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deliciousbasementtrash · 7 months

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Playing Nurse for the Batfam

Artist: Norm Breyfogle

Summary: you are a nurse working for Gotham General Hospital. Batman is working tirelessly to find out who you are. What will you do when he finds you? What will he do?

Pairing: Slowburn Jason Todd x reader, (maybe a why choose with Dick Grayson as well?? Idk tell me what you guys want)

Warning: Adult language, breaking in and entering

Word Count: 1.4k

Note: These characters are not my own they belong to DC. The only character that is 'mine' is the reader. I am going to be as nondescript as possible for the reader as well for physical attributes. This is a continuation series; I’m not sure how long it will be. Also for some reason, my replies to comments are not showing up. I’m not ignoring your comments Tumblr won’t let me respond :( But please, please comment I live for it

Part One Part Three

Part Two: Job Opportunity

“Master Bruce, do you think there is a possibility that this manhunt of yours may be born out of paranoia? Or perhaps an injury-induced delirium?” Alfred asked, as Bruce manically typed information into the Batcomputer.

“That’s the problem, Alfred. There are no injuries. None. She healed me. She saw my face.” Bruce’s low voice rumbled.

“Only you, Master Bruce, would consider a lack of injuries a problem,” Alfred sardonically stated. “Are you quite sure it was a woman?”

Bruce didn’t bother with a verbal response. He merely gave a curt nod. The sound of the elevator pinging and the door opening did not budge Bruce’s concentration from the computer.

“Bruce, I’m back from Commissioner Gordon’s. The fingerprint is a dud. There are no matches in the criminal database,” Dick said, jumping into a rolly chair and sliding very loudly over toward Bruce.

“That narrows it down, only about 25% of women in Gotham don’t have any form of criminal record,” Bruce muttered out loud. He didn’t particularly care if anyone heard. It moreso was for his train of thought. Bruce continued typing furiously, “I’ll check it against the other databases.”

Dick spun aggressively in his chair, “You got that fingerprint off your suit, right? What about the mask that was left?”

“The mask had been unused and freshly opened. There were some traces of fingerprints on that but my blood made them nearly impossible to ascertain,” Bruce said flatly. Bruce’s computer flashed with an oncoming message from Barbara.

[The street cam footage was shaky, but I got a general description. She is about __ tall, with __ hair, and __ skin. It also appears that she is wearing a medical uniform that is issued for Gotham General Hospital. You’re welcome, Babs.]

Dick leaned so close to the computer that his and Bruce’s cheeks touched, “Wow I didn’t realize you brought in the big gun Babs. You want this girl found.”

Bruce tried not to smile at the ridiculous boy, “She saw my identity, Dick.”

Dick inhaled sharply through his teeth, “What are you going to do when you find her?”

A few ideas popped into Bruce’s mind, not all of them were legal.

“He hasn’t got a clue, Master Dick,” Alfred said, spawning behind the two men, holding a silver tray with a bowl of Lucky Charms on it for Dick and a large black coffee for Bruce.

“Thank you, Alfred,” Dick said, taking the cereal, “I mean she saved your life, Bruce. She hasn’t told anyone your identity,” Dick said, feeling the odd need to defend this girl he has never met.

“She could just be selling the information to the highest bidder,” Bruce said, sharply taking a glug of coffee.

Dick held back from rolling his eyes. He looked at the monitor and stared at the girl. “She saved your life when she didn’t have to. I don’t think she would ruin it on a whim. Not every person is out to get you, Bruce.”

And with that Dick and Alfred left Bruce alone in the Batcave.

Bruce took another long sip of his coffee and continued his search. A small smile, barely a smirk lifted on his lips.

It was a good thing that healthcare workers needed to get fingerprinted.

He found her. Now all he needed was a solid plan.

************************************************************************

“Y/n please girl. Please, please, please, please, please,” Sam begged jokingly with her hands together.

“Nope! No! I am not taking another patient with bed bugs! I took the last one for you and I felt itchy for a week. Besides I have my hands full with an IICP and a stabbing,” I said, wagging my finger at my friend.

“Gah fine! Wish me luck. I’m manifesting that I have rancid energy that repels beg bugs but is very welcoming and kind to patients.”

I laughed at her, “When you figure out that ratio please let me know, babe.”

The rest of the shift went by quickly, and mostly uneventful. I healed the head injury enough that no surgery would be required. I healed that stabbing enough that he could go home stable the next day. I healed a gunshot wound. A sick two-year-old with a fever. And so on. By the time I was walking out the back of my eyes burned and my back throbbed. I needed to do some stretching. Maybe take a long bath with some Epsom salt and a dirty romance novel.

My walk home was uneventful. I was grateful to see my apartment. I wanted to shower, sleep, and cuddle Hashbrown.

I turned the key to my apartment and stepped my leg in to block an anticipatory escape plan from Hashbrown. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion when she did not greet me at the door. A sense of unease flooded my body and I rushed in.

“Hashbrown? Here kitty-kitty!” I yelled in my sing-song voice for her. The hairs on my neck stood up. Something about the energy in my home was different. It was charged. Slowly, I grabbed my pepper spray. With my other hand, I grabbed my phone.

Out of the darkness, there was a twing of metal and my phone and pepper spray were on the ground. Quickly, I turned to run out the door.

“I just want to talk,” a gruff voice said from the darkness. I fumbled my hand against the wall and flicked on the light.

I tried not to laugh.

Batman was in my living room, with my cat on his lap. Hashbrown, the traitor seemed completely enamored by him. Some guard cat she was.

I walked casually to my kitchen, to my fridge. “Do you want anything to eat or drink, Batman? I have some leftover Thai food, some diet cherry vanilla coke, water, coffee, tea?”

“None for me,” he said, his voice seemingly lower by the second.

After my dinner was assembled I joined him on the couch. I faced across from him. “What do you want to talk about? And why the fuck did you feel like it was okay to break into my apartment?”

“You’re bold. Is it a front to hide your fear of me?” He asked as Hashbrown nuzzled against his sharp chin.

I looked at him, almost annoyed, “Should I be afraid, Bruce?”

“I guess that depends on your answer,” Bruce said, intentionally not finishing his statement.

“If you want an answer you need to ask me a question,” my tone was sharp. My anger was surging. I just got off a thirteen-hour shift of a four-day stretch. I just wanted to eat, shower, and go to bed. But this oversized emo chicken was interrupting that.

“What would you do if the world knew about your healing powers?” He asked, and my heart stopped.

“What would you do if the world knew your identity, Bruce Wayne?” I practically hissed the last part. How dare he break into my apartment, pet my cat, and threaten me?

“It would be the end of the Batman,” Bruce said.

I looked him dead in the eyes. I held no fear. I just showed him my true exhaustion. “If you’re worried about me telling anyone, I won’t. Call it personal morals or call it fucking HIPPA I don’t care. I’m not going to tell because you were my patient and I cared for you. End of story. Now get out of my house.”

“Would you like to work for me and my family?”

The offer caught me so off guard I almost got whiplash from it. “Excuse me?”

“You would be a permanent first responder that lived in the Wayne Manor full time. Full benefits. A salary ten times what you are making now. You will need to sign an employment contract and an NDA. Your cat of course can also live at the manor. Your services will just need to be available 24/7.”

My mind whirled, “Give me a week to think about it. Write a draft proposal and give it to me as soon as possible. To be frank, I do feel like this is a form of manipulation. You want to hold power over me by being my employer and having me sign an NDA. You want to keep a close eye on me so that you know what I’m doing, who I’m talking to, and what I’m saying. You do not trust that I will simply not say anything out of my own morality.”

I saw a ghost of a smile on his face, “You’re smart. You will fit in well. I will have the draft in your mailbox by tomorrow. Goodnight, Miss Y/l/n.”

Before I could say anything, he was out the window and vanished into the night.

“What the fuck, Hashbrown?” I yelled, scooping her up. “What am I going to do?”

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rosemaeridream · 2 months

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bandspa - aespa band au

warnings: sexually suggestive, college/band au, reader changes depending on who they're with, so go figure i guess, teenie-tiny amount of music theory

A/N: hi, i have writer's block, yaaay!! anyway i really wanted to write something with band!aespa (bandspa) but everytime i chose one member i wanted to write another member and then i couldn't write anything, so... we are at a stalemate. instead! i just decided to give you some imagines so at least y'all have something, also i got a little carried away with ning, might write something full for her later

word count: 2.5k

jimin

bass player through and through

half the fan base is down BAD for jimin even if another member is their favourite.

band creator with aeri - they’re in a college music class together and they bond over a love for similar music so they decide to start one (they string along minjeong and ning after a few dud members and BOOM sell-out-gigs)

bops along to songs on the side most of the time but when she gets a solo she is FRONT !! and CENTRE !!

literally this girl- insane. whenever one of the other members is sick she’ll joke about filling in for them just because she’s talented enough to actually do it (except ning, cause that girl cannot play drums for the life of her, something about hand eye coordination in front of a drum kit fucks her up)

you’re one of her fans, always milling around the side of the stage to snatch up the set list when they finish 😭

one time she kisses the set list and you now have it tacked up on your wall, lipstick smooch for you to wake up to (you've tried kissing over it yourself, ya freak)

definitely teases you about that after she found out

anyway, jimin being jimin ends up chucking you her pick and some other personal items from her sets (see: water bottle, hair clip, ect.) but realises she’s thrown you one too many things and finds you after the set to ask for her lucky pick back

she sorta understands that you’re her biggest fan and ends up asking you back to the greenroom (literally just a glorified storage room) for a chat

you think she’s pulling a groupie x band member hanky panky thing on you, and ofc you’re down for the ride

turns out she seriously just wanted to talk??? (you gain +100000000 respect for her)

keeps talking to you after performances cause shes seriously interested in the things you talk about

eventually just has the gall to ask you out on a date - “can we take this further?” or “are you doing anything after this?” type shit

loves going to the arcade with you to play ddr and table hockey, then takes you by other gigs on the way home - she especially likes jazz bars and drags aeri along with y’all to watch (aeri doesn’t mind being a 3rd wheel to you two)

she entertains groupies, but you both know that jimin only has room in her heart to love you

often you join in with her antics, teasing her fans and pulling pranks on them

whenever you pick her up from band practice she lets you play her bass, teaching you how to play your favourite songs (and all her simpler ones too)

really she’s just choosing the bass note of a chord and maybe a third or a fifth to play so it's super easy for you and you won’t get frustrated and quit

not to be absolutely biased but you love it when she gets little parts to sing - mostly its minjeong and ning singing with her and aeri pulling through with backup vocals when needed, but in some songs she has a couple lines of her own

always sings like she’s being held at gunpoint, raw emotion, full power, you have to beg her to ask for a song where she’s the main vocalist - apparently its in the works so you’re happy

aeri

plays keys/rhythm guitar depending on the song

songwriter no. 1!! has a pen and notebook wherever she goes

literally the smiliest person ever whenever she’s on stage, honestly just there to have fun with friends and not take things seriously

saw you at a venue one time and practically fell in love

didn’t realise you were in the band after her and fell x2 in love when she sees you play

she has to take 2 shots and steal some of ning’s drink before she even has the courage to talk to you, which is the most absurd thing ever since she’s the most approachable and friendly out of the members

ends up accidentally setting up a jam session with you, freaks out and bolts before you can get her number

you just wanted to see the pretty girl who you couldn’t stop staring at while she played keys earlier

literally her hands on that keyboard !!?!!!!?? her fingers are so long and they can reach like an octave +3-4 keys and goddamn! you can’t help thinking about them in other ways

and when she switches to her guitar you’re like 90% sure you’re gonna marry this girl, your jaw drops at the ease of the way shes barreing chords and back to that long finger thing - she can hit notes like 5-6 frets apart with little movement like that’s crazy

you have to get her number off jimin 😭 who’s ecstatic that her bestie scored someone who doesn’t look completely shady (don’t ask about her dating history)

you text her deets about the jam session and she’s practically squealing to her roommate and minjeong about you

shows up with her keyboard and you play together for awhile

ends in you making out in your basement, shuffling to the couch (putting her fingers to action iykwim)

at concerts she only sees you and makes sure to get you front row tickets all the time

sometimes you play with the band! whenever you do, she makes sure to let everyone at the venue know that you’re hers and she’s yours and it’s all cute and sweet until you’re eye-fucking in the middle of a set and karina has to stand inbetween y’all to get you to focus

you often go on late night road trips (fast food runs) and sing obnoxiously loud along the way, literally, windows down, yelling the lyrics on highways

ends in quiet but loving picnics with your fast food under a tree in a park somewhere while you talk about your latest gigs that the other couldn’t attends

she often takes you home after and lets you sleep at hers, lets you rest your head on her shoulder while she quickly writes down song ideas in her notebook or plays around with her keyboard in her lap before you sleep, half the time you pass out with soft melodies in the background and her voice lulling you to sleep

sometimes you write lyrics together, most of the time they end up being about her

you end up introducing the rest of your band to hers and low and behold, y’all get on really well - turns into planning joint gigs together, hosting parties ect.

minjeong

mj plays lead guitar and sings most of the songs

loooves a solo, getting all the attention of the crowd, practically bathes in their screams

when she gets off stage, it’s all about you though, checking to see whether you liked the songs she chose that night or asking for advice on improv and vocals

but she practices so hard, fingers all bandaged up cause she won’t even stop when they’re bleeding

met you before the band started - you were in the same advanced maths class together

in fact, you’re sorta the reason why she’s in it

your college roommate, aeri was looking for a lead guitarist, and who else would you recommend other than your girlfriend who salivates over this one jackson kelly in the money lent store everytime you walk past

“It’s just so sexy!!” she practically loves that guitar more than you

(you buy it for her as a 3rd anniversary present, making sure to change the strings and polish up the body.)

