#SAD YOUNGER JACK VIBES AND FEELINGS

[zimbits-my-love]

people are puppets held together with string

there’s a beautiful sadness that runs through him…

time and again boys are raised to be men

impatient they start, fearful they end

oh, he could not break surface tension

he looked in the wrong place for redemption…

he couldn’t be saved

a sadness runs through him

a sadness runs through him - the hoosiers

[raythekiller]

I really wanna see (if u wanna write it) JTK, Toby, ej, masky and hoodie platonically with a new recruit that’s a child (around Sally’s age, maybe a bit younger, like around 8-9. sad backstory, blah blah blah) but instead of being like fanon Sally (sweet, joyous, innocent) they’re literally just a little shit. Like shenanigans, swearing, pranks and being immature? (Even though they all find the kid strangely endearing and funny) so basically the kid is just a COMPLETE troublemaker, but also have a kinda sweet and soft side like most kids.

🗒 ❛ Troublemaker Child Reader ༉‧₊˚✧

Featuring: Jeff The Killer, Ticci Toby, Eyeless Jack, Masky, Hoodie

#Notes: this one was so funny to write lmaoo

pronouns used: they/them

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꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Jeff The Killer

I swear he tries to be nice at first. He'll look at them and go "Awe, hey there little g-" "You're ugly as shit." "..." Yeah, someone better get that kid away or they're getting stabbed. Legit just develops beef with the toddler so now they have kind of this rivalry going on. I'm talking full blown prank wars. Everybody is just looking at Jeff weird because you're a grown ass man? And they're a literal child? But the dispute doesn't slow down until one day the kid actually gets slightly hurt because of one of his pranks and starts crying, to which he'll genuinely feel bad and patch them up while apologizing. It's a cute bonding moment.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Ticci Toby

Thinks that the kid is funny as hell. Doesn't mind it when they sass him, he'll just laugh and pat their head, but loves it when they do it to others. Just the reaction of sheer horror on their face at this 8 year old cussing them out makes his day every single time it happens. Will absolutely help them prank others or just cause trouble in general - they're officially partners in crime now. One night, they come up to him and ask him to check for monsters under the bed, to which he just smiles and ruffles their hair, checking every corner of the room that a "monster" could be hiding in and even offers to read them a bed time story. It's super cute, he's a surprisingly good big brother figure.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Eyeless Jack

Total dad figure. Tries to "reform" the kid and teach them proper manners and to stop messing with others, which barely even works. Scolds them when they misbehave, but nothing too serious, more of a "I'm not mad, just disappointed" kind of talk. Will also apologize to the people they mess with, almost like he's the one legally responsible for the toddler (which he's not). There was one time where he caught them drawing something on the walls with crayons and was about to give them a talking to again, until he noticed it was a drawing of him. He had to stop for a second cause he genuinely didn't know if he should be mad or flattered, but ends up hugging them anyway.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Masky

Hates the little shit and asks Slenderman on a daily basis why he recruited them, to which he doesn't answer. Will just kind of drag the kid by the back of the collar whenever they're about to go cause some trouble, dragging them away. He's absolutely not happy about having to babysit, but he can't exactly go against the boss' orders. He doesn't warm up to them at all until they catch a cold someday and he's the one tasked to take care of them. Seeing them so vulnerable and weak made him genuinely feel bad, and he doesn't leave their side for a second until they're fully recovered, even sleeping by the side of their bed.

꒰⸝⸝₊⛓┊Hoodie

Another one who finds them funny as shit. Will at most tell them to be careful about not hurting themselves while pranking other people, no actual scolding ever coming from him. I already mentioned that he's good with kids, he's just got that cool uncle vibe to him. He already likes the kid, imagine the one day he walks into his room to see them wearing his clothes, trying to pick up his guitar which was about their size, all because they "Wanna be cool like uncle Brian!"? He might actually cry.

[radarchives]

Hehehe, I hope you're ready for some OC questions! >:) These are all for Valac btw!

Take your time, ramble as much as you want & hope you have fun answering them <3

What would you say is Valac's main sin? Based on his backstory, I'd say he wishes it were pride (hence his admiration for Lucifer), but he more so aligns with wrath in a similar fashion to Satan (including the inner self-direct hatred maybe..?). Although I'm also getting some slight Envy vibes. Like, envy that masks itself as wrath if that makes sense..? lol ANYWAY which sin is it?

If he had to change one thing about his life, what would it be, and what does he hope to get out of that change?

Really curious about this one actually--Valac's admiration for Lucifer is borderline unhealthy, right? Is there anything Lucifer could have done that would have just broken Valac completely? It doesn't have to be something done directly to Valac

What is Valac's role within the Newspaper Club? I also have an OC who is part of the Newspaper Club, so I always love hearing how other people imagine the Newspaper Club & the atmosphere within >:3

Fun question to end things--how would he do at 5D chess? :]

Bonus question for yourself: DID YOU DRINK WATER TODAY?? 🔫🔫🔫

aaah thank you so much, you know i'm excited!!

alright!!

you were pretty spot on actually. valac doesn't really have too much alignment with gluttony, lust, greed or sloth. as you said, he wishes it were pride. after all, he sees lucifer as his idol and puts him on a pedestal. for valac, he's the blueprint, even when valac himself doesn't align with pride at all. he carries much anger within himself, an anger that often comes to show since he got so used to shoving it aside or explaining it away when he was younger . that might also be why he clashes with satan. satan is similar to him, has the connection to lucifer, but doesn't do jack with it. valac is jealous of it all, of that certain kind of freedom, of the tight-knit family that comes attached with it. in his eyes, people like mammon and satan take it all for granted. although he is now settled, he is a hater at heart. it is all rooted in envy for sure.

if he had the ability to, he would change the day his sister left. now knowing better, valac believes he could've found the right words to make her stay. even after they reconnected, he never asked why she left. he wants change so bad, but doesn't know how to build something up for himself. he doesn't know that that is exactly why vaanya left. he hopes that if she had stayed, they still would be close. this wish of his is petty unrealistic, as the cracks in their relationship had already started forming way back.

it wouldn't break valac completely, but sad as it is, it would burst his bubble. getting to know him better. despite his own obsession, valac doesn't know lucifer all that well. he banks on the fact that lucifer has his shit sorted out, is respected and feared and has a stellar public image. but he doesn't know how he really is. valac feels safe having him up there, where he's untouchable and he can project as much as he likes. if that weren't the case, it would kickstart a "okay if HE doesn't have his shit together, then wtf am I supposed to do" sentiment. but maybe that is exactly what he needs.

he is an editor! he definitely doesn't have the social skills or the restraint to conduct interviews and such, so he just sticks to correcting other people's mistakes. he can also be convinced to do the numbers when it is needed for smth.

hell yeah. bro would get absolutely competitive about it as well. 5D chess match against satan and mephisto let's goooo, whoever flips the lid first loses.

and i did have peppermint tea from a suspiciously matchablossom looking mug, does that count?

[its-captain-sir]

This is a free pass to tell me any fun facts about your tmnt iteration bc I love em already but I also need to know something extremely important. What are their thoughts on The Bean 🎤

opens up the lore doc. there is SO much I could say here but I'll keep it to the basics about them for now!

Raph - 17 when the story starts and the oldest of the group! He's actually the leader at first (and is pretty good at it!) but he's still very much a "I do my own thing" kinda person and is pretty impulsive. He likes to street race on lower lower wacker (if you haven't heard of the three levels of wacker drive in chicago, look it up cause it's wild hskdhskdhs), and he's got a pet, Chompy, who was actually an old dinosaur stuffed animal of his from when he was a kid that became sentient thanks to some mystic magic <3

Leo - 16 at the start and is the older twin between him and Donnie! The best way to describe him is too smart for his own good hakdbskdns he's a little bit of an asshole, definitely a smooth talker, and probably the most anxious out of all of them. He avoids responsibility like the plague and wants so badly to just be able to look up to his older brother forever but. well. things happen :') Also he 100% is such a geek about everything ever, he knows all the lore for all the shows they watch

Donnie - 16 also and the younger twin! He's super talented with all kinds of science stuff with maybe a slight lean towards natural science as a favorite? not sure about that yet, that might just be me projecting hakdhskdj but he also becomes very adept with magic and mystics! Cause really, what is magic but science with a different set of rules <3 He was definitely a dinosaur kid (Chompy both infuriates and delights him) and he probably sneaks into all the museums in chicago on a regular basis

Mikey - 14 at the start and the youngest! He's a little bit more behind his brothers in some respects cause of the age difference, but he is actually the jack of all trades of the group. If there's a random weird skill set they need for something, chance is Mikey can do it. He picks up hobbies like they're buy one get seven free: art, music, gardening, magic tricks, lock picking, cooking, gymnastics, soap carving, you name it. He's the kind of guy who sees you're feeling sad and immediately starts whipping up a balloon animal, 100% completely sincere about it

As for the bean.... it's actually a gateway to the mystic world in this HAKDHAKDHSK they don't get to use it often cause it's always so busy but it's definitely their favorite doorway purely because of the vibes <3

[ace-driver]

Ok thoughts are coherent finally so here's some UK Newsie stuff, apologies for the length-

So I remember reading on another post that UK Crutchie's real name is Sean Hanlon. Not info that Matthew himself told me, but what he did tell me was Crutchie became disabled whilst he was a newsie, and it was an accident whilst getting on or off a trolley. Apparently he did consider playing Crutchie with cerebral palsy, but in his own words people born with CP tended to be in institutions rather than out and about (very sad but unfortunately true).

Onto how he is in the show, he's more clearly established as high up in the Manhattan hierarchy, and I know a lot of people probably won't agree with me but I think he's got more of a presence than Race (I'm willing to admit that's because I focus on him more). I don't think Crutchie was utilised poorly in the USA shows, but here he's undeniably on an equal footing with Jack and is looked up to by the other boys. He's a Menace and messes with the others a lot, but he's also very protective of them and gets involved in the riot scene to fight off the strikebreakers.

Then there's Scope and Pips! I fully agree these two don't get talked about enough, and I think that's partially because we don't really know a lot of canon about them (If anyone knows anything Kamilla or Mireia has said abt them I'd love to know though!)

Truth be told I can't remember Scope very well, which is a shame bc I remember she stood out to me for being the only one in a dress (I was a dumb fuck and didn't notice Splint wears a skirt/dress too skdksjd). Her outfit was also very nice, although a little more uncoordinated than her successor Pips'. She seemed to be one of the older girls, although not necessarily part of Spot's inner circle.

Pips has my favourite outfit of all the newsies in the UK show, it's a lovely shade of blue and I love how well they made it look mismatched but still coordinated, like she's actively tried to put together an outfit out of hand-me-downs. She gives me vibes of being one of the younger newsies, and she doesn't seem to be quite as assertive as the other girls.

I can't remember much else abt Elmer bc I only really cemented who he was on the last two visits, so ig the only other observation is that my gripe with the ensemble costuming still stands, those boys are not distinguishable enough😅

Apologies again that it's so long😅😅 (most of my thoughts on Scope and Pips are pure hc as there's not a whole lot to go off, although I'd happily ramble abt them if you wanna hear em ksfksk)

Thank you so much for this Clyde!!!

