#and I'm like I legit tried to help her with it 3 times and she kept blowing me off!

[hellfireclubmember]

Pretty Girl

a/n: Okay, I haven't written a legit fanfic in years so I'm so nervous publishing this. Any feedback would be appreciated. Also I was thinking of making a part 2, lmk if any one would like me to

warnings: none, just fluff, maybe annoying mutual pining. also probably a few mistakes. I didn't thoroughly proof read this

word count: 1.9k

summary: Dustin can't stop talking about the sub he got to fill in for Lucas, making Steve want to smash his head into a wall. That is, of course, until he sees you.

PART 2 HERE PART 3 HERE

disclaimer: reader is 18 and a senior in high school

Steve was losing his mind. He loved Dustin Henderson as if he were his little brother, but he might just strangle him at this very moment. First, he would not stop talking about Eddie ‘the freak’ Munson and now he won’t shut up about the substitute they had to bring into their little nerd club to play their little nerd game.

“… she’s just so cool! She had no idea how to play, Mike and I gave her a quick lesson before the session and then she goes and lands a crit hit on the most powerful dark wizard of all time!” Dustin was so impressed he couldn’t see that Steve wasn’t even really paying attention anymore, choosing to stack the new releases in alphabetical order instead. “She’s so pretty too” Dustin sighed “and nice.”

“Is Dustin still talking about that girl he forced to play Dungeons and Dragons?” In walked Robin from the back room. She sat down behind the counter. “Hasn’t stopped.” Were the first words Steve had said in the last twelve minutes.

“I did not force her!”

Dustin had found you sitting alone at the very back of the library whilst writing an essay for your English class. You were one of the maybe four students that were in there. Most of your peers excited for the basketball game that day after school. Dustin had realized he had seen you before and almost all the times he had seen you, you were alone. The boy figured asking you would be a win-win; this way you could maybe gain some more friends and he wouldn’t have to die. He rushed towards you, rambling about hellfire and getting his ass kicked by Eddie before he knew it you were agreeing to help. In all honesty, it wasn’t very easy for you to agree. Your stomach twisting at the thought of being in a room full of people you didn’t know but saying no to this boy somehow seemed worse; like killing a unicorn or something.

After agreeing, Mike and Dustin sat with you in the library and helped you create a character sheet, explaining the basics of DND in the short period of time before the session. You were never really expecting to have fun. In fact, you were fully expecting for your character to die immediately. When she didn’t you started to pay more attention. The excitement around you fueling your own. It was nice to be a part of something, surrounded by people that loved something so much made you feel warm and happy. You had never felt so at ease, comfortable doing something out of your comfort zone.

“Yeah? So, cornering (y/n) in the school library the way Steve does every female customer was the ethical thing to do?” Robin said.

“Dude! I don’t corner anyone.” Steve looked up indignantly from the VHS tapes at Robin.

Robin rolled her eyes and continued her scolding. “You know she was gonna say yes, she’s the nicest person I know. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say the word no.”

Steve was listening to them argue about whether Dustin dragged you to the nerd meeting or not when he heard the door to the video store open. His eyes landed on you walking through the door. The prettiest girl he’s ever seen walking into the fluorescent lit store. Lips parted as you tried catching your breath from the bike ride there. Steve felt like he forgot how to act like a human being, not even being able to execute his usual greeting or offer a charming smile. He watched you look around the store. Pretty eyes scanning until they landed on something behind Steve. You raised your hand to give a small wave. A wave he almost returned had Dustin not spoken up.

“(y/n). hey!” Dustin said as he walked over to the front of the register, right beside Steve. He had his eyes fixed on you, stare unwavering as you made your way toward Dustin and himself. Your eyes flicked over to Steve, acknowledging him with the cutest smile he had ever seen. Steve was never this awestruck by something as simple as a smile but he wished he could tattoo your smile to the inside of his eyelids so he could never forget it.

“Hi (y/n).” Robin was the next person to greet you.

“Hi Robin, I didn’t know you worked here.” He finally heard you speak and Steve never thought a voice could be so sweet.

“You know me, never one to brag.” A small giggle escaped your lips and if he thought your voice was sweet your laugh was like cotton candy; soft and pillowy. He couldn’t help but want to make you laugh for the rest of his life. Robin watched Steve look at you with the dumbest look she’s ever seen on his face, which is saying a lot. She genuinely had to bite back a laugh. “You know the hair, right?” Robin nodded her head towards Steve. That was his queue he had to get rid of the heart eyes and turn on the charm. You looked up at him which is when it finally clicked. He recognized you from his time at Hawkins High. Remembered you walking the halls alone with your head down most of the time. He never thought too much about you back then, which right now he regretted greatly, distracted with his douchebag friends and his relationship with Nancy to ever really notice most people.

“Yeah, I remember Steve.” You nodded your head. “Hello.” The hint of another smile on your lips. He so desperately had to hold himself back from hugging you. He wanted to be close to you, to hold you. Steve really didn’t understand what had gotten over him. Sure, he had liked girls before but being this whipped so immediately was definitely new to him.

“Hi, sweetheart.” He tried licking moisture back onto his lips, but his mouth was dry. He leaned back onto the counter and smiled. Trying his best to be as smooth as possible. He didn’t want to look at Robin or Dustin, mostly because that meant having to look away from you but also because he knew the look on their faces right now would be one of disgust.

The skin on your face started feeling incredibly warm. You had never spoken to Steve when he was in school, to be fair you hadn’t spoken to many people but speaking to King Steve seemed an impossible task. He was like art at the museums you liked to frequent, beautiful but untouchable.  

Dustin removed his gaze from Steve whilst shaking his head and placed it back on you. “What are you doing here?” He asked. Right, you came here for something. What was that something? The brief interaction with Steve was enough to make you slightly lightheaded. You started nipping at the inside of cheek, rummaging through your head.

“Oh, I accidentally took your DND notebook yesterday. It said return if found and then your address was inside, which by the way I think is an awful idea. There are weird people out there, Dustin. You have to be more careful.” Steve and Dustin making eye contact, both thinking about the irony of telling Dustin to be safe. You reached for his notebook inside your messenger bag. “When I got to your house your mom said you might be here.” You took a few steps, offering him his journal. Now close enough to be able to smell Steve’s cologne, your gaze drifted for a second up to his face and he was looking down at you. The second your eyes met, he smiled, making you look away abruptly. He was making you way more nervous than usual. Your hands were getting clammy, and your breath was a little shaky. Steve Harrington was so beautiful. You always knew this but you had never had the honor of being this close to him.

“Dude, this is like the second time you’ve saved my life!” Dustin grabbed the notebook with a wide smile. You let out a small laugh. This kid’s smile was infectious, no matter the situation, if Dustin smiled you smiled. Those are the rules.

“Trying my best.” You closed your bag whilst taking a few steps back. Trying to make some distance between you and Steve, hoping to any God he couldn’t see your shaky hands. “Right. I’ll just get going then.” As the words left your mouth Steve started to panic. He can’t just let you leave. He had only said two words to you. His brain going on over drive trying to think of ways to get you to stay even a little longer. He looked outside at your bike and then at the dark clouds in the sky. It was definitely going to start raining soon.

“Wait!” He said this a little louder than anticipated. He cleared his throat as you turned your head to look at him. He smiled softly as he looks at your eyes again. He thinks he could look at your eyes all day. “You just got here; you should hang around with us. It’s for sure going to start raining soon. I can’t let a pretty girl get caught riding her bike in the rain.” Dustin snickered and Steve elbowed his shoulder immediately to get him to shut up. The taller boy watched as your eyes widened slightly at the use of the word pretty. You were so cute it was driving him crazy.

“Yeah, dingus is right. You should stay, besides tonight’s movie night. You can join us at Steve’s house. We’re gonna pig out on junk and watch horror movies. Steve is going to drive us all home after, he’s our trusty chauffeur.” Steve looked at Robin as she spoke, and he swears he could’ve planted a kiss on her forehead right then and there. Robin looked at him for a second with a small smirk on her face.

You fiddled with the strap of your bag as you thought about it. It would really suck to be caught in the rain, besides this could be fun right? You said yes to DND and that was fun. Doing things you wouldn’t normally do seemed to be working for you so why stop now? Of course, this had nothing to do with the way your heart raced when Steve looked at you or the way you really wanted to be in his presence longer or how pink and shiny his lips looked or how you wondered what his hand would feel like holding your hand.

“I would really like that.” You smiled at Robin and then turned to look at Steve. “If that’s okay with all of you.” This was directed more at Steve than it was to Dustin. There was a moment of silence as Steve stared at your pretty face, a smile adorning his features making him look like a lovesick puppy. It was Dustin’s turn to elbow the idiot to his left. That was enough to break the trance.

“Of course it’s okay with us. Right Dustin?” He glared at the boy that just assaulted him.

Dustin nodded his head. “It’d be an honor to have you at our movie night, (y/n).” Steve reached over to pat his younger friend on the shoulder.

“It’s set then.” He said, more excited for it to reach closing time than he has ever been.

[twisted-wonderland-shenanigans]

Okay, either the scientist knew she was preggo or they just thought she was going through hormonal changes or whatever, there is NO WAY CROWLEY DOESNT KNOW THE HUMAN IS PREGGO.

Also, how much should I bet that Cater is just going to keep the whole world updated with every single DETAIL.

Oh, Lilia is going to have a FIELD DAY WHEN THE BABY IS BORN, same for Trein, he’s probably going to love it.

Referring to this fic snippet here:

Okay, to be fair, I forgot to mention that the events take place shortly after Yuu's arrival. Probably between chapter 2 and 3 given the timeline we have, which puts it at about...two, three weeks after the prologue and shortly after Riddle and Leona overblot.

As for the scientists/researchers, while logically speaking they would immediately jump at the chance to come to the island to start their studies, they first had to make sure these pictures circulating on Cater’s Magicam posts were legit first. Once it is established through a video or two that was posted, that's when they reach out to Crowley to make the arrangements!

And they actually arrive a week after the pregnancy announcement, so you can bet that they are very eager to get some studying done as quick as possible! 😂

As for the staff not realizing that fem!Yuu is pregnant, they are aware of what a pregnant monster's scent is like for sure. But because there hadn't been a human in centuries, even if Crowley was old enough to have been around humans, it's not like he remembers the scent off the top of his head! The staff would all essentially be like those confused cats and dogs trying to figure out what this strange bump is and why their human smells funny before instinctively feeling protective.