(she cries.)

you’re often studying in the room when the band has practice, tapping away at problems with the beat of whatever song is playing

you have every lyric memorised, they come quicker to mind than anything you’ve studied for and you’re usually the first one to remember it all - even before minjeong

90% of the time you get distracted by your girlfriend who is insanely hot whenever there’s a guitar in her hands, it’s almost as if she’s another person

the way her fingers slide over the strings, the distortion through the amp sending tingles down your spine, her absolute concentration on the music, getting lost in it all

then when she puts it down she’s all over you, sitting in your lap, playing with your hair, asking you to feed her because she’s just so hungry and her fingers hurt, trying to help with your studying

(she always suggests giving you a kiss every time you remember something correctly, but you know that’ll just turn into a makeup session and ning will throw a drum stick at y’all)

she used to get worried about messing up playing while shes singing, so she sat you down and made you watch while she practised, giving her tips and praise so she doesn’t melt into a puddle and cry whenever she messes up

you have no idea what she’s worried about cause shes literally so good?? Her voice is so strong and clear when shes in the zone, eyes fluttering half-shut, her mouth practically kissing the mic with how close she is to it (you wish you were a microphone.)

most of your date nights situate staying at home and cuddling or watching movies or playing video games but sometimes she finishes band practice all sweaty with her short hair tied back and all you want to do is make her sweatier.

ABSOLUTELY LOVES going to karaoke with you, will literally sing the instrumentals of songs when there are no lyrics - especially the guitar solos

sometimes she takes it super seriously, looking up the song list of the place you regular, picking out the perfect list to cram in the best songs within the time limit

when she’s in this mood she’ll divide up the lines and force you to learn the lyrics of the songs

but 90% of the time she’s chill about it, just loves singing with you no matter what

you ask her to play guitar for you like every other day but she gets shy, bringing up the whole ‘let me play a song for you, babygirl’ ick, worried that you’ll find it cringy and reminding you of the scene from the barbie movie

you have to tell her it doesn’t work that way when you ask her to play for you, and she’s hot enough to get away with it anyway

ends up playing you one of her songs with pink tinted cheeks - for once she isn’t panty-dropping sexy while playing so you get to coo over her

yizhuo

ning’s the drummer of the band, sit with it for a moment

sings a lot of the slower/ballad songs cause she’s bad at multitasking while she’s playing (she just gets too deep into the rhythms and forgets when she’s supposed to sing)

you meet at a music store, you’re one of the employees and she’s sat down with minjeong playing wonderwall on a guitar (shitily mind you, she’s the drummer)

you literally have to stop what you’re doing in the storage room cause no one’s told this ass to stop playing wonderwall yet

when you find her sitting there strumming away as minjeong can’t hold in her snickers, you tell her to shut up or get out and she finishes gracefully with a final strum.

she thinks you’re cute so she asks for your number before she leaves and you do NOT give it to her

she literally comes back weekly just to play annoying songs and ask you out

one time she kept playing the among us imposter theme whenever you walked by and you literally had to yank the guitar out of her hands and push her out of the store

by now you practically seethe in anger whenever she comes in (ning smile sparkles in response)

you would have banned her long ago, but you never work shifts with your manager so they don’t even see this bullshittery happening

one week she doesn’t come, and you weirdly miss her presence, like who else is gonna make your shifts interesting?? surely not johnny in the back who smokes half his shift and is high asf the rest.

the next week she apologised for missing your shift, and shows you that her band has a gig coming up!!

she desperately wants you to come and see her playing an instrument she’s actually good at, so she drops a flier (or 20) on the counter as she leaves (after fucking up the solo in freebird, naturally)

for some reason you go?? it’s not like you have anything better to do that night, plus you’re always down to see and support local bands, you work in a music shop, duh

ngl you think it’s gonna be shit, you’ve never actually seen ning play drums, only shoddy guitar riffs, so you’re 110% confused when she’s not holding a guitar on stage and instead sits at the back with a drum kit surrounding her.

and ning pulls out ALL the stops for you, twirling her sticks when she has the chance, adding in a couple half-time breakdowns and extra fills where there shouldn’t be, quite literally winking at you after a solo.

let’s just say you’re entranced

this little shit who comes into your shop to annoy you with the most basic and overplayed guitar songs, is so hot when she’s behind a drum kit.

when ning finds you after the concert, she asks for your number again and you finally give it to her

when you start dating, she gifts you a set of earplugs so you’re definitely completely and utterly safe from ear damage around her (you consider wearing them even when she’s not playing her drums)

since she’s gotta take her whole kit with her to some of her gigs, she asks you to help her transport it - your car is basically her personal hauler, toting both your gf and her kit from place to place

you don’t mind since its just more time you get to spend with her

teaches you basic drum patterns by letting you sit in her lap, her hands on yours, giggling in your ear whenever you mess up.

none of her groupies ever catch her attention when she has you, she literally ignores everyone whenever you’re in the room, even the other members

they beg and plead for ning to count them in, it’s her job being the drummer and all, but she’s too busy trying to get you to give her a good luck kiss before the song starts

goes out on double dates with rina and her gf, dragging you along to the arcade to win you a stuffie from a claw machine

when you stay overnight and she’s bugging to practise she makes sure to use her electric drum set so that you can sleep better, plugging in her headphones and making as little noise as possible (you still have trouble sleeping since she always gets in a zone and forgets being quiet but its the thought that counts right?)

has this cute little habit of using parts of your body as a kit when you’re cuddling and listening to music

basically just a hyperactive gf who LOOOOOOOOOVES you

note: i think the idea of ning playing the drums is fucking hilarious, especially with that one video of them trying to set up a kit with anderson paak, open the music schools!!!

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 4 months

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here's a wild one for y'all. cw for parental death. names have been changed, it is a kinda specific situation but I think only 1 of my family members is on Tumblr so whatever. sorry it got so long, it's a complicated situation and still VERY fresh so my brain is kinda fried lol.

tldr my dad passed away without a will and we want to give his long-distance "side" gf the house he helped her buy. I'm worried she won't be able to afford the mortgage, but don't really want to give her any of the monetary payouts. WIBTA if my brothers and I kept all of the cash?

so late last week (it's Dec 19 as of submitting) my father (60s M) passed away in a sudden car accident on his way to work. I'm (late 20s ftM) his oldest child, I also have a younger brother (mid 20s M) who we'll call Phineas and an even younger half-brother (almost tween, M) who we'll call Aaron.

so I'd describe my dad as a kind and loving but stubborn and stupid man. I would also guess, based on what I know of his love life, that he was polyamorous but didn't realize it due to his conservative Christian upbringing and didn't know it was an option so instead ended up being...well, kinda an adulterer tbh. this isn't to excuse his actual actions bc they were obviously wrong, but is the way the situation reads to me, a polyamorous person.

Dad had a long distance girlfriend (50s??? maybe??? F) on the West Coast (we live near the East Coast), we'll call her Melody. I met her a few years back when he flew Phineas and I with him to visit her. she's a sweet woman from what I know of her. when I got the news of his passing, I was the one who called her to let her know what happened. (which sucked.)

well, what I Didn't know until I was trying to scrape together travel arrangements (I live 5 hours away from Phineas and my dad) was that he also had a Wife (60sF), who we'll call Patricia. (it wasn't a legal marriage, it was "in the eyes of the Lord" as they said, due to legal complications to do with her social security benefits or something. which is why the arrangements for his death fell onto Phineas and I as his adult children. but if he called her his wife then as far as I'm concerned that's what she is.) he didn't really tell me or Phineas about the full nature of their relationship. Phineas found out bc our dad was spending so much time with her that he'd practically moved in w her, put two and two together and asked her to confirm. I never even knew she existed till all this happened. he had told his parents and siblings about her, and they approved of her. we can only speculate why he kept it so quiet to us, she thinks bc of his history with Real Duds that we'd be upset somehow. idk.

so anyway Patricia knew about Melody. my dad was already seeing Melody when he started seeing Patricia. I don't know what he was thinking when he got with Patricia tbh, can't ask him now anyway, but she knew about Melody the whole time. wasn't thrilled about it, constantly told him he needed to tell her the truth and end things, but doesn't truly hold that against Melody herself bc she didn't know.

Melody, however, did not know about Patricia. he was planning to tell her at some point. kept meaning to. still loved her, didn't wanna hurt her, but was also trying to be monogamously committed to Patricia too. he never got around to actually ending things with Melody before he passed, and as far as she knew he was still planning to move out there and get married to her. he even took out a loan to help her pay for her late mother's house, both their names are on the mortgage and deed.

which brings me to my question. my dad didn't seem to have a will (not that we can find anyway), so Phineas and I are the ones in charge of distributing his various belongings and payouts and such. we both agree that we don't have any use for some house across the country, and Melody is already living in it anyway. imo she should just Have It. however, she is also Pretty Poor. I don't know the specifics of her situation (or, really, much about the complications of home ownership?) but I do worry about her ability to continue to pay the mortgage, assuming that's a thing. we're still waiting to hear about all the details and numbers and have somebody who actually knows about that stuff translate it into layman's terms for us non-homeowners (or in Phineas's case, Brand New Homeowner) so we can get a full picture of how all that is going to work legally speaking.

Dad also had life insurance thru his employer. we are still working thru the red tape at his company to figure out who the beneficiary is, the most likely candidate being me as the eldest child. Phineas and I are agreed that we'll at least be splitting most, if not all, the money evenly between us and Aaron. Patricia is INSISTENT that she doesn't want any of it, she wants us kids to keep it bc unlike some of his exes she never cared about his money (he made GOOD money, but still ended up kinda poor due to both being generous to, and having been taken advantage of by, multiple women since my bio mom died. including having to shell out an insane amount of child support for Aaron despite already having a very active role in his life. like he paid more child support than either I or my fiancee even make at our jobs, while also frequently just straight up directly providing for him where he could). because of his income it's looking like a pretty hefty payout.

however, my brother and I are both pretty poor as well. while we don't know the exact amount we're getting, some are speculating a number that, even split 3 ways, would be Life-Changing for us. we're talking 5 figure amounts, more than I or my fiancee make in a year. like we'll still need to work for a living but, for example, it could be a down-payment on a house or a massive safety net for when I'm out of work (I have a steady job but with seasonal unpaid breaks). it could help Phineas afford expensive repairs for the trailer he now owns, which my dad was supposed to help pay for. in the right account with a decent interest rate, it could be tuition for when Aaron goes to college.

I feel like I Should probably toss some of that money Melody's way, esp since I feel so bad that she's getting the one-two punch of finding out her bf died AND also he had a wife she wasn't aware of. but my brothers and I could really use that money as well. I don't know that Phineas wants to send her any, we're saving that conversation for when we know more of the exact numbers. I don't even know how much Dad was paying towards it, or if he even was anymore. plus--and this is kinda a minor detail--but there's kind of a general vibe I'm getting from the Family (ALL 4 of my dad's siblings AND both his parents are somehow still alive) that Melody is kinda...unliked. they love Patricia and were CONSTANTLY frustrated that he was still visiting Melody and frequently sending her money; I get the feeling they viewed her the same as some of his other gold-digging exes so i think maybe sending her Even More Money would look a little weird? like she's already getting full ownership of a house out of the deal. most of them are in agreement that Phineas and I are the ones who get the final say on the bulk of these decisions but they're...a little pushy anyway.

like I said, we don't know what any of the actual numbers look like AT ALL yet, so it might actually be fine. but WIBTA if we just left her the sole homeowner when she couldn't really afford it, and not send her any money? the consensus will probably show up too late to affect our decision but hey, figured the situation would make for a wild ride anyway (or maybe I just feel like that bc it has been for me LOL).

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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makethatelevenrings · 2 years

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Fuck up the Friendship // D. Grayson x AFAB!reader

Requested? Yes!

WARNINGS: SMUT 18+ only!! Dacryphilia, consensual photos, slight degradation, sex toys, multiple orgasms

Summary: It’s just two friends helping each other get some frustration out. Until it isn’t. (Not titans!verse. He’s just hot.)

“Ah, shit.” The curse slipped out of your mouth just as your phone slipped out of your hand and clattered to the floor. You shot the offending object a withering glare and shifted the grocery bags in your arms. Maybe if you kicked it towards your door…

The door to the stairwell opened behind you and you looked up to find your neighbor and friend, Dick Grayson, staring down at your phone as well. He raised his gaze to yours and smirked at the sight of you drowning under Trader Joe’s bags.

“Need some help?” He didn’t wait to hear your answer and swooped down to grab your phone. He then grabbed the bag that was doing a balancing act in the crook of your elbow and caught your keys with his other hand just as they tumbled out of your loose grip.

“Thanks.” You took a chance to admire the flex in his shoulders as he raised your keys and unlocked your door. Clad in only a tank top and some shorts, Dick’s very well-proportioned physique was on full display and you gladly soaked in the sight of all that tanned skin and toned muscles.

He pushed open your door and waved you in, following close behind as you headed towards the kitchen to drop the bags off on the counter. Dick dropped your stuff onto the counter next to your stuff and immediately grabbed a water out of the fridge.

“Are you going to help me with this or are you going to just sit on the counter and look pretty?” you teased. He batted his lashes at you and grinned, leaning back against the fridge. Dick took a long drink from his water, tipping his head back and exposing the length of his throat. Your eyes strayed to the smooth skin there before you tore your gaze away and focused on pulling out your groceries for the week.

Who could blame you? The past five folks you had gone on dates with turned out to be duds, including the guy you had met for coffee earlier today. Just once, you wanted someone who didn’t make you want to cry tears of boredom or question if this was a safe decision as you made a hasty escape out of the bar. You could only work the edge off so much before your fingers started to lose efficacy.

And Dick Grayson was hot so sue you.

But he was also unattainable. I mean, as far as you were aware, he was single but he was also the son of Gotham’s billionaire bachelor. Dick had a face for the big screens and a body that anyone would want under or over them. He was just your neighbor and friend. That’s all.

“Didn’t you have that date today? How’d it go?”

Your response was holding up a frozen pizza and a bottle of wine. He winced and joined you in unpacking the groceries.

“That’s…what, five in four weeks?”

“At this rate, I’m never getting laid.”

