#and embracing that this one is gonna be a depressing book to start at the very least)

[magic-is-something-we-create]

It’s not an utter emptiness of the air, an absence of thought and emotion, a void that sits where a city should, that has me fighting not to double over at the pain in my gut. It’s not even the writhing, wretched hatred coiling around Lakia’s neck at the sight of the ruins, the sorrow that sticks to Ember’s prone form as they sob, the stone dropping in Andy’s soul that rings through the distance between us as she climbs the cliff--though they might have come close, anywhere else.

It’s the terror that clings to the ashes.

It's the flickering visions of others’ lives and loves disintegrating before their eyes that bleed into the edges of my perception whenever I look at the wall of char. It's the stained glass figures that peek over the cliff of bones, still screaming, still breaking, still so much like the one that cradled me as I felt my sister’s life end.

It’s that no one else sees them.

guess what ya boy's working on on this fine friday

[yelena-bellova]

Heartfirst: A Ted Lasso Story - Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty: Believe

Plot: Richmond and West Ham face off in the deciding match of the season.

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: language

A/N: Well, we’re almost at the end. I wanna thank everyone who’s patiently waited for this one through my depressive waves and exhaustion. Means a lot. This one’s short and sweet, but hopefully it brings some smiles <3 Enjoy!

—————

The long anticipated day had arrived.

Richmond versus West Ham.

From the first crack of dawn, the entire town of Richmond was abuzz. Shops were closed, pubs were bustling, even those who didn’t care about football were showing their support. This was the highlight of the year.

Y/n was up with them, so anxious she was barely able to eat or sit or do anything but anxiously pace her apartment. The caffeine in her morning tea didn’t help either. Caring, it turned out, came with enough nerves for the whole team.

Jamie had spent the night at his place, the two of them agreeing he needed rest more than they needed time together. He’d made Y/n promise to text him when she got to the stadium so he could sneak out and see her before the match.

Y/n waited as long as possible, which was still two and a half hours ahead of the match, before getting dressed. The controversial #9 shirt was now standard uniform and she put it on with pride. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture in the mirror, sending it to Jamie. His response was quick.

Jamie Tartt: Magic

We’re def gonna win now.

Y/n smiled, more giggly than anything else. She gathered the rest of her things and headed out.

Despite getting there early, the traffic surrounding the stadium was substantial. There were fans lining the streets, waiting for the gates to open. All along Nelson Road, you could hear the Richmond chants. Everyone was ready for a match.

Y/n parked in the staff lot and headed into the building. There wasn’t much work to do on game day. Pressers and interviews were already lined up and organized. Higgins wouldn’t even be in until right before everything started. She had time to spare.

Deciding some calm before the storm would be nice, Y/n slipped into her office. There were still a few leftover things there, books and papers and such. Some computer supplies and her chair. Eventually she’d move back in once Keeley was more settled, but for now it felt like a ghost town.

From her desk, she could hear the roar of the crowd filing into the stadium. Their cheers and collective conversation. Y/n settled into her seat and simply listened, uplifted by the enthusiasm penetrating the walls.

There was no way to know on her first day at Nelson Road what would transpire. That she would find the family she’d always longed for or the love she’d never let herself have. That she’d have a job she could take pride in. It had all come to be in spite of her best efforts and beyond what she thought she ever deserved.

A tear slipped down Y/n’s cheek. Her world was golden.

When it was finally time, she headed back downstairs, texting Jamie when she was outside the locker room. The boys’ chatter could be heard through the doors. The adrenaline was practically seeping out the cracks.

Jamie slipped out, him and Y/n sinking into a hard embrace outside the door.

“Hi,” Jamie mumbled into her shoulder.

“Hi,” Y/n giggled, running a hand over his hair.

“I like this.”

“What?”

Jamie swayed them lightly, face still buried in Y/n’s coat. “Getting to see you before a match. Don’t have to come up with excuses now.”

Y/n laughed as he moved them around, pulling back eventually to properly see Jamie. She placed her hands on his cheeks, “How’re you feeling?”

“Good,” Jamie smiled, “Good. We got this.”

“Yeah, you do,” she beamed, “Are we gonna be one of those couples that has some pre-game good luck ritual or something?”

Jamie glanced down at Y/n’s chest. The sight of her wearing his number seemed special enough. “Long as you’re wearing that, we’re set. But,” he adjusted his grip and nudged Y/n’s nose, “Can never have too much luck.”

Dipping her slightly, Jamie smiled into an easy kiss with Y/n grinning equally. It was a routine they could settle into quite comfortably.

“OI!”

Jamie startled and pulled them back up. Roy was coming out of the coach’s office and stalking towards them. When he reached them, somewhat awkwardly, Roy held out a badge to Y/n.

“It’ll get you on the pitch,” he explained, “We save ‘em for sick kids and rich pricks that want a good story to tell their rich prick friends.”

Y/n rubbed a thumb over the badge. V.I.P. Was he offering what she thought he was?

“If you distract him or I catch him tryin’ to show off for you,” Roy pointed to Jamie, “You get the fuck out of there.”

When Y/n nodded, barely hiding her smile, Roy headed back down the hall.

“I love you too, Roy,” Y/n called.

He grunted as he rounded the corner.

“Guess we’ve got his stamp of approval,” Y/n mused as she fiddled with the badge.

“Guess so,” Jamie chuckled, “You gonna do it?”

“Yeah. But I’m starting out in the box,” Y/n wrapped her arms around Jamie’s shoulders, “I am here for people other than you.”

Jamie smirked, “But mostly for me, right?”

“Tell yourself whatever you need to,” Y/n smiled against his lips, leaving one more kiss, “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Jamie replied and stole one more hug from her, “Next time I kiss you, it’s gonna be on the pitch.”

“It better be.”

Y/n stepped away, dragging her hand down Jamie’s arm and holding his fingers till they were forced by space to part. They turned away from one another, beaming.

Y/n went through the staff entrance into the stadium, melting into the crowds until she reached the elevator. She took it up to her respective level and entered the owner’s box. It was twenty minutes to game time and most guests were already in their seats. From her spot, she could see the top of Keeley’s pigtails in the front row.

“Hello,” Y/n greeted in a sing-song tone.

Keeley squealed and stood up to hug Y/n, sliding over a seat and letting Y/n settle next to Rebecca.

“You remember my dear friend, Flo, I’m sure,” Rebecca gestured to the brunette on her other side.

“Of course,” Y/n reached over and squeezed Sassy’s hand. They’d met at a staff event Rebecca had invited her best friend to.

“You have a lot of gaps to fill in,” Sassy winked theatrically, “With scandalous amounts of details.”

Y/n looked between Rebecca and Keeley, “Do you just go around broadcasting my love life to everyone?”

“You’re dating one of the most popular players in the country,” Rebecca pointed out, “It’s not going to stay a secret forever.”

If they were honest, Jamie and Y/n really hadn’t considered the publicity. Everything had come to be so suddenly that the press were the last thing they were thinking about.

“How’s he feeling?” Keeley asked.

“Good,” Y/n answered, looping her arm through Keeley’s, “Definitely no repeats of last time.”

“Good,” she nodded.

“And,” Y/n turned towards Rebecca, “Have we had any run-ins?”

Where West Ham was, Rupert followed, and everyone was eager to know how Rebecca was handling it.

“Yes, and all is well,” she smiled, only half-forcing it.

Sassy snorted from beside her best friend. Differing interactions had clearly occurred.

Nevertheless, Y/n accepted the answer, “Okay.”

Soon enough, Higgins and his wife joined the group along with Barbara. When the whole group was assembled, the Hammers and Greyhounds came onto the pitch. As they stood in front of the crowds, Richmond looked noticeably…shaken.

“Something happen?” Keeley asked.

“I don’t know. Everything seemed fine when…” Y/n shut her eyes and bit her lip, “Shit.”

Rebecca looked over, “What?”

“Beard asked me for any videos or photos I had from the season,” she explained, “He said it was for something he was putting together.”

The women took a breath, while simultaneously holding one.

The tears passed and the match started like any other. The first fifteen minutes flew by without either team scoring, which felt like some sort of victory. It was short-lived though, as by halftime, West Ham had scored twice.

Y/n found that watching a match as a player’s girlfriend was a whole new experience. Anytime Jamie made a move, she was practically out of her seat. If a Hammer looked like he was going for him, anxiety flooded her chest. Every emotion was heightened, a blessing and a curse.

When the boys headed off the pitch, there was nothing left to do but fear. No matter how hard the women tried to appear calm, each of them were sweating out the possible loss.

“That’s it,” Y/n announced once she’d grown too nervous to stay still.

“Where are you going?” Keeley asked as Y/n climbed over her legs.

“Down there.”

“I didn’t think your badge got you that far,” Rebecca half-asked.

Y/n hopped on one leg around Sassy on the aisle. “It doesn’t,” she replied, “Keep a closer eye on the printer.”

Weaving through the crowds, Y/n made her way to the staff entrance. Halftime seemed the most logical moment to sneak down. The announcers would be on break and commercials would be running.

Once she got to the pitch, she hurried along the edge, oblivious to any puzzled looks she received. Even if she was simply a passive observer, Y/n could feel a rush of energy sweep over her. She couldn’t imagine what the boys felt like every time they stepped up.

“Hey,” Will brightened up when he saw Y/n, “You made it.”

“Yeah,” Y/n squeezed his hand quickly, smiling to Nate on the other side, and settled into the empty seat. “There’s perks to being on Roy’s good side.”

The three shared a grin of anticipation before Trent leaned out of his seat and patted Y/n’s shoulder.

“Nice to see you down here,” he smiled, winking.

And the feeling that filled her, though she’d expected it to be out of place, was one of belonging. Like there was nowhere else for her than right where she was.

When the fifteen minutes were up, the Greyhounds and Hammers reentered the pitch. Jamie’s eyes went to the dugout to find Y/n looking back at him. They shared a soft smile, their eyes lighting with glee. This was a special moment.

Roy was quick to spot the spark. “I’ll fucking take you out,” he promised.

Y/n nodded, “Yes, coach.”

The boys came back with a new fire lit under them. They were playing not only like they had something to lose, but like they were actually enjoying themselves. It was a perfect combination.

Jamie got the ball to Dani, who in turn missed a shot off the goalpost. Sam took another shot at it only to recieve the same outcome. The third attempt, made by Colin, was still no dice. It wasn’t until the ball got returned to Jamie that he finally put it away, a perfect shot.

“YES!!” Y/n leapt out of her seat, throwing her fists in the air and not even bothering to hide her bias.

After the boys finished celebrating, Jamie looked straight over to Y/n, slapping his hand over his chest. It took them both straight back to Wembley.

“He’s gonna do it again,” Y/n said adamantly, settling back in next to Will.

“He’s gonna do it again,” Will repeated. Neither of their eyes moved from the pitch.

Jamie was off again, moving across the field when a West Ham player swept past him, tripping him. He rolled rather harshly into the grass.

The second he went down, Y/n was up and breathless. She had to catch herself before she ran out onto the pitch.

“Get up, get up, get up,” she whispered.

The referee rightfully called a penalty and Richmond gained a free kick. Just after it was called, Sam helped a grinning Jamie to his non-injured feet.

Y/n smirked and shook her head, “Fuck.”

While it was Jamie’s shot to take, he rolled the ball over to Dani. Dani in turn passed it to Isaac, which surprised everyone.

“Crap,” Y/n uttered.

Nate looked over, confused, “What?”

“Just…” Y/n struggled, “Guard your face.”

The knowing spectators sat at the ready as Isaac lined up the shot. He took careful steps back before surging forward and power kicking the ball. It was fast, but flew past the net and straight into the crowd. The stadium groaned with disappointment, it would have been Richmond’s assurance of victory.

“Shit,” Y/n mumbled, running her hands over her hair.

“Wait, wait, wait, guys,” Nate drew Will and Y/n’s focus upwards, “Look.”

Mike Dean was crossing the pitch to the posts. He inspected something in the net before signaling that it was indeed a goal. Isaac had just sent it through the netting.

Nate, Will and Y/n jumped out of their chairs, grabbing onto one another in a victorious embrace. Richmond wasn’t out of the ring just yet.

With stoppage time started for the grounds crew to replace the net, the Greyhounds headed to the sidelines to discuss strategy. Once enough had been said, Jamie jogged over to the dugout, making a beeline for his girlfriend.

“Hey,” he smiled, “What’d you think?”

Y/n exhaled shakily, “Yeah, we’re definitely breaking up after this because I can’t take the stress.”

Jamie laughed.

“No, seriously,” Y/n grabbed his hands, “My palms are a fucking river, my mouth’s dry. I can’t do this on a regular basis.” She pulled their intwined fingers between them, urging Jamie to look at her. “You’re brilliant.”

While his cheeks were already flush red, the hue deepened at the compliment.

“You’re a fucking menace out there, and you don’t stop being one,” Y/n practically commanded, “Because I got news for you, you’re in their fucking heads. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that once you’re in somebody’s head,” Y/n grinned, “You don’t come out.”

Y/n pressed a palm to Jamie’s cheek, the sounds of the crowd and everything around them disappearing. “You’ve got this.”

Jamie’s self-confidence wasn’t lacking, but there was something about hearing those words come from one specific person that made it shoot sky high. If Y/n believed in him, he could win the whole fucking thing.

“And you need to go now before Roy kills me,” Y/n finished.

Just as Jamie was about to tell her he loved her, their attention was drawn to the side. An indignant Rupert was marching down the field, brushing past the Greyhounds.

“I gotta…” Jamie said distractedly.

“Yeah,” Y/n slipped her hands away, Jamie headed back to the boys.

The whole team watched in shock as Rupert berated his head coach before shoving him to the ground. The stadium was stunned into near silence. An unprecedented moment.

The boys headed back out to the pitch as the ref whistled and Rupert had no choice but to leave. The crowd came back to life fully and began a rousing chorus of ‘Wanker’ to carry him off the field.

“Holy shit,” Y/n exhaled.

“What was that?” Will asked without really seeking an answer.

There was no time to look any further into it as the match restarted. There was serious hustle from Van Damme before the Hammers eventually made a goal, bringing the score to 3-2. However, one of the players was found to be offside and it returned to a tie.

Finally, it came down to the very last minute.

Jamie carried the ball to Richard, who was taken down by a Hammer, and Richmond earned a free kick. If they made it, they could take the whole thing. They just needed a really, really, big move.

As the coaches huddled, Ted looked back at the seats. “Hey, Nate,” he called, “Nate, come here.”

Hesitantly, Nate got up and joined Ted at the front. Ted called out to the boys and began pointing to the former assistant coach.

“What’s happening?” Y/n asked Will as Ted began to shout something about an Oscar.

“I don’t know,” Will mumbled.

Whatever it was, the boys seemed to understand it, and each headed to their marks. Y/n prayed that the unconventional coaching methods of Ted paid off one last time.

The ref blew the whistle and the teams set off. Sam laid the ball off to Dixon, who slid it over to Bumbercatch. Jamie, exaggeratedly, made a run for it, screaming for a pass.

For two seconds, Y/n stood wildly confused, before she spotted Sam. No player was near him. She and Will clutched onto one another.

This was it.

Bumbercatch got the ball to Sam.

Sam made a perfect goal.

The entire stadium, from field to nosebleeds, went wild. And once the ref called it, it became overwhelming.

The Greyhounds had done it.

Y/n and Will latched onto one another and jumped up and down, somewhere between tears and screams.

The pitch became flooded by the players, the coaches and the fans. Y/n didn’t secondguess her decision to run on, following the rest of the crowd. Trent and her ended up beside one another, racing up to the growing group of Greyhounds.

As she looked around, searching for anyone to congratulate, she spotted Colin, hand in hand with a man she’d never seen. Just before he dragged him into the victory circle, the mystery man spotted Y/n and smiled.

“I think you belong with me.”

The two shared an understanding look, Y/n’s eyes flicking briefly to Colin, who looked ecstatic.

“I think I do,” Y/n smiled back, grabbing the extended hand and racing off with them.

The whole team was locked in an embrace, surrounding a dancing Ted. They cheered and chanted and fell into one another. All the while, Y/n and Colin’s beau held onto one another, letting their other halves enjoy their moment.

Jamie, however, was already searching around frantically. The second they made eye contact, he and Y/n were snaking through and past their friends to get to one another.

Jamie threw his arms around her, lifting Y/n up and spinning her around. Y/n’s eyes began to water as the full emotion of their magnificent win sunk in.

“You did it,” she cheered as they spun.

Jamie set her down finally, took one good look and pulled Y/n in for an earth shattering kiss. The one they’d both been waiting to share longer than they even knew.

When they eventually pulled back, breathless and giddy, all the joys around them seemed to amplify. Naturally, Jamie and Y/n ran straight back into the team huddle. Once the boys saw Y/n, she got passed around from body to body in big sweaty hugs. Even Roy swept her into a firm embrace.

There was singing, there was chanting, there was so much pure happiness. After a season filled with so many trials and tribulations, the Greyhounds had earned their perfect moment in time. And it was glorious.

