from Spencer, a moment that signaled he might be trying to raise some courage. “I didn’t want to talk about the report.” He finally spoke. It made you smile, your cheeks flushing ever so slightly. “Oh, well then what did you want to talk about?” You added a bit of playfulness in your tone. You pictured him, holding the phone to his ears that were tipped red. His face was probably just as flushed as it had been in the lab. 

“I ehm- I haven’t been able to focus, on the case that is. Because I keep thinking about the lab. How I probably came off as a mess, I just didn’t know what to say because you looked so… Not that you look bad because you don’t, you looked really nice. Emily says my IQ gets slashed down to 68 when I am around pretty girls. I wanted to make a good impression. I couldn’t find the words though. I usually don’t make great first impressions, because I tend to ramble. Just- I really really hope I didn’t make a bad first impression.” His sentences flowed into each other like word vomit. Nervous, quick, and hardly understandable. Luckily, you were trained in the art of understanding nervous rambles when Penelope would spiral into one from time to time. However he had called you pretty. “Spencer.” You said his name almost like a question. There was a beat of silence. “Yes?” He asked softly, he sounded so nervous.

“You didn’t make a bad impression. I gave you my number for a reason.” You told him with a smile, a little giddy as the words ‘he called me pretty’ kept bouncing around your head. “And I am sorry I called without any real reason to… I know it was for talking about the report. Though Morgan tried to convince me it wasn’t.” Spencer answered. You rolled your eyes at that. Ofcourse, this hyper intelligent man would mix up what you were trying to do. “I gave you my number because I wanted you to call me. Not about the report. I just wanted you to call me. About anything.” There was apparently a need to clear up that confusion. It was silent for another moment. “Oh.” It was like realization dawned on him. “So I should have called sooner, right?” His question made you laugh softly, trying not to clue in Penelope on your call.  “Yes, you should have. Or could have at least. I was waiting.” You answered back, smiling at the ground. You fidgeted with one of the large rings on your free hand, twisting the cool metal round with your thumb.

“I’m sorry I didn’t.” You could almost hear the smile in his voice. The slight uptick in his pitch. You imagined he was still fiddling with the sleeve of his sweater, or was perhaps looking at his shoes with a grin. “You can make it up to me by buying me a coffee when you get back.” The suggestion came naturally, you didn’t even have to think about it. The words left your lips before you could, really. “What do you like?” Spencer asked without hesitation. “Cinnamon latte.” You answered it softly, a little surprised he agreed so readily. A giddy feeling in your stomach. “Alright, cinnamon latte, I’ll remember.” Spencer sounded a little breathy, like he too was feeling giddy at the prospects of having coffee together. Like the idea of taking time to get to know each other at work over a warm beverage was the perfect first date. “What do you like?” You asked in turn, wanting to know what he would usually get. Knowing more about him would feel so domestic and sweet. “Black coffee, usually with tons of sugar.” He had a hint of embarrassment in your voice. A little muffled like he had covered his mouth to hold in the confession of drinking it so sweet. You smiled at his answer. Of course he had a sweet tooth. “Tons of sugar, I’ll remember.” You mirrored his words. 

“Oh! My! God!” You heard Penelope gasp from the living room. Knocking you out of your little phone call bubble with Spencer. “I think I have to go. You better call me tomorrow.” You said it lightheartedly. Just wanting to hear from him again soon. “I will. I’ll call you.” Spencer answered. “Bye Spencer.” “Bye Y/n.” You hung up with a smile, already turning and walking back into the living room. Penelope turned around on the couch to look at you, “They shot Richard!” She looked absolutely shocked as she gave you the news of your favorite character being hurt. You couldn’t wipe the smile from your face though. “Spencer called.” You saw her face form from a shocked to surprise expression, “Oh! My! God!” She sounded a lot happier that time, and you knew you wouldn't hear the end of it.

[suashii]

୨♡୧ SWEET POTATO — iwaizumi hajime x f!reader. sfw. fluff. reader is pregnant.

“you know, i’m perfectly capable of going to the grocery store on my own,” you tell iwaizumi, lingering a step behind him as he walks down the aisle, scanning the items neatly lined up on the shelves. he only hums in acknowledgement. you click your tongue in mock annoyance because, despite your resistance to his assistance, you don’t mind having him around. still, you’re not used to being coddled like this. “being pregnant doesn’t mean i can’t walk. my feet aren’t defective.”

“just hush and let me help,” hajime speaks, resting one hand on the top of your head while the other reaches for a bag of brown rice. the weight on your head is comforting, a reminder of why iwaizumi is really here. ever since you read the positive test and the man who was meant to be with you walked out, iwaizumi, your best friend, stepped up and became your lifeline—attended all of your appointments, started reading baby books in his free time, calmed you down whenever you were feeling overwhelmed. he made sure you weren’t making this journey alone.

“can i at least push the cart?” you attempt to negotiate. you may not mind having him here with you, but you’d be lying if you said that following him around while he did all the work wasn’t getting boring. “wouldn’t it be safer to have something in front of me in case i trip?”

“how could you trip?” he asks, more humor in his voice than usual. “you just told me that your feet work fine.”

you groan at the way he twists your words, hands coming up to unconsciously rub at your belly. it’s become a habit of yours, caressing the steadily growing bump whenever you’re stressed or bored. it gives you something to do and floods you with an immeasurable amount of contentment.

“oh, congratulations, dear.” you turn at the sound of a frail voice. an elderly woman on the opposite side of the aisle looks at you through squinted eyes, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. you figure she’s referring to your stomach.

“thank you.”

“how far along are you?”

“eighteen weeks.” you smile. iwaizumi intently watches your interaction—the way your eyes light up and how your hands protectively cradle the little bulge. “this little one is the size of a sweet potato.”

the fruit and vegetable comparison was always a little silly to you but it came in handy during moments like these. this specific week actually helped you remember something that slipped your mind while you were making the list of items you needed.

“oh!” you snap and point at iwaizumi. “that’s what i forgot earlier. i’m going to go grab a few.”

“hold on, i’ll-” your hand shoots up, palm out, to stop him from finishing his sentence—one that you’re positive would include him insisting on joining you.

“hajime.” you’re more than grateful to have someone to lean on but at this rate, you’re going to forget how to live as an independent being. “i can walk a couple aisles down and bag some vegetables on my own.”

“right,” he curtly nods, “i’ll stay and wait for you here.”

you hurry off to grab the sweet potatoes your obstetrician recommended adding to your diet and leave iwaizumi to aimlessly shift back and forth on his feet.

“you must be excited.” the familiar voice catches the man’s attention, leading him to face the nice old woman.

“i’m sorry?”

“about becoming a father,” she clarifies.

his lips part in understanding and he nods. there’s no harm in letting one woman neither of you will see again think that he was the baby’s dad. it happened quite often but you always brush off the assumptions by jokingly saying “i wish.” it’s never bothered iwaizumi—people’s first thought being that he was the father or the fact that you corrected them. he expected as much when he offered a helping hand. what he didn’t expect was that his heart would jump every time he heard any variation of the word. he kept that to himself, though.

the woman slowly approaches iwaizumi and places a soothing hand on his arm. he has to look down to meet her eye but when he does, he’s met with nothing but warmth. her eyes crinkle with her smile. “i’m sure you and your wife will be great parents.”

she continues down the aisle, leaving iwaizumi with her words. his arms rest on the handle of the cart as the woman’s statement echoes in his head. parents. at the moment, hajime’s a support system—driving you around on errands and helping with chores around the house. the two of you haven’t discussed what his role will be after you’ve given birth, but, despite that, he knows he wants to be there for you and your baby every step of the way if you’ll have him.

“i’m back and bearing potatoes,” you announce your arrival, dropping the vegetables in the cart. your gaze falls to iwaizumi who’s staring ahead, his eyebrows knit together in deep thought. you reach out to smooth the crease between his brows with your thumb. “what’s wrong with you?”

