#and hes like (I wanted her to get the reference...)

[delicateperspective]

Glastonlarry 2025 Breakdown

Before I begin, I want to emphasize the importance of critical thinking when engaging with content like this. Timelines are incredibly helpful for seeing the broader picture, but they’re not infallible—I may get details wrong or unintentionally leave something out. It's essential that we all take responsibility for doing our own research, verifying sources, and not accepting any narrative at face value, no matter who it comes from.

Also, keep in mind that everything I’m about to share is unfolding in real time. There will likely be updates, shifts, and new information emerging in the days ahead that will add more depth or context to this timeline. But as of the final day of Glastonbury, here’s where things stand.

The Lead-Up

December 21st, 2024 - Harry follows Doechii February 9th - Harry follows Alaina Haim February 21st - Louis follows Nova Twins March 6th - Glasto official line-up drops March 7th - Louis follows Beabadoobee

Wednesday, June 25th

2:59 PM - The first picture appears of Louis with Oli and Tommy

An article in Variety later talks about Louis being in a great mood - "'Glastooooo! a stranger yelled behind me as I checked into the hospitality campsite at Glastonbury Festival on Wednesday. Only, it wasn't really a stranger: it was Louis Tomlinson of One Direction fame, lugging a huge rucksack and getting hyped with his friends for the five days of music and partying that lay ahead. Without stopping to ask for a photo or whispering about who he was, several festivalgoers around us echoed his call, reveling in the excitement to come."

3:28 PM - Harry is seen walking around London in a vintage Olympics windbreaker

Around 5PM - Pleasing launches a 21 hr countdown for "Happy Accident" with an email campaign that says "Sorry to bother you, but I think this is yours"

Later that night - Harry goes to the ballet

Thursday, June 26th

12:30 PM - Michael Blackwell and Lou Teasdale both post that they on their way to Glasto (seperately)

1:15 PM - Zara's pannel starts

3:00 PM - Another Pleasing campaign: Perfume with a plot twist, inspired by seemingly wrong turns turned out quite alright. Excuse me, you dropped something. Reimagining mistakes as moments of oppurtunity and leaing into the messiness of everyday life. A trip to someplace joyfully unexpected.

3:53 PM - The first pictures of L and Zara emerge with a body guard.

5:10 PM - The Sun runs an article showing L watching Zara's panel. People on site say he was only there long enough to get the video (rumor).

Friday, June 27th

10:00 AM - Sam (Lou T's sister) and Tommo Campbell post that they are on the way to Glasto

12:07 PM - An article saying that L has a tent for himself and one for alchohol but Zara staying off-site. “Louis is determined to make it a weekend to remember and has planned everything with military like precision - including making sure enough booze is available. He has his own tent - and one just for the drinks.”

1:00 PM - Oli, Lou's sound engineer, posts that he has arrived at Glasto

1:00 PM - Anne posts a video about an elder lesbian wedding where they are so happy to not have to refer to each other as their cousins anymore.

1:00 PM - Simon Jones arrives at Glasto

1:14 PM - Lottie posts an Instagram photo of herself, Lewis, and Louis.

2:15 PM - Lou, Zara, Michael, Bodyguard, Lottie, Lewis, Oli, and Tommy watch the Inhaler set. Tommy is wearing a shirt with 2011 One Direction on it.

3:47 PM - Chris Frewin (not in any pictures with Lou) posts a story from Kneecap's Glasto set

3:51 PM - Zara posts about her apparel brand

5:31 PM - Harry is first seen at Glasto with the video and article breaking via The Sun before any fan videos drop. With Kidd Harpoon and Rob Stringer. Harry Styles sparks hopes of mini One Direction reunion at Glastonbury as he’s spotted backstage in tiny shorts. His pal Louis Tomlinson was seen on site supporting girlfriend Zara McDermott

Around this time - Harry seems happy, dancing to music at a food truck with Kidd Harpoon. He is also spotted talking to Emma Corrin.

5:36 PM - Lottie posts with Lewis and Oli and Zara and Lou in the background. She also posts a picture with just her and Louis.

5:43 PM - Zara posts a selfie with Oli

9:13 PM - Simon Jones posts from The NYC Downlow in the Block 9 section of Glasto

11:48 PM - Anne posts a rainbow image "While you're overthinking and doubting yourself, someone else is looking at you wondering how you do it all. Keep going"

Though it is rumored that Harry was at The 1975s headlining set, there are no pictures or videos. In fact, there are no pictures or videos of EITHER OF THEM from any time after the inital hour of Harry arriving.

Saturday, June 28th

12:00 PM - Zara's best friend Jade arrives at Glasto with Harry's "ex" Nadine Leopold

3:29 PM - Zara gives an exclusive interview to The Sun. Addressing their awkward pitchside head-to-head, Zara insists: “The only thing in my life that's worth writing about is the work I do. “I see some of the things that are written and I'm like, ‘Why do we focus on the non-existent drama?’ Sometimes that can be frustrating, but I suppose it’s all part of the industry.” ... “I spend my day job going out and filming with really vulnerable people. And it’s shaped me so much as a person that it's made me not sweat the small stuff any more, “ she explains. “I don’t care about social media as much as I used to, or about the aesthetic or the image. I value so much real relationships and real support around me, and being that to other people. “I'm a totally different person to the one I was when I was 21 years old and stepped into what appeared to be a glitzy world of showbiz. My day to day life is not at all glitz and glamour.”

8:00 PM - Louis and crew watch Raye from GA while Simon Jones watches from VIP area

8:16 PM - Lottie posts a video of her and Lewis, Tommy, Lou, and Zara

8:46 PM - We get an article based on that social media post. Zara McDermott cuddles up to Louis Tomlinson’s sister at Glastonbury as romance gets family seal of approval.

9:07 PM - The Sun publishes "Harry Styles parties ‘incognito’ in the Glastonbury crowds until 6am – with another One Direction star there too" The former One Direction man was hard at it until around 6am yesterday at the Somerset festival’s happening party district Block9.

At some point this night, Harry orders two chicken wing meals and we get video of him at a food stand with what looks suspicously like a rainbow bear attached to his bag.

After 8PM there are no more pictures of either of them currently reported.

Sunday, June 29th

12:21 AM - The Telegraph posts an article saying "There will be quite a few sore heads among the A-list set this morning, since I have heard reports that a topless Andrew Scott, Rita Ora, Ncuti Gatwa, Tilda Swinston wearing a stick-on moustche and someone who looked suspiciously like Harry Styles were key players on the dance floor at Riotous gay club NYC Downlow last night.

2:30 AM - A video is taken of a 12-second kiss between Harry and a mystery woman.

7:00 AM - Louis likes a romantic reel on Instagram of Harry giving him a loving look with the caption "the way harry looks at him" and a song by Bruno Mars saying "if the world was ending I'd want to be next to you"

8:30 AM - Louis unlikes the reel

8:30 AM - Lottie posts a video of a dark club with an insect sculpture.

8:30 AM - Lottie removes an eariler video of Zara from her stories

10:24 AM - Zara posts photoshoot of her in the walkway at glasto from the day before. Tabloids report this as a bad move.

10:25 AM - Lloyd posts from vacation (clearly not at Glasto) and tags Glasto

11:17 AM - Pleasing posts about Happy Accident again. "Smells like Sweet depositions and sunny outlooks" "a little whoops-that-actually-worked" "Pardon us, but we beleive this is yours"

8:00 PM - Zara posts from the Nile Rogers set and tags Lottie and Lewis. Lewis then posts a video showing all of them including Louis and Zara. Louis is wearing a shirt with heart eyes and the back says "hopless romantic"

9:55 PM - Eleanor Calder sips tea unbottherd in Abdu Dhabi on her insta story

10:00 PM - The Sun posts the video of Harry kissing someone at 2AM. BEST SNOG EVER Watch Harry Styles passionately snog mystery woman as ‘sparks fly’ in packed Glastonbury VIP area. One onlooker said: “Harry only had eyes for this woman and sparks were flying as soon as they were together. “Harry turned up with a few of his mates but as soon as she got there, they were almost inseparable. “She kissed him on the cheek three times before he took her hand and led her to the dancefloor. “Just short of an hour after they arrived, they kissed in front of loads of other people and didn’t seem to care who was watching.

(this is the same headline "Best Snog Ever" that they used for their other super exclusive kiss pictures from CR just a few months ago. The ones with Louis and Zara.)

Notes/Observations:

Again, details and photos/videos should slowly roll out over the next week or so that might fill in some gaps in this timeline, but for now this is what we have through Sunday night.

The Sun has now identified the woman as a London-based producer believed to be named Ella Kenny.

There are a small handful of people at The Sun which appear to be deeply ingrained in the reporting of the ZMc "relationship" and this weekends events. I won't name them, but they're not exactly being subtle or quiet.

As of the close of Glastonlarry 2025, the events of the weekend speak volumes—not just through what was shown, but through what was deliberately obscured. For the first time in years, Louis and Harry were not only confirmed to be in the same place, but surrounded by coordinated press coverage and strikingly synchronized personal signals. A single like on Instagram—just one reel of a loving glance, paired with romantic lyrics—said more than any interview ever could. If we’ve learned anything from tracking these timelines over the years, it’s that what isn’t said often reveals more than what is and when we don't see them is often just as important as when we do.

[butyoudidthis4what]

Congratulations on the milestone!!! Happy to be one of a thousand lol

From the five word sentences "did you lie to me?" with Jack Abbot. For the vibes, maybe angsty with a happy ending?

Thank you so much friend, I am so happy and grateful to have you here with me! ♥️ Also I love your url so much 😂 Thank you for sending this in and I hope you enjoy!

Celebrate 1k with me by requesting a drabble! Read this post for prompts and characters! 🙂

If you'd like to be tagged in the 1k drabbles please read and interact with this post!

It's planned.

Jack Abbot x F Doctor!Reader

1.2k || All my content is 18+ MDNI || CW: The tiniest reference to cheating with an italicized that but in the context of reader thinking how that's not where her mind would go to with Jack. Robby had to take one for the team here for this storyline. Very very soft and fluffy! The smallest dash of angst (like barely, especially for me). I was told it was giving Jack in the vignettes in Part 1 of NML vibes.

Summary: Robby talks too loud. A surprise is ruined.

AN: I genuinely have no idea where this came from it just kind of came out when I opened a doc for this prompt so I hope it's okay!

“Did you lie to me?” 

That was certainly not what Jack was expecting to come out of your mouth when he saw you walking up to him. Your tone isn’t accusatory as such, just questioning. Almost a hint of joking in there. Almost.  

He looks up at you, makes that eye contact he loves so you know he’s telling you the truth. “No.” He says it with a confidence that's reassuring. And you like that his reply wasn’t ‘about what?’ it was no. And Jack doesn’t need to ask about what because he doesn’t lie to you. Ever. About anything. 

Jack was right there at one of the charting stations as you looked up so you just walked straight to him to ask without even really thinking about the implications of what you’d overheard. You’re strong communicators. It’s why you work so well together as a couple and, yeah, as doctors. 

“I thought we didn’t have breakfast on Sunday because you were getting lunch with Robby before the game.” You shrug at him a little. 

You were going to run out and have a late breakfast with Jack before he left for the game but he’d told you that Robby asked if they could meet early for lunch. You didn’t have any problem with that of course. Sure, you were bummed a bit about not getting breakfast with Jack but it wasn’t the end of the world by any means. You’d have him all night. 

It’s not so much that you particularly care what it was Robby and Jack were doing before the Sunday afternoon baseball game they went to five days ago. You trust Jack. You know based on what Robby said that they were together. And even if they hadn’t been, that is not the first place your mind would go with Jack. It would go to him hiding a doctor’s appointment from you because something was seriously wrong with him and he was trying to protect you until he had more answers. But from what you overheard Robby telling Dana it doesn’t seem like they had lunch. They were together so it doesn’t really matter to some extent. You just want to know why he didn’t just tell you what they were really going to do. 

Jack stiffens, his jaw setting a little. But he doesn’t drop your gaze. “Yeah. And he and I had lunch. Why?” He and Robby had gotten lunch like he told you. They’d made a couple of stops before that he omitted but he couldn’t really tell you where they were going without giving it all away.

“I heard him tell Dana that before the game you guys went to a couple of jewelry stores…” It’s as you say it out loud and start to really think that it clicks. Jewelry stores. “Oh.” You don’t have a birthday coming up. There’s no anniversary, no other big thing to celebrate on the horizon. Or maybe there is. 

“Oh.” 

Jack confirms it. “I’m gonna kill him,” Jack breathes, shaking his head. “I’m going to fucking kill him.” It’s only then that he finally drops your gaze as he lets out a long sigh and runs a hand through his hair as he looks up at the ceiling for a second. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to ask Myrna to kill him for me.”

“Jack!” You whisper shout his name as you grab his hands, bouncing up on the balls of your feet a little as you beam at him. “Seriously? You want that with me?”

“Of course I want that with you. We’ve talked about it. And you’re it for me, Beautiful.” He pushes through his irritation at Robby to give you a real smile and pull you gently by your hands a little closer to him. “I can’t imagine the rest of my life without you next to me.” 

“Jack.” You draw his name out in a slightly higher pitch as you tilt your head at him for a second. You’re getting emotional. You love this man more than you could ever possibly know what to do with or express. “I love you.” 

“I love you more.” Jack almost never kisses you on the floor when you’re both on shift together, but he does right now, short and chaste and sweet, just long enough to really feel it.

You bite your lip and giggle at him as he pulls away. “You might as well ask now!”

Jack looks at you amused but it turns into amused incredulity when he realizes you’re serious. “No!” He shakes his head at you, letting out an incredulous laugh. “I am absolutely not proposing to you in this god forsaken place.”