He let out a low cough and then shook his head as if to clear his mind. You hid your smirk by facing the pantry to add some pasta and pancake mixes to the boxes cluttered there. Giving him an out, you changed the line of questioning.

“Go for a run?”

“Yeah.” He ran a hand through his dark hair and the locks fell effortlessly around his face like some fucking model. “Figured I could get some pent up energy out, y’know?”

“Mhm. Want a few slices?” You set the oven to preheat and loaded the pizza onto a tray. Dick considered it for a moment and then nodded. It was normal for the two of you to share dinner. Dick moved into the apartment next door three months after you did and after a series of run ins and one instance of borrowing sugar for cookies, the two of you struck up an easy friendship.

And then he had landed in your apartment in a skintight body armor suit and a stab wound in his thigh. Not much changed with the whole Nightwing revelation except the fact that you two grew much closer.

“Any plans tonight?” he asked as he poured you a glass of wine. He didn’t pour one for himself, something about not drinking and grappling. You snagged the glass and took a long sip before shrugging.

“Well, it’s just me and my rabbit vibrator tonight,” you joked. “I’ll probably catch up on Real Housewives or something. Just patrol tonight or do you have a target?”

“Just patrol,” he murmured. His bright blue eyes darkened slightly as you raised the glass to your lips and took a small sip. “I’ll probably be in earlier than normal tonight.”

“That’s good. Shoot me a text when you’re home, okay?”

True to his word, your phone buzzed at two in the morning when you were crawling into bed after a late night of shitty reality television and stress knitting. You shot off a text in response to Dick and set your phone on the nightstand, not thinking any more of it.

A knock sounded on the door.

Frowning, you stepped carefully to the door and peered through the peephole, finding Dick standing on the other side with damp hair and low hanging sweats. You yanked the door open and came face to face with his shirtless torso.

“Are you okay?” you asked. He stared at you for a moment and then let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head.

“This is stupid. Never mind.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, fully aware of the fact that you were only wearing panties and one of his old t-shirts that had gotten into your laundry somehow. Dick’s chest heaved with his next big breath and then suddenly he was kissing you.

Tilting your head up into his touch, you moaned into the kiss. It was gentle and hesitant, but once you began reciprocating, he increased the pressure. The kiss became more teeth than lips as the two of you fought for dominance.

Dick pushed you back as his calloused hands settled on your hips and held you steady. He kicked the door shut behind you and fumbled with the lock, all without breaking the kiss. You ran your hand up the ridges of his torso and pulled away from his lips as he mouthed at your jaw and the column of your throat.

“Fucking hell, Dick,” you gasped. He grinned against your skin and nipped at the junction between your neck and collar. He was having too much fun torturing you, you decided, and you shoved your hand down the front of his sweatpants, finding him commando underneath. A throaty groan escaped him as your hand enclosed around his hard cock.

“Two can play that game, birdy,” you taunted. His head fell back, lips parted in a silent moan as you stroked your fist up and down his length. Dick shuddered as cupped his balls and rolled them.

He grunted and caught your wrist to stop your movement. His other hand grabbed your jaw, forcing your lips to part in an “o”. He spat onto your tongue and then crashed his lips against yours, licking your mouth clean. His hot tongue caressed yours, causing drool to pool at the corner of your lips as slick built between the folds of your cunt.

“Can we,” you panted as he finally relented from tongue fucking your mouth. “Can we at least move to the bed?”

Dick grabbed your thighs and hauled you up closer to the firm lines of his body. You shrieked and wrapped your arms around his neck as he settled a hand on your ass and squeezed. He carried you into the bedroom with ease and you were suddenly reminded that he was a fucking vigilante that wore skin tight spandex on the regular. How did he hide his cock in the suit?

You didn’t have time to think as you yanked your shirt over your head and tossed it into the corner of your room before latching your lips onto his once more. He tasted like mint toothpaste and you shuddered at the thought. Was he about to climb into bed when he saw your text and came over? Had he been fucking his fist, imagining it was the tight heat of a cunt wrapped around him?

“Tell me if you don’t want this.” Dick’s voice broke you out of your thoughts. He turned around so his back was to the bed and then he sat down, settling you on his lap. You bounced slightly and caught yourself by planting one hand on the headboard. He sucked in a sharp breath as the thin fabric of your panties ghosted along his shaft.

“I need to know,” you murmured. “Is this a one time thing?”

He gazed up at you with those crystalline blue eyes and you reached up to brush some of his raven locks out of his face. Dick pursed his kiss swollen lips and then sighed.

“I can’t do a relationship. Not with the life I live. It wouldn’t be fair to the other person.”

Your heart fell just a little, but you wouldn’t let that stop you from getting an orgasm or two. “So, I’m horny, you’re horny. The hookup scene in Bludhaven sucks. We’re just two friends helping each other.”

“Just two friends.”

“Who give each other orgasms.”

“We can even go get STI tests together.”

“Well now that’s starting to sound like a date.”

He grinned and tilted his chin up to kiss you, softer and slower than the heated rush in the kitchen. His rough and calloused hands, strengthened from years of acrobatics and crime fighting, ghosted along the soft flesh of your breasts. Dick bent his head and pressed a delicate kiss to each nipple. You gasped and thrust your chest up further as sparks shot through you. With a grin, he applied kitten licks along your tits as you fisted your hands in his hair.

“Either shit or get off the pot, Grayson,” you snarled, tugging at the waistband of his sweatpants. He raised his hips and let you slide them off.

“Condom,” he blurted out. You leaned over and ripped open the drawer to your nightstand where you kept condoms, lube, and your old friend, the vibrator. Dick smirked and reached back, grabbing the vibrator and a condom before you could argue.

“What’s the record number you’ve had on this thing?” he asked.

“Dunno. Two? Three? My wrist starts getting all cramped.”

A devilish grin flickered across his face and your breath caught in your throat. This was Nightwing, the first Robin. This was the vigilante that taunted mercenaries, crime lords, and intergalactic threats. This was the Gothamite who grew up with numerous siblings who all fought crime in their own way. This was the guy that saw a challenge and instead of running away, he faced it with a smirk.

Your chest rose and fell with heaving, gasping breaths as he pulled you down so he was lying on his back and then rolled you over so he was on top. Your legs parted without thinking and he sat back, his eyes studying carefully.

The first vibration shot through your clit and down your spine. You threw your head back with a soundless cry and he lowered the vibration until it brought you to the edge and kept you there. Your eyes burned with unshed tears as the waves of pleasure mixed with the frustrating realization that no matter what, you couldn’t come. You whined and bucked your hips against the tremors of the toy, but he held your hips down in place.

“Please, Dick,” you cried. Your cunt ached with want and your core was impossibly tight. He hummed and raised the setting just once. The growing knot in your stomach snapped and a tide of pleasure washed over you, setting your nerves on fire. Tears dripped down the corner of your eyes when you came down from your high and realized that he wasn’t pulling the vibrator away.

“That’s one,” he cooed.

“Sa-” your words were cut off with a breathy moan. “Sadist.”

“Oh, you’re just now finding this out?”

Your second orgasm built quickly and you clenched your teeth together as a high pitched whine tore past your throat. Dick watched in amazement as your pussy fluttered and clenched around nothing. Your entire body seized up as he titled the vibrator just a little to the right and it collided with the most sensitive part of your clit. Dick pulled the orgasm out of you with quick, coaxing movements that had your vision blurring. You were so fucking oversensitive that it felt like your first orgasm had barely finished when the second one started. He shut the vibrator off and gave you a chance to recover while he tugged off his pants.

“I gotta know what that pretty little pussy feels like wrapped around my cock,” he hummed, sliding his fingers along your slit and gathering the slick that pooled there. You laid boneless and sated on the bed, but didn’t protest when he manhandled you onto his lap and thrust up into you in one quick stroke. Broken moans escaped both of you in sync and you buried your face against his shoulder as he settled you on his cock.

“You feel just as good as I was hoping,” Dick growled.

“Shut up and fuck me, pretty boy,” you spat. “Or do you just leave every person high and dry?”

“You’re crying, you pathetic baby.” He brushed the tears off of your cheeks and then slid his thumb between your parted lips. You could taste him on his thumb and you obediently licked it clean before wrapping your lips around it and sucking. He watched in rapt attention, his eyes never leaving the sight of your glassy eyes, tear stained cheeks, and puffy lips wrapped around him.

You pulled off with a grin. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

“Can I? Seriously. I won’t show it to anyone else and I’ll keep it encrypted so only I can access it.” The thought of him in his apartment, on patrol, or somewhere on a mission with the Titans with his fist wrapped around his throbbing cock as he fucked himself to the sight of his control over you…

Your walls clenched around him and he grunted, rocking up into you instinctively. You grabbed his shoulders and nodded. Dick grabbed your phone off of the nightstand and grabbed your jaw with the other hand. Your lips parted once more and he shoved two fingers in your mouth. You blinked up at him from under your lashes, tears clinging to the bottom.

As he took photos, Dick fucked up into you in short thrusts, striking that one particular spot in you that had you gasping and clutching his wrists. He let his hand fall from your mouth and you collapsed forward, your forehead pressing against his shoulder as he fucked you open.

“Third time’s the charm, huh?” he rasped in your ear. “Next time, I’ll hold you down and spread you open. Play with you until you’re practically begging me. And then I’ll make you come on that vibe until you’re screaming my name.”

“God, you’re just as talkative in bed as you are out of it,” you groaned. He chuckled and started at a brutal pace. You couldn’t stop your eyes from rolling back as you took his continued thrusts with pure bliss. The rising tide of pleasure was building again and, thanks to the last two orgasms, was feeling like it would steal all the air from your lungs. Choking sobs poured from your lips as he grabbed your ass and pulled you deeper onto him.

“Dick, please. Dick, oh god, I can’t take it anymore. Please make me come. Please.”

“Shhh. Shhh, I gotcha, honey. I gotcha. You can come anytime you want. You’ll be a good girl and come, won’t you?”

You clenched desperately around him as he bucked wildly, finishing in the condom. Pressing your cheek against his shoulder, you hid your face in the column of his throat and sucked a hickey on his jaw as the orgasm subsided. Your walls were so sensitive that you whined in pain when he started to pull out and Dick froze before settling you down on him again.

“Jus’ give me a few minutes,” you slurred. He muffled a laugh against the top of your head.

“Alright, honey. Take all the time you need.”

It was just two friends helping each other out, that’s all. Dick Grayson gave mind blowing, leg shaking orgasms and received plenty in return. He also refused to leave you right after sex and insisted on staying until after he was content with your mental and physical state. It was just sex. Just the absolute best sex of your life with a Greek god.

After four months of some of the greatest sex ever, you woke up with a pit in your stomach as you realized that you were falling for your friend with benefits. You needed a fix and fast. Rolling over to grab your phone, you texted one of your old booty calls in the hopes that he would be interested in catching up. An hour later, you had plans to meet him at a bar that night.

Good. Great. Awesome. A distraction. A distraction and an orgasm or two that didn’t come from Bludhaven’s resident vigilante who was also incredibly flexible and profoundly giving. Also the same guy who was standing outside his apartment next door when you left to meet up with your date for the night.

“Hey,” you greeted as you locked the door. His eyes drifted over your body and he grinned.

“What time are you gonna be home tonight?” he asked, leaning his shoulder up against the door. You ignored the bulging muscles under the thin shirt he wore. The strong, very capable muscles.

“I’m actually meeting a, uh, a friend. I don’t know what time I’ll be back but um…don’t wait up, y’know?”

“Oh.” There was something strange in his voice, but you didn’t have the time to stick around and ask what was wrong. You were already running late as is.

“I’ll be sure to use a condom and get tested again,” you explained. “No worries there.”

“Right, right. Of course. Hey, if you want to leave or you need to walk home alone or something, let me know. And text me when you get home, okay?” He shoved his hands in his pockets and offered you a tight smile.

“For sure. Hey, is everything okay? You seem off.”

He laughed and shrugged once again. “Nah, I’m fine. Have fun.”

“Thanks, Dick.” You dropped your voice lower. “Stay safe tonight.”

He watched you as you disappeared behind the elevator doors. Dick watched the numbers descend before he dropped his forehead against his door.

Rule number one of friends with benefits: don’t fall in love with your friend.

He was never good with following the rules.

“Way to fucking go, Grayson.”

#dick grayson smut #dick grayson imagine #dick grayson x reader #nightwing imagine #nightwing x reader #nightwing smut

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dangermousie · 5 months

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2023 End of Year Post - kdrama edition

Yes, we have a some of December left, and I want to check out Death's Game but whatever. I got time for this now and not sure if I will have later so here goes.

This is only going to cover kdramas that aired in 2023; if I watched it but it was made in a different year, it’s not on the list. This was an excellent kdrama year, the likes of which we hadn't had in a long time.

DRAMAS WATCHED

In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality so pls don't come for me, fans of some popular dramas that are on my nope list. Also, I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list.

33. The Escape of the Seven - this is so aggressively stupid and mean that it feels like the makers are playing a practical joke seeing how much their audience will take. This has a season 2 coming, so the answer is a lot.

32. Behind Your Touch - the FL gets superpowers by touching people's and animals' butts. Yes, you read this right. Do I really need to add anything?

31. King the Land - yes, it was a hit. Yes, it stars popular actors. I HATED IT LIKE IT TOUCHED MY BUTT TO GET SUPERPOWERS!!! Plastic people in paint by the numbers story, with about as much genuineness or retability as a barbie aisle in walmart. I never expect much from Yoona so whatever, but to have LJH go from The Red Sleeve to this boggles the mind.

30. Mrs Durian - this is so dumb that I think I lost a few IQ points watching this, but its insanity becomes entertaining - I mean what kdrama can you name where a daughter in law declares her love and lust for her mother in law at a family dinner?

29. The Matchmakers - there is nothing offensive about this drama at all. But there is nothing in the least interesting either. If elevator music took drama shape, it would be this show.