Can you just imagine Crowley building a nest for Yuu without realizing just *why* he was doing it in the first place? Or the blank stare he'd give the moment someone asked him like, "...why am I doing this??" and it only becomes clear shortly after the announcement, in which he tries to pretend he knew all along 😂

I'm also reminded of this one post where OP's cat had had multiple litters in the past and was so excited when OP got pregnant that the kitty kept trying to show her to the nest she made for OP's "kitten", and it was the sweetest thing I'd ever read 🥹

Anyway, you can bet your bottom madol that Cater will absolutely be keeping EVERYONE updated on Magicam throughout the whole process, and he is getting flooded with baby picture requests 🤣 It's also sweet how mothers come across the posts and try to offer advice that they'd learned on raising their kids, which is nice, though not all of the advice would really be practical based on species 😅 But at least they're sweet enough to offer that and words of encouragement! I can even see some inviting Yuu to a mother's support group meeting ;;v;;

You can also bet that Yuu will be receiving a lot of baby shower gifts and such from Cater’s followers. At least they don't have to worry about needing to buy diapers for a while! 🤣

Ooooooh yes, Lilia is going to be ecstatic to be able to hold and care for a baby again! He will offer to help watch over the little one (hadn't decided on a gender or name yet for the new baby) so Yuu can take a break, though don't worry about him trying to feed the baby his cooking. He learned and knows that milk is important for the baby, so he makes sure to have the bottles readily available even at Diasomnia~ (though Silver and the others make sure to keep an eye on him when it comes to feeding time just to be on the safe side)

Trein has already raised two daughters, and while he may not be interested in raising another, that's not to say he won't wind up spoiling the little human baby like any grandparent would! He'll also offer a shoulder for fem!Yuu to lean on and reassure her that she's doing a great job as a mother ;;v;;

[jedi-enthusiast]

My Thoughts on Episode 3

...I'm gonna be honest, I do not have high hopes for this episode from how many of the people I follow have been going on angry rants about it.

Here we go, I guess.

----------

Well, at least now there's one acknowledgement that Sabine is Mandalorian.

----------

"Learning to wield the Force takes a deeper commitment."

...I swear to god, I really hope they're taking the "Sabine's just a little Force sensitive" route, because is Felony is actually trying to imply that anyone could be Force-sensitive if they just "tried harder" then I'm going to fucking scream.

If anyone can be Force sensitive, why hasn't everyone tried? What was the point of Order 66 and why were the survivors of it so important? Why the fuck didn't some random person just turn into a Jedi and take out the Emperor, why did they have to wait for Luke?

It just...it ruins literally the entire franchise and makes everything pointless and meaningless, if that's what Felony is actually saying here.

----------

I've never been more bored in my life than watching this sequence.

----------

*long sigh at calling Sabine a Jedi*

----------

Y'know, this would've been a perfect time for Jacen to just say- "I want to be a Jedi, like dad!"

Like, are we just supposed to forget that Kanan existed at all??? Not even a name drop???

----------

"I can't use the Force, I can't feel it...not like you do."

Great, that's just great.

So Felony's going the- "just try harder and anyone can be a Jedi!" -method, that's...just...

*UNHINGED ANGRY SCREAMING*

"The Force resides in all living things. Even you."

Yes, Ahsoka, because it's the literal life-blood of everything, but that doesn't fucking mean that anyone can use it. That's why there's a section of the population called Force-sensitives, because they're sensitive to the Force and can therefore use it.

If everyone had that capability, then that classification is useless and also---again---this calls the entire fucking Star Wars franchise into question and makes the entire thing meaningless!

"If that's true then why doesn't everyone use it?" "Talent is a factor."

No, sensitivity to it is a factor.

God, I'm not even 15 minutes in and I'm already so fucking pissed.

----------

"The Jedi Order would not have accepted her, she is not an acceptable candidate." "By their standards."

Yes, Ahsoka, by their very strict standards that are-

YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING FORCE-SENSITIVE, FOR FUCKS SAKE!!!

"Standards that were proven over a millennium." "And failed."

No, they didn't fail---the Jedi Order was very successful and helped spread good all across the galaxy until your shit asshole master fucking massacred them and then spent the rest of his shitty miserable life desecrating their culture.

I legit fucking hate Ahsoka now.

Like, I really do.

TCW was the only show that actually made me like her, and honestly I can't fucking stand her now.

----------

So Sabine and Ahsoka are bashing on Huyang for...following protocol so they aren't noticed by their enemies and/or other hostiles?

Seriously?

Do they want to get caught or give Morgan time to escape, if they're found out?

...

Fuck it, I'm rooting for the villains to win for once---I hope they kick Ahsoka and Sabine's asses, kill or capture them, and leave Huyang to go help Luke rebuild the Order.

Huyang deserves to be appreciated and he should be somewhere where he, and his knowledge of the Jedi, is---not with a couple of jackasses who'll harp on him for even the smallest thing, even if it helps them.

----------

PURRGILS!!! MY BABIES!!!

----------

Oh, so now they'll follow "standard Jedi protocol" when it's convenient for them? After just bashing Huyang for it? And bashing him for it the whole show?

Wow.

I don't think I've ever wanted to fucking deck a character this bad since Anakin---it's kind of ironic that it's Anakin's padawan that's making me feel this way, though.

Huyang deserves better.

[cairavende]

Worm Arc 13 thoughts:

Everything is fine, everyone is doing great, but Brian might need to use some vacation days. Just, I dunno, something tells me the dude might benefit from a short break.

We start right off with Taylor refusing to admit she kicked Mannequin's ass, even though all of her allies and all of his allies both agree she did. Which is my daughter 101. I wish she could love herself a little more.

Lisa got her game. It might not be perfect but I think it was well done by her. It still gives them more structure to work with, and more ways to fight back. As this arc shows.

Aisha is way to fucking reckless. I mean I feel for her I really do, but god damn girl. Sometimes your teammates are right! Even if your brother can be a bit of a dick about it.

General note, I absolutely love how Wildbow wrote stuff around Aisha using her power. Just every bit of it. It is very good. I have legit multiple times during this went "Oh fuck I forgot about IMP!" and that is perfect.

Mannequin kills Lucy, so he goes from being on my shit list to being on my super shit list. I'm going to be sad if I never get to see him die.

If Bentley had died I would have burned the world down. So luckily that didn't happen.

Sucks that Mannequin also killed some of Skitter's people. And that he ended up living in the end. But it was fun to watch him get his ass kicked a second time and have to get saved by Burnscar.

I fucking LOVE Genesis. I'm so glad we get to see more of her. Her power is so much fun.

WOLFSPIDER! Taylor bonding with Bitch over trauma. Taylor basically thinking you want someone to tell you want to do. And then “You had me at no holds barred"! AHHHH! Murder lesbians. Go fuck them up girls.

Skitter had a pretty decent plan for attacking the Nine, all things considered. Very good use of their strengths and the abilities they had on hand. But she did make one major mistake. Well, to be fair everyone involved did. And that was having Trickster be the only sniper. They should have brought a few of Coil's troops. Even one more half competent sniper and they would have killed one of the Nine in that first attack. If they had brought Coil's Sniper? 2 of the Nine dead minimum, maybe 3.

Also, the mannequins for Trickster to swap people with were very clever. Though they could have prevented Brian getting captured if they had brought 1 more. And you don't even need a good sniper with those. Point a gun at the head of a mannequin. Swap and shoot at basically the same moment. Bullet hits them before they even know they've swapped and you can't miss. But still, they did pretty good.

I mean maybe not from Grue's PoV, but whatever. He didn't die! He's fine.

Cherish getting absolutely fucking DESTROYED by Tattletale! Oh god it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Cherish tries to get into Tattletales head and Tattletale is just constantly 10 steps ahead and just gaaahhh! Fuck I love it. I would read 100 chapters that was just Tattletale fucking with people like that.

The setup Skitter used to talk to the Protectorate was so fucking cool. Full blown mimicking human speech with only bugs?! She's amplified her words before, but never had the bugs speak entirely on their own. Just the most badass thing. The thing that makes everyone remember you! Swarm of bugs shows up at the superhero base, takes the shape of a person and starts talking with bug sounds, saying "oh hey we just kicked the fuck out of the Nine and captured two of them, wanna actually be heroes and help us finish this?" God damn.

Also Trickster getting through a locked door by teleporting the lock away was very neat.

Of course the heroes don't help. Miss Militia and her "We can handle that on our own, with more calculation and less recklessness." Really? Are you really going to have less recklessness? Cause I've read the interlude. But more on that later.

HOLY FUCK IT SUCKS TO BE BRIAN! I mean, he got better. But still!

I knew my daughter wasn't going to die. I knew her two girlfriends weren't going to die. I was pretty sure Imp and Grue weren't going to die (I wasn't sure how Grue was living but it seemed likely) but even with all that I was kinda panicking during the whole Bonesaw thing.

SECOND TRIGGER EVENT! SECOND TRIGGER EVENTS CONFIRMED! FUCK YES! I'M SO SORRY THAT HAD TO HAPPEN TO YOU BRIAN BUT THAT WAS SO COOL!

Fucking power thief! So much possibility here!

Siberian a projection confirmed. I mean basically confirmed. Confirmed enough for me. Like sure the details aren't revealed and such, but they are totally some form of projection. (I don't list my predictions on here usually so everyone will just have to trust me when I say I guessed Siberian was a projection in arc 11 or 12.)

Also saw some (I assume) other alternate earths in that trigger event, which is neat. I'm sure they'll never come up again.

Skitter sending a note to the Protectorate that was basically "We killed one and injured another, you are a bunch of cowards that suck, fuck you!" was wonderful.

I am very sad for Doll Lesbian and I hope someone can help her! She needs care in this trying time. Cause I love her and she is so cool and it isn't fair that shitty things are happening to her.

"It isn't fair that shitty things are happening to her" is like, 85% of Worm I'm pretty sure though, so I'll probably just have to deal.

Lisa put a blanket on Taylor when she fell asleep. GAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Interlude 1 - Aisha's mother sucks. I'm so sorry for the poor girl. Aisha also makes very bad choices. She got so fucking lucky she got away from the Nine the first time and then just went and got herself caught anyway! The fact that her power is passive and she has to work to turn it off sure fucking sucks though.

Interlude 2 - Hey Miss Militia, remember how I said I was going to get back to the "more calculation and less recklessness"? Cause we're back to that. Piggot is planning on dropping WHITE PHOSPHOROUS on part of a city! And then dropping a bunch of bombs made by a dangerous supervillain! Bombs that no one knows exactly what they do! How is that "less recklessness"? Also the PRT is just horribly run. God damn Piggot shouldn't have to be requesting stuff from other offices directly, they should have a central admin that manages reallocation of resources in situations like this. And they should have a full system of teams setup that aren't attached to a city, but instead deploy where they are needed! The government already has systems like this for disaster response and stuff. And between Endbringers and the Nine and other stuff the PRT knows that sometimes certain locations need more support. Terribly managed, badly run, they need better admin staff. They need people that know how to use a god damn spreadsheet. I have a lot more to say about Piggot and her plan but I feel like I'll get some chances to comment on it in Arc 14.

