#Luka loses his cool

[enden-agolor]

weirdly specific idea but thoughts on jesskas angst straight after access denied (probably before a journeys end aswell) if jesse chose to save petra first instead of lukas...

I think about this… all the time…..

This is kinda long so uhh

It’s kind of idk… Insane?? That right after defeating PAMA, Jesse and his friends get absolutely no break time in between returning with Harper to the portal hallway, and down to the spleef match. Like I can imagine they were all already so exhausted, and for them to get sent into that with absolutely no warning?? I feel as though that definitely played a part in why Lukas, Petra, and Ivor (depending on who you choose) end up losing and being sent to the Nether mines.

But the reason I mention this is both Lukas and Petra have the opportunity to have two near death experiences in one single day. The amount of anguish either of them must be going through? I can’t imagine. I feel like Petra is more the person to kind of suck it up and deal with it on her own terms, keeping those feelings hidden, but Lukas has more trouble withholding his emotions. I imagine him constantly rubbing at the back of his head where he was chipped, messing with the spot the chip was implanted and feeling the grotesque hole it leaves in his scalp, and all the dried blood along with it. He, Petra, and everyone else in the Crown Mesa have to deal with this.

Okay my bad I’m realizing now I’m kind of rambling. But hear me out.

I like to imagine that when Jesse rescues Lukas and Petra (I always pick to save Ivor just for that scene where Lukas laughs at him in his underwear) and heading into the dorms, each room has like two beds, so each room gets two people. And uhm because I am smart and cool I say Jesse and Lukas get assigned a room together and Ivor and Petra get theirs together (which they both equally complain about but that changes nothing).

After everyone gets to their rooms and night falls, the entire place quiets down as all the contestants eventually fall asleep but Lukas is still very much wide awake, sitting up in his bed, worried about his journal, worried about the future, and replaying every traumatic event that unfolded as the day gradually progressed. That, and the pain in the back of his head is unbearable. Part of him is relieved he’s not competing, but another part of him feels tremendously guilty and disappointed in himself for losing the match.

Jesse, exhausted beyond belief, but kept awake by the visions of his friends dying, that, and the memories of his fight against PAMA, and seeing Lukas in such a moment of peril as he’s rapidly losing his grip on Jesse, while simultaneously trying to fight PAMA. Well, it keeps a guy up, no matter how tired he is. And tossing and turning in his bed, he eventually turns over and sees Lukas still awake, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. Maybe it’s completely dark in the room, aside from the nearby window that a rift of moonlight casts through, lighting Lukas up just enough so Jesse can see he’s awake.

Jesse sitting up and asking Lukas if he’s okay, and how come he’s not asleep yet, Lukas can only really respond with a shrug and shake of his head. Just says to Jesse that he can’t sleep, and that’s when Jesse sits up fully and kinda shifts on the bed, letting his legs dangle off the side as he sits up fully, giving Lukas his full attention.

Long story short, Jesse will pry for more, then proceed to ask Lukas how he’s feeling after everything. Lukas hesitant, but trusting, spills his emotions about PAMA, about the ache in his head, about his frustrations with Harper and the old builders, and how guilty he feels about spleef. I feel like he’d definitely begin to crack under the pressure of finally saying everything out loud, utterly distraught as he begins to choke up, and that’s when Jesse stands up and crosses the room, settling down on Lukas’ bed and well, tries to match the emotions Lukas is feeling by confessing all of his own worries, and the turmoil he’s facing from the past, and what’s to come in the future.

Most of all though, he tells Lukas how thankful and relieved he is that Lukas is safe. And that’s when Jesse’s voice really begins to shake is when he talks about how he’d thought he’d lost Lukas twice in one day, and how terrifying each moment felt for him. Lukas by this point has gone silent, listening, shocked speechless by the depth and emotion Jesse’s words carry. Like the way he speaks about Lukas sounds as though he were someone meant dearly to Jesse. Like he was surprised to see how much Jesse cared when he begged for Lukas to be okay after he was unchipped and laying supposedly lifeless, and to see that kind of passion, so soon after, now alone… just the two of them.

Idk man Lukas is feeling a bit flattered. And kinda getting that butterfly feeling which he’d usually experience around Jesse every so often, but as of recently the feeling numbed do to the stress of the current situation. But now that feeling kicks back in full swing, and it is a lot.

It’s when Jesse says, “I don’t ever want to lose you.” Is when Lukas finally settles on an idea brewing in his mind.

I’ve always hc Lukas as someone who copes through trauma with touch and affection, or just nice feelings in general, so him nervously responding with “You won’t,” and hesitation when Jesse smiles tiredly back at him, slowly finding the confidence with “uhm… Jesse? If you wouldn’t mind,” and Lukas scoots over a little bit, patting the spot in bed next to him. A once in a life time opportunity.

Jesse is shook, also blushing like an idiot because wow Lukas is ethereal in this lighting, and he looks gorgeous, even with those tear stained cheeks of his. Jesse is kind of dumb though, specifically with this sort of thing so he just replies with an “uhm.. s-sure, Lukas.” And scoots over, settling in beside Lukas but on top of the covers. Lukas smiles at how dense Jesse is, and says something like “under the covers, Jesse.” And Jesse’s like “o-oh okay.” Still blushing, embarrassed like an idiot. Also Jesse is like. Big. He is a big guy so he takes up a significant amount of space in the bed. Also he’s like a space heater, and with the cold, snowy weather outside, and complete lack of an ac (it’s minecraft), Lukas is naturally drawn to that warmth, snuggling up to Jesse who is just kind of laying there, tense and unmoving, heart pounding. And oh god Lukas is wrapping his arms around his torso and settling his head right between his thick bicep and chest.

Then… only then can they fall asleep ☝️ Also this moment empowers Jesse like never before, and he wakes up the next day in a cuddly embrace, feeling every one of his hearts completely rejuvenated.

What an awesome thing that totally happens in canon because Enden says so.

[unknowzs]

☆ Just Luka trying to impress you | Strong!Gender Neutral Reader | Ooc (?) | Bad Grammar |

Note: I just wanna give this boy a headpat so bad. This one is short, I apologize. </3

LUKA has always wanted to impress you ever since his eyes landed on you. He has had a crush on you for a long time now, but he was too shy to make a move first. So, he tried to make you fall in love with him too by acting cool and strong Infront of you, hoping that someday you'll like him back.

But then one day— while he was fighting with the enemy and was about to lose, he shut his eyes and prepared for an attack to come. But instead.. he didn't feel anything?

the red haired male quickly opened his eyes in confusion, only to have them widen even more when he saw you standing in front of him, protecting him from the enemy.

And God.. that's when he started to fall inlove with you even more now.

[lambtotheslaughterr]

The Day The World Ended : Rise -- Part One

A Rafe Cameron Series

Chapter One

WC: 7.1k

Dividers provided by @firefly-graphics

MASTERLIST | CHAPTER TWO

FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE WORLD ENDED

            Your body moved with the rhythm of the dark wave music flowing throughout the party. Hot pink, neon yellow, & vibrant purple colors danced across the sea of people. You could feel yourself smiling in spite of the sweat coating your arms & legs. The alcohol that flowed through your body kept you cool & unfeeling of the stickiness that comes with an early summer in Florida.

            It was so incredibly natural for you to move your limbs, waist, hips in time with the beat. A good party was where you thrived the most. Even when you opened your eyes & couldn’t make out any of your friends’ faces or see your boyfriend nearby you didn’t panic. Losing yourself among strangers & classmates alike was part of the fun. After all, finals week was over. Summer was here. College was almost over, just one year left. You weren’t the only one celebrating.

            Everywhere you looked, you saw everyone wearing a shade of pink. It was Wednesday, & your boyfriend’s fraternity was throwing a ‘We Wear Pink On Wednesday’s’ to kick-off the summer break. The outfit you wore captured your personality well. Bold, sexy, confident. Dancing in your stiletto heels, rubbing your hands along the sides of your body, feeling as if everyone had their eyes on you, it kept you going. You could dance all night.

            As you swayed, you felt warm hands fall on your hips. You grinned knowingly to yourself, pressing your back to the chest behind you. Sayyed nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck, his facial hair getting caught up in the strands. You giggled, spinning around to face him. He fought with your hair & you helped him remove it, trading smiles.

            The music continued & the two of you danced for a bit longer with one another. This was one of the reasons you & Sayyed were so good together. He was a dance major & you just loved to dance every chance you had. Your energy was unmatched & your body language with one another couldn’t be stopped. He leaned into you & you let him, bending ever so slightly, looking as if he was melting into you. It was magnetic, seductive, empowering.

            Once the next song finished though, Sayyed grabbed your hand & pulled you away from the main living room of the frat. Every corner you turned there was more & more people. Pi Kappa Alpha never failed at throwing a party & drawing the masses in. You were a member of their sister sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. You had been coming to PKA’s parties since rush week freshman year. It’s where you & Sayyed met.

            Turning one last corner, Sayyed brought you into the kitchen which was just as crowded as the rest of the house. In here, however, were your friends. On one end of a beer pong table two of Sayyed’s frat brothers—Luka, Kai, & Bear—were losing pretty badly with more than half their cups still on the table. At the winning end of the table was Adrianna & Rafe. Nuha, Sayyed’s sister, stood behind them, roasting the opposing team.

            On the sidelines, you marched up to Millie & Micah, your closest friends & roommates. Becoming a junior at the university had been the best thing to happen since you were finally able to move out of the sorority house. Millie had been your friend from high school & Micah was her bed buddy. The three of you got along swimmingly.

            “Oh, c’mon guys!” Rafe teased, pointing at the boys across from him, “You’re getting your ass beat by a girl.”

            Adrianna grinned proudly at that. Out of all the men at the table, Adrianna was certainly the toughest. She graduated high school a year early & applied to the NROTC. It was only in the last year that she began majoring in nursing. Medical, warfare, you name it & Adrianna could excel in it.

            “She’s not a girl!” Bear, nicknamed as such for his appearance, playfully argued back, “She’s a goddamn military weapon!”

            “Awwh, Boo Bear,” Nuha cooed, narrowing her tantalizing green eyes glowing mischievously, “Is mommy gonna need to read you to sleep tonight?”

            “Only if you’re mommy.” Bear returned, winking, his flirtatious banter towards Nuha was never ending.

            “Alright.” Sayyed interrupted, tossing Bear a warning, “That’s enough, make the shot. I want next game.”

            Rafe & Adrianna cleared the table swiftly with their skills. Sayyed began re-setting, catching your attention, “Teammate?”

            You made a face of disgust, “Yuck, no thanks. I’m a lousy shot, you know that. I’ll just be over here, ya know, drinking.”

            Sayyed rolled his eyes but nodded, kissing you once before you crossed to the other side of the kitchen to peruse the alcohol options.

            “What’s your poison tonight?” Rafe came up beside you, mirroring your perusal. You shrugged. Usually your go to was a cheaply mixed cocktail but you were thinking of switching to beer to avoid the intense sugar headache you’d surely get the next morning.

            “What are you thinking?” You asked. Rafe Cameron was you in the male form. He too knew how to party, enjoyed being the center of attention, & could drink well into the daylight hours. You two bonded quickly over loud music, drunken fits of laughter, & rampant parties over the years.

            “I’m just gonna do some shots. I don’t want to use my brain any more than I have to.” You laughed in agreement, watching as he poured you two a couple.

            Rafe handed you the overflowing shot of tequila & you leaned forward to shoot it back, careful to not spill any on your clothes—though you were hardly wearing any.

            “Woo!” You & Rafe yelled in unison, feeling the smooth burn of the tequila slip down your throat. He raised his hand, “Up high.”

            When you went to smack his hand he lowered it, wiggling his brows, “Too slow, down low.”

            “Fuck off.” You smiled pretending to turn & walk away. Then, before he could catch on to you, you spun around & smacked his hand.

            “Goddamnit.” He gritted, shaking his head.

            “Too slow.” You mocked, slipping away from him before he could try to out smart you. Along the way you snagged a beer out of a cooler & returned to Millie & the beer pong game.

            The infamous trio lost yet another game as the Rahal’s kicked their ass. Sayyed & Nuha were as thick as thieves, making you envious of never having any siblings growing up. Your dad was a pilot, gone long & often. Your mom was self-medicated & kept to the dimly lit confines of her bedroom. College had been the long awaited escape you always dreamed of, & you finally found your own family on that campus.