“nothing.” what’s on his mind is a conversation better had not in a supermarket. “come on. let’s wrap this up and get you home for lunch.”

“gosh, you sound just like a dad,” you comment through a laugh, hooking your arm around one of his.

like clockwork, iwaizumi’s heart skips another beat. it feels different this time; he figures it’s because you’re the one who said it.

thanks for reading! consider commenting or reblogging if you enjoyed ❤︎

[loverwebs]

The Perfect Pair

Pairing: Bella Ramsey x Costar!Reader

Synopsis: After playing Ellie and Riley, you and Bella answer the internet's most asked questions.

Word count: around 1,100

Part Two

Just like any other highly anticipated series, The Last of Us press tour consisted of traveling and interviews. The entire experience being incredibly glamorous and exciting for the cast.

On one of the last few days leading up to the premiere, Bella and Y/n were paired up to answer the internet's most asked questions.

Despite her role for the show being limited, Y/n continued filming in Canada for a movie after wrapping as Riley, which gave her and Bella the opportunity to spend even more time together since Bella didn't finish until a few months later.

The duo would often visit each other's sets and had countless sleepovers, constantly posting the other during their time together.

That being said, they already knew what the internet thought of them. It didn't change anything, though.

They knew they were close.

A little too close.

"Unlike the other boards, this one has questions for both of you." Bella's assistant explained towards the end of the interview, handing the last board to them. "Whenever you two are ready."

Bella cleared their throat before peering at the board in their hands, "Are Bella Ramsey and Y/n L/n..." She looked at the camera through squinted eyes before proceeding.

"...still friends?" Y/n finished off once the sticker was peeled.

"Phew," Bella pretended to wipe sweat from their forehead, meanwhile Y/n dramatically placed a hand over her heart to show relief.

They knew what the question was implying.

"This may come as a surprise to you all, but we actually aren't," Bella deadpanned.

"It's true," Y/n chimed, picking at her nails in an attempt to seem uninterested, "I'm being paid to be here."

"Me too. I despise her so much," Bella grinned.

"Yeah right," Y/n nudged her, preparing to peel off another question from the board. "This one says... How did Y/n and Bella meet?"

"We met a few weeks before filming this little project called The Last of Us," Y/n started. "Maybe you've heard of it. It's not really well known or anything."

"It's remarkably underrated," Bella added with humor.

"Absolutely," Y/n gave an amused smile. "Best day of my life, though. I was so nervous."

"Were you really?" Bella raised a brow, "Because I remember it a bit differently."

"Oh my God," Y/n groaned, turning to face the camera. "You see, I kind of talked Bella's ear off the whole time."

"Kind of? Darling, I couldn't get a word in the entire night." Bella giggled.

"I'm sorry!" Y/n whined. "I just thought you were really cute. I talk way too much when I'm around cute people." 

"Then you must still think I'm cute," Bella teased her. "Because you always go on and on when we're together."

"Moving on!" Y/n sighed. "God, you're so annoying."

"You love it," Bella shook with laughter.

"Hold still!" Y/n laughed as well. "Bels, I can't read them if you're moving! Okay... This one says—oh wow. Y/n L/n and Bella Ramsey kiss."

"My goodness," Bella bursted out in giggles once again.

"That's not even a question," Y/n gave the camera a look whilst fanning the brunette, attempting to calm him down. "Someone needs to get fired for that."

"I'm assuming they meant to ask if our characters kissed on the show." Bella glanced at the crew members skeptically.

"This interview will come out after the episode airs," someone assured them.

"Oh! In that case, we did kiss, yes," stated Bella.

"Our characters did." Y/n clarified, smiling at her friend.

"Well, we kissed. But for the show, of course."

"Completely professional."

"Though we had to do it quite a few times." Bella added.

"Because someone kept 'forgetting' their lines. Definitely not on purpose," Y/n teased them.

"Wow! Way to throw me under the bus there," she pretended to be offended. "I see how it is, L/n."

"Just saying," Y/n shrugged smugly, fingers tugging off another strip.

"Did Bella Ramsey and Y/n L/n play The Last of Us?" Bella read. "Not really…I mean, prior to filming we were told not to play it, but Y/n/n and I tried to get through some of it recently."

"We didn't get very far though. Even on the easiest mode, it just never ends well." Y/n grimaced.

"Yeah, it's tough." Bella agreed. "Neither of us are gamers, so we wind up eating snacks and playing a film instead."

"Which is way less stressful!"

"Is Skipper Y/n L/n's or Bella Ramsey's dog?" Y/n said, struggling to flick away the sticker from her fingers.

Bella immediately noticed and tried helping her, but it ended up getting stuck on both of them, which earned him a small giggle from the girl.

"Despite what Y/n says, Skipper is my kid." Bella announced, successfully placing the long sticker on their chair.

"But she likes me more. I birthed her," Y/n joked.

"I won't lie—she does like to cuddle Y/n/n quite a lot. I think she gets that from me."

"She definitely gets that from you. I like when all three of us cuddle, though." Y/n smiled at the fond memories, "Anyway, I'll settle for the title of being her second mom."

"That works," Bella chuckled. "We'll co-parent her."

"Bella Ramsey and Y/n L/n laying on each other," Bella read through a heavy laugh. "Again, not a question."

"There's a thing called needing body heat, people!" Y/n said defensively.

"Right! Because Canada is incredibly cold. If you were filming in our conditions, you'd do the same." Bella spoke, hiding their face behind the board.

"Yeah, we had to stay warm somehow." Y/n added, her face heating up from the embarrassment of this topic coming up.

"Are we done now?" Bella peaked, "I feel like we've revealed a lot in this ten minute video," they joked.

"Right?!"

"I think that's it," one of the assistants said, laughing along with the team behind the camera. "And we're already shooting, so you can just give us an outro and we'll wrap this up."

"That concludes our Wired Autocomplete Interview!" Bella yelled at the same time Y/n chanted, "Thanks for watching!"

They shared a laugh, then looked back at the camera before continuing, "Make sure to check out The Last of Us." Y/n said when Bella rested their head on her shoulder.

"It's streaming right now on HBO Max," they pointed out.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we're gonna go make out!" Y/n joked, running away from the camera-frame with Bella, hand in hand.

Part Two

[hestzhyen]

Sunken Ships and SoRiku

Hi internet void. I went feral and maybe you'll read the result.

KH has made a lot of choices around SoRiku from a narrative perspective that, in isolation, wouldn't amount to much. A heart-to-heart here, a questionable line there, and so on. The usual things that one would do to court a queer shipping audience in an otherwise het or unromantic work. And SoRiku circles have painstakingly documented every instance to show something that looks more like a consistent and intentional effort rather than a few dollops here and there to keep shippers engaged. There's... a lot. But one stupid, insignificant thing really shook me up and made me a believer in SoRiku Endgame, Actually.

Silly as it is, it's Nomura's reaction to people shipping RikuNami that gets me the most.

Generally speaking a writer doesn't want to interact with fandom shipping unless it's to urgently course correct. As in it would be catastrophic to the narrative if the fandom had the wrong idea. Otherwise it's best to just take note of how people are interpreting things and adjust the next installment accordingly, or live and let live. Keep distant and don't risk accusations of retconning/bad writing/queerbaiting in bad faith. So the normal reaction from Nomura seeing people get excited over RikuNami would have been to just do nothing. But instead, the scene was patched to downplay the smile, and Nomura went on the record to clarify that it's not a setup for a romantic relationship between Riku and Namine.

That's insane.

Why is it so important that Riku remain romantically uninterested in a girl he'd have a natural connection to, huh? What about accidentally implying RikuNami was so detrimental to the story that it was changed and explicitly addressed like that? Even if it wasn't meant to be, surely letting it play out like AkuRoku did would be enough. Just gently clarify and move on with the story (which pretty much sunk the ship on it's own anyway). You don't wade into fandom shipping and launch nuclear warheads like Nomura did against RikuNami unless you want to leave no room for doubt.