28. Destined with You - sorry, Rowoon, I am still fond of you, but you are two for two in drama duds department this year. This is a drama where I loved ep 1, liked ep 2, was indifferent to 3 and...you get the point. Each ep was worse than the one before, and I bailed before I was dragged into a cosmic singularity.

27. Oasis - great first two episodes. Unfortunately it was not a two ep show. The performances are solid but the story is just not there - the effect is like a fancy chef making an amazing sauce to put on pig slop.

26. Boyhood - it's not you, it's me in action. I can see why people would like it but a 34-year old playing a high schooler in a Weak Hero Class 1 Slapstick Edition is no go for me.

25. Castaway Diva - it's so precious and kooky in the most annoying ways, with the most well-adjusted abused castaway in history. I like magic realism when done by Jorge Amado, but this ain't Amado.

24. Island - it had a good concept, good cast and fun visuals but the execution deserved one of ML's swords through the neck.

23. The Worst of Evil - if I wanted an American show, I'd watch one. Very solid performances though.

22. Song of the Bandits - period edition of what I said about The Worst of Evil.

21. Welcome to Samdalri - and goodbye to any hope of emotional involvement.

20. Joseon Attorney - I have yet to like a single sageuk centered around a profession and this was not an exception. I guess it could be worse but it also could have been so much better.

19. Twinkling Watermelon - everyone loved this drama. Everyone except for me. It's the kind of precious that sets my teeth on edge and I couldn't stand half the main characters we were supposed to root for. I guess I like my fruits to shine steadily.

18. Our Blooming Youth - probably the biggest disappointment on this list. This is not a bad drama by any means, but with that cast and that story (I loved the novel), I was hoping for a memorable sageuk not merely all right.

17. Vigilante - it has the emotional complexity and nuance of a punch to the throat but it gives us quasi-gay openly-murderous dudes going after psychos and Yoo Ji Tae holding feral Nam Joo Hyuk by his hoodie at his feet.

16. The Forbidden Marriage - expected nothing but it was a surprisingly enjoyable trifle of a costume drama that was also quite pretty.

15. Arthdal Chronicles: Sword of Aramun - a hot mess but such an entertaining epic one. And it gave us TWO Lee Jun Kis in period gear and who am I to cavil at the bounty of God?

14. The Story of Park's Marriage - it's a trifle, a souffle, so light it might blow away, but it keeps my attention and is so fun and sweet.

13. My Lovely Liar - a huge surprise, that manages to mix a murder mystery and a romcom, and shocked me by showing Hwang Minhyun can act.

12. Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 - the original ToNT was my fave drama of its year and I did not think it needed a sequel. But this is not a sequel but more of a side-quel and is such a total delight with brotherly love, adventures, romance and hijinks. It's a joy.

11. Perfect Marriage Revenge - it's actually very hard to do a soap right but this slim 12 ep drama managed. So fun, so crazy, such a good ship!

10. My Lovely Boxer - not really about sports, but about two broken people finding salvation because of and in each other. Also, if you like age gap romances, this is delicious. Sort of loses steam by the end but c’est la vie.

9. The Secret Romantic Guesthouse - this was a sageuk that was not on my radar with a bunch of actors I was not familiar with but it took my heart away. A good plot that was perfectly paced, characters and ships I adored, a logical ending. This is one of the biggest positive surprises of the year for me.

8. Tell Me That You Love Me - a slice of life remake (sort of, it's more "inspired by") of my favorite jdrama of all time. It's not as good as the jdrama because nothing could be, but it's an aching lovely story with some incredible performances.

7. See You In My 19th Life - funny and romantic and haunting and hopeful and odd. This was one of my favorites of the year.

6. Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow - it's rare for me to like a (1) sequel (2) with FL actress change (3) that is a Hong Sisters drama. But this was such a gorgeous, surprisingly achy story of love and loss and love regained with some cool monster fighting in the middle. Between the two seasons, this is the first Hong Sisters' drama I enjoyed from beginning to end in well over a decade.

5. My Demon - so tropey (chaebols, supernaturals) but it proves that these tropes are popular for a reason. The chemistry is fire, the story is unpredictable and the whole thing is an addictive delight. A rare drama where I like each new ep more than the last one.

4. Goryeo Khitan War - an old school sageuk in every meaning of the term (no romance, no eye candy, lots of bearded men, battles and politics), this feels like watching an epic movie more than a drama. The vast cast all earns their place and the performances (mainly from character actors given a chance to shine) are incredible.

3. Call It Love - two very very damaged people finding love and healing with each other. This is a narrative very hard to do to my satisfaction but when it's done well, as here, there are few things that can hold a candle to it.

2. My Dearest - a masterpiece of cinematography, narrative, performances. This is an old-school epic romance in the best sense of the term. If it doesn't make you swoon or break your heart, there is something wrong with you. A story of two untraditional, strong-willed, flawed people who fall in love in the middle of the horrifying Qing invasion of Korea and have to deal with all that the world throws at them, this is a bona fide masterpiece.

1 - Moon in the Day - who knew my favorite kdrama of the year will star a store brand Domyoji from Extraordinary You and an actress I was never familiar with. But this part period/part modern fantasy tale of doomed cursed lovers is everything I knew I wanted and everything I didn't know I wanted but did. Two lovers where their love did not save them and in modern day it might not again, has got me obsessed the way I haven't been in years.

FAVORITE DRAMA

Moon in the Day - if there is such a thing as a drama made perfectly for me, this gorgeous, emotionally haunting, utterly romantic, twisty tale is it.

WORST DRAMA

The Escape of the Seven. This drama is proof that demons exist and not sexy ones like Song Kang but horrible nasty ones who delight in the torment this hot mess inflicted on its viewers.

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Do Ha, Moon in the Day - a Silla general and a consummate killer who committed atrocities on the orders of his monster father and yearned to die for them, who found the meaning in life in loving his enemy but it did not make him better, a man so obsessed he literally was around for 1500 years of horrifying ghostly existence and still went "worth it" for a woman who killed him as long as he knew she loved him while she did it. He's intense and competent and beyond fucked up and has never had a normal day and I love him so so so very much from a safe distance.

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Gil Chae, My Dearest - she starts out as vain and spoiled but the horrors that break so many others bring out all her fierce survivor potential and she becomes such a force of nature - capable of incredible love but also sacrifice and strength and compassion.

Runner Up: Shin Hye Sun's reincarnator in See You In My 19th Life - quirky, damaged, strong, so odd and so vulnerable at once.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

There are a lot of characters who fit that category (King Injo in My Dearest? My God) but the crown belongs to So Ri Bu from Moon in the Day. You think you've seen abusive parents but until you've seen a man abuse his son his whole life and then continue for 1500 years after his death, you ain't seen nothing!

FAVORITE SHIP

The doomed by the narrative OTP of Moon in The Day. Only thing that's better than enemies to lovers is enemies while lovers and their impossible relationship where her killing him is a supreme act of love and his refusing to let go is so strong that he stays around for 1500 years watching her, helpless as she dies over and over again, is everything you ever want.

Runner up: Jang Hyun/Gil Chae, My Dearest. They are so strong and so damaged and it takes them so long to figure out what they feel and what the other person feels but their love and sacrifice and complexities are perfect.

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Kim Shi Yeol/Hong Joo, The Secret Romantic Guesthouse - an assassin bodyguard pretending to be a carefree scholar and a widow of the man he killed to protect his king (and whose life was destroyed as a result.) I enjoyed the main OTP of this drama but I was utterly and completely unhinged for the secondary couple.

I'd have probably picked Rang and his mermaid from TotNT 1938 even over them, but they really were the main OTP of that drama.

NOTP

King the Land couple seems like an easy target but honestly, they are both so terribly bland and antiseptic and marketing by committee, they kinda deserve each other. So I am gonna go with Destined with You, one half of which thinks supernaturally roofying someone into loving them is cute and the other half thinks dating one woman while wooing another is totally a-ok. Ugh.

FAVORITE SCENE

There is no competition for the scene in the slave market in My Dearest, where Jang Hyun finds Gil Chae - the way he screams and tries to clutch the hem of her skirt will live in my head forever.

And the scene where he 'wins' that horrifying bet, or the scene where she finds him in a pile of bodies - they are as good also. Or when he fights off a squad to protect her even though he's sick. That whole drama is perfect.

Runner up: the scene of Do Ha executing Ri Ta's family, covered in blood, as she looks at him from the crowd in Moon in the Day.

Or the scene where he talks about how he cannot live as a person but at least maybe she will kill him and he will die as one. Or when her confession in the past intercuts with his walking in the present, or when he comes home in his bloodied armor and she finds he has a fever and it's the first tender touch he's probably ever known. Her murdering So Ri Bu saying she knows she's going against filial piety in loving her parents' murderer, the way they hug, both bloody, as he says "let's live." The way she says she can't go on as she's hit rock bottom and he replies she cannot quit because she must accompany him to his rock bottom now. Honestly, the drama is a font of amazingness.

Also, the opening scene of Goryeo Khitan War or the scene of Yang Gyu ordering to shoot the captives and having to do so himself.

The OTP meeting again at the intersection at the end of ep 1 of Tell Me That You Love Me. SHS comforting ABH as he's having a traumatic breakdown in 19th Life. The love-making scene in Call It Love. There were a lot of great scenes this year.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Lee Jang Hyun, My Dearest - is that even a competition? He's flawed - vain, often emotionally closed off, not great at processing emotions, lashing out when hurt. He is also incredibly heroic in a real, knows the cost but bears it, kind of way. Whatever he does, he commits utterly but it's never without understanding the cost. He felt both larger than life and utterly real. He went through hell and maintained his soul and the way he loved Gil Chae was breath-taking to behold.

Runner Up: Yang Gyu, Goryeo Khitan War - an experienced military commander who wins an impossible victory even as it ravages his soul. Competence is sexy as fuck.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Rang, Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 - 1938 really was Rang's chance to shine and he took it. For a character I started out disliking in the original, he really stole my entire heart in this drama. I am so glad he got his happy ending with his brother and his girl.

Runner Up: Crown Prince, My Dearest. He started out as a sheltered, spoiled aristocrat, convinced the world owed him for existing. He grew up slowly and painfully into an amazing man. And then was murdered for it and I cried.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

Arthdal - it leaves the story at a good stopping point but it's very much a "world in flux, adventures and conflicts continue" ending and I would love to see more of these characters. I know we won't but it would have been nice.

NEEDS SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Behind Your Touch - should have been snipped at birth.

TOO MANY SCISSORS TAKEN TO IT

Vigilante - I don't mean it had scissors taken to it because it's not cdrama and there is no NRTA, but this drama would have benefitted from being longer. I mean, I love fights and gay polycules as much as the next tumblr person but a bit more character development would not have come amiss. (ahaha - I said come. Leave me alone.)

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

I don't care about cops/doctors/trash collectors/whoever - workplace drama centering on their "cases" needs to die. I hate procedurals from any country and Korea is no exception.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Supernatural critter devoted to their OTP with all the power of their long life.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Our Blooming Youth - it was far from terrible but it was a giant meh. I was so excited to see Park Hyung Sik in a sageuk (that wasn't the hot mess that was Hwarang) and I adored the source novel. It actually started well and then...it's like Revenge of the Beige!

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

I want to say Moon in the Day but to be honest, I was excited by posters and trailers so it wasn't wholly a surprise despite not having much of an opinion on the actors before I saw them. So I am going to say My Demon. I was bored by the trailers, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a Kim Yoo Jung drama and before this year I would have said Song Kang was an incredibly limited actor in everything I've seen him in and not appealing to me at all. And here I am rabidly rabiding for this drama!

If I am not limiting myself to dramas but can use this for actors - Hwang Minhyun in My Lovely Liar. I genuinely did not think the man could act and then he gave such a pitch-perfect, nuanced performance out of nowhere!

2023 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

I have actually watched all the kdramas that aired this year that I wanted to check out except for Evilive. I am saving this for when I have time.

BEST NON-2023 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2023

I don't know if I'd say it's the best but Say You Love Me (2004) with Kim Rae Won as a quasi monk seduced away from his true love by an evil older woman was a hell of a ride.

MOST ANTICIPATED

Love Song for Illusion (Lady assassin falls for her royal target who has two personalities), Captivating the King (lady spy falls for her royal target who is tormented) - notice a theme? Also Flower that Blooms at Night because Honey Lee in a sageuk, The Life of Mrs Ock (Lim Ji Yeon in a sageuk), The Love Story of Chun Hwa (an "erotic" sageuk, hmmmm, what?!), Hong Rang (Lee Jae Wook in a super angst sageuk), Queen Woo (that cast and set in Goguryeo!), Wong Kyung (about Lee Bang Won's wife and I love the cast.) Basically, if it's period, I am there with bells on.

#kdrama #year in review #my dearest #moon in the day #call it love #tell me that you love me #goryeo khitan war #tale of the nine tailed 1938 #tale of the nine tailed: 1938 #The Secret Romantic Guesthouse #my demon #the story of park's marriage contract #perfect marriage revenge #Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow #see you in my 19th life #my lovely boxer

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eddiemunsons80sbaby · 5 months

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Never Say Never

Chapter 1

Pairing: SingleDad!StevexReader

Summary: You are a 32 year old single mother, raising your seven year old son on your own. After being widowed at 30 and going out on awful dates with disgusting men for the past month, you have decided that you're giving up. You already had your great love. One person can't possibly get lucky enough to have two in their lifetime. But then your son starts playing baseball and the coach might just change your mind about that.

No posting schedule. With also writing Everybody Hurts, I don't want to make promises and fall behind. I'm a working mom with a hectic life and don't always have time to write every single day. I've been wanting to write this Steve book forever and once I got the first chapter down, I couldn't wait to share it.

18+ only for eventual smut

Word Count: 4.3K

“No, Janice, it’s absolutely hopeless. I am telling you. I’m done with dating,” you sighed as you wiped the crumbs off the table and into your hand from Eli’s after school snack.

Making your way to the garbage can, you brushed them in. Grabbing the empty cup of chocolate milk, you popped it into the dishwasher, trying to stay on top of things so you didn’t have to do a last minute clean-up when all you wanted to do was go to bed.