            It was almost one in the morning when you found yourself sitting on the front steps leading up to the frat house, kicking your heels off. You felt good. The alcohol left you buzzing. The only thing that would make the night even better at the moment would be if the sprinklers were turned on so you could run shamelessly through them.

            People were spread out on the front lawn. Houses all up & down Greek row had people spilling out onto the street, stumbling everywhere. You laughed to yourself, enjoying the freedom & adventure that college was. All these people, just as drunk as you if not more so, hopping from one party to the next, totally free of any responsibility & milking the utters of their youth.

            “Ha.” You giggled, leaning back to rest your elbows on the brick steps, “Utters.”

            “What are you giggling to yourself about?” Millie appeared over your shoulder, dropping to her butt to join you.

            “Mills.” You squeaked, gripping her slender legs & hugging them, “I really love you.”

            “I love you, too, you lush.” She returned, patting the top of your head.

            “I’m gonna name my daughter Lush.” You mumbled, smiling at the thought, “It’s pretty.”

            “Yeah, yeah, & you’re gonna name your son Bitters.”

            “It’s a theme.” You defended.

            “One I know Sayyed will no way in hell support.”

            “Whatever. He loves me.” You smirked knowingly.

            “Hey guys.” Micah joined the two of you but didn’t sit, “I’m gonna head back, want a ride Mill?”

            “Nah, thanks.” She rubbed your face, making you bat away your hands, “I gotta keep an eye on this one.”

            “C’mon. Where’s Sayyed? Let him get her home. I want us to roll around before bed.”

            You snorted at that, “Okay, okay, Mee-Kuh.” You slurred, stumbling as you stood, “Mills is all yours. I got my own rolling around to do.”

            Millie & Micah traded looks before she gently grasped your arm, hooking it over her shoulders, “No way. You’re done. We got an early day tomorrow anyway. You’re coming with us & I will call Sayyed in the car.”

            Though you wanted to resist, still having the urge to party & go all night long, your limbs felt heavy as your roommates carried you to the car. Once in, you lied down in the backseat, not bothering with a seatbelt. Micah had The Pixies playing on the stereo at a low volume. You faintly made out Millie on the phone with who you presumed to be your boyfriend.

            Where Is My Mind? lulled you to sleep. Before you knew it, you were falling into a pit of comforting darkness.

FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE WORLD ENDED

            Someone was shaking you.

            You threw your hand out, batting it away, “No.” You groaned, your head throbbing at energy you used to produce the single world.

            “_____, get up, sleepyhead. We’re already behind.”

            You didn’t care. You couldn’t even remember why the hell anyone would be waking up this early. Millie knew better. After a night of drinking & partying, you were permitted to sleep well into the afternoon hours.

            “Wake up, fishy!” She imitated, shaking you roughly.

            “Mills, quit!” You could feel yourself growing irritable.

            “Don’t make me resort to plan C.” The threat forced your eyes to pop open. You glared daggers at her, “Don’t. You. Dare.”

            “Get your lush ass up & I won’t.” She cocked her head, her hands on her hips.

            You didn’t know what time it was, but as you took in her attire, you were confused by what she wore.

            “What are you wearing?” You questioned, taking in her crop top, Levi cut-offs, & worn-through boots.

            Millie pursed her lips, “Camping, dumbo. It was your brilliant idea for us all to go camping before we all went home for the summer.”

            That couldn’t be right. “I hate being outdoors.” You whined, “You’re lying.”

            “Believe me, I wish I was.” Millie seemed exasperated, “Now, seriously, get up. You roped me into this trip so you’re helping me load Sayyed’s jeep. I’m not doing it by myself.”

            “Where’s Sayyed?”

            She pointed to the door, “Watching the news with Micah.”

            “Wake up or plan C goes into effect.” With that, Millie exited your room.

            You groaned inwardly, feeling your stomach slosh as you sat up. Bile rose in your throat & you immediately cupped your mouth. Oh no.

            Making a mad dash for your bathroom, you fell to your knees, slapping up the toilet lids in time for you to empty out your stomach.

            After a minute or so, you felt a comforting hand on your back. You knew it was Sayyed. Reaching behind you, you gripped his jean clad knee in support. Once you were finished vomiting, Sayyed poured you glass of water to swish the taste out of your mouth before helping you stand.

            “How you doin’, babe?” You could hear the slight amusement in his question, imagining that you looked quite funny at that point, but you shrugged, “Better.”

            “Good.” He kissed your forehead, shifting you over to stand in front of the sink. He grabbed your toothbrush & toothpaste, applying the crème to your brush before offering it to you, “Brush your teeth, take a shower, we’ll be done loading the car by the time you’re finished.”

            “Is it too late to cancel?” You moaned, dreading the idea of going without proper plumbing for who knows how long.

            Sayyed smiling sadly, but cupped your cheek comfortably, “You can sleep the whole way. The whole trip if need be. It’ll be over before you know it.”

            With that, he left you to your hangover. Doing as he said, you brushed your teeth—twice—then stood in the shower until Millie came hollering for you. Begrudgingly you climbed out of the shower. In your bedroom, you pulled out a cute yellow jumper & slipped into some old shoes from high school. You threw your hair up & moisturized your face, pointedly ignoring the bags under your eyes.

            Once you were finished, you gathered some essentials for a to-go bag & hauled it over your shoulder.

            In the living room, you stopped abruptly, confused by what everyone was doing. Your living room was filled with your friends, all of whom stared at the television as a news report sounded. You frowned, “What’s going on?”

            Sayyed turned to you, a look of worry on his face. He brought you closer, his arm around you but said nothing as he turned his attention back to the TV.

            Your mouth parted.

            The reporter on the TV announced:

            Again, that state of California is calling a state of emergency as an unknown air-borne virus rips through the state. The origin of the virus at this point in time is unknown, however, the first reported cases of it was in the highly populated city of Los Angeles. There have been a reported two thousand two hundred fifty six cases thus far since Monday evening with the number rising every hour. Surrounding states have closed their borders to anyone traveling from California in an attempt to isolate the virus. In a press statement earlier this morning, the Governor of California, alongside the guidance of the CDC, advised California residents & those traveling within the state to remain indoors, wear masks, & avoid social interaction at all times.

            There have been no reported deaths thus far but we will have more at the top of the hour. For any information as this story develops, please visit the CDC official website.

            “Jesus.” Adrianna muttered, immediately getting onto her phone, “COVID all over again.”

            Everyone in the room groaned at that.

            “No way.” Nuha rolled her eyes, “It’s one state. One. And it looks like they’re getting a handle on it. Nothing for us to worry about way down here in the sunshine state.”

            “Besides,” Bear joined in, “Whatever the virus is, it’ll eat those left-wings first before it comes for us.”

            “Bear!” Everyone reprimanded at once.

            He rose in hands in defense, smiling, “Joking! Joking.”

            “I thought it was funny.” Rafe shared lowly, slapping Bear’s arm. In turn, you slapped his, “Oh, shut up.”

            “C’mon guys.” Sayyed clapped his hands together, “We got a lot of driving to do if were gonna find a decent stop. Gotta hit the road.”

            Following Sayyed’s command, your friends began gathering their things, the news report fresh in their minds as they shuffled out of your apartment. The TV was turned off now but you continued to frown at it, “You really think it’ll be taken care of?”

            Sayyed pondered your question before answering, “Who knows honestly. Before COVID made it stateside we all thought it wouldn’t make it here. But it did. There’s no saying. Every virus is different.”

            You nodded, crossing your arms, “Maybe we should cancel. Listen to the CDC.”

            “Okay.” Sayyed laughed softly, gently grabbing the sides of your face, “Remember when everyone panicked & overbought toilet paper?”

            “Of course.” You rolled your eyes.

            “Don’t be that demographic, babe.” He kissed you once, looking into your eyes, “We’ll be okay. We beat COVID, whatever this thing is they’ll take care of it. Besides, we can’t stop living just because California is in the midst of an outbreak.”

            You sighed, but nodded. “You’re right, you’re right.”

            “I know.” He grinned, “Besides, it’s like Nuha said. This is Florida. We’re on the complete opposite end of the country. If it reaches us, we’ll be well prepared by then. Alright?”

            “Alright.” You finally mustered a smile, the news report having chased away your hangover.

            “I love you.”

            “You.”

            It was early evening by the time your group made it to your destination. Thankfully, you slept for most of the seven hour drive—though Rafe & Sayyed sped to save on time. Rafe hauled Luka, Kai, Bear, & Adrianna in his Ford truck with all the camping gear while Sayyed drove you, Millie, Micah, & Nuha in his wrangler, his trunk filled with the food & essentials. The sun wouldn’t set for a few more hours, which worked in your favor considering what was next.

            “Alright, everyone grab a hold of something heavy, make it work, we’re a team.” Sayyed announced, taking the leadership role seriously, “We got about a twenty minute hike to the spot then we can chill.”

            “Finally.” Luka groaned, opposite of his best friend Kai who was a geography major & picked the national park for you all to camp at. Kai beamed at the surrounding forestry.

            “Smell that, Luka?” Kai teased, “That’s what folks like us who don’t spend all our time in the lit section at the library call ‘fresh air’?”

            Luka made a face causing Kai to laugh.

            You & Millie partnered up, loading your backs & arms with the lighter items while Adrianna & the boys carried the heavier items. Nuha was happy to be left with the remaining coolers that contained the food. Both coolers hand wheels with handlebars.

            Sayyed led the way through the trees with Kai close behind, the latter pausing every now & then to take pictures. Every time he did someone in the group snapped at him to keep it moving. You managed the slightly inclined terrain well, glad you only wore a jumper & nothing more since you tended to sweat easily.

            Finally, after what felt like an hour rather than twenty minutes, Sayyed led the group into a decent sized clearing.

            “Here we are, guys!” Sayyed dropped the camping gear he had been carrying, everyone else quickly following suit.

            “Oh nice, man!” Micah exclaimed, noting the nearby waterfall with a swimming hole underneath it. Then he began to undress, “Last one in is a rotten egg!”

            You couldn’t help the squeal that rushed out of your body. A majority of you, though tired, were still high on the excitement of summer break. Micah had the right idea.

            Quickly untying the strap of your jumper, you let it fall to the ground, sporting only your bra & underwear before slipping out of your shoes & taking off after Micah. The entire group then raced to the swimming hole, bodies jumping or belly flopping in.

            The sun was still high in the sky, keeping the ten of you warm in the cool natural water. Belts of laughter, hollers & light-hearted screaming, surrounded you. You swam still in the middle, watching all your friends frolic amongst themselves without a care in the world.

            The smile on your face couldn’t be contained.

            The fire was going. Everyone was sitting quietly, talking amongst themselves. After swimming for a short while, everyone worked together to set up camp. There were so many tents to put up since a couple of the boys insisted on having their own space.  

            In one tent was you, Sayyed, Millie, & Micah. Nuha & Adrianna shared another, same with Luka & Kai, but Rafe & Bear brought their own single person tents. The clearing that Sayyed picked was perfect though. There was plenty of space to spread out & everyone was happy with the set-up. Sayyed & Millie got to work on preparing dinner while you & Rafe broke into the beer cooler. Fortunately, there was plenty to last everyone the next few days.

            Once dinner was made, everyone chowed down, talking loudly over one another & cracking jokes. You rested your head on Sayyed’s shoulder, enjoying your meal. It was a simple dinner for the first night since arrival time had been late (your fault). But Millie was one hell of a cook & Sayyed was an excellent assistant.

            By the time everyone finished, the alcohol really began to pour.

            Most of the boys found sticks in the trees to play with, chasing each other in the dark. You & Millie laughed in amusement, the beer warming your stomachs on the gently chill night. Rafe sat on your other side, shaking his head at the antics of his frat mates.

            “Idiots.” He muttered but was smiling.

            You & Millie both rolled your eyes.

            “Like you’re one to talk.” Millie commented, “Or did you forget why everyone calls you Roofie Rafe?”

            Ugh. The nickname still made you sick to your stomach, knowing that anyone who heard it probably the worst immediately, but it was the total opposite that birthed the name. One night freshman year, Rafe had consensually roofied himself & found many stimulating ways to try to keep himself awake. Every two hours he would keep from passing out, he’d have to take another half dose. Impressively, Rafe lasted four hours before he finally crashed.