[mintytealfox]

So far, Alice has inspected three points on each of the manor participants in Ashes of Memory. What three points do you predict she is going to take note of on Norton?

oooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! This is a cool question! AH!! I was so disappointed that the inspection didn't happen in ep 2 ACK but the opportunities to still ponder about it are so FUN 👀

From what I'm thinking, she tends to dodge the overly obvious for the most part (like seeing the dew and the wear and tear between the fingers of the gloves and the high quality stitching etc) . So I will be shocked honestly if she is like 'that scar go crazy'. But if she does then maybe it will be more medical and something like 'the scar is a dark shade so its still somewhat fresh but mostly healed enough so a some time has passed' or something

but it might start off with her trying to remember where she had seen him before (cause of those flashes that are bothering her) and going through her documents and remembering he is from the explosion and going into the background of 'miner, sole survivor in a 'deemed an accident' explosion, the people there view him as reserved and hardworking, was often seen helping in the hospice there,' etc etc just overall and it turning to her wondering why he is there at the mansion. (then dropping the flashes as unfounded cause she is satisfied that these documents are where she had seen him before only to get more sus flashes of memories of that night) 👀

then when she finally sees him again in person anddddd

this is what I think she is going to notice: 1. she tends to notice the clothing for sure for sure. She brought it up for all three~ So I think she is going to be like. "Worn old clothes and items but mended with care (as best as possible), this may be his only outfit. Must mean he doesn't have much money and tries to make sure what he does own lasts a long time." 2. Might comment on his demeanor with something like, "is trying to give airs of relaxation and belonging but is actually quite tense and overall purposely difficult to read. He might know something" 3. Then how he is built. She may comment, "especially tall and strong, but a bit too lean for his height and hard physical labored background. He must be quite malnourished."

Hehe! I am so very curious how they will actually do it 👏👏👏👏 Oh my gosh I hope they give us some new or clarifying info fr frrrrrrr If they forget to do this for Norton though, I will be legit so sad oh my gooosshh

[quitealotofsodapop]

Sorry but I can't help but think of the Canon!verse slowly being indoctrinated into wanting SpicyNoodles' kids.

Like for DBK, it's the triplets (babies no. 3 to 5). They are practically his mini-mes in looks or personality when younger (baby no. 3).

PIF's self-control was lost when she met her own mini-me, with her horns matching her hair do.

Then FreeNoddles have Tang's mini-me / future noodle maker.

When Wukong tries to help his successor, here comes babies no. 8 and 9. Both looking like mini Macaques but with dark red fur. KO.

Mei immediate connects and bonds with a baby Hua Jiao as soon as she spots them.

Cannon!SpicyNoodles only have Mac and Sandy for support (for now) in their own verse for not rushing a wedding.

Canon! MK and Red losing allies in their goal to take things slow is so funny to me XD The TMKATI au spicynoodles legit setting them up for unrealistic standards.

Canon!SKW standing his ground until the Au!Spicynoodles show him the "rambutan babies" #8 & 9, who look like little red coconut macaroons with Mac's face. Canon!SWK falls hard, he's already calling himself "Grandpa Sun" again unironically.

Canon!Mei, pointing to @aokolpvxs's Hua Jiao: "Hey MK! This kid came mostly-grown! You don't even need to do the gross baby-making parts!" Canon!MK, groaning: "No! Not you too!" Canon! Macaque, comfortingly: "I know, I know, kid. These weirdos are breeding like rabbits, even with the extra years they've got on us." One of the #8 & 9 twins: *waves excitedly at Mac* "Hi Nai-nai!" Canon!Macaque, trying to steel his resolve: "But by gods, they make good arguments." Canon!Sandy: "It's better overall to regret not having kids than to regret having them." Canon!Red, honestly clueless: "Who'd regret having kids??" Canon! MK, Sandy, and Macaque: "..." Canon!MK: "...oh gods no wonder other me and you keep having kids. You're a complete softie about them." Canon!Red: "No I'm...!" *flames blush pink a little bit* "Ok maybe a little."

Eventually even Au!Spicynoodles comes to their canon counterparts defense. They argue that they have so many because the au verse has such a solid support system of close family to help care for them. ("And cus' they start smooching every time we turn our backs." "Dadsy!" "I'm telling it like it is"). Ends up making canon spicynoodles embarassed/flustered.

[cirusthecitrus]

Horde Prime's body language and mannerisms part 3/3

"Expressing facial emotion is a privilege reserved only for Prime"

Despite Prime trying to present himself as this perfect holy being who is above feelings and emotions his face is very expressive. And he's just so fun to look at! Whether he's drawn extremely goofy, unbearably cute or legit creepy

Part 1 // Part 2

1 Prolonged eye contact 👁️👁️

Prime's second favorite activity after touching people without their consent is staring intensely at them!

He can't actually "see all", but he's still trying to grasp as much as he possibly can

Prime likes to talk, but he can also be an attentive listener when he needs to. He allows his opponents speak their mind and gives them time to think and articulate themselves. All that so he can quietly observe and "read" them and find out what they actually think before they can even say a word. It's most notable with Catra. He'd often give her that "I know what you are" look X)

In some instances his stare is used to pressure people into agreeing with him and doing as he says. Or to simply scare them

Again, I've remebered HP being much more talkative than he actually is. There are many moment in the show where Prime is just... watching and patiently waiting for something. Obesrving others just to find something that can help him channel the conversation to the right direction. Like when he waited for Glimmer to try any dish on the table so he could comment on it. Or when he watched her and waited for a needed reaction when he showed her what he's been doing to Etheria

And he also often reacts without any sound or word. His true emotions are simply written on his face. They're seen in his eyes

But when HP really wants to hide them, only then does he open his mouth

2.1. The 👁️w👁️

I've talked about this before, but it was a long time ago, plus i wrote it in a reblog to another post, so now I'm bringing this back in my own post

Throughout the show Prime quite often does this one thing where he silently stares at his opponent while a knowing smile slowly spreads across his face. His eyes don't move and at no point does Prime break this intense eye contact. It looks like his whole expression changes, but the eyes stay the same. He may be smiling now, but there's still this hidden agression and venom behind those cold eyes. This is still a death stare

Most of the time Prime does this when he finds his opponents' attemts to intimidate and threaten him amusing or when he simply tries to hide his displeasure when something goes mildly wrong

But sometimes his smile is sort of a mixed signal and it's easy to read this expression wrong. One can misinterpret it as a sign that the danger has passed and Prime is not going to do them any harm after all. But in reality this smile only means that Prime has finally decided how he's going to kill them

Just like face touching, this is one of Prime's signature moves when he's trying to assert dominance, demostrate his confidense and assure that he's still in control of the situation. Or like in s4 finale scene, to warn his future victim of upcoming danger

3. "No war, no pain"

This moment has always stood out to me and all because of this face. It's such a strange almost out-of-character expression, it's both silly and a little unsettling

Here Prime is trying to make Glimmer help him find She-Ra to active the Heart - so it should be obvious that it's all bullshit and he's ready to say anything to justify his plans and made his intentions seem noble and "good actually"

He speaks in his usual voice too. But damn this manic look in his eyes haunst me to this day

Seems like he's not even looking directly at Glimmer. It's like he dissociates for a second

In this brief moment it feels like Prime is actually done with the current world and cant wait for all this "pain" to be over. What if all this time Prime was just planning to go out in style but also take everyone with him (cause how dare the world exist without him right)? This speculation contradicts his whole "Prime stays eternal" shtick, but going all this way and destroying the universe just so he can have a flashy death sounds like a Horde Prime thing to do (just remember the finale)

Or maybe he really wants to start anew and erase all the evidence of the shit he's done to the universe over the years. Or there's actually nothing behind those eyes i dunno *pokes prime with a stick* be more nuanced damnit!

4. Ears!

Sadly, we don't see spacebats move their ears much, but I think I can still work with what we got

Despite limitations in animation Prime's ears do move from time to time. And in his case they don't exactly indicate what he feels at the moment, but rather show HP's overall emotional state. His ears droop a lot during the two final episodes, and no wonder - since at the time Prime was already losing it and growing more desperate. Plus he was literally connected to the Heart of Etheria, must be overwhelming as all hell

His ears also change position in the middle of HP's passionate speeches, probably indicating that he's getting a little bit carried away - and this idea is so cute to think about :з

5. The vessel room scene

So many interesting expressions here! Probably because this is like, the only scene where Prime is all by himself (Hordak is mainly a background noise to him really). He's not as dramatic as when he's sitting on his throne surrouned by his clones or when he's tormenting his "guests" or confronting his enemies. There's no audience to act so dramatic and pretentious for

What i've noticed is how expressionless he is around his clones when no one else is watching. No smiling, no creepy touching. He's more distant and not as intrusive when its not for a show

This scene also gives a small glimpse at what day to day life of the horde clones probably looks like, as well as at their regular dynamic with Prime. And their relationship here is more mundane and cold than it is intense and horrifying. HP sees his brothers as any other tool, and just like with tools he doesnt even think about them until he needs them for something

Maybe thats what also makes Prime's touch such a powerful weapon - he doesnt normally do that. Which makes the clones both dread and crave his attention and his touch so much

I'm analysing this whole scene simply because we never see Prime like that anywhere else in the show. I mean look! I've never seen him being hesitant before and after this moment. He is only like that around his old vessel. Which again, brings up the question of his past and whether or not there is something Prime doesnt want to come back to. This body stores memories about the First Ones, his enemies, whom he himself called tyrants. Who knows what was happening back then and how it all might have affected Prime

Another small moment I like. Its so calm and quiet and lowkey almost intimate? Again, very unsual for Prime. And then there's this almost forced bitter tiny smile. It can mean two things - Prime has trouble connecting to the vessel (boo boring) or there are some memories which Prime finds pleasant. But again - they're are only memories

6. These eyes are always watching

Prime barely if ever closes his extra eyes. Well, mainly due to them not being animated - they rarely move, and never blink. Most of the time those eyes are stuck on his face like a decoration. BUT I think this only helps to reinforce the idea of Prime being this all seeing entity

No one can sneak up to him, even if his main eyes are closed... well, unless u try to come up from the left :p

7. Blink-blink

I said Prime never blinks with his extra eyes. I was wrong! He does just that in... literally only one episode. And not just blinks - some really weird shit is going on with his extra eyes during Hordak's purification scene. It looks like a nervous tic of some sorts. Nothing like that ever happens again - not in this very episode, not in any others. Why are they suddenly so animated??