One of my favorite things that I've heard about this production is how Crutchie is handled. I know I don't post or reblog stuff about him a whole lot, but I can't properly put into words how much he means to me, and that's even more true for Matthew Duckett's interpretation of him.

Ummm...if it makes you feel better I am also a bit of a dumb fuck because I also thought Scope, and later, Pips, were the only two newsies who wore skirts/dresses (although, tbf, I've only seen like one picture of Splint compared to idk how many pictures I've seen of the other two).

That's a totally fair observation about the costuming for this production. I'm pretty good with names and faces but it took me longer to identify everybody in West Endsies just because with Livesies I used their outfits to tell them apart easier.

(I'm absolutely never going to complain if you want to ramble about any characters; I love your hcs)

[missparker]

is it too late for the fic writer ask meme?

16 29 65 76 The Devil's Right There in the Details

❤️

It's never too late!

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

I want to say like, so many, but the answer is honestly none. Between my job and my publishing schedule and actually finishing my last fic which was really long and took over two years to write, my brain can be found currently dribbling out of my ears.

Sometimes I think about my favorite characters, think that I’d like to write something for Janeway/Paris, or and old timey Buffy fic, or I wonder what Sam and Jack are doing right now, but I really don’t have anything cookin’ at the moment.

29. What’s your revision or editing process like?

For fanfic, I read it one million times. I feel like when I was younger, I wrote a lot faster but now, I usually have to reread things a lot just to remember where I was, what has already happened, and to get back into the vibe of the story. And then when I think I’m done, sometimes I’ll read it out loud, because you can really catch things that way. I know the correct answer is probably to have it beta’ed but I’m at the point in my fic writing journey where I just don’t care that much and am fairly capable of doing what I want on my own to a level I’m comfortable with.

65. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

My next book will come out January 17th and I am excited to share more about that soon. 

If I get in a fanfic mood again, I’d like to write something short and silly. (famous last words.) 

76. Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of The Devil's Right There in the Details? 

Because it followed the episodes so closely, (though it had started to veer off into its own territory quite a bit) I think I could have just kept going into season seven. I’m a little sad I didn’t get to the Christmas episode (“my captain raydor”), but it just didn’t work out that way. It would have been nice to revisit Charlie and Sharon’s kids, maybe Rusty could have shown up eventually but like, I wanted to stop before I was writing it just to write it, you know?

Get to know your fic writer | ask me anything

[martianbugsbunny]

Incredibles 3 Idea?

I don’t really want an Incredibles 3 but hear me out: it revolves around Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack as adults. If this idea is not entirely revolting to you (or if it is, and you enjoy being disgusted), go ahead and read on!

When the movie opens, they’re kind of distant from each other. That’s like the establishing vibe. Maybe living in different cities, maybe just in different parts of Metroville. I’m going with none of them being as close as they used to be, but Dash and Vi are closer than Dash and Jack or Vi and Jack. After all, Dash and Vi were siblings for nine/ten years before Jack was born, so it tracks that they might stay more in contact (not saying it’s the right way to approach a relationship with a younger sibling, just saying I understand that it could happen). This also gives the potential for interpersonal tension between Jack and his older sibs.

Let us examine this scenario to establish what’s going on: we get a short montage of Vi’s college graduation, Dash’s high school graduation, the days they move out, some family dinners after that where first Dash stops showing up, and then Vi is a less frequent visitor, and finally even Jack isn’t going to his parents’ for dinner anymore. We also get some shots of the kids themselves, working or hanging out with other people, ignoring each other’s calls/texts or responding with as little as possible. That sets up that the family is drifting apart as the kids grow older.

Then Violet goes to have lunch with her mom one day. Helen mentions something going on in Jack’s life that Vi really should know, so it’s significant that she doesn’t. We see realization dawn on Helen’s face, and she looks a little bit sad, bc she wanted her kids to be friends even when they were adults. After lunch, Vi calls Dash and he sounds sort of surprised to hear from her, and she asks if he knew about Event XYZ that happened with Jack. He doesn’t know either, and the two of them also start to figure out that they aren’t where they want to be with each other. Vi invites Dash over to her house and it takes work to figure out a time that meshes for both of their schedules, but they do make it work.

Now that that’s been worked through, Important Point Two: the Parr kids aren’t all superheroes anymore. In fact, let’s say neither Dash nor Vi is a superhero for part of the story.

Vi is married and living the life she always dreamed of: she’s normal. Because as much as her character evolves (and trust me, I could go on about that for a pretty long time, too) her deep desires don’t really change. She steps up when she’s needed, and she likes feeling that she’s making a difference, but she still truly wants to be able to quit. So when, after superheroes are re-legalized, new supers step up to the plate, Vi quietly makes her exit from the superhero world. She has some job, not quite sure what, but it makes her happy, and she has a wife.

Dash is a single father, so he doesn’t have the time to do superhero things, even though that’s the life he always wanted. He’s dealing with twin babies, and eventually that leads him to move back into Bob and Helen’s house, because as hard as he’s trying he just can’t seem to get by on his own. After that, he starts sneaking out to superhero, but when he nearly gets injured on a mission, Bob sits him down and tells him no-holds-barred that his job now is to be a father, and that his children need him to come home at the end of every day. Bob talks about how much he regrets when he started superheroing behind his family’s backs, way back in the first movie, but let’s say Dash doesn’t listen, and then he disappears.

Jack is the one who’s still out there doing superhero things. He has a superhero SO that he fights crimes with, he’s one of the most popular superheroes in Metroville, and he’s pretty rich, with a nice apartment in the city. Maybe he gets engaged and that’s the big news Vi doesn’t know about. But he’s also low-key miserable, bc he misses the family dinners and having his older sibs around.

Helen and Bob enlist Vi and Jack to find Dash. He’s been missing for several days, and he hasn’t answered any calls/texts. Jack is thrilled, because it means he gets to work side-by-side with his big sis, but he’s also nervous. Obvi we get this in the shape of a scene where he’s jabbering on about it to his SO, because that’s fun. Vi accepts that she needs to be a superhero again, no hesitance, no reluctance, because this is her little brother we’re talking about; her wife isn’t too happy about it, both because she doesn’t want Vi to die and because she knows Vi isn’t much into the supering anymore, but she knows this is something Vi has to do so she’s supportive.

I don’t know what kind of villain abducted Dash while he was on one of his missions. If somebody has a good idea feel free to throw it out. But there’s a big family rescue operation, and the kids become friends again during the process, and it carries on the grand Incredibles tradition of balancing superhero stakes with family dynamics. Of course Dash is saved, and everything turns out alright, and at the end, Helen and Bob have a moment where they get to look at their kids hanging out and laughing about their adventure together, and they know they did good.

[bookns]

The Great War is every couple I ever read - Zoyakali and Percebeth in specific. The memory garden line obviously reminds me of the former. The Latter fought through two wars - 'nough said.

Bigger than the Whole Sky - this song is hard for me to think about because it reminds me of a place I once called home. A place where someone was home but they left and the place is gone now so it was truly bigger than the whole sky (ironically enough that was the place I used to stare at the sky and try to count stars. only place I could see so many stars staring down at me).

Paris. This song I waited months to hear - till I had the Parisian skyline in view. Paris reminds me of how as a girl this was the one place I wanted to live in. It reminds me of flirting with French girls and stumbling down allies with two girls that helped me escape. It reminds me sitting alone and staring out the window to a view that rivals them all. It was the first time I felt like a girl again.

High Infidelity reminds me always of this book I read called Loveboat Taipei. The vibes are the exact same and I just love this song (and I love how it sounds like a DJ in the back as a reference to Calvin) .

Glitch is the percanbeth song (or at least Can I Be Him) to me. This idea of friends being deeper than anything, even depending on the situtionship. That avoidance that comes with the line "I was supposed to sweat you out" is so percabeth. I also just love the way this song sounds like Jack knew exactly what he was doing. The irony that the Spotify canvas is of the Wildest Dream 'Glitch' is not lost on me.

Heads up - these next two songs are rough. Would've Could've Should've, the song that made my entire world shift as the lyrics of girlhood echoed in my ears. I remember my face dropping in utter shock. This song reminds me of him, the boy whom (ironically) I once danced with. I've spoken about how much I adore this song, the anger that Taylor propels to him. In my specific scenario, I remember being obsessed. Must I remind myself that I was a child. That the boy does not know his power and that the nameless girl that I was made created a voice and made her name. To me, that entire year of my life was charted by him. Those memories feel like weapons, angry weapons aimed at my head. It has never died in the years since. "Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts. Give. ME. my. girlhood. It was mine first.." I sincerely miss the child I was who still loved love and wasn't angry at the world for it. Many people in my real life find it maddening how ill trusting I am of love but the sad truth is I was too trusting of it only to feel the repercussions as quickly as a girl once did. "If I never blushed then, they could've never whispered about this. And if you never saved me from boredom, I could've gone on as I was." So many lyrics from this song hurt me like a wounded solider, but one that makes me sick is "You're a crisis of my faith." The boy I am speaking about was of my faith, and I remember my younger self priding of that fact. Now I say I don't know how to love a faith that made him seem so fake. I just regret him all the time. I wish that 13 year old me knew that "it's not meant to me" (yes that is a bigger than the whole sky reference).

Now to the final song of the 3AM version - my favorite song should I mention. I love how this song is a love letter to me - this is Taylor warning that they don't know me ("desert all your past lives") and just run ("if you don't recognize yourself, your doing it right"). "You don't have to answer just cause they asked you. Your greatest of luxuries is your secrets." Those lyrics are one that I think about in my daily life. I don't have many good friendships - I'm waiting for them to leave - so I just wait and don't tell a soul what I think. I am alone, and invisible ("I prefer hiding in plain sight") "You wouldn't take my word for it if you knew who was talking." I think about this lyric and this blog and if you all really knew who I was would I really be liked? "to a house not a home cause nobodys there." I oneday will get my own home in Europe and I'll be okay. "Where I pace in my pen and my friends found friends who care" my favorite lyric from the 3AM version. it just hits different as a writer whose always chosen last. "No one sees when you lose when you're playing solitaire" I am always on my own. Always have been.

(gee what song do I love the most - wait till the you're on your own, kid. It may need its own post)

[necromancers-incorporated]

Okay I got some headcanons to spill for the Nevermoor fandom:

Squall knew Mog's mum. idk how but they knew each other and he knew Mog as a baby, possibly some friendzoning going on

Jack's parents died due to Wunsoc and that's why he doesn't like it very much. Jupiter took him in and raised him from pretty young, like maybe six or seven. He's still super happy for Mog though when she comes home and talks about school and stuff, peak sibling vibes

Lambeth is aroace, or somewhere in that area at least, possibly non binary

Hawthorne is trans, I am right. His parents love and support him completely and help him transition and stuff. The unit is also super supportive of everything

Related to previous point: Thaddea fights transphobes

Jupiter first met Squall on a trip to the Republic when he was a bit younger. Squall didn't reveal that he was a Wundersmith for a while (they got very close) and Jupiter felt very betrayed and left (think lovers fighting in the rain scene) and that sent Squall further into his evil spiral, but of course Jupiter saw the "good" side of him and that is why he is so sure that Wundersmiths can be good (yes I'm writing a fic, I'm working on it I promise)

Cadence wears Doc Martins all the time. Yes she gets blisters. Yes she refuses to take them off.