“It would be sweet! Our friends are here!” You nod encouragingly. 

“No,” Jack laughs, “it wouldn’t. It would be… I’m not proposing to you in the middle of the Pitt. I’m not.”

You nod slowly, in thought. “We could go to the roof? Or just outside the ambo bay?”

“I’m not proposing to you anywhere within a two mile radius of this hospital.” He shakes his head as he says it, amused smile on his face. 

“So when we get home?” You raise your eyebrows at him and nod as you grin.

“No.” Jack shakes his head and lets go of your hands to move his to your shoulders, squeezing them gently. “It’s planned. You deserve a real proposal, one that’s ‘us-’”

“I mean, this place is pretty us,” you offer quietly with a little shrug and pull down of your lips.

Jack has to laugh. He loves you so much, his sweet, tenacious, problem-solving, intelligent, warm-hearted woman. “Beautiful.” He shakes his head at you. “It’s planned. The plan is still in place and is going to remain in place.”

“So I just have to wait in suspense for the day or night it finally comes?” you huff playfully. 

“Blame Robby.” Jack shrugs. “It was supposed to be a total surprise.”

“Okay but is it soon?” Jack loves the eager smile you wear as you ask.

“It’s sometime within the next five years, yes.” He smirks at you. 

“Jack!”

“Fine, it’s within the next two years,” he offers. 

You pout at him, give him the big puppy eyes and everything. 

Jack gives you a knowing smile and tilts his head. “Do you really think I, of all people, went out and got a ring knowing I was going to sit on it for a long time?” he whispers like he’s telling you a secret.

You tilt your head and raise your eyebrows in thought. It makes Jack chuckle. And then he sees Robby.

“Dr. Robinavitch!” Jack calls just loud enough for Robby and Dana to hear as they walk out of a patient room 25 or so feet away. Jack takes his hands off your shoulders as you both turn to face Robby and Dana. He waves his hand to get Robby to come over. Dana accompanies him, of course. “I’m gonna kill you,” Jack says when Robby gets loud enough to hear it at just below a normal volume.

“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” Robby smirks at him. 

Jack playfully bumps his hip with yours to let you know that you should tell Robby. “Jewelry stores.” A huge smile breaks out over your face and you grab Jack’s hand and lace your fingers together before bringing it over your heart. Jack and Dana smile and laugh softly at your infectious enthusiasm and excitement.

Robby doesn’t smile. Instead, his eyes flick between you and Jack and he pales. “Oh fuck.”

[friskalicousbiscuits]

Neglected The Mask!reader x platonic Yan!Batfam

Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.4

I’d also like to say this Reader is Gender Neutral or at least you can pick your gender. Most of the pronouns are “you” and when they are referred to by other people, its “they” so… Yeah! Have fun reading and tell me if there are any spelling mistakes or things that don’t make sense.

Chapter Three

Oswald Cobblepot - The Penguin POV

Oswald sat with his men surrounding him as he watched the latest show performing at the Iceberg Lounge.

It was the new rogue.

They were singing some theatrical, eccentric song that had them throwing roses at the both the ladies and gentlemen watching. It even grabbed one of the pole dancers and pulled her into the performance too. They’d spun the girl around until she was wearing something straight out of the sixties. A knee-length dress in the same yellow as the stars on the rogue’s suit. Speaking of the newbie, they were wearing a navy blue three-piece with those baby yellow stars. Now, Oswald could respect a person who wore perfectly tailored suits. He may despise the Joker and tolerate the Riddler, but hey, what’s the harm in looking good while doing crime…

…or singing in Oswald’s club.

Oswald watched them dance with the girl across the stage.

Somehow the girl knew the choreography as well?

She seemed as confused as Oswald when she and the green-faced freak started dancing in sync. Perfectly.

Now, as for why the newbie was even performing in his club. Oswald would like to take a trip down memory lane for that…

//Flashback…//

It had been about thirty minutes before the opening of his club. Bartenders were clocking in and getting their stations ready, girls were getting dolled up and doing stretches, and the muscles of his fine establishment were taking their places around and inside the building. It was normal. What wasn’t normal was that Oswald was even here in the first place.

See, Black Mask, the human equivalent of shit stuck to the bottom of shoe, wanted to talk partnerships. As for why? Oswald didn’t particularly care. They’d both tried to kill each other in the past, it’d be difficult to mend that relationship even with all the money in the world. But, the mighty, gracious Penguin, in all his guts and glory decided to humor him.

Besides, if negotiations went to shit, he could always have the man shot in the back of the head.

They were going to talk. In Oswald’s lounge. In Oswald’s turf. That was the plan. It’d even remained the plan after the new rogue strolled in like they owned the place, immediately bee-lining it to Oswald. One of his men immediately got in the rogue’s way but ended up with an anvil dropped on his head. They kept walking until they stood in front of him.

“Pots! Just the man I wanted to see!”

“What do you want?” Oswald growled, thumbing his umbrella.

“I want to sing.” They said, placing their hands on their hips.

A small silent filled the building.

“What?” Oswald asked, confused more than anything. He blinked and suddenly the newbie was right next to him, a hand on his shoulder while the other waves towards the stage.

“Think about it! I get to entertain, you get entertainment, and if things happen to go south and I… I don’t know, accidentally blow someone up—”

Oswald cut them off. “Again, what?”

They kept lm talking as if they hadn’t been interrupted. “—I have some spare cash lying around for reimbursement! I’ve been meaning to get rid of it anyways.”

That made him perk up slightly. Cash for reimbursement. Oswald supposed he could just saw the scuffs on the floor count. “Is it dirty money?”

“The dirtiest. I… acquired it just this past week.”

“The bank robbery.”

“Correctamundo, my short friend.”

“Short?” Saying that to Oswald’s face was bold. His hands itched for his umbrella. He’d love to fill this tall freak with holes. Because admittedly, they were tall. Those news reports did this thing no justice.

“You are to me! Though I suppose I could just—” The green feller’s hands went under Oswald’s arms. Immediately every one of Oswald’s men had their guns trained on them. They paid the guns no mind. Instead of picking the him up like Oswald expected, everyone watched as his torso elongated with the higher they pulled until his hands eventually left him. “There, now we’re eye to eye.” The newbie said, though they sounded like they were about to laugh.

It reminded him of that bastard clown.

“What the hell did you do to me!?” Oswald yelled. He looked ridiculous, proportions all wrong. His arms and legs remained the same, and certainly too short for this new body.

“You don’t like it?” They asked with that damned grin.

“No! Of bloody course not!” That seemed to seal Oswald’s fate as he felt his body go tense like a rubber band then snap back. His own face hit his knees as he up and bopped the hell out of his nose. His body then moved up and down rapidly for a moment, each movement being accompanied by the sound of an accordion?

He was going to kill whichever arsehole had the cobblers to pull that with him—

The green-faced freak started to full on belly-laugh in his face. He didn’t even need to tell his men to fire before they did, not that it’d do much. Reports say that they were bulletproof but…

No crushed bullets were falling to the floor.

When Oswald finally stopped being a human accordion, the newbie had stopped laughing and the guns had stopped firing. Though, they were still standing. If the bullets weren’t on the ground, where were they?

“Ah… man, I haven’t had a laugh like that in a while!” They exclaimed. “I think I need a drink.” They pulled a drink out of nowhere and obnoxiously sipped from the straw. Everyone watched as liquid, probably soda, spurted out of multiple small holes. “Well, this was fun, Pots, but I got places to be, people to see, and a Jarritos fruit punch waiting for me at the nearest gas station. See ya later!” With that, they literally spun out of the club.

//…Flashback End//

So here they were now. Black Mask was to show up any minute and the newbie was still singing like there was no tomorrow.

That is, until the lights suddenly shut off. The entire lounge went black until a light illuminated from the stage. Specifically from the new rogue’s stars on their suit. Their hand was on a cord leading from their fedora. Oswald hadn’t noticed it before. Was it supposed to be a lamp cord?

The emergency power turned back on eventually. Oswald watched them tug the cord again, the stars stopped glowing. There he was.

The bitch of the hour.

Black Mask.

He rolled over to Oswald, men behind him. Always with the damn dramatic entrances. And he wonders why no one likes him.

Bruce Wayne - Batman - Two Hours Before Penguin and c c Mask’s Deal POV

An hour before sundown, Bruce gathered everyone into the Batcave. They needed to go over the newest rogue as a group. He wouldn’t have any of his children getting hurt by this… monster? It certainly wasn’t human, that’s for sure.

The imp theory is still possible.

First, he played the video from his lenses of the unidentified individual’s interaction with the Riddler.

“They look so snazzy! Why do all the colourful people have to be evil?” Stephanie said from next to Jason. The man grunted, looked a mix between disturbed and angered. Bruce didn’t blame him. This rogue bore a good chunk of similarities to the Joker. The smile, some of the personality, the green. Though, at least it isn’t a cheerful psychopath in the same way that Joker is. It doesn’t do anything harmful besides property damage, wedgies, and theft. And it steals a lot.

Bruce can count a piece of a billboard with his own face on it, a fruit punch Jarritos, bank money, and even a kid’s lollipop. There’s more, but the list would be longer than Gotham’s Clocktower.

“It has quite the appetite.” Tim murmured. “Invulnerability?” He questioned Bruce.

Bruce nodded. “It seems so. That amongst the abilities to turn itself into a human tornado as well as pull objects from seemingly nowhere.”

“Human cartoon.” Cass’ raspy voice whispered.

A human cartoon indeed.

It eventually got to the part where both Bruce and Damian cornered them in an alleyway. They’d walked into one after growing bored forcing people to tap dance to their will.

Right from the start, the fight had been embarrassing for the dynamic duo.

To begin with, Robin slashed at them with one of his katanas. It didn’t so much as graze them, yet the back of their hand still dramatically touched their forehead and they stumbled around almost a drunkenly as if actually wounded. “Oh! I’ve been hit!” They eventually stumbled to fall into Damian’s arms, ignoring the grunt from the younger boy. “What am I to tell my wife? My children! That their parent can’t come home from this cruel, horrible world?” Damian of course paid it no and cuffed the fellow.

“He even cuffs me on my grave!”

“Stop being dramatic.” Damian bit out, probably rolling his eyes under his domino mask.

“Oh, Robin, are you always such a little fun-sucker?” When everyone blinked, the cuffs suddenly clattered against the grimy floor of the alleyway and Robin was having his own cape tied around him while being shoved to the ground.

“Little twerp.” They gritted out. Voice doing that same similar thing to Joker where it goes from cheerful to rough and deeper, full of annoyance.

Bruce watched Jason bristle at that out of the corner of his eye.

The Bruce on screen in the jab at the back of their head before Robin even hit the ground, yet as soon as everyone blinked again, Bruce was having his own cape tied around him and pushed to the ground. And it was a push. He was right that night. It was considerably lighter than the one aimed towards Robin.

They stood over Bruce as the man struggled, grin seeming lifeless. He doubted it could make any expression other than that grin. “What? You thought I didn’t know you were watching me when I was talking with Eddie-boy?”

They flicked their wrist in a similar manner to when they had still been talking to the Riddler. Sure enough, a cane slid out. “The big. Bad. Bat.” it punctuated each sentence with a jab from the cane into Bruce’s side. “Swaddled like a baby!” It barked out a laugh. Another blink and suddenly Bruce was actually being swaddled like a baby and rocked in the rogue’s arms. “I’ll admit you make for a cute, albeit grumpy one.”

Bruce felt Duke’s gaze slowly slide to him. “…why’d you start sucking the pacifier?”

“It made me.”

“Did it?”

“It did.” Bruce emphasized this time.

Soon after that, the video ended, and everybody started to get suited up for patrol. Bruce was about to put on his cowl when he suddenly got a call. He grabbed his phone and looked at the contact.

It was from Constantine.

Constantine never calls. Not really. Not unless it’s something important. Extremely important. It got to the fifth ring before Bruce finally picked up.

“Bruce! Bruce, are you at the cave?” The man sounded panicked.

“Yes? Constantine, what happ—” Bruce was cut off by the sound of the man teleporting into the cave.

“Bruce! Someone in your filthy, bloody city has the Mask of Loki!” The man yelled, stomping over to him.

The Mask of Loki?

Of-fucking-course it’s magic.

Richard “Dick” Grayson - Nightwing POV

Dick was back in Gotham to see the fam as usual. He’d just gotten off patrol and was now scraping any glue off his face from his mask using a q-tip. He was near a work desk and placed on it. Every now and then, he’d use his pinky to scroll the article he was reading about the new rogue.

This guy was actually insane. Power-wise. And a little mental-wise too. What do you mean they have the powers of a cartoon?

Isn’t that a little broken?

Then again… imps.

He got a message suddenly. Ah, it was from Wally. Dick momentarily put the Q-tip down so he could reply, the other man was asking if he wanted to hang out sometime.

Who was Dick to say no?

Speaking of hanging out… a little bit of guilt welled up in his stomach slightly. He swiped out of his chat with Wally and clicked your icon. He was expecting another offer to hang out from you that he’d have to turn down due to hanging out with some of the other family but… nothing.

Or, at least nothing since the last week he visited. Huh. He’d been in Gotham for three days already. Not a single message on any of those days. (The first day, you were too tired to message him after using the mask. Second, too busy worrying about people finding out about you being the new rogue. And third, too tired and too excited for later that night to use the mask. He was at the very back of your mind.)