            And ended up in the hospital. It was a scary night, but definitely one that would never be forgotten.

            “Yeah, yeah.” Rafe smirked, shaking his head. His eyes met yours, leaning forward so only you could hear, “I got something for us.”

            Your interest piqued ten-fold. Rafe always had the goods.

            Making sure Millie’s attention wasn’t on them, Rafe subtly showed you a plastic baggie dangling between his fingers before he swiftly returned it to his pocket. He wiggled his brows at you.

            Your heart skyrocketed. It had been a couple months since you last did coke. Sayyed tolerated the habit at the beginning of your relationship, but after spending a year together, he asked that you stop altogether or at least only do it once every now & then—if he was present.

            Technically, this counted. You reminded yourself that you hadn’t touched the stuff in months & Sayyed was indeed present. But did you want to get up & stop the fun the boys were having to bring it to his attention. Your eyes looked at Rafe unsure, his eyes growing bigger waiting for an answer.

            One bump wouldn’t hurt.

            “Quickly.” You lowered your voice, placing your beer in the cupholder of the chair you sat in.

            Rafe nodded, getting up from his chair, “I’m gonna go take a piss.”

            Millie made a face but said nothing. After he disappeared behind you, you exhaled quickly, moving yourself, “I left my water in the tent, I’ll be right back.”

            Fortunately, Millie said nothing, didn’t even look suspicious as you followed after Rafe. Unlike the majority of your friends, Millie was one of the few who didn’t get into party tricks. She stuck with beer & limited herself three a party. Out of everyone she was definitely the mother of the group. Same could mostly be said for Adrianna. Being a member of the military, she was 100% prone to partying, but when it came to the hard stuff, she was usually there being a voice of reason. It’s why you & Rafe had to be secretive around them.

            In the dark, you whispered Rafe’s name.

            “Over here.” He called softly. You held out your hands blindly, searching for him as you walked toward the sound of his voice.

            A gentle hand gripped your wrist, pulling you closer. You laughed sheepishly, getting closer to him now that you were away from the warmth of the fire. Even though it was late April, it could still get somewhat cold out at night, especially for the southern folk who traveled seven hours north to camp in the mountains.

            “Hurry, hurry.” You rushed, pulling out your phone but turning the brightness down so as not to draw attention to the drug commotion happening in the trees.

            Rafe chuckled at your anticipation, pouring a little snow out on the fatty part of his hand. He raised it to you. You closed one nostril, leaning over his hand to inhale. The coke went as smooth as expected. You chapped your lips, licking them next. You could still feel a little bit of the grains in the back of your throat.

            You sighed blissfully, waiting for Rafe do to his bit.

            “That all you bring?” You questioned.

            Rafe sniffed, wiping his nose before stuffing the coke back in his pocket.

            “Yeah, can’t risk having more than this on me if we get pulled over, especially crossing state lines.”

            “Pretty sure the criminal charge for holding is the same across the states.”

            “Eh.” He shrugged, grabbing your elbow gently to lead you back towards the campsite. “Either way, I get caught with it & my dad will send me to military school.”

            In the three years you knew Rafe, you had heard a lot about his father but never had the pleasure of meeting him—for lack of a better word. He sounded abrasive, domineering, cruel, careless. It made sense why Rafe turned to partying. You could relate a little. Your own parents were barely involved in your well-being.

            “Guess we’ll have to clear it before we head back later, huh?”

            Even in the dark, you could make out Rafe’s eyes twinkling, “I can always count on you.”

            The two of you bumped shoulders as you both came out from the tree-line. Rafe ventured off towards the beer coolers. You were under the impression that you were about to make it back to your seat without raising any suspicions but then you heard your name being called.

            “_____.” You paused, cringing to yourself. You knew that tone well.

            Slowly turning on your heal, you spotted Sayyed standing under the cooking tent. His arms were crossed & his head was cocked in knowing disappointment.

            You approached him, already slipping on your puppy dog eyes, “Baaabe.”

            “Don’t even start.” He held up his hand, “What the fuck were you doing?”

            You dropped the ‘please forgive me act’, easily transitioning to a defensive stance, “Having fun, Sayyed. It’s summer, I’m allowed to let loose.”

            “You did last night. And this last weekend. Oh, & the weekend before that.”

            Okay, so? You partied a lot. He knew that, he knew that before he even began dating you. That hadn’t changed.

            “When are you going to grow up?” The insult had you rearing backwards.

            “Are you serious right now?” You sneered, glaring at him, “It was one time & you’re acting like I’m in the woods fucking off my whole life.”

            “You said you wouldn’t do it anymore.” He lowered his voice so no one could hear.

            “No, I didn’t.” You countered, “I said I would do it less. And if you were around. Hello! You were less than twenty feet away from me.”

            Sayyed sighed, running his hands down his face, “Ya know what, forget it. I don’t like talking to you when you’re like this.”

            You scoffed, nodding your head, “Yeah, right, & what is that supposed to mean?”

            “When you’ve been drinking, _____, you know that.”

            “Oh, come off it.” You ridiculed, “I’ve had two beers & I’m not even buzzed. You know that.”

            Not wanting to argue further, you stomped away from him, ignoring the curious looks as you returned to your seat, chugging the rest of the beer that sat waiting for you.

            “You good?” Millie asked.

            You shook your head but said nothing. You weren’t in the mood to talk.

            Across the fire from you, Rafe met your eyes. You rolled your eyes, ignoring him too. It wasn’t his fault. You were entirely in control of what you decided to do, but goddamn him, too. Now, all you wanted to do was another bump to chase away the night.

ONE DAY BEFORE THE DAY ENDED

            Fortunately, the next two days camping went by smoothly. Sayyed & you had made up, finding a hidden spot in the forest to have a quickie. Sex while camping was the least sexiest thing you could do but after you had done another bump—with Sayyed’s knowledge—your libido couldn’t be stopped. It was fast yet passionate. You came twice.

            Everyone was enjoying the off-the grid activities: hiking to a look-out point to view the canyons, climbing the face of the waterfall, childhood games in the swimming hole, telling scary stories by fire. It was a lot of fun. Though you initially loathed the idea of camping, still finding it hard to believe you were the one to suggest it, you were sad to be going back to civilization the following morning.

            Millie & you would be traveling south to the tail of Florida where your families were. Sayyed & Nuha would return to New York. And the others would jet off to their respective hometowns. It was a bittersweet end to the college year, but it’d only be a couple months before everyone reunited for senior year. A couple weeks before the start of the school year, Sayyed & Nuha would come to you in Southern Florida to visit before the four of you mobbed back to school.

            Not seeing him during the summer months was typical but it didn’t make you miss him any less.

            It was the last night & everyone had a lot to drink. You & Rafe finished off the baggie of coke a couple hours ago. Everyone started to crash around midnight but you & Rafe were still wired from the stimulant.

            Sayyed had been the last to go to bed, kissing you once before crawling into the tent where Millie & Micah slept soundly. You were alone at the fire with Rafe. It was quiet, save for the crackling of the dying fire & the cicadas to fill the night.

            Rafe polished off the rest of his beer. You remained in your chair, snuggled deep within one of Sayyed’s hoodies & a pair of sweats. You felt warm & fuzzy. The coke was making you smile at absolutely nothing.

            Rafe chuckled beside you.

            You flashed a wide-eyed look at him, “What?”

            “You look drugged the fuck out.”

            You rolled your eyes but smiled, “Whose fault is that?”

            Silence returned but it was a comfortable one. Rafe was one of the few people in your group of friends who didn’t feel the need to entertain conversation all the time. You loved every single one of your friends, but Rafe was special in the sense that he didn’t need to talk to have a good time. It’s one of the many reasons you two got along so well.

            “Dreading going home?” Rafe asked, surprising you. You shrugged, “You?”

            He mirrored your gesture. The two of you chuckled lightly.

            “Believe it or not, I would much rather stay here.” You waved to the forest around you.

            Rafe made a sour face, “Nah. Don’t get me wrong, camping & the woods & shit is cool, but I miss the coast. North Carolina kicks Florida’s ass any day.”

            You scoffed, feeling the need to defend your home state, “North Carolina is filled with classist assholes, company included.”

            He belted out a laugh at the insult. “I’ll drink to that.” Rafe cracked open another beer, taking a swig from it then leaned forward to challenge your statement.

            “But I’d rather be a classist asshole than come from a state that produces the next wave of cracked out crazies in the headlines.”

            You smiled proudly, “Free entertainment.”

            “You laugh at the impoverished & I’m the classist asshole.”

            “Oh, whatever.” You ignored him, “You supply them.”

            “Touche.”

            The fire was barely lit at that point, allowing the cool night chill to seep through your layers.

            “God, I wish this didn’t have to end.” With that, you stood up, cracking your spine & stretching your limbs, “I’m going to bed. See ya in the morning, loser.”

            “Back at chya.”

            You approached your tent but turned to point at Rafe, “Put that out before you go to sleep. Don’t need to be the cause of the first wildfire this summer.”

            “Yes ma’am.” Rafe replied sarcastically.

            Unzipping your tent, your three companions slept. Sayyed was pressed against his side of the tent & Millie was cuddled up to Micah on the other side, leaving the perfect amount of space for you to slide in. As you did, Sayyed shifted, opening his eyes slightly. He said nothing but opened his arms for you to join him.

            You gladly climbed into his sleeping bag. As quickly as he had woken up, he fell back asleep, his breathing light. His body warmed you quickly & you buried your face in his chest.

            Not being able to this for the whole summer was going to be the death of you.

THE MORNING OF

            The hike back to the cars was slow moving. For the first time, you were one of the few not hungover among your group of friends. Even Millie was rocking a headache. The packing had been quick & before you knew it everyone was following Sayyed back towards the dirt road where Rafe & your boyfriend parked off of.

            You were standing in the bed of Rafe’s truck, taking items from others as they handed them to you. Everyone was sporting a yawn, eyebags, blotchy skin, or an annoyed expression. You had to hide your smile. It was nice not to be the one recovering for once.

            There was little discussion among everyone as they hopped into either vehicle. You were just hopping out of Rafe’s bed, approaching the back of Sayyed’s wrangler when you heard hushed whispering. You paused. One of the voices was Sayyed’s.

            Making sure none of the others were curious as to what you were up to, you lowered yourself to peek around the front of Rafe’s truck.

            Behind Sayyed’s SUV was your boyfriend & Rafe. Sayyed had his back to you but you could easily make out Rafe’s face. He looked pissed. No, more than that. He appeared livid.

            You couldn’t make out what Sayyed was saying but whatever it was, the more he spoke the more Rafe grew red in the face. He stepped forward then, practically brushing chests with your boyfriend as he said whatever he was saying. It was irritating you that you couldn’t hear what they were discussing but they were whispering for a reason.

            Sayyed shoved Rafe in the chest. Not hard, but enough to send him back half a foot.

            “Just fuck off, Rafe.” Sayyed finally said, his voice significantly louder, “It’s what you’re best at.”

            With that, Sayyed circled around to the drivers side & got in, slamming the door. His wrangler shook with force. Rafe stared hard at the ground. From where you were crouched, you could see that his chest was heaving.

            What the fuck?

            It wasn’t uncommon for Rafe & Sayyed to have words with one another. They were both males with an alpha mindset so every now & then they would get into it but nothing ever bad enough to ruin a friendship between the two. However, as you watched Rafe fluctuate between different levels of anger, you were deeply concerned what could be happening between them.

            Finally he moved. Approaching where you were hidden.

            You quickly backed up to pretend you were finishing up with something in the bed of the truck when he appeared. At first he looked a little surprised to see you, but said nothing.

            You couldn’t help frowning, “Everything okay?”

            Rafe ignored your question, opening his door, “We’re late.”

            Then he got in the truck, turning the engine on.

            “_____!” Sayyed was leaning out of his window, “C’mon, lots of driving to do.”

            You would let it go. For now. But the second you & Sayyed were alone, you were going to investigate.

            It was about an hour into the drive back to civilization when things grew worse.

            “What the hell?” Sayyed said. You had been resting your head against the window, your eyes closed with your earphones in listening to a podcast.

            Everyone else in the car was sleeping.

            You looked at Sayyed, about to ask him what was wrong when you followed his line of sight.

            What you saw caused goosebumps to erupt across your skin.

            On the on ramp to a highway, Sayyed slowed to a stop.

            There were cars everywhere. But none of them moving.