Arch plays the violin for everyone on the hometrain, just stuff like happy birthday (he asks everyone their birthday and puts it on his calendar immediately)

Martha gives everyone cakes and other stuff like that when they're sad or upset

Frank tries to give good relationship advice but it's never actually "good" more just "have you tried stabbing?" stuff

Feel free to add on more

[khaloymes-a]

Chris Klemens Starters !

Sentence starters inspired by this Chris Klemens video. Feel free to change wording or anything else to fit your needs!

“Can you tell that I’ve been crying all morning? I’ve been crying all morning.”

“No, we’re fine, guys. We’re fiiiine. We’re fiiiiiine.”

“That house was literally so dark, there was no fucking light. It was like a log cabin in a horror movie.”

“Food is something I take too seriously.”

“Never has anyone ever been so excited to not collect a check.”

“Girlboss Mode Activated!”

“What the fuck is good, Kyle?!”

“I can barely remember what I did yesterday, let alone what someone said in a 2014 Vine.”

“I have Takis, I have jalapeños, and I have real ass cream cheese.”

“Do other people have this much trouble, or am I just extra Caucasian?”

“I have this hollowed out and we’re just gonna put some laxative in.”

“That was so sad, from start to finish. That sentence was devastating.”

“Hey Houston? We have a fucking GINORMOUS problem.”

“My mouth is watering, it’s like ‘Give me more, bitch!’”

“What the fuck are we doing here?”

“Well Philly Cream Cheese, we meet again.”

“I don’t like it, but I need to try it because I need answers.”

“It’s a dead watermelon, why am I so fucking scared?”

“It’s like when I lived in New York and it struck midnight: I’m doing two lines now.”

“Oh my god. At first I thought I was eating a hot dog, then I was like it’s cold and it’s also watermelon.”

“Fuck, and I mean FUCK, whoever came up with this.”

“Next up on this nonstop thrill ride, we have nacho Dorito chips dipped in marshmallow cheese sauce.”

“Yep, yep, yep. Wow!”

“I got laxative number two of the day: Cheese Whiz.”

“This is a sight I never thought I’d see in my lifetime, let alone yours.”

“I hope this microwave doesn’t give me radiation and I just drop dead on the spot! That would suck.”

“Nothing screams party like putting marshmallows in queso.”

“Can you believe I gave this any sort of optimism?”

“It’s not even gross, it’s just off-putting.”

“I’m done giving my energy to this!”

“I love peanut butter and I love pickles. What I don’t love is this bullshit.”

“I have pickles in my fridge, but I really like those ones, and don’t want them ruined, because no offense to that man, some fucking idiot on the Internet.”

“I’m not proud of this, but when I was younger, I used to drink pickle juice.”

“I was gonna say I had hope for this, but look where that fucking got me.”

“What in the Jimmy Neutron? Gotta blast!”

“Hello? Is anybody there? Where is everyone? What the fuck was that?”

“You will never catch me dead with a pickle and peanut butter. If you do, that’s the saddest way I went out.”

“I am sorry to the person in the Tiktok who I called an idiot, you are not as big an idiot as the fucking watermelon person. Unless you also came up with that. In that case? Idiot.”

“I think I’m making a mistake, but my hopes are incredibly high.”

“I’m a blue raspberry bitch!”

“This is gonna take out a tooth.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve always wanted a lollipop in the shape of a foot!”

“We’re gonna take some of these crack rocks and-“

“Ew, it has like wig hairs coming off of it. Okay bitch, me too!”

“It has some terrestrial vibes. Like, Saturn who?”

“Oh. Oh! Ow. Oh?”

“That was enjoyable.”

“If I wasn’t so scared of becoming Jack Sparrow and losing three teeth, that’d be a 10 out of 10.”

[just-a-kiss-away-from-reality]

I was just a teenager when I discovered Rooster Teeth. It shaped so much of my younger years. Back in the days before i really understood appropriate behaviours. I know that some staff didnt mind the shipping stuff but, obviously thats different. Its just so odd to think about.

Those Minecraft Lets Plays were some of the only things I looked forward to back in the day because even when i felt alone at least i could watch a bunch of people who were friends playing a game i also enjoyed.

And of course, I got older and outgrew that content, I learned better habits than shipping real people regardless of if they said it was okay.

I still fondly remember the time Micheal and Lindsay visited and a group of us went out drinking, i was such a silly kid back then thinking id want to stick around micheal because he was funny, but found myself gravitating towards Lindsay the most, having really great conversations with her. Naturally vibing with her personality. I still remember her complimenting my handmade necklace.

Meeting Ray and Jack around the same time, and getting to see Barbara and Arryn at the local convention.

Hell, i even got to see Monty in a panel a couple of weeks before he passed. I remember the shock of that information and not being able to process it because i had JUST seen him with my own two eyes in front of me, and how my breakdown over such a concept like death resulted in me taking time off from my course. Because i had never really been exposed to that before. And that kinda scared me.

It’s such a weird, bitttersweet, melancholy feeling to see this company that shaped so much of my younger years, something thats been around for two decades, suddenly come to an end.

After distancing myself for the obvious reasons, i didnt think i would feel this sad?

I cant ignore what the reality was like in the later years. Im not naive. But i cant help mourning something that was such a pillar of my youth. Of people i actually met and felt the warmth from.

This was a decent chunk of my life. And its just… ended.

I can only hope that community members will archive as much of the content as they can. I dont want to lose access to the things that helped me get through the days when i was young.

I guess thats it. I just wanted my thoughts down here where no ones going to care or read them.

I hope no one reblogs this.

Thankyou Rooster Teeth for bringing joy to my life at a time when I needed it.

[bosspigeon]

Dáithí would absolutely crush on Kodlak and it would be real cute until it Was Not Cute Anymore

[1-800-marvelswhore]

Ot7 x Y/n Scenario: Crack Chat pt.2

Chat Warnings: Futile attempt at humor(?), BTS being weirdos (some more than others), Namjoon has had enough(What else is new?), A shit ton of movie references ;), Strong language!

You: What's been popping hopping?? (sent 00:04am)

Hobi: ?? (sent 00:06am)

Kook: I am confusion... (sent 00:08am)

Joon: Nothing is new. Except my newfound adoration for the multiverse :) (sent 00:10am)

Jinnie: You've got to stop watching so much Marvel. It's making you lose your marbles.. (sent 00:12am)

Yoongles: The real question is why are all of you texting this shit at 12 in the goddamn morning. Did we all not say our goodbyes and goodnights like 10 mins ago?? (sent 00:14am)

You: We did, but I missed you guys :( My apartment is lonely while you guys aren't here and it's making me sad.. (sent 00:16am)

Jiminie: Y/n you know all you have to do is text or call and we'll be there.. No reason to be sad :( (sent 00:18am)

Tae: Yeah because 9 times out of 10 I'm as bored as you are when watching Brokeback Mountain. Which is still blasphemous to me by the way. (sent 00:20am)

You: That movie gets relatively more boring the more you watch it.. It's overwatched. (sent 00:22am)

Jinnie: Yet you've watched Rose let go of Jack about 2000 times and still cry every damn time you watch that movie. (sent 00:14am)

Joon: I'll never get over the fact that Iron Man is dead... In my mind he's still alive... (sent 00:16am)

Kook: WHAT?!! Iron Man is dead?? (sent 00:18am)

Hobi: Kook where the fuck have you been since 2019. He died almost 3 years ago now... (sent 00:20am)

Yoongles: We knew this guy's life is quite literally his his videogames he doesn't even care for cinematic experiences. (sent 00:22am)

Jinnie: Factual. (sent 00:24am)

Kook: I- my feelings are hurt :( (sent 00:26am)

Joon: You get hurt, hurt em back you get killed? Walk it off. (sent 00:28am)

Jiminie: Definitely one of the best Captain America quotes. (sent 00:30am)

You: Taehyung I want you to paint me like one of your French girls. (sent 00:32am)

Tae: WHAAT??! That oughta start something you can't finish and we both know it. (sent 00:34am)

Jinnie: Don't get all giddy yet Tae, she's quoting Rose Dewitt Bukater rn (sent 00:36am)

Tae: Kill my vibe, why don't you? Not like my happiness matters at all to you. (sent 00:38am)

Hobi: That is precisely why he told you. You get too excited about such things. (sent 00:40am)

You: OKAY... maybe I was quoting Rose Dewitt Bukater, but I do intend to have a nude painting of myself made within the next 10 business days. (sent 00:42am)

Kook: Well, give me a paintbrush and call me Van Gogh xD (sent 00:44am)

Jiminie: So do you have an anger problem? (sent 00:46am)

You: Damn right I have an anger problem (sent 00:48am)

Joon: Do you think you're entitled to said anger? (sent 00:50am)

You: That's like asking me if I'm entitled to being hungry.. (sent 00:52am)

Kook: I understood that reference (sent 00:52am)

Yoongles: W movie. Taraji P. Henson can act her ass off!! (sent 00:54am)

Jinnie: That was Acrimony right?? (sent 00:56am)

You: Nah it was "What Men Want" Seokjin. (sent 00:58am)

Jinnie: Jeez, no need for the sarcasm dudette. I was just making sure. (sent 01:00am)

Tae: Now you know how I feel. I didn't even know you guys were quoting a movie. (sent 01:02am)

Kook: HAHA! You were lost like I was when everyone was talking about Encanto. Which indeed is one of the best movies ever! (sent 01:04am)

You: At your big age you haven't seen Acrimony @ Tae (sent 01:06am)

Tae: I'm only 26! What gives??! (sent 01:08am)

Yoongles: What gives is you've had almost 4 years to watch that movie... Kook's seen it and he's younger than you. You should be ashamed of yourself. (sent 01:10am)

Hobi: Yoongi, I've got to say your newfound appreciation for cinema is definitely a breath of fresh air if I do say so myself. (sent 01:12am)

Jiminie: Agreed. It's good to see you expanding your horizons. (sent 01:14am)

Yoongles: It's Y/n's pussy juice I promise!! (sent 01:16am)

You: WHAt in the FUCk did you just say?!!! (sent 01:18am)

Joon: Be in a poly relationship they said, it'll be fun they said... (sent 01:20am)

Kook: LOL!! Yoongi you not lying there hyung. xD (sent 01:22am)

Tae: Y/n I just want to say I have the utmost respect for you and I'll never talk about you in such a derogatory way. (sent 01:24am)

You: Thank you Taehyung. (sent 01:26am)

Joon: Once in a lifetime means there's no second chance - Troy Bolton, High School Musical 2, "Everyday" (sent 01:28am)