Torpedoing RikuNami also doesn't help them keep up appearances in terms of straightness at this point. Leaving it intact would only help the case of Riku and Sora being bffs with the strongest bond 5ever- a huge boon for the writing team if they wanted to avoid things looking too gay. Nomura et. al. are absolutely aware of the impressions and jokes about how gay KH is. And KH definitely would not be the first series to play in to queer ship teasing for the lols until it's time to pair everyone up at the end.

But they did the one thing you're not supposed to do if you're just aiming to queerbait: undermining the plausible straight ship. You don't eliminate the only straight option for your character like that for the sake of "he so gay" jokes! Having a straight option available vital to make the bait; they don't have to be compelling or important to the story, they just have to exist. Yet at this point, Riku's only option is Sora. They went out of their way to ensure we wouldn't think anything else makes sense for him.

Holy. Shit.

[dumbkiri]

𝖔𝖍, 𝖒𝖞 𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖉

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖓𝖊: 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖚𝖘

WARNING: death, blood, death by fire

He remembers meeting you as clearly as the day was when you accidentally bumped into him. No cloud covered the blue sky and the sun shining down on you only made you prettier in his eyes. You fumbled with your words trying your best to apologize to him. The blush on your face made it more apparent that you wouldn't be able to spit it out successfully. 

To your rescue, your mother walked out of the flower shop with a bag in her hand, “[Name], I know you're excited for the garden, but you must watch where you're going.” Though she scolded you, her voice was light and airy. Her long hair had light pink highlights, a stark contrast to her [h.color] hair. 

Then she directed her ruby eyes onto the quiet boy bowing her head down to apologize. “I’m sorry about my daughter and her clumsiness. You see, we just bought new flower seeds and she gets very excited to plant them in our garden.” She giggled when you tugged at her kimono, silently telling her to stop embarrassing you. 

Satoru looked away and over his shoulder to glare at the people that had been following him for a while. In a low and unbothered voice, Satoru said, “You don’t need to apologize, it’s just an accident. I’m Gojo Satoru, by the way.”He turned his attention back to the mother and daughter with no smile accompanying his greeting. 

This only made you uneasy, yet your mother greeted him happily making you look up at her in confusion. “What a pleasure to meet the holder of Limitless and the Six Eyes. My name is [L.Name] Sabine and this is my daughter, [Name]. I am the holder of Nami’s Miracle.”

Satoru nodded his head and stuffed his hands into his pockets, “That makes sense now, your energy is very welcoming and powerful. What about her technique, it’s also strong, but it lacks in presence like it’s-”

“Slowly fading away?” Sabine finished and she combed her fingers in your hair. Your eyes never left her gentle look and her eyes widened in slight excitement. “How about you join us for lunch, young Gojo? I can prepare something for the three of us while [Name] plants her new seeds. Then I can tell you all about our family’s blessed energy and why [Name] is the only one in our family with cursed energy.” 

Skeptical, but intrigued, Satoru accepted the invite to your dismay. You just made yourself look like a fool in front of this boy and your mother thought it was a great idea to invite him for lunch. You moved your eyes down to the floor and fiddled with your small purse. At least, you’d be able to plant the seeds and encourage them to grow with your curse technique while your mother talks Gojo’s ears off. 

But that wasn’t going to be the case. 

…

The size of the [L.Name] Estate surprised Satoru because it honestly looked like a small village. As the trio walked around, heading to the main house, Sabine explained to him that the [L.Name] family consisted of a lot of female family members with small amounts of blessed energy. These women can go on to help in the Jujutsu Society by healing wounded sorcerers. 

“They’re not fighters, not like me who is the inheritor of Nami’s miracle,” Sabine clarified, “Because of this, our family is very low in the hierarchy of the Jujutsu Society. We are seen as defenseless and sometimes useless until they need our help. Will you think the same, young Gojo?”

“I don’t have a lot to go off from there to judge your family,” He responded, ignoring the looks he got from the surrounding women. They gushed at his appearance and wondered out loud why he was walking with the Lady of the Estate and her daughter. 

“But I see merit in the ability to harness blessed energy as much as any cursed technique. Your daughter sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of them though.” By no means did he mean to upset you with his words, he only wanted to state out the obvious to get the answer as to why you have cursed energy. 

Sabine could see the way you only closed yourself off more after Gojo’s offhand remark. Her hand landed on your shoulder and it made you feel smaller because her energy wanted to wash the cursed energy inside of you. “She does stick out,” Sabine moved her hand away and focused back onto the small boy walking next to her, “everyone thinks her to be some kind of failure because she cannot heal like the rest do. She’s the first in the entire family lineage to have cursed energy and it worries some. Her legitimacy has come to question, but there have been many witnesses to her birth. [Name] is my beloved daughter, cursed energy and all.”

Satoru’s eyes widened at the declaration and he couldn’t help, but wished he had a mother figure like Sabine. He blamed it on the blessed energy she constantly leaked out like a waterfall. No one can be this kind all the time.

…

When they reached the main house, Sabine handed the bag with the seeds inside to her anxious daughter. Then her daughter sprinted off without a word to the backyard to plant her flowers and watch them grow with her curse technique. Meanwhile Satoru watched her run away and hesitated on where to go. Thankfully, Sabine placed her hand onto his shoulder and gestured towards the direction her daughter ran off to. 

“You can witness her cursed technique in action, young Gojo. I’m sure she’ll warm up to you if you show interest in her technique. She’s only distrustful to people because of how she’s treated here. No one appreciates her technique, but I believe you will.” 

With that said, Satoru walked forward and followed after the lingering cursed energy belonging to you. Your mother believed in you and your kindness. It appeared to be easy for Sabine to gain someone’s trust because Satoru walked with you like nothing will happen to him. 

“‘She sticks out like a sore thumb~.’”

Satoru heard your voice for the first time and it had to be when you openly mocked him. He stopped in his spot and listened closely to how you talked badly about yourself. 

“I must have disappointed Mother when he mentioned my failure to be born without blessed energy” You stabbed the grass with the [f.color] hand trowel, your eyebrows furrowing in the middle, “Why was I even born? All I am is a nuisance to the [L.Name] Family, a girl who failed to be born with blessed energy. I should just die already, make everyone forget me like a weed in a garden.” 

“I only said you stuck out like a sore thumb because you are stronger than the rest of them.” Satoru stepped in and you snapped your head in his direction. Your cheeks are flushed with embarrassment twice today. “Also weeds may be a nuisance to some people, but they are resilient and grow in any climate. Can you not see yourself as more than a failure?” 

You wiped the dirt off your hands and looked away from his pretty blue eyes that stared at you in a haunting way. “I don’t think I can. Not when I’m reminded every day by the others in my family. You won’t get it, Gojo. You’re not a failure, you possess two wonderful techniques while I…”

You looked down at the small hole you dug and the lonely seed inside of it. “I’ll just show you.” You gestured to the spot next to you on the grass and he sat down without saying anything to you. You covered the seed with the disturbed dirt and placed your hand over the small mound. 

In a second, the seed in the dirt began to sprout with your cursed energy giving life to grow into its final form. “This flower is called Calendula. Since I cannot heal with blessed energy, I can grow flowers that have some healing properties in them.” 

“That’s smart,” Gojo commented lightly and reached his hand out to touch the flower. But you panicked and slapped his hand away from it, your ruby eyes wide and you stuttered out an apology. 

“I’m so sorry! But you cannot touch the flower. My mother needs to bless the flower before anyone touches it. My cursed energy hurts people and it can sometimes poison them! I only slapped you to-” 

“Calm down,” Gojo smiled at you and reached for the flower again. You covered your eyes and begged him not to touch the flower, but his chuckle made you move your hands away. “Hate to burst your bubble, earth-worm, my infinity protects me from whatever poison your flowers give off. See?” 