————

Heartfirst Taglist: @lalla-04p @optimisticsandwichgladiator @makingmunson94 @taytaylala12 @storysimp @sokkigarden @lightninginab0ttle @poohkie90 @alipap3 @verra-nerevarine @shineforever19 @spaceagechimera @burnafter-reading @qardasngan @cyberpvnk-enthusiast @sogoodtoheritsvicious @buckybarnex @angelsunflxwer @blueanfield @thewildestwonderland @sablecities @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @strawberryacethingz @mentalistfan @tortilla-maria1 @katdahlali @for-fuck-sake-im-alive @glitterquadricorn @jamieolivia27 @imvibin69 @katlizada @lil-tracys @fanaticalfantasist @heyitz-julia @cactajuice @peachyy-tea @notalxx @rockchickrebel @anxiety-prime-max @mentalistfan @loveforaugust @jellycolors @actuallybarb @heletsmelovehim @lovinnscarletknight @imfalling-inlove @leslieiscrying @meg-ro @littlemisssunshine192 @beboldbebravethings @maydayfigment @spencerreidsbookclub @dream-alittlebiggerdarling @lemoonandlestars @im-a-weirdo-for-life @mindless-rock (tags cont. in comments ❤️)

[owmylasagna-blog]

Headcanon: I guess post-BPS, Eddy would be really depressed and in a indetity crisis for at very least two weeks (it's too much of a drastic change to him), Edd would do his best to be a sensitive, empathetic friend and help him out while struggling with his own flaws and his bitchy side (I figure they would stop bickering SO THAT MUCH after BPS, at least for a while). tbh I guess Ed would be too happy making friends with the kids or rebulting a sibling relationship with Sarah to notice for some while (He always had been somewhat oblivious to the others' problems, and I figure him being the most popular, beloved, accepted one post-BPS).

What do you think?

Oh yes let’s talk about it! I could see quite a lot of what you’ve mentioned happening for sure. I’m just gonna go into more detail because I can’t help myself and you asked so…

BPS obviously is meant to be THE groundbreaking moment for Eddy’s character. So let’s get into it.

Eddy is a survivor of abuse. And a fighter. He’s got a little of that Childhood Trauma™️ and it does in fact “build [his] character”. See what I did there? Anyway, the point is that just because Eddy has this major turning point, his trauma isn’t going anywhere overnight.

Rachel Connor, one of the writers of the movie who worked specifically on the scenes with Bro, wrote a post where she described Eddy as the Great Pretender which… BIG OOF! As the show progresses Eddy loses sight of who he is more and more as he digs himself deeper into the Bro hole: emulating him more, wanting to impress him more, lying about him more (or perpetuating lies. Who knows!). The whole Great Pretender act isn’t exactly fulfilling. It’s putting more stress on his actual friendships with his pals. His depression in the 5th season (@book-o-scams has written about this) feels like a result of all this.

So when Eddy’s scam goes so horribly wrong that he and his friends are run out of PC, he almost loses Edd’s friendship, only to get publicly abused by his big bro, Eddy is faced with the reality of the person he could become. And that’s when he knows it has to end. This epiphany should be liberating for him in some ways but also sets off a whole self discovery journey. Of course he’d feel a little lost at the start, trying out lots of different versions of himself, before ultimately embracing his multifaceted self into adulthood. Aren’t we all a little lost in our teen years?

After all he’s been through with his brother, the guy has major trust issues. It's clear that Eddy is anxious to belong and be popular, but attempting to fleece the other kids for quarters at every turn isn’t exactly the best way of making friends (except that it’s a bonding activity with the other Eds). And that feels intentional whether he’s conscious of it or not, that what he’s really after is status instead of acceptance. Because if he doesn’t get too close with others he can’t get hurt. Trust issues are really hard to shake. That’s always going to impact his relationships and specifically his interactions with the other kids immediately following the events of BPS. It’s going to take him years to work through that. And I think he will, with time, get better at trusting and getting close to others.

My interpretation is that Eddy would be pretty bummed and depressed for a while despite all the new acceptance from his other peers, just because he’s having to analyze his own behavior more, question his relationship with his bro, with his family at large, with his best friends, with everyone else around him. I often add a layer of him struggling with the realization he might be gay during the year or two following the events of BPS, and that's not the easiest pill for him to swallow either. I think he’d still put up walls to protect himself and try to find ways to be liked and accepted, to be entertaining or prove himself. I don’t see him immediately being as outgoing with the other cul-se-sac kids as he is within the Eds, but I think at his core he is actually a cool and interesting guy and that comes through. On the flip side, I think he’d mostly work on being more honest and vulnerable with Edd and Ed in the months and years following which just strengthens their bonds more and together they learn to be better people to each other! Woohoo!

We’re moving on: Edd. BPS is a trial of his friendship with Eddy and they came out the other side much more sympathetic to one another. The tension that grows between them during the series run is as much a result of Eddy’s desperation as it is a result of Edd’s anxiety getting way worse. So yes, where I do see Edd helping Eddy through some of his depression following BPS, I also see Eddy helping ground Edd with some of his own issues that are percolating to the surface more. Just two little emo outcasts being there for eachother. Couldn’t be a recipe for a little gay awakening. No chance. (I’m being sarcastic, y’all. You know my schtick). I still think they’d bicker, though. Like a lot. It’s just core to their personalities. Fights just wouldn’t come to blows in the same way. It’s a lot harder to stay mad when you can see the clearly labeled buttons you’re pushing, you know?

Outside of his relationship to Eddy, Edd also seems to be shifting away from being blindly obedient towards authority like in the series. Nothing like seeing a man-child beat on an actual child to really wreck your world view. Up until that point, Edd is a textbook rule follower. I think there is an interesting perspective shift, seeing the world as Eddy has, that will shake his idealism and optimism ever so slightly. Thus starting a tiny little rebellious streak. Again, can’t reiterate enough that turning 13 is such a bitch. The mental toil.

Ed. Oh, Ed. Ed kinda has his whole thing figured out already. I sometimes describe Ed’s heroic act in BPS as him getting his brain back a bit after the school season episodes. I think the kid just dissociates especially hard when he is at school which makes him seem extra random in these episodes. We all gotta cope somehow. Anyway, I do also weirdly think Ed would get on with the other cul-de-sac kids pretty well on his own: he already has decent rapport with the likes of Jonny and Rolf so it would be interesting to see these relationships explored more. In the show he already seems the floater type. Maybe Ed becomes Jonny’s only friend when he becomes the new “outcast” of the cul-de-sac.

I think his consistency is really going to help Edd and Eddy through whatever ups and downs they go through. He’s the type to lighten the mood or give a sympathetic ear or listen to a rant without judgment. He has and always will accept them just as they are, and himself just as he is, and that does wonders for the group’s morale. Also, with Eddy dialing back on the Bro act I can see Ed also being kinder (he’s often feeding off the bad examples) and really embracing the surrogate big brother role for Eddy. I’d love for that relationship to be strengthened more too, and Ed to come to his defense and protection more readily in the way he does with Sarah. At first it would probably annoy Eddy to no end but he’d reluctantly get over it because deep down it feels good to be cared for. Soft like mashed potatoes indeed.

More than Ed rebuilding the relationship with Sarah is Sarah sticking up for her brother to her parents. I think she’d definitely come around to recognizing she’s abused her privileges as the favorite child and also grateful that her brother didn’t turn out That Bad considering. While she’s mending things with Ed I think she’d still take out her younger sibling rage on Eddy (I like to think she sees him as a bonus brother she never asked for). I don’t think they necessarily hate each other or anything, they just have that energy of two scrappy alley cats who have to hiss and swat before parting ways.

[koumeowkami]

artists i associate to the diabolik lovers characters

(+ explanations/headcanons!)

this is gonna be a long post since i absolutely LOVE talking about music. you may take this as a music recommendations post lol. also check my DL playlists out if you want to! 💗

SHU — WITHIN TEMPTATION

let's start with some nice symphonic metal! it's pretty obvious since shu likes classical music. he's relatively calm (maybe too much) but there's a storm inside of him: his double side fits this band a lot imo. moreover, within temptation are powerful but also ethereal, so even though they're "heavy" i think he would give a chance to them :D he would occasionally cover their songs on violin if he feels like it.

REIJI — APOCALYPTICA

staying on the symphonic metal side, we have apocalyptica. this band is so peculiar since it's only formed by three cellos and drums, but i can assure you they're metal lmao. they're neat, polished, elegant and mature: all of these are basic reiji traits! (shu likes them too but he listens to them secretly lol)

AYATO — PARAMORE / HALESTORM

here he comes. my lil punk boi. i think about too many artists when it comes to ayato, cause honestly just every pop punk artist does it for me, but early paramore music gives me HUGE teen emo vibes (both angsty and romantic) that represent ayato so well!! i already stated it in my rocker!ayato headcanons post, but he would blast the RIOT! album at every hour of the day.

regarding halestorm, they represent his "darker" side. they're heavier and more aggressively free-spirited. now tell me if he wouldn't sing Love Bites (So Do I) to yui "jokingly" lol.

KANATO — THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE

how could i NOT associate kanato with the band that basically gave birth to the creepy cute genre, the birthday massacre? their particular goth/industrial sound blending with the vocalist chibi's cute, almost ethereal voice gives so many kanato vibes!! not to mention that the official color of the band is purple lmao. he'd find their album covers very aesthetic, i'm sure of it :D and i also think his fav album would be Violet, the creepiest of them all.

LAITO — LADY GAGA / THE PRETTY RECKLESS

basically laito's two personalities lmao. lady gaga doesn't need any introductions: her provocative and sexy persona shocked everyone and basically all of her songs could potentially be in laito's sex playlist.

the pretty reckless are also indeed sexy, but sexy-depressed??? sexy-angsty?? some of their songs are about embracing one's "dark" side, some others are about dealing with depression (especially in their latest works). i like how they both use the "sexy" façade while actually having more to offer. considering how much laito is broken inside, their music fits so well.

SUBARU — BRING ME THE HORIZON

i'll keep saying this: emo music isn't enough for this guy. this dude listens to metalcore and whatever is heavier than emo pop punk. i actually had issues with picking a band for him cause most of them are casual listens to me but!!! in the end i chose bring me the horizon. angsty emo. pure rage. that's simply subaru for you! sometimes he would sing to their songs in his room but never admit it lol.

RUKI — HIM

honestly, this guy would love gothic rock. i just know it. HIM is the perfect band for him! their dark, elegant, kinda sad sound reminds me of him a lot. and the lyrics too!! they're really poetic, mostly about love and death with a few mentions to eden (pun intended?); the vocalist ville valo often takes inspiration for his lyrics from the books he reads! ruki would definitely dedicate Vampire Heart to yui btw.

KOU — AVRIL LAVIGNE / ICON FOR HIRE

LISTEN. i've been headcanoning this ever since my first DL post ever but kou would be a huge avril lavigne fan. it would mostly represent his frivolous idol persona, but also some of what he hides underneath.

his realest and deepest side is represented by icon for hire. they're heavier, aggressive and talk a lot about sensitive topics. kou has one of the worst pasts among the DL characters and has dealt with pretty much everything going from depression, to abuse, to drug addiction, to suicidal tendencies. i think he'd find some sort of comfort in their songs.

YUMA — P.O.D.

i always pictured yuma as a hip-hop kinda guy, so i think he would like nu metal. being part of the angry and bothered trio with ayato and subaru, he's relatively the calmest one but that means nothing since we're in DL lol. p.o.d.'s passive-aggressive style reminds me of him so much and i swear i ALWAYS think about him when i listen to Youth of the Nation, it's like it talks about him and his brothers specifically.

AZUSA — EVANESCENCE

there are two types of emo: the angry emo and the sad emo. azusa obviously belongs to the second one. i can't really associate him to one genre in particular, it just depends on the ~vibes~, but i chose evanescence for him cause their lowkey eerie, slow style fits azusa a lot. fear of abandonment and selflessness are some of the themes they've covered and Lithium is the song that makes me think about azusa the most.

CARLA — NIGHTWISH

carla has that gothic royal-ish attitude that reminds of the first nightwish era (with tarja turunen as vocalist). i mostly tend to associate the deep, elegant lyrical vocals with carla's deep voice lol. it's just a matter of ~vibes~ again :D

SHIN — FROM FIRST TO LAST

this little shit would only listen to post-hardcore. nothing reminds me of shin more than a cringy "i'm angy >:(" music genre. i actually do enjoy some post-hardcore and from first to last is the exception. i think shin would fit especially in the Dead Trees era, aka FFTL's villain arc™: very silly, angsty and full of villanous vibes but more mature than their previous works.

KINO — AMARANTHE

gamer boi coming through with electronic metal!! amaranthe's futuristic mix of edm and metal + their in-your-face attitude is a perfect match with kino. PvP is THE kino song. the music, the lyrics, the game concept just suit him so well!! slay.

[kitthepurplepotato]

Chapter 2. (bonus) - The Lost Polaroid

Click here for Part 1!

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Summary: Katsuki and You managed to talk about your part mistakes and you are ready start everything over after avoiding each other for 5 years. You are excited (and stressed) about your upcoming first date and your childhood best friend/love refuses to leave your side for the night. You also find a long lost polaroid picture and go down the memory lane with your favorite blonde companion.

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Genre: Fluff!

Warnings: Mentions of depression, swear words here and there. Tiny bit suggestive? (Barely)

English is my second language, please be nice!

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The weather outside got more and more chilly as the time has passed, and not even your best friend’s cuddles can warm you up enough to not start shivering.

You two haven’t said a lot since Katsuki’s confession. You are both a bit overwhelmed by the sudden turns of events, and to be honest, you enjoy the silence right now.

This is the first time in 5 years that your head is not full with harmful thoughts; It feels like everything just stopped for a second and there is nothing else in this world, just Katsuki and You cuddling on the cold stones, unbothered by the ruckus coming from the inside.

“We should head back. I’m not the only one who wanted to see you tonight. They all did.” Says the blond next to you, giving you a final snuggle and a kiss on your forehead.

Needless to say, you really don’t want to let this moment go away. With a sigh, you crawl out of Katsuki’s embrace and move towards the door but it doesn’t take more than 3 seconds for the blonde to be by your side, his tanned arm already resting around your shoulders.

You love how all your actions can be interpreted as friendly but deep inside there is so much more to every touch. You try to keep a straight face and not let the blonde know how hot your skin feels like under his touch. He doesn’t need to know that, his ego is already way too big.

It didn’t take you too long to get comfortable with your old classmates; you are almost sure that Kirishima asked the group to not to mention your budding romance until you two are ready to talk about it. You didn’t mind them knowing and they already did know anyway, but you honestly have no idea how your date will go tomorrow. You guys might be all over each other in the heat of the moment but maybe after calming down, one of you will retreat. You read enough romance books to know that the most burning fire is the easiest to put out when it comes to human emotions.

You are just about to get lost in your own thoughts again after trying to keep up with the conversation for the last half an hour when you feel a hand touching your waist. Thanks to the sudden touch you slowly come back to reality.

You are alive. You are loved. For the first time in 5 years, you are not alone. Yet here you are stressing over a stupid thing that only exists in your head, in the middle of a conversation.

“Guys, we are gonna’ go now before this idiot gets all EMO on me again.” Says the blonde. “I don’t think I’m ready to put eyeliner on and listen to My Chemical Romance until 5 in the morning.”

You know you should be offended but you can’t help but laugh. You guys actually did that once. You were really into EMO when you were young and you once gave Bakugo an EMO makeover while listening to MCR in your dorm room.

Your best friend liked the look so much he decided to add some eyeliner to his hero look, and honestly, it was the best decision of his life.

After saying your goodbyes, you make your way to Katsuki’s flat to get his stuff. His place is huge but free of any clutter which makes it feel empty and sad. You knew your best friend well enough to know he is a clean freak, but seeing his home so bare makes your heart ache.

“I didn’t feel like decorating. I only come here to sleep anyway.” Says the blonde and disappears into the hallway. You look around a bit to find the tiniest hint of life in this bare room but you fail miserably, so you make your way to his bedroom to see his secret All Might stash.

And boy, you were absolutely right; the rest of his flat might be bare and lonely but this room is so unapologetically him, it makes you laugh. All might figurines all over the walls, dark bedding, black furniture with orange and green bits and bobs all over the place. The dark walls make the room feel smaller, but honestly, his bedroom is huge anyway so it doesn’t really matter.

“If you wanted to come into my bedroom so much, you could have just said so.” Smirks the blonde and you can’t help the blush that’s slowly crawling down your neck, making you look like a nice, ripe tomato.

This man is going to be the end of you. You might be over the age of being all shaky when flirted with, but this is the man you’ve been in love with since your first year of middle school.

“Sorry” You stutter and step back to the hall but before you could run away, strong arms snake around your waist, pulling you in a warm embrace.

Katsuki’s hugs are something else. People think this man is not capable of love and affection, but those people have never been embraced by this bulky man. The way he pulls you in, the way he throws all his ego right out of his window and hides his face in your hair, the way he takes in your scent and gets lost in it, the way he closes his eyes and pulls you even further towards his body to have you as close as he can, the way you feel his fingers grasp into the plush of your waist so hard it almost hurts but it also makes you want more…

Fuck, you guys will have a really long night today. You honestly don’t think you will be able to sleep in the same building as this man.

You quickly clear your throat to get some attention from the blonde, who almost literally melted into you at this point.

“Sorry to ruin the moment, but if we continue doing this we might not have anything to do on our first date…”

To your surprise, Katsuki is just as embarrassed as you are, if not more. So you weren’t just imagining things then; this embrace really wasn’t a friendly one. He nods in agreement and quickly puts his stuff into a duffel bag and just like that, he is already by his door, ready to leave the building.

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It takes about 20 minutes for you two to get to your apartment. While Katsuki lives in the fancy part of the city, you are perfectly fine with your small little flat in the middle of nowhere. You were actually really surprised to find a street so calm and quiet in this busy city.

As you open the door, you can hear a small thump and 4 little paws running towards you.