Don’t get Dick wrong, it’s not like he doesn’t want to hang out with you. It’s just that you never want to do it with the family and he doesn’t want to do it with you alone. (You don’t wanna hang out with family because there’s a 50% chance Jason can be invited and you don’t want to take that chance.) He just always feels so… awkward around you. He loves you as a little sibling, yes, but he’ll admit he doesn’t know much about you. Though, you never tried to know much about him either. (You did. It’s just that he moved out when you were about nine and even then, there wasn’t much a 17-year-old could do with a nine-year-old. Not only that, but the despite whatever everyone thinks you… don’t know their vigilantes. Guess they overestimated your detective abilities.)

Trying to rationalize it didn’t seem to help him though. His thumb hesitantly pressed the typing bar. Truthfully, despite what he’d told himself earlier, he wouldn’t be that busy with the family. He could afford to spend some time with you. Especially after all the times he’s shirked that onto others. (Despite what Dick thinks, no, you did not go to other people to ask if you could hang out with them. You didn’t have Steph’s phone number, you never got it after she’d gotten a new phone. Tim blocked you (In Tim’s point of view, it was supposed to be temporary and then he forgot to unblock you.) and you don’t have the courage to ask him to unblock you. You and Bruce have never shared a single text message in your life and Duke? You don’t have his number either because… well, you’ve had like two conversations with him)

He typed and deleted repeatedly, trying to find the right words. When he felt he did, he then tried to rack his brain about what you two might do together.

He was only coming up with blanks.

Eventually, he settled on something simple.

Dick: “Do you wanna watch a movie with me tonight?” Read 2:37am

Alright, now to wait for the mor— did that say read at 2:37AM?

Huh.

Well, maybe you’re a night owl like your family. He watched your typing bubble appear. Then disappear. Then it appeared again before disappearing for about a minute.

Finally, after a couple more seconds, your message came through.

[Name]: “Sorry. Can’t” Read at 2:39am

Dick stared at the screen for a bit.

Dick: “You busy or…?” Unread.

You’d just came back from being Gotham‘s newest rogue when your phone vibrated on the nightstand. You picked it up as you threw the mask on your bed. You rubbed your eyes as you typed the passcode. The reason you’d retired so early from being a rogue was that you had a math test in the morning you wanted to be at least somewhat functional for. You absentmindedly noted that Ace hopped on your bed.

It was a text.

From who? Sammy? Kyle? Maria? Those last two were some of your other friends.

You opened the messages app.

Oh.

It’s from Dick.

Dick: “Do you wanna watch a movie with me tonight?” Read 2:37am

You went still for a long moment before quickly typing. How should you respond to this? Dick’s never invited you to do something before!

It’s literally always been the other way around!

You typed an “I’d love to!” before quickly deleting it.

That’s a little too eager.

You played around with few responses, unbeknownst to Ace curiously looking at the mask you’d also oh carelessly left on your bed.

The “bad doggie! Go away” that was hissed went unheard as you kept trying to think of a response that sounded as neutral as possible. Sure, you’d have to forgo being a rogue that night but…

…but what? Wait, you’d have to forgo being a rogue that night.

“Exactly, [Nickname]! We can’t be together if you’re off watching a stupid movie with that guy! Also— TURN AROUND AND DON’T LET THIS MANGY MUTT PUT ME O—.” That last part was practically screeched into your ear as you whipped around. Conveniently just as the dog pushed his cute little face against the inside of the mask and started spinning wildly, twisting sheets before hopping off the bed and knocking into furniture.

Gosh, is that what it looked like when you transformed? No wonder your room was always a mess when you got back!

You typed a quick response to Dick before you could even think and through your phone to the side so you could lunge at the dog and try to rip the mask off him.

Who knows what a dog with your powers could do?!

You found that out by getting slammed into the wall like three times, body-slammed onto your bed and dragged around the room by the dog while you tried to dig your fingers into the mask and rip it off.

Richard “Dick” Grayson - Nightwing POV

“Bad dog, Ace! You shouldn’t have put the mask on!” You were scolding Ace on the other side of your door.

(“Yeah! Stupid dog!” The Mask hissed.)

After a small moment of silence on Dick’s end, Ace suddenly started growling.

“Don’t say that to him! While he might be a dog, he’s my do— Wait, Ace you can understand it?”

The dog barked.

“But how?”

The dog barked a few more times.

(“Two short barks and one long bark. I think that’s dog for ‘I don’t know’, [Nickname].”)

Ace barked again.

(“I was right! He agrees with me!”)

…Was [Name] schizophrenic…? Or at least talking to Ace like he was a human? Dick had been standing outside your door for about two minutes, hand frozen in front of the door about to knock. At first, he’d heard a lot of commotion and banging until it sudden suddenly went quiet. Then you started scolding Ace, and now you were talking to yourself?

He really needed to get you out of the house. Maybe instead of a home movie, they both could go to an actual movie theater?

Dick finally knocked. “[Name], I’m coming in!” He called out before opening the door. As soon as he stepped in, he watched you hide something behind your back as you stared at him like a deer caught in headlights.

“Dick.” You blinked wide eyes at him, sharing a surprisingly cryptic look with Ace.

“Uh… [Name]. What’s that behind your back?” Dick asked, pointing at you.

“Nothing!” You exclaimed, suddenly walking closer to him.

Wow. He’d never noticed how tall you’d gotten.

Your hand gripped his shoulder with an honestly surprising amount of strength as you shoved him out of your room and closed the door quickly. “SorryI’msuperbusybye!”

You left him standing in the hall on his lonesome.

It took a couple minutes, but he eventually walked away.

He’d never realized how much you’d grown up.

Also wow! Your hand on your shoulder actually hurt a bit. Damn. He massaged his shoulder lightly as he kept walking.

??? - The Shadow Thief

He touched down on one of the city’s buildings, overlooking the glittering lights below.

“So this is where my newest friend is?” He let himself fall forward until he was soon gliding over Gotham. “I gotta say! I do love their choice in city!”

Extra Bits of Info:

1.) You did in fact make him start sucking the pacifier. 2.) The Black Mask and Penguin negotiation ended in a shootout. 3.) Despite the fact that you don’t know the bats are vigilantes, the mask does. 4.) In case it wasn’t obvious, Dick could not hear anything the mask was saying and now thinks you’re schizophrenic.

Taglist: @yourtypicalhuman09 @cupid73 @yhin-gg @galaxypurplerose @xxgrimripp3rxx @hai-there-how-are-you @suckmyballzfr @yarn-mony @patatasolitaria @deathbynarcisstick @depressed--therapist @eyeless-kun @mary-jinx @natllo @d4rkf10w3er @mintynilla

[iluvsanrio444]

‎‎‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ ‎ I wanted popcorn, not Demons!

chapter one plot: The new movie is now opened in cinemas, Kpop Demon Hunters. As corny as it sounded your younger self would gone rabid. It wouldn’t hurt to watch it, right?

word count -> 6,924

#fluff #comedy #romance #heavily plot based #heavily context based #reincarnation plot

A/N: This took WAY longer than expected since I was stuck on which to pair the reader with, Romance and Mystery. If you saw on my poll, Mystery was already winning by a mile shot so here you lovelies go! Ive made TONS of references the ogs would understand in kpop and tons of modern day slangs. Keep in mind judging by the performance of this chapter, I’ll consider turning this into a series, LMAOO I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY!

Waking up on a Saturday with the rare satisfaction of being employed yet completely unbothered. Ever since you got a job, weekends were heaven to you. No urgent deadlines looming, no annoying texts from work; it was finally your day. Being able to lounge about like some slug, zoning out whenever you want, is relaxation at its peak; however, today was different. It was far more than just being a cat sunbathing. Today was a movie premiere, one that caught your eye ever since the trailer: Kpop Demon Hunters. Being a retired hardcore and die-hard K-pop stan from your younger days and now just being a casual listener, it was absolutely a corny title. Nonetheless, younger you would’ve passed out on the spot, being all giddy and kicking your legs. Tugged into nostalgia for a moment, facepalming yourself when a flash occurs. Trying to learn the choreography for Boy In Luv by BTS.. oh Jesus. Not even that; you were literally only 14 years old writing those weird mafia fan fictions of the members on YouTube, especially about Taehyung and JungKook.. A shiver ran down your spine, making you squirm comedically. In a second, you shook your head, trying to get those godawful memories away for now. You grabbed your phone and paced through your contact list, wondering who should go with you? Ah, Mi-Rae. Your primary school best friend, of course, she was the one who was equally as nerdy and weird as you were in the past. She was like your sister, even to her. Tapping on her contact followed along with the ringing dial; eventually, she picked up.

“Ouhh Y/N, what's up?” Her voice echoed. Wait what, echoed?

“Mm, Mi-Rae do you wanna go out today? That new movie we mentioned is in cinemas.”

“Aahh, Kpop Demon Hunters? Sure, I’ll be there in an hour!”

Her voice kept gawking like some crow, confused until you heard what seemed like water.. dripping.

“Where the hell are you?”

“Huh? Oh uh, I'm... I'm on the toilet…”

“Oh for the love of—“

“WOWW—“ click.

A deadpan expression intact at that very second, the dumbass said she was on the toilet; you couldn’t believe this was your best friend, but… then again, she's the reason why you laugh every day. Proceeding to get up from your bed to get ready, a laugh escaped because of that toilet-obsessed dumbass.

As usual, you wore a delicate pink blouse, its fabric whispering softly with each movement, edged with subtle lace that hinted at vintage charm. The neckline was modest yet inviting, adorned with a tiny bow that added a touch of innocence. This was paired with a layered, ruffled skirt; each tier seemed to dance with you as you moved, blending playfulness with elegance. A string of pearls rested gently around your neck, your smooth surfaces contrasting with the textured fabric of your attire, evoking a sense of timeless grace. In your hands, you carried a small pastel bag, its plush exterior and embroidered face whispering secrets of childhood wonder. Looking at the mirror, you smirked to yourself, “I’m baggin’ all the fyne shyts in the screening, he he he.”

An hour passed by, and Mi-Rae came knocking on your door. You were greeted by a smiley best friend who held up two tickets she got. “I got the VIP tickets before it ran out!” You went along with her excitement and laughed with her, interlocking your arms with Mi-Rae when you closed your door behind you two. “Gaja gaja gaja!” A small beep for your door lock code, signalling it was safe for you two to go outside. To be honest, it was a perfect day to go outside; the warm breezes cooled you down from the sunlight's radiance. Both a cold and warm feeling washing over you, making you feel like turning into a puddle. This is the reason why you loathed weekends. Walking to the cinema whilst you and Mi-Rae goofed about, making idiotic theories rewatching the trailer each time, and even fangirling over the members in Saja Boys, especially with Jinu. To be honest, it felt all way too perfect for you; you had a habit of always expecting something weird each time things became too good to be true. As always, you were right. Your gut feeling only grew sensing someone behind you and Mi-Rae, only being able to grasp an over-the-shoulder glance. A remark of a lady with purple hair? You tried to lay it off, but when you arrived at the lobby in the cinema, another glance over your shoulder, and it was the same lady. That purple hair.

“Yah..” you called out to Mi-Rae, who was busy eyeing the menu. “Hm?” Turning her head to you, she took your face as a signal and saw your eyes pacing back and forth at something. Following your swift glances, she took account of that purple-haired lady and met you with an acknowledgement. “Oh, her? I noticed too, girl.”

“Are we just too aware…?”

“Can you blame us? I mean, there's so many people here; she's probably just going to the same screening.”

Your eyes still showed an uncertain look, and Mi-Rae sighed, placing her hand on your forearm that was still interlocked with her opposite arm. “What lady would follow another lady, Y/N? That's just stupid, to be honest. Chill, the fyne shyts are waiting for us!” For a bit you were silent, but then an exhale, “Fine, fine!” You gave her a bright smile and decided to brush it off; it did make sense to you. Arguing with Mi-Rae who tried to get way too many snacks for just a one-hour movie, having to restrain this crazy girl before entering your screening. Sitting down, you took account of your surroundings but were met with disappointment; all the guys here was.. something… to say the very least. Mi-Rae snorted, which quickly made her stop herself in a heartbeat, “You really thought there was going to be fyne shyts here?” You groaned in response whilst grabbing a few popcorn from her holder, “Ugh, god forbid a lady wanted to pull, I guess.” She couldn’t stop cackling at you, “The only huzzes here are in the damn movie, girl.” Mi-Rae and you just started to laugh together, considering it was kinda dumb of you. The name of the movie was Kpop Demon Hunters. What kind of handsome guy would be there instead of fan girls? Your laughter quickly died down trying to shush Mi-Rae as the movie began, filled with excitement that younger you would’ve been ecstatic about.

Watching the credits dial in, the smile you had in the beginning was now wiped into a disbelieving one, Mi-Rae too. For a couple of minutes you couldn’t believe what just happened, and your eyes slowly panned to Mi-Rae who was drenched in tears despite her disbelief facial expression. “Girl…” Mi-Rae turned her head to you, “Girl..”

“What the HELL was that?!”

“Omg, don’t; I’m gonna cry again.”

“JINU JUST HAD TO GET NERFED?”

“Y/N STOPP!” The tears were already striking her cheeks, which just made both of you cry with laughter as you exited the cinema. Now the day started to end since Mi-Rae and you parted ways to your homes; on the way, you bought lavender-scented incense sticks. Tapping in your passcode on your door, a mini tune rang, hinting it was successfully opened. Taking off your heels from the feet heels and putting on your home slippers. Walking to the shelves where you lit the incense sticks, sticking them into an incense stick holder. To your right, your late mother's picture – you paid extra for the vibrant colours instead of the monochrome colour code, and a smile crept to your lips. “I'm home, amma.” You talked briefly about your day to her before sitting yourself down at your desk, thinking about how the others are reacting to the movie. You decided to open your laptop and go on Tumblr.com, typing in the tag: #Kpop demon Hunters and being shown multiple blogs already. You scoffed in disbelief seeing how people are quick with this, scrolling through a bit, and now felt valid for your reaction. Everyone was in distraught from the ending of Jinus death and even made such coping theories about it; however, what made you feel more substantiated was the disappointment about the other Saja Boys screentimes, especially about their potentials to thicken the plot further. You clicked your finger and pointed to the screen, “Exactly! So I wasn’t delusional!” A literal second after, you felt second-hand embarrassment since you quite literally yelled to yourself. Clearing your throat and trying to shake off the awkwardness. Hesitantly now typed in ‘Saja Boys x Reader’ and boom. Almost 30 blogs were already made, and you wanted to cry right then and there. Deprived from the damn directors in the movie, you went into a rabbit hole, reading all the blogs, in other words, fanfiction. At first you thought this was a good way of coping, but it did more bad than good, frustrating you even more to the point where you made your own blog.