He twisted a plucked flower petal in-between his fingers with a charming smile on his face. You couldn’t believe it, he almost gave you a heart attack for pulling a stunt like that. Suddenly a sound escaped your lips and it surprised you enough for Satoru to question you. 

“What? Have you never laughed before?” 

“Not really,” You admitted sheepishly, “You’re the first person to actually make me laugh. My mother isn’t very great at telling jokes and I can’t hang out with other kids my age.”

“Children, lunch is ready,” Sabine appeared behind you guys with flower petals flowing at the bottom of her kimono. Her close eyed smile presented with kindness and she held her clean hands out to you. Although you hid your hands behind your back and picked yourself up without accepting her help. 

“You didn’t wear your gloves, young lady,” Sabine pointed out, her tone teasing you. 

“I may have not, I was filled with too much excitement to put them on. Plus I feel closer to the seeds when I don’t put gloves on!” You explained, keeping your hands behind your back. Sabine shook her head and told you to go wash yourself up while she leads Gojo to the food. 

When you walked away with a cheeky smile and a hop in your step, Sabine thanked Gojo for making you happy. “I think she likes the nickname you gave her. Earth-worm suits her very well considering her love for gardening. She loves to play with the dirt if you haven’t noticed.” 

Satoru pushed himself off the dirt and handed the petal over to Sabine, so she could bless it. “I would be dumb if I didn’t see that. Also I have a question, uh…is it possible that I can visit her whenever?” 

Sabine laughed and ruffled Satoru’s hair, sending chills down his spine. He can feel her touch upon his hair, she bypassed his barrier. “H-how are you doing that?” He pulled away and looked at her with unease. 

“Oh, I’m sorry for spooking you. I am able to dispel any cursed technique, nullifying the user of their ability. I apologize if I made you feel vulnerable.” 

“Don’t do it again,” He demanded, “Nullifying my infinity can put me at risk.” 

Sabine’s eyes drooped in shame, “Yes, I noticed the people after you with the intent of killing you. But do not worry, I won’t do it again and you’re safe in the [L.Name] Estate. I can sense when someone comes into my home with bad intentions.” 

Satoru nodded his head and followed after the calm woman with an astounding power. Sabine could be able to overthrow the Jujutsu Society if she wanted, but she remains a lady with responsibilities tied to her clumsy daughter. Something was missing and Sabine never explained why you were born with cursed energy. 

And he forgot to ask despite him making multiple visits to make you laugh and spend more time with you. His attention never left you and you began to warm up to him. A beautiful flower sprouting to her full potential.

……

Everything had been great. His relationship with you grew and he developed a small crush on you which Sabine caught on quickly because she knew you were doing the same as time went on. 

Yet the mother couldn’t anticipate the fire, the massacre of her family or the way the men threatened to kill you if she didn’t listen to them. Sabine passed down Nami’s Miracle to you upon the threat of the men. Your sleeping body was held in Naobito Zen’in’s arms as she pressed a kiss to your forehead. Tears slid down her face as she silently said goodbye to you. 

“Oh, my beloved,” Sabine felt the hands of the men grab her, the bright light of the fire reflecting in her ruby red eyes, “do not fall into despair.” 

They led her to the pile of bones and ashes still burning in the night, “You will become so much more than what I imagined. A lady of duality, they won’t be able to control you. I trust that young Gojo will lead with you, to keep his promise to me.” 

A man roughly turned her attention to him and cruelly smirked at her tear stained face, “This will stop your incessant mumbling, almighty goddess.” He pressed a dagger to her throat and she closed her eyes, gagging on her blood. If only she could cover her throat, but her hands were tied behind her back and she felt a kick on her stomach.  Sabine felt weightless and the light of the fire engulfed the darkness that consumed her. The warmth comforted her as she gained new life. Her last thought on earth focused on blessing her daughter, ‘Starting tonight, you are born as the Princess of Thorns.’

[astraltrickster]

My logic on the fairy vs. walrus question is this:

I am fairy-ignostic. Do I think they're real? That depends on how you define "fairy" and "real" - I think the mythology is meaningful, I think they're an interesting speculative fantasy about the natural world and the unexplained (and potentially the unexplainable), and I will happily respect the mythology so long as it's not asking me to harm other people because 1) respecting harmless beliefs, even if I don't share them, is just the polite thing to do and 2) I don't want to find out I'm wrong the hard way...but I don't think we're going to see literal physical tiny humanoids with butterfly or dragonfly wings floating around us any time soon.

But there is precedent for something people thought was just a myth to turn out to have been true, usually not in exactly the same sense as the myth (it's usually a previously unexplained natural phenomenon or an underestimated power of one, a fast glimpse of an unknown species, or something similar) but still in a more literal way than people assumed, so seeing a fairy at my doorstep is just kind of - oh! Wow! Just like things that are almost-but-not-quite deer (CWD), living caves that eat people (turns out they don't have to be "alive" in the literal biological flesh-and-blood sense to do that), the various animals we described as "sea monsters" before we properly recorded them, and more, it turns out at least one fairy myth was more literal than I gave it credit for. That's exciting and I can't wait to find out more about what this means! But I have a baseline. It's just familiar enough to be a case of, "all right! So, which myth is this most like? There are a lot of fairies that show up at doorsteps, after all," while being just unfamiliar enough to tell me, okay, I need to just accept what happens here and go with the flow. I won't give them my name, and I will be extremely careful to live up to rules of good hospitality and clarify any potential points of conflict. Surprising, but I can handle this.

A walrus, on the other hand...I know how walruses act. I know their normal range. I even know where the closest place I could see one is relative to me. I obviously know they're real in the most literal possible sense - but I also know, relatively speaking, a great deal about how they work, and this experience flies in the face of ALL of that knowledge. I'd start checking to see if this was some kind of Candid Camera successor, and if it is, who's filming this? Is the walrus real, or is it some guy in a very realistic costume? Whether it's real or not, how did it get here? Did someone bring it? Who? Did it escape from a zoo/aquarium? The closest place I could normally find one is nearly 200 miles away, how did it get to my doorstep without someone stopping it? Why is it on MY doorstep?

Furthermore, when a likely 1,700-3,700 pound marine mammal just decides to show up in your face...on top of the shock, there's also the terror of, well, fuck it, that marine mammal owns my house now, I guess! I have to worry about keeping my cats safe. I have to worry about my neighbors doing something stupid and getting gored with its tusks. I have to minimize property damage. I have to call animal control. A fairy, I can communicate with. A walrus, I cannot.

Ergo, the walrus is both more surprising AND more alarming.

[shyvioletcat]

ROWAELIN MONTH: DAY TWO

~ Accidents Happen ~

Welcome to the new au spawned by Rowaelin month brought to you by @rowaelinscourt. This started as a completely harebrained idea and then I thought about it some more and then couldn't stop laughing and knew I had to write it. This fic will get a few other updates throughout the month and I really hope you enjoy it.

~~~~~

Rowan had been carrying a secret around, for weeks it had been weighing on him. It was the kind that he wanted to share, but he didn’t exactly know how to. It was awkward and embarrassing and he didn’t know how to explain himself. On the flip side of the coin it was also exciting, thrilling and mildly terrifying. Being in love usually was.

The beer in front of him was meant to give him courage, and maybe it would if he could bring himself to drink more than a sip. His friends had arrived a few minutes ago and were in the process of getting their own drinks. One by one they all purchased their beverage of choice and were making their way back to the table Rowan was able to secure by arriving 15 minutes early. Lorcan led the way through the warren of tables, his huge form nearly blocking out everyone who followed behind. With their impending approach Rowan bolsted his resolve, and downed half his beer in one go. 

Then he counted, one, two, three, four, as each of his friends took their seats, the methodical thinking keeping him focused on his own tasks. The four other men were chatting about something, but with the speech Rowan was trying to form in his head he didn’t hear a thing. It wasn’t until Connal said his name that Rowan broke out of his inward trance with a shake of his head. 

“What was that?”

“I was asking how you’ve been,” Connall clarified. 

“Oh… yeah, great,” Rowan replied without enthusiasm. 

Fenrys snorted. “And you were the one who was so insistent that we meet up.”

“Maybe he just missed us,” Vaughan said. “He’s apparently been so busy that he can never ever meet up when any of us ask to do anything.”

“With what, is the question,” Lorcan added into the rim of his glass.

They were ganging up on him, they knew something was up. Rowan was cornered. He might as well get it over and done with—put an end to his delightful misery. 

“I accidentally became a sugar daddy but I’m actually in love with her.”

Stunned silence was all that he was met with for a long while. 

Eventually it was Lorcan who spoke. “You what?”

Then Fenrys started laughing and he couldn’t stop. When Rowan could bring himself to look up from his glass the expressions that he saw ranged from open shock to thinly veiled amusement, except for Lorcan who was looking at Rowan like he had lost his mind. 

“Wait, wait,” Fenrys said through incessant giggles. “Are you being serious? How did you manage that?”

Rowan sighed, took another mouthful of beer and swallowed. “Let me explain.”