“You can’t just give up,” your friend urged. “Come on, girl. You’ve only been on a few dates so far. I know they’ve been duds but the right guy is out there. I know he is.”

“I really don’t think he is. I’ve been on four dates in the last month and they have all been awful. And I only went on those dates because you’ve been pushing me to put myself out there, might I remind you. I was perfectly content with my life the way it was. The only guy I need in my life is my son. I’m telling you. Good guys don’t exist.”

“Except you know that’s not true because you had one.”

Your heart stuttered in your chest at the reminder. That familiar pain that tightened its hold until you felt you couldn’t breathe. It didn’t matter that it had been two years. Any mention of Justin’s name and you were instantly sent straight back there, struggling, fighting for air you couldn’t find, descending into the pitch black of despair that had swallowed you whole for far too long.

But you couldn’t let it consume you, not anymore. You knew what you needed to do. Remembering your therapist’s words, you didn’t fight it back, letting the pain wash over you for a moment. Accept your emotions. It’s okay to feel them. Let them come, acknowledge them, and then move on. Don’t get stuck. Forward motion. Always forward motion. Remember the 3-3-3 rule when it gets overwhelming.

Your eyes roamed through your kitchen, searching for three objects. The box of Scooby snacks that Eli had, the smiling face of his favorite cartoon dog looking up at you. The tulips on the table that you'd picked from your garden two days ago, bringing a little spring into the house. The bright painting to the left of the fridge that Eli had made for Mother’s Day last year, his handprints creating bright yellow and orange flowers, with the words If mothers were flowers, I’d pick you.

You felt yourself returning from the dark, your chest loosening as you closed your eyes, focusing on sounds now. Your son’s feet moving across the floor of his bedroom, a lawnmower running a couple houses down, the low rumble of a motorcycle driving down the street.

It was working. You wiggled your fingers, rotated your ankle, rolled your head around on your shoulders. 3-3-3. Three sights, three sounds, and three movements. And just like that, you were back. Hand on the table, you slowly sat down in one of the wooden chairs you'd so lovingly sanded and refinished the summer after you and Justin bought this house, opening your eyes. You were centered. You were okay. You were moving forward whether you wanted to or not.

He was gone. There was no changing that. And as much as you'd wanted to curl up and die after it happened, you knew you couldn’t. You had Eli, this sweet little soul who depended on you, who was hurting too, and you had to be what he needed. You had to pull yourself out of your grief to be the stability and strength he needed. Fake it until you make it, right? That had worked for a while until it didn’t.

“Hello?” your friend’s voice called through the receiver. “Hey, are you okay? Is it happening again? Do I need to come over? Come on. Just say something, honey.”

“No. No. I’m okay.” Your fingers pressed gently against your forehead, wondering if it would ever get easier. Everyone said it would and sometimes you could even go hours without thinking about him but when you did, it would all come crashing down around you. He’d left you alone, alone to care for your son, alone for eternity based on the dating pool out there. “Sorry. I just…I’m fine.”

“You sure? Because I’ve already got my keys in my hand and I can be there in ten minutes.”

You smiled. Of course Janice already had her keys in her hand. She was your lighthouse in a storm, your safe harbor, your source of encouragement and support. She’d been there to pick you up when you could barely lift your head. She’d been the one to convince you to go to therapy. She’d been the one to come over and cook dinner for Eli, playing games with him, amusing him so he wouldn’t notice that mommy was falling apart in your bedroom on days when you just couldn’t find the strength. Janice was your lifeline and you had no idea where you would be without her. You certainly wouldn’t be the functioning human being you were right now.

“No. Really. I promise you, Janice. I am fine.”

“Okay…but you know I’ve always got you. Just say the word, girl and I’m there. Anytime. Anything you need.”

“I know. And I love you so much for it.”

“I love you,” Janice stated. “You’re my soulmate, you know.”

You laughed, “What about Matt? I don’t think he’d appreciate hearing you say that.”

Your friend snorted, “Oh, he knows. It was part of our vows. Didn’t you know that? He took this woman and her best friend on the day we got married. He’s aware of his place in my life and he’s okay with it because he loves you too. Also, he doesn’t have a choice because he knows I’d get rid of him before I’d ever let go of you if he tried to make me choose. You’re always my first choice.”

Matt would never make her choose. Janice had met Matt a little over a year ago and they had just gotten married in July. It had been a beautiful outdoor wedding on the beach. You'd been the maid of honor. Janice hadn’t even asked you, not really, just rolled her eyes when you asked if she planned on it and said she didn’t have to ask because it should have been assumed. Eli had been so handsome in his little tux as their ring bearer. You had fought back tears throughout the day, memories of your own wedding day ripping you apart. But you'd held it together, reminding yourself that this was your friend’s day. You were supposed to be overjoyed for her, not wallowing as you tripped down memory lane.

You loved Matt and the feeling appeared to be mutual. He was perfect for your best friend. He was the rational to Aly’s crazy, the simple to her complicated, the organization to her chaos. He was absolutely crazy about her and every single one of her little quirks, including her intensely close friendship with you and Eli. He’d been openly accepting of you being their third wheel from day one.

They’d only gone on five dates when he offered to take Eli to the batting cages for a few hours so the girls could enjoy an afternoon. When Eli got back, red-faced and shiny, a huge smile on his face, you had given your friend a look that said everything without you having to speak. It said hold onto this one. And your friend had been smart enough to do just that. They were already talking about trying for a baby and you couldn’t wait to plan a shower and shop for all the cute little baby things. To be Auntie, to cuddle a sweet little one against your chest again, to inhale that delicious newborn smell.

Everyone always said it went by too fast. You'd thought they were crazy when you were in the midst of sleepless nights and a screaming baby, feeling it would never end. But they were not joking. Your sweet little baby, with his head of downy blond hair, just like his father’s, had somehow become a little boy in what felt like a span of seven minutes instead of seven years. You found yourself willing time to slow down, to let you keep him little for just a while longer, but it just kept racing ahead, leaving you frantically trying to catch up.

“So, anyway, what was so awful about this one?” Janice asked, bringing you back to the present moment.

“Ugh…what wasn’t awful? He showed up to the restaurant already drunk. He kept trying to touch me, stroking my arm and placing his hands on my thigh. He kept slurring about how he was going to show me the night of my life. He ordered spaghetti and was eating it with his fingers, just picking up the noodles and dropping them into his mouth. It was disgusting. His hand was in a cast and when I asked what happened, he told me he broke it punching out the car window of his ex because he caught her cheating on him last week.”

“Holy shit!”

“Seriously! I can’t make this stuff up, Janice. It’s so bad out here. I don’t know why women even bother trying. From the guy who seemed okay until I walked into his place and he had the pile of toenail clippings on his coffee table to the guy who asked for the barista’s number while I was standing next to him to the guy who invited his ex so she’d see him with me to this guy, I’m just done. Maybe we only get one shot at real love in our lives and Justin was mine. Maybe that’s all I get. I mean, it was only ten years but a decade of happiness is more than some people get. Shouldn’t I be happy with that?”

“No. I refuse to believe that,” Janice argued. “You are far too amazing to spend the rest of your life alone.”

“I’m not alone. I have you and Eli.”

“Yes, but one day, Eli will be all grown up and move out and start a life of his own. And yes, you will always have me but do you really want to live in that house all by yourself? Don’t you want someone to fall asleep next to, someone to wake up next to, someone to rub your feet after a long day, someone to be your person?”

“You’re my person. Justin was my person.”

“Oh, honey…”

“Janice, I just…this dating site thing isn’t for me.”

God, it was so awful. With the birth of the internet, online dating was a fairly new thing. But when you weren't getting e-mailed dick pics or getting asked if you were looking for a booty call, then you were getting tricked by guys who acted like they were normal until you met them and found out they were anything but.

“Okay. So, ditch the dating site. Honestly, it probably wasn’t the best idea but Lauren was going on and on about these hot guys she’d met on there. She said it was like a pond full of fish and any woman could have her pick of them. I figured it would be worth a shot. At least, it would be a good place to start. I should have known better. It’s Lauren. She’ll hook up with anybody and gets bored way too easily. I am sure a different guy every night is exactly what she’s looking for. Maybe you just need to meet someone more organically?”

You sighed, “And how exactly do you think I’m going to do that between work and Eli? I don’t have a lot of down time.”

“No, I know, but maybe try to pop into the coffee shop more or the bookstore? I mean, you could do the bar but you’re more likely to find a sleaze who’s just looking for a one night stand or the guy with the tan line where his ring should be. Lord knows I’ve made that mistake more than once. But a bookstore, a coffee shop, the library? You might find a nice guy there, an intellectual who reads and writes poetry in his spare time. Oh! Maybe find your own Mr. Coulson.”

“Except I’ve actually been kissed and I am not a reporter and I definitely am not passing for a high school student,” you laughed, remembering how in love you and Janice had been last year in the theater. “And trust me, Michael Vartan is not teaching at the local high school.”

“Okay, fair enough. But don’t give up. You deserve the world, my friend. You deserve a man who looks at you like you’re the moon and stars because you are. I know he’s out there.”

“Janice, I…”

“Mommy! You have to take me to baseball practice, remember?”

Your eyes shot over to your son and then up to the clock. You'd completely forgotten. After Matt had gotten him into baseball, he’d begged you to let him join the little league team this year at school. You'd dreaded having to lug him to practices and games, giving up what little free time you had, but you could never deny your son anything. Their first practice started in fifteen minutes and now you were going to be late. Just one more reason for the mothers in this town to judge you and your inability to do it all as a single mom.

“Shit! Janice, I have to go. Eli has baseball.”

“Okay. Ohh, maybe you’ll find a hot single dad.”

“Oh my god. Good bye,” you huffed, hanging up. Your brain raced, thinking back to the paper that had come home with him about practices. What did he need to bring? “Okay, okay. Eli, go grab your mitt and I’ll fill up a water bottle for you.”

Your son raced off up the stairs and you groaned, knowing he’d probably be yelling down to you in two minutes that he couldn’t find it. You grabbed his bright blue water bottle, quickly filling it with tap water. Was there anything else? You smacked your forehead loudly. Cleats! You were supposed to buy him baseball cleats and you hadn’t.

“Mommy! I can’t find my glove!”

You closed your eyes, inhaling slowly through your nose before making your way to the stairs, “I’ll find it. Just change into your athletic pants and a long sleeve shirt. And grab a sweatshirt, honey. It’s kind of chilly out today.”

Eli sat on the floor, pulling his pants on, when you entered the room. Your eyes did a quick scan, instantly finding the glove, lying on the floor right next to his bed. With a small smile and a shake of your head, you bent down and grabbed it, tossing it to your son just as he stood up, all dressed and ready.

“Ready to go?”

“But my shoes. I don’t have baseball shoes!” he yelled, pointing at his feet as if you weren't aware.

“I know buddy. I’m sorry. Mommy forgot but I will stop tomorrow right after work and grab you a pair, okay?”

“But then I won’t be ready for baseball! All the other kids are going to have the right shoes and I won’t!”

“Eli, we don’t have time to stop at the store right now or you’ll be late.” You walked up to your son, cradling his face, your favorite face in the world. Cobalt blue eyes, so like his father’s gazed up at you, anxious about not fitting in, not having the right things. “Look, I will explain to your coach. I’m sure he will understand.”

“He’s really nice. He’s Jeremiah’s dad. I like Jeremiah. He’s my best friend. We play superheroes at recess all the time. He’s Superman and I’m Batman. And sometimes we swap lunches because his dad always packs peanut butter and jelly and you always pack bologna and sometimes we like to switch. I asked you if he could come over and play and you said maybe but he’s never come over. Remember?”

You winced at your son’s words. It came back to you, months ago, Eli asking if his new best friend could come over to your house. You'd said maybe, the answer you gave when you didn’t have one or you were too busy to stop and really answer him. Being a single parent was hard. It was exhausting, often leaving you feeling like there wasn’t enough of you to go around.

“I’m sorry, buddy. I shouldn’t have said maybe and then forgotten about it. I’ll talk to his parents about it after practice today, okay? Now, come on. Let’s get going so you’re not too late.”

__________________________________________________________

You barely had the car in park before Eli was jumping out, racing across the pavement, eager to join his teammates on the diamond. You made your way over, taking in the gathering of young players, the air full of energy and excitement. Bringing a hand up to cover your eyes against the glaringly bright spring sun, you watched as Eli ran up to a young boy with a full head of caramel brown hair.

That must be Jeremiah. Wow, that kid was going to be all the girls could talk about when he got older with a head of hair like that. Eli pointed at him with a huge grin and you gave your son a thumbs up, letting him know you'd seen. He would never let you forget it if you didn’t follow through on setting up a playdate.

“Aly! Hey! Eli’s playing this year?”

“Oh, hi Tracy,” you replied with a smile as Jackson’s mom walked up with a coffee in hand. “Yeah. Janice’s husband, Matt, has really gotten him into baseball and he was so excited to play.”

“It’s so good that he has someone to stand in as a strong male role model in his life. You know, with his dad gone and everything.”

Your teeth gritted, the smile you were working so hard to keep plastered on your face now painful. Of course. You couldn’t possibly be enough for your son. He had to have a man in his life to be whole. It didn’t matter that you worked your ass off to make sure that your son never went without. It didn’t matter that you'd had to step up and work even harder, take on the job of two people. It would never be enough.

“Yeah, we’re really grateful for Matt. He’s really great. Eli just adores him.”

Tracy leaned in, looking like the cat who got the cream, your faults as a mother forgotten. “Have you seen the baseball coach?”

“No. I…I just got here but I do need to talk to him. Eli’s become best friends with his son this year and he’s never going to let me live it down if I don’t don’t talk to him about Jeremiah coming over to our house to play.”

“Lucky you. I’d do anything for Jackson to come play at our house if it meant his dad would come over to play too.”

“Umm…aren’t you married?”