‘This movie ROBBED us from the screentimes for the other Saja Boys. We get it, Jinu is the main lead and everything, but what about THEM, like hello, ZoeySetery and MiRomAbby, anyone??’

Pressing enter that published your blog, you went to get a bag of sugared popcorn. Plopping yourself back onto your chair, your eyes widened a bit seeing your monitor. An increasing amount of likes already surged to 26, then 50 and now almost 100? You clicked to see the reblogs and comments, and they too started to increase. A chuckle left your mouth as you leaned back more on your desk munching on your popcorn whilst wearing a proud smile. You were right along, and not to mention being validated. After some time of gawking and fed ego from your blog post, you placed the popcorn bag to the side. Trying to click back from your profile, it wouldn’t work? Clicking it more than you could count, the scent of lavender became more pungent, pinching your nose as it headed to your head, but it only got worse from then on. A flashing white light bangs on your monitor, a static-like void targeting your eyes. You tried shielding your eyes with the hope of your forearms — noticing something strange was happening to your sides. Seeing words… your words, dancing around like some aura, being separated into gibberish. The colours around now being distorted, “What the hell is going on—?!” Your voice shrieked, feeling your entire body getting sucked into something. Just as you can remember what happened beforehand, something landed, landed hard on your temples. That same damn cool tone lighting practically blinding you at this rate, “Jesus, can I take a damn break?!” You tried to say the words out loud, but it only came out as muffles. Your eyes now opening as your pupils differ from dilation or slits, trying to adjust to the lighting. A girl, — a really pretty one.. — was already crouched beside you, worry filling her face. “Y/N, is everything okay? Are you falling back?” The unknown girl helped you up by interlocking her arm with yours. “Where am I?” Who are you??” She just playfully slapped your shoulder softly as if this wasn't the same person who looked at you like you were some murder victim. “We’re auditioning, dumbass. Where else would we be?” Immediately your ears perked up at the word ‘auditioning’. Auditioning? Your eyes finally adjusted to that retina-killing white lighting, now taking in your environment. You're in a completely different room; this isn't your bedroom?! The room was fitted with black padding alongside the iconic brown silk wooden walling and flooring. It was painfully obvious to a dance room.

“What's going to happen?” You asked the girl whilst turning your attention back to her.

Click.

Everything paused. A set of monochrome colour schemes faded to everyone, even the furniture around them. The girl too. It made you jump a bit pulling your arm away from her, “Eugh.” Just then you heard a loud beep sound, definitely not making this more uncanny as it looks like. “System logging in. Succeeded! Y/N has logged in.” Your body darted to all corners of the audition waiting room. “Hello? Who are you? Where am I? Where are YOU?” The hollow, systemic voice ignored all your questions and only responded to the starter. “Hello, Host. You have entered a parallel world. It is based on the movie Kpop Demon Hunters. From now on, you’ll be one of the characters in the female group HuntriX as your name, Y/N.” Your eyes almost popped out of the indents in your bones, the system already preparing itself for a scream of a lifetime, “in…HUNTRIX?!” You barely have the vocals and the talent, let alone the mere strength of those girls. Well, not on their level, certainly not up to Rumi's level! Did this weird system even seen those powerful ladies?! Yet again, the system ignored your shrieks, the pitiful nature of yourself, and continued their dialogue. “You must complete the plotline to return to the real world, your world.” Your eyes dotted around the audit room whilst taking account of your surroundings fully, now considering what you just heard. Looking down, you realised that the white tag K-pop idols wore in your world when rehearsing had your name in bold and large font. “You must meet the following two conditions to complete this story: First, complete all the main quests and survive until the end by helping Huntrix defeat Gwi-Ma. Second, complete the hidden quest; both conditions are crucial.” A small “argh” let out, getting more prolonged as you felt the rising frustration boiling in your body hearing all these conditions. You just wanted to lie on your bed and rot in fanfiction and K-dramas, for God's sake; it was a damn Saturday! Now starting to pace around the audit room, giving scowls to the paused characters around you, the denial feeling tried to reason with yourself, thinking it's all a dream; however, you just fought your thoughts to forget since that weird lady system is here, and you might as well ask tonnes of questions to get back to your world.

“Fine, Fine – tell me, what's the hidden quest about?”

“Revealing the hidden quest will only be shown after you complete the beginner tasks.”

“BEGINNER TASKS?! ARE YOU SHITTING ME?”

“System unanswered, Task one: audition for the 4th member role in Huntrix and pass the audition.”

“4TH MEMBER OF HUNTRIX?! I’D RATHER DIE!”

Boom.

Everything faded to a deepened void, but seconds after, you snapped your eyes open, vision sharpening in an instant. Looking around like some headless chicken until realisation settled in, “Seriously?!”

“System unanswered: Now loading beginner tasks.”

“Three”

“Wait, no!”

“Two”

“I can’t do this System!—”

“One”

“GET ME OUTTT!” 

The characters and the pretty girl were now back to life, colour came back in your surroundings, and here you were. Hands grasping your hair, already groaning in vexation, only to feel a hand clutch yours, bringing them down, “Y/N, don’t be so huffy now! You’re quite literally after me, dumbass.” Oh, it was the girl. Trying to act as naturally after being consumed with information you didn’t want in the first place by that godawful lady system. “Oh… yeah.” You tried to sound as normal as possible and waved the girl bye, wishing her good luck before entering the private room. Since she was gone, you took the opportunity to walk about the audit room till a thought raised signals. Do you still look the same? Rushing to the wall filled with a large, consistent mirror, you blinked like a flashing light in shock, your eyes darting around your face, and even your hands shot up to cup your cheeks. “Holy shit…thank you, God.” Turning your face slowly to the left then right, you thanked God. Well... the system gave you an attractive face. You wouldn’t know how the hell you could pass with your original face; those ladies were top-tier visuals, god.

After a while the girl exited quite lively, and ushered, it was your turn on the list; you haven’t even thought of what you were going to do, which just made you cry inside. Closing your eyes in defeat, just accepting your fate as she literally drags you into that private room. You opened your eyes expecting random side characters but instead.. Bobby. Wait, Bobby?! Huntrix Manager was here instead of other judges? Well, it made sense considering Huntrix was a demon hunting group in secrecy, but it never showed on the movie Bobby knew about it. In fact, it just protrayed him being oblivious to their antics and believing the girls excuses. This caught you off guard but you managed to keep your composure; both was silencing to each other until Bobby spoke up, “Which song should we play for your audition?” Fuck. You didn’t think of anything and searched the area in bewilderment until a system message popped up. System is literally god here, huh.. Just like an angelic light is radiating to you, ‘Offer alert! You are able to require vocal support, however this will only work on a specific song. Drowning by WOODZ.’ Just like all the other times you almost cried then and there reading your favourite artist pop up, WOODZ, you placed your hand on the microphone and tapped the accept button. Soon after you cleared your throat before responding now, “I’ll be singing Drowning by Woodz.” You flinched a bit since you forgot to do the bowing, which you did taking into consideration of Bobby's face who had a light scowl. Shit. The instrumental of the song started to play, your hands back on the microphone; almost like magic you were able to ace the song. At first it surprised you trying to get use to it until the halfway mark entered and you were able to do it normally. Your head was rushing of multiple colliding thoughts trying to grasp your head on how the hell this is even working but at least you get to romanticise having a vocal talent. If only some fyne shyts witnessed this right now, you tearfully thought to yourself.

As the song came to an ending of a high bridge, you were greeted with silence and just the sound of you trying to catch your breath. Trembling breaths echoed through the microphone when you looked at Bobby, who had a blank stare. Was that normal? “Thank you, contestant 111, Y/N. Please exit the room and wait for the results.” You stepped back and didnt forget the 90-degree bow all the kpop idols did in your reality which you mentally fist pumped proudly. “Thank you.” With that you exited the private room seeing the girl, at this point, friend with a cheerful smile. Latching her arm around your shoulder asking how it went and wanted to know everything, you too. At least this helped your head in a better space after everything up until this point. It’s been almost an hour and the both of you were louging on the leathered couch just waiting for the results. The private room door flew open and Bobby entered with his bubbly smile reflecting like in the movie, such a girl dad you thought to yourself which made you smile even more.

“Alright ladies! I’ve decided who's going to pass this audition, keep in mind it was highly competitive considering this was short noticed. There will be only one able to pass.”

Hearing this you and the.. characters? Or people, god you didnt care. People ears twitched alongside with yours when they heard only one could pass, signalling everyone’s face no one knew about it which was an external shock even the staffs who were there too to supervise. A long deafening flatline filled the entire audit room, everyone was holding their breath, especially yours. What's going to happen if you fail the first task? Were you going to go through it all over again without the system offer or just.. not go back? Bobbly clicked his pen looking at us individually then writing something down onto his paper holder. He looked at you and everything froze in your perspective, until you saw the bubbly smiling creeping on his lips. Taking a deep exhale out of relief seeing this, it was music rhymes like a baby lullaby, to you hearing him announce, “Contestant 111, Y/N has passed this audition!”

Bobby made you follow him through a hallway filled with iconic kpop groups in this parallel universe, most of them being Huntrix. Over a course of weeks, you were introduced to the members in Huntrix: Rumi, Mira, and Zoey. Even Celina came over to teach you more about Gwi-Ma and the different types of demons, given a choice of wielding a weapon of your own. The choice differed from a bow and arrow, Uchiwa, and a scythe. You being you of course, picked the scythe the moment it was on the options list. Moreover, you were able to get closer to the trio, and they even welcomed you warmly as their own, and you were able to feel a part of it. For a moment, you forgot this was just part of a quest. These people werent real, nor was this world. You just managed to get sucked in by whatever cause you couldn’t find out.

You were in your room, lying on your back whilst twirling the scythe in your hands. It was a pause in this timeline until you flinched back up on your bed hearing Zoey barge in without knocking. “Zoey knock for gods sake!” Mira yelled despite her voice still being flatlined, “Oops, sorryy, Its just— its the first time we’re going out with our new member!” Rumi was the last to enter rolling her eyes light-heartedly, “She has a name, idiot.” You could only laugh seeing the dynamic between the three being awfully similar in the movie, getting up from your bed making your weapon disappear into strings of luminous energy then into thin air. “It’s only been 2 weeks; don’t worry about it Zoey.”

“So we’re going outside? What for?”

Mira and Zoey gave a side glance to Rumi who visibly wore a smile, “Just recovering my throat.” Mira chimed in, “Yeah, some kinda voice juice, which is totally legit by the way Y/N.” “It is legit!” Zoey caught Mira in her sarcastic tone which made her vocalise her snort. “ahh, tag me in then!” Zoey gave a cheer and invovled you into her dragging shenanigans in the elevator, “Gaja, gaja, gaja..!” Similar to how Mi-Rae urged you to go somewhere, it tugged on your heart, softening it by a mile. A growing fondness for Mi-Rae, missing your bestfriend wondering what was going on in your world. The group made its way to the central, which was crowded already, it was only 11am, the trio were confused and even alert by so many people but only you were smirking like a replica of anya. Today was the day you saw the ships start. You knew damn well what was going to happen considering your memory was of an orca. You followed them into the herbal clinic which Mira kept her suspicions up about it not being true. Entering in the same scenes happened, the doctor doing his dumbass I see tactic on Rumi, then Zoey, Mira. But what irked you was now he was doing it to you. “Uhm, why me now old man?” Your eyes flat into a enigmatic face knowing the guy was just fraud, “I see…. I see… I se—“

“Okay you’re embarrassing yourself old man, hurry up we need the damn voice juice.”

“Something..” he fixed his enormous glasses a bit before taking a better look at you, “something hovers over you… like some sort of leader.” Your eyes glanced at the three obviously perplexed, which was reciprocated by the trio. However, you did think for a second, could it be? Was he talking about the system? Ah, who gives a damn? You’re only here to help the trio… and obviously see your ships more! “Ugh hurry the hell up, helloo voice juice?” Mira spoke up in which the doctor agreed. They got the tonic box and exited the clinic, you and zoey both celebrating and Mira smiling as usual to you guys.

“Let’s hope the fans don’t see us—“ Zoey's heart dropped along with Mira, “Fans, Fans!!” They all chanted, hiding behind Rumi and tightening her hoodie, being behind Zoey you couldnt help but giggle, knowing what you were finally going to witness. Your inner fangirl finally completed. As the plot followed through, the shadows of 4 men now coming to life: Baby, Romance, Abby and Mystery. All flipping their hair in union as a backtrack of Love Me Right by EXO plays, a bit taken aback, considering this was ‘real life’, why the hell would a soundtrack play? However, in the midst of it another quest popped up,

“Beginner task 2 has started: Make sure the character Jinu helps up the character Rumi. Task has begun.”