~~~~~

Being the last one in the office was not uncommon for Rowan. Most often than not he found himself alone on the dark and quiet floor of this office building, putting in more hours than he was paid for. He didn’t win his cases by slacking off or doing the bare minimum. He didn’t gain the reputation of the best and most ruthless corporate lawyer in the city by doing what was required of him. No, he got that by going above and beyond to make sure he, and his company by a necessary extension, flourished. 

It cost him though. Rowan had next to no social life except for his friends that seemed to hang on no matter what. Other than that the only people he saw were his colleagues in the office. His mother was always on his case about romantic involvements, citing that she wasn’t getting any younger and she would like to see at least one grandchild before she died. Rowan told her that reminding him of her mortality was a low blow, she reminded him he worked as a lawyer so he would know all about unethical ways to get what you wanted. He reminded her that he wasn’t one of those kinds of lawyers, her response was always so non-commital. 

Feeling a tightness between his shoulder blades had Rowan straightening from the hunch he’d been holding over his desk. His spine cracked, a timely reminder of his own that the number attached to his age was steadily rising too. Maybe his mother had a point.

Thirty two wasn’t exactly old, but he wasn’t getting any younger. An outstanding career wasn’t the only thing that he wanted from life. He wanted a family of his own and sitting in an office night after night certainly wasn’t the way to get what he desired.  

Rowan’s phone lit up on the desk, and he expected the notification to be some email or text with vital case information. It was neither. Instead it was a calendar alert. 

Charity Gala Saturday 7:30. BRING A DATE.

“Oh, shit,” Rowan said, rubbing a hand over his tired face. 

The gala has been sitting in the back of his mind for weeks, but there had been more pressing things keeping him occupied. Finding a date for that had been the furthest thing from his mind. His firm was trying to land Forest Fae Toys and Games and they wanted him to appear more family friendly. Apparently his icy notoriety needed thawing and having a certain kind of friend on his arm was the key to that. 

Rowan didn’t have any female friends worth asking, all his family members looked too much like him and that would raise some uncomfortable questions. With the gala less than 24 hours away he was out of time and options, he was screwed. 

He sat there for a long while considering the best way to go about this. The stipulation of a date had been non-negotiable, Rowan knew because he had tried negotiating his way out of it. All he had received was an ultimatum—bring a date or he was off the case. And he really, really wanted this case. 

But what else could he do? He couldn’t conjure a woman into existence, he didn’t have the energy or will to go and meet someone tonight and veritably beg a stranger to attend with him. It’s not like he could hire someone.

Rowan froze. Suddenly that idea didn’t sound so preposterous. Money wasn’t a problem so he could… no. Hiring a girlfriend was not something he would stoop to. Plus, it was embarrassing that his social interactions were so low that he had to stoop to that alternative. Then again, he had to ask himself whether or not losing his chance with this client was worth it.

With a sigh, Rowan came to a bleak realisation. It wasn’t worth it. His reputation would be tarnished and he’d lose a shit-tonne of money if he couldn’t do something as simple as bring a date to an event. Unlocking his phone he tapped on his web browser and opened an incognito window. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, considering what to type. Escort services were an obvious search choice, but that seemed a little risky. Yes, he just needed a one off evening hire but if it got out if he had resorted to an escort service, and gods only knew who he might end up with. Maybe he should just accept his fate and be doomed. 

Then a conversation came back to him. A long while ago on a random night out Fenrys had made a comment about hiring a sugar baby. A someone who Rowan could pay to spend time with him, no string of extenuating effort needed—just payment. His friend had kindly been pointing out Rowan’s perpetual spinster status, but maybe he was onto something. 

Rowan spent half an hour researching the best way to find a reputable sugar baby, if there was such a thing, and settled for an app that charged an exorbitant fee. Sweet As Sugar was the name of it, and it bragged to have the best and most vetted list of sugar babies. Rowan had to upload a photo and create a profile, and then he was able to start browsing. For someone who was desperate and under the clock he probably spent far too long considering who he might hire. He just needed to pick, pay them and explain the situation.

Rowan was about to go back to his favourited list when swiped to a profile of an absolutely stunning woman. Her hair was gold, and her eyes were a shade of blue he’d never seen before. She smiled at the camera and her beauty was damn near entrancing. Celeana was the name under her photo and without even thinking it through he’d clicked on her profile and started reading. 

She was in her mid twenties and studying, she was smart not to give specifics. Celaena liked dogs, music and chocolate with hazelnuts in it. Rowan couldn’t see any apparent red flags and she was beautiful. There honestly wasn’t much else to it.

“Why the hell not,” Rowan muttered to himself and tapped on the little heart stamped envelope that would request the chat between them be opened. It was in Celeana’s court now, she would have the final decision on whether or not she would accept his offer. 

He waited and waited, long enough that his phone locked on its own. Rowan started berating himself for such a stupid idea and began considering if Sellene truly looked too much like him to pass her off as unrelated. But then his phone lit up his dark office, a notification from his newest app.