Does whatever this is in the pool water hurt his eyes or is Prime just showing his sadistic excitement over his little brother being tortured?

Also, his eyes are only doing that when Prime talks about suffering and "being freed of pain" which is... an interesting reaction (especially if you remember omy previous speculations)

Well, that's all what I could find. Hope you found my HP ramblings interesting :)

[aperrywilliams]

We Could Try (Part 9): Take Me Home (Spencer Reid x Fem!BAU!Reader)

(Not my gif. Credits to the creator!)

Author Masterlist / Clueless (prequel)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9

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Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!BAU!Reader

Summary: Spencer stays with Reader all night in the hospital. Will she make it at the end? Will they make it too?

Word Count: 6.1k

Warnings: Hurt/Confort/Fluff. Talk about rough injuries, hospitals, and hostage situations. If I forgot something, let me know.

A/N: This is the last chapter, my loves. Thank you so much for the support you gave to this series. I love these two so much, and it's a bit sad to let them go, honestly.

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Spencer forgot the last time he had a nice dream. It was possibly months ago.

It was curious that, in these circumstances, he could dream of something nice again, but that's how it was.

-

He could see (Y/N) laughing as he tried to sing a song.

"You're so off-key," she complained, still laughing.

"But I'm your off-key guy. And you love me," Spencer told her, pecking her lips.

"You're right. But don't push it, pal," she teased him, playfully hitting his chest. Spencer chuckled as he pulled her to him.

"Come on, say it," Spencer requested.

"Say what?" (Y/N) asked as she didn't know what he was talking about.

"You know what!" Spencer pouted. (Y/N) grinned.

"Okay, okay. Don't get all fuzzy on me," (Y/N) said, holding Spencer's cheeks when he tried to avert her gaze. "Hey, look at me." Spencer's puppy eyes met hers.

"Spencer Walter Reid. I love you. I love you as I never loved anyone, and I will never do," she said, leaning forward to kiss him deeply. Spencer wanted that; he felt like the happiest man on earth.

-

His dream was disturbed by Emily, who had a coffee for him in hand, and a go-bag with - presumably - his clothes.

"You should sleep on the couch there," she pointed to the room corner. "That chair is anything but comfortable."

After rubbing his eyes, Spencer shook his head.

"I'm not leaving her side. Thanks though," Spencer stated, grabbing the coffee and sipping it. Emily understood.

"Okay. So for you to know, the case is officially closed. We found the connection we had missed between Turpin and his accomplishes. They are going to face trial now," she recounted.

"What about what he did to (Y/N)?"

"The guy is dead, Spencer. And due it was a legit defense, (Y/N) won't have to worry about protocol or anything."

Spencer let out a deep breath. They both kept staring at (Y/N), her breathing steady.

"Do you think she would make it?" He asked suddenly. Prentiss sighed, looking at (Y/N) lying in bed.

"She is the toughest girl I have known. That gives me enough hope." Spencer nodded. He would cling to that.

"Did you know she didn't want me to move in with her in Boston? I was so angry. I didn't see she still felt insecure about us. I thought everything was going okay. I'm so stupid," Spencer lamented. He should have known, and that made him feel guilty.

"No, you are not. But it's true that (Y/N) felt still vulnerable, and all the what-ifs lingering on her," Emily acknowledged, sipping her own coffee. Spencer turned to see her.

"She told you that?" Emily frowned, contemplating her answer.

"Not quite. But I know."

Spencer nodded, slumping on the chair.

"I love her, Emily. What can I do to make her come back?"

Spencer wasn't talking only about (Y/N) waking up. Things between them weren't on the highest note. Even if she could make it, what would it mean to them?

"The same you're doing since you got together again. With love, support, and communication. I don't know what else could work," Emily shrugged. "The wounds could still be there, but the constant reminder that you have each other will be helpful to heal. To both of you," she added.

And Prentiss was right. She had known Spencer and (Y/N) for years. She witnessed how they fell in love and the ups and downs throughout the past years. Their love wasn't something it could be underestimated.

Spencer spent that night by (Y/N)'s side. A doctor came the next morning to check on her. It was a good thing she didn't seize in the past hours. The danger wasn't entirely gone, but things were improving. A sense of relief washed over Spencer. Relief but anxiety, too, about what's coming next.

A whole day passed, and the team showed up to get updates on (Y/N). Some teammates from the Boston office came too. Spencer asked Emily to call (Y/N)'s sister, Sara. He didn't dare to do it himself.

That night Spencer didn't sleep again, even if his eyes were heavy and his body numb from the hours spent on that chair.

His mind wandered to the months at Milburn and how he was convinced (Y/N) would leave him. He thought about what Valerie told him days ago, about him making sure (Y/N) would never feel unworthy again. He didn't want (Y/N) to think like that.

It was almost dawn when the tiredness got Spencer. He closed his eyes, not leaving the grasp on (Y/N)'s hand as the slumber found him. His brain conjured a beautiful moment in his sleep: the time he proposed to her in Rossi's backyard.

-

'Are you okay?' (Y/N) asked Spencer when she noticed his leg bouncing under the table.

'Yeah. I'm okay,' Spencer lied. He was a nervous wreck. The velvet box was burning a hole in his jacket pocket. He tried to do it before dinner, but the words failed him. Why was it so difficult? He wanted to marry her. But if she says no? They have talked about it but never got serious before.

After dessert, the team was still at the table, laughing at Garcia's jokes. Spencer excused himself, got up, and walked to the backyard. He needed to do it now. He texted JJ and asked her to tell (Y/N) to go outside.

Worried that something was wrong with Spencer, (Y/N) showed up quickly and found him under dimmed lights that hung from the trees on Rossi's patio. When Spencer saw her, he reached out his hand to take hers and make her come closer.

'What's this?' She asked, confused.

'My poor attempt to make this proposal romantic,' he chuckled, pointing to the lights.

'What?'

‘(Y/N). I have been in love with you for ages. I told you that after I got shot, and I wasn't lying. This time we have been together proved to me that you are the love of my life. And I want to spend the rest of my days with you.' (Y/N)'s eyes widened when Spencer got down to one knee, revealing the velvet box with a ring inside.

'Will you marry me?'

The whole team watched from the glass doors and cheered when (Y/N) said yes, and Spencer put the ring on her finger. After all those years, it was happening at last.

Little did they know things wouldn't work like it was supposed to.

-

Still deep in sleep, Spencer had his body contorted with his head resting on (Y/N) 's mattress —an arm over her lap with his hand holding hers. Spencer's hair was a messy bird's nest, and his clothes were entirely wrinkled.

"You look like crap."

That voice brought Spencer to reality.

As he perked his head up, Spencer noticed a pair of half-lidded eyes looking at him. (Y/N) was awake. Tears began to stream from Spencer's eyes. They were happy tears but filled with pent-up stress from the last couple of days.

"Oh, God," he mumbled, kissing her hand and standing to give (Y/N) his full attention.

(Y/N) returned a weary smile. It was great to be alive, despite her aching body.

"How - how are you feeling?" Spencer stuttered, unsure if it was a good idea to ask but desperate to hear her voice again.

"Like someone beat the shit out of me, I guess?" (Y/N) paused to let out a deep sigh before continuing. "How bad is it?"

(Y/N) didn't know the extent of her injuries. She didn't figure out either how much time had passed since they found them in that basement.

"You will be okay. Everything will be okay. You need the rest, though. Your healing process depends on it," Spencer responded, not giving details about her wounds. The doctor would do that later.

(Y/N) nodded and cleared her throat, feeling her mouth dry. Spencer noticed and quickly grabbed a cup of water from the bedside table. He helped her to take a couple of sips.

"What happened after I-?" (Y/N) trailed off. 

The memories from the days at Turpin's mercy were coming back in pieces. "How is Valerie?"

(Y/N) didn't know; she fainted before the SWAT team helped Valerie to remove her restraints. (Y/N) wasn't sure either how badly that psycho had beaten her.

"Valerie is fine; she was discharged yesterday," Spencer informed.

"And Turpin's body?"

(Y/N) wanted to get all the information she missed, but maybe it was too soon. Spencer thought that.

"Hey, take it easy. Let's talk about that later, okay?"

(Y/N) nodded. Spencer was right. Also, the pain medication surely was getting effect on her because her eyes were feeling heavy and her body weary.

"I feel dizzy," (Y/N) mumbled, half awake, half asleep.

"That's why you need to rest. I'll inform the doctor to check on you later, okay?" Spencer kissed her hand again. (Y/N) couldn't respond because she was already asleep.

It was reassuring to have seen her awake. Spencer felt like he could breathe again. He hoped things would go well from here, and the doctor could say everything was in order. Before going for her, Spencer stared at (Y/N) as she slept. To see her face all bruised and the wounds on her body hurt more than if he had been hit. If he could have protected her somehow. If only all this could have been avoided.

Slowly Spencer left the room, closing the door behind him. The silence was quickly replaced by someone angrily calling his name. When he looked up, he saw (Y/N)'s sister approaching swiftly, a nurse behind her.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

The question was quickly accompanied by a nudge towards Spencer's shoulder. Spencer's eyes broadened; he could see all the anger in Sara's eyes.

"Miss, you can't do that-" the nurse tried to stop Sara, but she wasn't listening. Spencer froze on the spot. What could he say? He was very aware Sara didn't like him, but seeing her in that state was something else.

"I asked you a fucking question! What are you doing here? It's me who needs to be here, not you," Sara interjected.

"Sara-" Spencer started, but she cut him off before he could say something.

"You are the one to blame. How is that my sister ends kidnapped with your mistress, uh? Wasn't everything you made her suffer in the past enough?"

"What? Sara, that's not what happened," Spencer tried to explain, but Sara was already too agitated to try to reason.

"No? Wasn't my sister who got the brunt for defending that bitch? Uh?"

Spencer's tongue got caught in his mouth. How the hell did Sara know all of that? Sara let out a sarcastic laugh.

"You weren't expecting me to know that, right? And no, Emily didn't tell me. She is your friend, after all. She wouldn't do it. But the police down there were kind enough to enlighten me."

Of course. There is always a way. How to explain to her the intricacy of the whole thing now? Spencer could try, but they needed a long talk to do that.

"It's not that way, Sara. I can explain what really happened, but not here. Can we talk in another place, please?" Spencer tried to guide Sara down the hall where the cafeteria was; they could have more privacy there.

"Don't touch me! And no, I don't need you to explain to me anything! I know enough. I can't believe you, really," she huffed, stepping back from him. "You are the worst thing that happened to her. I thought you were decent, but you're just another scumb."

"I love (Y/N)!" Spencer defended, and that was the last straw for Sara.

"Don't you dare to say that! You don't have the right!"

A security guard stepped between them before Sara could lunge at Spencer.