            “Guys.” You reached blindly behind you, unable to take your eyes off the sight, “Guys, wake up!”

            The panic in your voice was enough to force the others awake.

            “Jesus, what?” Micah groaned. Millie wiped the sleep from her eyes & Nuha leaned forward in her seat to peer out the windshield.

            “What is that?”

            “I don’t know…” Sayyed’s voice lowered.

            Sayyed then put the car into park, hesitantly opening his door.

            “No, what are you doing?” You hissed.

            “Something’s wrong.” He told you, slipping out from under your grasping hands.

            Nuha & Micah followed.

            In the sideview mirror, you could see everyone piling out of Rafe’s truck behind you.

            You twisted around to look at Millie, “What do we do?”

            Millie looked as scared as you felt.

            But once she made to move out of the car, you reluctantly followed behind her.

            The ten of you stood around, staring in every which direction. All up & down the highway were hundreds of cars, bumper to bumper, some with engines still running. But there was no movement. No sign of anyone nearby.

            “I don’t like this.” Bear commented, walking slowly closer to the nearest cars.

            Behind you, you watched as Adrianna crawled into the passenger side of Sayyed’s SUV. She flipped on the stereo, cruising through stations.

            “Hey, guys!” She hollered, “You might want to hear this.”

            At her claim, everyone crowded around. She turned the volume.

            This is a National Emergency Broadcast Alert. If you are hearing this, remain indoors. The unknown virus from California has spread across the United States rapidly. Over a million deaths have been reported & the number continues to rise. We are in a state of emergency. If you are in a heavily populated area your risk of exposure is great. Quarantine, isolate, stay in contact with the United States Military should symptoms occur.

            This is all the information we have this time.

            This is a National Emergency Broadcast Alert.

            The message repeated. Adrianna lowered the volume.

            “Oh, my god.” Nuha covered her mouth, her eyes watering.

            “Check your phones.” Sayyed demanded. Most phones were dead but a few had charged enough within the hour long drive.

            Kai pulled out his phone, “There’s no service.” He held it up, walking away from everyone to see if he could find any signal.

            “Same.” Millie shared, her hands shaking.

            “Can you call?” You asked, your voice matching her hands.

            “No, no.” She cried softly, “Nothing is going through.”

            Kai returned with no luck.

            “What the fuck is going?!” Nuha cried.

            “Calm down, sis.” Sayyed brought her into a hug, his eyes full of concern meeting your own.

            “Guys!” Everyone’s head snapped in Bear’s direction. He had walked all the way to the other side of the highway, his back to you.

            With rapid movement, everyone dashed between cars left abandoned to join where Bear stood.

            A gasp left your mouth, your eyes blurring.

            “I don’t think is COVID…” Bear’s voice was barely audible over the sound of blood rushing to your ears.

            Below the highway, on a hill, was the horrific sight of hundreds of bodies. Men, women, children. You had to turn away when you saw a baby stiff in the arms of a dead woman.

            “Sayyed.” Your fingers clung to the sleeve of his shirt, “What’s happening?”

            He shook his head. There were no words that could be said.

            “We need to go.”

            You looked over your shoulder at Rafe. He was standing back from everyone, his face expressionless.

            “Where, Rafe?” Millie questioned, “We don’t know where is safe, we don’t even know what the hell is going on!”

            “The alert system to avoid populated areas.”

            “So, what?” Luka spoke then, “We just don’t go home, man? We have families. We gotta make sure they’re okay.”

            “Fine, okay.” Rafe doubled down, stepping forward to point at the bodies, “Wanna start there?”

            Everyone was silent at that. When no one challenged him further he shook his head, “Think it’ll be different anywhere else?”

            “We have to try, Rafe.” You spoke, your voice soft but firm.

            Rafe was about to open his mouth, growing angry, but Sayyed spoke first.

            “He’s right.” Sayyed said, swallowing but nodded with what Rafe suggested, “We can’t go anywhere populated. We don’t know how bad it is.”

            “I think we have an idea.” Bear muttered, referring to the dead below.

            “Look.” Sayyed began, “We avoid the main roads, we keep trying with the phones & stations, maybe we find a military base & get some answers. Either way. Whatever killed all those people did it fast.”

            His eyes danced across the familiar faces, “It’s our only shot. Then maybe, maybe when we have more information, more of an idea how to protect ourselves, we move further south. But for now, Rafe is right. We can’t stay here, & we can’t go home. Not yet.”

            Your heart faltered. Sayyed & Nuha’s family was in New York City. Their chances of survival… you couldn’t let yourself finish the thought.

            “Alright, okay?” Though he was the voice of reason, you could hear the fear in his voice. You grabbed his hand, letting him know you were with him.

            “Okay.”

            A few of the others grumbled, Nuha was crying uncontrollably, Adrianna was staring at the bodies below. But no one challenged Sayyed or Rafe further.

            “Let’s go.” With that, slowly everyone began making their way back towards the vehicles.

            But Adrianna didn’t move. You approached her, placing a gentle hand on her arm, “We gotta go.”

            “We’re not going to find anything.” Her voice was so quiet you barely made out what she said.

            “We don’t know that.”

            She shook her head, finally turning to look at you, “We’re already dead.”

            Your lips parted, watching as she walked away, following behind the others.

            She’s just scared, you told yourself but your gut churned. We’re all scared.

            With one final look at the bodies below, you ran after the others, Adrianna’s words repeating over again in your head.

            We’re already dead.

THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED

alrighty! the first chapter of my first full length series.

a reminder that i write for myself & myself does write porn w plot. this will be a slow burn series with lots of plot building, world building, character building, ect. if you're looking for straight smut i suggest looking elsewhere.

Rafe, as always with my stories, is the dark/non-con/18+/MDNI warning.

all that being said, The Day The World Ended (TDTWE) will be a universe series. Rise--Part One is Rafe & Reader. Summit--Part Two will be Ransom Drysdale & a different reader. And Fall--Part Three will be Billy Russo & yet another different reader. this whole universe will be my biggest project on here thus far.

so please show me your love & support any way you can! i look forward to hearing your thoughts.

thank you for reading! follow or requests to be added to the TDTWE or Rafe Cameron taglist to get update notifications.

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Read this post on why doing more than liking a tumblr writers work is essential to our content creation.

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taglist: @totallynotkaibiased @rottenstyx @fangirlwithlou

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[suspiciouslybadartist]

Hi, I'm back with another of my long rants. This time it's Alien Stages turn. Specifically round 7. So, probably a very unpopular opinion/thought, but im thinking Till might lose. Hear me out, I know how me and everyone are coping over Ivan's death(?) and praying Till will win, but just hold on. So yk how Luka made Mizi loose her shit in their round (Round 5)? Well I wouldn't exactly put it behind him not to try and make Till pissed as well, especially since he seems to get provoked easily.

BUT, he may be able to keep his cool, since he doesn't seem to have very much fire left in him now. Either that or Ivan's death is enough to make him more determined to win against Luka.

Another thing would be that Alien Stage is best known for ripping our hearts out :). Sua, then Ivan- you can't really deny that, can you? So it'd be easy to just flick Till out of life and make the fans be devastated once more.

HOWEVER, you could also say that having Luka win would be pretty boring, considering this:

I can't REALLY remember if this is true or not, but if it is, then they might want to switch it up a bit and have Luka be the one dying instead. They may also take pity on us and decide we've been through enough pain already and let us have Till live on.

BUUUUUUUT, these are all just my suspiciously bad thoughts. I'd love to hear your guys' opinions. I'll be going in the corner now and praying Till won't die

(I apologize for the bad lighting/drawing)

[randomidiocyncrazies]

i think you’re forgetting that till got to top 2 on his own merits even with his rebellious personality and him literally running away from attempts to market him. he dropped heavily from the rankings for killing freddie the alien guitar and STILL managed to make a comeback, only losing to the previous champion. saying that he “only won because ivan threw his round” is such an insult to his skills. i don’t deny that ivan’s sacrifice secured till’s victory, but that doesn’t mean till isn’t a strong competitor in his own right. ivan’s stunts definitely hindered his own score, but that doesn’t change the fact that till still got 89. im not arguing that till will beat luka, im just thinking you’re underestimating till

Oh I completely agree that Till has a very good chance under normal circumstances, but. Till stopped singing before Ivan threw his mic to the ground and started assaulting him to distract the audience—us and the aliens—from that, so I think it's pretty clear that Till was trying to lose (or at least not trying to win) and probably wouldn't have gotten such a high score if Ivan didn't cause a distraction, because the aliens would definitely have noticed that he wasn't singing. Like I said in the tags of the post, I think Till's singing is obviously very good in the song, I just think Till was also very obviously engaging in passive suicide by making it clear he's not trying to win (I'd argue he was actively trying to lose by stopping his singing before the song is over).

That's why I said the only way he won was because Ivan threw his round—not because he didn't have enough skill and charisma by himself, but because he had disengaged from the performance by literally not singing, and the aliens would've noticed & punished him for it if Ivan didn't flip from "obedient show dog" to "rabid dog" on stage. (Again, to be clear, the "rabid dog" comparison is from the aliens' perspective; we, the human audience, have access to their interiority and care about them for more than their function as performers.)

(That said, the audience in-universe did not notice Till stopped singing, so you're right that alien audiences would've anticipated a closer fight than what I've said in the tags I assume you're responding to. I do think the win would be complicated by the fact that imo quite a lot of aliens in both camps see it as an unsatisfying win? For Ivan fans obviously, but for in-universe Till fans, their boy's win is gonna be tainted by "his opponent went crazy and attacked him." I'd imagine in-universe fans are having similar discussions to what we're having now, which is completely intentional—it's pretty obvious that ALNST is a critique of the irl idol industry/elimination style tournaments, and we're intended to be the aliens in this scenario, albeit ones who have some access to their inner lives.)

Now onto Till vs Luka. I think we all want Till to beat Luka, or at least put up a good fight, but. Will Till really bounce back/regain his fire, or did Ivan's sacrifice only compounded the fact that he lost someone else, and that he'll keep losing—both in the sense that he'll keep losing people he cares about, and also in the sense that there's no real victory under this oppressive system? Given his actions in R6 (i.e. stop singing when the song is ongoing), I think Till's final rebellion would be a quiet thing—to just not perform from the start and refuse to give the aliens a show.

Tldr: Till is a very strong performer. I just also think Till would've lost in R6, not because he wasn't "good enough" in his own right, but because he disengaged from his performance in what would've been a pretty dang obvious way bc i think he just wanted an escape/wanted it to end.

Going into R7, I'm honestly not sure if Till even wants to 'put up a good fight' against Luka anymore, or if he'd rather be free and spite the system by denying aliens of what they wanted from him by not engaging at all. It'd be cool to see Till beat Luka, but I'm having trouble seeing how he'll do that: while he has the skills to at least come close, idk if he's in the right headspace to want that.

[quickspinner]

Substitute Santa

For @verfound, queen of hilarious prompts, as part of the @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers Sprint Secret Santa.

Her prompt was: Jagged Stone is Santa Claus. However you want to interpret this: Jagged is literally Santa and Luka is his son (a la Hallmark "find a Mrs. Clause for Christmas"). Jagged is dressed up as Santa for an event/Because Jagged. Luka caught Jagged dressed as Santa as a kid and now firmly believes it (Jagged snuck in with gifts for his kids? Last Christmas before Jagged left? Party Anarka drug him to?).

So here we go!

Luka was not pleased at the best of times to be called out of the workshop, up to his father’s “office” (he would have said playground, but it made Penny frown at him). But to be called up today, of all days? 

This really can’t be good , he thought, sighing through his nose as he climbed the spiraling stairs. 

He didn’t bother to knock, since knocking could almost never be heard over the racket of the workshop below and Jagged’s own…extraness. When he walked in, though, he blinked in mild surprise. The iconic red suit with white fur lining was missing, as was Jagged’s usual ebullient attitude. Normally Jagged was bouncing off the walls on Christmas Eve, ready to rock his way around the world while his cool but stressed assistant tried desperately not to lose her lunch in the passenger seat of the sleigh.

Tonight, though, Jagged was sprawled with his long legs hanging over the overstuffed armchair that they normally only used for photo ops, wearing his favorite purple striped pajamas instead of The Suit.

Luka turned and almost walked right back out again, but Penny and her clipboard had somehow appeared behind him, blocking the exit. 