“Calm down, Katsudon!” You take the little rascal in your hands.

“You did not just call that dog KATSudon.”

… Oh, fuck.

You genuinely forgot about the fact that you named your dog Katsudon out of spite for the hero standing next to you.

You changed his name up to make it less obvious, but if the dogs name isn’t enough of an evidence, he is a Pomeranian.

2 years ago there was a meme going around on social media about Dynamight looking like an angry Pomeranian. You really didn’t go to the shelter to actually adopt one, but here he was, the little, scruffy Katsudon, hating the world, barking at you like you personally insulted his birth mother.

You fell in love with him and named him after Kats… you mean, you named him after a Japanese dish. Yes.

You try to ignore the angry blonde next to you as you step into the apartment.

You love this place a lot. There are a lot of shelves on the walls, filled to the brim with your favorite books and comics, small clutters and memories from the past all over the place.

You’ve always been a collector, you love your little knick-knacks from all over the world, but thanks to Katsudon’s inquisitive nature you can’t put anything on the table or the kitchen counter. He might be small but you saw him jump on the counter like a bunny at least 10 times.

With that said, you absolutely love how much space you have in this flat for all your random things.

“You are not getting out of this, shithead” grumbles the blonde, giving your poor dog a piercing look. Katsudon doesn’t like to be stared at so he makes sure Katsuki knows where his place is. The dog might be small but he does indeed bite.

“I mean, you two are like two peas in a pod.” You can’t help but giggle as you look at their faces; both serious, brows scrunching, looking deeply into each other’s eyes with a frown on their faces. You quickly take a photo and send it to Kirishima. He’s going to love this shit.

“Oh, darling, this is it. I hope you are ready for your punishment.”

Katsuki wasn’t kidding. He attacked you in the most vicious way possible; with evil tickles.

When you were younger Bakugo did bully you a lot this way. He was aware of how much you hated it but he couldn’t help himself.

You try to scream and run away, but there is no escape from the wrath of Dynamight; in only 5 seconds, you end up on the sofa with Katsuki on top of you. After a few minutes of pure misery, he is finally satisfied with his work and let’s you take a breather. You can feel Katsuki’s breath on your lips as he pants, and for a second, the time just stops around you two.

It took a blonde another second to realize the position you guys got to as he was too busy staring at your lips for the last few seconds.

He is not the only one lost in the accidental embrace; your hand flies up without your knowledge to brush the hair out of his face.

After taking in some air, you can’t help yourself. It’s time to do the deed.

It’s time to make your best friend extremely embarrassed.

“You know when someone says they want to scream under you, this isn’t it, mate.” You wink at Katsuki and sneak out from under him in one swift move. You are a hero too, after all.

You can almost see the wheels turning in his head as his face gets redder and redder.

“I absolutely despise you right now.” He throws your own words back at you from earlier, his face hidden in his hands.

“Fuck, I love you too, let’s order some pizza!” You respond, not even trying to hide your snickering anymore. You didn’t even get to your first date yet but you already know there is nothing to stress about; you two click so perfectly, it’s almost painful.

Being with him in your apartment is so easy. It really feels like you never left his side and this is just… normal. You can see yourself doing this every day; order some pizza after a long day, snuggle up on the sofa, treat each other’s injuries when needed and use every single minute wisely as with your line of work, you never know when will be last time you come home.

After shaking your head to snap out of… whatever this was, you quickly start an order on your phone. When it’s done, you toss your phone to the blonde who’s awkwardly sitting on your sofa.

He grabs his wallet from his pocket to take out his credit card and finish the order. “I’ll pay” he says waiting for you to start arguing about it but you are too busy to stare at Katsuki’s wallet. There is an old Polaroid sticking out, and you don’t need to see the full picture to know what’s on it.

“That Polaroid… I lost that in third grade. They only took one picture of us that day.” You mumble while getting closer to the man to take a better look.

It’s a really cute picture of the two of you from training camp. There wasn’t enough seating for everyone at the campfire so you ended up in your best friend’s lap. His head was resting on your shoulder, half asleep, giving zero fucks about the picture being taken, while you tried to make a piece sign for the camera.

“… and I found it on the floor and kept it. I didn’t tell you about it, because I wanted to keep the picture but there was no way you would’ve let me take it from you.”

“You said you hated that picture, because we look all lovey-dovey on it.” You remind him, but the sad look on his face stops you from telling him off for lying to you.

“I said a lot of things I didn’t mean back then” Comes the answer.

You sit down next to him on the sofa with the picture in your hand.

“Why does it look so… crumpled?” You ask quietly, knowing the answer will probably break your heart. It might only be a piece of paper, but you can clearly see how much it has been through. It looks like it was crumpled a lot of times, there is some water damage on the edges as well. It looks so much worse than a few years old picture kept safely in a wallet should.

“I might have cried over it like a little bitch in a romantic movie a few times.” Says the blonde, spreading out on the sofa. “I looked at it a lot in the first few months. I hated to be so weak because of one fucking picture so I threw it away several times then I fished it out of the trash after a few hours. When I got older I used this picture to remind myself of my past mistakes.” Katsuki isn’t looking at you anymore. He’s just staring at the crumpled Polaroid, deep in his thoughts. He is so obviously in pain right now and you really want to tell him to stop talking but you are frozen. You can’t believe how wrong you were this whole time. You can’t believe you weren’t there for him when he was so clearly lost. He wasn’t completely alone of course, but you know this man well enough to know he never told anyone about his emotional struggles. “Every time I wanted to blow someone up I looked at this picture to remember how I lost you because of my anger issues. This picture helped me so many times.” He sighs and makes a move to put the little Polaroid away but you quickly take it out of his hand. “Oi!” He barks but you are already by your door with a sharpie in your hand. You quickly write a little message on the bottom of the Polaroid.

“It looks better now.” You give the poor picture back at last and Katsuki gives you the sweetest smile while pulling you into his lap. You sit down with your back resting on his chest and you can feel his head plopping down to your shoulders, just like on the picture.

“Thank you.” He murmurs into your ear and pulls you closer to him.

Little Katsudon doesn’t like the lack of attention so he jumps into your lap as well.

Katsuki gives him a little pat on his head and to your surprise, he didn’t try to bite this time. You both doze off for a bit on the comfy sofa, the pizza order long forgotten.

You guys end up eating some instant ramen as it got too late for a takeout. After a quick shower you are just about to put a comforter down for Kats when the blonde leaves the shower half naked and looks at you with an adorable grumpy face.

“So why can the fluffy Kats sleep in your bed but this Kats can not?” He points at himself. The absolute audacity of you for not letting this poor boy in your bed!

“The fluffy Kats earned his spot on my bed by being a loyal companion every single day. It’s a year worth of hard work, grumpy cat!” You laugh and give a little kiss to the blonde’s cheek before making your way to the bedroom. “Good night, Kats.” All you get as an answer is a moody grumble that suspiciously sounds like “good night, asshole”. After closing your bedroom door you jump on your bed and you scream into your pillow like a real, proper adult.

All of this is so unreal to you. The last time you left your flat you were depressed, hated everything and you couldn’t wait to come back to your place to sleep in your comfortable bed. Now here you are, few steps away from the love or your life, only an unlocked door separating the two of you in the middle of the night.

You try your best to sleep, but you can’t seem to find your peace for the night.

Just when you are about to fall asleep after an hour of constant tossing and turning, you suddenly feel Katsuki’s arm around you, pulling you impossibly close. His lovely scent of burnt caramel fills up your nose and you can’t help but turn around and snuggle up with the “intruder”.

“Don’t tell me what to do, you dipshit…” Grumbles the blonde, but he makes sure he’s not hugging you too tight in case you want to get out of his embrace and ask him to leave the room.

This is who Katsuki is: harsh words and soft touches. He might tell you that you have no other option than to obey him, but in reality, he would never force you to do a single thing you don’t want. You are not going to lie, the guy never gives up when he wants something and it did get on your nerves sometimes in the past but you never felt uncomfortable around him.

As you pull Katsuki closer and snuggle up to him, there is no need for words anymore; the tiny kiss on his shoulder, the way you make yourself comfortable in his arms and doze off without a single care in the world is more than enough for him to know he has earned his spot in your bed… and in your heart, forever.

To be continued…

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Thank you for the massive love on the first part of this story, I still can’t believe it!

You guys are amazing!

I would like to praise you guys more but I’m actually really sick, so the less I ramble, the better.

I hope you are ready for their first date in the next chapter! 💜

Random fun facts:

- Katsudon was inspired by an angry pomeranian who comes to my store sometimes. He’s literally Bakugo in a dog. I love him. He does not love me back.

- Pomeranians can NOT jump on kitchen tables.

[wendytestabrat]

why i resonated with stan in “you’re getting old/ass burgers” (FROM THE VAULT [2020])

You’re Getting Old/Ass Burgers has always been one of my favorite South Park episodes because I feel like I’ve always connected to it on so many levels and related to Stan a lot. My favorite part is the end of part 2 (Ass Burgers) after Stan was so depressed and had been seeing shit for so long he came to the realization that he DIDN’T want things to go back to the way they were. He realized he was fine with his parents getting a divorce and Kyle ditching him to go fuck Cartman because it opened his life up to new possibilities of where it could go. In his words he’s all like “I’m gonna make a big left turn” or whatever. The ending is also frustrating tho bc everything ended up going back to normal anyways so we didn’t get to see how that would’ve played out, but we’re not gonna talk about that we’re just gonna talk about the beautiful speech Stan made. That part has always resonated with me so much bc I agree with Stan. I remember at a certain age I just got to a point where I realized that the key to staying happy and optimistic is to stay open-minded and keep trying new things. I think it’s rlly important in life to follow those child-like curiosities you have when you’re a kid, when you’re younger you’re excited about everything and want to know about the whole world and how everything works, and I think it’s good to continue that mindset into adulthood. For me personally, I get really depressed easily if I feel like I’m stuck in one place, following the same routine and doing the same shit over and over, like that’s the point when everything starts to turn to shit to me too. It’s good to add some excitement and spontaneity to your life, and I know it can be hard for a lot of people to get out of their comfort zones, trust me I get this sometimes I can be a stubborn bitch and I only wanna stay in the same lane doing the same thing over and over, but trying new things and embracing change is what builds character. Sometimes life can seem scary, especially when you’re young and you don’t have everything figured out, but the truth is life just gets easier the more and more you challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone and try things, it makes you more fearless. The more you can gain knowledge and wisdom about different aspects of life the easier you have it figured out, and this all comes with allowing yourself to get excited about new things, expanding your interests and having an open-mind. And when I say trying something new it can be big or small. It can just simply be deciding to learn about something new each day, deciding to read a new book, watching a tv show or a movie you’ve never seen before, starting a new hobby, meeting new people (I know this one is a bad example bc everyone is social distancing LMAOO), for me I really love discovering new songs and listening to artists I haven’t heard before. I mean the risk that goes into trying something new is that maybe you won’t like it and sometimes we can have that mindset where we’re like “this is gonna suck” so we don’t even bother, but you never know until you try, and you can still have an opinion on something you don’t like too. (I can’t count how many times I’ve suffered watching something awful I could not care about but I did it anyways out of curiosity. Also NEVER form an opinion on something you know nothing about or shit on something you know nothing about or else you sound ignorant.) But open-mindedness and being able to adapt to change and trying new things is really the key to staying well-rounded and happy and fulfilled. Having a lot of interests also makes it a lot easier to be able to talk to a lot of different people about different things and make real fulfilling connections. So yeah to me, what Stan said was actually very wise and I agree with him because it’s kind of been my go-to philosophy on life.

update 2024: i’m starting to realize now that my constant need for stimulation and new experience is prob just my sociopathicness FFHJDJSJS bc i get bored of shit way quicker now than i did before

[yunaanoona]

"Loving you.." Sugawara x reader

Sinopsis - Sugawara Headcanons

Tags - Fluff, A slice of life (suga is life)

Cw - Bad grammars, horrible writing, literally write this in class in my note book because it was boring asf-

Info - N/N (nickname)

•Oo Love~ Ooh loverboy~

•An angel I will say. He is so sweet. Even before you both started dating.

•As friends he is like your wingman for everything. Supportive and cheerful, and he also would constanly give you advice on what's right or if you're doing something's wrong. Even if most of it not really helping

•He tease you alot.

•I feel like, he will be the one who confess first. He knows the chance for you to actually return his feelings is low but deep down he lowkey is still hoping, And plus until when is he gonna keep it hidden? He's in third year already.

•People have told him that he shouldn't turn friendship into relationship because he might lose both, and that does bring his hope down because he doesn't want his feelings to be the cause of your friendship being destroy.

•But Daichi shut those goons up and told suga "I can't promise that they will return your feelings, but there's nothing wrong in trying, and im sure N/N wouldn't do that. So get your head out of your gutter!"

•He tends to joke around alot, and yet sometimes he seems serious. But you know what they said. "The one who smiles alot, have the most scars" [Listen ik he dont have depressing bg story or whtever but shut up ok? ]

•Sugawara keeps alot to himself. Though, do you ever wonder? Suga always seems to care for everyone, wanting what's best for them, helping them, and he always seems fine but.. Is he? He was there to ask "Are you okay..? Do you need anything" but who is the person who will comfort him? Someone who would return the favor.?

•The pressure as the vice captain, the matches, practices, and his feelings..

•As times goes by everything build up, Ever since they're first year, trying their hardest to build the school name again. To make the volleyball team shine once more. The pressure added up.

.

•He almost cry when you said you share the same feelings as him. Wait no- He is crying-

•During that moment he felt a little relief, as if some weight have been lifted up.

"I-Im sorry- I can't help my self" He stuttered through his words as more tears drip down his face.

•You pull him into a hug and try to comfort him as he slowly relax in your embrace-

"NICE SUGA-SANN!!"

"S-Shut up Noya! He will see us-"

•Looking at the bushes, you both saw the 3rd and second years. Tanaka is on the verge of tears and its not because he's happy for suga but-

"THIS IS NOT FAIR SUGA-SAN!!"

[divinefireangel]

SF9 Comforting their Depressed/Overwhelmed S/O

Warnings: Depression talk. Not too detailed cause everyone goes through it differently. Basically sad reader and empathetic Sepgu. Food mentions (multiple).

Youngbin

Idk about y'all, but i will def cry if I see him when I'm down down

He can read you like a book

Gives you a comforting smile like this 😊 and says "Come here" while opening his arms wide for you to jump into them and forget all your worries

The type to give you his hoodies or the hoodie he's currently wearing so you can cry all you want without a worry

Asks if he can help with your problems or tasks in any way, even if it's something as small as being in the same room

Inseong

Sad Seongie Pout™

Hates seeing you sad

He's one of the super observant ones and he has good foresight so he kinda had already seen this coming

When you text him about your bad day and how you want to just stop everything, a part of him is happy cause he can take care of you forever

But he also knows that it's not going to happen.

Buys you comforting things like ice cream, some sweets or some soft toy or a books, whatever you're into that will act as a temporary distraction till you're ready to talk about what all is bothering you

Jaeyoon

One of the few times he isn't baby is when you're in need of his big cuddly wise boyfriend side

Just hugs you for a good 10 minutes

No conversation, no questions asked

Just his warm and strong arms wrapped around you to shield you away from everything

Encourages you to cry it out so you'll feel better faster and then he can make you eat something and help you with your work

Talks in his soft honey voice cause he knows that it grounds you and gives you a sense of stability and reassurance

Dawon

Oh Sanghyuk 🥺

Gives you the soft smile he does during vlive everytime you look at him when you're away

A strong believer in nap therapy

So if you have time before having to deal with the unavoidable, he's def gonna squeeze in a nap

Also squeezes you in a tight embrace during the nap

Makes you sit on his lap while you work (if possible) and keeps giving your comforting neck and cheek kisses after you finish small small parts of your task

Zuho

Strong believer in cat therapy! I mean, it works so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But if you're not up for that, he chooses soft cuddles, warm drinks and random talk

Basically he tries to distract you, even for a little while

Sits on the ground, you in between his legs, his arms hugging you and a blanket covering the both of you

His chin resting on your shoulder or his cheeks nuzzling into you as he talks about some silly thing he saw on the internet

A big fan of giving kisses in between words so you know that you can interrupt him whenever you like

Rowoon

1/2 of sepgu who makes you spit out your worries before consoling you

He sees that you're down and he immediately starts questioning you

Gently holds your face in his palms, makes you look up at him and asks you "What's wrong baby? "

When your tears start to flow he just let's you cry into his chest

Understandingly nods at your incoherent sentences and babbles

Our Seokwoo is a wise and smart man so he comes up with a perfect plan to solve your problems, at least the parts that you can control right now

First step of course, is to recharge your energy either with food or a nap

Yoo Taeyang

Coos sadly with a pout when your burst into tears in front of him

Hates seeing you overwhelmed :(

Always says that you're too good for this world and the way they treat you

Definitely cries a little when you cry in his embrace

Does not and will not let you go till you say you're ready to talk

He prefers talking face to face about issues so he can read your expressions and know how exactly you are feeling without you having to voice it out

Hwiyoung

He's a sad pout baby

Very practical tho

"This is the problem right? "

"Can this be a solution for it? Or will this be better? "

He finds a way out of the issue almost immediately so you won't have to stress over it too much after you've calmed down

A big fan of crying your worries out

Lets you cry, lets you punch him and fall to the ground cause after all, he is all you have

Chani

2/2 of makes you spit out your problem as soon as he sees you

Makes sure to not leave you alone at all when you're home

Helps you talk and complain and rant it all out

Weirdly, prompts you to swear more than you usually do

Suggests taking a nap (cause he's nap king 👑)

Strokes your hair soothingly till you start to snore slightly

That's his cue to also take a nap while cuddling you closer

He'll also wale up before you and get some sweets and comfort food ready for when you wake up

[balanmlpfurryandmore-confessions]

Rewriting Balan Wonderworld, part 1 of ???