Jinnie: Joon how in this universe was that even remotely necessary???? (sent 01:30am)

Hobi: JEON JUNGKOOK!!!!! (sent 01:32am)

Kook: Oy vey, what now ?! (sent 01:34am)

Hobi: Now I'm all for embarrassing the shit out of any of you guys, but I feel you will NEVER live this down if I shall expose this shit!! (sent 01:36am)

Jinnie: Spill. (sent 01:38am)

Yoongles: Spill. (sent 01:38am)

Joon: Oh no. (01:40am)

Jiminie: Spill. (sent 01:40am)

Tae: Spill. (sent 01:42am)

You: Spill. (sent 01:42am)

Kook: I'm shameless so I really don't care.(sent 01:44am)

Hobi: Oh? (sent 01:46am)

Hobi: Wanna explain to Y/n & everyone else why you have 5 pairs of Y/n's underwear in your sock drawer?? (sent 01:46am)

Joon: OH FUCK (sent 01:48)

Jinnie: MY FUCKING (sent 01:50am)

Yoongles: FUCKING FUCK (sent 01:52am)

Jiminie: FUCKITY (sent 01:54am)

Tae: FUCKING (sent 01:56am)

You: fuck. (sent 01:58am)

*Kook has left "7 men and 1 woman"*

Hobi: Anyway. (sent 02:00am)

Joon: Is there an out of this relationship? (sent 02:02am)

Jinnie: Well then. (sent 02:04am)

Yoongles: I am sleep. (sent 02:06am)

Tae: Sheesh. (sent 02:08am)

Jiminie: The sky is quite the sight. (sent 02:10am)

You: I'll be taking my leave. (sent 02:12am)

[skyeet-the-writer]

Can you write a corpse x reader when she finds out she's pregnant and she's playing among us and she imposter with corpse and she kill someone and someone sees and reports it right away she get all nauseous and let's it slip to everyone while she go to throw up and corpse doesn't know what to do but he's excited to be a dad. You can change it up and add thing if you want, I was writing everything down, sorry if this is weird.

And If You Wanna Stay … Please Stay

yes finally a pregnant request! also, i’m gonna be waiting to get the triggered pro-life people in my asks and DMs about how ‘iT’s A LiViNg BeInG”. like what’s the baby gonna do? tell it’s mom??

corpse x female!reader 

summary: when the reader gets morning sickness during an Among Us game, Corpse and her expect the worst. And they get it. 

word count: ~4.8k 

warnings: swearing, vomiting, mentions of abortions, mentions of being pregnant, a little bit of suggestive content near the end but nothing happens

He’s finally asleep, you think to yourself as you watch your boyfriend’s chest rise and fall. He needed it.

Recently, Corpse has had trouble sleeping for more than three hours. You two had tried everything you could think of. You had tried staying up late to get him tired, you tried subliminals and music to get him to sleep. You even tried to give him a massage one time, but that led to other things.

You look over at the drawn curtains and pull them back a little. There, on the window, you have tin foil covering them. It’s a trick you learned from your dad when you were younger. When he worked night shifts, he had to sleep during the day, and he had trouble sleeping since your parent’s room had thin curtains. And so your father taped tin foil to all of the windows in their room so that he could sleep.

You’re not exactly sure why this seemed to work for Corpse, but you’re certainly not complaining. He looks so peaceful when he’s sleeping. He doesn’t look stressed, he doesn’t look sad. He looks so calm.

You lean forward and peck his nose. His breathing stutters and his nose wrinkles. You giggle and slowly, he opens his eyes. He blinks a few times and his brown eyes look around the room before settling on your face. He grins and your smile widens.

“That’s a pretty face to wake up to,” he mumbles and his morning voice makes you blush. “Oh my god, you’re already blushing.”

You blush even harder and bury your face in his neck. He laughs and hugs you around your waist. “Don’t make fun of me, asshole.”

He kisses your hair. “Morning, baby.”

“Good morning,” you mumble into his skin. You pull away so that you’re only a few inches apart. He leans forward and nuzzles your nose against his. Instead of kissing in the morning--you can’t handle his morning breath--you nuzzle your noses together.

“How’d you sleep?” you ask after you two pull away.

He smiles. “Really good, actually.” He chuckles and looks up at the window. “I guess the foil worked.”

You laugh and sit up. You’ve been awake for a little while and your stomach growls. “You hungry, babe?”

He nods and sits up as well, running a hand through his hair and shaking it out. “Can we have pancakes?”

“You can eat those, right?” you ask. You stand up out of bed and walk to the kitchen, your boyfriend trailing behind you.

“Yeah,” you hear him say. “Even if I couldn’t, I’d still want to eat them because you make really good pancakes.”

You smile. “Really? Thanks, babe.” 

You get out the ingredients to make the pancakes when Corpse announces that he’s going to take a shower. You give him a kiss on his cheek and notice it’s a little scratchy. You grab his chin suddenly and he blinks at you as you run a thumb against his cheekbone. 

“Want me to shave?” he asks softly.

You shrug. “If you want.”

He grabs your hand and presses his lips against your finger. He gives you a sweet little smile. “I’ll shave.” He squeezes your hand before walking back to your room.

After mixing all of the ingredients, you drop a few droplets onto the buttered up griddle. When it sizzles, you pour two medium-sized pancakes before going to search for the spatula. 

When you find it in the dishwasher, you flip both of the pancakes and grin. They’re both perfect. You notice it’s quiet in the kitchen and call out, “Alexa.” You hear her go off in the living room. “Play some fall lofi.”

“Playing ‘Midnight Lofi - Fall Vibes’.

”You smile when it starts to come from the living room. It’s a little quiet, so you say, “Turn it up.”

The music starts to play a little louder and you smile more. It’s so aesthetically pleasing, lofi music. It’s probably one of your favorite music genres. Before you moved in with Corpse, you had to listen to something and you eventually began to fall asleep to lofi. But now that you’ve been living with him for almost a year, you don’t listen to it as much. Usually when you’re cleaning the house or playing music when you study for school. 

You cook a few more pancakes and when you’re putting them on a plate, you have an idea. Corpse can’t eat chocolate because of his health, but you can. And you usually have a secret stash of chocolate in the back of the pantry. You’ve been craving chocolate a lot for the past week which is weird because your monthly hasn’t started yet even though it should have a few days ago. But you don’t dwell on that thought and pull up a chair from the small island and stand on top of it to reach the very back of the pantry. Your fingers skim the edge of the chocolate chip bag and you grab it between your middle and index finger. You grin at it and go to hop off of the chair when suddenly--

“What are you doing?”

You yell and you almost slip off the chair. Luckily, you land on your feet and wobble. You look up at your boyfriend when you regain your balance. He’s smirking and looking between you and the bag in your hand. 

“Chocolate,” you tell him, making your way back to the griddle like nothing happened. “You know, just because you can’t eat it doesn’t mean I have to suffer with you.”

He laughs and leans on the counter next to you. “I know you have a stash, y/n.”

You look at him with wide eyes, stopping in your tracks. “You do?”

He nods. “Yep. I knew since the first month you moved in. You’re bad at hiding it, you know.”

You blink at him before shrugging, walking over to the griddle. “Well, you’re not allowed to have any.” You stick your tongue out at him and sprinkle the mini chocolate chips into the remaining batter. There are enough pancakes for Corpse, so you’ll just cook up the rest for yourself.

Usually, you and Corpse don’t wake up until after breakfast time since you have a habit of sleeping in. But when you can wake up early enough for breakfast, you both like to sit out at the small balcony and eat together.

“What are we doing today?” you ask Corpse, sitting across from him at the small metal table.

There’s a breeze and it ruffles his hair. “I was gonna stream Among Us later. You can play, too. My fans love you.” He smiles and looks down at his plate.

“As they should.” You flip your hair and the two of you laugh. “Yeah, I can play for a little while. I’ve got classes to do and a paper due tomorrow, though.” While Corpse is a Youtuber and a streamer, you’re a college student taking classes at San Diego State University, trying to get your major in anthropology and a minor in Spanish and engineering. “God, I have a test at the end of the week, babe. I’m gonna fail it,” you mutter, putting your face in your hands. 

“What’s it in?”

“Spanish,” you tell him, pushing a blueberry with your fork. 

He gives you a stare. “Babe, I’m literally half Mexican.” He laughs.

You throw the blueberry at his head and it bounces off onto the floor. “Shut up, stop making fun of me!”

He grins. “I can tell you the answers as you take the test. It’s online, right?”

You nod. “Yeah, I chose all online classes this year. I mean, you could. But that’s cheating.” You flip a piece of your pancake over. “And I don’t wanna cheat. I cheated all the way through high school. I want college to be different.”

Corpse grabs your hand and you look up at him. He’s smiling at you. “You’re smart, baby. You’re gonna do fine. You’re gonna get your degrees and you’re gonna be the best... what are you studying again?”

“Anthropology,” you tell him quietly.

“You’re gonna be the best anthropologist ever.”

You crack a small smile. “Do you even know what an anthropologist is?”

“No.”

You laugh and that gets him to smile. You lean across the table and press a gentle kiss to his lips. It’s a little sticky and sweet because of the syrup, but you’re not complaining.

Later that morning, after taking a shower while Corpse cleans breakfast up, Corpse says that he’s going to stream and you come and join him. There’s a monitor across from his that you use from time to time and a headset as well.

Your boyfriend sends you the code for the Discord and the Among Us game. Corpse looks at you from across the desks and you smile. He grins back and your stomach churns. You blink and wince at the feeling. You’ve been feeling nauseated for a few days now and you don’t want to get sick during a stream.

“Hi Corpse,” someone says as you load into the waiting room. You look back at the screen as someone gasps. “y/n! Best friend!”

It’s Sean and you laugh. “Hi, Sean.”

“y/n!” exclaims someone else and you realize that it’s Lily.

“I thought I was your best friend, Jack!” says Sykkuno and he sounds hurt.

You smile and move your character to the customization. You choose yellow and choose the leaf hat. Since your gamer tag is “lemon” you always try and be a lemon.

“Aw, y/n’s a lemon,” says Dave.

You laugh and run circles around him. “Hi, Dave.”

You hear him laugh and Corpse chuckles in front of you. You look at him and be flashes you a smile.

The round starts and the red “IMPOSTER” text lights up your screen. You’re paired up with Felix. You haven’t been the imposter with Felix too often, so you don’t know what to expect. You mute your headset and head down to storage to fake wires before going to fake another task.

 You’re standing in the electrical room pretending to download data when Sykkuno walks in. You pull up the sabotage map and close the door before killing him and venting. You come out in the medbay and head over to the cafeteria.

 When a body is reported, it’s Lily’s. You unmute yourself and bite your thumbnail as your stomach churns even more. You’re starting to get worried that you’re going to get sick.

 “I found Lily in admin,” says Sean. “And I didn’t see anyone around.”

“Sykkuno is dead, too,” Julien points out.