"Miss, stop! I said stop!" the guard said as he put Sara at a distance. "You need to come with me; you're not staying here," he added.

"What?!" Sara asked in disbelief. Spencer intervened before the guy could take Sara out.

"No, no. It's okay. She is right. She is the one who has to be here. It's Miss (Y/L/N)'s sister," he confirmed. "I'm leaving now. Please, let her see her sister," Spencer requested.

Not very convinced, the guard looked at the nurse, who nodded, confirming Spencer's information. Only then did Sara calm down, lowering her arms and taking a deep breath.

"Okay. But please, if you make another turmoil, I'll have to get you out of the hospital," the guard warned. Sara nodded, looking now at the nurse, who reacted quickly.

"This way, miss," she told her, leading Sara toward (Y/N)'s room. As they passed, she barely glanced at Spencer when she spoke, only for him to hear.

"I don't want you near to her. Leave her alone."

With (Y/N)'s sister and the nurse out of sight, the security guard turned to Spencer.

"Are you okay, sir?" he asked empathetically. Spencer nodded.

"Ye - Yeah. She's her family and has the right to be mad at me," he mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The guard gave him a tight slipped smile before excusing himself from continuing his job.

Spencer didn't notice his hands were shaking. It was more than Sara's outburst. The words coming from her mouth gave Spencer a sense of drowning. He was the one to blame.

-

When (Y/N) woke up again, she hoped to see Spencer by her side. But instead, she saw Sara sitting in the same chair Spencer had done before. She was reading a book.

"Sara?" she mumbled. Her sister looked at her, a smile creeping on her face.

"Hey, it's good to see you awake," she replied, placing the book beside her.

"How long have I been out?" (Y/N) asked, trying to shift into a comfortable position. Sara checked her watch.

"When I arrived, you were already asleep. Then the doctor came to check on you. So I would say twelve hours or so," Sara noted.

It didn't feel that long, according to (Y/N). Her body still felt numb, although she was more conscious of her movements and surroundings.

"What did she say?"

"The doctor? She said you are doing great, considering," Sara informed.

Should she ask for Spencer? (Y/N) already suspected why he wasn't there, though.

As (Y/N) didn't say anything, Sara felt the need to break the silence.

"Jeez (Y/N), what the hell happened? Emily called me, but she didn't mention any detail," her sister recounted. (Y/N) sighed. "I almost freaked out when the cops outside told me you were in this pavilion. Who did this, sis?"

For (Y/N), it was a semi-rhetorical question, but she felt the urge to answer.

"A misogynist son of the bitch," she murmured. "But it's okay. It's over," (Y/N) hastened to say, knowing Sara always hated her job, especially the fieldwork and its consequences. For (Y/N), it was evident Sara wanted to say something about it, but their conversation was cut off by a nurse who entered to check on her.

"Agent (Y/L/N). How are you feeling?"

The next hours were pretty much the same. (Y/N) still would dozen off quickly after waking up. From time to time, a nurse would come to take her vitals and fill her chart as her sister kept her company.

The following day, (Y/N)'s doctor did a new medical check. The results were good enough to allow her to be transferred to a new room in the non-critical patient ward.

(Y/N) was grateful for having her sister there but felt uneasy when the time passed and Spencer didn't show. She needed to talk to him but was afraid to ask.

The opportunity came when Prentiss visited her two days later.

"You look way better," Emily stated.

"Don't lie. I look like a fucking pushing ball," (Y/N) groaned.

"A pushing ball in a healing process," Emily corrected, chuckling. "What did the doctor say?"

"She says (Y/N) would be able to leave in a week or so," Sara - who was there too - responded.

"That's great!"

"Yeah. It will be a way long week, though," (Y/N) whined, sighing.

Emily sensed some of (Y/N) 's discomfort. And she suspected why too. Emily talked to Spencer, and he mentioned his no-friendly encounter with Sara. The question was if (Y/N) knew what had happened.

When silence settled in the room, (Y/N)'s sister realized maybe they needed some privacy.

"I'm going to grab a coffee. Want some?" She asked Prentiss.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

Once Sara was out of sight, (Y/N) immediately shot the question.

"Okay. What happened? I know there is something with Spencer, but Sara won't tell me anything."

Emily shook her head, sitting on the bed's edge.

"Let's say Sara didn't take very well to seeing Spencer here under these circumstances."

"Where is he now?" (Y/N) asked worriedly. Emily chuckled.

"It's a little bizarre, to be honest. Spencer has spent the whole week here but hidden from Sara's sight. He talks to the nurses and your doctor as well, and they give him updates on your health state. The nurses love him because they find the whole situation like a modern version of Romeo and Juliet." (Y/N) chuckled. Bizarre asides, it was adorable.

"Emily, what should I do? Last time I checked, I wasn't a teenager." Prentiss nodded.

"I know. But Spencer doesn't want to be a problem for you knowing Sara is here. And, well, considering the things she said to him, he has been feeling very guilty."

(Y/N) frowned. She wasn't surprised about Sara's temper, but with her dislike for Spencer, the combination could be lethal.

"What did she say to him?"

"I don't think it's my position to tell you about it. It's your sister, (Y/N). You need to figure it out and ask her. And you have to decide how you want to get to terms in this matter."

Prentiss was right on that. Although the mess between Sara and Spencer, she was the one who needed to cut it off. (Y/N) loves her sister and appreciates her concern, but it was her life and her decisions, and she must know that.

Before Emily left, (Y/N) asked her a favor.

-

That night (Y/N) kept thinking about what she wanted to do. She decided to talk to Sara the next morning to clear things up. Sara should know what (Y/N) wanted for her life.

"Can we talk?" (Y/N) asked her sister when she peeked in that morning.

"Sure. What's it?" Sara grabbed a chair and sat close to (Y/N)'s bed.

"You already know," (Y/N) pointed. Sara huffed with discomfort, leaning back in the chair.

"It took you long enough."

"What happened, Sara?"

"What? Emily didn't tell you?"

"No, in fact, she didn't. And I want to hear it from you."

Sara nodded. After crossing her leg over her knee, she described what had happened when she saw Spencer in the hospital that afternoon.

"Was I too rough? Yes. Do I regret it? Not at all," Sara finished.

"It wasn't like that. That was my decision, Sara. And I know the outcome wasn't something pleasant to anyone, but Spencer doesn't have any blame for that," (Y/N) explained. Sara shook her head.

"You know I'm not only talking about you being kidnapped and tortured."

"About that, you know I decided to give it a try. I truly appreciate your concern and know you don't want me to get hurt again. But I love Spencer, Sara. And in the time we have been together, he earned my trust back. It's true I still had doubts, but they were because of my own insecurities. Valerie managed to get that to surface, and I never did o say anything to voice that feeling," (Y/N) chuckled to herself. "You know? It's the first time I admit it aloud, and I feel relieved."

"But Spencer was the one who brought Valerie into your life. Of course, he is responsible."

(Y/N) knew Sara was right in the facts, but her point was different.

"It could have been anyone at any time. Don't think I haven't thought about it," she tried to explain. Sara raised an eyebrow.

"And your conclusion?"

"I can't stay between four walls expecting not to be hurt again. Not if it means running away from the chance to be happy. Life is so fragile that I don't want to waste another minute running and hiding."

(Y/N)'s eyes filled with tears, and her heart with love for the man she knew was her forever. Her sister noticed. How couldn't she? It didn't matter if she disliked him; Spencer was de the man (Y/N) chose.

"He is a lucky bastard," Sara mumbled. (Y/N) chuckled.

"I know he'll agree with you," (Y/N) teased.

"If not, I'm going to kill him for real," Sara warned as (Y/N) shook her head. After some seconds of silence, (Y/N) spoke, giving puppy eyes to her sister.

"Can you call him, please?"

"What? I would prefer not to," she responded. (Y/N) pouted.

"Come on, it's what your beautiful sister wants. Please?"

Sara pressed her lips together, trying not to give in. (Y/N) narrowed her eyes to her.

"Sara, if you don't call him, I will get up from this bed and look for him myself," (Y/N) forewarned.

"What? You can't do that! You're injured, for God's sake," Sara shrieked.

"Sure I won't," (Y/N) defied, sitting in the bed, swinging her feet out of the covers.

"Hey, hey. Stop! Okay!"

(Y/N) halted her doing but looked at her sister with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll go to get him, okay? Just don't get up. I don't want to see you almost bare walking through the hospital corridors. Besides, maybe he is not here either."

"And whose fault would that be?" (Y/N) whined, and her sister rolled her eyes.

"I insist it's not a good idea, but who can change your mind anyway?" Sara huffed before leaving the room.

-

Emily wasn't joking when she told (Y/N) the nurses loved Spencer. They did check on him constantly in the corner of the waiting room where he spent most of the time. They warned him when (Y/N) 's sister was near, and in the past few days, they even allowed him to take naps in a room the doctors have on that floor for that very purpose.

He was doing precisely that when Ashley - one of the nurse's staff - woke him up.

"Doctor Reid? Someone wants to see you."

Thinking it could be Emily, he stood quickly and left the room, rubbing his eyes.

"Spencer?" Sara called. It wasn't a sweet tone but quiet enough not to make a fuss in the hospital corridor. Immediately Spencer opened his eyes and straightened his posture.

"Uh. Sara. Hey. I wasn't- I -" He stuttered, regaining consciousness. He wasn't expecting to see her, and considering her instructions to stay away, Spencer didn't want another fight.

"Don't. I don't want to hear it. I'm only here because she wants to see you," Sara cut him off.

"(Y/N) wants to-?" Spencer tried to follow Sara's words. She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's what I said. And even if my better judgment still tells me I should kick your ass, I won't do something against my sister's wishes."

In that matter, Sara was right. She still didn't like Spencer and blamed him for many things that caused pain (Y/N). But despite that, she loves (Y/N) and respects her decisions.

Spencer nodded appreciatively in silence while straightening his clothes. Before Sara changed her opinion, he walked toward (Y/N)'s room.

(Y/N)'s lips formed into a smile when Spencer peeked through the door.

"Hey," he mumbled, closing the door behind him.

"Hey, Romeo," (Y/N) teased, shifting to a sitting position. Spencer chuckled, eyes to the floor, embarrassed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked shyly, not getting too close in case (Y/N) didn't want it. Sara's words still reverberated in his mind.

"Much better. The doctor said it would take some time, but I'm gonna be okay. But for what I was told, you already know that," (Y/N) commented. Spencer smiled, cheeks tinting in a red shade.

"Kind of. They told me you were getting better, but it's different when you say it."

A silence settled in the room. (Y/N) could see Spencer's reluctance to approach. With hands in his pockets, he stood there at a safe distance from her. (Y/N) knew why.