Starting off I'd change that title immediately.

Balan Wonderland.

Main characters: Balan(im gonna call him Adam in the story randomly, no I cant tell you why yet), Emma and Leo.

Inhabitants: Iben Bia, Yuri, Cal and Cass. (I cherry picked them, I think we should have less folks clogging the story.)

Antagonist: Lance (duh) they'd be less human shaped more spooky smog.

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Plot line(starting scene): Balan has created two children to train so they may take his place one day. Two peices of his heart so that they will have the strength and show manship he has. Coincidently Emma had most of the fight in her and Leo had the showmanship.

He names his apprentices Emma and Leo because it's rare a creature has a true name in wonderland and it's a gift that gives them a true self.

Plotline(after start): Lance during a training session sneaks in the safe bounds of each guests isle, and begins filling the people with doubt and starts stealing them away one by one.

Emma was the first to sense something was wrong, she always had a keen sense for when something was wrong. One by one they all travel to find clues on what happened, along with balan taking in the reasons the people were here. Balan never tried to pry too hard into peoples stories, but today he had to so he could better sense them, a special talent. The downside to balan taking in the stories is it started draining him mentally.

One story of a child seeing their kitten get run over, another bullied in school, a young bride to be losing her parents on Christmas eve, and lastly a man torn up from grief having lost his wife to cancer.

The two young maestros work to finally figure out where to find the guests, they also learn about Lance. From the way lance sounded they sounded like a real evil man, they would even say as much to Balan.

Balan would simply state,

"They aren't evil, they don't have that sort of thinking. They aren't a person, they are not even a man. Lance is a concept they dont have a heart like people do."

Emma and Leo were confused by this and boldly state that balan isnt a human and neither are they, what made them different. Balan would pause then state,

"I'm not from here. I'm human, I was bound here to control Lance, my name is Adam. I'm a human and your a part of me, you are my family in a way... no you are family, your my siblings. We are humans that are magically infused."

This rattled the two children, they were really humans, a peice of one that was by chance blessed with life. They were even more shocked seeing balans true face, a dark skinned man with thick long dreads and those amber eyes like pools of honey.

After this realization they got down to business to save the humans- to save their kind.

When the battle was raged against lance it was seemingly hopeless, what could contain such depressive energy? Who could handle and contain all this pain this beast absorbed?

Balan- no, Adam stepped forth and embraced this beast and absorbed all this negativity, letting it all taint his pure heart. Lance held so much pain, eons and eons of human suffering all festering like a disease. Adam took it all inside him finally containing this scared animalistic thing. He looked back at his brother and sister and smiled, hed speak finally,

"I've been neglecting my duty... I think it's time I stop holding all these demons here alone huh?"

Adam would teach the children how to turn this horrible amalgam into something nice again. All the pain was turned to small Negatis and Tim's, sweet creatures for eating your pain and cheering you up. In a strange way these were Adam's babies there had to be hundreds forming from his body.

In the end lance way gone, and Adam was gone. But in a way they lived on in new roles they sorely missed the good of. Emma and Leo got given roles of Maestro and Maestra and sent the healed people home.

Ending: they story would then pan out of a book where Balan would be reading from it to two babies that were clearly Emma and Leo.

The End...

Comment below to tell me your thoughts on this rough draft.

[razorblade180]

Twin Snowflakes 46:Weathering the storm

Pt 45 <- here

As wind and ice increased, seeping through bricks and metal, the famed heroes of the world only gained more to deal with. In the eyes of a seasoned knight and leader, Jaune didn’t falter in the face of the elements. However, his body trembled. How badly he wished to blame the cold, but that was not the case. He had made it back home where he was sitting by a fire, a journal in his hands filled with the most soul chilling things to come from this experience.

Ruby and Weiss sat quietly in the room as he read one of Shiva’s many books. They had told him what went down the moment he walked through the door. From the journals’ insight about their daughter, to the ravaging confessions of Veronica.

It was strange, ironic even. The words Summer wrote cut into his heart, yet deep down he had gathered she was struggling. After all, he hasn’t forgotten the misery and outright despair saving the world inflicted on him. Jaune, Whitley, Weiss, Ruby, and even long ago with Blake and Yang dealing with the fall of Beacon, they all knew the feeling of falling into depression. Some even struggled with more dangerous thoughts similar to Summer’s, and yet it still snuck up on them despite their best efforts and support. He could make a good assumption that a similar realization had hit Veronica which was too much to handle. In the midst of her own darkness, she didn’t realize not only the extent of Summer’s, but that she added to it. Jaune had only gotten through three journals, but he had a feeling with so many, it was only a matter of time before everyone found their name in one.

He closed the journal and sighed. “When it rains, it pours.” He rubbed his face in exhaustion.

Weiss didn’t hesitate to get closer and drape her arms over him. He didn’t hesitate to hold the hands resting on his chest in response. Weiss wasn’t blind to the past several days. Jaune had been strong for both of them. Now she wanted him to rest.

“Don’t forget to lean on me too. I’m here for you.”

That alone made his eyes tear up, but he did not cry. Not out of stubbornness or fear, but because there was still so much to sort out. “Thank you, Weiss. I’m just getting overwhelmed fast.”

“Take your time.” Ruby said, locking her fingers together. “Nobody is ready to move after today.”

“How is everyone else exactly?”

“Winter is with Whitley near the garden. They wanted some time to…internalize it all. I can’t imagine Oscar, Qrow and Sparrow not being here has made things easier for Winter.”

“Ren and Nora?”

“With Valerie, patching her up. She took a pretty hard fall in the fight. As for the other three…”

xxxxx

Up in Veronica’s room, the lights were out. Not a word was said to break the silence of the raging blizzard. Only slight breathing from tear stained faces as Veronica slept in her bed, both her parents holding her hands as they slept beside their daughter.

xxxxx

“They have each other. I don’t know how any of them will feel later on. Only time will tell.”

“That’s fine.” Jaune looked over at the boxes of journals.

“That can wait.” Weiss said sternly. “Believe me, I want nothing more than to go through them all but not when we’re all like this. We’d just be torturing ourselves.” She tightened her embrace. “So the surgery has started?”

“Yeah…all that’s left is waiting.”

Something that was increasingly getting harder to do. You’d think they’d be used to it and how there’s only so much to do before it’s left to fate. Nope. It’s never easy. Not one bit. Ruby stood up and grabbed Crescent Rose.

“I’m gonna make sure the landing pad for supplies is still good. We should be getting another shipment before dark.”

Weiss and Jaune both looked at her ready to stop her but their dear friend cut them off before they could get a word in.

“I know, I know, alone? Yes. People are depending on us. This isn’t just our problem. All I’m doing is dashing over there, then coming back.”

“And if Shiva decides to say hello?” Weiss frowned.

“Trust me, one positive today is Shiva may be strong, but is no veteran huntsman. She can’t keep up with my strategic withdrawal tactics. I’m perfect for this.”

It’s true if anyone had the best chance of running away then it’s undoubtedly Ruby, but they still like the idea.

Ruby crossed her arms and assumed her leadership pose. they all knew and put up with. “Rest up. I’ll handle this.”

They let out a sigh of defeat, knowing she won’t budge. Jaune looked at her seriously. “Please don’t give anyone more reasons to cry.”

The Reaper smiled, “Heh, you’re talking to gal that went toe to toe with Cinder. What’s a little ice after all that fire?”

xxxxx

True to her word, Ruby intended to keep this an in and out job; choosing to perch herself on top of a roof that overlooked the sight. It should arrive any moment. Not to her surprise, the landing zone was unbothered. It might honestly be possible to leave the supplies here in the frigid weather until tomorrow. Not like anything would spoil. The thought crossed Ruby’s mind and it definitely was a safer option. However, battle prowess wasn’t all that Ruby accessed in today’s brawl. If one thing she and her friends did wrong, it was their failure in acknowledging Shiva’s persistence in observing them. They never skipped out on an opportunity.

Ruby thought of the events of not only recently but the build up to this situation. Rampages, check ups, school, tournaments, etc. She was done underselling Shiva. Especially when it came to surveillance. If body heat was a dead give away and at the speed Ruby moved to get here…the lady of frost was sure to have noticed.

“I know you’re close.” Ruby said, looking across to another building. Her words were enough for Shiva to walk out from behind a broken heater with hands behind her back and a sway in her walk.

Shiva’s confidence in revealing herself would be respectful if not unsettling. She stood on the edge of the roof with a blade in hand and more composed than before.

This didn’t go unnoticed by Ruby. The upright stance, the way one foot was a bit more forward while her breathing remained calm yet alert. Ruby had a feeling if she tried to sweep Shiva’s legs, all that would happen is a graceful back flip.

“For years you berated my goddaughter. Now you adopt her fighting stance?”

Shiva flashed a smirk. A fair but rather silly question. “Your goddaughter was weak and foolish in many ways, but I don’t remember criticizing how she moved her body. Even I can’t claim to know it as well as her in terms of physical prowess. I take that it was my last stunt near the end of our earlier squabble that put you on alert. Nothing gets past you. Well, almost nothing.” Referring to the depths of Summer’s misery.

Ruby wasn’t gonna be baited so easily. Shiva most likely revealed herself for similar reasons to why Ruby chose to come out here. Information. It was already potentially paying off with Shiva admitting she doesn’t know the limits of Summer’s body; or rather how to use them. However, the fact that she’s taken an interest in mimicking them…

Ruby’s eyes narrowed. “Do you really think sifting through her memories will be enough?”

“She’s fought you all more than I. Afraid a little muscle memory and superior power is gonna do you in?”

“If it was then we wouldn’t be talking now would we? You’re taking a risk just being this close, but you’re banking on me not wanting to harm Summer.”

“Don’t get too cocky. We both know as things stand, we’d be dead in the snow. It’s pretty comical. Your scythe around my neck in the blink of an eye, it would make you a hero to everyone but your family. Not very heroic to weigh personal feelings more.”

“I find it odd that someone hell bent on victory has offered reasons for me to kill them. It’s even more strange that I haven’t counted a dead body yet. It’s not like you can’t feel the warmth of every person here. Makes a girl think.” Ruby stood up.

Shiva could tell Ruby was looking for something she wasn’t gonna find. “I thought I made it pretty clear she can’t see or hear you? As for your curiosity, it’s not like I hate those civilians. They’re just caught in your mistakes. If you want to run yourselves ragged then be my guest.”

“So that’s it. You know better than to have our undivided attention. It’s why you allow supplies to get through even if it hampers your goals.”

Shiva’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t think I’m scared of you.” Her tone was low yet murderous. “I’ve come too far to make mistakes now. You all will pay soon enough.”

It wasn’t as if Shiva didn’t make her reasons clear, and yet Ruby couldn’t shake this feeling inside. There was more to learn; always was. Everyone spent so much time trying to learn about Shiva. Time to ask about Summer for a change.

“Did she hate us too, Summer that is?” Ruby said solemnly.

“Hmm?” A shocking question to say the least “Does that even need an answer? Of course she hated you all. I thought that would be obvious. Though to be fair…I suppose resentment is a fitting word. Surely you knew that. It’s what’s made this so damn easy.”

Amused by the question, Shiva relaxed a bit by lowering her blade. “All you people ever did was tell her to bear with things without producing meaningful results. You think all those smiles she gave were real? The fool was just too tired to scream her head off. Day in and day out she cried, whinnying in her pity party. It gave me such a headache. Good material for egging her own though. An assault on all sides. Couldn’t do it without you all.” She chuckled, too herself.

“Are you really pinning the blame on us and not your constant torturing? All we ever did was try!”

“See!? That’s the best part. It’s why this is such a hopeless situation for you. It’s not that nobody cared, but the opposite. All that love and effort shown, and yet nothing changed. You all are so useless!” Shiva watched Ruby’s eyes grow wide. “Oh what? Never thought of it like that. Summer isn’t delusional. She knows love for her is real. It’s just worthless. You’re worthless. The heroes of Remnant, her family, they’re nothing but failures who let a little girl cry for years. Why wouldn’t she try taking matters into her own hands? Too bad she forgot she’s the child of failures.”

Ruby shot a glare more chilling than the snow. “Do not speak ill of her parents. Especially in front of me.”

“Calling it like it is. I didn’t sow these seeds, I just reap them. That’s the beauty of it. Let’s entertain for a moment you get the better of me, what then. All you have left is a broken child who’s lost faith in you for years, and killed her brother. It's so terrible that even I’m shaking right now. How could you be careless with someone so close? There is no fixing this. You’re fighting for a broken mirror. You’re never gonna see what you want out of it and yet you decide to stay anyways? It’s so laughable!”

A gust swirled around the girl as she tried restraining a laughing. Her pupils shook and despite who she was, her blood boiled. “Giving up would make this a whole lot easier! Chalk it up to a lost cause, but no! It’s not in your nature! Do you have any idea that nugget of knowledge was echoed in this head!? I-”

Her temper wavered, it’s festering stalled by Ruby’s tears. The reaper quickly wiped them. Even she was caught off guard by her own emotions.

Ruby pulled her hood up and cleared her throat. “Ya know…I do wish circumstances were different. I wouldn’t know how they’d be, and frankly there’s not much of a point dwelling on it. What can I say? You are right about a few things. We’ve failed Summer. Even so…who are you to decide she’s weak and frail? Enduring as long as she did, that sounds like pure strength.”

“……”

Ruby turned her back to Shiva as the lights of the supply truck grew closer. “You were also right about none of us giving up on her. We’ll get her back, and when we do, I’ll accept all the hate she has for me. Sure it might hurt but I’ll choose that any day over losing her.” Her words brimmed with confidence.

The response moved Shiva in a way she couldn’t comprehend. Ruby didn’t say anything she wouldn’t normally say, but hearing those words spoken, it was….frustrating. Shiva’s eyes darkened as they narrowed in on Ruby’s brilliant silver gaze.

“You never change.”

A flurry of snow swept wind came between them, and then Shiva was gone. Ruby looked around but no longer felt in immediate danger.

“Never huh?” Ruby had a feeling she moved herself to the top of Shiva’s list of least favorite people.

The ship finally landed, the last rays of light still piercing through.

xxxxxx

Nearly two days passed before Veronica rose from her sleep steadily. The girl looked around to see no one in her room. “Where are-” she remembered her last interaction with her parents; with everyone. Cat ears fell down and her heart began to ache at the memory. What could they all possibly be thinking? What was she thinking? What if they read all of the journal…? Veronica didn’t want to think about such things. True or not.

A click at the door as the knob twisted open caught her attention. Winter and Penny entered with fresh towels and water.

“Ummmm” was all Veronica could muster.

Penny perked up seeing the child sitting up in bed. “You’re awake!”

“Why wouldn’t I- agh!”

A thermometer was popped into her mouth and towels placed on her nightstand where she spotted a few pill bottles. The heck was going on!?

Penny took away the thermometer and was happy with the results. “Splendid! Had me worried for a moment.”

“About what!?” She desperately asked.

“Oh, you got sick. Been out nearly two full days due to extreme stress, dehydration, exhaustion, and being out in the weather probably didn’t help.”

A blank stare burrowed into Penny as Veronica tried wrapping her head around what was just said. The young girl leaned forward to look at Winter with a look that asked for confirmation.

“Yes. You cried yourself to illness.”

Penny pouted, “Don’t phrase it like that Winter. Anyones’ immune system gets significantly weaker when under high stress physically and mentally.”

“So I cried myself to illness?” Veronica said bluntly.

“Ummm…yeah….” Penny gave in. “I thought that might sound insensitive or embarrassing.”

“Oh it is.” Veronica layed back down

Winter walked over to the bed . Below her was a miserable mess of hair. The sun kissed skin of an islander looked unnaturally faded when dark circles made themselves known under Veronica’s eyes.

“Did you know you cry in your sleep?”

“I’m…vaguely aware that’s a thing I’ve been seen doing. What of it?” Veronica turned away from the helpers. “Gonna tell me I can’t escape guilt?”

“I don’t have to tell you things you already know. Instead I’ll tell you what you don’t.” Winter sat on the edge of the bed. “Summer thinks so highly of you.”

Penny watched Veronica stiffen. “Winter, is this really the right ti-”

“It’s the perfect time. A record needs to be set straight. Veronica it’s no secret we aren’t each other’s favorite person.”

“You’ve never liked me. Though…I guess I can see why.” Her voice trembled.

“I never said I didn’t like you. I’m defensive of my family and well yes, I thought you did more harm than good as an influence on both of them. However, the truth is more complicated than that. Especially with Summer.”

“Those journals say otherwise.”

“Can you please just listen for now?” Winter said with a sigh. A single cat ear shot up, signaling her to continue. “I did my damnedest to keep Summer on a schedule when it comes to eating, school, and anything in between. Never stuck. Maybe I’m softer than I think but you got Summer to move when no else could. Believe me, I’m in no way excusing the nastier parts of your relationship, but it’s foolish to see it as completely horrible. When it came to you, Summer was envious and wanted to be more like you.”

“Why would she ever want to be like me when she has the kingdom in her hands?”