 “Oh shit,” you mutter and hold a hand over your mouth. You try to keep the bile from rising while everyone talks and you don’t bother to listen. You do hear someone say that they’re going to skip voting and you do the same.

When no one is ejected, you mute your mic once again and go to follow Corpse down to the shields. You stand beside him while he does his task. Sorry, babe, you think and kill him just as your kill cooldown reaches zero.

 You smirk and run away in the opposite direction and you can feel him staring at you. You glance up at him and your smile widens. “What?”

He just shakes his head and you laugh.

You meet up with Dave and follow him around and fake wires with him. At one point, you and he cross paths with Felix and Toast. You may not know Felix too well, but any good imposter knows to go for a double kill. So as you run by each other in the cafeteria, you close the door and both you and Felix kill who you were with before venting away. 

By the time you’re out of the vent and running away from admin, Dave’s body is reported. Your stomach feels awful now and you’re almost certain you’re going to throw up in the next thirty seconds.

 “Fuck.” You unmute your mic. “It was me, I killed Dave. I’m the imposter. I’ll be right back.” You practically throw your headset off and run for the bathroom.

 ~

Corpse watches you practically run out of the room. For a second, he’s not sure what to do. Should he go after you? But he’s in the middle of streaming.

“y/n?” Sean asks. “Corpse, where’d she go?”

“Is she okay?” Julien wonders.

He nods even though no one can see him. “Y—yeah. I’m gonna go check on her. I’ll be right back.” He mutes his mic and takes his headphones off before leaving the room to go check on you.

He finds you on the tiled bathroom floor vomiting into the toilet. He curses and kneels behind you, pulling your hair back.

When you finish, he says, “This is the third time this week you’ve gotten sick, baby.”

You groan and lean your head on your arm. “I know. I don’t know why. Well, I—“ You cut yourself off and go still as if you suddenly had a realization.

Corpse tilts his head. “What is it?”

It takes you a few long moments to respond. “…My period is late. And I’m getting morning sickness. Plus I’ve been moody.” You turn back to look at him and he can tell you’re about to cry. “Corpse.”

You don’t need to say anything else. He’s already standing up, trying to ignore the pit in his stomach and his shaking hands. “I’ll go get you some tests.”

You grab his hand. “Corpse, no! I’ll go.”

He shakes his head and gets on his knees in front of you. “It’s okay, baby. I’ll be okay, don’t worry about me.”

Your lip quivers. “You don’t have to do this. I know how much you don’t like going outside. Really, it’s not a big deal, I can go get some.”

But then he kisses your forehead. “y/n, it’s okay. You need to rest. I won’t be out for very long.” He stands up after squeezing your hands. “I’ll be back in, like, twenty minutes.”

Before you can do anything to stop him, he turns around and goes to grab his mask and his wallet before grabbing your car keys. He doesn’t like to drive, but you’re worried and driving is quicker. And right now you’re the most important thing for him to be thinking about.

~

When Corpse leaves, you sigh and stay sitting on the floor for a few more minutes while your stomach settles itself. Afterward, you get up and brush your teeth after flushing the toilet. Deciding to get some school work done, you grab your laptop and head to the living room.

When you pass by his recording room, however, you see his monitor still on. You curse and head inside. He’s still streaming. You sit down and put his headset on and unmute his mic. “Hey, guys.”

You glance at the exploding chat as Sean asks, “y/n? Where’s Corpse? Are you okay?”

I’m probably pregnant. “Uh, I’m kind of sick, so Corpse went out to get me some, uh, stuff. Sorry, but we gotta go. Uh, it was fun streaming.”

“Okay,” says Sykkuno. “I hope you feel better, y/n.”

“Thanks,” you mumble. “Bye, guys.” You leave the chat and close the game before looking at Corpse’s stream chat. “Sorry about this, guys. I had fun streaming, though, I’m sure Corse did too. Have a good day.” You smile even though they can’t see you before ending the stream. You go over to your monitor and leave the game and chat in your own game. You lean back in your chair and press your hands in your eyelids.

You want to cry. You want to scream. You can’t be pregnant. You’re still a kid, you haven’t completed college yet. You and Corpse aren’t even married.

You suck in a shaky breath and wipe your damp eyes. “I’m probably not pregnant,” you whisper and stand up to go into the living room. “I probably just ate something bad. Yeah, that’s it.”

You sit in the living room on the couch with a blanket around your shoulders, trying to focus on your schoolwork. But you can’t. Your mind is too overwhelmed with the possibilities. You hope Corpse is okay. You know how much he hates going outside and being around other people.

You turn back to look at the lecture your professor posted and sigh. You just need to relax and calm down. Just wait until Corpse gets back and focus on schoolwork until then. 

It takes a while, but he does come back. Some small voice in your head thought that he wasn’t going to come back, but you quickly pushed it away. Corpse loves you and he’d never leave you. 

The front door opens and you look up from the paper you’re in the middle of typing. You meet him in the hallway where he’s taking his mask off, a plastic bag in his hand. He meets your eyes and cups your face in one hand. 

“Are you okay?” he asks softly. 

Your chin wobbles and you shake your head. Tears form in the edges of your eyes and you suck in a deep breath. “Did you get some tests?”

 He nods hand hands the bag to you. But before you can take them, he grabs your wrist. “Hey. I’m not leaving, y/n.”

You nod before taking the bag from him and quickly walking to the bathroom. You’re scared to say anything because you know that if you do, you’ll start to cry.

 Ten minutes later, you’re sitting on the bathroom floor with Corpse, leaning into his side as he rubs your shoulder. There are three tests on the counter and your boyfriend has a timer running on his phone for five minutes. So far, three minutes have passed. To you, they’ve felt like a lifetime.

 “Are you okay?” Corpse asks quietly, finally breaking the silence.

 You shrug, not entirely sure how you feel. “I don’t know. I’m scared.” You glance down at your stomach and place a hand on your naval. “If I am pregnant, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m young.” You look at him. “We’re young. I’m still in college. I can’t afford to have a kid!”

“I know.” He draws you closer to your shoulder. “But whatever you decide to do, I’m going to support you. And I’m not going to leave you, either. In case you were worried about that.”

Even though you shouldn’t have been, you were.

Luckily, Corpse changes the subject, going on to say, “I’ve been working on another song.”

 “Really?” 

He nods. “Yeah. It’s kind of a lofi type song. I can show you the lyrics, later, if you want.”

 You smile a little and look up at him, staring into his shining, dark eyes. “I’d like that.”

He smiles back and leans down to give you a small kiss. When you pull away, his phone rings, signaling that the timer is done. He turns his phone off and you stand up, walking towards the counter where the tests are. You pick one up. 

One line.

 You let out a breath of relief and turn to Corpse where he’s leaning on the sink. “Negative.”

He smiles a little. “What about the other two?”

 You look back down at the other two tests. You pick one up and your heart drops. Two lines. You swallow and gently place it down as your hands begin to shake. Maybe that one is a false positive. There’s still another one. Whatever this one says will probably determine if you’re pregnant or not.

 And so you pick it up. And you smack a hand over your mouth when you see two lines. You’re pregnant. You’re pregnant. The test falls from your hands and you fall to your knees, tears streaming down your face.

 “Baby, what did it say?” Corpse asks, coming to your side and trying to coax your face into his hand. “Babe?”

“I don’t want a baby!” you exclaim through your tears. “I can’t handle that. I’m too young, I’m not ready. We’re not ready.” You lean into his arms as he pulls you towards him. “Corpse, I don’t want it.”

He nods and you feel him run his fingers through your hair. “It’s your decision, babe. It’s your choice. And I’m gonna support you either way if you want to keep it or not. If you do decide to keep it, then we’ll figure something out. If not, I’ll drive you there and get you In-N-Out or something.”

That gets you to laugh as you tighten your arms around him. “You’ll really buy me food?”

“Yes. I’d do anything for you.”

Your stomach churns that night as you’re scheduling an appointment to get rid of the clump of cells in your body. You’re nervous and Corpse was sweet enough to order you whatever you want for dinner. 

You get off the phone as Corpse grabs the food from the delivery person and walks into the kitchen. He looks at you as he places the bags down on the counter. “So?”

You swallow and lean on the counter. “My appointment is in a couple of days.”

He nods and approaches you, placing his hands on your hips and drawing you to his chest. “It’s going to be okay, love.”

You lean your head on his chest. “Am I a bad person?”

“Of course not. It’s your body. You can do whatever you want with it. And besides, it’s not like it’s living anyway.”

You giggle as you try not to cry again. “What’s the baby gonna do? Remember it?”

Corpse laughs his deep and rumbly laugh and you grin. “True. But I seriously will buy you In-N-Out if you want. Or McDonald’s.”

You laugh again and tighten your arms around him. “Okay. And, Corpse?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for being so supportive of wanting to get rid of it.”

He kisses your head. “Don’t thank me.”

When you and Corpse are laying in bed after watching a true-crime documentary, he’s gently dragging his nails up and down your back as you’re nestled into his chest. The tinfoil is still on the windows and it makes the room even darker. Which is actually the entire point.

 Something had been rattling around in your head for the past few hours and you hadn’t gotten the courage to ask Corpse. But here, in the darkness of the bedroom the two of you share, you often ask each other stupid questions late at night when neither of you can fall asleep.

 And it feels like it’s going to be another one of those nights because you’re wide-awake and you know Corpse is as well. And so you ask, “Do you ever want to have kids together?”

His hand abruptly stops dragging his nails on your back. “What?”

 You regret asking him, but there’s no going back now. “When we’re older, would you ever want to have a family together?”

His hand begins to slowly go up and down your back once more. “Maybe. If you want to. If you want to have kids one day when we’re older, then I’ll definitely have kids with you.”

This makes you smile and you tighten your arms around his middle. “I love you, Corpse.”

“I love you, too.” He kisses your head. “Before we have kids, we should get married first.”

You grumble and say, “We’ll see who proposes first, then.”

He laughs and wraps his arms around your waist. “It’ll probably be you, baby. I’m too anxious.”

“Excuses, excuses,” you huff but the two of you laugh. “I’m too broke to afford a ring, though. You might have to settle with a Ring Pop.”

“If you propose to me with an onion ring and I would say yes.”

You giggle as something else comes to mind. “What about those cheap, plastic spider rings? Or the ones that come on cupcakes.”

Corpse laughs again and begins to scratch your back again. “If you do that, we would get married on the spot,” he says in that deep and gravely voice of his.

 You grin. “I’m keeping that in mind.”

Corpse hums into your shoulder. “You’re not going to fall asleep anytime soon, are you?”

 You shake your head. “No. Are you?”

“Nope.”

“What do you want to do?” you ask him, pulling away from him to look at his face through the darkness.

 Even though you can’t see him too much, you know he’s smirking. “Well, there’s already a fetus in you. Want to see if we can get another one?” 

You laugh and push his chest. “You’re disgusting, Corpse!”

He laughs and grabs your hands and lifts your arms up so he can roll on top of you. “Maybe. But it got you to laugh.”

You blush and turn your head to the side as he sits on top of you, holding your hands above your head. He starts to kiss down your neck and you sigh. “Corpse.”