"Spencer, please, forgive Sara. She is having a hard time," (Y/N) tried to explain. Spencer bit his lower lip, nodding.

"I know. I know," he acknowledged. "She is not wrong, though," he added. (Y/N)'s eyes enlarged.

"What? No! In fact, she's wrong. You didn't kidnap me or beat me. It was Turpin," (Y/N) reasoned.

That was a fact, but (Y/N) already suspected it was more than that.

"That's the only thing we can blame another person for, but everything before? Sara hates me, and she is right," he voiced, averting his gaze from (Y/N)'s.

"Do you really think that?" She questioned, fearing the answer.

It was a conversation they needed to have. A conversation that was transpiring months way late and not in a better setting, but it has to be done.

"That your sister hates me, and she's right?" Spencer scoffed and posed like it was obvious.

"And you are the worst thing that could have happened to me. Because that's what she told you, isn't it?"

Spencer gulped hard. Those were Sara's words, indeed. Does he believe them, though? The most important thing: does (Y/N) believe them?

"Yeah. That. She is your sister; she must know and be right about that."

(Y/N)' s eyes softened. She recognized that look—the same look of self-deprecation and shrinking she had after Valerie's words that night at the bar.

"You can't really think that. And not because you cannot be able to sabotage yourself - a thing I know you do. You can't because it's not true." 

Spencer downcasted his gaze. It was hard to believe he wasn't responsible for a brunch of (Y/N)'s painful moments.

"Damn it, Spencer! Some of the best days of my life have been with you!" (Y/N) blurted, trying to make her point. And in some way, she succeeded as Spencer's eyes met hers.

"But I hurt you. And I still do! I promised you not to. And I stupidly thought it was time to move forward when you weren't ready and still had doubts. What kind of boyfriend could I be if I can't notice that?"

His hands, previously tucked in his pockets, now ran through his hair. The gesture told (Y/N) how troubled he felt.

"Well. I didn't say anything, either," she indicated to erase some of the weight Spencer was putting on him.

"It doesn't matter, (Y/N). I should have known."

Spencer's arms slumped to his sides. He still wanted to torture himself because he felt he deserved it.

"And for that, you are going to give up?"

Those words made him frown in confusion. Give up what?

"Uh?"

(Y/N) sighed, reaching for his hand so he could come closer. Spencer hesitated for a second but then gave in, holding her hand and sitting beside her on the mattress. To feel her touch was strange and comforting at the same time.

"Spencer. We have been through a lot these months since we decided we could try this. And even if not everything has gone perfectly, God! I'm so glad we did!"

(Y/N)'s voice was filled with emotion. Recounting the past months, she felt nothing but happy about their time together.

"Me too! But I can't stop thinking I didn't do enough to fix what I broke when I pushed you away for Valerie."

(Y/N) shook her head, stroking Spencer's hand lovingly.

"Don't say that. You have done enough. The thing is, you can't expect to fix something like that on your own. Yeah, the reassurance helps, but it's not the only thing to be done. I mean, I always told you how therapy or talking to another person could help you confront what happened in jail. Still, it seems I didn't listen to my own advice," (Y/N) mused, bringing Spencer's hand to her lips to kiss it.

"What changed?" He asked, now playing with her fingers in his.

"When I was in that basement, at some point, I thought we wouldn't make it. And the fact I would never see you again almost broke me. I think that was an efficient wake-up call," (Y/N) explained, smiling sadly.

"I'm sorry. I should have been faster locating Turpin to save you from him," Spencer apologized, remembering the frustration during the hours they were in the dark on how to catch the unsub.

"You did save me, Spencer, even if you didn't pull the trigger."

Spencer tilted his head in confusion. How did he do that? (Y/N) noticed he didn't understand what she said.

"My mind focused on the most important moments we had shared. I conjured every memory that reminded me why I'm so in love with you. That kept me strong."

Spencer's eyes turned glassy. Jesus, the woman in front of him, went through hell in the past days and was there, alive and declaring her love for him. Did he deserve that?

"(Y/N), you're already the strongest woman I know. You did this by yourself," Spencer tried to refute as (Y/N) shook her head.

"Believe me. At some point, my inner strength wasn't enough. It's true when I tell you motivation is a powerful source. And you were mine. The chance to tell you 'I love you' and 'I trust you' encouraged me to survive," she meant.

"You do?" Spencer asked, almost choking with the tears he tried to keep at bay.

"Yes, my love. And I needed to tell you. I couldn't have died before that. I would never have forgiven myself if I didn't. I love you, and I trust you," (Y/N) declared, not breaking eye contact with Spencer. Now his tears ran free down his cheeks as he brought (Y/N) 's hand to his lips to kiss it. A gesture that told (Y/N) they were getting there.

"I love you, and I trust you, too," he murmured, lolling at the softness of her hand on his lips. "And I'm sorry if I made you think I didn't."

"It wasn't only about the possibility you could cheat or disrespect me. It was the idea you couldn't trust me about what you were feeling. Because we both know when things between us started to go down, and it was before Valerie," (Y/N) explained, and Spencer nodded in understanding.

"Jail," he filled in.

"Why didn't you tell me what was happening then? I asked myself that so many times, and my conclusion was you didn't trust me anymore. And that our love was dying. I feared it was the end. And then Valerie came into your life. Yeah, it could be easier to blame her for snatching you from me. But I kept silently blaming myself."

Spencer was about to say something, but (Y/N) didn't let him.

"Yes. We talked about it, and you explained why you pushed me away. But my mind kept lingering with the idea I wasn't enough for you. The box of all my insecurities exploded wide open. And that's why Valerie's words touched a nerve so deep in me."

Spencer's grasp of her hands tightened, trying to convey how badly he wanted to hold her and push away her insecurities.

"Valerie told me what she said to you that night. And it is the farthest from the truth. (Y/N), I wasn't tired of you. I wasn't expecting an excuse to leave you. I just wanted to keep you safe from the beast I thought I became. And I'm so sorry because now I can truly see how it hurt you," Spencer recognized.

"It's okay, Spencer. Things could be different now, or I least wish that," (Y/N) 's voice was hopeful. Spencer nodded eagerly.

"They could, and they will. I promise. I will do anything to spare you from feeling that again. Baby, I love you as I had never loved someone. You are the light of my life. My best friend, my lover, the person I want to be with for the rest of my life. And this time, love, it will be really at your pace," Spencer vowed.

(Y/N) grinned, feeling the butterflies erupting in her stomach. That was what she needed to take the leap of faith. No more running, no more hiding. Spencer mirrored her grin, rubbing her cheek lovingly. Their eyes were talking in silence and promising forever love.

"I would really love it if you kissed me now," (Y/N) whispered. Spencer chuckled.

"Yes, ma'am."

Slowly he leaned, tenderly cupping (Y/N)'s cheeks. She closed her eyes, breath picking up in anticipation. When their lips touched, every doubt and every insecurity melted away. And instead, the kiss made way for the fire that had always glowed between them. The flame that brought them together the first time has remained lit.

(Y/N)'s hands flew to grab Spencer's shirt. The sensation of his lips on her was so intense that she felt lightheaded. 

They would have continued showing their love for each other if the need for breath hadn't been so strong. Several I love yous were blurted as they parted briefly before kept kissing.

At some point (Y/N) reluctantly ended the kiss to rest her forehead on his.

"I want to go home," (Y/N) mumbled, her eyes closed, basking in the feeling of Spencer's breath fanning her face.

Spencer leaned back a bit to look at her. His eyes softened. It was a fair wish, although that reminded him they were still in a long-distance relationship. But Spencer had already promised (Y/N) to go at her pace, so he didn't want to overwhelm her.

"You will, but you need to recover first," he pointed, caressing her cheek. (Y/N) sighed.

"Will you take me home?" she asked, looking at him hopefully. Spencer nodded.

"Of course. I will rent a car and drive us to Boston as soon as your doctor discharges you," he promised.

"No. Don't do that," (Y/N) requested. Spencer narrowed his eyes.

"Why not? The doctor will not allow you to fly yet," Spencer tried to reason.

"I know that," (Y/N) acknowledged. "I was talking about driving us to Boston," she clarified. Spencer was more confused now.

"(Y/N), you said you wanted to go home," he reminded her. (Y/N) smiled.

"Yeah. To go home, with you, in DC," (Y/N) explained. Spencer's eyes widened.

"What?! DC? You mean, as long as you can heal the injuries, right?" Spencer wanted to clarify. (Y/N) giggled, knowing Spencer wouldn't assume her real wish until she said it loud and clear.

"No, baby. I want to stay in DC as long as you'll have me. Spencer, I can't be away from you for another minute. I don't want to either. You're my home; our history and friends are in DC. That's my home."

"But- your life in Boston? Your job?" Spencer stuttered. (Y/N) grabbed his hands in hers and squeezed them.

"It doesn't matter. Believe me, none of that is something I want to keep. Not when my heart is with you," (Y/N) reassured. Spencer was still processing her words.

"Are- are you serious? We don't have to do this. I mean, I can be the one who could move to Boston," Spencer reminded her.

"I know. But there is no reason for me to stay there. Adrian was right; I went to Boston because I was running and hiding from what had happened. I don't have to do that anymore."

Spencer's confusion morphed into happiness.

"God, I love you," he blurted before trapping her lips in a sweet kiss. (Y/N) giggled into the kiss.

"I love you, too," (Y/N) responded once they parted. "And I really want this. Back then, we decided we could try, and against the odds, we made it. Now it's time to go home. Together. Please, take me home," she asked him with hopeful eyes. Spencer smiled and nodded.

"Let's go home then," he whispered before kissing her forehead.

They both were ready for the next chapter of their lives.

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

Spencer Reid's Taglist: @dreatine​ @nomajdetective @jayyeahthatsme @rosalinasam2 @averyhotchner @tvandfanfic​ @lovelyxtom @princessmiaelicia @pastelbabygirl19 @reidsbookclub @alexxavicry @gspenc @spencerreidisbae123 @calmspencer @pauline5525mgg @maltamurdock @disaster-in-waiting @pebble-has-a-mirgraine @anamiad00msday @chlochlosworld @milivanili99 @thebloomingeagle @laylasbunbunny @leahblackk @miaxx03 @missabsey

[lily-orchard]

Was hoping for some relationship advice if you're okay with it. I (M27) told my girlfriend I was moving to a new place (my first time livingindependenly), and when I told her I would be living with 2 girls, she became a lot less enthusiastic about being happy for me. So far, she has asked her girl friends, parents, therapist, and at least one guy friend, their opinion most of whom have been on my side that this is a good thing. I've gotten a few long paranoid texts, one at 3 a.m., and now she's asking for my roommates full names so she can look them up online and I'm legit concerned she is going to cyberstalk them. It has been days. I have tried to ask her to trust me and to ask her to wait and see the apartment and the roommates, but it feels like she just won't trust me. Any advice

I can't help you here. I have a zero tolerance policy for that paranoid crap and I don't date people who aren't open anyway.