“Because you’re beautiful to her. I know even if you don’t see that in yourself, she certainly did in many ways. Summer stuck to the diet to impress you. Not once did she want to lose to you. You told her she was holding back and then she trained harder. You pushed back against her bullies; Summer told me about that. Also how it annoyed her so she finally pushed back too. Said it felt exciting and how you laughed she put that Amber girl in her place. She also said how it was your voice that saved her at the lake. That she dug deep to save both of you because you called out. Your relationship is not perfect. I’m aware both of you have said hurtful things to one another. But if I’m being honest with you…I think Summer wanted nothing more than you in her corner as a friend.”

“How could you think such a thing? After all our history? It just doesn’t make sense.”

“How? Simple, because it took nearly two decades before I realized my own brother only wanted my support the way I wanted his. We were just too busy in our own pain to notice the signs we gave one another. It’s not the exact same situation, but I don’t think I’m wrong when I say you don’t hate Summer. Not really.”

A silence lingered. Veronica sat back up and looked down at her lap. Facing Winter felt wrong for some reason. Talking in general was strange, yet not as difficult as expected.

“I’m sorry for all the troubles I’ve stirred up.”

“Don’t tell me that. It’s better saved for Summer once we get her back. Winter got up from the bed and went to leave, stopping at the door. “Trouble or not, I’m glad I know you.” She walked out.

Veronica directed her attention to Penny. “Parents out being heroes I take it?”

She nodded, “Always. Don’t worry though. Nothing dangerous these past couple days.”

“Shouldn’t you be at the hospital, or am I causing problems for you too?”

“Please don’t talk like that Veronica. The bulk of medical work has been finished for a while and even if it wasn't, I’d always make time for you.”

Veronica looked into Penny’s sincere eyes. She couldn’t understand it, the woman’s gentleness. It wasn’t learned through tribulations. Penny was nice; plain and simple.

“I say this as a compliment Penny; kindness like yours could only be programmed.”

“I respectfully disagree. My father was a gentle soul. That’s all there is to it.”

“Wish I could’ve met em.”

“Hehe, I’m sure he would’ve loved you. Now then, Veronica, I’d like to discuss something with you.” She said cautiously.

Veronica could tell at a glance what it was about. A doctor should have as much information on their patient as possible, and no way the grownups wouldn’t tell Penny what went down.

“Does the Goliath in the room really have to be addressed?” She retreated inward.

Penny frowned. “Veronica…”

“Fine. Yes, I tried taking my life. That what you wanted to hear? I already know you all are going to look at me differently and that’s whatever, but can we not have a drawn out conversation over it please? I just can't, okay?” Her ears fell back down but Veronica kept eye contact. Penny needed to see how serious she was about this. “Please?”

The tremble in Veronica’s throat made Penny’s heart ache. “Nobody is looking at you differently. I’m also not Oscar; I can’t offer you any help in a professional capacity. Nor would I try to. It’s not what I was going to attempt with you.”

“Then…what exactly is it that you did want to say?”

“A different perspective I need you to hear. I’m case it was something you never really thought about. Our struggles in life are different and similar at the same time; I get that. Still, we looked for belonging, tried to fit in, hoped to understand those different from us, and wondered why people kept treating us differently. It causes a lot of doubt, darkness. I can’t begin to know the intricate details and depths that got you to such a merciless breaking point. However, I need you to understand how incredibly strong you are Veronica. Even in all that darkness…you gripped tightly to the light left inside. You chose to live in the end. That’s a strength never to be downplayed. That strength is beautiful.”

Truly…Penny was too kind. Veronica couldn’t keep up her tough girl act or brush off such words. Her reserved expression broke down into tears, her body lunging forward and pulling Penny into a hug.

It takes the robotic girl off guard for a moment before she wraps both arms around Veronica, rubbing her back.

“Thank you for taking care of me.” Vee wept.

“A doctor takes care of their patient, and a friend always reaches out. Thank you for letting me help. I know it’s not always easy to do.”

“Can I ask you a favor?” Veronica let go and wiped her face. “Help me get dressed? I wanna go somewhere.”

“Okay. But ummm…” Penny cocked her head to the side, “Where?”

xxxxx

“In retrospect, I should’ve known it was the hospital.” Penny said, leaning against the elevator wall. “I was half expecting somewhere iced off.”

Veronica laughed to herself. “Haha, yeah I can’t blame you. If I had the confidence then I would’ve asked you if sneaking in the school is possible, but that’s probably out of the question.”

“What’s at the school?”

“I went into Summer’s room a couple times after everything went down with her, then when Val woke up and told her story I remember noticing Summer’s bag wasn’t in her room. It’s probably in that meeting room.”

“Is there something relevant in there perhaps?”

“Not sure how relevant to be honest but Summer would take a journal everywhere she could. Kinda like me…” Veronica never really thought much about that detail before. “Odds are there’s one in her bag. It would be the most up to date.”

“Hmm you’re not wrong, but Almanac is very much the den of Shiva. That’s way too dangerous for potentially gaining nothing. For all we know Summer could’ve only been on page one. Even a full one might not have anything useful for our immediate problems.”

Veronica let out a sigh while rubbing her still messy hair. She didn’t really care much about her appearance right now. She could tell Penny was enjoying her temporary look however. It had gotten so cold most of Veronica’s designs that she brought weren’t really fit for Atlas weather anymore. Fortunately for her, Penny’s lived here forever and made clothes focused on extra warmth ever since Shiva was around.

Standard black tights and long sleeves infused with flame dust. That wasn’t the kicker though. Those close were underneath as insulation. What pretty happily flew off to get before they left was her old outfit back in the days when she was known as The Defender of Mantle.

“Nothing is too tight is it?” Penny asked.

“It’s alright. Not like there’s many options for clothes that handle immense windsheer. Aura feels normal too. Think the only problem is that shamrock isn’t exactly my color.” Vee quipped.

“You must be tired of me saying this but I think you look wonderful.”

Penny’s smile lit up the small space. Genuine to fault. Vee couldn’t help but tease a tiny bit. “Why do I get the feeling I’m fulfilling some sort of little sister wish you’ve always had?”

“Hehe, I wouldn’t go that far. I just always liked to see you as my little niece. Though if you want a big sister then I’d be more than happy to be!”

A hint of red came to Veronica’s face. Looks like she was the one getting teased in the end. Vee turned her head towards the door. “I’m good with niece.”

Penny couldn’t help but giggle. One minute Yang, the next minute Blake. It was hard to know who Veronica spent more time with.

The door finally opened and they walked out into the stuffy area. People were as restless as ever. It almost made Veronica’s ears ring.

“You think Nick’s allowed visitors?”

“He isn’t in any operations right now. If all is going well then he’s stable and in bed for the time being.” Penny let a frown show. “His coma is wearing me down a little however. Even with his body slowly recovering, it’s dangerous for anyone to be out for too long.”

“Aren’t there stories of people in a coma for years until recovery?” Veronica saw the look of shock hit Penny. Vee immediately wished she didn’t say that. “Not that I’m saying that he will be! All I meant was is there any reason to be worried after a few days?”

“No. I don’t like it is all. Call me greedy, but saving his life would be bitter if he loses so much time.”

“That’s not greedy at all. Any doctor should want the best outcome.”

“You know…you’ve taken Nick’s condition better than the rest. I’m a little shocked if I’m being honest.”

Vee shrugged, “Hard to explain. Guess I can’t really picture someone like him not making it through this. Val said it herself, he was trying to save his own life right up until he passed out. In a way that’s pretty terrifying.”

A perspective like that made it easy to see why Shiva would go for him first. Penny was sure there was more reasoning but that had to be a major one. After all, nobody has been quite themselves ever since. Speaking of which…

Penny nudged Vee and pointed. “Hey, look.”

Vee turned her head and spotted Valerie, sitting alone in what used to be a waiting room. Her usual vigor was gone and she was hunched over with a gaze that was clearly not looking at anything. Veronica looked at Penny.

“You knew she was here, didn’t you?”

“Of course. Valerie actually has been here since the fight.”

That couldn’t be good. Veronica winced, “Don’t tell me her arm is worse?”

“Oh no. Despite the best attempt between both of you, that arm endured the abuse. Valerie couldn’t stand being in the manor unfortunately. I heard you two said some…not some nice things about each other.”

Veronica got the picture. She wasn’t exactly happy about it, but…it would be a lie to say their last fight was like the rest. It was no secret why Valerie wouldn’t want to stay. Not after all the things said. Veronica thought about telling Penny she wasn’t up for more drawn out talks, but if Winter could give her the time of day, then there’s no real excuse not to confront Valerie.

“Guess I got no choice…”

“Please no more fist fights.” Penny warned.

“Penny, this is a hospital.” Veronica walked over to her target.

“Eh, it had to be said just in case.” Penny went on about her own business to check Nick. If she remembered correctly, Ren and Weiss should be around somewhere while the others are patrolling or tending to other locations right about now.

In her own world, the young Valkyrie stared at the floor, adrift in thought. It was only when puffy black boots obscured the glare off the hospital’s tile floors that she raised her head to see Veronica standing before her. The two spoke no words, only a minute long stare before Veronica sat in the seat next to her. Silence between them remained while the world kept moving along. Parents bundling kids, nurses pushing wheelchairs, the near and distant murmurings of peoples’ distress over anything and everything. For Veronica it was sensory overload if she focused too hard on it, yet she since the appeal of Valerie being here over anywhere else. What a perfect place to be miserable and drown out your own thoughts. Then there was the obvious reason as well.

“You see him?” Veronica finally spoke, but was given no immediate response. A low grunt left her lungs as she exhaled, choosing to sink into the chair.

“Did you know…Nick hates hospitals?” Valerie asked, breaking her silence with a dry, somber voice. “I always thought I understood why. He spent a lot of time seeing Summer here.”

“Not hard to figure out.”

“That’s what I thought, but no. Now I think I’m really understanding why. Seeing a person you care about so vulnerable is already a lot, but being there when things go wrong…”

Veronica slowly sat up and looked at Valerie with shock. The athlete’s hands were shaking, eyes filled with tears.

“Only a few days here and I’ve seen Penny, nurses, and other doctors rush into that room as he started seizing.” She held her hands together tightly. “I don’t want to hear that flatline again.”

“That’s it, I’ve heard enough.” Veronica got up and stood in front of Valerie. “Is this what you think you deserve? You’re so called punishment. I can tell you right now there’s not a soul that would wish this on you. Especially your parents. The hell are you doing!?”

“Just leave me alone.”

“You don’t get to say that after telling me that willingly. Do you think Nick would want-”

“When have I actually ever done what Nick asked for me!?“ she nearly yelled. “I’m a selfish person, remember? Not even a real friend towards either of them. By all means, this arm being hurt doesn’t begin to be a consequence.”

“In case you forgot, I’m a hundred times worse. Wasn’t even friends with one.” Vee sat back down. “If Shiva fucking up your arm and immense guilt isn’t enough karma for your screw ups, then by that logic, guess I’m gonna end up dead for sure by the end of all this. Ironic, but probably deserved all things considered.”

Veronica turned to see Valerie’s uncomfortable and sympathetic look. Suddenly she felt like instead of putting the problem in perspective, it was wrong entirely. Valerie probably couldn’t get the image of painful crying in the garden out of her head.

“Too dark? Guess I can’t say those kinds of things lightly anymore around people.” Veronica huffed. “Listen, I’m not really good at talking like this.”

“You’re a public speaker.”

“Talking about equality is a bit different than this mess.”

“From where I sit, I’d say we’re equally shitty. Hate to admit it…but you were right about me. I just didn’t want to acknowledge it. I’m selfish. Simple as that. I stopped considering their true feelings for the sake of my own and half the time I didn’t even realize.”

“Don’t mean to drive the knife in deeper but are you aware why Nick is so fond of you?” The lack of any kind of response said enough. “He told me how you inspired him to stop thinking about all the prying eyes. You gave him the answer to reclaiming joy in the things he loves to do, all by being that example. What happened to that girl? I certainly never got the chance to meet her.”

“I don’t know. We got older? The eyes on him looked at me but not really. Bit by bit…it all became so confusing. Nothing feels like when we were kids. I don’t feel like myself anymore. All that talk about being the top and the one people look to, yet here I am now. The twins are gone and now it’s really starting to sink in that I don't know what to do. I really did need them around after all. I…didn’t even get the chance to tell them I’m-”

“Can you stop talking like they’re dead?” Veronica spoke in a stern yet wavering tone. “And do you mean you don’t know what to do? Take a look around. People need help and you damn well those two would caffeinated out of their skulls and get to work. Listen, I can’t tell you that they’ll forgive you for sure and I can’t lie to myself and say I completely understand you because let’s face it, we don’t know each other well. Not really. All I know is we need to get our act together. I’m tired of worrying my parents. Let’s stop thinking about us and start thinking about everyone else for once. I mean hell is freezing over at this rate. Might as well play along.”

Her logic was flawed yet correct. Unreasonable, but somehow compromising as well. Valerie was unsure if she’d ever get used to how Veronica did…well, everything. But maybe she didn’t have to. At least not right now. Like she said, hell was freezing over. That took priority. Valerie found herself sighing with a glimmer of peace finally on her face.

“Fine. You win. I’ll pick myself back up again.”

Behind both of them, a voice called out. “Oh? Were you knocked down? Figures…”

Val and Vee both turned around and gasped. For the first time since this mess started, the two of them saw Eliza. Not only did she wore her battle clothes from the tournament, but she carried a bouquet of her namesake in her hands.

“Eliza!?” Valerie yelped.

“Why are you still here!?” Veronica added.

The young witch raised an eyebrow. “Odd question. Atlas is my home and my people need help. They haven’t been getting by on dust alone you know?” She made a tiny flame on her finger before blowing. “Anyways, are your families okay?”

“Alright. But uhh…” Veronica pointed at the marigolds. “I feel like we should be asking you that. Your dad isn’t hurt is he?”

“Heh. Thank you for the concern but these aren’t for him. He actually came with me here. I got a feeling I’m here for the same reason you two are then?”

Just then, Weiss came from down the north hallway. “Veronica? Eliza?” Her eyes shifted towards the back near an exit to see Henry leaning near a lamp. If she wasn’t tired, Weiss would’ve groaned. Ignoring him for now, she walked over to the girls. “Come to keep Valerie company?”

“Not particularly.” Veronica said bluntly, earning a huff from the girl.

Eliza presented the flowers. “I probably should’ve asked first, but is Nick allowed flowers? The other day, I actually saw you and some others here looking…not yourselves. Valerie told me bits and pieces when I found her in the school, so I put two and two together.”

No one had noticed Eliza around several days ago, especially Weiss. She looked at the flowers and smiled gently. It was nice knowing more people were thinking about Nick than she realized. “Flowers would brighten up that room nicely. Thank you.”

“I can put them in there for you.” Veronica chimed in. “I actually came here to check in briefly. If…that’s okay with you?” She asked Weiss. It was hard looking at her now. Was it gonna be like that for everyone? Veronica couldn’t tell if it was guilt, embarrassment, or both.

“If Eliza is okay with it.”

Veronica’s head peeled up. Weiss showed her a compassionate smile before walking off towards Henry. Vee felt her heart become at ease. Eliza handed over the flowers.

“Knock yourself out. I can tell this means more to you than me.”

“Thanks. By the way, you wouldn’t happen to know any problems that we could help with?”

Valerie crossed her arms. “Look around you. What happened to that mentality?”

“I still have it! A list is just more efficient.”

Eliza thought for a moment. “Well…I can think of several things. However, it’s gonna cost you both.” Both stared at her silently. “Got your attention huh? Good. Now can you kindly tell me what I don’t know? I’ve been quite reasonable with everyone, including the twins when it came to helping in complicated circumstances. But I’m through with being in the dark. This is bigger than a household issue. Even if that house is a manor.”

Eliza was correct, and downright reasonable like she said. Without ever knowing the full scope, acting accordingly was never an issue for her. Veronica looked at Valerie, putting the athlete off.

“What?”

“What? You should be the one filling her in. I didn’t know jack shit before this visit. Have fun, lorekeeper.” Veronica waved with the flowers and walked off.

“Hey!?” Valerie looked at Eliza, who’s eyes were as serious as a grimm’s. Suddenly the witch attire felt intimidating. “Take a seat. It’s gonna be a minute.”

Weiss stood in the back next to Henry as they watched the kids and the rest of the people. Weiss’s arms were crossed and her mood not the greatest while Henry kept his hands in his pockets.

“What’s your game?” Weiss finally spoke rudely.

“My game? Haha, still shrewd. Here I thought you’ve lost all your edge with you not being as public or active these several years.”

“It’s called being a parent.”

“All well and good, but that doesn’t reduce the amount of eyes wanting to see you or public image. By all means you’re still seen as this city’s Queen in many perspectives.”

“You haven’t answered my question yet.”

“My game isn’t anything. Contrary to what you may believe, I’m very much in the passenger seat when it comes to the affairs of our children.”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “Why do I find that hard to believe?”

“Don’t misunderstand me. Eliza is highly aware that I want her to achieve greatness and that I personally would love to move our family higher up in status given our…decent. She’s already done wonderfully. I mean her very birth is a gift.”

“Would you say that if she couldn’t use magic?”

“Absolutely. I don’t have an heir. It’s also pretty boring alone. Children seem to be the spice of life in practically any environment.”

“Hmph, well, that’s one thing we can agree on.”

Henry sensed the lack of energy in her words. “…I do wish the best for Nicholas in this difficult time. He is an honest and good kid.”

“Thank you…”

“Where’s the other one?”