“Wait what-?!” You mumbled to yourself knowing this isn't the plotline, why are you making this more juicy? And how the hell are you supposed to make Jinu help up Rumi when they just met considering now? Panicking you went to Mira side knowing Jinu may be appearing anytime but a warmth traced your skin like you were being watched. Following that feeling your eyes placed on.. Mystery? Wait why was he looking at you, Shouldn't he be looking at Zoe.. You glanced at Zoey and the comical popcorn abs scene already started seeing Abby show off his godmothering lovely build. Back to the damn mission, you snapped back to your reality. You had no time to worry about Mystery staring at you like some unknown ghoul, the hairs still standing up on your arms. You showed no interest to the Saja Boys knowing damn well you were shrieking internally and even fanning yourself a bit, your focus was on Jinu coming out. The task. Mira being the mature one noticed you getting rather focused on the background of these handsome men and before you could even blink again nor Mira pulling you back. Your shoulder tugged onto someone's biceps, and taken aback you lost your balance and fell on your bottom. A wince in pain on your lower back, a scowl ready to argue or insult, or both ready to fight back whoever nudged you. Your attention whipped upward, the irritated face soon turned into a sudden sensation. Looking up, your eyes met with Mystery behind all of that hair on his face, you could tell by one of the hairs separating. Holy shit, you never saw his face in the movie, this felt like a life time finally dying in joy. Mystery looked down on you, his face not peeking any emotion yet his actions said something different, his hand extended out to you. You followed along trying to hold his hand to get up, another system message occured. “Error! Task 2 has been complet—completeddddddd………— error!” You flinched trying to see the system message again but realised you might’ve looked insane trying to see something the others can't see. Just as you were about to hold his hand, Baby came and latched his hand over his shoulder. “Leave her be, dumb girl fell on her own.” Mystery now just stood there like some mannequin, only tilted his head a little to the blue hair, “This human has a small build; it's not her faul—“ Your shoulders dropped in incredulity, suddenly slapping Mysterys hand away, getting up on your own from the ground. He just took his hand back into his other hand, obviously showing his confusion. Baby just snorted like the jerk he is seeing your reaction whilst you gave him and even Mystery a glare, “Nevermind. I don't need your help.” In that moment Mystery had some time to think before speaking; he felt wronged in some kind of way.

“I never meant it like that, huma—“

“Don't be so heroic for her, Myste—“

“Baby shut it.”

“Both of you be quiet!”

Mystery and Baby looked at each other like you just slapped their egos with a flip-flop, from a damn human, hunter. Your mind was too far in the gutters to even pay attention to them nonetheless of that damn error popping out of nowhere when Mystery tried to help you up. Biting on the nails on your thumb your eyes darted around trying to find Jinu but the scene had already passed by, the three girls just staring up at you whilst helping put rumis tonic bags back in the box. “W-what?” You questioned out loud feeling a tingle of uncertainty behind you, Rumi just pointed behind you. Your eyes slowly made its way above your shoulders, but even before you made it there, you saw just purple silver hair still there which made you shriek and fumble away from it. “Jesus christ, what's your problem?!”

Mystery stood there watching down at you clearly displeased with your attitude back then, that jerk baby was already latching onto someone else, Romance. “Watch yourself.” He whispered in a low flat tone which made you scoff, seeing him walk away with the others. “Watch myself? Watch.. yourself you scary ass weirdo!” You shouted hoping it echoed through the alleyway now kneeling down to the others who made fun of those Saja Boys. It made you guys laugh in union but your mind never swept away, that line ‘watch yourself’ was suppose to be for Jinu, Rumis's scene. But… somehow Mystery said that line? Not to mention the error message from system? Isn’t this supposed to be going along with the movie plot? Surely you had no power to change it, youre a mere side character. Someone who just got sucked into this by chance.

“Hey hey!” A beating music perked all of the ladies ears, “What was that?” Zoey was the first to question and the group followed along, going as group creeping behind the wall.  “Theyre a boy band?” Rumi declared, like it was the threat of her life, “Let’s take a closer look.” You mentioned, to be honest… you only said that to see that infectious song Soda Pop with your own eyes. If this was your world, the real world, you would’ve gone crazy by now in the crowds. Zoey tightened Rumi's hoodie, which almost choked her to death,

“Zoe— ack!”

“Oh my god, sorry Rumi..!”

“You guys are insufferable…”

“Come on, it’s starting!”

You couldn't help but desperately announce it was beginning, even if you tried to conceal your excitement, the three girls could see right through you. Rumi took as you being competitive, Mira was taken aback and in doubt whilst Zoey was just.. being Zoey. The poor girl thought they were magicians the moment she saw that himbo Abby. Making your way through the crowds, during the performance you tightened your hands into a fist, trying your utmost best in composure not to scream the lyrics along with the boys. Jesus, the last time you did was when haechan, a kpop idol hit sang Faded in my Last Song live on TV and you swore your soul ascended. Although during the performance, you couldn’t suppress your giggles seeing Rumi’s irritated face looking at Jinu who kept teasing her to the brink but they soon found out they were demons, you on the other hand being the half omniscient character played along with them.

“They're... they're demons?”

“Magici-! Oh… yeah, definitely demons.”

“Zoey, how the hell did you not lose your head already?”

“Yah!”

Rumi grunted whilst getting our attention, “They’re stealing the fans, we have to stop this before anything worsens.” She declared with haste as she nudged pass the crowds, Zoey and Mira trying to follow her along. You being short was your perks in being able to push pass easier, already at the front wanting to witness the cutesy scene of Jinu wiping his shoulder smirking at an angry Rumi. Watching this you felt that same awkward sensation at your head like before, your heart beating slower and slower as you tried to find where it was coming from. Your eyes landed on Mystery; him again? Eyebrows now furrowed trying to focus on him without this damn sunlight flash banging your poor retinas, he was definitely looking at you. Again. You swore, his lips then moved, like he was going to say something until a pulsing bass, the system buzzing notification injected your ears, “ERROR: Dialogue Not Recognized. NPC Response Unassigned.” Through the cutting line sound, trying to regain hearing your eyes looked up at him. Not knowing if it was just your head playing games or this damn useless system, but it seemed as Mystery almost tilted his head, his gaze never leaving you as he signed to the crowd his goodbyes along with the other Saja Boys. So instead, he gave you a look, silent and heavy, before turning away. The pink smoke embodied all of the members, but now the system pinged again; fortunately, a softer buzz happened.

“TASK 3 UPDATE: You Are No Longer a Side Character.”

Your breath hitched.

You weren’t just watching anymore nor a support cast. You were part of this plot now.

The group, Saja Boys were now in their top floor apartment. Romance was already beyond tired, hunching his back to its extreme angle that Baby, the most laziest one of out the group look in disgust at the heart pinky. Jinu slapped Romance's back in a swift quick move, “Remember to maintain your posture Romances.” Romance yelped in pain, “Ow Jinu! Jesus, I get it leave my wonderful back alone..” Being the leader, Jinu noticed everything even with members who were eerily quiet, Mystery. He was already upright on the couch scarily, a book opened in his hand as his eyes trailed the strings of words. “Mystery.” Jinu called out, only earning a slight turn of his head to him before looking down on the book. “It’s serious,” Jinu sat down next to him as well as Baby on the other side, sucking on a lollipop with his arm on the back of the couch. Romance and Abby already bickering about god knows what, probably about their abs.

“My abs are so much better, you heart twink.”

“Hah, as if! My abs are way better leaned than you large bimb—“

“Shut it, you two!”

“Ugh..” Jinu pressed his fingers into his temple before looking at Mystery now soon after Romance and Abby quieted down to their shenanigans, “What was that about?” For a bit it seemed Mystery sat still, he was just thinking before he replied, “what do you mean?” He closed the book and left it on his lap, slowly turning his head to Jinu. “That- that girl. The black haired one, you know Mystery! You're the smartest here.” A small “ah” of acknowledgment realising what Jinu was hinting, “her..” he whispered in the same very low tone.

“I was just helping her.”

“Bullshit, you were defending her.” Baby took part in the conversation. “Okay who told you to join in Baby?” Baby rolled his eyes as he circled the lollipop in his mouth, he was kinda right though. “Are you sure you were just helping Mystery? You haven't done that in.. how many decades has it been?” Clearly visible now that Mystery tensed his jaw,

“I bumped into her, and she just had a weak build, so I felt the need to help her up. That’s all there was to it.”

“Mystery-“

“I saw the way you looked at during the performance…!” Romance ooed out mid way arguing with abby, “You can't deny that, afterall my name is Romance— ow, you fucking..!” Abby flicked the abs on Romance and kept flexing his even his biceps at this point. Jinu just sighed as he leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees now, “You can’t really defy that..I mean, we all did kinda see it.” Mystery again sat still, not moving an inch. He himself was trying to figure it out, he never paid attention to any human beings ever since transforming to this human version with himself. He had a flashback, seeing your irritated pride attacked face on the floor made him almost crack a small smile which was a slap to his face. How could a human so small stand their ground like that? It unsettled him more than he wanted to admit. Another flashback to where your sharp voice filled his head, through that alleyway: “Watch myself? Watch.. yourself you scary ass weirdo!” To be honest, he should’ve walked away with the others, but he didn’t. Instead, he looked back, twice, seeing her retreat to help out those members in Huntrix. Was she in that group? A feeling of strange weight pressing against his chest. Why did her defiance sting him like that?

Now doting back to their peformance where he couldn't deny, although he was doing fan-attention— oh fan service, that was what Jinu taught them. His attention kept sparsing to you, taking in the shit eating grin you had as your eyes googled between the purple haired lady and Jinu. Even when the performance ended, he tried to lean in and say something but nothing came out, just muffles. Why? He swore he said something to her just like Jinu did with his shoulder swipe to the purple lady. It felt like he wanted to itch his neck, force his voice outside but met with nothing, yet again with mumbles.

“Mystery?”

No response.

“Mysteryyy..”

Silence.

“MYSTERY!” Abby yelled like some crackhead infront of him. His whole body did a small jump looking around him now seeing the entire group huddled around him. He doesn’t blame them, seeing him act like that to a girl whom hes never even… met, right? Although they were demons that never slept, nor needed to, he knew tonight would be a long depriving one filled of questions from the individuals dumbasses.

After a long afternoon especially with finding out Gwi-Ma launched a demon boy band to break their honmoon, you slouched onto the couch alongside with Mira who let out a loud groan of relaxation. “Couchh…” you both let out with a tired smile. That was soon ended by Zoey and Rumi who appeared behind the two causing you and Mira to jump up a bit. Zoey sat on the circular cushions stool, and Rumi sat on the opposite side couch leg crossed. “We need to kill those demons.” Rumi got straight to the point, “A new song.. for the idol awards.” Zoey brought out the multiple books of lyrics out of nowhere, “Already have 30+ demon insults drafted in these bad boys!” Mira took a glance at the large window walling, “the honmoon is already.. having weak spots from just their existence, guys.” You clenched your fist knowing you were the one to continue the same plot as in the movie but… that task, task 3, no longer a side character? What the hell does that mean? Support more from the background to defeat Gwi-Ma?

“We have until Idol awards, guys; we can do this. Zoey you’re in charge of the lyrics, Mira—

“Make the dances more hotter.“

“Exactly, Rumi stall your voice until then. This is quite literally going to be our last chance, everyone, until some demon apocalypse shit happens.”

In that moment it drawn down to silence, your eyes were on your lap already in the midst of your thoughts until Zoey decided to break it. “Y/N,” your head tilted a bit a small “hm?” as a response until your gaze was on her. Both Rumi and Mira exchanged knowing smirks despite your confusion. For the first time since being sucked into this movie you had no idea what was going on.

“Sooo..” she nudged your shoulder, “Zoey spit it out…”

“That silver hair guy dumbass.” Mira spoke which enlivened Rumi, “Yeah Y/N, what was that about hmm?” All their voices were annoyingly teasing you which just made you denying everything even more aggressively, waving your hand at all those remarks the trio did.

“Did you see the way he looked at you?”

“You can barely see his damn eyes.”

“He literally helped you up!”

“No he was just belittling me, dumbass.”

“All those head tilts in your direction..!!”

“You three are beyond delusional.” You and the three now in a laughing fit. Despite these enjoyable times, your mind never met an ease of calmness ever since weeks ago being reincarnated into this movie. After all these laughs, you made your way to your room. Flooding yourself into putty on your bed, you cuddled one of the pillows close to you. Finally have a peaceful moment to yourself, you thought about back then, with.. Mystery. You never thought he could act like that, seeing how he was portrayed in the movie you thought he just wouldn’t bat an eye to you. You wouldn’t blame him but then again after those interactions? You didn’t know what to think, drifting into a deep sleep.

A pair of yellow eyes glinted from the shadows, watching through the glass door without a sound.

[diebie164]

Natalie Lynn ´´Samantha´´ Rupnow infopost, an analysis by Diebie164

Natalie Lynn ´´Samantha´´ Rupnow was a 15 year old girl who´s the perperator of the Abundant Life Christian School (ALCS) shooting on December 16, 2024 c. 10:57 – 11:05 a.m. where 3 people died (including Samantha Rupnow). I'll use the initials NLR for Natalie and JR for jeffrey Rupnow in this post sometimes. Included in this post is a picture of stuff of NLR they found in her room and 2 pictures of her face.

CHILDHOOD AND PARENTS OF NLR

NLR is the daughter of Melissa and Jeffrey Rupnow, they first married in 2011, 2 years after the birth of their daughter. Natalie, who recently began using the name Samantha, was caught in their turbulent relationship. The couple divorced in 2014 and agreed to share custody of their daughter. She primarily resided with her mother. Then they remarried in 2017. But the cycle of separation and reconciliation continued. The couple divorced for the second time in 2020. This time, they arranged an alternating custody schedule, with NLR spending two days with her father, two days with her mother, and so on. They married again for the third time, only to separate and divorce months later. The court instructed the couple not to marry again, though they would share custody of NLR. This time, she mainly lived with her father. By 2022, NLR, then 12, was undergoing therapy to help determine which parent she would live with. The court also ordered the couple to share joint custody again. Jeff Rupnow often posted on social media about his daughter's accomplishments, including her achievements in karate. One of her friends told police that NLR had referred to her father as a "drinker" and that he frequently verbally abused his daughter. NLR lived in the Madison metropolitan area for the entirety of her life.