[fuck-customers]

time to vent dump! <3 everyone at my job is so tired of one coworker of ours - he was "knighted" so he has a Sir suffix (something tells me that was something he got online and legit changed his name about it) and is an author of one book (we work at a gas station. he's very high and mighty about his book) i looked said book up and it's about a man and a woman who have almost the same name who date "so they can say their own names during sex" and the summary i read reeks of his personality, "i pretend to be so woke when really i'm a huge misogynist". such a big head on this guy's shoulders to start with.

he comes in to start his shift and immediately starts talking nonstop. mostly it is either complaints about customers, coworkers who aren't present, or music/media from his generation nobody cares about but insists are amazing and we should check them out. (really sticks out in my mind how he recommended that Lou Reed song about a boy being obsessed about his football coach. coworker seemed to think it was super progressive for the time bc it was talking about gay stuff when that's kinda overshadowed by the age difference element :/ )

he will talk over you, and it feels like if he's not talking about old media, he's talking about something negative (but of course he loves to complain about one of our female coworkers mentioning some tough things that are happening in her life right now. she's just SOOOO negative he says as he continues to shit talk everyone nonstop.)

at first i thought he'd be cool - when we first met he noticed my pronoun necklace and gendered me correctly like twice. (never did it again. we had a store meeting where my manager thought it'd be a great idea to single me out and tell everyone we need to work on getting my pronouns right. i don't think my manager meant ill will by it, he's trying to be supportive despite being ignorant of how everything trans works, but this douchey coworker tried to compare my gender neutral pronouns to his "sir" suffix and how "he didn't complain when people didn't call him sir" :/ that's.... that's really not comparable dude. everyone ignored him.)

today he was telling a story about a coworker and how badly she handled a situation with a deaf homeless person who sometimes comes to our store - when he finished, i tried to start telling a related story about how i passed notes back and forth with that deaf man a couple times and- that was as far as i got before he said "i don't give a flying fuck"

i've thought about it, and maybe he was saying, in context of the story, that he didn't give a fuck if the guy took some bananas while the coworker he was shit talking did care - but the way he delivered that line was so confusing, it really felt like he was telling me "i don't give a fuck about what you did or your story". in the moment i was stunned to silence, and tried later to rationalize it this way. i realized even if the former was the case, this coworker cared more about telling his story to shit talk our other coworker than he actually cared about the homeless person who was desperate for some food. it was more about opposing her than being generous or understanding with him. so when he tried to continue, i ignored him in favor of helping our other, newbie coworker, with his register.

i remember an old female coworker of mine told me he yelled at her to "never interrupt him when he's talking to a woman," which reeks of superiority and desperation lol

all in all he's just an unfriendly, disrespectful, self centered, unpleasant person who thinks his shit smells like roses. i feel bad whenever i clock out and leave one of my female coworkers with him for closing shift, although luckily i think he's bored by her and mostly leaves her alone unless he wants to bitch about something or talk about old media. he's always trying to crack jokes and they all are either bordering on the offensive or are just straight up not funny or both. i'm really sick of him and i can tell just about everyone else is too. i'm so so glad i only see him in passing, as he's a closer and i'm an opener, but the few minutes i have with him as i'm clocking out and gathering my things are just 8') a few minutes too many.

[hello-nichya-here]

What are your thoughts on MJ's daughter supporting Israel and trying to distance herself from her dad? Girl won't even defend him

Jesus fucking Christ, are you guys coordinating these asks? This is the third time one of you asked me it, I'm legit impressed.

Let's get the easy, and horrible part out of the way first: nobody on the fucking planet has any excuse to support Israel. You can hate Hamas and the goverments of countries like Iran without excusing the literal genocide of civilians in Palestine, because yes, that's what Israel is doing right now.

Paris Jackson (and everyone else, famous or not, that is still pretending Israel isn't commiting all kinds of crimes against humanity right now) should have known better and needs to get her shit together.

Now, onto the messy part:

Although Paris has recently said "it's not her role/place" to defend her dad, lets not forget the other things she said on that same controversial statement:

1 - She fully believes her father is innocent and called the "documentary" Leaving Neverland pure lies.

2 - She believes that everything that could be said about her father's innocence has been said already and she'd have nothing new to add to the conversation.

3 - Her cousin Taj has become basically the leader of the family's campain to clear Michael's name and has been doing an amazing job.

4 - She's not as patient as her father was to deal with that kind of stuff and she has been focusing more on trying to recover from her mental health issues.

That last one is important, specially when we remember that Paris has claimed to have been sexually abused in school (which left her with PTSD), and that she has struggled with addiction, paranoia and a freaking suicide attempt.

It would not be surprising to me if having to listen to allegations of childhood sexual abuse is extremelly triggering for her - especially since the person being accused of being the abuser is her late father, who was murdered by his doctor when she was just 10-years-old, and she was treated like a stupid child in denial everytime she tried to point out the things being said about him were not true.

Considering she has continued to praise her father over the years, both with small things like posting a family picture on Father's day this year and big things like saying he was a super accepting man that was totally cool with her not being straight, and DID defend him publically every now and then, like, once again, calling "Leaving Neverland" pure lies when it came out, I'd say she's not really trying to distance herself from her dad or imply she's starting to think he might have been guilty. I think she just genuinely cannot fucking stand having to act as his lawyer only to have every word she says ignored, no matter how much evidence she offers to back it up.

(And before anyone brings up the fact that Taj was also a victim of sexual abuse in his childhood and has is still speaking out in support of his uncle, including of how he helped him deal with his trauma, keep in mind that people cope differently and heal at different paces).

Do I think she could have phrased some things better? Yes.

If either of my parents were accused of something horrible and a bunch of people kept insisting they were guilty despite all evidence poiting to the contrary, would I interact with said celebrities? No, and it is extremelly disappointing whenever Paris does that...

... But then again, Michael was at war with his record label, Sony, for years and was convinced they were not only sabotaging his career but also trying to murder him, yet he still was ready to go on a final tour that was going to make them A LOT of money. Like father, like daughter.

Honestly, I would not blame the entire Jackson family if they just made one last big documentary to try and clear Michael's name, then, regardless of how it was taken, packed all their shit and moved to a remote island, far away from the spotlight and never spoke to any journalist or had any social media presence again. They've been getting screwed over and surrounded by awful people in the industry, the media, and amongst other celebrities since the goddamn sixties, it's a miracle anyone of them is still trying to "play the game" or explain themselves.

[akindofmagictoo]

secret third WIP 👀

@ellatholmes @e-lisard @klywrites much love for all of you <3

you will have to bear in mind a couple things: this is a revamp of an existing concept that never made it to first draft, and a lot of what i'm revamping is still very up in the air. oh, and also, this contains lots of spoilers because i can't talk out my plot without including twists.

but essentially our story follows Nyx, an assassin/soldier on behalf of a country at war; Albin, a prince of a nearby country which has broken off contact with Nyx's people some time ago ... and also the guy Nyx was meant to be killing at the start of the plot; and arguably Minerva, who is the main reason Nyx and Albin don't kill each other by page five.

Nyx's people are known as the Underworld. Albin comes from the Upperworld. there is some kind of physical separation; probably a big cliff. the Underworld has control of the underground water supply, which was cut off some decades ago (through no fault of their own). in response, the Upperworld cut off communication and has been refusing any interaction.

here's what I do have. Nyx is on an assassination mission, i think. her people are at war, invaded by [probably] underground shapeshifting monsters. they have been trying to call for help for literal decades, and no one's listening, so it's murder time. logic of "if this doesn't get their attention nothing else will". except ... she doesn't make it there. she's ended up in prison, accused of murdering the queen. she was here to do a murder, yes ... but she's pretty sure she didn't do that one.

she's approached by Minerva, a member of the Upperworld's court, who offers an opportunity to get out. she has to go on a dangerous quest to retrieve a stone of some variety, which according to prophecy will reunite the countries and end the war. Nyx likes Not Being In Prison, and agrees. except she also has to travel with Albin, the murdered queen's son. and also the guy she was supposed to be murdering. great. cool. fine. no one is happy about this except maybe Minerva.

(Nyx is a little bit happier when she is informed that if she kills Albin in the stone's location it will be helpful for her, she just has to persevere).

now, here is where things get messy (both in and out of world). Minerva is a shapeshifter, but she has defected to come help the Upperworld and Underworld to get their act together. or has she?

the stone would be useful for the war, but it's also within the stronghold of the shapeshifters, deep underground. will Nyx and Albin get there? or will they both die? is Minerva's claim that Nyx can sacrifice Albin for the stone legit, or has she perhaps said the same thing to Albin? is the prophecy even real...?

(short answer: prophecy not real, Minerva is trying to get them both killed and deepen the civil war so there's no chance of reunion and thus victory)

(however, tough luck for Minerva, Nyx and Albin grow to actually care about each other and manage to pull through, save each other on several occasions (after the occasions where they tried to kill each other), and reunite their two countries to drive out the shapeshifters)

primarily i have lots of feelings about Nyx and Albin as characters so i'll follow this up with a reblog, hang on.

[spaceorphan18]

Imagine my surprise hearing a familiar voice on this week's podcast!!!! Congratulations to you!! How did you get that call?!?

Hi Teach!!

Yay, thank you!

Okay, so here's the story --

Three-ish weeks ago, I get a somewhat random message from one of the Scarves and Coffee moderators if I'd be interesting talking to the producer of the podcast. I was kind of -- huh?? The Mod in question, who is a lovely person, doesn't follow me, nor do I know them, so I kind of thought it was a joke at first.

But being curious, I said okay - and she sent the producer my email. The producer replied almost immediately. And, ngl, I was in shock, because I didn't expect to get a reply at all. (Honestly, I think with the strike dragging out as log as it did, they were beginning to get desperate for content. And, idk, maybe Kevin's interest in fanfiction pushed them onto doing it? I have no idea.)

Anyway - we traded a few emails, and then the producer asked if she could call. Ngl, I googled her just to make sure this wasn't a prank. Sure enough - she seemed legit, so I gave her my phone call.

The producer of the show was actually really nice. She was/is a Glee fan, (and probably more in the know than Kevin and Jenna on somethings from what I could tell by our convo.) She asked some basics - like what was my relationship with the show, how/when did I start writing fanfic, those kinds of things.