“…She’s dealing with a lot right now.”

“Fair enough. Eliza was actually the one to tell me Nick was hurt and that she wanted to do something. If it were up to me I would’ve left, but she insisted.”

“Saving face are we?”

“Like I said, I’m a parent too. If there is any angle here it’s the simple benefits that come from my daughter helping people in this trying time. I wonder if it’ll sway opinion about your family?”

Weiss shot him a side eyed. “Excuse me?”

“I never told Eliza to be competitive with your kids. She found reason to see them as rivals based on them as people. That being said, those children are Schnees, and like I said, there’s an expectation and power with that. One that seems to be carried more and more by the new generation because the King and Queen want to play parent only.”

“My children are not here to play some chess game for status quo and power.” Weiss said firmly. “Screw what any media outlet says.”

“Oh we both are too old to act like it’s not completely meaningless or possible to avoid. I’ll be frank. Right now you have no moving pieces on your board. All that power, and nobody’s feeling it. That’s bound to cause problems for your family one way or another when this is all over and nobody can really say how the Schnees helped; then again I guess that’s normalized. Kids take after parents, and your parents-”

“I will give you ten more words so choose them carefully, Henry Marigold.” A vigor reignited in Weiss. Too bad it was fueled by irritation of all things.

Henry smirked, “Act like a Queen to spare your kids.” And with that, Henry walked away.

Weiss didn’t have to search for some hidden meaning behind the words. She was just upset that of all people, Henry had to say it. “You still have two words.”

“Good luck.” He said casually.

Damn him. Being a father might’ve reshaped him over the years, but he is still petty and disrespectful as ever towards her. Though it goes to show it only extends to Weiss ,and her siblings. Not even Henry would be immature or idiotic enough to dislike the twins. Weiss wouldn’t be shocked if his only problem he saw with them is being her kids, but that’s merely an assumption. One that angered her nonetheless.

Weiss took a deep, slow breath through her nose and out her mouth. Silently to herself she whispered, “No more tears.”

xxxx

Back in the hallway, Veronica walked in silence as she reached Nick’s room, walking in immediately to not psyche herself out. As Valerie said earlier, machines beeped, a distinct smell of medicine, and bright lights that somehow made the room feel dim. Nicholas laid peacefully in a hospital bed with the headboard against the middle of the wall. His skin looked a little more colorful than before but Veronica could already tell by his fingers and forearm that he was getting slimmer. Hopefully Penny already has a plan to keep his nutrition okay. Aside from the obvious oxygen mask and needles in his arm, one would mistake his condition for beauty sleep. Veronica could only guess how long he’ll slumber.

She got closer to the nightstand beside the utilities and placed the flower in a vase next to what must’ve been on Nick before operating. A wallet, his scroll, keys, and what caught her eye, a golden cross necklace. She remembered their conversation about prayers but never knew he had this. She picked it up gently and let it dangle from her fingers before letting it fall softly in her left palm. Veronica was never one to pray but…

“Not him.” She said softly, closing her eyes and closing her hands together. “You don’t get to have him. Not when there’s so much he still wants to do. If this can’t end perfectly then …put the ice in my heart.”

xxxx

Friends, strangers, enemies, loved ones; despite the situation, everyone hopes for the best in this blizzard. From the vigilante, to the unconscious…

In a place unknown and unseen, something stirs; clinging to what is and maybe all there ever was. A boy, a knight, a prince. Nicholas opens his eyes and sees nothing but a chilling fog that engulfs all as he stands motionless and confused. Weakly he ponders…

“Where…am I?”

[berryhoneypie]

How did you learn how to be an adult? Like idk where to begin? I’m 19 and I’m still living at home so like how do you do it?

Aww first of all, you're 19 so it's completely normal to not have the answers to things! I think a lot of adulthood is learned through experience. I got my first taste of it when I started college and realized how hard things really are. I didn't have very involved parents growing up, so I think I had a little more independence at nineteen than some. I first started learning smaller chores like doing my own laundry, and learning how to cook. Learning how to cook is still one of the most valuable skills I have in my toolbox. At 19, you're not gonna have the skills a 28 year old will have. And that's okay! A lot of adulthood is "I have no idea what I'm doing but I have to do it anyway."

Once I graduated college, I was fully independent and living on my own. I started a career and all of a sudden had benefits and a 401K and I HATED IT!! I really struggled with the concept of having to work and I was dragging my feet for a really long time. Idk how but it eventually clicked in my head that money and work is just another tool in my toolbox to build the life I desire. I did a lot of internet research about budgeting and found a system that works to keep track of my bills and not overspend. Rent is expensive, groceries are expensive, student loans are expensive. Get one credit card with a $500 limit, do not put yourself into debt willingly. Keeping track of your money is one of the key skills you need, and learning how to budget will keep you ahead of your peers.

I’m also gonna shoehorn in, delete social media or at least limit your screen time. It’s meant to depress you and make you feel inadequate and insecure, don’t fall for it. And read more books!!

Although a lot of adulthood is fulfilling responsibility, it's also about deciding the kind of person you want to be. I like to picture myself at 30, 40, and 50 and think "is the path I'm on right now leading me to the person I crave to be?" You literally get to decide exactly how you want to live! How do you want to treat others? How do you take your coffee? How will you decorate your home? When faced with a crisis, how will you react? I believe a lot of maturity comes from self reflection and a desire to curate the life you deserve to live.

Your early 20s are full of learning experiences, being humbled, and learning how to carry stress without it ruining your life. I wasn't born knowing how car loans work, or insurance premiums, or credit scores. I learned about these when I bought a car for the first time, when I got my first insurance plan, and when I got my first credit card. Your early 20s can be really hard and sometimes scary since you're just starting out! All you can do is be gentle with yourself, and learn how to assume responsibility for your own life. No one is gonna teach you how to do things, you have to want to learn and seek the knowledge for yourself. I didn't really begin to grow up until this past year and it takes a lot of time and real world experience to get there! I'm about to be 26 and these things didn't really start to click until I was 25.

And being a grown up isn't always scary and hard. It also brings freedom. Yes I go to college full time and have a job and so many bills to pay. But I also have hobbies I've developed, I have friends to hang out with, and adventures to go on! When bills are paid and responsibilities are fulfilled, you can choose how to spend your free time. You will find balance between your inner child and your adulthood. You have to nurture your inner child while also honoring your future self. Adulthood isn't always bills and stress, it's also doing literally whatever you want because you can! Get comfortable with being alone, and embrace your relationship with yourself.

I didn't know how to do anything, until it was time to do it. You have a lot of time to figure things out, and a lot of it will come naturally without you even realizing. Remember to be patient, and that a lot this takes time. You have the capacity to become the person you want to be! We all do :)

[bestaez]

Strangers (Chapter One)

Strangers from Hell AU

Series Masterlist

pairing: ot7 x reader

genre: yandere, horror/thriller

warnings: murder, mature themes, obsessive/possessive behavior, emotional manipulation, stalking, violence (will update as needed)

word count: 5k words

summary: You are finally moving out of your hometown and following your dreams of living in the big city. With an internship at a successful company and your friends living close by, you feel like things are finally working out. 

Sure, your apartment might not be the most glamorous and your new neighbors are a bit strange but that's normal for a first time living away from home, right? Everyone had warned you about how evil the world could be but it wasn't until you moved there that you started to understand how strangers could be a real hell.

You were finally doing it. Getting out of your hometown. It had been a long time coming as you were ready to move out as soon as you graduated but when your father fell ill shortly after, you couldn’t just abandon your mother to take care of him and your little brother all by herself, not to mention the family business that needed a new manager. So you stayed. You stayed until eventually death came for your father and then you stayed for when the depression hit your mother so hard she couldn’t get out of bed for days at a time. When you weren’t working, you were the one to make sure your kid brother finished his homework and ate all his meals. It was you that took care of your zombie-like mother until she came back to herself.

And now everyone was back on their feet and you felt like it was the right time to leave, especially because you had been accepted for an internship program in at a successful company that matched well with your college degree. Throughout your college years, you decided to stay living at home to help your family as well as save money. Your longtime boyfriend, Jihoon, had moved to the city a year ago after he graduated and you had been dating long distance ever since. But, you couldn’t waste any more time in your small hometown. This was your big chance and you weren’t going to miss it.

The sound of your mother’s voice calling your name could barely be heard over your suitcase rumbling down your driveway. You curse inwardly, scrunching your face up in annoyance at yet another obstacle stopping you from leaving. You were so close to freedom you could taste it.

Looking over your shoulder, you saw your mom carrying a bag of prepared meals that you surely couldn’t finish by yourself. You knew this was coming which was why you had tried to book it out of there. So much for that plan.

“Mom, I can’t carry all that,” you eye the large bag warily. You appreciate the sentiment but you were trying to be independent now and this wasn’t helping.

She ignored you and began making quick work to tie the bag to the handlebars of your suitcase so that you wouldn’t even need to hold it. Once finished, she stood back up and made a satisfied huff, “There!”

“What? I have to make sure my baby eats! You expect me to let you go hungry?” She exclaims in response to your deadpanned look.

“You have to let me find my own way now.”

“Of course but what’s a little help on the way?” She pulls you in for a tight hug. “Fine, fine. I’ll leave it alone now. Just enjoy this last meal. Pretty soon, you’ll be missing your mom’s cooking.”

You chuckle at that, abandoning holding your suitcase and hugging her back. You both stay there for a while in each other’s embrace, soaking up this last moment together. Feeling her shoulders begin to shake, you pull back to look at the tears forming in her eyes.

“Mom,” you whine, shoving her shoulder. “You promised you wouldn’t cry!”

“I’m not, I promise.” She lies, wiping her eyes quickly. “I’m just gonna miss you so much.”

“It’ll be okay, alright? You have to be strong now for Minjun.”

“I know,” she sniffs. “You don’t have to worry. It’s you I’m worried about. Promise me you’ll be extra careful out there. The world doesn’t deserve your kind heart.”

“I promise.” You hug her one more time before grabbing your suitcase again. Walking toward the gate, you don’t turn back around in fear that her sad face will stop you from leaving.

Before you know it, you’re on the bus and staring out the window as your hometown passes by in a blur. You expect to feel sad to be parting ways but find no melancholy in your heart, only peace. Settling in with your headphones, you brace yourself for the next couple hours it will take to get from the countryside to the city.

You check your phone to see a few new messages from Jihoon asking about when you arrive, as well as from Nayeon, your old friend who helped you land your new internship. You quickly reply to them both before looking up the residence you were moving to. It didn’t have a lot of reviews online but you had been in contact with the management through several emails and they had seemed friendly enough. Worst case scenario, you could just stay in a sauna until you found a suitable place to live. Lost in your train of thought, you startle when a voice near you suddenly speaks up.

“First time going to the city?” His question catches you off guard, causing him to laugh as he explains. “New-comers always have that hopeful look in their eyes. That’ll pass.”

“Ah, am I that obvious?” You laugh sheepishly. “This is my first time leaving home.”

“You’ll be fine. Just be careful and don’t trust any strangers. They can be a real hell.” His voice sounds far away as his gaze drifts across the bus. 

“Thank you.” You bite your lip, unsure of how to respond. “I have some friends there already so I won’t be alone at least.”

You two converse for a while and it makes the trip go faster. You even share some of the food your mother prepared for you which he was extremely grateful for but you were just trying to lighten your load. Before you know it, you start to see the city you’ve only seen in pictures come to life. Lots of big gray buildings, busy streets, and people walking around. Your heart thrums in excitement.

When the bus pulls into your stop, you say goodbye to the old man and begin to gather up your belongings. You’re too busy taking in your surroundings once you’ve stepped off the bus to notice the people bustling around you, including the large man who almost knocks you over and causes your phone to hit the ground in his haste. By the time you’ve recovered and picked it back up to inspect the damage, he’s already gone. You’re annoyed at the carelessness of this stranger but also at yourself for being too stunned to act in time.

You sigh as you look down at your newly-cracked phone screen. Not exactly the welcome you were expecting.

*****

You manage to type in the address of the residence you’ve arranged to move into without cutting your fingers. The place is about a ten minute walk from the bus stop but it feels much longer when you’re carrying all your luggage in this summer heat. You grit your teeth as you take in how many stairs you’re about to climb.

Hiking up another set of stairs and feeling ready to collapse, you almost miss the sign for the residence when you see it. You can’t help but notice how different it looked from the picture online, as if it had been many years since that picture was taken. ‘Eden Residence’ the sign read. It didn’t look super scary on the outside, just a bit dingier than you had been expecting. But you suppose that’s what life in the city is like so you try not to judge a book by its cover.

Once you go through those doors, it feels as if the air has shifted. It’s completely silent and you can only hear the sound of your own footsteps and heavy breathing which sets you off even more. You try to ignore it and climb the stairs to where you hope someone can help you get settled in.

Your prayers are answered when you spot a reception desk a few feet away. You walk up to the window, expecting to see someone inside but it’s empty. Leaning against the desk, you wave a hand by your face to cool off. It’s somewhat cooler inside but still a little muggy and your clothes are sticking to you from the sweat. You hope the manager doesn’t judge you too much for your appearance.

“YN?” A voice behind you startles you as you whirl around to see a man, probably not much older than you, with styled blonde hair looking at you curiously.

“Um, yes. Are you... Jimin?” You hoped that you remembered his name correctly, only having been in communication with the manager of the residence through email so far.

“Yes, that’s me! I’ve been expecting you.” He explains in a cheerful tone, smiling brightly at you. You’re not sure what to make of his friendliness but you figure it’s just his customer service personality. His eyes rake up and down your body so subtly you almost wonder if you imagined it.

“You must be exhausted from the trip! I’m sure the hot weather didn’t help either.” Stepping next to you, he reaches into the window to grab a keyring from somewhere. “Here, I’ll show you to your room.”

You follow him down the dimly-lit corridor to a door that’s not too far from where you were before. He unlocks the door and lets you step inside. It’s tiny, barely fitting a bed and a desk but there’s a little space to walk around. You suppose it’s not exactly lavish but you have to start somewhere, right? And it’s not like you’d be here forever. For right now, this was really the only place you could afford in the city.

“Cozy, right?” Jimin’s voice breaks you away from your thoughts as you look up at him smiling at you. “I can give you a tour whenever you finish getting settled in.”

You nod and join him in the hall again. “There used to be another floor for just the female tenants upstairs but unfortunately a fire destroyed most of the rooms and made it unlivable. We’re working on repairs but right now we’ve been forced to move all our tenants onto the same floor.” He explains and you can’t help but shift your gaze to the ceiling to see any signs of damage but don’t see anything in the low light. You wonder what could have caused a fire up there.  

“Thankfully, we’ve been able to fix the bathrooms up there so you won’t have to share with the men down here. I’ll show you the way up later.” You didn’t see anything about this online and almost wish they would have warned you when you contacted them at first but you figure you wouldn’t have had another choice anyway so you just nod and follow him into the next room.

“And here we have the kitchen!” It’s a decent size with all the basic appliances you could need. They look like they’ve seen better days but you’re not complaining. Off to the side is a bunch of tables for the tenants to dine at. Speaking of, there are currently two men sitting at one of the tables together. “Ah, YN, meet Taehyung and Jungkook - your new neighbors!”

One has a fluffy black mullet that hides his eyes somewhat while the other has a similar style although his hair is tied in a ponytail with parted bangs, revealing his big curious eyes. They seem to be very close as you note the large ramen bowl they’re sharing. You wonder if they could be brothers or perhaps a couple.

The one that has a ponytail gets up from his seat to greet you while the other one stays back and watches intensely. Now that he’s up close, you notice how young he looks with doe eyes and cute cheeks. Not wanting to make a bad impression on the first neighbor you’ve met, you flash him a friendly smile which he mirrors.

“I’m Jungkook,” he says and throws a thumb over his shoulder, pointing at the other guy. “That’s Taehyung. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you both. Are you-” 

“You!”

You’re interrupted by another person suddenly entering the kitchen and making themselves known. You turn to see a new person storming in and you’re relieved to finally see another woman. She looks to be in her mid-thirties, with black hair flowing down her back and a long, slender body.

She breezes past your little group and marches right up to where Taehyung is sitting. He looks at her with a bored expression, his hand holding his chin as he leans against the table. He doesn’t even react when she slams her hand against the table, bringing her face down to his eye level.

“I thought I told you not to go in my room. Do you want to die?!” Her tone is sharp and from where you stand, you can tell she’s pissed.

You glance over at Jimin, expecting him to seem shocked but he only seems mildly irritated as if this is a regular occurrence. You feel as if you’re in someone else’s house and witnessing a fight between siblings.

“Soomi, please calm down.” Jimin pleads as he pinches the bridge of his nose. “We have a new tenant here.”

“I don’t care, this fucker keeps messing with my stuff! I know it’s him.”

Jimin turns to you now, a forced pleasant look spreading across his features. “I’m sorry, I promise it’s not usually like this. Everyone here gets along most of the time.”

You’re not sure you believe him but he doesn’t give you time to respond as he walks over to where the other two are. He leans in and speaks to them in hushed tones, clearly trying to resolve whatever issue they have going on. You look up at Jungkook who is paying them no mind, instead staring at you with curious eyes like you’re the new kid in school.

“Do you like video games?”

“Um, not really.” You’re a little taken aback by the question but his expression quickly dropping causes you to amend your statement. “I mean- I’ve never played them before.”

His eyes light up again as he reaches out for your hand, squeezing it gently. “Do you want to play with me some time? I have tons of games in my room!”