Request accepted.

~~~~~

Tags: @fucking-winchester-trash // @literary-licorice // @tangledraysofsunshine // @highqueenofelfhame // @3am-reading // @soup-that-is-too-hawt // @nalgenewhore // @http-itsrebecca // @sleep-and-books // @alifletcher2012 // @westofmoon // @sleeping-and-books // @ttakeitbacknoww // @mariamuses // @chocolate-eating-bitch-queen // @velarian-trash // @queenofxhearts //

@heroesofterrasen // @highladyofstoriesandmusic // @empire-of-wildfire // @camerooonchiu // @crackedship // @over300books // @yourwhisperingshadows // @thesirenwashere // @tswaney17 // @cat5313 // @judelovescardan // @flowerspringsea // @chaoticskyy // @the-regal-warrior // @fanfictrash3000 // @blueeyes425 // @bamchickawowow // @giorgia-the-trashpanda //

[faust-the-enjoyer]

A knock is heard on your door, and you get up from your small desk, leaving your nail polish behind, and opening the door to the face of your sergeant, Keegan.

"Hey kid, I just wanted to check on you, you seemed a little...tired today, how're you feeling now?" He looks at you, eyes gentle yet there's a hint of concern in them. "Ah, yeah, i'm exhausted, but i'm just unwinding a little now.", you sigh. It was a nice gesture for him to check on you, you've always felt like he was some sort of big brother to you with the way he was towards you.

"That's good....what're you doing?", curiosity got the best of him. "I'm painting my nails! Wanna come see?", at least there's a bit of excitement left in you from today. "Sure kid." He enters the room and you close the door behind him.

You lead him to your desk, with three bottles of nail polish on it, yellow, pink, and blue. With a tissue to put your hand on in case you miss your nail and paint your hand or the desk accidentally, a bottle of nail polish remover, and some cotton swabs. You show him your right hand first, "I only got to paint this hand first, but then you knocked.", you tell him casually.

You notice him looking intently at the nail polish, your fingers, and your face, a small smirk growing on his face. "What?", you ask him, "Nothing, just....these colors...is there any reason you're using them in particular?", it was an innocent question, really, it was quite obvious that he was starting to get something about you, sure, you painted them in the pan flag because you're pansexual, but how could he suspect that of all people?

"I just like the colors.", you're not really lying...you do like the colors. "Yeah...they're nice kid. I've seen pride flags with these colors before.", he says simply, holding up one of the nail polish bottles. "...Where did you see them?", "Well, every year there's photos of the parades, of course i'd see them kid.", your heart started beating a little harder and faster. Did he know? How did he know? You decided to swallow your fears in your throat, whenever discussions about these things came up, he always seemed uncaring and nonchalant, not bigoted.

He looks at you, eyes clearly showing that he won't judge you, that he probably knew from before this. "...How did you know that i'm...", your voice is quiet, "It was a little obvious from the way you looked at others on base.", he says calmly, he noticed. He noticed!?

Your mouth falls open and he laughs. "You noticed!?", he laughs a little harder, putting the nail polish bottle down on the desk again. "Yeah, I did kid, it's fine.", you let out a relieved breath. "So you know what pansexuality is?", you ask him curiously, and he shakes his head, indicating a no. "Well, I saw you look at both men and women, so I assumed you were bisexual.", you chuckle, "Close enough, I like 'em regardless of gender.", you clarify and he nods understandingly.

After chatting for a bit and watching you paint your nails, he leaves for the night after saying goodnight to you, and you feel much more at ease with him than before

[set-wingedwarrior]

Why you should watch RWBY legally

Before I even begin, I want to clarify that it's not my intent to start a fight, guilt-trip, nor force anyone to do anything they don't wanna do. I am merely here to state the facts, as far as I know, and share with you all the reasonings that brought me to my decision. The goal here is to give you all the pieces of information for you to make yours as well.

That said, let's begin.

RT has been awful, employees deserve better, you're angry on their behalf, and I get that because I am too. But I still want and will support the RWBY through Crunchyroll, and here's why:

Pirating is going to hurt CRWBY much more than it will hurt RT. That's the simple truth, in this cases it's always the bottom line that gets the worst of it, so if your goal is to help the employees pirating this isn't the way to go.

Strictly tied to the first one, if a boycott was needed and useful, then they would have told us so. We're not there, we don't know specifically how this stuff works, so deciding to go on a mass protest in their behalf withouth their consent would probably just backfire and put them in even worse conditions. If they'll ever ask that out of us, I will, but for now that's not the case.

All CRWBY, former or not, has been nothing but excited to share their work with us. They want the show to succeed, to keep going and grow, and they're working so hard to achieve that; it just doesn't feel fair to deny them because of someone else's bad actions.

Crunchyroll is the best half-way if you want to support the show without supporting directly RT. Even if I don’t know how the deal works, I’m pretty sure that considering CR doesn’t care about anything else RT might have to offer, any money sent to them would be specifically for the show to continue (and possibly improve)

CRWBY litterally asked us to support them. We can see that on Geoff Yetter's post,

on A.G. Nonsuch's tweet that Kerry liked (and that even if he didn't I would still trust, because since she did work with RT and met CRWBY, I'm pretty sure she knows better than us)

and Arryn's (animator) explicit answer when someone litterally asked how to support RWBY withouth supporting RT (also, if you check their twitter page you'll find multiple likes and retweets or posts sharing the same sentiment)

Again, this isn't to force anyone to do anything they don't want to. I just want you to have all the information, think about what you goal is and act accordingly. Sadly, we can either support CRWBY or hurt RT, with Crunchyroll being the closest thing to get both.

Now, I know that a lot of people might want to support but can’t afford Crunchyroll (or simply don't see it worth it because they don’t watch any other anime). That’s completely fair and understandable but, if you want, I might have a couple of solutions to offer:

Share the account with someone else. It will cut costs, and for just a couple of months it should be bearable.

See if you know someone who already has one and is willing to let you temporarely use it.

Wait until all episodes are released and then make an account; CR offers a 14 days free trial for their premium subscription, and you could use it to binge the volume and still give it views (you don’t have to abstain yourself from watching the episodes as they air, you just need to give CR these views in the end, and if you don’t want to rewatch you could just let them autoplay).

In case someone is wondering, CRUNCHYROLL DOESN’T COUNT THE VIEWS BASED ON THE ACCOUNTS ALONE.

What I mean is that they count rewatches as views of their own, so if you share an account with multiple people and you’re all watching the show, all the views from each of them will be counted, and it will still support it (if you’re wondering how I know, I maild their Support and asked them directly).

That’s all about Crunchyroll. Technically, no one stops you from waiting a year and watch it on RT's platform; they'll be accessible with FIRST accounts only at first, then become free with ads later as usual. I doubt any of you would want to do that, but a lot of people seemed not to get that it won't stay behind a paywall forever so I thought it was worth sharing. I did say I wanted you to have all of the information after all.

And that’d be all, I guess. As I mentioned, this isn’t meant to guilt trip anyone: everyone is entitled to their feelings and what they feel is right. You do you. But as for me, I’d rather accidentally benefit some assholes in the process of helping someone who deserve it than having innocents get hurt because of the actions of some assholes higher ups.

RWBY is a unique show that deserves to live, and CRWBY (and I mean all the people, past and new) has been working so hard, for so long, to get to tell their story and make their dream come true. I don't want all of their work and struggle to be in vain as much as I don't want to lose my favorite show. So, I will listen to them and help them the way they ask me to. That's my goal.

Find what your goal is, and act accordingly.

[total-drama-brainrot]

psycho!noah au, what do the aftermath cast think? conversely if they dont know/dont see the show (isnt it implied to be canon in wt that they watch the show or atleast can?), how do they react to newly eliminated cast members telling them?

and then, at whatever point he gets eliminated or just whenever the cast sees him again, how do they react with that new info?

The justification I have for Noah remaining stealthed under his "stoic cynic" persona pre-reveal in this AU is a little convoluted, but I do have one. Vaguely. Which I'll try to outline here for continuities' sake.

So, to clarify; Noah only competes in Island and World Tour, just like in canon. Most things happen just like canon, with the exception of Noah lasting a little longer in Island so he and Izzy have more time to be menaces (I have no idea how I'll shift the elimination order to justify keeping him around, though). Noah's still eliminated fairly early and ends up on the Playa, where the other elimination fodder welcome him with open arms, because in Island they're only given access to the raw camera footage instead of the final cut!