Tracy laughed, shrugging, “I mean, what Tom doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right? Seriously, wait until you see this guy. I am talking about grade A beefcake, honey.” She rolled her eyes, her head following, over to the right where a man was bent forward, pulling baseballs out of a bucket. “I just want to take a bite out of it. Have you ever seen anything so delicious?”

“Ooh! Are we talking about the coach?” asked Lilian as she idled up, her tongue running along her upper lip. “Have you ever seen such a delectable slice of cake in your life?”

You grimaced. No, they weren’t wrong. The ass that was currently up in the air, making it impossible for you not to notice, was quite nice. No. That wasn’t fair. There wasn’t a Georgia peach in existence that could outdo the one in front of you. He filled out a pair of jeans better than most women did. However, the way these women were drooling over him was pathetic. They were married. They were moms. And this guy, no matter how great his ass was, was a person. He wasn’t some piece of meat to be ogled.

“Well, thanks for pointing him out to me. I think I’m going to try to talk to him before he gets busy,” you said, eager to get away from these bored, spoiled housewives who were looking for excitement to fill their monotonous days. Striding over to him, you paused, realizing you had no idea what his name was. “Uh…excuse me? Coach?”

He straightened and turned and you gasped. Oh hell. The front view was even better than the back. Two eyes, the color of honey, peered down at you, coating you in their sticky sweetness, filling your mouth, making it impossible to speak. Jeremiah came by that head of hair honestly, this man's caramel locks falling effortlessly around his face. He smiled and it was even worse, lightning striking you where you stood. His entire face was pure sunshine, warming you from the inside out.

“Yeah?” he encouraged when you hadn’t said anything.

“Uh…oh…I’m so sorry,” you stammered, eyes closing, shaking your head. What the hell was wrong with you right now? “I’m Eli’s mom, Y/N.”

His eyes lit up with recognition, his hand running through those beautiful locks. Another lightning strike, but in an entirely different place, when you realized how large his hands were. Long thick fingers that had you thinking things you really should not be while standing at a child’s little league practice. Shame filled you as you realized you were no better than those moms you'd just judged. You simple weren't saying your thoughts out loud.

“Oh! Of course. Jeremiah talks about Eli non-stop. He’s been bugging me for months to have him come over.”

“Well, that’s actually why I came over to talk to you. Eli’s been bugging me too and I promised him that I wouldn’t leave practice without setting up something with you. So…is there any time over the next week that works for Jeremiah to come play?”

“What works for you?”

“Any afternoon or evening is okay, as long as there’s no practice. But of course then Jeremiah would be unavailable too so that would be silly. And obviously, you’d be coaching so you know when there’s practice. But I, yeah, anyway, I work in a pediatrician’s office and I get off at three every day so that I can get Eli from school. So, I am available for a date. I mean, for the playdate. For the kids. To have a playdate. At my house.”

The corner of his mouth curved into an amused smile and you just wanted a hole to open up in the dirt and swallow you. Why were you tongue twisted like a fifteen year old girl who was trying to talk to the cutest guy at school? You were a thirty-two year old woman. You'd been a wife. You were a mother. You were a nurse. You were educated. You'd gone to college. You should be able to string words together to make a coherent sentence.

“How about tomorrow?” he asked and you noticed how his eyes flitted down to your left hand, your recently bare ring finger. You'd removed it a month ago when Janice had kindly urged you it was well past time. “I actually have a meeting tomorrow night and my best friend is busy so I have no one to watch Jermiah. If you wouldn’t mind him coming your way for a couple hours, it would really help me out.”

“Oh, no. That would be fine. What time?”

You did not focus on the fact that he needed a babysitter. You did not think about how it sounded like Jeremiah’s mom wasn’t in the picture. You definitely did not feel a thrill that made your stomach flip at the thought of what that could mean for you. Nope. No reason for you to care if he had a woman in his life.

“Four thirty? My meeting is at five. It shouldn’t take more than an hour so I should be there by six thirty.”

“Four thirty is great. I’ll make the boys dinner and I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to have a couple hours to play. No need to rush or anything.”

His head tilted, tongue tracing his bottom lip, one eyebrow lifting, “Or I could grab a pizza on my way over. You know, as a thank you for helping me out and everything.”

“Oh…” Your stomach twisted at his words, the drop on the roller coaster, plunging fast, fear and excitement colliding within you at the thought of him hanging out at your house. The two of you sitting at your kitchen table, sharing food, talking. Those warm eyes, like the earth when the sun comes up in the morning, staring into yours. “That would be nice. I mean, Eli will be ecstatic. He would eat pizza every night if I’d let him.”

“Great.” He flashed you that smile again and you swayed on your feet, completely dazzled by that flash of white teeth, the way his eyes crinkled in the corners.

“Daddy! Come on! Stop talking! We’re ready for practice!”

“Duty calls,” he joked, wiggling his eyebrows as he leaned in, his mouth so close to yours that you could smell the peppermint gum on his breath. “We’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah…see you tomorrow.” You stood, frozen as you watched him make his way toward the group of second graders eager to start running around the bases. No, you definitely were not checking out his ass again. Nope. Definitely not. It suddenly hit you that you still didn’t know his name. Cupping your hands around your mouth, you yelled, “I didn’t get your name!”

He turned, grinning, “Steve! Steve Harrington!”

Chapter 2

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soft-girl-musings · 4 months

Text

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - CHAPTER 1 (Strangers In The Night)

Noir!Jake Lockley x WOC Lounge Singer!Reader

written in collaboration with + header by @mrs-lockley

chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5

cross-posted to ao3

tags: late 1940s Noir AU, Reader is WOC coded but with no physical description besides being slightly taller than Jake while wearing heels, no use of Y/N

wc: 2,222

fic summary: Of all the gin joints in all the world, Jake Lockley walks into yours. Unfortunately for him, it's not quite the start of a beautiful friendship.

A/N: can't believe this is the product of covid-induced hcs and thots between me and @mrs-lockley, thank you so much for encouraging this buddy (also @lunar-ghoulie if i had a nickel for each time you've sent an ask/dm about a WIP and it ended up being where i put all my energy, i'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot but it's hilarious that it's happened twice).

----------

On nights like tonight, Jake Lockley regrets his choice of profession.

It’s a dreary November evening, darkening by the second as the New York streets grow damp and cold. The wise had decided not to venture out; the blindsided rush across slick pavement to whatever shelter they can find. The desperate stay on the clock and curse their luck.

He should know by now that when a client says they’ll be “just a minute,” it’s a boldfaced lie: even if they have every intention of being efficient, he’s been stranded on the curb more times than he can count.

So he keeps the meter running. He’s seen the duds his regular client has on each week; the man could afford to fork over a few extra bucks. Might even build character.

The steady rhythm of the rain had been fine at first, but after half an hour parked beneath the neon sign of The Paper Moon– hat, coat and gloves doing nothing to ward off the chill creeping into his cab– every raindrop taunts him in his isolation.

To hell with this.

He shuts off the engine, pops his collar, and braces himself before stepping out onto the street. The rain falls fast and hard, so he rushes toward the brick exterior of The Paper Moon. He’s never been inside, but the glowing crescent of the sign had piqued his interest the first time he’d dropped his client here. He may as well see what all the fuss is about.

The doorman– a tall, dapperly dressed unit with a neutral grimace– casts a wary look his way. Jake ducks into the alley beside the building. Guess it’s exclusive.

Through the rain he spots a side door with a meagerly covered stoop, upon which is hunched a smaller, yet equally well-dressed figure. The young man’s tawny complexion pops against the emerald green of his just-too-big blazer, mist gathering in the dark brown waves slicked back from his creased brow. He grips a cigarette between clenched teeth, stuttering curses around it as he strikes a flimsy matchbook to no avail.

“¿Necesitas un fuego?”

At his offer, Jake is met by startled, impossibly wide brown eyes. The shock turns to glee as his face breaks into a toothy smile.

“Sí– sí sería genial, señor.” He makes room on the stoop, his dimpled cheeks betraying his youth. Jake pulls out a lighter and deftly lights the end of his cigarette, earning another dimpled grin after a few christening puffs. “Muchísimas gracias.”

“No hay problema.”

He lights one of his own, the smoke mixing with the fog of his breath as he holds out his free hand. “Jake.”

“Mauricio.” His newfound companion grips his hand and shakes vigorously.

They sit in silence for a few moments, their subtle exhalations and the slowing rain the only sounds between them.

The mood is disrupted by shouting from the other side of the door, followed by clattering and the unmistakable sound of someone falling. The door behind them flies open and a lanky, dark skinned man in a matching green blazer pokes his head outside.

“You’d better get your tail in here, Maurie. She’s in one of her moods tonight.”

“Rats, alright,” he groans, taking one last drag of his cigarette before stamping it out with his heel. Mauricio straightens his blazer and pushes a hand through his hair. He pauses at the door and looks back at Jake.

“Do you wanna come inside, dry off for a spell? We put on a mean show,” he swears. The kid's face isn't one Jake imagines people say “no” to very often.

“...Yeah, alright. Thanks.”

“Great! There’s a couple of tables toward the back that should still be free, you can sneak in there no problem.” Mauricio holds the door open a bit wider for Jake to step through. “If anyone gives you any trouble, just tell ‘em you’re with me.” With a wink and another winning smile, he darts off to follow the other blazer.

Jake finds his spot easily enough, taking in the atmosphere as he weaves between tables and patrons. So this is The Paper Moon.

The building’s drab exterior is deceptive: inside is a small lounge, bustling with activity and humming with life. Richly draped walls envelop the space, with ornate lamps and soft candlelight radiating from every table. The room looks as warm as it feels, a welcome relief from Jake’s prior solitude.

He takes off his soaked coat and loosens his tie. Across the room Jake sees his client– a cold, calculating Mr. Wesley– who gives a curt nod, as if granting his permission to take a load off (for now).

He orders a drink from a slightly bewildered waiter and continues to survey the space. People of all shapes and sizes occupy tables and barstools, with the chatter of at least three languages creating a dizzying buzz around him. The crowd dies down when stage lights flash on at the far end of the room.

Out marches the band: the guy who'd clambered to the back door sits at the piano, cracking his knuckles before playing a few notes on the keys; an older man with a similar complexion props an upright bass in position, riffing along with the scattered piano melody; an impressively mustachioed fellow polishes the mouthpiece of his trumpet; Mauricio settles in behind a set of drums, waving a stick in the air when he spots Jake.

As warm as he's gotten after coming inside, the temperature seems to skyrocket as the click of heels and the shimmer of the last band member crossing the stage sends his heartbeat right into his throat. In walks– no, floats – a vision, evening gown the same color as the richly painted lips that curl into a smile as easily as breathing. Something Jake seems to have forgotten how to do.

He can’t take his eyes off you.

----------

There’s something in the air tonight.

Maybe it’s the smoke lingering on Mauricio’s jacket (you’ve told him time and time again how smoking before a show irritates you; he must have snuck a pack backstage), or maybe the weather has you out of sorts. Whatever it is, you’re one false step away from losing your cool. Which, of course, cannot happen. Not onstage.

As the band warms up, you take one last look in your compact mirror, blot your lipstick, and take a deep breath. It’s showtime.

The moment you step onstage, you turn on the charm. Nothing can touch you up here. Not when there’s music to play, a band to lead. A night to make unforgettable.

You approach the microphone and smile. “Hello again, darlings. Did you miss us while we were away?”

Applause and cheers echo back to you from the audience. There’s a distinct two-toned whistle that rises above the noise, but you don’t think anything of it.

Not until you scan the crowd and see something– someone – that doesn’t belong.

Lounging at the previously unoccupied back table is a man you’ve never seen before. Which wouldn’t be a problem if you didn’t know the face and name of everyone who enters your club.

His eyes stay trained on you as you nod to the band to begin. One outlier a bad night will not make– you’ll deal with him later. For now, you let the caress of the opening notes ease the new tension in your body, and you start to sing.

With six shows a week, one would think the routine would become tedious. Quite the opposite: any night you play the same standards with the band is bound to be a good night. The chemistry between you and your boys is perfect– even on an off night like tonight, you still manage to follow each other and make the same hour of music sound brand new.

You lead one song, then another, completely in your own world. Of course, the constant cheers and occasional audience participation don’t hurt. But just when you hit your stride and forget your troubles, that whistle rings out above the noise.

The stranger's on the edge of his seat, rapt attention never leaving the stage. Seems innocent enough, but you’re still on high alert.

The set comes to a close, ending with a vibrant flourish. The band improvises a steady beat as you take a sip of water, then smile once more into the microphone.

“Oh, stop. Really…. well, alright, you can keep going,” you croon at the crowd as they cheer louder.

You gesture to the band. “Let’s give a big round of applause to The Jays, what do you say?”

“On piano we have the dazzling Jackie Thomas,” you call out as he trills a fancy melody a little louder than the rest. “Followed by this absolute Adonis on the bass, Benny Hayes,” you add as the smooth licks of his instrument sound out a reply.

“Let’s hear it for Leo Castellón and his magnificent mustache on the trumpet,” you tease as he blasts out a tune. “And our baby bird on drums, Mauricio Farrés!” You raise your voice as the youth bangs out a closing rhythm.

“And as always, I’m Ms. Songbird. We hope you’ll join us again soon, my doves. Goodnight!”

The band plays themselves out as you descend downstage to the front of the room. Time for the next act.

You know how to work a crowd both on and offstage; hospitality is as much a part of the gig as the music. Tonight’s a full house, but you take your time gliding past each table, front to back. Does everyone have their preferred drink? How’s the food? Was the music to their liking? All questions you ask with genuine interest, but you know the answer: everything is perfect.

"Hey, little songbird," a voice calls above the noise.

Everything except him.

You've been avoiding the back table for a while, trying to collect your thoughts before confronting him. No time like the present, I suppose.

You turn to see the outlier standing by the table he’d commandeered, a shimmering bundle of rhinestones dangling from his hand. The glint of a grin catches the low light the same way your traitorous earring does.

You touch your ear and your face grows hot. “Where did you–”

“Fell off as you floated by the last few tables, angel.”