“Sure, I guess?” You don’t know if you should really take him up on that offer seeing as you just met him but you don’t want to make a bad impression already. Besides, he seems to have a childlike quality to him which makes you think he’s probably harmless.

Before the conversation can continue, you notice Taehyung has pushed past Jimin and Soomi and walked over to where you stand. He gives you a once over and you do the same now that you’re both up close. No words are exchanged but you don’t know how to read the calculating look in his eyes. Once he’s done sizing you up, he grabs Jungkook’s arm and leads him out of the kitchen. You’re not sure what to make of his strange behavior but you make a note to be cautious of him.

“I’m afraid I have to go take care of some things but Soomi over here can give you the rest of the tour. If you need anything, feel free to stop by my office later!” Jimin explains before he, too, exits the kitchen.

You turn back around to see Soomi huffing out a sigh as she stares at the doorway with an annoyed look on her face. It’s not long before her attention shifts elsewhere and she begins sifting through the refrigerator looking for something. She’s not paying attention to you at all as she pulls out some leftovers and some chopsticks before sitting down. Figuring as she’s the only other woman you’ve seen here, you decide it’s best you get to know her. If anything, just to find out what the deal is with the other tenants.

“Hi, I’m YN.” You introduce yourself as you go to sit down in front of her.

“Soomi.” She barely glances up at you as she begins to shove food into her mouth not so gracefully.

A brief silence passes before you decide to press her, “Have you lived here long?”

“Just a month. Wish I could say it was shorter though.” She reveals while chewing through a mouthful of tofu. “I’m leaving in a few weeks once my next job starts.”

“Is it that bad here?”

“It’s tolerable if you just lay low. I try not to socialize with anyone else here because there’s something off about this place. You’ll see what I mean if you stay here long enough.”

“I’m starting to understand already.” You admit, looking towards the doorway cautiously as if those three might appear in it again.

“Yeah. Don’t trust anyone, even the ones that seem harmless.”

“Like Jungkook? He seemed... nice.” Sure, he acted a little strange but being so new here, you didn’t want to reject a friendship so quickly.

“Listen, I’m a little older than you and I’ve lived here longer so I think I know what I’m talking about when I say: everyone that lives here is fucked up somehow.”

You let her words sink in for a bit before you decide to press her for more information, “You seemed pretty upset with that guy before. You said he messed with your stuff?”

“I need to keep a camera in my room because I know he’s been going through my stuff. I don’t think he’s taken anything, he just moves shit around for no reason.”

“How do you know it was him?”

“I’ve seen him lingering by my door before when he thought no one was watching.” She huffs, roughly mixes some of her food together. “I swear he’s doing it just to fuck with me.”

You don’t say anything after that and neither does she. She clearly sounded very upset and thoroughly believed Taehyung was sneaking into her room but sadly had no proof. You wanted to believe her, but you felt like you were too new to understand the dynamics here or even whether any of these people were trustworthy. It was only your first day here and you were already caught up in some drama.

You check your phone to see a text from Jihoon, who was supposed to meet with you tonight to celebrate your first night here. 

sorry babe, I didn’t realize how exhausted I was and honestly think I’m gonna crash when I get home. can we raincheck?

You frown but try not to let your hurt feelings linger, knowing he works long hours and can’t expect him to drop everything for you. After responding to him quickly, you reach out to Nayeon who eagerly agrees to hang out tonight.

After she finishes eating, you wait for her to wash her dishes before getting up to follow her out of the kitchen. You’re surprised to see a new person standing in the hallway, coming from a door you already passed but you were sure had been closed previously. He’s about the same height as Jimin, with jet black hair that matches his dark eyes. His expression is blank as he watches you both. You glance down at his bare leg and notice a thick black band around his ankle.

“Hi.” You break the tense silence as you give a little wave. It’s as if he’s frozen as he doesn’t move or react at all, just stares.

Soomi doesn’t bat an eyelash at his weird behavior, instead bumping your shoulder to move you along. “Come on, I’ll show you upstairs.” You feel your body tense up for some reason as you get closer to this stranger, probably because of what Soomi said but also how he just stands there like a statue. Once up close, you notice that his features are actually cute and soft-looking, causing you to wonder if he really could cause any harm. You glance down and realize that the band on his leg is actually an ankle monitor. You try not to let your surprise show as you continue walking.

His gaze doesn’t leave you as you follow Soomi upstairs to where the women’s bathrooms are. She explained to you that you two are the only female tenants in the residence currently. There had been another older woman previously when Soomi first moved in but she left not too long after.

“So, how many other people live here then?” You ask after she exited the bathroom stall, the sound of a toilet flushing behind her.

“Six including the manager.” She washes her hands in the sink and you let your eyes wander around the state of the bathroom. It’s not too bad; in fact, because of the recent renovations, you’d say this part of the building is probably the most updated-looking room you’ve seen so far in the whole building.

“That one in the hallway is Yoongi,” She explains as he dries her hands off, meeting your eyes to give you a pointed look. “He’s never done anything to me but I don’t like the way he just stares at people like that.”

“I wonder if he’s just socially awkward.”

“You have a heart for people, it’s sweet. But that’s the first thing they will use against you.” You wonder if she’s just a cynical person or if her words have some truth to them.

The last stop on the tour is the roof, which Soomi admits has the best view of the city and you soon realize she’s right. You both stand near the edge looking out at the city lights getting a bit more obvious as the sun is starting to set in the horizon.

“Oh! I just remembered I’m supposed to meet my friends tonight.” You pull out your phone to see a missed call and a couple texts from Nayeon. She sent you the address of a restaurant not too far from here. “I should get going but thanks for the tour!”

She waves you off as you find the door leading to the staircase, leaving her there on the roof as she stares out at the city. You glance at her figure one more time and notice how put-together she looks as she lights a cigarette, hoping you will look like that in some time.

You’re too busy typing out a text to Nayeon as you descend the stairs to notice another figure standing there in the hallway. It’s not until you reach the bottom step do you look up and almost jump back in fright upon seeing a new person standing there so quiet and still.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He smiles at you gently. You blame your racing heart on the fact that he surprised you - it has nothing to do with his handsome features and tall build.

“It’s okay,” you stutter out once your mind comes back to you. “I should have been paying more attention.”

“You must be the new tenant.” You nod and he offers his hand for you to shake. His hand is warm as it firmly grasps yours for almost too long. “I’m Seokjin.”

“Y/N.” A beat of silence passes as he stares at you silently. You can’t explain it but his gaze unnerves you and makes you desperate to get away from it. Not to mention the fact that he’s not even saying anything, making you feel even more awkward.

“I was actually just on my way out to go meet a friend but it was nice meeting you.” You miss the way his face falls at the mention of your friend as you bow to him politely before making your way out of the building.

Sighing in relief to be out of that uncomfortable experience, you can’t help but feel like his gaze is still on you somehow. Turning back around from where you stand across the street now, you look and find that no one is there.

You shake your head as you continue down the street, scolding yourself for being so paranoid.

*****

The sound of your friend’s tinkling laughter and the alcohol running through your veins causes your body to feel warm. You’ve only had a few shots of soju and the grilled food you’re eating is helpful but you definitely don’t want to overdo it, especially on your first night here. The restaurant is a cozy spot, littered with lots of young people enjoying their night out just like you. You feel so liberated to finally be living an adult life.

“So do you like your new place?” Nayeon’s voice brings you out of your thoughts.

“Let’s just say, I don’t want to get too comfortable.” She frowns at your scrunched up face.

“Damn, it must be a real shack then?”

“Yeah, that and there’s some weird drama with the other tenants. The only other woman there practically attacked this one guy and then she told me not to talk to any of them because they were dangerous.”

“So it’s just you and her versus a bunch of guys? Sounds to me like she’s trying to keep them all to herself.” Nayeon smirks at you from behind her glass, her rosy cheeks squishing in that signature smile of hers.

“No way! She sounded really serious.” You shake your head, chuckling at her.

“I’m sure she was.” She wiggles her eyebrows at you. “How hot are they? Any dilfs?”

“Oh my god, is that all you think about?” Rolling your eyes at her antics, you check to see if anyone around you is listening.

“Hmm, avoiding the question. They must be spicy.”

“I hate you.” You burst out laughing, feeling looser as the alcohol continues to take affect.

*****

Spending time with Nayeon recharged you as you make your way back to the residence. Your mind is imagining how it will be working with her tomorrow as you ascend the stairs to the main hallway. It’s not that late but the floor is completely silent, everyone seemingly asleep or settled in for the night. The only thing you can hear is the quiet hum from the ceiling lights.

You try to tiptoe to your room in hopes not to wake anyone up when the sound of a door swinging open from the other end of the hall shocks you. Jungkook’s head pops out and a big grin spreads across his lips.

“Noona, you’re back!” He strides across the hallway in no time, bright eyes peering down at you. “Did you enjoy your night out?”

You open your mouth to respond but get cut off by another door opening, this time right by where you’re standing.

“God, let me get some sleep!” It’s Soomi. She looks just as pissed as before when you first saw her. Jungkook’s face falls as he cowers away like a kicked puppy. “And leave her alone, she doesn’t want to be your fucking friend.”

All of the sudden, more doors are opening and you step back as Taehyung storms past. He practically steps into Soomi’s room with how close he’s standing to her as he stares her down. You can’t see his face completely from where you stand but you can tell his gaze is venomous. For the first time, you see fear in Soomi’s eyes as she looks up at him.

“Don’t talk to him that way.” His deep voice is almost a whisper, but you hear him loud and clear. “Apologize right now.”

By her facial expressions, you can tell Soomi is debating her next move quite critically. She finally settles on standing her ground as she steps out of her room, causing her chest to almost press into Taehyung’s. Her glare is fierce as she shoves him.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stay the fuck out of my room?!”

You don’t even notice that Seokjin has also joined you until he swiftly blocks Soomi’s hand from smacking Taehyung in the face. His fingers grasp her wrist as he wedges his body in between the two. His voice is light and calm as he addresses them, “Calm down. Our new resident is here. You don’t want to scare her off, do you?” 

Taehyung smirks at the failed attempt to hit him, raising his eyebrows at her mockingly. This catches Seokjin’s attention, who then turns to scold him, “Stop teasing her, people will get the wrong idea.” Taehyung bows his head at this but you can’t tell if it’s from shame or just to hide his smug expression.

Soomi grunts as she fights to get her arm free but is no match against Seokjin’s strength. He pulls her to the other wall away from Taehyung. “Let go of me!” At this, Seokjin finally releases her and steps back to give her space. You glance over at Jungkook and notice his eyes are blown wide as he watches on. Over his shoulder, you see Yoongi has ventured out as well. His face bears no emotion as he watches the encounter closely. You wonder where Jimin is during all this commotion.

“We’re all neighbors here, aren’t we? Let’s just try to get along.” You’re amazed by his overall neutral demeanor despite the tense atmosphere. He could definitely be a hostage negotiator or something of that nature.

“Then tell our ‘neighbor’ to stop touching my stuff.” She spits, leaning against the wall.

“Did you see him go in there?” Seokjin turns his attention to Taehyung, not giving Soomi the chance to respond. “Taehyung, did you go in Soomi’s room?”

“Of course not. There’s nothing in there for me.” He crosses his arms against his chest and pokes his cheek with his tongue in an irritated manner. Seokjin seems placated by his answer but you can’t help but find his wording strange.

“Liar.” Her voice is dripping with venom and she looks like she wants to attack again but Seokjin throws his arm out in front of her to stop her from moving. She glares at each of them for a moment, before finally huffing out, “You’re all fucking crazy.”

She pushes Seokjin’s arm out of the way before storming back into her room and slamming the door shut behind her. You can only stand there in shock as each of them share a look you can’t decipher. Eventually, Seokjin turns to the others still standing in the hallway. “Alright, show’s over. Everyone, go back to sleep or whatever you were doing.”

You find it odd how they all seem to obey him without complaint but find yourself doing the same as you’re ready to pass out. Just as you’re reaching for your doorknob, you hear Seokjin speak up again.

“It’s not always like this here.” You look over your shoulder to see him giving you an apologetic smile. “I hope you weren’t too freaked out.”

“I’m fine but thank you.” You nod at him politely, inching closer to your door subconsciously. “I should probably get to bed because I have to get up early for my job.”

“Oh, you work?” His eyebrows raise in shock as he processes this. “You look so young, I thought you were a student.”

“Ah, no. I graduated a little while ago.”

A beat passes and you realize Seokjin is just staring at you. It doesn’t seem to be a threat or anything bad, but he just looks like he’s taking you in all of the sudden. His bright eyes are studying you with a small smile on his face and although it appears to be friendly, you feel uncomfortable as if you’re under a microscope. You hoped it was just your own paranoia but something about this guy gave you the creeps.

You clear your throat, finally breaking the silence. “Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

*****

Shortly after returning to your room, you cursed to yourself as you realized you had to go back out to do your nightly routine. As much as you didn’t want to risk running into any of your roommates again so soon, you knew you couldn’t avoid them forever.

Thankfully, you were able to sneak upstairs completely undetected. But you still don’t waste any time as you brush your teeth and rinse off in the shower quickly. Before you know it, you’re changing into your pajamas and slipping into your tiny new bed. It’s not the most comfortable but you’re just relieved to be horizontal finally.

You let out a sigh as you open up your phone and scroll through your notifications. Checking your email, you see some instructions about your first day at the internship tomorrow before you feel your eyelids getting heavy. You make sure your alarms are all set to wake you up before you turn over to fall asleep.

Babe... are you sleeping?

A/N: hello! this is a little idea i’ve been toying with for a while now and thought it would be a fun first series to write on here. let me know what you think!!

also if anyone is good at making banners hmu bc i hate the one i made lmao

[80s4life]

If We Go Down, We Go Down Together

Word Count: 1,762

Status: Suggested!

Ask: hello !! idk if u still do these but could we get a Mr. Andrews x reader fic ? 👁👁 i’ve been obsessed with titanic since forever and i’ve always been in love with Mr. Andrews. could it also be about him being protective over the reader ?? tysm and i love ur work btw. so talented omg

@: a wonderful anon that will forever be mysterious!

A/N: I absolutely love Mr. Andrews! He was such a sweetheart and an honorable man, even in the time of death, knowing his creation was destroyed. And thank you so much for all the compliments, ya’ll are too kind to me!

Side-Note: I’m so sorry for this! I realized afterwards that you probably wanted a heartwarming imagine, and I completely screwed with it! Mr. Andrews isn’t completely overprotective in this, kind of softly claiming you as his? Hope you enjoy anyway?

Fandom: Titanic 1997

Relationship: Mr. Thomas Andrews x Reader

Summary: It was the ship of dreams; the unsinkable, grand ship that would take people all the way to America, the country of opportunities. Personally, it was the ship of endless possibilities, falling even harder for a man you’d want to spend the rest of your life with. But, will fate allow that? Will you be able to have your happily ever after?

Warnings: angsty, fluff-ish, impending doom, surprise ending (it’s not gonna be what you think...I think?), fight to live, depression, multiple deaths, threats, sexist remarks (only one- it’s the 1900s)

Masterlist Titanic Masterlist

Taglist: @snapessecretdiary​ @tangledcopperstrands​

{gif is not mine, credits go to @badge1995​}

Rocking on your chair in the drawing room, you look up and around you fearfully. It had been smooth sailing so far. Blood running cold, the thought scares you upright, quickly gathering up your recent sketches, putting them in a folder and grabbing your knit sweater, just catching the start of people filing into the hall. This is absurd. 

Ignoring the confused murmurs and initial shock of what was still unknown, you book it to staff quarters, making your way up to the wheelhouse. Once there, you are met with serious faces of distraught, hopelessness, and some of determination. 

Walking passed them with a kind, sympathetic demeanor, you lightly squeeze the shoulder of the young wheel boy. He wasn’t much older than 20, still embracing younger puppy-like features. Just to the right, you briskly open the double doors, being met with the familiar founders and shareholders that each took their part in making this extraordinary franchise.

Mr. Ismay, frustrated, addresses Captain Smith just as they make their way into the room you’d just entered, “This is most unfortunate, Captain.”

As more of the main staff file in, Mr. Andrews uncoils the blueprint of the Titanic, uncertainty laced in his voice as he recalls, “Water fourteen feet above the keel in ten minutes...in the forepeak, all three holds and boiler room six.”

“Can we get underway, dammit?” Ismay asks, annoyance caught between the gaps of his question.

“That’s five compartments. She can float with four compartments breached, but not five. Not five. As she goes down, the water will spill... over the tops of bulkheads at E deck, one to the next, back and back. There’s no stopping it.”

“The pumps,” Captain Smith tries.

“The pumps buy you time, but only minutes,” Mr. Andrews looks around the room, his eyes catching yours adoringly. His eyes water at the sight of you, his next sentence coming as a painful stab to the heart, “As of now, no matter what we do...Titanic will flounder.”

A wave of sadness overcomes the room, even as Mr. Ismay continues his onslaught in futile interrogation. You were hopeless. How were you supposed to rise up from this?

“Captain Smith...” you start, afraid to continue, “She...She hit, Sir?” You catch sight of your fiance, sadness laced in between the creases of his brows and forehead. You walk up to him, grabbing his hand tightly within your own, interlocking the fingers.

“I-I-I’m afraid so, young Y/N,” he says bewildered and ashamed, realizing now that many of these passengers are going to die, and, unlike him, they can range far younger than even you.

“We are back at full speed, Sir,” announces an attentive Officer Murdoch, “As well as a signal. There is one of the twin ships about four hours away.”