“No,” Luka said to her, but to his annoyance, it was pleading rather than firm. 

Jagged let out a concussive sneeze that shook all the knicknacks in the room, and blew his nose like a trumpet before pointing a woeful glance at his son.Luka knew exactly what it would look like, though he refused to turn around to confirm.

“No,” Luka—whined. He was whining. He was man enough to admit it. “No way.” He pointed an accusing finger at his father. “Santa Claus does not get sick on Christmas. There’s gotta be magic or a—a rule or something.”

“There is a rule,” Penny said stiffly behind him, and Luka jumped a little, moving inadvertently further into the room. Penny stepped after him, shutting the door behind her. “The rule is you , Santa Junior.” 

Luka rolled his eyes. “Penny…” he whined again, and Penny rolled her eyes. Jagged sneezed again and moaned pathetically. 

“Oh, grow up,” Penny snapped irritably, and Luka actually wasn’t sure which one of them she was talking to. She stalked over to the wardrobe and yanked it open. “I don’t have time for your bullshit today.” She pulled the red coat out and turned towards Luka, holding it out.

“Now?” Luka switched tactics. “I haven’t even had dinner yet?” 

“Then you should have plenty of room for cookies,” Penny replied, unsympathetic. “Now shut up and get dressed. I’ve assigned you an assistant and she’ll be here any minute.”

Worse and worse. “You’re not coming with me?” Luka asked, accepting the inevitable with the coat.

“I’ve been exposed,” she replied, throwing a dark look at Jagged. “Some of us can handle illness without being reduced to invalids.” She looked back at Luka, and suddenly he could see the tiredness in her expression and the tightness around her slightly watery eyes. “Still, I have a monster headache and I’m going straight to bed once your butt is in the sleigh.” 

“Right,” Luka sighed, slipping on the coat. “Sorry, Penny. I know this sucks.” 

She acknowledged it with a nod. “I know you don’t want to do this, but it’s got to get done.”

Luka nodded morosely. It was a responsibility he accepted when he came to live with his dad, although he’d been more interested in the workshop than the top job. He’d spent the whole year building instruments for tonight (and being teased about his slow, methodical way of working), and he wasn’t about to let all that work go to waste just because his dad was a dramatic whiny baby. 

Not to mention an entire world full of kids who would wake up disappointed on Christmas morning if he didn’t step up. 

He swallowed any further whining objections and pulled on the stupid fluffy red pants with nothing more than a long-suffering sigh. 

“You’re so his son,” Penny muttered, and Luka gave her a pouty look that did nothing to disprove her statement. It turned even more mulish as she held out the boots.

“Do I have to?” 

“You know you do. You’ll trip in those things anyway. They don’t have enough heel to keep the pants off the ground.”

Luka kicked off his shoes without further complaint and put on the stupid boring black boots. He even tied the laces when Penny continued to glare at him. The boots adjusted to fit his feet. At least the vaunted North Pole magic was good for something. The suit shrank a little as well to fit him. Luka took the hat from Penny and stuffed it in his pocket. He’d have to wear it, or the glamor wouldn’t kick on, the one that made him look like viewer expected - chubby and white-bearded, the usual thing. 

“I really don’t know what I’m doing,” he warned Penny. “I mean, I can drive the sleigh and stuff but—” She was already waving him off.

“All you have to do is drive and drop the presents. I went over the route and double-checked the lists with Marinette this morning; she’s very organized. Although,” she added, looking up at the clock above the ostentatious mantlepiece, “punctuality has never been her strong point. Make sure you stay on schedule.” 

“Yeah, okay—wait, Marinette?” Luka looked up sharply, fixing his eyes on Penny and feeling his stomach flip. “The one that works in the fashion design department?” The one that he seemed to bump into far too often coming into and out of this office, often literally. Jagged gushed about her every time, delighted to have secured such a talented and creative person for his workshop. If there was one thing you could say about Jagged—well, it was that he really enjoyed being revered and loved by all the children of the world, which translated to wanting the best to come out of his workshop so that those children kept adoring him. 

He sighed to himself. Even a substitute Santa probably shouldn’t be such a cynic. And Marinette—

If there was another thing you could say about Jagged, it was that he was not at all subtle, and Luka was mortally convinced that his frequent brushes with Marinette in this office were intentional. He should have been doing everything in his power to dodge her, but…

Just then, she barreled in through the door, and his mouth went dry and his breathing quickened. She was flushed from the run up the stairs, eyes bright and eager, and she tripped over her words as she apologized profusely to Penny. She had a tablet tucked under her arm and she was wearing the traditional elf uniform, green with striped stockings and a silly belled hat perched between her pigtails. 

She was stupid cute and he felt like his brain was leaking out of his ears even before she turned to smile at him, clearly nervous but also excited. He couldn’t help but smile back.

Before they could say anything, though, Jagged groaned loudly, and Luka just caught Marinette’s arm before she rushed to the poor invalid’s side. “Don’t get too close,” he warned darkly, and winced when she turned wide eyes on him. “I don’t want you getting sick too,” he added quickly, dropping her arm. He felt like an idiot but the look she turned on him was grateful.

“You’re so right, I wouldn’t want to spread anything to the children.” She returned a sympathetic smile to the pitiful look Jagged gave her. “You stay home and rest. Don’t worry about a thing. Luka and I have got this!” She pumped a fist in the air, and Jagged threw her a goat and a grin that actually seemed genuine, and genuinely tired. Luka felt a tiny stab of sympathy, but it disappeared when Jagged blew Marinette a kiss and hoarsely told her she was the best, adding, “Keep the kid out of trouble!”

“Right!” Marinette grinned. Then she turned to Luka and his stomach did that weird flip thing again as her eyes darted over him. “Shall we go?” she said, checking her tablet. “I’ve got our schedule and route all worked out and when I stopped by the stable, they were just finishing up loading. Do you have your hat?” 

Luka pulled it from his pocket and waved it, and her smile brightened, making his knees weak. “Lead the way,” he managed to get out, and when she turned he followed right behind her. 

Penny whispered, “You can thank me later,” while he passed, and he nearly tripped on his own feet. 

Fortunately, his face cooled by the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, so he hopefully didn’t look any more like a tomato than the suit already suggested when Marinette turned to him. 

“All right,” she grinned at him, linking her arm through his. “Let’s go save Christmas!”

He let her tug him towards the stable, chuckling a little at her enthusiasm. Well, if he had to do this, there was no point in sulking the whole time, right? It was just one night.

Marinette was a whirlwind, checking the packing, checking the harnessing, giving firm but polite directions when she found anything amiss. Luka wasn’t really sure what to do with himself, so he climbed into the sleigh and waited, until Marinette bounced up into the seat beside him.

“I’ve always wanted to ride this,” she confessed, flashing a grin at him. “This is so amazing. Ready when you are, Santa.”

“Luka,” he corrected automatically, but he was smiling as he picked up the reins. He couldn’t help it. “Hold on,” he said without thinking, and suddenly Marinette was pressed tight against his side, both her arms wound around his right arm. 

“Can you move okay?” she asked, looking up at him. “There’s not much else to hold on to,” she added, blushing, and he realized he was staring at her.

“Oh—yeah, sure, you’re fine,” he said, and flapped the reins with a little more force than was wise.

He had to admit, as the reindeer started off, gliding across the snow faster and faster before lifting sharply into the air—the sleigh was a rush. He couldn’t help laughing for pure joy at the swooping feeling in his stomach and the sudden surge of adrenaline. Marinette squealed a bit as they came off the ground. She sounded more excited than terrified but he risked a glance at her to make sure she was okay, and saw her grin in a flash of the bouncing lamplight.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” she said again, letting go of his arm and sliding over a little bit as they leveled out. 

Luka grinned. “Well, we’ll get to do it a few thousand more times.” 

“Right,” Marinette said, pulling up her tablet, suddenly all business. Well, that was understandable, but it did kill Luka’s good mood a little. Right. It’s not like he was taking her out for a joyride—or a date.

He really wished he could, though. He’d run into Marinette half a dozen times, but always with Jagged in near proximity, which didn’t exactly bring out the best in Luka. She’d caught his eye every time, but he’d never managed to be walking out of Jagged’s office at the same time, and once he was back in the workshop with his tools in his hands, he tended to forget anything except the vision he had in mind. Luka wished now he’d been a bit more proactive. He could have come up with some excuse to visit her department if he’d thought about it. If only Jagged weren’t so damn pushy, then maybe…

Before he could get too far down that train of thought, it was time for the work to begin, and Luka didn’t have much time to think of anything except getting in, leaving presents, and getting out. Marinette was a good assistant, and everything he needed was right to hand when he needed it. They made a good team. Luka made sure to bring some of the best cookies back to the sleigh for her, to show his appreciation. He loved Penny but Marinette was a lot more fun—especially since Penny got horribly motion sick in the sleigh. He didn’t know how she managed the trip every year, but he supposed someone had to keep Jagged in line.

“Oh, these are good,” Marinette said, as they sailed between towns. Luka glanced at her and saw that she had a molasses cookie in her hand. 

“They were,” he agreed. 

“My parents own a bakery,” she said, taking another bite. “These remind me of home.” She giggled. “Who would have thought when I was putting out cookies as a little girl that I’d end up actually working in Santa’s workshop?” 

Luka chuckled. “I bet you were adorable. I can just see you in fuzzy pajamas, arranging the cookies and worrying about whether Santa has food allergies.” 

Marinette barked a surprised laugh. “It’s like you know me,” she said, putting a hand over her mouth as she tried not to choke on her cookie.

Luka grinned. “Maybe not yet, but I feel like I’m getting there.” He winked at her, and she blushed, and he grinned all the way to Budapest. 

Luka had no idea how the Christmas magic worked, only that it messed with time, so that Santa could make it everywhere that welcomed him before daylight. When Marinette announced happily that they were running ahead of schedule, though, he had an idea. 

“Do you think we can squeeze out fifteen minutes or so before we get to Paris?” he asked. “There’s someone I’d like to stop and see.” 

Marinette frowned. “Isn’t that against the rules?”

“Nah,” Luka chuckled. “She already knows all the secrets. I just want to stop and say hello.”

“Oh,” Marinette said, her tone a little strained. “Well, okay…I think we can probably make that happen, if you don’t mind eating your cookies on the go.” 

“I think I can manage.”

Landing reindeer on a boat was a no-go, so Luka left the sleigh nearby, hopefully out of sight. He turned and offered Marinette his hand to help her down.

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude—” she began, but Luka snorted. 

“You won’t be, trust me. You ought to get out and stretch your legs, anyway.” 

She let him take her hand and pull her down from the sleigh, though she still looked a little unsure. He kept her hand as he pulled her gently along behind him towards the boat at the dock. The garish paint job was masked by thick swags of twinkling multicolored lights that seemed to dance when they reflected on the water. 

When they were standing on the deck, Luka let out a loud “HO HO HO,” in a credible imitation of Jagged’s voice.

There was a thundering sound from inside the boat, and an older woman popped out of the door, scowling. 

“What did I tell ya about showin’ up on my boat you old—” Luka pulled off his hat, and she stopped her tirade, blinking, as Luka grinned. “Luka, m’boy!” She laughed, and threw herself forward. Luka dropped Marinette’s hand to catch and hug her, enjoying his mother’s bone-crushing embrace. “What are ye doing wearing the suit, lad?” 

Anarka stepped back, looking at him, and Luka shrugged. “Old man’s sick tonight, so I got stuck with the job. It’s good to see you, Ma.”

Her face softened, and she smiled. “Aye, it is that. I know ye probably cannae stay long, but come downstairs for a moment and have something hot to drink. And you too, lass,” she added, leaning a little to look around Luka at Marinette. “Got stuck with babysitting duty, did ye?” 

Marinette giggled, and nodded, while Luka pretended to look wounded. “Ma, this is Marinette,” he said as they followed Anarka down the stairs into the ship’s galley. “Marinette, this is Anarka Couffaine, my mom. Where’s Juleka, Ma?” he added, glancing around. 

“Passed out on the couch about an hour ago,” Anarka told him, jerking a thumb towards a lump topped with long black hair curled up at one end of the couch. “Never manages to stay up on Christmas. Pretty sure it’s that magic shit. Kids who try to stay up and see Santa never manage it.”

“There should be a loophole when you’re related to him,” Luka muttered. “And she’s hardly a kid.” 