Your heels tap out a warning as you approach. Toe-to-toe, with the added height of your shoes, you practically tower over him. Your brow furrows as you size him up: too forward to have something to hide, too laissez-faire to be up to any obvious trouble. All the same, you don't trust him.

You look him up and down; he does the same. "You're not very tall, are you?" More of a challenge than a question as you reach for the rhinestones in his hand.

Leaning back against the table, jewelry dangling just out of reach, his sly smile grows. "Well, miss, I tried to be."

"Right." You snatch the earring back before he says anything else. "I see you also tried to be discreet, and that didn't go so well for you, did it Chuck?"

"Actually, it's–"

“–club policy to check your coat at the door. Something our hostess would have insisted upon, meaning you– ” you emphasize as you lean in, fingertips pressed to the tabletop by his side, "–slipped in under the wire." You search his face for anything to betray his intentions. "Now how did you manage that?”

The stranger lowers himself into his seat, hands raised in surrender. "A little backstage access, courtesy of your drummer there." He nods toward the stage: you catch a glimpse of Mauricio clumsily ducking back behind the curtain. You'll scold him later.

His gaze shifts across the room. “See that fella over there– the one who looks like it'd kill him to smile? I’m just waiting to drive him home, like I do every week.” He grins again, that same look in his eyes. A look that sets you on edge. “Just a humble cab driver, miss– nothing up my sleeves.”

“Didn't know cabbies could be so exclusive,” you say, still eyeing him. James Wesley has been a regular for a few weeks, but you've never met his driver.

“With what he tips? Doll, I'd do damn near anything he asked.” The stranger chuckles, sipping his drink.

You know what he means: the wait staff has noted a major uptick in gratuities since Mr. Wesley has started frequenting the lounge.

“Very well,” you offer stiffly. It all checks out, but you get the feeling there's something he's not telling you. “I hope everything is to your liking.”

You turn to leave, but he takes your hand before you can go far.

“Oh believe me, it is… Ms. Songbird. ” A wink and a smile play on his lips as he swiftly presses them to your knuckles, letting go just as fast. You storm away before giving the satisfaction of showing how flustered you are.

“Mr. Manalo,” you beckon a waiter as he passes. He stands at attention. You gesture to the table you’d just left, not bothering to look and see if his eyes are still on you.

“Watch out for this one, will you? I get the feeling he isn’t just here for the music.”

----------

A/N: !!!! every story i write becomes my new favorite, but Noir!Jake has carved a pretty special spot in my heart this autumn. so excited to share more of him with y'all!

as always, thank you for reading :)

addtl tag list: @fandxmslxt69 @shadystarlightgentlemen @casa-boiardi (lmk if you'd like to be added to/removed from this wee tag list)

#my works #moon knight #moon knight fanfiction #moon knight au #jake lockley #jake lockley fanfiction #noir!jake lockley #jake lockley x reader #jake lockley x fem!reader #jake lockley x woc!reader #jake lockley x poc!reader #jake lockley/reader #jake lockley/fem!reader #jake lockley/woc! reader #jake lockley/poc!reader

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httplilyyy · 1 year

Text

𝐆𝐎𝐎 𝐆𝐎𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐊 | 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

pairing: tara carpenter x reader

summary: it all comes down to this

warnings: descriptions of violence, gore, blood (lots of it), knives, guns, swearing, scream vi spoilers, bad writing as i wrote this with a broken hand so i apologise if there is any mistakes

word count: 3.2k

a/n: due to the original chapter nearing 8000 words, and due to your feedback, i’ve decided to split this into two parts, so after this there is only one more to go. i also wasn't planning on writing an epilogue, but if it's something you want, i’ll write one :)

scream masterlist | prev. part | next part

006. goo goo muck - the cramps

‘you better duck, when i show up.’

“Are you sure calling Sidney was a good idea?” Tara questioned, watching as you rounded the counter to stand behind it.

“Well, I didn't tell her to come here. I just informed her about what was happening.” You shrugged, picking up some old milk duds and shaking the box.

“But what if she does come here?” Tara wondered, leaning against the counter, her fingers drawing shapes in the dust.

“She won't.” You said, turning to face Tara. “She needs to keep her kids safe.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Tara said, not fully believing you.

“What, you don’t think I can handle myself?” You said, tilting your head to the side, a small smirk making its way onto your face.

“I mean, you have been stabbed twice...” Tara trailed off, a smile of her own forming.

“Okay, smartass.” You chuckled, moving back round the counter to stand in front of Tara, her eyes never leaving yours.

“I’m only stating the truth.” Tara replied, a small laugh bubbling from her stomach.

“Oh really?” You hummed, walking closer to her causing Tara to take a step backwards till she felt her back hit the counter.

You placed your hands on either side of her waist, pulling her close to you so your chests were touching. You leaned your head down, your lips hovered over hers, unsure, a million thoughts running around in your mind.

“I thought you were waiting for the perfect moment to kiss me.” Tara teased, her lips almost touching yours.

“Who gives a shit about what I said.” You whispered, your grip tightening on her waist.

You leaned down, just a little more, closing the gap between the two of you. Tara’s eyes fluttered shut as your lips grazed hers, melting into the kiss. Her lips were soft against yours and when she pulled away, you found yourself leaning forwards, chasing after her for more.

“You’re eager.” Tara muttered, moving her hands up to your chest.

“Can you blame me?” You smiled, resting a hand up to cup her cheek.

She stared at you, her lips quirking into a small smile. When you leaned in again to kiss her, Tara felt her body erupt with butterflies.

You poured in every pent up emotion into the kiss, and she gave you everything and more back. Your brain short-circuited as her hands went around your shoulders, playing with your hair.

After a few seconds, you slowly pulled away, your noses touching as you looked into Tara’s eye’s deeply.

“I could kiss you forever.” You whispered, your foreheads resting against each other.

“So do it.” Tara replied, leaning back in.

Just as your lips were about to touch, Tara let out a loud yell. You pulled away with wide eyes, seeing a Ghostface behind her, pushing a knife into her shoulder.

“Shit, Tara!” You shouted when the masked killer pushed Tara into the counter causing her to fall to the ground.

You looked at the Ghostface with a new found anger bubbling up inside of you. They charged towards you, swiping their knife haphazardly, hoping to hit you.

Dodging another attack, you stepped back before punching the Ghostface in the jaw, sending them falling to the ground. You ran over to Tara, helping her up from the floor with a supportive hand around her waist.

The two of you rushed towards a door when Sam and Chad came bursting through, startling you both.

“Come on!” Sam yelled, eyeing the Ghostface on the ground, helping you pull Tara out of the room.

Chad closed the door behind you, running back into the main theatre. The four of you stopped, looking around trying to find a way out.

“It’s Kirby,” Sam spoke up, “she’s the killer.”

“No shit!” Chad yelled, going to run out of the theatre.

“That’s locked!”

“Fuck!” He exclaimed before running back to you, Tara and Sam.

“She made this whole theatre a kill box for us.” Sam said, disbelief in her voice.

“Hey, how about that? There's an exit door! Maybe it leads to the roof or something” Tara said, pointing up, causing everyone to follow her finger.

“There’s only one way to find out.” You shrugged, looking back at Tara.

You each ran towards a ladder, but you spotted the Ghostface running towards you out of the corner of your eye. You pulled Tara behind you as the Ghostface jumped off the stage, landing in front of you.

The Ghostface swiped their knife at Sam, the woman dodging the attack. Chad tackled the masked killer to the ground, quickly getting up, grabbing a camera from a table and swung it at their face.

“Smile for the camera, mother fucker!” Chad knocked the Ghostface down and followed as You, Sam and Tara ran onto the stage to find another way out.

“Over there!” You pointed out, seeing a hallway.

Sam nodded, taking the lead as you all ran through the hallway, the Ghostface hot on your tail. Tara yelled when she bumped into the wall, trying to run as fast as she could.

Chad threw the camera he was still holding back at the Ghostface, slowing them down slightly. You had done a full circle and you were back in the room you and Tara were in together.

You waited for Chad to run past you, pushing a popcorn machine over to stop the Ghostface. Standing face to face you waited for the Ghostface to make the first move.

They tried to stab you with their knife but you dodged it, stepping back as you calculated their next move. Sam and Tara took a hold of the Ghostface’s arms, pulling them away from you.

Chad ran forward and punched the masked killer, sending them to the ground once again. Tara kicked them in their face, making sure they wouldn't get up.

“Tara, come on.” You pleaded, taking a hold of her hand and pulling her away.

You walked back to Sam when Chad picked up a small bubblegum machine, stalking over to the Ghostface, going to throw the machine down.

When Chad went to throw the machine another Ghostface came up behind him and stabbed him in the back. Chad let out a scream causing everyone’s heads to snap towards him.

Tara gasped, going to help him, but you held her back by the waist. The Ghostface on the floor got up and started to stab Chad in the stomach too, the boy telling you three to go.

“No!” Tara shouted, fighting against your grip.

You watched as the two Ghostface’s pushed Chad’s body to the ground. The two killers stood beside each other, swiping their knives at the same time, getting rid of Chad’s blood.

“Go!” You said, handing Tara over to Sam as you pushed the sisters towards the door.

“No, y/n!” Tara screamed, watching helplessly as she was pulled back by her sister.

You gave the younger Carpenter one last look before you closed the door and faced both the Ghostfaces.

“Hello, fellas.” You said, waving your hand.

They looked at each other before looking back at you. One of them walked back, exiting the room as another stalked towards you.

You held your ground, watching as they got closer and closer but they walked past you, exiting through the same door Sam and Tara exited only a few moments ago.

“What the fuck?” You whispered to yourself.

Sam and Tara tried to get away, heading onto the stage when a Ghostface appeared, jumping down, pointing their knife towards the sisters.

The two turned around to go the other way but the other Ghostface blocked them, moving their knife from side to side as a way of saying ‘no’, the two killers blocking them from going anywhere.

Sam took a hold of two bricks, handing one to Tara and keeping the other to herself. They stood, watching as the Ghostface’s made their way closer to them, the sisters tightening their grip on the bricks.

“Sam.” Tara sobbed, looking around frantically.

“Ready?” Sam asked Tara but she didn’t get a response. Sam turned around to face her sister, taking a hold of her shoulder gently. “I need you to be ready. Are you ready?”

“I’m ready.” Tara nodded, closing her eyes for a moment before turning around to look at a Ghostface with her sister doing the same thing.

The two sisters took deep breaths in, calming their nerves before putting on their game faces.

“Come on, mother fucker!” Tara shouted.

As the Ghostface’s were about to attack them a gunshot rang out in the theatre causing them to scatter away. Tara and Sam ducked, covering their heads.

The two thought they were alone when they heard footsteps coming from the stage. Kirby appeared looking rugged as she held her gun in her hand.

“It’s okay!” Kirby reassured, walking down the steps to Sam and Tara.

“Stay the fuck back!” Sam warned, pulling Tara behind her.

“We know it’s you, Kirby.” Tara said, taking a step forward.

Kirby shook her head as she limped forward, pointing to the stage as she tried to not let the tears fall.

“One of them knocked me out.”

“Kirby, stop!” A voice shouted, causing Sam and Tara to turn around to see Bailey, his gun raised at Kirby. “Get away from them.”

“What are you doing?” Kirby asked the man, pointing her own gun at him.

“Did you kill Quinn? Did you kill my daughter?”

“Jesus Christ! Whatever he has been saying to you, don’t listen to him. He’s probably the killer!” Kirby muttered before pointing her gun behind him, seeing the Ghostfaces reappear. “Behind you!”

Bailey didn’t look all that surprised and he pulled the trigger, shooting Kirby in the stomach. Sam and Tara watched as she fell to the floor, their mouths dropped open in shock.

Bailey smirked, the two Ghostfaces coming to a halt behind him.

“Great job, both of you.”

“You?!” Tara gasped, looking at the man.

“Eh, of course me.” Bailey replied, tilting his head as he looked at the two sisters. “Frankly, I expected more from the two of you after what you did to us!”

“What do you mean ‘us’?” Tara asked, confusion written on her features.

The taller Ghostface took a hold of their mask, pulling it over their head, revealing themself.

“Mindy was right.” Ethan laughed, a manic smile on his face. “It was easy to juke the roommate lottery. I mean, all I had to do to meet you was room with a conceited, condescending alpha, literally named Chad! Fuck, it felt good to kill him!”

Ethan held up his mask beside him, tapping his knife against it as he looked at Sam.

“This was your grandmother’s Sam, Nancy Loomis. It really runs in the fucking family, doesn’t it? Speaking of family…”

“Wait for it.” Bailey smirked, bouncing on his feet.

“My name’s not Ethan Landry!” He laughed, looking over at the man beside him. “Isn’t it, dad?”

“Dad?” Tara questioned.

“Wait, if it’s you two, then that just leaves… Mindy?” Sam wondered, looking at the second Ghostface.

They grabbed their mask, slowly pulling it off to reveal themself.

“Hey, roomies.” Quinn smirked. “Didn’t see that one coming, did you?”

“Yeah because you died!” Tara exclaimed.

“I kinda didn’t.” Quinn shrugged. “Though it was a good way to get off the suspect list. Stabbed Gale Weathers, and y/n, and stabbed Mindy on the train. That sort of thing.”

“Yeah. I just made sure I was first on the scene so I could switch her body out with the fresh one. A little fake blood and prosthetics, you’d be amazed at what a grieving father could get away with…”

Sam and Tara looked at the Man with shock and hatred but their gaze soon turned onto something moving behind the three.

“Oh and one more thing.”

Another Ghostface came out from the shadows and stood behind him. The two sisters soon realised who that person could be.

“Y/n.” Tara whispered out, heart breaking as she looked at you.

“What?” Bailey questioned, tilting his head to the side.

“Boo!” You said, from behind them. Quinn, Ethan and Bailey jumped out of their skins, turning around to face you.

You swung a knife at Quinn, slicing her arm causing her to real back in pain. You kicked Bailey in the chest and he fell to the ground, not getting up as he looked at you in shock.