MENTAL HEALTH OF NLR

Interview with JR: According to JR, NLR would sometimes make suicidal statements and had to lock up every knife in the house ''during the cutting phase''. JR would never take the suicidal statements seriously and said ''she's just looking for attention when she talks like that''. JR described finding a small item in the room of NLR that she used to cut herself with. According to JR, NLR had a therapist who recommended drawing with a marker instead of cutting herself, She would draw ''anything and everything'' according to JR. JR stated, the therapist never had a ''serious'' concern about NLR. According to JR, NLR never made any ''serious'' comments about hurting somebody, even though one of the texts he send out to someone named ''annie'' said ''yeah, my kid would shoot me if I left the fun safe open now''. In chain text messages between JR and NLR, NLR stated multiple times that she didn't want to go to school on certain days. She messaged many times about wanting to get out of school, JR about punishing NLR with screen time. According to JR, NLR would spend most of her time in her room. NLR has not been diagnosed with a mental health condition nor used any medication. NLR had a profile on Watch People Die, which is a site that features gore.

NLR went to therapy at psychotherapy center at Waunakee and had a total of 46 sessions between 10/21/2021 - 6/14/2024

EQUIPMENT USED IN THE SHOOTING

NLR was equipped with 2 handguns (9mm Glock 19 and .22 caliber Sig Sauer P322) during the shooting, but only used one of them. Five 9mm magazines, three .22-caliber magazines, and a box containing 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition. She wore a black T-shirt inscribed with a bullseye. She got access to these guns by either knowing his social security number (JR told NLR that the code was his social security number but backwards, in case of emergancy) Or by watching his father put in the code.

THE (DAY OF THE) SHOOTING

JR stated he got notified by apple track on his Phone that NLR still hasn't left the house and she was late for school. JR facedtimed NLR and she eventually went to school by uber.

10:39:37 was the time she entered the school through door #1 (Probably the main entry), she first went to the student services office, then she goes towards the break room on the first floor and after that the second floor and snapped a picture of her doing the ''okay'' sign which is used by various white supremacist mass shooters. She would upload a document in google drive to X (Twitter), however it was locked with a password so no one could access it. She sended her manifesto and last words to her eboyfriend, after that she exists the break room and went to Room C218 with a gun and shot various students and a teacher. She shot 8 people in total before turning the gun on herself. NLR killed 3 people including herself and wounded 6 others.

R.I.P to all the victims, including Samantha Rupnow

[craske]

dejammed au beast heightchart, plus sort of a reference for their new looks

beasts are huge when compared to other cookies. the overwhelming amount of magic of the soul jams needed a proper vessel, so as the corruption progressed, so did the beasts grow to be able to contain it. even if that is now absent, their bodies were forever changed

the colored horizontal lines represent the ancients

+ some design info and some explanations under the cut

shadow milk cookie is the shortest out of beasts, however he was able to shapeshift before dejamming, and especially before gaining a new body. his entire body is covered with very short and surprisingly soft fur, except for his forearms, back and legs which show some scales. not that you could see it normally, since his almost entire body is hidden under his clothes. both his ears and tail react to his emotions, tail is semi prehensile. fun fact, when flustered, instead of blushing the fur on his face bristles. his tongue is forked, and shilk has venomous fangs in the back of his mouth. the venom causes hallucinations and minor paralysis. the shadow eyes present in his hair and under his coattails are also gone, his connection to the other realm greatly weakened. they pop back up when he strains himself magically or gets emotional enough

eternal sugar is the only beast with regular hands, instead her legs being much more monstrous. plays more into the duality of angel/devil looks, though she is more of a dragon here, with her hoarding cookies in her sugary paradise. she also has horns and head wings now, playing into it even further (her ears dont have proper earlobes, the head wings work as them, the ear holes are right under the wings). after dejamming, her hair lost the sparkly effect, making her look a bit duller. also, the halo is gone, smashed to pieces while her angel wings got clipped during the dejamming. they are now too weak to fly, just like the dragon wings.

burning spice got some of his traits from the avatar of destruction, namely the whole cat face thing and purple feathers on his forearms. i also think he shouldve had more tiger stripes, they add to his otherwise rather monotone dough (not talking about face, hair or clothes, plus his shoulder guard is gone). the antenna are also mostly low now that his power is mostly gone, but they are reactive to his emotions, plus they perk back up when he does fight and such. it doesnt show here, but his ears are mostly human-like, but clipped for safety and also hidden in his hair.

mystic flour is the biggest out of the all beasts, however she is also rather frail. not like shadow milk though, she can take a hit still. the sensory hairs on her forearms and legs make up for her surprisingly bad eyesight, even though she has additional two pairs of supporting eyes above her eyebrows and on her cheeks. these can only register light though. her ears are immobile in the way human ears are, theyre just really long. the little antennas on top of her head are actually very thin horns, since she has a noodle dragon on her gacha screen i wanted to implement something draconic, but it looked really out of place. so instead she has way more subtle head decor. her dark hands are always cold, and feel very numb most of the time too.

[liahaslosthermind]

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞! [PT 2]

Summary: The Inner Circle is still oblivious to Azriel and his mate’s bond. Will the couple’s agreement to forgo secrecy open their eyes? Or will they just remain obtuse? Read Part 1! Work Count: 4.5k+  Warnings: Very suggestive, Timeline? What timeline?, Inner Circle are idiots, Historiography, I put too much detail into things that probably didn’t need it but oh well. A/N: I’ll be honest, writing this took so much out of me that I kind of hate it. Now the reader’s job has more to do with the plot, though it really was me just getting a little too into the historical study of a fictitious fantasy world. HISTORIOGRAPHY ROCKS. (If anyone finds the 30 Rock reference in here I’ll kiss you with tongue)

Her head pounded as she stared at the documents. After years immersed in the historical field- starting with historical study, then historiography- her work had become too… stagnant for her. She loved what she did, of course, but her job had become less about discovering great historical finds and more like gathering fractured accounts. 

She was happy, she truly was, but being with Azriel these past few months made her greedy. She wanted more. Maybe it was the Spymaster rubbing off on her, but she was itching for something big, something that would shake her field. 

The library had quieted around her. Hours ago it had buzzed with soft voices and rustling of robes. Now, it was still and deathly quiet, with the priestesses away at evening service. The hours had slipped away unnoticed. 

She sighed as she closed the 3 books scattered in front of her. She’d sworn to Azriel that she would leave before the priestesses even left for last service. Though the shadows circling her seemed content to let her stay, she knew better than to test her mate’s patience. 

Just as she began to rise, she heard the familiar rhythm of Azriel’s footsteps.

“Yes, I know Az,” she called before even looking back at him. “Don’t worry, I am pissed at myself too. Didn’t even get to the work I had wanted done today,” she groaned as he entered the reading nook she had settled herself into early that morning. 

He laughed quietly as he brought his hands to cradle her face, brushing his thumbs along her cheekbones as he kissed her forehead. He laughed a little harder when she whined before finally kissing her on the lips. 

Footsteps echoed nearby. She pulled back quickly, but Azriel only grinned before tugging her back in. His arms locked around her waist as he kissed her, reminding his mate of their agreement: no more hiding. 

As the sounds of the priestesses’ footsteps disappeared, along with a few shocked gasps and giggles, the two of them broke apart. She looked at him in confusion. 

“We made a deal, did we not?” He asked.

“Yes, but that was only in front of your family-”

“And what do you think will happen when a few priestesses stumble upon us like this? While their gossiping is mostly harmless, it is rampant. I’d kind of like to see how quickly it makes it to Nesta, and whether or not she tries to say anything.” Azriel reasoned. 

She narrowed her eyes at her mate but didn’t argue. He wasn’t wrong. The library might be sacred, but it was also a pressure cooker of whispered scandal. One that no one escaped unscathed. 

As the two walked back out of the library, Clotho beckoned the two to her desk. 

At least have the decency to pretend you are trying to hide any dalliances in the library. Her pen scribbled. 

Azriel’s face lit up in amusement, while his mate’s was cast in embarrassment. As the latter began to apologize profusely, Clotho waved her hand in dismissal before her pen began to write again. 

The priestesses needed something new to discuss, many find comfort in silly gossip. By dinner they will be making lists of baby names. 

The couple blushed a deep crimson at that. Azriel inclined his head in a silent goodbye, taking his mate’s hand and squeezing it tightly before the two walked back to the House of Wind proper. 

The sitting room in the House of Wind was light and buzzing, alive with laughter and heated by the well fed hearth. 

Like the rest of the room’s occupants, the Night Court’s historiographer and her Spymaster mate were drunk. 

Neither were big drinkers typically. Azriel claimed growing up alongside Rhysand and Cassian had meant he had consumed more alcohol before the age of 200 than most fae did in a lifetime. These days, he preferred to keep his wits about him more often than the rest of his family. His mate shared similar sentiments, only getting drunk for special occasions. 

But tonight had in fact been a special occasion. 

Mor had returned from a month-long stint in Hewn City. While Rhysand typically never encouraged her to stay more than a few days at a time, the two had recently launched quite the campaign to uproot the rot embedded in the Court of Nightmares, a feat that warranted longer and longer visits each time. When she’d come home that very afternoon, the exhaustion and haunted look etched into her face had worried her family. 

What had begun as “just a nightcap” had quickly spiraled into a full-blown celebration. 

After several bottles of expensive wine and a few decanters of something suspiciously strong and equally as vile tasting, the entire Inner Circle was comfortably drunk. 

Azriel’s mate had curled into the corner of one of the plush couches with a wine glass in hand, her cheeks flushed and eyes glassy, the room spinning at borderline nauseating speeds. Next to her, Azriel slouched lower than anyone had ever seen him, his normally rigid frame nonexistent as he melted into the cushions. He was dressed in loose linen pants and a button up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, an elegant but far more relaxed departure from his usual Illyrian leathers. Even his shadows seemed drowsy, coiling like cats around his ankles

“She then told him to fuck off,” Cassian howled, halfway through a story that had been going on for far too long, “after he complimented her speech!”  

Azriel’s mate snorted into her drink, too inebriated to be embarrassed, “He sounded surprised that a speech on the importance of historiographical methodology could be interesting,” she protested. “It was rude of him to think otherwise!”

Azriel’s low laugh warmed her insides, “Always the peacekeeper,” he murmured, teasing. 

“Oh please, you know you love it,” she shot back, nudging his shoulder with her own. 

Mor raised an eyebrow at the interaction. “Az, is that a blush on your face?” 

“How drunk are you, Azriel?” Feyre added, her tone steeped in amusement. 

Azriel swirled the amber liquid in his glass as he drawled, “Somewhere between a lot and very.”

Everyone chuckled, but their eyes soon zeroed in on the look he gave the female tucked against his side. The way their hands brushed one another, the way Azriel leaned in every time she laughed, closing his eyes as if to savor the sound, even the way his shadows curled protectively around them both.

Cassian rolled his eyes dramatically at the pair, “Mother above, the tension between you two makes me sexually frustrated.” He groaned

Azriel didn’t flinch. Based on the absolute torture he’d endured every night in his bedroom in the House of Wind, unable to sleep because of the noises Cassian and Nesta had been making, he knew that to be a lie, so the Shadowsinger didn’t dignify his brother’s words with a response. 

“Not everyone has to be as vocal about their feelings as you are, Cassian. Don’t force Azriel to be what he is not.” Nesta said coolly. 

Azriel gave her a look of mock offense. “I’ll have you know, I’m very vocal about my feelings. It’s not my fault you’re all too dense to notice.”

His mate dissolved into a fit of giggles she tried to hide with her wine glass, only to end up amplifying the noise with the action. “Oh yes Azriel,” she gasped, “you are so vocal about your feelings, especially last night: ‘Oh Gods, fuck, your mouth feels so good on my-” 

A scarred hand clamped over her mouth with lighting speed. 

Azriel looked mortified- for all of two seconds- before both of them collapsed into wheezing giggles on the couch. 

Soon the laughs were the only sound that could be heard in the room as the rest of the Inner Circle fell into shocked silence. 

Mor blinked, “Did she just-”

“Oh she definitely just-” Feyre whispered. 

“Are you two…” Rhysand began, also unable to finish his sentence. 

“Inside joke.” Azriel said halfheartedly. The pair agreed they wouldn’t outright say anything, nor outright deny their relationship, but they hadn’t actually been asked a question.

His mate nodded, face beet red but grinning wickedly, “Very inside.”

The two descended into wheezing laughter once more, the rest of the room soon joining in, albeit confused. 

Amren was the only one who didn’t laugh, watching the pair carefully over the rim of her glass.

While the conversation attempted to pick back up, nothing stuck. The rest of the Inner Circle watched the secretly mated pair, hovering around the edges of realization, circling it like buzzards but never quite landing on the truth.

Through it all, Azriel’s shadows curled protectively around him and his mate as their bond remained hidden in plain sight.

The next morning Cassian groaned as he unceremoniously dropped into the chair across from Rhysand in the High Lord’s home office, rubbing his temples and whining with the drama of a dying male. 

“Whatever was in those decanters tasted like regret and death,” Cassian muttered. 

Rhysand, who looked only marginally more functional, snorted without lifting his gaze from the reports in front of him. “And yet you drank 5 whole glasses.” he replied dryly. 