Anarka shrugged. “Don’t ask me, I don’t truck with that Christmas magic bullshit.” 

“Maybe because she still believes,” Marinette suggested, and she blushed when Luka turned to look at her. “I mean, she knows Santa exists, so she still believes in him, so the magic still works on her.” She spread her hands, looking a little sheepish. “It’s just a thought.”

“Well, maybe.” Luka went over and kissed his sister’s forehead, tucking a creepy-ass doll he had picked out just for her under her arm. “Tell her I love her, okay?”

“O’course,” Anarka brought him a cup of—

“Coffee!” Marinette squealed, and then immediately put her hand over her mouth, eyes round.

“Aye,” Anarka laughed. “I know ya don’t have it ‘up north.’ Cocoa’s fine but,” she grinned at the blissful look on Marinette’s face at the first sip, “sometimes ye just want a good ol’ cup o’ joe. That much sweet all the time, sometimes ye need a touch o’ bitter.” Anarka winked at Luka, who realized he was staring at Marinette with what was probably a very stupid expression on his face. “Or spicy, eh?”

“It’s lovely,” Marinette sighed, fortunately not noticing the way Luka flushed red.

“Ye have to go, I expect,” Anarka sighed, when they handed the empty cups back. 

“I’m sorry,” Marinette said, glancing worriedly at her tablet. 

“Don’t apologize,” Luka told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s the job. Ma understands.”

“Aye, that I do,” Anarka said, rolling her eyes. “Get on wi’ ye then. Thanks for stopping to see yer ol’ Ma.”

Luka kissed her cheek, and hugged her. “Bye, Ma. I’ll come by again when I can.”

As they loaded themselves back in the sleigh, Luka said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think to ask if you wanted to stop and see your own family.”

“Oh,” Marinette said, waving a hand. “They’re surely asleep by now. Bakery hours, you know. And if they weren’t, we’d never get out before dawn. You don’t know my dad.” 

Luka grinned and clucked to the reindeer. “Tell me about him.”

The night seemed to pass like lightning after that, conversations pausing and picking up between deliveries as if they’d never been interrupted. Marinette told him about her parents and her life before the North Pole. Luka told her about growing up on a houseboat with Anarka and his sister, and then finding out as a teen that his father was THE Fucking Santa Claus. For the first time Luka thought he could actually feel the magic working, and they left their last delivery and turned back north just as the sun was lightening their section of sky. 

“So that’s that,” Luka sighed. 

“Yes,” Marinette agreed, and leaned back with a sigh. “I won’t say I had no idea how much work it would be, because obviously it’s hard, but it’s different to actually experience it.” 

“Would you do it again?” Luka wanted to know, and Marinette laughed.

“In a heartbeat,” she giggled, and then sobered slightly. “Would you?”

It was a bit of a loaded question. Somewhere in the dark of the night he had confessed to her his misgivings about taking on the mantle one day. 

“I think I might,” he said slowly. “The right company makes a big difference.” He smiled at Marinette, and to his delight, she smiled back, in a shy way he hadn’t seen from her before. “We make a pretty good team,” he dared to add, and Marinette nodded.

“And we made so many people happy,” she pointed out, looking back towards the horizon where the sun was rising. “It feels good.”

Luka nodded thoughtfully. “So yeah, maybe I’d do it again.” He shrugged. “I don’t think the old man’s gonna retire anytime soon, so. I’ve got time to think about it.” He grinned. “After I’ve slept for like three days.”

“Agreed.” Marinette covered a yawn. “And I never thought I’d say this, but I don’t think I’m going to want to look at another cookie for at least a month.” 

“I’m with you,” Luka laughed, and then licked his lips a little nervously. “So, after we’ve slept for three days…do you have plans for the New Year?” 

“N-no, not really,” she stammered, reaching up to check her belled hat, which was slightly askew after all this time, but still there. Luka’s heartbeat sped up at her nervousness, which he thought was both adorable and a good sign. 

“Maybe we could go somewhere?” Luka suggested. “Find a good cup of coffee and ring in the new year together?” 

Marinette visibly swallowed, blushing before she met his eyes. “Maybe kiss at midnight?” she suggested, quietly but boldly.

“I’d like that,” Luka managed to get out, just barely. 

“Hmm. That sounds nice. But…I’m not sure I can wait that long.”

Luka’s hands were on her face and his lips on hers in a heartbeat. The reindeer knew the way home, after all—but at the moment, he honestly didn’t care whether they made it or not. Another few laps around the world was sounding pretty good as Marinette’s arms wound around his neck. 

Fiction Master Post

[yarnnerdally]

Random Ikemen Headcanons:

Pregnancy/Dad edition

Includes 18+ Content

~*Minors DNI*~

IkeRev:

Sirius has wanted a family as long as he can remember. Growing up with little siblings all over the place is a comfort for him. And when you ask him about having kids he’s honestly a little nervous that you don’t want them but respects your choice either way. (That just means he’ll get to be the cool uncle) (Fenrir and Ray disagree) He still gets dad of the year every year, though. Calls the kids ‘sprout’.

Blanc didn’t realize it was his kink until it slipped out one night nonchalantly over tea. “Blanc, I know you like kids but… what about ours?” It was good Oliver had moved elsewhere by this point because you two fucked. Like. Rabbits. While you both thoroughly enjoyed the process of getting pregnant, Blanc absolutely spoils you when you’re pregnant. Massages, carrying you whenever he gets the chance, begging Luka to make you whatever strange food you want. And once the baby is here? Proudest papa when their hair goes white and is admittedly a little nervous that he can be a good dad.

Kyle is excited and nervous the entire time you’re pregnant. Thankfully he has a good role model in his dad and it seems almost effortless how well he parents. You just know you’re in for a world of trouble when you see them, a grown man and toddler, studying a medicine book intently. Guess it’s time to brush up on your genius wrangling skills!

IkeVamp:

Arthur would cry when he learned you were pregnant. There’s 0 way he wouldn’t. Absolutely doting with an edge of being terrified that something will go wrong and he’ll lose the most precious person(s) in his life. A good dose of reality from you and Theo sets him straight. He helped deliver and he was trying not to cry then, too. An absolutely doting father, there’s certainly mischief abound later down the road.

Shakespeare is terrified he’s not going to be a good father. He can put on a brave face all he wants, but you know the man under the actor’s mask. With his history with you and everyone else in the mansion, he wonders what karma has blessed him with a child and without a doubt, come hell or high water, puts you and baby first. He’s initially nervous with the baby but, thanks to plenty of support from you and baby’s 11 uncles, he adjusts just fine. Your favorite is watching Will put them to bed with a bedtime story that he makes up on the spot and never the same story twice.

Leonardo’s cigarillo literally falls out of his mouth when you tell him you’re pregnant. Followed immediately by cursing in Italian before taking you up in his arms with his eyes shining “Cara mia, you’re serious, yes?” His voice is slightly strained and he nuzzles into your neck at the confirmation. He’s excited and he’s already tinkering with wood and paper making toys and puzzles and anything else you could imagine for your future child. He knows you like your independence in doing things but he’s more insistent than usual in helping you to do things. Once baby is here, Leonardo is most often found napping with baby on his chest and an arm around them protectively. Lumière basically became a big brother and seeing all three of them napping was one of the sweetest sights to see in the world. As baby grows, Leonardo slowly works on teaching them everything he knows along with plenty of play (Leonardo wouldn’t admit it but he loved the puppet shows he and every one of baby’s uncles put on with the shadow puppets he made.)

IkeSen:

Hideyoshi is mama bear. Like, to the extreme. You’ll need to remind him to calm down a lot but he’s so protective and loyal to your little (for now) family. He’s the ultimate giver of piggy back rides and learns how to braid hair for his little girl and teaches his sons about dismantling toxic masculinity.

Sasuke is nervous but he studies and studies and studies anything he can get his hands on when it comes to rearing children. He even goes to Kenshin, Shingen, and Yoshimoto for advice. You both thought about going back to the future for this but decided on staying 500 years in the past. Yukimura is named the fun uncle and the kids tease him all the time. Sasuke is ridiculously patient as a dad and you tell him you appreciate him whenever you can. From words to new foods to potty training, Sasuke is basically a saint. You’re only thankful you don’t have to teach them how to drive.

Masamune is ridiculously excited to hear news that you’re pregnant. He definitely flaunts it and is so happy to show you off and dote on you. He gladly makes you whatever crazy foods you want, even trying to recreate things from 500 years in the future for you. Once the baby is here he’s quiet with awe and you swear you saw a little watering at the corner of his eyes. To say he’s a devoted father is the understatement of the century. You just have to reign him in when he tries to do ridiculous things like having a small saddle commissioned for your baby to ride Shogetsu.

IkePri:

Chevalier knew before you did that you were pregnant, surprise surprise. What did surprise you, however, was how much more expressive he was in his protection over you as well as physically needing to be closer to you most of the time. Of course you didn’t complain, receiving a small “That’s ridiculous,” (definitely not Chev’s way of saying yes) conjoined with him nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck when you asked if he felt more protective now. He seemed to read your kind as always, even if he couldn’t be to your now shared room first he had servants draw you perfectly tempered baths and clothing that was easy for you to dress in. The amount of pressure you felt at the upcoming birth was initially astounding until a night Chevalier reminded you that this baby will be here as a result of your love for one another and not the pressures of politics. Once the baby is born you discover that Chevalier has another type of smile: one reserved solely for your baby. It is the softest smile you’ve ever seen him wear and it absolutely melts your heart. Of course his love for books must’ve been built in through DNA because they’re following along with bedtime stories line to line perfectly.

Sariel is shook. He’s calm on the outside, of course, but inside he’s honestly panicking a little. Most of his parenting experience had been with the twins and that situation had been… an intensely unique one. However, you discovered his feelings through a slip of the tongue and you held his face in your hands gently, assuring him he’d be a spectacular father and there was no one you’d rather have a family with. He felt assured and his demeanor had shifted just enough for people to notice, particularly the princes. Once it became known, Sariel’s usual dark aura intensified a hundredfold as he threatened all eight princes and Rio that if anything were to happen to you or your happiness, they would disappear. Once the baby came, everyone was astounded at how absolutely soft he could be, of course Licht and Nokto being the exception to that. To say your baby is treated like royalty is not hyperbole and it takes a rather firm foot from you to keep Sariel from spoiling them rotten.

Rio cried immediately when you told him, lightly sobbing his promise that they’re happy tears. During the pregnancy he’s almost overbearing, managing to tone it down just before you feel the need to tell him to. One restless night he tells you about a dream he once had, almost three months after you had saved him. It was filled with quiet nights like this, cuddling by the fire, laughing together. “That’s when I knew I wanted you forever. And a family with you.” You nearly broke his hand during delivery but Rio’s smile didn’t falter, staying strong to lend you his strength. The baby came and while Rio insisted that you took turns waking up for baby, you’re pretty sure he was the one to get up more in the middle of the night. The moment baby was in the world, he was wrapped around all their little fingers and toes. Sometimes Rio has a hard time with discipline, but it’s something he’s working on.

[jennrypan]

So..MLB basically says.

Gabriel, Tomoe, Jagged Stone, Audrey and Andre are ALLLLL worthy of redemption and theyre actually NOT that bad despite one being an actual terrorist and the others being either overbearing to an abusive degree, neglectful and childish or verbally abuse.

BUT NO ITS FINE CUZ YOU KNOW WHOS THE WORST???

LILA AND CHLOE CUS THEY WERE MEAN TO THE MC. THESE 14 YEAR OLD LITTLE ASSHOLES ARE FAR WORSE THAN THE LITERAL ADULT DIRT BAGS SURROUNDING THEM.

Obviously Chloe and Lila are assholes and deserve repercussions for being bullies and treating others like shit, anyone with a brain can see that but to be so heinous and down right stupid to claim these kids are more fucked up than the actual adults who are fully aware of whats going on?? Whos been alive longer?? Seriously?? Make that make sense.

Why does Gabriel get to redeem himself after spending months terrorizing Paris, killing people, neglecting his son and even physically abusing him when he deems it fit?? Why does he get a pass?? Cuz his baby mom got sick doin shit she knows she shouldnt be doing?? Really??