I imagine it'd be pretty hard for a Brand New Show to have the manpower of a full professional editing team that can plan and prosecute the final cut of a whole ~20 minute episode in only three days (in-universe), so to keep the losers as in the know as possible in real time, they're given access to the same live camera footage Chris and Chef have, just without the confessionals.

Since the confessionals are, uh. Toilets. And no one wants to have 24/7 access to toilet stall footage.

Noah only ever really drops his ruse in the confessional, or around Izzy, so none of the losers have gotten the opportunity to see the real him in action; even when he is visible on camera, it's only during the stolen moments he shares with Izzy outside of challenges, wherein the two plot and scheme together like Pinky and the Brain. Given that the majority of them don't even bother to watch the live footage unless there's a challenge actively happening (or something else otherwise noteworthy), his true nature goes undetected amongst them as well.

And then, in Action, the show's budget and workforce increases. Suddenly, the editing team is thrice the size of Island's, and they are capable of providing a final cut of each episode within the span of 24~72 hours, allowing the show to air quicker. Which has the added bonus of allowing everyone in the peanut gallery access to the yet-to-be-aired episodes (instead of the live footage), keeping them up to date with the competition whilst also giving them the same perspective as the audience itself. Including people's confessions.

It's a good thing Noah didn't compete in Action, then. His mask of indifference lives on.

Then there's a year-long break between seasons, wherein Noah works under Chris as his personal assistant. Yada yada yada, World Tour happens. He knows that the losers are going to see his confessions. So now Noah has to choose between maintaining his persona at the sake of losing out on toying with the greater audience, or carrying on as he did in Island at the cost of revealing his 'true colours' (which, in this case, still isn't the real Noah so much as an exaggeration of his more deranged tendencies, since Noah's still essentially performing for the cameras; just with a different role).

Of course he goes with option two. He's primarily motivated by his own amusement- that was the reason for his whole charade in the first place.

(Alright, clarification over, time to actually answer the question.)

So the peanut gallery and steadily increasing number of World Tour Rejects are horrified when, in Noah's scattering of confessions- as he doesn't confess very often, so when he does it's a treat to himself and the audience- he mostly waxes poetic about how exciting each near-death experience the cast go through is, and all of the different ways he so wanted to cause the others harm (either in general, or themed around the challenges), being so much more expressive than anyone's ever seen him (concerningly so, to the point of it breaching the uncanny valley) and giddy over the prospect of performing Acts Of Incredible Violence against his castmates.

They're living in that same fearful anticipation the wider audience experienced through his tenure in Island; waiting for Noah to Drop The Act and fulfil his promises of brutal sabotage, if only to finally put an end to the constant looming threat of his self control snapping. They're horrified bystanders of a car crash waiting to happen (at least, they think they are. Noah's not actually gonna do any of the things he's suggesting, probably, but keeping the audience on their toes is one of his favourite games!) and each episode he features in is a test of both their patience and their own sanity.

Because, could you imagine watching your friends interact and be friendly with someone who (you think) is out for their blood, entirely unaware of the danger? that's literally what they're experiencing.

And Noah, because he's a little shit who thinks he's funny (he is), sometimes goes so far as to fake-out the audience by rearing up attacks against his castmates during challenges, only to shoot the nearest camera a wry wink and a sly smile as he carries on with the actual task at hand, the others none-the-wiser.

It becomes so concerning, in fact, that every new arrival is immediately checked over for any signs of injuries or Noah's Influence and hastily given the rundown on The Situation. Which is, more often than not, met with the same incredulity as Sierra's claims- until they're shown various clips of Noah's confessions, or the fake-outs and otherwise unhinged looks he teases the cameras with.

-

For the second question; I have no idea. I'm still workshopping how people will react to Noah, and how Noah in turn will react to them. Post-reveal p!Noah will, eventually, disclose the fact that he's not as bloodthirsty as he portrays himself as, but until then it's anyone's guess as to how far he'll take the bit- and who could/will get hurt in the process.

[prikarin]

Something about Oz & my projects in general

Hey, guys! I wanted to talk about something that I've been noticing for a while. 

From time to time, I get comments of people getting excited about seeing Oz (Killer Trait) as a yandere or expecting all of my new projects to have a yandere. I want to clarify that this isn't the case. While I had a lot of fun writing Crowe (Where Winter Crows Go) and Invar (Hummingbird’s Crown), I don't want to ONLY write yandere characters. 

In Oz's case, I feel the confusion might have risen because the old cover art depicts him with heart-eyes. However, as I mentioned when I talked about Crowe's redesign; Oz, Arthur & Aslan will be getting redesigns too (Oz's is already finished). This is so I don't have to rely on stock sprites anymore and so that I can call these characters 100% my own. Of course, this also means that the new cover art for Killer Trait won’t depict Oz with heart eyes. And, now that we’re here on the topic, I also want to mention that, unlike WWCG, Killer Trait isn’t a horror game but a thriller.

I wanted to clarify this again, just in case, since I mentioned it some time ago and not everyone might be aware of this. I know a lot of people will be disappointed that Oz isn’t a yandere, but I don’t want to write stories just for the sake of pleasing everyone. The stories I write are, first and foremost, stories that I’m interested in writing and reading. And I don’t really like to be classified as “a yandere writer” because I like to write a different variety of characters.

I’m not saying this to make anyone feel bad, that isn't my intention at all. I just wanted to bring attention to this matter since I’ve already experienced people being mad and/or disappointed about my stories for not having a type of character or theme they expected even though the game never had those tags in the first place. 

If you're looking for a yandere or horror story, Killer Trait might not be for you.

Thank you for reading!

[queenburd]

The hand that has been stroking Stanley’s hair has stopped.

Drowsily, he lifts his head from its resting place against the narrator’s chest. He finds the fellow gazing upwards quietly at the floating lights, breathing soft and even. Were it not for the fact his eyes are open, half lidded, one might mistake him for asleep. As it is, he appears quite absent.

Stanley settles back against his chest and curls his legs, letting his knees bump against the body he’s pressed to. It’s a comfortable space. The floor of the starry dome has been covered in carpets and cushions and throw pillows. Under the lights and gentle humming, Stanley can pretend they’re camping outdoors and looking up at the night sky.

Not that he has any frame of reference. But this is nice. It was exceptionally kind, for the narrator to let him have a little mental reprieve in a peaceful spot.

See, Stanley had been feeling rather worn down. It happens from time to time, and he’s ashamed to say that after the excitement of seeing his narrator’s model and doing many activities together (endings, exploration, achievements) he’d finally found himself flagging. He had wanted to push through, worried his weariness might come across as disinterest, but—

“You’re tired? How? No, no,” the fellow had clarified at the dirty look Stanley had shot at him. “What I mean is, in what way? Mentally, physically, emotionally?”

And that had been such a fascinating question. After all, Stanley doesn’t need rest, technically. His body doesn’t find itself fatigued often. But the mind can start to chug, and the temperament can run short of patience. Yet most people normally don’t even think about these aspects of themselves, much less of others.

So, yes, there was something rather beautiful in the narrator asking for clarification. He might have at one point scoffed and stated that Stanley doesn’t need to rest, so to complain was silly. Indeed, he’s done so in the past, when the story was deemed more important.

In any case. Stanley had been mentally and emotionally drained. They had come to this room to let him close his eyes and rest, whether that be with sleep or simply letting his mind wander. Before Stanley had walked up the runway to the center of the room, the narrator had stepped ahead and told him to wait, wait just a moment—and then he’d been greeted with what could only be described as a nest to settle in.

There’d been a passing worry about drawing the narrator out of the inevitable trance he would fall into, but the fellow had been certain it would be easier to actually gain his attention like this. “After all, if you absolutely must, you can just cover my eyes, can’t you? I’m affixed to the model, I won’t be able to drift off, so you’ll be able to keep me present if need be.”

Which is why Stanley is not particularly concerned at this moment about disturbing him. He’s quite comfortable where he is, arm thrown over his friend’s soft middle, head close to the manufactured heartbeat that’s slow and steady. He’s a little sad the petting has stopped, but it’s alright.

He’ll stay a little longer. When he finally thinks it’s time to go, he’ll rouse the narrator with relative ease, and they’ll reset. They can’t stay here forever, Stanley gets fidgety, but he’s content right now. He can let the narrator have this for a bit.