“I was recouperating from a day of torture,” Cassian justified, “Nyx has been weaponizing flowers, spreading their poisen throughout my own home. I am not safe anywhere thanks to that child.” 

Footsteps sounded down the hall, halting the two’s conversation. Azriel had traded in his relaxed attire from the night before for his usual leathers. While his High Lord and general looked like they felt everybit of the alcohol they consumed last night, Azriel remained composed and unbothered, every inch the formidable Spymaster. 

“Its not fair he gets to look like that.” Cassian groaned. 

Azriel raided an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Good morning to you as well, Cas.”

Rhysand finally glanced up, a curious expression on his face. “You’re up early. I didn’t think I’d see you till tonight when I found these reports on my desk. I figured you’d be occupied nursing a hangover.” 

“I had things to take care of.” Azriel responded. 

Both Cassian and Rhysand perked up.

“Like what?” Cassian asked with the subtlety of a battering ram. 

“Moving out.” Azriel glanced between them, trying to read their expressions. When the two didn’t say anything, Azriel gave in, “I bought a house.”

Rhysand dropped the reports he had been shuffling in his hands. “You… what?”

Azriel leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “It's on the outskirts of Velaris… quiet, private, beautiful views.”

Cassian sat up straighter. “Wait- you bought a house? You don’t even like decorating your own room.”

Azriel gave him a look. “I like silence, and hate paper-thin walls.”

“This is slander,” Cassian said turning to Rhys in defense, “Nesta and I have been extremely respectful-”

“You cracked the plaster above my bed.”

Rhysand snorted.

Cassian gaped. “So you dropped a fortune to move out just because of us?”

“I also value my own space, and privacy.” Azriel’s tone was mild, but firm. He was starting to get irritated at the endless questions. 

“You are barely home as it is,” Rhys said, narrowing his eyes. “What’s the point of buying an entire house, unless…” he trailed off, eyes sharpening. A beat passed, then another. Rhysand’s eyes flicked towards Azriel’s face. He tried to read his Spymaster’s microexpressions as he had done for centuries.  

“You’re not living alone,” he finished. Not a question.

So Azriel didn’t answer. 

Cassian and Rhysand looked at each other, then back at Azriel. Cassian’s face lit up when he realized exactly who his brother’s new “roommate” was. 

“So that's where all the ‘inside jokes’ came from, why you two were so comfortable last night.” The general reasoned. Azriel had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. They were so close and yet so far. 

The High Lord’s face became ashen as he looked at his brother, as if realizing all too late that something had shifted beneath his feet without him even noticing. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” He asked, not hiding the hurt from his tone. 

Azriel didn’t miss a beat, “You don’t listen.”

This time, the silence was deafening. 

As the tension became a bit too unbearable, Azriel coolly shrugged his shoulders, “You may all come by in about two months. Give us time to finish some things.” 

“Are you hosting a housewarming party, Azriel?” Rhysand asked incredulously, choosing to push the lingering sting of Azriel’s silence down. 

“Something like that.” Az responded. 

She had been working all night on her research paper. Originally, it had been pretty straightforward as far as these things went, that was until she stumbled upon two drastically different accounts of the same battle documented by two soldiers on the same side, not far from the other on the front lines. 

And yet every modern interpretation she could find blindly aligned with one or the other. No one questioned the contradiction. Not historians, not theorists, nor any other scholars who had lended their two cents. 

Sighing, she realized she wasn’t going to finish the project anytime soon, though she had to admit the thrill of such a discovery had brought enough motivation to continue working until dawn. Azriel, her mate of many months now, was away on a mission and wasn’t due back until dinner the next day anyway. 

I should probably ask Rhysand about this, she thought. But it was late and while he most likely would have been up at this time a year ago, Nyx had ruled the High Lord and Lady’s schedules, constantly requiring all their attention just to make sure he hadn’t shifted into the form of a beast or rearranged Velaris’ stars… again. Though they loved their prince, the Dreamers of the Night Court hadn’t appreciated the impromptu redecorating of their beloved skies. 

She also simply didn’t want to see Rhysand, still bitter about how he treated Azriel at family dinner those few months before when the Shadowsinger had tried to tell his family about his mating bond. 

So instead, the Night Court’s beloved historiographer called someone else. 

While late night calls weren’t usually welcomed from the ancient fae female, nor were any calls at any time of day for that matter, Amren was rather thankful for the chance to leave the River House. Ever since Nyx had crowned his Aunt Amren as his favorite person ever, she had been borderline imprisoned at Rhysand and Feyre’s home just so they could get a few hours of work done, or (and this was far more vital for the sake of their court) shower. 

Still, in typical Amren fashion, she couldn’t let her gratitude be known. 

“You called me away from a glass of very old and very, very expensive wine while I watched the latest episode of The Toddler Tyrant.” Amren teased. 

“Nyx sprouted daisies again?”

“Out of Cassian’s ears this time,” Amren answered, breezing past her into the study. Cassian’s suffering at the hands of a toddler had been entertaining at first, but after a while his torment went from hilarious to pathetic. 

The historiographer gestured to the scrolls spread across her desk, “These are accounts of the same battle, the same side, same front, yet completely different outcomes. And yet every major historical interpretation aligns with one or the other, like no one bothered to question the discrepancies.”

Though she displayed disinterest, Amren slinked closer to the papers. “That’s war, girl. No one remembers it the same way. Memory makes fools of us all.” 

“Except these accounts were written during the war. Not years later. They were created mere hours after the battle in question. The first account claimed the general abandoned his troops, choosing to flee like a coward. The second swore he died protecting them. Both can’t be true.”

“Both could certainly be true, or rather, true to the writers. Maybe what one saw as a cowardly flee from the battle, the other saw end in a valiant death. Personal bias that led both to arriving at their own differing yet truthful conclusions.” 

The more she thought about it, the more Amren’s words rang true. While this was a huge oversight in the historical field, it did lend itself to the widespread pattern of historical memory corrupted by the silent biases of the narratives they choose to listen to. “Everyone’s so caught up in what they want to see, they can’t recognize truth, even when it’s parading around in plain sight.”

Amren smirked, “History repeats itself.” Before she stalked off. 

As she watched Amren leave, her words echoed in her head.

History repeats itself.

She thought of the different accounts of the battle again: two soldiers, one truth fractured into two. Everyone so caught up in their own perspective they were blind to what was marching right in front of them.

Just like them. Just like her and Azriel.

She looked down at the scattered scrolls on her desk and saw something else for the first time. Not confusion. Not contradictions. Just… love, interpreted differently by each witness. 

She thought of the soldiers. One grieving, one bitter, both clinging to their own truths. Both were so sure they knew what happened. 

Just like Cassian, swearing she and Azriel were dancing around their feelings. 

Just like Nesta, insisting Azriel wasn’t the type to share what he felt.

Just like Rhysand, who couldn’t see beyond the brother he used to know. 

She sat back down and wrote one sentence, one that would jump start her greatest project yet. 

“We mustn’t only question the historical accounts we see, but our reasons for believing them.” 

She dipped her quill in ink, turned to a fresh new page and wrote her new working title. 

The Battle for Truth: Perception, Memory, and What We Choose to See

Azriel had been nonchalant about it. 

When he and his mate arrived at dinner, he oh-so-casually mentioned the two were hosting a party at their home. A housewarming party, as his family had assumed it was, and a party to celebrate the historiographer’s finished project, one she hadn’t even let Azriel know the details of. 

Not one of them had suspected a mating ceremony at the center of it.

The sun was beginning to dip behind the Sidra as the Inner Circle arrived at the couple’s home. 

The house was nothing like they had expected. Elegant, but also warm in a way only a home that was truly lived in, truly cared for, could be. The group stopped their various conversations as they tried to take in every detail they could. 

The first sign something was… different came when they made their way to the garden. Dozens of candles flickered to life, illuminating the stone walkway. Golden lanterns swayed gently in the trees. A long table stretched beneath the stars, draped in silver and blue linens and set with the finest of dishes. At the end of the garden stood an archway, draped in silk, glowing with candlelight, and unmistakably ceremonial. 

"Are we… early?" Feyre asked, glancing around in search of the hosts. 

Before anyone could answer, the sound of footsteps came from behind them. As they turned, the Inner Circle was met with a surprising sight. 

Azriel caught their attention first, dressed in an elegant navy suit softened by silver detailing. No armour, nor shadows to be seen, just… Azriel. 

But it was the female next to him that stole their breath. 

She stood beside him in a gown of lighter blue, embroidered with constellations that seemed to shift when she moved. Her eyes scanned the space, looking at the faces of her family, and for a moment, her nerves were evident. 

It was only then, when the two walked to the center of the garden and faced their friends, not hiding the ribbon that laced their hands together, deliberate and unmistakable, that realization struck.

“Oh-” Mor breathed.

“-my gods,” Cassian finished, slack-jawed.

Feyre blinked rapidly. “Wait. This is—?”

“You two are—?” Rhysand’s voice cracked mid-sentence.

“Mated,” Azriel confirmed, his voice clear and calm, his hand wrapped tightly around hers. “The priestess left just before you all arrived.”

There was a long pause, almost comically long, but long enough for the couple to start to sweat as they awaited further reactions.

Then Mor let out a loud, disbelieving sound and clutched her chest as if she had been physically wounded. “You traitors! You beautiful, deceiving traitors! How long have you both been…” she trailed off before finding her words, “When did the bond snap?”

The two turned to each other, smiling, before replying in unison, “A while ago.”

“Around half a year.” Azriel added.

Cassian’s head slowly turned from Azriel to his mate and back again. “Are you kidding me?” he said, scandalized. “How come none of us knew? How come I didn’t know? What kind of brother am I?”

“A dramatic one,” Amren deadpanned. “And apparently, an oblivious one.”

Feyre looked between them, mouth parted in shock. Then a slow, radiant smile bloomed on her face. “You’re mated,” she whispered to herself, trying to register the words. “You’re both actually mated.”

At that, Feyre launched herself at the couple, hugging Azriel’s mate first, then Azriel, her eyes glinting with tears. “I’m so happy for you,” she said, breathless. “You both look… I don’t know… lighter, happier.”

Nesta crossed her arms and raised a brow. “Well,” she said coolly, “that explains why the priestesses keep asking me questions about you two and giggling when I looked at them like they were crazy. They asked if you were pregnant last week. I thought they had been hexed.” Though her tone was cool and indifferent, her eyes betrayed her affection.

That earned laughter from the rest as the couple looked at each other with deep blushes on their faces. 

It was only Rhysand had remained quiet, far too quiet, his violet eyes fixed on the two of them. And then, without a word, he walked forward.

Azriel’s body went rigid, ever so slightly. But his mate didn’t flinch, didn’t look away.

Rhysand stopped just short of them, looking between the pair.

“I missed it,” he said finally, voice low. “I pride myself on seeing everything, knowing everything, but I completely missed this.”

There was no accusation in his words, but something raw in his tone. No anger, nor judgment. Just the sad realization he hadn’t known his brother as much as he thought. 

He looked at Azriel’s mate then, and whatever tension had been between them for the past few months softened. “I’m sorry,” Rhysand said. “To both of you. I was too busy thinking I knew everything that I missed what was right in front of me.”

Azriel’s mate gave him a gentle nod, filled with forgiveness and understanding. 

There was a moment of anxious silence, till Amren smirked behind her wine glass and muttered, “Finally.”

The tension shattered. 

Laughter rippled across the garden, followed by a chorus of overlapping questions, but Azriel only looked at his mate.

They had decided to do the ceremony part alone, just the two of them, a priestess, and Clotho acting as witness, under the promise she was allowed to give any and all details to the other priestesses to gossip over. 

But the celebration was for their family who had, however obliviously, been with them for their entire relationship.

That night, the Inner Circle celebrated under lantern light. The house echoed with laughter, shadows trailing around the garden and dancing to the music.

When the guests had finally gone, after having to be forcibly kicked out, Azriel and his mate sat on the floor in their study.

She sat nervously next to her mate, looking down at their hands still bound together with ribbon. She had promised they would get to that part of the night after she showed him one last thing.

She turned to the coffee table and picked up a leather-bound book. The cover was a dark blue and as she turned to the first page, Azriel recognized her handwriting. She handed the book to her mate who took it in his free hand. 

The page was opened to the dedication, written in her neat script, reading:

To the ones who taught me that truth is rarely singular, that memory can be messy, and love, like the historical work I dedicate my life to, can often be found hidden in plain sight. 

To Azriel, who saw the truest version of me and waited until I was ready to see her too. 

Azriel stared down at the page, tears lining his eyes. His shadows brushed the edges of the paper, like they too were reading it. 

“It’s not about us,” she quickly murmured, “not technically. It’s about conflicting battle accounts, probably less exciting but-”

She tried to swallow down her nerves, looking to their joined hands for strength. 

“But it’s always been about us, in a way. About how people miss things that are right in front of them, because they’re too busy holding onto the story they think they already know. That’s what those accounts taught me. Two people, on the same side, in the same moment, seeing two completely different truths. They can both be wrong and right. Just like some others we know.” She teased.

Azriel leaned forward, pressing his lips to her forehead. “You’re brilliant,” he whispered against her skin. “And I love you.”

“I know,” she whispered back, angling her head till her lips were just a breath away from his, “but you should say it again.”

“I love you.” He answered before kissing her deeply. 

While the bond between them hummed, everything around them grew silent and still, like the shadows and stars themselves had stopped to listen.