He hums against your skin.

 You bite your lip. “I’m not really in the mood, babe.”

Immediately, he stops what he was doing and lifts his head. “Okay. That’s fine, babe. It’s been a long day. Can we still cuddle, though?”

You nod and smile. “Of course. You can be the little spoon.”

“Yay!” he exclaims and climbs on top of you and rolls on his side. You get yourself situated behind him and throw one arm over his stomach and use the other one to play with his incredibly curly hair. Your legs get tangled together like they always do and you bury your fingers in his hair while he lets out a deep breath through his nose. 

“Happy?” you ask him quietly and he nods. You squeeze his stomach with the arm you have there and kiss his head. “Okay. Try to sleep again, babe, okay?”

He nods, but both of you know you’re not going to fall asleep for a while. And that’s okay. You both sit there in the darkness talking about everything and nothing while you play with his hair and he holds the hand around his stomach with one of his hands. You don’t say anything else about you being pregnant or kids or how you want to get rid of it, and you’re glad. You don’t want to talk about it because you feel like a bad person for not wanting the baby. 

Of course, you’re not going to change your mind. Neither you nor Corpse are ready for a child. But that small voice in your head tells you that you’re making the wrong choice or a bad decision.

 But you don’t listen to it. You don’t listen to it that night while Corpse falls asleep again in your arms or when you’re in class the next day. Not even when you’re listening to a demo of Corpse’s new song in the car on the way to the clinic.

 “It’s really good!” you exclaim as he parks in the parking lot. “I love it, babe.”

He smiles at you before glancing at the clinic. “Want me to go with you?”

You shake your head. “No, I’ll be fine. It'll take little while, though. So you can go do something else if you want to.”

He nods and leans in to give you a kiss. “Okay. I love you. Text me if anything goes wrong at all, okay?”

You laugh gently and nod. “Okay, I will.”

“Love you,” he tells you again as you’re putting your mask on.

 You pull it down and smile at him softly. “You already said that, babe.”

He blushes and looks away. “O--oh. Sorry.”

You just kiss his cheek. “It’s okay. I’ll be back.” You pull your mask back up and gather your things before getting out of the car. You wave to him and then make your way into the clinic.

 And Corpse did stay true to his words about getting you In-N-Out after your appointment. He even paid for it and got you a milkshake, too. 

That night, after finally dragging Corpse away from his computer so he’ll at least try to fall asleep with you, you begin to think. You feel better after your appointment. Before, you were incredibly stressed out and even a little depressed. But afterward, you felt so much better. You felt like you could breathe and no have to worry about throwing up or eating the wrong thing.

 And you didn’t regret getting an abortion. You and Corpse both knew neither of you are ready for one and that’s okay. You’re both still young and still new to being together. But as Corpse hums some song against your neck with his nose buried in the skin there, you feel the vibrations from his throat against your shoulder. You sigh happily and push a hand into his hair and gently scratch at his scalp. You feel him smile against your neck and you can’t help but mimic it.

 Yeah. You and Corpse aren’t ready for kids. But maybe you will be one day.

---------------------

I’m sorry, but the tag list is closed. It’s just too stressful for me to keep adding them. I’m sorry, guys. Also sorry to everyone who messaged me to add them because I didn’t write them down and can’t access my messages now. Still love you guys! x. 

@honeysuger @chubby-dumpling @polahorvat @annshit @simonsbluee @dad-ee-drea @save-the-sky @wibblytimey @thegirlwholikestomanythings @yagorlnessa @alilshit @majolittlemixgurl18 @the-bunny-anon @hufflepuff-always-and-forever @loraleiix @artist-bby @ellomellows @pillowjj @matthew-gray-g @myherotrashbin @sunnsetteeee @lxdybyrd @cultofandom @anngelllla @tododokizuku @pachowpachowbucket @gaysludge @bethpiercwhy @marvelkatwoman @c0rpsew1fe @your-cherry-bomb @bi-andready-tocry @redosmo @gracehaileym @helena-way07 @nekomacam @fadingprunebagelfestival @fifiyau105 @easygoingtheatre @satanwithagenda @gracehaileym @oumachii @mythicalreader @this-isnt-living-anymore @punkrainbows @kitsunedarian @crapimahuman @honestlyimstilllivinginthe90s @realnicoleworld @scarswideworld @bluewneptune @weeblyheaux @beebo-at-the-church @melmachh @abbiesthings @peterparkerspjsuit @mitchiesdungeon @theeerealpunkin @kaitlynw011 @bookoffracturedghosts @beebeomgyu @tooturntashbash @hughugh20 @spideys-gurl @reddeserths @heartbroken-writer @chimchimsugakookies @danny-devitowo @susceptible-but-siriusexual @moonnei @crystalbaby12 @cherry-pieee @girl-obsessed-with-things @sokkas-paintings @yobroitsjayden @boba-king-iroh @chouxfleur @bbecc-a @tayloryorkscurls @getdevils @nightly-daydreamer @beegobuzzbuzz @dxffxdils @mae-musicbitch @fangirlmisanthrope @bipolarbisexualdisaster @taliyahvermillion @unded-bride @kguerrero-23 @cold-deep-water @demoiselle-en-detresse00 @motheroffae @jokenotfunny @yongboxerrr @theolwebshooter @hawkssnugget @yoyoanaria @babyhoneystvles @rjwinterfell @simp-for-corpse @benjaminka @sailor-earth-1 @mmimozaa @zirvel @bombardia @parkchaeyoung1997 @tetsuluvbot @killuaz0ldick @xibrokensunriseix@fuckbuckyyy @luv-buggie @moneybagmara @betabeta0031 @adorkably @angelic-blxssom @littlebabysandboxburritos @thebriarpatch @i-have-arrived-bitch @alexandrium

[obeiii-mee]

Hi there! Im back, tysm for doing my HC ;;/ it was super cute, i really liked Mammons and Satans!! If you dont mind if i ask for another? Hdjsks Recently, i slipped while walking home with some pals and scrapped my knee. It wasnt too bad, but it sure looked bad lmao If you can could you do HCs for the boys reacting to MC slipping and scrapping there knee while walking w them? Im sure Mammon would have a heart attack hfjd Tysm!! Keep up the good work♡

Thank you so much! I hope your knee gets better and that it wasn’t too painful! The brothers would all be panicking in their own way but I agree, Mammon would faint or something lmao.

Hope this was OK.

————————————

The Brothers with an MC who fell and scraped their knee:

Lucifer:

-It was a miracle you managed to convince him to come out on a walk with you at all

-The man doesn’t know when to take a break from his work

-He’s more likely to accept if it’s you asking tho, he has an obvious soft spot for you

-The others call him a suck up behind his back because of it

-You were so happy that you managed to pry Lucifer away from his desk, you were basically skipping alongside him

-Long story short, you tripped over your own two feet and fell

-Luckily, your knees and palms were the only things that got a bit scruffy

-Well, actually your right knee looked as if someone tried removing your entire knee cap with a scalpel, skin and all but adrenaline was kicking in and you couldn’t feel much

-You’ve never seen Lucifer freeze the way he did then

-His mind just drew a blank

-You were about to shrug it off and call it a day, get up and continue your walk but daddy Lucifer can’t have that

-He has six younger brothers (and a younger sister at some point) he is pretty experienced when it comes to treating injuries

-You aren’t walking for the rest of the day, let me make this clear

-He will carry you back to the House of Lamentation no matter how much you protest

-In case it wasn’t obvious already, Lucifer gives off massive dad vibes and now he’s bandaging your leg while you’re laying down on his bed

-While the rest of the brothers watch the two of you from behind the door frame because they are all equally worried

-Get ready for the three hour lecture coming your way

-He’s pissed and amused at the same time tbh

-Silly human, falling over like that and hurting themselves

-Lord Diavolo forbid you try to get out of that bed, he will drag you back and make sure you stay there until your knee is better (kinky)

Mammon:

-He was on his merry way to the casino to blow off all of Lucifer’s money and you tagged along solely for the purpose of making sure he didn’t spend all of Lucifer’s money

-You’d both be done for if he did

-But I guess fate really had it out for you on that day since your foot slipped on....something and you tripped

-Both of your knees looked bloody and damaged as hell but you were more irritated than anything

-Mammon on the other hand did a fucking double take and almost passed out

-He screeched his lungs out

-One look at your injured knees and he was ready to drag you all the way to the human realm on foot to find you a doctor

-“MC ARE YOU OK WHY THE FUCK IS THERE SO MUCH BLOO-HOLY SHIT STAY STILL DON’T MOVE! THE GREAT MAMMON WILL FIX THIS...SOMEHOW.”

-It was very dramatic, he cried

-You stood up to prove that you were alright because you thought he was going to have a seizure soon enough

-OK, that helped him calm down a little

-At least now he knew your legs weren’t about to get torn off and you weren’t on the verge of death

-Fuck the casino, you were going home

-Like Lucifer, don’t expect you will walk home by yourself

-He will carry you, a bit embarrassed by his initial freak out but still eyeing your wound, concerned

-As soon as you get home and the other brothers help you out because he’s shit at bandaging, he just sits in his own pool of misery and guilt

-Your poor knees wouldn’t be so jacked up if you hadn’t come along with him today

-He was so determined to make it up to you, he stayed by your bedside like a loyal puppy with a wagging tail (flashback to the animal event)

-Overall, he almost went into cardiac arrest and was too panicked to realise you were fine

-You thought he was smothering and overprotective before? Good luck for the rest of the week

Levi:

-“See, this is why I don’t like going out. There’s always some normie laying on the groun- OH MY LORD DIAVOLO, MC IS THAT YOU?? ARE YOU OK?”

-HIS HENRY ALMOST DIED ON THE NEWLY POLISHED FLOOR OF AN ANIME CONVENTION, HE HAS VERY MIXED EMOTIONS

-You fell knees first and hurt them quiet badly but you could stand, even if the pain made you twitch a little

-This confused Levi because you looked fine even though your knees certainly didn’t

-You told him you felt alright and it wasn’t that big of a deal and he absolutely rolled with it

-But you guys still went home after that

-He said it was because you bled all over your cosplay but that’s just him being a tsundere

-Levi is usually very shy when it comes to physical contact but he firmly insisted that he help you walk home

-I mean, he knows you said you were feeling OK and maybe humans just have a lot of tolerance for injuries like that

-But he still felt it was necessary that he took you home and checked out your injuries

-He kept the mood light while disinfecting you’re wound with some help from Satan by talking about how the convention went

-High low-key relieved seeing you walk around like normal two minutes after that

-He started bitching to you about how you made him miss his the event but he didn’t mean any of it

-“Stupid normie, making me miss my favourite Ruri-chan event. You’re lucky I love you and think you’re cute....did I just say that out loud??”

Satan:

-Oh dear, why would you go out for a walk in the middle of a rainstorm? What were you thinking?