Why does Audrey and Andre get to not see anyone call them out for how they made Chloe?? Why does Andre get to disown Chloe and start over with her nicer copy?? After making her into the spoiled brat she is cuz HE GAVE HER EVERYTHING SHE WANTED, HE COULDVE PUT HIS FOOT DOWN BUT HE DIDNT?? HES A GROWN MAN, and suddenly hes done?? Cuz he wanted to be some dumbass director?? Seriously?? Sir you made your daughter that way and allowed your shitty wife to talk down to her and destroy her self worth, you allowed your daughter to keep demanding things from people and never ONCE tried to speak up, and suddenly you wanna start over with a kid that isnt even yours??

Jagged Stone literally abandons his whole ass kids cuz "kids arent cool" and he KNEW WHERE THEY WERE, KNEW WHO THEY WERE, and likely wouldve NEVER told them unless Luka in his akumatized form actually found him cuz hes a fucking man child going through a midlife crisis

(also lol @ all the salt fics saying hed be there for Marinette more than her own parents. Mf wasnt even there for his own kids, bffr)

I cant really say much on Tomoe cuz we dont really get much on her besides little hints but giving how Kagami is and how she mentions she wasnt even allowed to draw shows that Tomoe is exactly like Gabriel and what do ya know..Kagamis also a senti monster. Its fucked up!

Why do these grown ass adults get passes but Lila and Chloe dont? Chloes apparently a little soulless monster and Lila?? Is a fucking sociopath pulling an Orphan with all these new identities?? What the fuck??

Also lets not forget, Felix tried to make Adrien lose his friends, mocked Adrien for being an abused kid, found out Adriens mother is in the basement and REFUSES TO TELL HIM?? He gave Gabriel all of the miraculous, and instead of helping his COUSIN, he helps this random girl hes now suddenly obsessed with?? What?? But no yeah FELIX deserves to be forgiven despite all of his actions also being just as selfish and terrible as Chloe and Lila but go the fuck off ig, but EVEN STILL HES NOT WORSE THAN GABRIEL

[sidsinning]

You know, while it's great that Adrien FINALLY recognizes Marinette actually exists, what led to it... yikes. I mean, she LITERALLY only fell for Chat because he's the only option she has?

Also, the lukanette and marigami is going strong as always.

At this point... I'd prefer if her love interest was a BED, poor girl deserves a break.

I mean people have been saying the LS isn't reversed, it's complete. I think her feelings for Adrien are "cooling down" bc they're so heavily associated with losing the miraculous, so she just feels anxious and avoidant whenever they're brought up now. It's like Luka says, she's not really falling out of love with him, she's just really confused and mentally unwell bc of everything going on around her with the miraculous (since he knows her identity, he KNOWS this is why).

Also she's second guessing her love for him bc she doesn't know if she was not really in love with him after realizing how little she really talked to him (or so she assumes). But in the end she still sees him as she described in her practice confession to CN which is most definitely the real Adrien- someone sweet, sincere, and generous. She knows more about him than she thinks.

Marinette is ALSO in love with CN not bc he's her only choice now- she wants NO CHOICES if she can help it. It's why she's crying at the end of Determination, she wasn't looking for a rebound to ignore her feelings for Adrien, far from it. She's despairing over the fact that she has to deal with maybe another catastrophe that will be bc of her love for someone again, feelings she can't help. Not understanding why she was swooning for him and feeling sorrow when he says they're only partners after she expressed her tender affection for ONLY him, I think they are both signs she is in love with him because he's CN.

But tbh it's Mari so despite all this she will still somehow twist things to avoid thinking about Adrien lmao. She's gonna be juggling. Unlike Adrichat who has gotten his closure with LB so he can finally focus on Marinette, Marinette has not confessed to either Adrien or CN, nor has she been fully rejected by either of them.

So yeah. Messy messy.

Also agree loving their vibes

HONESTLY THOUGH SHE NEEDS SLEEP AND PEACE MORE THAN A BOYFRIEND RN TBH LOL

[1-800-helltalia]

denmark lavender, sweden patchouli, iceland musk, vanilla finland, jasmine norway

Lavender: How do they calm down in moments of major stress?

Mathias, despite his laidback disposition, really doesn't cope well with stress at all. In the moment he'll seem like he isn't taking any of it seriously whatsoever; he turns to humor in an attempt to calm himself down. He'll be smiling and cracking jokes, but all the while his shaking hands are buried deep in his pockets as he desperately tries not to lose his cool. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Patchouli: What sort of outdoor activities do they enjoy most? Do they get the chance to do that activity often?

Berwald is an avid outdoorsman; when he's not building furniture, he can be found chopping wood or hiking. He especially loves the repetitive monotony of chopping wood, as it gives his body something to do while his mind wanders in thought. He also has superb wilderness survival skills and will occasionally disappear into the woods for a few days to test his knowledge, much to the dismay of the other Nordics.

Musk: What do they usually smell like, or what does their home usually smell like?

Emil has a slight eggy-sulfur smell around him at all times, no matter how clean he is— it's especially noticeable when he's been sweating. He's rather self-conscious about it and has tried almost everything to get rid of or at least mask it, to varying results. His usual go-to is to douse himself in a sweet, powdery anise cologne.

Vanilla: What is a food or scent that carries a lot of nostalgia for them? How do they feel if they smell it now?

Tino has a special fondness for more Christmas-y scents, such as gingerbread, cinnamon, and peppermint; they remind him of when he was younger and had first taken on his role as a Santa. Due to that reason, he tries to keep those smells at hand year-round. When he's upset or anxious, they bring back the exhilarated joy he felt on his first sleigh ride. On the other hand, he hates the smell of sunflowers, as they bring back bad memories of the time he spent under Russia. Just the sight of them is enough to make him shudder.

Jasmine: What makes them feel beautiful?

There are a handful of things that make Lukas feel beautiful; he's a rather vain man, though that's not something he generally lets others know. Simple things such as winning a game of chess or watching how the sun hits his skin make him feel beautiful, but he considers himself to be the most beautiful when he's bathing. He has an intricate self-care routine and delights in brushing his hair. He could stand naked in front of the mirror for hours, just admiring his own body.

[daily-kohane-azusawa]

Day 358! Had another vbs dream so story time!

TLDR: I unintentionally became VBS’s assistant during their stay in the US, and promised to help them win a competition that would help them afford the flight back home. (This one is looooong, buckle in)

The setting was this fine arts based summer school.

I started the day by oversleeping through my first classes, losing one of my sketch books on campus, and falling asleep in the class I did make it to (Ribbon-typical narcolepsy L).

While I was asleep in class they were going over this bracket style music competition and assigning students to interview each of the contestants.

I up being assigned to help VBS since no body else wanted to on the fact that the group didn’t speak much English and I couldn’t speak a lick of Japanese so…

Luka to the rescue!! Street Sekai Luka basically acted as my translator so we could get the interview done, but I wasn’t satisfied…

The group really seemed to be at a disadvantage with the language barrier so I did a little something extra and made custom background MV’s for their performances that had the English lyrics to their songs

This made their first battle a clean sweep as people as both their performance and the MV blew the competition out of the water (they sang Devil’s Manor).

I learned after that that they were kinda stuck in the US because they didn’t have enough money to afford a return ticket and the prize money would enough for them to buy a flight home.

Of course I agreed and basically became their assistant and translator (with the help of Luka) for their stay.

While waiting for my brother to pick me up a few things happened; some guy tried to flirt with An and when Kohane clinged to her saying that she was hers, it was like the guy just found out lesbians existed.

And I met up with a group for friends from an art class and lo and behold a certain brunette illustrator was using my lost sketchbook as inspiration for some of her own sketches.

Ena and I got to talking and that’s how I found out Akito was also a younger sibling. I promptly started bolting towards ginger around because my irl friendship language is being annoying and I wanted the deets on their relationship from his perspective.

While running I yelled something like “my brother is also a soccer player! You don’t think I know how to out endure you!” And I chased him around til he gave up and let me pester him lol.

We basically talked about being younger siblings and I even told him that while i think my brother’s cool that doesn’t stop me from hitting him with a plastic spoon for fun (real btw I did do that)

So yeah that was basically the dream, minimal Kohane moments but she was there.

[ghostinthegallery]

@northwyrm @beril66 @angoryt Finished season 1 of the Magnus Archives and these are my thoughts.

- Excellent spoopy, 10/10 short form horror love to see it. Or hear it...

- John is not okay and I love him.

- Martin is perfect and must be protected at all costs. Hot for John? More study needed.

- SASHA???

- I always love the guy who cracks jokes. Me and Tim would be friends

- Elias is so villain coded

- felt personally attacked by the story about losing things to a weird, gaslighty vase. Love the dude who became super chill about the coffin in his living room. Sky eats people. Cool.

- okay so from what I can tell the main overarching things going on are 1) Jane and the hive (Jane dead? Who knows? Hive still scary. I have trypophobia guys) 2) Jared Key 3) jurgen Leitner and his evil books 4) weird eye church and 5) the Lukas family (curse the power of funding). I'm loving the mystery threads.

- on to season 2! Time to solve a murder! Yaaaayyyy

[liverpool-enjoyer]

footballers playing mario kart

leo: plays as mario. either doesnt know that its a racing game or jus doesnt care cause he drives around without a care in the world.

ney: goes with donkey kong cause he looks like his nft. his favorite thing is doing tricks every time he jumps off a ledge. he thinks its SUPER cool despite the fact that its an incredibly simple mechanic n pretty much everyone knows how to do it.

luka: oh hes a sore loser. he will literally demand a rematch every time he loses n swears in croatian every time he gets shelled or driven off the map. plays as a lil guy like toad or yoshi.

sergio: plays as bowser obviously n it goes without saying he plays very aggressively. blue shells luka n gets the silent treatment for the rest a the day n has to sleep on the couch.

muller: the race interpreter. its very cool, actually.

lewa: hes thinks hes in first place, until after like ten races he realizes hes been looking at someone elses part of the tv screen the entire time n has jus been ramming into a wall.

mbappe: see its kinda like the world cup final cause he doesnt do shit until the third lap.

luis: gets physical. he will straight up shove or cover the eyes of whoevers sitting next to him to sabatoge them.

mourinho: oh God he takes it so seriously. always choses to race on the special cup, cause, yknow.

pep: the week leading up to this lil game night he carefully trains every member of man city so they have an (unfair) advantage. when his players do well he acts like he won the fucking prem.

[xhanisai]

Tell me, is there anything you wish had gone differently on Miraculous?

There are quite a lot of things in all honesty. In general, I enjoy the show the way it is now. However, since I'm just another individual with her own tastes lmao...

Here are a few things I could do with and without in canon from what I can remember.

What I didn't like:

-- The whole love rivals bullshit. My immense dislike for Luka and Kagami aside, I've always hated love triangles and stuff like that. What got me and many others into the show is that Marinette and Adrien were their own rivals of their alter egos for each other and were chasing each other in circles. It was refreshing and cute and silly! I don't care if "oh, dating other people before you come across your true love is the norm" is more 'realistic'. THIS IS A MAHOU SHOUJO! FUCK OUTTA HERE WITH THE STUPID LOVE RIVALS.

-- Episode Qilin. Rewatched it the other day when it came on TV and both Officer Roger and that nasty ass bus ticket checker should have gotten their ass beat.

-- All those heroes in the NY special. It just made Ladynoir lose their uniqueness as well as downplay their powers as well as Le Papillon's. I would have rather that Marinette/Ladybug inspired Aeon and Jess to become heroes just like she did with Fei in the Shanghai special.

-- There are way too many people with a miraculous. The only 'big' team I want is Ladybug, Chat Noir, Rena Rouge and Carapace. Everyone else can get lost HAHAHAHA!

-- Chloe should NOT have gotten the miraculous more than once.

What I would have liked:

-- I really wanted a Guardians vs Ladynoir arc. It would have been so cool to see and emphasise the "Me and you against the world!" line! I wanted to see their morals and beliefs clash and for Ladynoir to overcome them and show what amazing heroes they are. And then they could have teamed up to take on Le Papillion and his akumatised army or something amazing like that.

-- I wanted Felix to have a one-sided crush on Marinette. It would have been cute. Adrien has evil, mean girls after him so Marinette should as well!

-- I also wanted Felix to continue doing his own thing before officially becoming part of the miraculous team. He looks so out of place.

-- I wanted at least a whole season of Ladybug thirsting over Chat Noir and Adrien thirsting over Marinette before they got together. I also wanted them to get headaches over 'loving two people at once' and drive the kwamis insane.