Ethan threw a punch towards your cheek but you took a hold of his arm, twisting it till you heard a loud pop, the boy letting out a scream of agony before kicking him to the floor too.

Your chest heaved up and down, when you took off the Ghostface mask. You looked up at Sam and Tara and when you were about to walk towards them you heard a laugh along with slow claps coming from behind you.

“Well, well, well. Look at my baby sister following in my footsteps.”

“Wha- what are you-? But-” You stuttered, turning around to find the source of the voice.

“You’re all grown up.” They said, finally coming out of the shadows to reveal themself.

“Jill.” You gulped, watching as she walked closer to you.

Everyone else stopped to look at you. Tara and Sam held expressions of confusion and sadness whilst Ethan, Quinn and Bailey had looks of mischief and glee.

“I never thought I’d see the day.”

“What the fuck?!” You finally managed to spit out, backing up from the woman only to come in contact with Ethan’s chest, the boy holding you still as Jill continued to walk towards you.

“Surprise, y/n.” Ethan whispered in your ear, tightening his grip on you.

“What a lovely family reunion.” Bailey chuckled as he got up from off the floor, making his way over to you.

“Get away from them!” Tara shouted, trying to get to you but Sam held her back.

“How?” You questioned, looking at Jill. “Sidney shot you. She killed you!”

“I guess I'm in the clear.” Jill shrugged, stepping closer so she was only a few millimetres away.

“Mhm, great.” You said through gritted teeth.

“Oh come on, y/n. That’s no way to greet your sister after a decade.” Jill said, pouting as she lifted a hand to touch your shoulder.

“You are not my sister.” You said, hardening your grip on the knife in your hand.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Jill shook her head, her gaze tilting to the knife.

“Do what?” You asked, faking innocence, your knuckles turning white as your grip tightened.

“I think you forgot who I am.” Jill said, her hand shooting out to your forearm. “You’re not going to get away this time.”

Jill pulled you from Ethan’s hold, tugging you so your back was against her front. She took the knife from your hand and held it against your throat.

“One sudden movement and I slit your throat.” Jill whispered in your ear, pressing the knife harder against your neck, not enough to draw blood but enough to halt your breathing.

“Now I wonder why Sidney was the favourite.” You muttered sarcastically.

“Watch your mouth.” Jill said harshly, nicking your neck as a warning.

“Where were we?” Bailey asked rhetorically. “Oh yes…”

“I got Stu Macher’s mask.” Quinn said as she moved around the theatre and over to the mannequins. “He was my favourite.”

Ethan placed the mask he had been wearing on a mannequin. “That’s number three.” Bailey explained, holding up three fingers as he slowly made his way towards Sam and Tara, sparing a glance at Quinn who placed her mask down as well. “That’s two.”

“Which leaves your fathers.” Bailey said, pulling out Billy’s mask from his bullet proof vest. “This is what we’ve been counting down to, Sam. I'm gonna need you to put it on.”

Bailey held out the mask to Sam, slowly making his way towards her.

“Fuck you!” Sam exclaimed, slapping the mask out of his hands.

Ethan leaned over and swiped his knife at Sam’s arm, creating a large gash where blood immediately poured out.

“Ooh.” Ethan taunted as he heard his dad laugh at his action.

“You stay the fuck away from her!” Tara sneered, placing a protective arm around her sister.

“What- what is this?” Sam questioned, looking back to Bailey. “You did this as a family?”

“Oh yeah, bitch. You should know better than anyone.” Quinn responded angrily, walking closer to the two girls, standing next to her brother.

“They’re still not getting it.” Ethan chuckled.

“Look, I don't know what you believe. But I didn't commit those murders in Woodsboro, it wasn’t me.”

“Oh we know that.” Bailey scoffed. “Of course you didn’t, what d’you think this is based on some bullshit conspiracy theory? Come on, who do you think started the rumours about you in the first place?”

“You know how easy it was to turn Sam, from the hero of Woodsboro, into the villain.” Quinn said, raising her knife. “How easy it is to convince the world to believe the worst in people, rather than the best.”

“Because it’s not enough to just kill someone these days.” Ethan spoke up, going into further detail. “You have to assassinate their character first, so when dad here discovers your horribly mutilated bodies, posed with Sam wearing her fathers mask. He'll say some poor dumb bastard read on the internet that you’re the real Ghostface and took matters into their own deluded hands.”

“Exactly, that’s why it’s a perfect alibi and all the best lies are based on the truth.” Bailey said, pointing at Sam. “You’re the killer, just like your father.”

“No I'm not!” Sam shouted, her voice breaking with anger.

“Yes you are, you mother fucker!” Quinn yelled, anger pouring out of her. “You killed our brother.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You said your brother died in a car accident.” Tara pointed out.

“No, no, no you sweet dumb thing.” Ethan said lowly. “He died in woodsboro, in the hands of your bitch sister.”

“You're Richie's family.” You said, as it all finally clicked inside your head.

“Well done.” Jill chuckled, moving the knife up from your neck to trace the side of your face. “I always thought I had the brains in the family.”

“I’m not nine anymore, Jill.” You scoffed, moving your head away from the knife.

“What did I say, hmm? Shut. Your. Mouth.” Jill tutted, adding a little pressure to the knife, cutting along the side of your face.

You let out a toe curling scream, the pain being unbearable but Jill just laughed, enjoying the way you squirmed in her arms.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Jill said condescendingly, “did I hurt you?”

You didn’t respond, gritting your teeth as you created a fist with your hands, trying to push through the pain.

“I asked you a question!” Jill snapped, creating another cut through your eyebrow.

“Stop!” Tara shouted, watching as you shook in Jill’s arms, tears welling up in your eyes, immediately feeling as if you were nine again.

“What was that?” Jill questioned, tapping the knife to the back of her ear, acting as if she couldn’t hear. “Keep going? Well, if you say so.”

“She said stop.” Someone said but it wasn't from anyone you could see.

Jill turned her head around, her grip on you faltering as she saw who the voice came from. You stumbled out of Jill’s arms and looked in the same direction as her.

“Sid.” You said breathlessly, looking at the woman in shock.

tag list: @andsoigotabutterfly @dksjskx @dreifhraniquo29 @karsonromanoff @btay3115 @bananasplits-world @youralphawolf72

#tara carpenter #tara carpenter imagine #tara carpenter imagines #tara carpenter x reader #jenna ortega #jenna ortega imagine #jenna ortega imagines #jenna ortega x reader #scream vi #scream 6 #scream

698 notes · View notes

thepaintpirate · 11 months

Text

| OP characters and a Y/n that speaks another language |

Featuring: Strawhats + Allies

G/n

Luffy -

He thought you were just making up words and started copying you.

Once you explain that you're speaking a different language, maybe a native language or one you've learned, he's so impressed. Luffy's not really good with words and knowing that you know like twice as much as him is awesome.

I hc that there are accents in the OP world too and I love the hc that Luffy has a very different way of speaking than the others. I think it's adorable.

Zoro -

What. Huh? He's so confused.

Where did this come from and why has he just noticed? Zoro can be a bit of a dud when it comes to noticing some things and so it took him a minute to process. But in the end he's ultimately pretty fascinated by it. He likes the way you talk even if he can't understand you.

Sanji -

Heart burst. He's swooning like he usually does but he's also very curious. Sanji might sit with you and ask questions or have you teach him a few phrases. Maybe teach him words for food or complements he'll love that.

Nami -

Full focus on you, tell her more. She won't understand but she's listening. Nami kind of just stares at you as you speak and admires your voice, she'll absentmindedly mouth some of the easier words. It's so cute, but she thinks you're cute too.

She will make you teach her insults to give to rude creeps she comes across.

Usopp -

"Write that down, write that down!"

He's taking notes because this is so new to him, he wants to learn more. When did you learn? What part of the world does your language come from? Endless questions and endless appreciation, he's just happy to listen and ask.

Robin -

Robin knows at least one or two languages aside from being able to read the Poneglyphs, mainly because she's well travelled and had to adapt. But your language is new to her and she's very interested. What are the origins of the language, who spoke it and what does it look like in written form?

She'll ask you to teach her a little bit, she's a sponge for knowledge.

Franky -

No idea what's going on but he's happy to be along for the ride. He'll hear you say random words or sentences in your language and even if he doesn't understand he'll still say "that's super".

Brook -

A bilingual man, can't tell me otherwise. Your language is new to him and though he doesn't study languages, he'll have you exchange words he knows for ones you can teach him. Enjoy long conversations about it over tea and biscuits.

And no, no matter what he says don't teach him the word for panties.

Jinbe -

Another bilingual and he'll bond with you over that. The language he knows was one commonly used in the fishman district but was forcibly forgotten by regular merfolk because of oppression and the WG. He likes to keep it alive when he can and he'll appreciate it if you share your knowledge between eachother.

Law -

In my hc Flevance had it's own dialect which he sometimes still falls into the habit of. Law appreciates your language and finds it very soothing to listen to you talk or sing if you do. It's quite charming.

Kid -

He will yell at you at first to stop babbling and making things up until you explain that it's your language. If he likes you enough he'll apologise and let you continue. At first he's acting like he doesn't care but the more he listens to you the more he warms up to the sound. So if you randomly stop talking he'll zip around and say "Why'd you stop? Keep talking".

Killer -

Pretty neutral about this, and he compliments you on it. He thinks it could be useful in the future if you need to communicate with people. Killer likes it when you talk to yourself in little mumbles in your language, it's hard not to chuckle and look at you.

#one piece #one piece headcanons #one piece x reader #eustace kid #monkey d. luffy #trafalgardwaterlaw #franky #killer one piece #knight of the sea jinbe #nami #pirate hunter zoro #vinsmoke sanji #nico robin #op usopp

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janmisali · 1 year

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Number Tournament: Honorable Mentions

well, you've all asked for it, and I guess there's no point in waiting any further now that round one is almost over. here's some highlights from the numbers that didn't get enough nominations to make it into the tournament. (as you can work out from looking at how many nominations the numbers that made it into the tournament got, my cutoff was seven nominations, which left room for me to hand-pick three numbers that only got six to fill in the bottom seeds)

six nominations

these are the numbers that were the closest of all to making the cut. in the end, I picked ten, Rayo's number, and omega to fill in seeds 62-64, but four other numbers got six nominations but didn't make it:

25: perfectly fine square number. notably funnier than 24

81: another square. I only wanted one "boring normal integer" for the bottom seeds and like come on it had to be ten.

5040: Plato's favorite number, a very fun one

42069: both 420 and 69 already made the cut, so this would have been excessive

and now for some miscellaneous fun ideas that not enough people suggested to make the cut!

cool math things

c (the speed of light) could have been a strong contender, but physics fans were pretty much universally putting their efforts behind the fine-structure constant and the Avogadro constant, leaving other universal constants behind

the Euler-Masceroni constant got five nominations super early on in the process, some of which were even intentional (there are so many things named after Euler but I made the call that people who said "Euler's constant" without specifying were talking about this one) but never got any further than that

a lot of infinite ordinals more interesting than the standard omega were in the running, but given that omega itself only barely made it in, numbers like omega to the omega power never stood a chance. of course, given how well omega did in round one maybe those other bigger infinities could have held their own if only more people suggested them before the tournament began

Not a Number's presence in the tournament is I think very fun, but other floating point things were also nominated, just not as frequently. negative zero was a fun one, as are the handful of nominations for just slightly-off multiples of one tenth

besides star, a lot of game theory not-really-number numbers had a few fans supporting them, such as dud (deathless universal draw), a couple of tiny numbers, and one suggestion for {69|420}

meme numbers

fans of boobs were split between 80085, 58008, 8008135, and 5318008, so none of the boob numbers made it individually

perhaps even more disappointingly, only five people suggested 1312

1337 is a super dead meme so that one being unpopular isn't as surprising. but then literally nobody suggested 9001? weird!

the AACS encryption key (an illegal number) only got a handful of suggestions, which is a shame because that's a really fun one

only three people suggested "your credit card number" but if it made it past the cutoff I 100% would have put that in the tournament

meta jokes

a few people suggested variations of "the number that wins the tournament", which I think is a funnier meta joke than either of the ones that actually made the cut

a couple people also did versions of "the sum of all other numbers in the bracket" (or "all other numbers people suggested in this google form"), with a couple people who said that also thankfully adding in some conditions to only include numbers where you can actually do that

a couple people have asked me what the smallest natural number was that nobody suggested, and unfortunately (by which I mean I love this) I can't answer that because a couple people suggested "the smallest natural number nobody else suggests"

another fun one was "the number of notes on this tumblr post", which only one person suggested

three separate people did "five (the word five not the number)", "5 (the symbol not the number it represents)" and "V (the roman numeral)" (looking at them all together it kinda looks like this was the same person all three times but that's because I'm paraphrasing all of them)

googologisms and otherwise big numbers

shockingly, the famously large numbers googol and Graham's number didn't get nearly as much support as the googologisms that made it to the bracket

five people suggested numbers in the Busy Beaver sequence, but none of them suggested the same Busy Beaver number

there were also things like "the smallest counterexample to the Collatz conjecture", fully hypothetical numbers

"zillion", "bajillion", and "fuckton" got two nominations each, any of which would have been extremely fun to see in the tournament

other

a couple people just said "fibonacci number" which. do you mean like the whole sequence? maybe these should have counted for phi

two people suggested "a grizzly bear". I'm assuming that's a reference I'm not getting, because it's way too specific of a joke for two people to say that independently

there was one suggestion that was the coordinates to a restaurant in yemen called burger king 2

anyway there's literally thousands of these, and I have no intentions of at any point making a full comprehensive list of what people suggested, but I think this is a pretty good sample of what the nominees were like. there were a lot of really good candidates, but I think the 64 that made it into the tournament are a pretty dang good set of numbers!

thank you to everyone who suggested your favorite numbers, it was genuinely very fun reading through everyone's suggestions.

#number tournament #jan misali #math #mathblr

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