-Actually, it was Satan’s idea

-He may be a demon and the prince of Wrath no less, but he is such a sappy, cheesy bastard at times

-He definitely thinks that walking and kissing in the rain is very romantic (bet he read something like that in an erotica)

-You know what’s not romantic blondie? Slipping on a very small puddle and potentially fracturing your leg

-It was just a scraped knee but you were frustrated enough to be extra

-He’s helping you up before you even have the chance to realise you fell in the first place

-Your knee was looking pretty bad so you guys went home just to avoid any further casualties

-He’s actually chuckling all the way back while you playfully glare at him because how dare he laugh at your misery?

-Date night was ruined but at least he got to take care of you

-He knew your knee must have hurt and he felt bad but he couldn’t help but giggle a bit to himself because your fall was so comical

-Ah but he does enjoy fussing over you for the rest of the night a bit too much

Asmo:

-You thought Mammon was melodramatic?

-Take a look at this fucking guy

-He actually screeches even louder than his brother and probably falls to his knees too (but not really because those pants were expensive)

-His screams definitely got the attention of at least 10 random passerbyers

-He’s actually on the verge of crying

-I mean, can you blame him?? Look at your beautiful knees!! They were ruined

-He felt so bad for you, he actually babied the hell out of you that day

-“Asmo, it’s fine. It’s just a scrap.”

-“A SCRAP, MC IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR KNEE IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF YOUR POOR SKIN-“

-It was just a scrap but Asmo’s secret talent is being extra as fuck

-He totally spilled all the tea to the rest of the brothers when he got home

-And then he ushered you into his room

-Funnily enough, he’s pretty good with injuries. Not as much as Satan and Lucifer but still

-He pampered you for the next few hours but that image of your skin being all grazed like that will forever haunt him

-How can you not be so bothered by it?? He’d die if he was in your place

-I love Asmo just because of how dramatic he is

Beel:

-Your shoelaces were undone and of course that meant a fun little trip to the floor of Hell’s Kitchen

-Beel didn’t notice you fell at first, he was concentrating on his food and assumed you were next to him

-But then he realised that you weren’t and for a moment he thought you disappeared or something

-Before he turned to find you laying on the floor, curled up because life was pain and you were suffering

-“Are you OK? Or are you just tired? Belphie does that a lot when he’s tired.” Or depressed one might say

-But for real, he’s good at identifying serious wounds and less serious wounds since he’s an athlete

-He can tell your knees were bleeding way more than they should have from just a simple scrap

-He slinged you over his shoulder and carried you, calmly, back home, with a burger still in his hand

-He’s actually really collective and talked to you while cleaning up your injury to take your mind off the pain

-He knows humans are a little more fragile than demons so even though he knows it’s not a big deal, he can’t help but worry

-It’s kinda hard falling around him tho because chances are, he will actually catch you even if he happens to hold something

-He’s sad if you’re sad so please don’t cry he will bandage your scraped knee do you want the last bit of his burger to make you feel better?

-Comfort hugs afterwards!

-Which is awesome because Beel gives out best hugs :)

Belphie:

-Ah yes, another beautiful day at RAD

-Walking alongside with your grumpy and sleepy boyfriend when a random demon bumps into you

-Wel not bumps, more like shoves you so hard you fall down and tear the fabric of your pants

-While the dude shrugs it off and speeds away

-You were a bit pissed off because rude

-But Belphie was fucking fuming

-He felt so offended on your part

-I mean, the nerve of him

-He was tired as shit but he wanted to chase after him and throw hands, possibly fill his pillow with rocks and hit him over the head with it

-He forced himself to focus on you first before hunting the moron down

-He was a bit concerned when he didn’t see you come back up after you fell

-Turns out, you scraped your knee pretty horribly and now you were bleeding all over the floor

-He’s even more quiet than usual as he helps you up and half carries you to your next class

-He starts taking care of your knee in the middle of DevilDom history he doesn’t give a flying fuck

-He’s still furious by the time he gets home and most of his brothers know to leave him be when he makes that scary ass face

-No talk to him

-He angy

-“Does your knee still hurt?”

-“A bit but it’s not-“

-“Come nap with me.”

-“Why?”

-“Naps shall cure your pain.”

-“...”

-“Nah but for real come take a nap with me.”

-Next day at school, the dude from yesterday walks by him and Belphie smashes his head against the wall

-Before walking away as if nothing happened

-I stan protective Belphie

These HCs are really bad but I love them anyway

Al~

[fific7]

Go Back - Part 1

Josh Sawyer x Reader

A/N: Inspired by the song Go Back by Tony Allen ft. Damon Albarn. Josh’s wife has thrown him out and he’s been avoiding his obsessive ex-girlfriend after a one-night-stand. And then he met you. Life is complicated enough, isn’t it?

Additional A/N: I found Locked In a bit confusing but Ben looked totally hot in it! Sort of like a naughty King Caspian 🔥😉 This is very loosely based on the film plot but I’ve dropped the whole ‘daughter in coma’ part of the storyline so basically have rewritten the film 😄

Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content, including oral and unprotected, between consenting adults*. Drinking and swearing.

*Irl, please don’t go wild in the country without protection.

(My photo edit)

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

When you see the stained reflections of city lights

But you're far away at sea, with all the satellites

And the runaways

What am I gonna do with you if you go back?

You're a runaway

What am I gonna do with you if you go back?

You're a runaway

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

He quickly picked up the glass as soon as the bartender put it down and emptied it of the shot of whisky. The bartender eyed him, taking in the dark good looks, the slumped shoulders as he leant on the bar, his morose expression. “Bad day, bud?” he grunted.

Josh nodded, “And some.” He sighed and tapped the glass, it being swiftly refilled. “Wife’s divorcing me ‘cause she found out I’d hooked up months ago with an ex - just the one time! - and kicked me out. She’s making it difficult for me to see my kid. And the ex has gone into full-on stalker mode.” He downed the second whisky and asked for a beer. The barman popped the top for him and placed the bottle and a tall glass in front of him, “Rough on ya. Hope it works out, man.” He moved away to serve another customer.

Another beer later, Josh left the bar and headed the short distance down to the Charles River, sitting down on a bench next to the water and gazing out across it. It was Friday night and there were quite a few people strolling along the river. How the fuck had he got here? No home, no marriage, no steady job… his phone vibrated in his pocket and made him jump.

He pulled it out. Jesus H Christ! Would this never stop? He killed the call and went into his contacts. Found Renee’s details and deleted them. He should’ve done this months ago. When she next called back - and she would - he’d block her. If he had deleted them in a more timely manner, maybe Emma would never even have found out, he thought bleakly. But then admitted to himself that their marriage hadn’t exactly been a bed of roses the past couple of years, so maybe it was always just fated to end one way or another.

He stood up, sliding his phone back into his jeans pocket and taking one last look at the river flowing past him. Turning to leave, he heard an exclamation and a low cry of pain. A woman was half bent over just a short way along the riverside walkway, making small bunny-hops while clutching her ankle. He approached closer and asked if she needed some help. She smiled up at him, and with that simple gesture his world suddenly got a little bit brighter.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You’d been walking briskly along the riverside walkway heading to your apartment when you turned your ankle on an uneven area of paving. A low crack accompanied this and for a few awful seconds, you thought you’d actually broken it but then realised the victim was one of your high-heeled shoes.

“Ow! Dammit! Shit!!” you cursed, hopping about like a mad March hare. A shadow fell across the walkway in front of you, and you heard a deep voice asking if you needed help. Looking up, you saw that your knight in shining armour was one of the hottest guys you’d laid eyes on for a long time. You didn’t realise that you were smiling up at him until he suddenly returned your smile.

Without so much as a second thought about stranger danger, you blurted out, “Can you believe I’ve broken the heel of my shoe! And twisted my ankle. Listen, I live just along there..” you pointed, “…would you mind helping me hobble along to my apartment? I’d really appreciate it.” The stranger smiled even more broadly at you, “No problem at all, be happy to.” He offered you his arm and you grabbed it, standing upright and then slipping off your one remaining intact shoe so you could carry both.

The two of you started a slow walk along the riverfront, your ankle still being painful enough to stop you putting any weight on it. So as you’d anticipated, you were indeed hobbling and wobbling along. “Have you got any ice at home?” he asked you. “Yes, but I also have frozen peas,” you laughed, “that’s probably the least messy thing to use as a cold compress, isn’t it?” He smiled back at you again, nodding, and you thought about how much the two of you seemed to be smiling at each other.

“Which is your condo?” he asked, before continuing. ”I’ve just moved in to one myself here very recently.” You pointed out The West End Apartments, “That’s mine.” “Nice,” he nodded, “mine is a bit further back from the water. The Towers at Longfellow.” “Oh yeah, I know them. Looked at an apartment there before I bought mine.” “I’m just renting for now. I… ah…didn’t expect to be looking for an apartment, to tell you the truth.” You glanced across at him and saw that he now had a stony expression on his face. You decided to change the subject, “Could I be a complete pain and ask you to deliver me to my door? There’s an elevator but I’m still struggling a little here.”

The smile was back on his face, “Yes, of course.”

A few moments later, and holding your Good Samaritan’s arm in a firm grip, you were ascending the few steps up to the main entrance of your condo. As you wobbled through the lobby with him on your way to the elevator, you decided it might be a good idea to introduce yourself. You’d also decided that you were going to invite him in for a drink or a coffee in appreciation of him helping you in your hour of need. And if you were honest, you wanted to try and get to know him a little.

He didn’t seem to be a homicidal maniac, after all.

In fact you got a slightly melancholic vibe off him.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Josh pressed the Call button and stole a quick glance at her, thinking how beautiful she was. And how lucky he’d been to bump into her tonight, she’d certainly lifted his mood. He’d jumped at the chance to spend even a couple more minutes with her by escorting her to her door. She’d made him feel relaxed and at ease, which was surprising to him as he’d literally only just met her. He’d been so on edge recently that any relief from the anxiety was truly welcome.

The elevator arrived and he guided her inside; she leant against the side to take the weight off her ankle. With a little smile, she introduced herself and he told her his name. By that time, the elevator had zipped up to the top floor and they emerged into a large lobby area. He noticed there was only one door. She pointed at it, “That’s me,” and they headed towards it.

She fumbled her keys out of her bag and opened the door, turning to him and asking, “Would you like to come in for a coffee or a drink to say thanks for helping me out?” He hesitated, and she jumped in, “It’s okay, I understand if you’d rather not.” He looked at her, the small smile on her face, the little shrug she gave. Did he really need to complicate his life even more? But as soon as she’d finished speaking, he heard himself saying, “Yeah, I’d like that.” She limped through the doorway, “C’mon in then,” she said, over her shoulder.

He followed her into the apartment, seeing a huge open-plan area with floor-to-ceiling windows forming each end of the space. “Wow, this is nice,” he commented, “much nicer than mine!” She laughed, “Oh, I’m sure yours is just as nice.” He shook his head, wandering around and taking in the whole space, spotting a half-open door leading to a bedroom. Get your mind out of there right now, he said to himself. “No, believe me - mine is much smaller and without the huge amount of light you must get in here.” She walked over to the kitchen area, turning back to look at him, “What’s your poison?” “Uhh… do you have any beer?” he replied, shrugging off his jacket and draping it over an armchair.