Interestingly, and in case you're wondering why this happened, I mentioned to her that I wanted to remain somewhat anonymous. Something she didn't know (and obviously K and J didn't either) is that there are legal issues concerning fanfic. Thirty years ago, Anne Rice sued every single fanfic writer she could find. Now, I know things are better, and copyright stuff has changed, but I'm not a lawyer, and I didn't want to take that chance - so I asked if we could only use my name, and I did not give her my social media handles.

The other reason for that, though? I still am one of those people who like to keep their real life and fandom life a little separate. I know all of you guys know a great deal about me, but I'm not ready for Kevin and Jenna's 55 million followers to descend down on me. Nor do I really want them (or other people in my personal life) to know about what's on this blog/or my fanfiction. Also, maybe feeling a little guilty, I have been somewhat critical of the podcast (though I've always tried to maintain resect for K and J) and I really didn't want the producer digging into that, either.

She was super nice about everything though, and we worked it out that no one would see my face, nor would my last name or social media stuff be shared.

Also, interestingly, within that convo -- I learned that Kevin and Jenna still don't feel like people really like them all that much, and were really moved when people sent in voicemails about the podcast. I was also asked not to ask questions about the show -- because they don't remember anything, but I could ask other questions, because they love answering them.

I did have a few questions - but I never had them answered. The interview went by so quickly, and they moved from question to question so quickly that I never got to ask.

She also mentioned they had just finished The First Time podcast. Not really helping myself, I let her know Kurt was my favorite character, and that TFT was one of my favorites. And I said I had hoped they liked it. The producer paused a bit before replying -- stating that they had warmed to the episode as they talked (kind of like Born This Way) but I would like the episode. (Sure, Jan...)

Another thing she said was that the woman who had just aired, the one who stopped watching during season 3, had a lot of negative attention because she didn't watch the show after season 3. She was really grateful that I had watched the whole series and was still active in fandom. Plus, she loved that I run a bookstore.

Anyway - she basically asked if I was available in two days to record (!!!). Luckily I could (and even if I couldn't - I am the boss and could rearrange). I'm guessing not many other people could do the middle of the day on Wednesdays, so I was chosen.

They already had the other two guests ready to go -- and no, I don't know either of them. It's interesting that they even wanted a third person. And this whole thing is really a lot of really dumb luck.

So, two days later, after a lot of thinking, and one zoom meeting with @snarkyhag to make sure my computer worked properly, I was on the call with Kevin and Jenna. Crazy, right??

Honestly - I really was just at the right place at the right time, grateful that someone reached out to me, and that the producer was really desperate for guests, because I don't think the opportunity would have ever come otherwise.

I'll talk a little more about the actual interview in another ask.

Glad you liked it, Teach! <3

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

I know the ZKs were mad when Mike confirmed on the podcast that there was nothing romantic between Katara and Zuko in the crossroads of destiny. That it was just empathy 😂

And it's not like we needed anyone to confirm something that obvious.

The one time they were not hostile with each other before Crossroads was when the Gaang + Zuko and Iroh teamed up against Azula. And even though Katara did something really nice when she showed compassion and offered to heal Iroh after Azula blasted fire at him, Zuko was NOT moved by her compassion, and in fact lashed out at her and her friends just for being near him and Iroh - aka the one person there he actually gave a shit about and had not been fighting side by side with just because it was convenient.

Crossroads happen, it's a nice moment - that also included Katara saying that up until that point she had pictured "the enemy's face" as Zuko's face, which makes perfect sense considering he has been trying to kidnap her best friend, and put her, her brother, their tribe, and a bunch of innocent people in danger. For fucks sake, before they both let their guards down a bit, Katara calls him a horrible person and she 100% means it. Why wouldn't she? We saw Zuko do kind things and show remorse/doubt, she did not.

And after such a meaninfull moment what does Zuko do? Immediately teams up with Azula, his sister/rival/enemy, and helps her capture Ba Sing Se for their father - who disfigured and banished him, and whom we later find out in The Day Of Black Sun that Zuko legit thought might have killed his mom. Even that guy meant more to Zuko than Katara did.

And who does Zuko repeatedly mention, visit, and eventually begs to forgive him after his betrayal? Iroh. Again.

And whose kind words of "we could have been friends" does Zuko explicitly bring up when he tries to join the Gaang? Aang. The guy his story is constantly a parallel to. The actual first person to trust him and give him a chance.

And, of course, after his "romantic moment" (according to Zutarians) with Katara, the next episode shows Zuko in a relationship with Mai. And once he is forced to leave her, yeah, he was kind of a douche by breaking up with her through a letter BUT he did feel the need to explain himself to her, to give her a proper goodbye, he even says "I'm sorry, Mai", and looks like a dumbass in love when he brings her up during a conversation with Sokka.

What was the one time he seemed to even remember Katara's existence before joining the Gaang? Oh yeah, when he remembered the water from the oasis and realizes she could have used it to save Aang - meaning Ozai would be mad at him. Even the ONE time that interaction with Katara crosses his mind without someone else mentioning it to him, it is still all about his feelings for a completely different person.

As for Katara, she also didn't bring Zuko up once. She was busy talking things out with her dad, travelling and getting into trouble with her friends, and worrying about the war - ya know, the one Zuko pretty much helped his father win, and yet she didn't mention him at all.

And when he joins the group? She naturally doesn't trust him in the slightest, and says that she will make him pay if he hurts AANG again. Pretty much stating that her anger at him is not because they had any kind of deep, meaningful bond (be it romantic or platonic) but because he was responsible for her nearly losing someone she loved - much like his nation took her mother from her, something she explicitly told him about, which must have only twisted the knife further.

Because of all of this, I wouldn't give a damn if Mike and literally everyone else involved in creating the show had said that the scene in Crossroads was meant to be romantic - the actual story and characters clearly show that was NOT the case.

Zutarians can cry about it all they want, but Zuko and Katara's bond starts in the second half of book 3, and it's clearly platonic. Any romance, or even friendship, that claim existed before that was only in their heads, not in the actual story.

[minkoy]

𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍𝚋𝚢𝚎. - (𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛? - 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝)

summary: diluc explains everything and you become lesbian good friends with kokomi.

warnings: angst, no comfort, cheating, diluc lowkey gaslighting reader, extremly not like diluc someone help pls, my bad writing, NOT PROOFREAD

"then what is it diluc? if it's not what i think, then what is it?" diluc stays silent, eyes full of regret. you scoff and turn to leave, but diluc holds you back by your wrist. you stop. for a moment, both of you are silent, diluc holding your wrist. it feels as if time had stopped. but you need it to keep moving. by then, you had made up your mind. it was no use clinging onto your ex-lover. you would only feel shame. you yank your wrist away from his grip and turn back to him. "i will give you half an hour to explain everything to me. if not, i'm leaving, diluc. i am giving you a chance, so please, accept it." you stare into his red eyes. finally, with an exasperated sigh, he whispers, "ok. i'll explain."

"between me and donna...it was..it was just supposed to be a one time thing(yes, in THAT way.). i was just...lonely, i suppose, and i didn't want to spend the night all by myself. so..i guessed i just called donna to come over since she was nearby.." you held back your tears and looked at him straight in the eyes. "so you admit to having an affair, diluc?" diluc's eyes widen, "what, no!? well, i mean, yes, but..i didn't mean to ok? it's just that i couldn't control myself, you had been on a business trip that week. i really needed someone by my side." you scoff. "diluc, that business trip was 3 months ago. you have been having an affair with donna for 3 months?" diluc slowly nods.

"so, what happened that night? when you were dancing toghether in the tavern?" diluc sighs. "nothing really. i just wanted a dance with someone, since you were never really there. i'm not saying you're a bad partner, it's just that, well, i only did it for my mentality. i want to be a good partner for you and love you, and i can't be a good partner if my mental health isn't good, right?" diluc tries to take your hand, but you pull it away, and slap diluc right across his face. diluc gasps in surprise, looking back at you in shock. "i can't believe you, diluc ragnvindr. you disgusting excuse of a man. i can't believe i was in love with you. we're done, mr. ragnvindr. please, never try to find me, or i will kill myself. goodbye. i hope i never see you again." you quickly walked out of his mansion, holding back tears of anger.

as soon as you shut the door of your bedroom, you broke down in sobs. the tears kept flowing and flowing, soaking your bedsheets. you cried until your throat was hoarse and no more tears could escape. the pain in your heart was indescribable. it felt as if you had been stabbed over and over again, and as much as you wanted the pain to stop, it wouldn't. and it will never.

a few days later, you moved permanently to inazuma, moving in with kokomi. you had become great acquantainces during your previous trip and after hearing your tragic breakup, she immedeatly let you stay in her shrine. you soon got over diluc, and although it took a long time, kokomi was always there to help you. diluc was now just a part of your past, and something you did not need to remember. kokomi, however... </3

end.

a/n: IM FINALLY DONE UGHHHH. this took way too long yalls.

p.s. i legit listened to a 3 hour weight loss subliminal while writing this 💀💀

[carcharsaur]

I finished even if tempest dawning connections the other day...😭

I couldn't stop myself from playing this for like 10+ hours a day until I finished it, but I really really loved it. it's just what the first game needed imo. with this and the update to the first game that fixed it's audio compression, the series is solidly in my top 5 of otoge now, if not top 3!! no major or CG spoilers for the fd but I'm gonna ramble below

legit I think my only real complaints is that the conrad sidestory is like. kind of overboard.... totally skippable if tyril's bad/sad love end in the first game was already bad for you I'll say; aanddd they tried to debunk transmasc tyril as an interpretation BUT IT LIVES ON. TO ME!!! oh and I wanted more ish content but what DID get in was really good I'm just greedy OH AND MAYA DESERVES A FULL ROUTE GODDAMN IT AGHHH

my mild nitpick is there's 2-3 plotpoints they added that don't feel well explained, but they tied up basically everything that felt a bit confusing or shallow in the first game... so maybe they're setting up for more in the setting...? conflicted about that as an idea though.

BUT, every LI was so good in this!!!! was such a good time ToT zenn is still my favorite, AND they basically turned to me and said "you're right, zenn should be the implied-canon final route boy actually" and I LOOOVED that. tyril almost tied with him for me though, but instead him and crius are forever clashing for me now... my godddddd it was peak

lucien got the time he needed to really shine after being shortchanged in the first game, absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE his and anastasia's dynamic of boyprincess and girlknight 😭

there was a lot of small things that I feel like I need to go over again to pick up on the larger implications of, especially after having played the writer/directors previous work of norn9 she just loves to put things to read into but doesn't call much attention to them... and her machine translated QnAs can only help me so much LOL but overall good ass game... it feels like they made it for JUST ME AGAIN but it makes me so happy (A COUPLE LINES IN THE ZENN ROUTE FELT SO TARGETED...)

anyway. ish indulgence. (mostly removed from context)