-- Chat Blanc should have been one whole season long!!!!! I also need more mentions or references to him!!!

-- I wish they kept the animation consistently high quality throughout the show. All that budget went into film! Chloe's hair.

-- I really would like more Cheng lore. I'm so curious about Sabine's sister and their parents and if they ever met Marinette. I hope we get that in season six.

That's all I can think of for now. Thank you for the ask loooool.

[macaroni-rascal]

Montreal Worlds 2024 Day 4!

My voice is completely shot, my hands are legitimately sore from clapping, ears still slightly ringing, and I had the best damn time!

FREE DANCE

Mrazek's easily won the Swan Lake Battle, team nepotism were fucking awful, and it was even more apparent when a superior team skated to the same music directly after them. Diana Davis walked on the ice for 4 minutes, and did one lift that was supposed to be impressive, but was just shaky. Woof.

Olivia Smart deserves so much better, judges were not kind.

Lim and Quan got a standing ovation and they more than deserved it, they were stunning. I adored every single second of that free dance.

I didn't watch that team, so don't know, don't care, and fuck 'em.

I still don't love Turkkila and Versluis that much, in person they skate quite small and it felt like the program dragged on forever.

OKAY SO. A documentary is being made about the Reeds it seems like, a dude came and set up a camera next to us because Cathy Reed was sitting two rows behind, and he made the people right behind us come sit in our row and us scooch down so that they could get a good shot of her watching her sister. So that was both cute and a little annoying. We were stuck there also for Cpom, since Cpom had already started by the time the camera guy left and we didn't want to disturb others watching. A nice program from R/A though!

Cpom were SO very good. They were captivating and lovely, definitely had more speed at the start of the program, but wow have they ever improved. A joy to watch.

Back in my seat, in time for the small most boring most rip of P/C program of them all. 2/10.

Lajoie and Lagha had me right from the start. Just. I adore them so much. I'm so proud of them for coming back so strong after injury, I cried, I clapped, I cheered. I was fully moved.

Fear and Gibson were just fucking awful. I hated it. She's throw around in lifts and never needs to hold a position, they are doing push ups on the ice, they are standing still for 45 seconds in their choreo step, they are the second slowest team, and god just can they go away already?

Chock and Bates ARE SO FUCKING SLOW. I don't know if I didn't notice it in the RD, but jesus christ so glaringly obvious they were trudging through molasses the entire program. I didn't like the program. It was two cool lifts, and then a slow slog through Madison Chock being off the ice as much as possible. 1/10.

The first time ever the Italians made me happy. A nice program, a nice moment. The dress mishap at then was a little funny, still annoyed they will likely stay in until Milan.

Gilles and Poirier, the third slowest team. After the emotional moment with L/L, I just wasn't as moved or interested in this program. It felt melodramatic more often than not. Glad for them winning the free, now retire already.

MEN'S FREE

Adam coming from 19th to 3rd, what a moment. The crowd loved the back flip, and in the moment, I did too. Why not? He had nothing to lose. Redemption skates always give me warm fuzzies.

Donovan was a lovely time, she's got such razzle dazzle, he needs to work on his speed though.

Goodbye two spots of Canadian Men, that's all I have to say about that.

Love Selevko, he's my favourite.

Kao, it was not your day, or your competition. He kept drilling and fucking up his quad in front of me all warm up, I wanted to shake him.

Jun, it was also not your day or your competition, but you have a nice ina, so it's all cool.

Deniss was a lovely moment, I enjoyed his skate a lot. When he got standing ovation, a rude American behind me loudly said 'why are people standing up, he didn't do that well?' Which was wild.

Jason Brown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So beautiful. The single axel honestly made me laugh. What a treat it was to see him skate.

Lukas was also a very fun moment, he's a skater I enjoy waching.

Shoma, I love you. <3

Yuma! What a moment, a shame about the triple axel, but that step sequence is so gorgeous. Can't wait to see him grow and evolve as a skater.

Ilia was there. LISTEN. Okay. Objectively the things he is doing are impressive, I just personally do not find it interesting. You know what I mean? My and my friend were at a sensory overload high and we just booked it out of the venue during his standing ovation before the scores cause we had to get out there. That rude American I mentioned would not stop fucking yelling at the top of his lungs during the skate, I had to plug my ears several times. Good for him, but he's not my thing at all.

GENERAL THOUGHTS AND HAPPENINGS!

Okay, so that rude American I mentioned a couple times, he was honestly hilarious. Another guy was sitting next to him, and the rude American kept giving him all wrong information about skating. Just confidently, with his whole chest, attempting to educate someone with nothing but false info. He kept calling jumps wrong (called flips toe, calls loops sals, and sals lopps), he said that V/M skated to Umbrellas at their first worlds (it was their second) he pronounced salchow like sal-CH-OW, no card C, but chow like chow down, he called several elements wrong all ice dance events, got coaches wrong for several skaters, etc. So hilarious.

I saw Corey Circelli and almost asked him he's like Italy but then didn't.

On our way out, we walked next to Lia, Trennt, and Hannah Lim all talking about Ilia's skate, that was fun.

Thinking of drafting an official complaint with the Bell Center to make their seats 4 inches bigger on all sides. I'm so serious my right hip, and lower back still hurt. Those seats were made for babies.

My wonderful amazing friend who I hadn't seen works at the Bell Center on the weekends, and I got to catch up with him, and then during the men he brought me a hot chocolate. Shoutout to him, he's the bees fucking knees.

I shan't be going to the gala. Thought I could do it, but I am so sensory overload from four straight days of bright, loud, and crowded. I am a person that like dim, quiet, and 3-4 people at most, and I am at my limit. Also, fuck those seats, I can't sit in them for one more minute.

ALL IN ALL! I had SO much fun, it was truly amazing seeing all these skaters I've loved for so long, and being able to really watching and analyze so many different things. I've gained new appreciation, new perspectives, and some new favourites. I am, however, very ready to get home to my bed, my cat, and my space. I'm flying out dumb early tomorrow, and I can't wait!

[unsleepingtales]

Finale Time!!! This is a LONG one containing many emotions. Thank you for bearing with me through all of these reaction posts lol. See you next season. <3

Ooh only episode of the season to have the content warning in the episode not just in the description

They all look so cool!!

Return of stupendous stoats :)

Siobhan <3

The time you have left is such an ominous way to put that thanks!

Yayyyyyy

That’s just gonna be an existential crisis every time they say it

This is fun. They’re besties

Brennan is really hitting the murder bits

This is old Tutu coming back lol

Actually???

This radio bit is unhinged and I love it

I love her

Oh fuck shit pants motherfuck

He’s leaning SO hard into the contrast between the desire for peace and the murderous bloodlust

I do not believe her. I don’t think that’s how people work.

DAMN. That impression is actually really good

I love how you can see the astonishment go from Aabria-as-Tara being impressed to all of them legitimately being impressed

He said the name of the thinggggg

Okay but actually Brennan saying “that’s a pro” probably meant So much to jwc because he’s such a fan of D20 and I’m emotional thinking about it

I have lost track of what’s happening. I’m keeping up with what’s important! But the bits and jokes are so simultaneously interwoven and distracting that I am a bit lost.

(Group laughs at this motivational speech turned threat)

Oh good lord

Is that the map?

Real Pinocchio pole dancing on his nose vibes

DO THEY HAVE THE FORCE???

Yeah it makes sense that if the stoats have magic the humans do too. Or maybe this is Phoebe from inside Wenabocker.

ONE HUNDRED FEET???

The least energetic singing of grease 😂

Oh god

He’s hot 😭

Why did they have to make Wenabocker hot guys.

HELLO?????

What the fuck bitch

Oh my god that is the worst thing I have ever seen.

Well. He’s not hot anymore.

Carlos 😭

Oh my god. Aabria warned us not to eat dinner during the show but jesus

Awww the mini upgrades <3

That’s so sick actually

Brennan is pulling no punches for the finale

Humans don’t have a dick bone but they’re about to! (group laughs at the threat of dick bone violence) Do you have a dick bone inside you? Would you like to??

Oh god Brennan

What does that mean. Aabria. Aabria what does that mean.

Okay. Okay.

There are seams in the mini that remind me of MeatWolf. Does this fucking thing do the ship of theseus thing too. Because I will lose my goddamn mind.

The stroke vibes ARE so real right now Aabria you’re so correct.

I’m so stressed

LUKAS’S HAT

FIFTY DAMAGE BITCH

The art team is knocking it out of the fucking park with the spell effects

Oh right. Guns.

Oh god ouch.

Nice

Aaaaaaaaaaaaa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY?????

Please

Oh no oh no oh no

The only thought you’ve ever had

JESUS

Aabria came for pvp and she is getting it

What the fuck

I’m

upset

About this

HOW is he still up tbh

Oh god

Oh thank god but oh no

The most hollowed out a person has ever been. Oh my god

This is soul crushing.

Aabriaaaaaaaa

Uh oh!

Izzy I think you’re on the right track with the MeatWolf comparison. The mini having seams makes me nervous

Sorry I think Brennan not being able to perform that is actually gonna haunt me more than if he had. Here is this brilliant actor and improviser whom I admire so much and even he is so troubled by this that he cannot fathom how to portray it.

This is fine

Siobhan you’re brilliant actually

Get roasted

Aaaaaaaaa

Why would you provoke him

WHAT

Okay but that bullet is not as small as they’re miming. A bullet from that gun is like the size of a stoat’s hand, minimum

Erika Ishii your mind <3

ONE HUNDRED AND NINE DAMAGE TO. THE GROUND.

Hm. Troubling.

Oh damn okay.

Why the ny accent lmao

Noooooooooooo

Rules lawyers <3

Send the kids to camp!

Ey

Lair action????

Jasper that was the funniest thing I’ve seen in my goddamn life

This fucking map I’m losing it

This is all so upsetting Izzy you’re right.

Fucking shitting fuck Siobhan you’re right.

Siobhan just smiling sadly at Brennan. Augh.

This is all so deeply bad.

Yeah boiiiiii

Aabria asking are you okay. Babe what do you think??

Holy SHIT Rashawn

So many numbers

It would be completely fine if we did crack right now :)

Holy fucking shit what the fuck oh my god he’ll cook in forty minutes oh my god Rashawn Nadine Scott you’re incredible

I would believe that she can use a human gun

OH she’s actually letting her shoot a human gun that’s wild

ANOTHER ONE?

Erika is gonna cry

The dimensional dome I don’t think I’ve ever heard that but I love it so much

This is fucking incredible

WHAT

Viola just fucking killed two humans in one turn and hasn’t even taken her bonus action yet

You ARE so hot.

Ooh Aabria finally gets to do the remaining hit point reveal

YES BITCH KILL THEM ALL

The little sticking of the post it to her forehead <3

(Group applauds Rashawn as they should)

Erika legitimately is near tears god

Oh god

Oh

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh no

Uh oh?

Uh oh

UH OH

The suicidal ideation is real with this one folks. This is. Bad!

Oh FUCK

Brennan I’m gonna cry

Joining Erika and Jasper in the near tears club

“It’s not obligation. It’s believing that you can put your head up, and look for a day where you won’t be so tired anymore.”

I’ll be honest, I fully paused the episode and cried for a few minutes after that line. I don’t talk about my mental health a ton on here because this is a d&d blog. But that really hit me so hard.

Okay. Going back to rewatch the couple minutes preceding. We’re gonna finish the episode and it’s gonna be fine.

Everyone’s just fucking recovering from that Jesus.

It actually was his birthday??

Okay. Okay okay.

I do not have immense faith in the humans tbh but ok

Jasper

Jasper please

Ooh ok

The WORLD?

Oh good god okay. There’s no way that could go wrong. Yeah okay.

They’re just. Giving it to them? Ok! Cool!

Awww

Aaaaaaaaaa

Sobbing actually

Eyyyyyyyy ok not sobbing anymore

Back in her ho days! Do that lil dance you do!

Blood for the blood gods 😭

Hell yeah Ava. Fix the system.

Hell yeah baby

What

Just straight up. Incredible

(Cast loses it over Jaysohn the Sport Stoat)

THIRTY ONE

They go to the fucking Olympics

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN SWIFTER THAN THE WIND

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

What a fantastic season. Aabria, thank you for being such an incredible GM. You have once again blown me away. <3