[stellamancer]

shopping trip (implied bakugou katsuki x reader)

notes: tooting my little horn! first fic of the year! it’s for an exchange we did in the teahouse server for a wonderful person nyall may know as @willowser​. i was super excited to get willow... so excited that i rewrote the piece like 4 times in hopes of achieving perfection... i don’t think i hit it but i think this ineration is pretty okay!! i apologize that this is very, very late, but i hope you like it willow!

“This is so freakin’ dumb.”

Katsuki gripes loudly beside you, vocalizing his annoyance, but you seem completely and utterly unfazed by it. By this point you’re probably used to it, just like the other extras.

“The exchange?” you ask, clarifying as the two of you enter the department store. “Honestly, I think it sounds kind of fun, or at least Casper made it seem like it would be.”

Katsuki snorts derisively. Casper. Right. That’s the name of the damn extra that’s responsible for all this. He’s some two-bit Pro-Hero that’s in Japan on exchange from America who wouldn’t shut up about all the ridiculous Christmas traditions people in the States have and some other brilliant idiot thought it’d be a great idea to adopt one of them.  Personally, Katsuki thought it would have been a better idea to blast both shitheads straight into the new year rather than participate in some dumb gift exchange but he was, unfortunately, overruled.

“It sounds like a waste of fricking time,” Katsuki retorts. He’s always hated shopping. It reminds him of when he was a kid, forced to accompany his mother on outings that would last hours and hours as she sifted, searched and socialized her way through stores whilst little Katsuki trudged after her, bored out of his frickin’ mind. Now, as an adult, Katsuki does most of his shopping online. In fact, he can’t remember the last time he stepped into a store for something other than groceries.

You cast a sidelong glance in his direction, your expression still neutral. “You didn’t need to come along with me, you know.”

“You’re the one who begged me to come!” Katsuki says with a scowl, thinking about earlier how you’d crawled up to him once work was all done for the day, your eyes wide like a pathetic little puppy. How the hell was he supposed to refuse when you came to him looking like that ?

“And, for that, I thank you,” you say dramatically. Katsuki grumbles, but doesn’t say anything further, so you continue, approaching a display as you ask, “So who did you get?”

The frown on Katsuki’s face deepens and he doesn’t answer.

You glance back toward him, confusion clear across your features. “Bakugou?”

“...’m not telling,” he mutters, almost sounding like an indignant child. “Ain’t it supposed to be a secret?”

“Probably to the person you’re shopping for,” you answer nonchalantly, moving to another display table. “But I think it’s probably fine if it’s someone else— in case you need help.”

Sounds reasonable enough, but still, Katsuki doesn’t say anything.

You turn fully toward him and shoot him a cheeky grin. “It wouldn’t happen to be me, would it?”

That earns you one of Katsuki’s patented glares, but you just laugh it off.

“Alright then, Mr. Sourpuss, keep your secrets,” you say. “I just wanted to help you out if I could, but since you won’t tell me, guess you will just have to suffer.”

Katsuki scoffs, pretending that you didn’t hit the nail on the head right there. Truth is, he’s at a complete loss at what to buy you and the whole reason why he’s here is to see if he can get an idea of what you might want.

Not that he’ll tell you that.

“Well, for your information, I got Kirishima,” you say almost haughtily.

“Good for you.” Katsuki’s voice is almost mocking, and you seem to notice, if the look you shoot in his direction is any indication. “Shouldn’t be that hard. Don’t know why you begged me to tag along.”

You circle around a display of shawls and scarves. “You guys are practically best friends, right? Figured it’d be good to get a second opinion on a gift.” You reach down and grab a deep red scarf. “What about one of these? It’s been pretty cold lately.”

Katsuki stares at the scarf. You’re right— it has been pretty cold lately. A scarf would be a pretty good idea, but you just bought one last month. He hums thoughtfully and your eyes light up as you take the sound to mean some kind of approval.

“I could knit one too… It’s been a few years, but I’m pretty good at it. I think it might be nicer than just buying one…”

At the suggestion, Katsuki’s chest starts to feel uncomfortably tight. Buying a scarf for Broomhead wouldn’t be the worst idea, but making one for him? “No.”

You blink, confused. “No? I shouldn’t make him a scarf?”

Katsuki rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “No, idiot. If he opens that handmade scarf in front of everyone, what do you think all those fuckin’ extras are gonna think?”

You stare, blankly, and Katsuki swears that he can see the gears turning in your head. After a minute, your eyes go wide as you finally realize. “....but isn’t that just some shoujo manga trope?”

Katsuki shrugs. “Maybe, but you ever see someone give a handknit scarf to someone as Christmas gift?”

“....yes,” you answer, almost sounding shameful.

“And?”

“....they were dating.”

“...you interested in Shit Hair like that?”

You shake your head and Katsuki feels an odd sense of relief that he doesn’t voice. Not that he cares who you’re interested in. Even if neither you nor Broomhead are interested in one another, some dumbass is going to spread rumors around the agency and that’s the last thing anyone needs. “...maybe not a scarf then.”

You keep shopping, drifting from one display table to the next, but you don’t seem to find something you deem worthy. Katsuki, who has been secretly noting the things you stop to look at, is still at a loss himself. It doesn’t help that on your little slip you’d written that you’d be fine with anything. If Katsuki had to bet, he figured you wrote that to make it easier on whoever drew your name, but all it’s really done is just make things harder.

Honestly speaking, when he drew your name, Katsuki actually thought it’d be easy, you’re his secretary, after all, and he likes to think that he has a good handle on the things you like. The only problem is that…

“Oh… gloves…” you mumble quietly and Katsuki sees you holding a pair of gloves that are obviously not for Broomhead.

“Oi!” Katsuki hisses and you jump a little and turn toward him with an sheepish smile, but Katsuki continues to frown at you. “I thought you were shopping for the stupid exchange, not yourself.”

Your lips pucker in a pout and Katsuki’s eye twitches. “I am… I just… need gloves....”

This here is a prime example of the problem Katsuki has been having: anytime you need something or even want something you go up and buy it yourself. Normally, it isn’t that big of an issue, but it makes it that much harder for someone to buy you shit.

“What if yer damn Secret Santa or whatever buys you gloves, huh?” Katsuki demands, but you continue to pout, clutching at the gloves like a lifeline. He continues to glower at you,a silent threat, and slowly, finally, you yield and put the gloves down. Once free of your grip, Katsuki commits what they look like to memory. He’s probably not going to buy them for you, but if he can’t find anything better then it’s a better option than nothing.

Katsuki’s decided that whatever he gets you has to be perfect. Some of the annoying ass meddlers who harassed their way into finding out who Katsuki has have made suggestions; shit like nice file cases, fancy pens and portable chargers. And while Katsuki can admit that everyone’s pitched something that you’d definitely use, he's not giving you some lame ass, generic gift: it has to be perfect.

“What about this?”

Katsuki snaps back to attention at the sound of your voice and finds you holding up what he’d consider one of the stupidest looking shirts he’s ever seen. The front has cartoonish lines across it, drawn to look like an excessively chiseled and muscular chest. Frankly, the damn thing looks like it belongs in some cheap souvenir shop rather than in a fancy department store like the one you’re shopping in now.

You peek out over the top, the stupidest grin on your face. “Doesn’t it scream ‘manly?’ I think he’d like this, don’t you?”

It looks garish as fuck, but unfortunately, Katsuki has to agree that it probably would speak to Shit Hair’s fashion sense. Reluctant, he nods and you cheer, having found the gift you were looking for.

“Now you’ve found your gift, let’s go.”

You stare at Katsuki in confusion. “Go? But don’t you still have to get something? I can help, you know, even if you won’t tell me who it’s for.”

Katsuki gives you a pointed look. “Thought you were gonna let me suffer.”

Your eyes grow wide and Katsuki snorts. Looks like you forgot you said that. You look flustered as you try to backtrack a bit. “W-Well, you’re not the type to put stuff off so I figured we could still try and find something. I’ve still got time, unless you have plans."

He doesn’t say anything. You don’t know it, but when you begged to go shopping earlier he made sure to clear the night of any plans he had.

“...we can keep shopping for your gift for a little and…” you trail off, looking a bit conflicted, but then after a moment you pick up the sentence where you left it. “...and if you want we can maybe go get dinner? My treat.”

Your words are a bit slurred together as if you forced them from your mouth. Katsuki stares at you blankly, absorbing what you’ve just said.

You stare at him, wide eyed as you wait for an answer. Katsuki’s not too keen on shopping more, because the longer you shop together the more likely you’ll find out that he’s your Secret Santa. But he doesn’t mind the thought of staying out with you a little longer.

Finally, after what feels like forever, Katsuki sighs in resignation, “Fine, but we’re not eating at some shitty fast food joint, ya got that?”