“We don’t have four hours,” Thomas pipes up, dropping his head in the crook of your collar bone, settling there for a moment as he tries to gather himself. “Two at most,” he assumes, voice muffled as his emotions overcome him.

Captain Smith tries to ignore the reminder, motioning for the staff to follow him, getting to work in emergency mode. 

Trying your best to ease Thomas’ tension, you know he’s about to break any moment, trying to prevent it by petting his head and hugging him. “Don’t be discouraged Love, we can still save people,” you whisper, still hopeful.

“But not all, Y/N. Not all,” he whimpers, nuzzling his head further into your neck.

Taking his face in your hands, you adjust his gaze to match yours, “You can never save everyone, but at least you can save some. That’s the difference that makes the biggest effect. You believe me, don’t you Thomas?”

“Of course I do,” he smiles sadly, fiddling with one of your hands.

“Then let’s go make it.”

It takes a moment for your words to resonate with him, but when it does, he instantly changes perspective, determination flashing in his eyes as he meets your gaze again. “It’s now or never.”

You smile, “Quite a hit or miss.”

He giggles, pausing for a moment before pecking your lips, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you return the gesture, detaching your hand from his as you both take your leave to opposite sides of the ship, going to help as best you can.

Reaching the left side of the ship, you are met with many fearful expressions, anxious looks, and distraught. Swarms of passengers butt and shove around, unsure of what their fates have in their favor. Saying your “excuse me’s” and “may I get through’s,” you reach the sturdy fencing, instantly getting ahold of the ropes to help lower people and boats. 

“Women and children! Only women and children at this time!” yells Officer Lowe.

Hesitation halts you for a moment, looking over to Lowe, “We can’t section the people! It’ll cause further alarm! We won’t be able to stop them once they get antsy Harold!”

“It was Captain’s orders, we’ll be punished if we disobey,” he looks over helplessly, offering a hand to an older woman boarding the longboat.

Looking at him, you can see his own apprehension, “Harold, we need to do this right.”

Properly facing you, he sighs and nods dutifully. Together, you load as many people that could fit then load them swiftly and systematically. However, the more people you helped escape, the more that came flooding in. The people were hysterical, more so as the ship began to shake and quiver. 

Startled, you try to find the source, noticing the ship starting to lift. “Shit!” yells a passenger, holding on to the nearest pole. More slurs and screams were met with his, the ship starting to lift up higher and higher to the point that you begged for the strongest upper-body strength available.

Just as the ship stands straight up, the front of the Titanic snaps off, sending the back crashing back into the ocean properly. The passengers that hadn’t fallen swarm the boats again, this time threatening to throw staff workers over.

Stumbling back, you catch yourself from slipping, trying to reason with the people, too caught up in your own fear. But the passengers keep pushing, Officer Murdoch pulling a gun as he reaches your side.

“Stand back! Stand back I tell you, or I’ll shoot!” Murdoch yells, the people only taking  few steps away.

“No...” you look at him, “No...This isn’t right. No, your scaring them. Stop!” you warn, tears forming in your eyes.

Officer Murdoch ignores you, unfortunately, uncertainty fueling his actions. Rather, he shoves you into the crowd, “If you cannot work with us, you minus well join them. We wouldn’t have been in this mess if you’d done your job successfully; better yet, if you’d done your designated job: stayed home and done the wifely duties!”

Stopping all movement, shock courses through your veins as you stare at the man. He’s just scared, you try to reason, but the pain is still there. Shaking your head, you rush through the crowd, letting some of the tears fall as you enter the interior of the ship once more, making your way down the grand staircase.

Too caught up in a swarm of emotions, you bump into a young auburn-haired girl, apologizing briefly before continuing. You are halted within the first few steps however, the girl holding your elbow hostage, “I know you,” she starts.

“I would assume so,” you sniffle.

“You’re Mr. Andrews’ fiance; you helped build this ship, correct?”

“Yes Ma’am,” you flinch.

“Then please, for the love of humanity, you must know what’s happening?”

Staring at her guiltily, you consider not answering.

“Please,” she begs, “Mr. Andrews had told me about the boats, I just need you to confirm my suspicions.

“The Titanic hit, Miss. We are trying our best to alleviate the issue, but-” you inhale sharply, tear welling up in your eyes again. “-But she will sink. And if you truly know the problem with the boats, you do know there’s not enough for everyone?”

Her eyes widen, then her body goes slack, standing openly with her arms at her sides. Nodding weakly, her blue orbs encompass yours, pulling you in for a hug in thanks.

Returning the compassion, you pull away quickly, “You said you’ve talked to Mr. Andrews?”

“Yes, I just saw him in the other room- The First Class Smoking Room,” she recalls as quickly as possible, “I’m sure that’s where you’d been looking for?”

“Yes, thank you so much. Please, get to safety. I truly mean it,” you beg, already speeding off into the direction of your beloved, the ship already beginning to sink lopsidedly.

“Thomas!” you yell, running through room after room, just barely missing his silent, remorseful form draped in front of a mantle. “Thomas!” you cry, tears finally cascading freely.

“Y/N!” he gasps, pulling your body into his instantly. “I couldn’t save them, Love, I can’t.”

“I know Sweetheart, I know,” you sob, pressing his head as tightly to your body as possible.

Slowly, your bodies droop to the floor, still holding each other close as the Titanic creaks and moans. “We tried, My Love. We truly did,” Thomas tries, stroking your hair as you lay your heads in the crooks of each other’s necks. 

“I love you, Thomas,” you choke, water crashing through the doors on the opposite side of the room. “I want you to know that there’s no place I’d rather be than right here with you.”

“I love you, too Y/N. Don’t you cry, there’s a special place for us up above, My Love. We are soulmates.”

The water starts to climb towards your feet, enabling more helpless whimpers and tears. Thomas caresses your face, “Don’t pay it any mind. We will be together very soon.”

Sharing a passionate kiss, you wrap your arms around Thomas tightly, as does he, latching onto your back and hips. Together, you close your eyes just as you feel the first splashes of freezing water on your shins; the rest of the world disappearing in a painful darkness as the rest of the Titanic is fully submerged by the Atlantic Ocean. April 15th, 1912, 2:20 a.m.

[pepaldi]

Dear Mr Ramis ... Harold,

I had this letter all formed out in my head but now when I sit here it’s almost all blank. I do not want to put all your legacy on just Ghostbusters though that will always be a big part of it and I know you did not mind that. That was my intro to you back in the ‘80s and of course, Ghostbusters II. Two very, very special films. (Thank You Dan.) Anyway, unlike you, I have a terrible memory so I am not sure after that how much you were in my life. When you passed in 2014 I seemed to be going through an Anxiety/Depression state. I am basing this on, silly really, that I always re blog or post at least one post on Social Media of someone I admired when the pass but from the archives there is nothing. Just a mini break.

Then of course I heard about Ghosbusters: Afterlife. I was torn from the start. I was torn even though  people seemed to love it. Two reasons, I have a weird relationship with movies (and TV shows) but also I knew you were gone and still you were part of the movie. As an very emotional person I knew I was gonna be a mess. So, I put it off. Then one day in January of this year my husband said ‘we’re were gonna watch a movie’ and that I would love it. I did not want to but he insisted and now I am so glad he did. It was a beautiful love letter to you, your family and the fans. The ending had me bawling. After that I watched the ending multiple times and cried every time.

Then, what followed was me rediscovering you and re mourning you all at once. I obsessively has since spent hours and hours searching and learning. Seeing things I had not seen in years, seeing new things but most of all discovering things about you I never knew before. Come to appreciate you on a whole new level. Not as an actor, or director, or writer (although you were good at all that) but mostly as the person you were.You had so many qualities and traits I admire deeply. Some I wish I had myself but we are all different. I wish you could teach me how to be more fearless. How to embrace things or tackle the as they come. Although I’ve gone through hardships I’m still scared of the future. I wish you could teach me how not to be. I wish you could teach me how to not overthink so much. Just to be.

It, I will admit, felt silly (not often but once or twice) to grieve so hard for someone I never knew in person but that’s what I did and still do. An online friend of mine sent me your daughter’s book. I have sneak read parts of it here and there which resulted in me crying almost every time. I do not know if I will ever be able to read it fully. Not to mention I tend to over analyze things and it bring up questions that, really, are none of my damn business. You wrote in a letter to your kids that you wouldn’t waste life. That is was a precious gift. To me, it seems you lived life fully. You did so many things. Accomplished so much. Sure, you had more to accomplish and it’s really sad that you never got to do those things. Never got to see certain future moments for your children. Never got to grow old with your wife. You did not deserve the ending you got. For someone who made so much good in the world you were cheated of the last years of your life. It is really sad to think like that but it can not be helped. The fact that you tried to keep an optimistic look on life even through your illness is just another thing I admire you for.

Knowing your personality I do not think you would want me or any of us to cry. So  when things started happening that would make me laugh out in the middle of a cry session, well I like to think it was you. Your way of saying *Don’t cry for me. I’m ok. I’m good now. Laugh with me instead.* If that was you please stick around. If it wasn’t please get your ass of whatever astral plane you are on to (please) visits me at times or (please) hear me when I talk to you. Please. I say that with so much love. I feel you were a larger than life person so in my mind not even death could keep you away or down. You are probably looking over your family and friends but do squeeze me in. I am sure other admirers of yours feel the same way.

You are so loved.

You are so missed.

Your legacy will always live on.

And you dear sweet, sweet soul, wherever you are I hope you are smiling as always.

With love and admiration,

Karin

[tenniskingssenerio]

2. The Yokai

Ryoma Hoshi x Yokai S/O

(cause why not)

🎾 This man believed it was just a myth until you came around.

🎾 He first saw you at night while walking back to his dorm, he was checking you out to say the least

🎾 Hoshi promised to keep your secret, if y'all hung out more (I made him a little bit of a that sweet trolling type)

🎾 Hoshi loves to see what power you possess. Truly this man loves to be in the same general area as you.

🎾 Give this man kisses and hugs, he is putty in your hands.

🎾whether you're scary or normal, let's be honest, you locked yourself into that man's heart and threw away the key.

🎾 He's gonna wander more about who you "really" are, but he will truly want to know and wont judge.

🎾On some nights if you two are awake, he's chillin on you lap, in his research lab. He secretly enjoys hearing your heart beat and you enjoy his embrace. (Kirumi find you two asleep there in the morning)

🎾HE DOESN'T LIKE GETTING PICKED UP BUT ALLOWS IT ONLY IF NECESSARY.

🎾why the fuck not. Y'all ADOPT MONODAM. One day y'all are dosing off outside, and the next you wake up to a tiny green bear just sleeping between y'all. (I GOTTA GIVE MONODAM SOME LOVE OK)

🎾this man loves fluff. Maybe not pda, but small kisses and cuddles sends him to cloud 1000.

🎾 Hoshi know that if your buttons get pushed two many times you will turn into a yokai. He calms you down easily and stays with you for the rest of the day

🎾 When he sees your research lab, he is amazed by shelves full of books and different scrolls depicting different spirits.

❤️S/O CAN BE ANY TYPE OF YOKAI, CRYPTID, SPIRIT, ETC. (Just wanting to clear that up)❤️

🎾 NO SADNESS 🥺 YOU TWO ARE HAPPY AND THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS

TW: Spoilers and deaph PLUS A LITTLE HOPE AND COMFORT

❤️ when you find out about his passing you are beyond devastated, angry, and said.

❤️ when seeing his motive you couldn't help but to cry; wishing you had known sooner.

❤️you find yourself walking down the empty halls and into his research lab.

❤️you don't change into your yokai form or you don't notice anymore atleast. You just want time to go back.

(yeah I'm crying at this point)

🎾if HOSHI finds out you're gone he is more depressed and confused. He might go though the 5 Stages of Grief inside himself.

🎾He aids in finding the culprit and starts being open with the others.

(I JUST WANT HIM HAPPY OK)

🎾 Goes to your research lab, and pulls out a random book from your shelf and starts reading. Although he is heartcresent about loosing you, he is beyond greatful to have had someone like you. He hope to see you again.

[usernoneexistent]

April 6th - Regret

A/N: This is my darkest story, the rest will be more fluff I promise. Juniper is pretty much spiralling downwards into a dark place so this is another side to her. Warnings: Mention of drug abuse, possible alcohol abuse, swearing, family argument, depression.

Spring Break Masterpost here

"Jacob? Is that really you!?" The short woman rushed out of the stone house. She pulled the tall boy now young man into a giant embrace. She pulled back to take a closer look at both how he changed and yet hasn't at the same time. Juniper stood and watched the reunion. Oh, how their mum must have aged ten years to Jacob. Julia finally lets go and hugs her daughter, Juniper was afraid her mum would be mad at her but it was quite the opposite. Relief. Relief for both her children back home and safe. But also different. None of them was the same people ten years ago, practically three strangers to one another.

"Let's go inside and have some tea," Julia suggested. The last thing anyone of them wanted to talk about was pretty much everything that had happened from the past years.

The house hasn't changed much. Even Jacob's bedroom was left exactly how he left it. Mr Mosley rubbed himself against his leg, the tabby had more silver hairs flaked throughout nonetheless, he still remembered Jacob. It was a weird feeling to be back after so long. The kettle steamed up with hot water as Julia got out the finest china teacup. She usually sets them out for special occasions.

"I have noticed yer hair is much shorter than it used to," Julia commented. Starting some small talk between them.

"Aye, but I'm growing it oot now," Jacob chuckled.

"Aye, it looked better long than short," Juniper chimed in. 

Mewles flew through the kitchen window, dropping a bunch of letters. They said either from Penny, Ben, some Talbotts and lots of Charlies and many others were written on the envelopes. They're probably off on their spring holiday right now. This was meant to be Juniper's last end of term holiday, before the whole expulsion. She wanted to write back and tell them she was okay but another part of her just wanted to be alone.

Julia poured the teas carefully, "I'm just happy yous are both safe. My heart almost stopped when I heard about the expulsion in the newspaper."

Juniper looked away with shame. Her mum was taking it quite well, having not just one but two kids expelled from Hogwarts. 

"Sorry ma," She said just loud enough for them to hear, "I ken I promised you that I wouldn't get into serious trouble-"

"Trouble runs in our family," Julia assured her but also felt like an excuse. A simple explanation to cover problems that run deeper, "It can't be helped."

"I ken that but I mean for oor future, how we get money," Her voice wobbled a little. She hated how nonchalant her mother was about their financial situation. They can't rely upon her dad forever and his family. It felt like they were indebted to them, which was something Juniper hated. She wanted nothing to do with the Hasni family anymore. 

"We always have the pub," Her mum deflected. 

"We don't own the pub, not since Grandpa racked up so much debt to uncle Jimmy!" She exclaimed, horrified by the suggestion. 

"We can always work it off," She shrugged. 

"Aye, it would be a great way for me to work," Jacob backed behind their mum, "It doesn't require any NEWTs."

Juniper stared at them. Neither of them really understood the gravity of their situation. She finally gets why her father pushed her so hard in maths and accounting. The responsibility of keeping their finances in check has been thrown on her shoulders since she was seven. Both Jacob and her mum probably have never even seen the family accounting book.

"Even if we work at the pub, it still won't make enough to pay back fully plus pay taxes on time!" She argued, "One of us is gonna need a better paying and stable job!"

"Aye, like either of us actually have any NEWTs." Jacob remarked. His words pierced Juniper in the gut. That's their new reality. Job prosperity is pretty much down the drain for them, but Juniper doesn't want to give up yet. She still has her OWLs and youth to find something. 

"I'll find something, I promise," She can't be bothered to explain in detail why it was so important to her to find a good job. The mood sour significantly. 

"I'm sure you'll both find something," Julia held their hands, but Juniper moved her hand away rejecting the comforting gesture. 

"Juno, don't be like this," Her mum sighed. It bothered her, that her mum and her brother's concern doesn't match hers. Her next words are something that she knew was going to regret, "Why don't you get a fucking job!?"

"Juniper!"

"Pip!"

Her words plastered their faces with shock and appal. Should she stop and say sorry or dig her grave deeper? Oh, screw it! Screw it! Screw it! Screw it! She didn't care anymore. Nothing mattered now. Her future was ruined, by both her and by either people trying to kill her or stopping her in other ways. The ministry of magic is gonna be a pain in her ass for the rest of her life. 

Everyone will treat her as wasted potential anyway. What was the point? What was the point of any of this?

"You've been moping around for years at home drugged up on fucking draughts," She started.

"That's no fair Pip!" Jacob butted in. 

"Let me finish," She glared, "I looked after you and the hoose! I did the cooking! I did the cleaning! I did our banking! I did the shopping and what did you do? Nothing! I practically raised maself!"

Julia sat there, taking in the verbal onslaught silently. She quickly wiped away tears. Jacob rushed over with a hankie, hugging and soothing his mum. Juniper's own cheeks were wet from angry tears. Without much thought, she grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey from their liquor cabinet and left the room. Jacob followed her and grabbed her arm, "What the fuck was that 'bout!?"

"Just fucking leave me alone," She released herself from his grip. 

"Go back and apologise to ma!" He commanded. 

She had no retorts or rebuttals left in her. Juniper just wanted to be alone and empty her mind. They stared in a battle of wills, well, for Jacob but the young woman had made up her mind and marched out of the door with a slam. Unconsciously, she found herself at the cliff that she and Jacob would play nearby when they were younger. The good old days. She opened the firewhiskey and downed it in one go. The liquid burned her throat but she didn't care. She stared out at the sea with her wish of emptying her mind.