She pulled out two bottles of local beer, “Is this okay for you?” “Perfect,” he nodded, so she popped the tops and handed one to him, before also grabbing a bag of frozen peas. She headed to the sofa, sitting down and holding the bag against her ankle; he’d followed her and sat down at the other end of it. “So, Josh… tell me something about yourself,” she asked in a non-interrogative way. He smiled, feeling a bit apprehensive as he always did now when asked about himself, “Ha, well, okay but I’m warning you, I’m not very interesting! I directed commercials for an ad agency for the past few years, but decided to jack it in recently. It all got to be too much, d’you know what I mean? So I’m doing some freelancing at the moment.” She nodded, and he carried on, warily, “I… uh, I’m in the middle of a divorce and I’ve got one kid, a daughter called Brooke. Another reason - the main one, actually - that I left my job, I wanted to spend more time with her. That’s about it, really. I did warn you it wasn’t very interesting.”

He looked over at her and noticed the small frown on her face and laughed, “I’ve put you off now, haven’t I? Which was it, the no job, the divorce or my kid?”

She shook her head, smiling, “None of them. I was just feeling a little sad for you. My parents divorced when I was younger so I know how difficult it can be all round.” He relaxed a little, sitting back against the sofa, “Yeah, it’s not ideal. My wife’s making it difficult for me to see Brooke.” “That’s your daughter, right?” When he nodded, she continued, “And you just said ‘my wife’ so that sounds like you haven’t yet really accepted that the divorce is going through.”

He took a swig of his beer and relaxed even more, leaning one arm along the back of the sofa. “Oh I’ve definitely accepted it, I guess it’s just habit. My “ex” wife, I should have said. The divorce will be final very soon so I’d better get used to saying that.” Another sympathetic look from her, “I’m sorry you’re going through that.” He shrugged, “There was a trigger for it but if I’m honest, it’d been on the cards for a while. Things hadn’t been good for the past couple of years.” Reaching over and putting the bag of peas on the coffee table and curling her legs underneath her, she said, “Is it too intrusive to ask what the trigger was? Tell me to mind my own business if you like!” she grinned.

He found himself grinning back, “Nah, it’s okay… I’d gone out to pick up more sweets last Halloween and uh, I stopped in for a quick drink on the way. I happened to meet an ex of mine in the bar and regrettably, I… um, well, we…” Her hand went up, “It’s okay, I get your drift! I shouldn’t have asked, sorry. I’m too nosy for my own good.” “It’s fine. I’m not proud of it. And karma’s got me good in any case. Not only the divorce but the ex is stalking me.” “Oh… really? And I take it you don’t want her to stalk you?” He laughed out loud, “No, I definitely don’t! There was a reason we split, y’know? At the time, I didn’t want to do the whole ‘settle down and get married’ thing, and that was her only goal. So I broke up with her. That makes me sound very shallow but I just really couldn’t handle it, she was pulling me over to jeweller’s windows and buying bridal magazines. We’d only been going out for a couple of months!” He paused, “In fact, again if I’m honest, I’m not sure I was even ready for all that when Emma and I got married.”

She leant back, sipping her beer, “I see. Well, as I’m asking intrusive questions tonight I may as well ask, why did you propose?” He looked away for a moment before meeting her eyes once more, “She thought she was pregnant. Turns out she wasn’t but I’d asked her and all the arrangements were underway by the time I found out.” “Was it a genuine mistake?” She was looking intently at him. He blew out a big breath. No-one had ever asked him that before. Thinking for a moment longer, he replied, “You know, I’m really not sure. I know that previously she’d asked about my exes and I’d laughingly told her about ‘Bridezilla’. So if she was being manipulative, I guess she knew I maybe wouldn’t go down the marriage path too willingly and it may need to be something drastic to get me there.” He laughed, a little bitterly.

She’d leant forward and put a hand on his arm, “Look, I don’t know your …ex.. wife at all and I shouldn’t have asked that, I’m sorry. Way too personal and insinuating things that probably never happened. Hey… changing the subject quickly, let me tell you my very uninteresting life story.” He couldn’t deny he was happy to move away from the previous topic, the turn the conversation had taken had unnerved him a little. His mind was still ticking over about it as she started speaking again and told him that she was a commissioning editor for a publishing house. She waved a hand around, “You’re possibly wondering how I can afford this place on that level of salary. Well, I couldn’t! - my extremely rich Daddy bought this place for me. And a holiday cottage on Cape Cod. And my car. He continually tries to salve his conscience and earn my forgiveness for him leaving me and Mom.”

Josh nodded slightly, “Ah okay, yes I confess I did wonder. I wouldn’t want to try and guess how much this place cost.” He gazed over at her, “And did it work?” “Did what work?” “Has he earned your forgiveness?” She laughed, shaking her head, “Ha. No, he hasn’t, to be honest.” Sipping her beer, she carried on, “All those nights of 14-year-old me listening to Mom crying herself to sleep? Me crying myself to sleep? Watching him create a new family without, it seemed, a backward glance at us?” She put her bottle down with a little bit of a bang, “So, no. Whatever he does or buys me, it’ll never make up for that.”

Josh’s heart sank. Was that how his daughter would feel about him when she grew up?

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A sober look suddenly appeared on his face and you realised you must’ve said something to upset him. And then it dawned on you that he must be thinking about his own situation. “Oh no! I’ve put my foot in it again!” you said, guiltily, “Look, I have forgiven him mostly. Things like that happen and always have, haven’t they? - it’s just life. There is always a tiny kernel of hurt that lives inside me and that’ll never go. But I love my Dad and that’ll never change either. So your daughter - I guess you’re thinking of her - will feel the same, I’m sure.”

He sighed, “I hope so. It’s difficult to see her right now. Emma’s making it awkward for me, a punishment I guess. Not that I don’t deserve it - I cheated on her after all - but she shouldn’t use access to Brooke against me.” You agreed, continuing, “But that’s what generally happens, Josh. It’s the one really effective weapon that the ex-partner has in their possession. My mother used the same tactic,” you shrugged. “I’m doing my best to spend time with Brooke,” he mused, “but like I said, it’s difficult. And I’m sure it’s being made out to be my fault. I used to be a bit of a workaholic.”

The conversation continued on a different tack, more work-related and how it could be difficult to get a healthy life/work balance. He was totally relaxed on your sofa now, sprawled out with his long legs in front of him. You were in the middle of telling him about a yoga retreat you’d considered going on up in Cape Cod when you noticed his head had dropped onto his chest and his eyes were closed.

Oh. He’s fallen asleep, you thought, what do I do? Wake him? But something told you he hadn’t been sleeping that well lately, he’d more or less admitted it during your conversation. So you got up and went through to your guest room, taking a blanket and a pillow from the bed. Returning to the living area, you lifted his ankles and swung his legs onto the sofa, hearing him mutter something under his breath but he didn’t wake. Popping the pillow under his head and covering him with the blanket, you headed to your bedroom and went to bed.

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Josh jolted awake, hearing his phone ringing and sitting up groggily. Where….? He looked around and at the blanket covering him. Ah okay… shit, he must’ve fallen asleep on her sofa! How embarrassing. He got up and headed to his jacket as he’d transferred his phone to its pocket when he’d got here. It stopped ringing just as he reached for it, and he pulled it out of the pocket to see a Missed Call notification from Emma. Shit!!!!

It was just after 9 and he wondered why she was calling him so early. He hit redial, and she picked it up on the second ring. “Where are you, Josh?!” she snapped as a greeting, “You’re supposed to be taking Brooke to the mall to get some roller skates, remember? She’s been ready for the last half hour, waiting for you! Did you forget?!” “No!” he snapped back, “I took a sleeping pill and I’ve slept in. I’ll be there as soon as I possibly can, okay?” He felt slightly guilty at lying to her but she was always sniping at him, and while he had temporarily forgotten about the mall trip, he could also have sworn that it was supposed to be happening the next day, not today. Emma had done that to him before, telling him he’d got the day wrong when he knew he had not.

And he certainly couldn’t tell her what had really happened. She’d never believe that it was an innocent situation. And sadly that was definitely the case, he thought with a rueful smile. He still had his boots on, never mind all his clothes. He thought fleetingly about how nice it would’ve been to wake up next to his new acquaintance this morning. He tried to ignore the thrill that ran through him as his morning wood chafed against his jeans. Emma’s voice pulled him abruptly out of his fantasy world.

She huffed, “Aww, not sleeping well, Josh? That’s what having a guilty conscience does to you.” He sighed, “Look, Em, let’s not do this okay? I’ll be over to pick up Brooke in… maybe 30 minutes.” “Alright,” she replied, “just make sure you are.”

Josh put his phone in his jeans pocket and picked up his jacket, shrugging into it and wondering what the best way would be to take his leave. If she was still in bed, he didn’t think it’d be appropriate for him to disturb her in her bedroom, bit too intrusive for their short acquaintance. Then he heard the faint sound of a shower running,

Damn! He could’ve done with using the bathroom, but thankfully it would only take him five minutes to jog round to his own condo. Just have to hold on!

Yeah, he’d leave a note for her.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Stepping out of the shower, you wondered if Josh was still sleeping. No work today, and the thought of sharing breakfast with him was a pleasant one. You were trying to be casual when thinking of him but you liked this guy. Really liked him, even with all his baggage. I mean, who didn’t have some of that? you thought, mentally shrugging.

Tying your robe, you took a quick look into the living area. Empty.

Your heart sank with disappointment. Was he one of those, then? The ‘leave in the morning without a word’ types? Obviously you hadn’t slept together, but still… you thought you’d felt a connection between the two of you.

You headed for your coffee machine, noticing a small piece of paper lying on your kitchen island as you made your way over. Swiftly you scooped it up.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Good morning - sorry for falling asleep on your sofa, what an interesting conversational partner I am, huh! I usually do better, I promise. Haven’t been sleeping too well lately and I got so relaxed I guess I just dozed right off. And sorry I’ve had to leave in a rush, I’m taking my daughter to the mall and am running late - another black mark against me! I’ll get straight to the point, I’d like to see you again. Here’s my number, I’ll let you contact me if you’re interested in meeting up for a proper date. I’m hoping you are!

Josh

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You filled the water jug and slotted it into the coffee machine, conscious that you had a huge smile on your face the whole time.

Okay, okay, you counselled yourself, this guy could turn out to be problematic. Cheated on his wife, in the middle of a divorce, could get pulled into a custody battle. You knew only too well how messy all that could get.

But maybe that’s exactly why you felt a distinct pull towards him.

YOLO and all that kind of stuff. You were going to give this a go, you decided. Heading into it with your eyes wide open and you thought you knew what to expect. It would either work, or he’d be too involved with his marital situation and cut you loose.

Either way, you were in.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

And when the harbourmaster comes

To switch off the lights (switch off the lights)

And the waiting rooms are empty

Of everyone

Does anyone

What am I gonna do with you if you go back?

Does anyone

What am I gonna do with you if you go back?

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