Taglist: @happyxdayxbitch, @kksbookstuff, @firefly-forest-blog, @marigold-morelli, @yourenothingbutnottome, @triangleshapewinner, @honk4emoboyz, @i-am-infinite, @dreaming-softly-in-the-night, @fuckingsimp4azriel,

[sergeantbarnessdoll]

Sorry, I might spam you a little with requests, if it's okay 🙈☺️

Uhm can I request something with beefy Bucky x reader (they are married for a couple of years) where he has his 7 month old little baby girl sleeping in a babywrap close to his chest and he introduces them to the team, please? Thank you ☺️

It has been a gaming night and the team has been asking where Bucky is. And then he enters the room with his wife and his baby girl. At first everyone was like who is this??? but Yelena and Ava are counting one plus one and they immediately know and they are somehow in awe (meanwhile the reader carries her little girl). Later the whole team asks the reader and Bucky out. (Maybe the team interacts with the their baby girl for a little moment and then Bucky brings her to smile/laugh in his arms now and is swaying with her)

Just Bucky being sweet and soft for the reader and his little baby girl 🥰

Just Bucky being truly happy

Game Night With A Baby » Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Pairings: Husband/Dad!Bucky Barnes x Wife/Mom!Reader with the Thunderbolts

Summary: Bucky introduces you and yours and his baby girl to the Thunderbolts during game night.

Warnings: Fluff, language, kissing, pet names

A/N: @jackys-stuff-blog thank you for the incredibly adorable request🩵

Written on my phone. My apologies for any mistakes.

Header made by @buckyys-babydoll / divider made by me

GIF IS NOT MINE! Gif credit goes to the creator.

“Where the hell is Barnes? He said he’d be here.” John says, clearly annoyed.

“Maybe he had something to do before coming here.” Bob says.

“That could be true.” Ava chimes in.

John sighed exasperatedly and slouched back on the couch. Meanwhile, Bucky walked in the tower with yours and his 7 month daughter Stevie securely against his chest in the baby wrap and you walking beside him.

“Are you sure they’re going to like me, honey?” You asked your husband.

“You need to stop worrying, doll. They’ll love you.” Bucky says.

You smiled and kissed his bearded cheek. The team sighed in relief when they seen Bucky walking in the living room area of the tower.

“Finally! What took you so long?” John asks.

“I had something important to do before coming here.” Bucky says.

“Congressman stuff?” Bob asks.

“No.” Bucky answers.

Yelena and Ava noticed Bucky holding a baby and you standing next to him. It didn’t take them long to piece everything together. They figured it out quickly. As for the rest of the team, they were confused about why Bucky has a baby strapped to his chest and you standing next to him.

“Who are they?” John asks, referring to you and yours and Bucky’s daughter.

Bucky gently grabbed ahold of your hand before introducing you and Stevie to the team.

“This is my gorgeous wife Y/N. We’ve been married for two years and this is our daughter Stevie. She’s 7 months old.” Bucky introduces you two to the team.

“Hi.” You smiled, giving them a small wave.

They smiled and waved back at you.

“Can we see baby Barnes?” Alexei asks.

“Of course.” Bucky smiles.

Bucky carefully takes Stevie out of the baby wrap so the team can get a better look at her. They looked at her in awe. They couldn’t get over how adorable she is.

“She’s so tiny.” Yelena says.

“You have the coolest dad.” Alexei coos at Stevie.

Stevie stares at the team and made a babbling noise and smiles at them.

“Oh my god! She’s smiling!” Ava says.

“She’s so adorable!” Bob says.

“She looks just like you, Bucky.” John says.

“I don’t want to take all of the credit. Stevie has her mommy’s beauty.” Bucky says, making you blush uncontrollably.

Everyone awed when Stevie yawned.

“I think someone is tired.” Bucky coos at his baby girl.

“It’s ok if you don’t want to play games. We can have game night another night.” Ava suggests.

“It’s ok. Y/N can play for me.” Bucky says as he carefully puts Stevie back in the baby wrap.

Stevie fell asleep in second the second she put her head against her daddy’s chest. Everyone went over to the couch and sat down. Bucky leaned back on the couch and gently rubbed Stevie’s back as she napped against his chest. You got a little blanket out of the diaper bag and covered her up with it. You saw an assortment of games on the coffee table.

“Pick a game, Mrs. Barnes.” Bob says.

“Ok. What about a card game?” You suggested, picking up a deck of cards.

Everyone nodded in agreement, liking what you chose.

“Just so you guys know, Y/N is very competitive when she plays card games.” Bucky tells the team.

“Game on.” John says.

You shuffled the deck of cards in a cool way that shocked the team.

“Where did you learn how to do that?” Yelena asks.

“My aunt taught me when I was a kid.” You say.

You dealed the cards and then put the rest of the deck on the coffee table. Bucky leans over to look at your cards. He gave you a nod, letting you know you have good cards. As game night went on, Stevie made babbling noises when she woke up and then started fussing.

“Do you want mama to hold you while daddy makes you a bottle?” Bucky coos at her.

Everyone decided to take a break from games so Stevie can be fed. You reached over for Stevie and carefully got her out of the baby wrap. Bucky put the baby wrap in the diaper bag and got what he needed to make Stevie a bottle before going to the kitchen. You walked around the tower with Stevie in your arms to try to get her to stop fussing.

“Here you go, doll.” Bucky says, handing you the bottle.

“Thank you, babe.” You smiled.

“You’re welcome.” He smiles back.

You sat back down on the couch and fed Stevie. The team picked another game to play and this time, Bucky played since you were busy feeding Stevie. A little bit goes by and everyone lost interest in playing games and started asking you and Bucky if they can hold Stevie, which you two said yes to. Bucky, being the overprotective dad he is, kept a close eye on each one of his team members as they took turns holding Stevie. As the sunset begins to set, Stevie started to get fussy. Meaning, she’s tired and wants to go home.

“We should get her home and put her to bed before she starts crying.” Bucky says.

“It is past her bedtime.” You say.

Bucky wraps the baby wrap around himself and then carefully put Stevie in it securely.

“It was very nice to meet you guys. I had fun.” You smiled at them.

“We’d love to hangout with you and Stevie whenever you’re free.” Ava says.

You smiled and nodded. You and Bucky left the tower and went home. Stevie fell asleep on the drive home.

“I like your friends. They’re nice.” You say.

“I told you that you didn’t have anything worry about, babydoll.” Bucky says softly.

Bucky gently grabs ahold of your hand and kisses the back of it while keeping his eyes on the road. He always makes you blush when he does that.

“I love you and our daughter so much.” He almost whispers.

“We love you too, honey.” You say softly, gazing at your husband with the look of adoration on your face.

-Bucky’s Doll

[kedreeva]

This is an example of a male peafowl trying to woo a female peafowl who is NOT interested in his advances. He is trying VERY HARD to stand perfectly still and bow to her to prove he is not a threat, and she is telling him (politely!) to FUCK OFF because she doesn't like him.

The signs here are subtle and can be mistaken for other behavior. Normally, when a hen approves of a male wooing her, she will inspect his face, close her eyes, she may gently peck around his face or neck (either actually parasite picking or telling him she would if she saw anything). She will be relaxed, she may inspect where the tip of his beak points in case he's maybe got treats as an offering to her. She may choose to lay down and invite him to loaf with her, which is a common social bonding activity for them.

Bug is showing signs of stress about his proximity. She is stanced to be able to fight (braced with her legs planted FIRMLY on the ground, keel lower than normal standing height). She is making soft warning noises, shaking her head at him, she is keeping her head up the majority of the time, and feinting (making small movements that indicate an incoming attack, but without following through). She is also ripping the heads off of clover and clover flowers and throwing them down- this is an act of aggression and a very clear warning that he better fuck off or she will make him.

Earl is trying incredibly hard to be good enough to win her over. He's standing perfectly still, he's keeping his head down, he's keeping his eyes closed. Even when she pecks at him hard, he moves his head but he doesn't act threateningly back. Her chicks come over to inspect him and he completely ignores them, no aggressive reaction to them either. He's being a picture perfect gentleman, it's just that Bug doesn't like him.

I did get up and move her away from him after this video, but I wanted to get a film of the behavior, for reference for others. Had I let them keep going, she would eventually have flogged him for not leaving, and he would have left. It wouldn't have been the end of the world if this happened- he has some manners (being polite about his advances) but he still needs to learn other manners (learning when no means no), and will have to learn with a few bruises if he doesn't listen to the politer signs she is giving him.

[aestherin]

I CAN SEE YOU

track 10: galaxies

’Maybe fan fiction writers were actually onto something.’

That was the only thought going on your mind once you fully processed that your favorite singer was now driving you home, in his well-kept Aston Martin, on his passenger seat.

”Have you replied to my manager yet?”

”Yeah,” you reply as you scroll through your phone. “I just did what you told me, with a few tweaks.”

”And the tweaks are?”

”Well, I don’t want to send him a complete lie, you know. I’m not comfortable with that.” You inwardly wince as you recall the huge lie of a persona you’ve been living. Whether it was your ‘[Name] persona’ or your ‘Sky persona’ that was a lie, you could not tell. “So I just said: Yes, we’ve been talking.”

Scaramouche grins. “Smart.”

It was a witty answer, he admits. You two have indeed been talking. It isn’t at all a lie, but it also isn’t the full truth. You two have been talking, yes. But not about what you should be talking about.

And truthfully, Scaramouche couldn’t care less.

His songs stem from his life. And his life was at rest. 

Before you — the recent enigma that had struck him.

”By the way,” he breaks the silence. Though there wasn’t really any because he obliged you to play your playlist in his car. You didn’t play your own because God forbid he finds out right now that his full discography is in every single one of your well-curated playlists. “How did you even get to the park with all of the stuff you have? Especially that canvas.”

”Oh, I booked a cab because I had a lot of things!”

He hums in acknowledgment before once again glancing at the navigation app that now leads to your place.

‘The heck?’

He stops over to the side. You give him a puzzled look, seemingly still unaware of the reason behind his skeptic glare. “Are you sure this is the right address?”

You slightly lean over, face hovering closer to the screen. “Yeah, why? If you don’t want to go there, I could get off and book a cab, I don’t mind.”

He shook his head. “No, no. That’s not a problem for me. What I mean is, you gave me the address of a hotel.”

“Yes, I did.”

“You said you were staying here in Inazuma for three months.”

”Yes, I am.” 

“You’re staying here—“ he sternly points at the address flashed on his car’s screen. “—for three months?”

You suddenly felt the need to hide — though your knitted sweater wasn’t doing you any wonders like a blanket would — because yeah, that does sound a little too lavish. A five-day stay in that hotel might even amount to a month’s worth of rent!

You turned your head away. And to Scaramouche, it seemed that suddenly, the trees outside looked a lot more interesting to you than him. He frowned.

“I’m not planning to…” You whispered. If he didn’t lower the volume of his speakers, the song would’ve drowned your voice. “...but I just haven’t found a place to stay yet that allows me to lease only for three months…”

“Yeah, that’s kind of a weird term.”

“Mhm.”

His sudden silence felt a little too loud for your liking. Curious, your gaze found its way back to him, only to see that his was focused on the steering wheel.

‘What in the world is he thinki–’

“Say, how much are you thinking to pay for rent?” 

“Huh? Oh! I’m… financially comfortable so —”

His lips slightly parted in realization. “Right. Your family. Plus, you’re a well-known artist.”

Oh.

‘He knows my family.’

‘He probably thinks I’m like them, too.’

“Well,” he says as he starts to gear up again. “If you want, I could probably refer you to my landlord. My sister leased for like two months last time when her house was being renovated, I think he could do the same for you this time.”

Your eyes visibly twinkle at his words.

And for a moment, Scaramouche swore he was seeing galaxies.

Until he forcibly blinks himself out of his stupor. 

I CAN SEE YOU — scara x reader smau

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TAGLIST I (closed)

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[lethargical-lily]

Why is everyone on TikTok acting stupid about Marvel like they never watched the damn movies

Everyone is losing their minds over the ONE LINE in Ironheart where Riri said “Do you think Tony Stark would be Tony Stark if he wasn’t a billionaire” because she’s apparently dissing this saint of a man who was literally introduced as an immoral weapons dealer in the first fucking movie he was in.

But the kicker is the fact that she’s probably fucking right. Would Tony Stark be able to be where he is in the world without his wealth? NO HE PROBABLY WOULDN’T BECAUSE HIS INHERITED WEALTH GAVE HIM OPPORTUNITIES MANY PEOPLE DONT HAVE

Now listen, he is objectively one of the most intelligent characters. He is certainly not intelligent because of his wealth, but his wealth allowed him to apply that intelligence and hone it in ways others couldn’t. She didn’t say “Would he actually be a genius if he wasn’t rich?” She said, “Would he be Tony Stark without his wealth” and considering the most famous line from the Marvel franchise in reference to Tony Stark is “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist,” no I would say he objectively wouldn’t be.

I’ve seen people say he worked for his money. Hey so, NO THE FUCK HE DID NOT

HIS MONEY WAS FAMOUSLY INHERITED. MY GUY HAS NEVER KNOWN A DAY OF STRUGGLE IN TERMS OF POVERTY UNTIL THE DAY HE WAS CAPTURED AND AFTER THAT BRO WAS BACK TO HIS WEALTH

And Riri is a young black woman. I don’t know her backstory but I’m pretty damn sure it wasn’t like Tony Stark’s in which she had access to all this wealth and billions of dollars worth of technological equipment to create these genius ideas. She has a lot of limitations on how she can apply her intelligence because she is not a rich white man, and I feel like that criticism is incredibly valid from her.

This show is also from Riri’s perspective. She did not know Tony Stark so if her take is slightly based in ignorance that shouldn’t be surprising because she did not know the man or his background aside from the fact he was rich and a genius.

I truly feel like a lot of hatred either comes from

A. People who miss the old Marvel too much to give the new one the chance it deserves, or

B. People who hate that a black woman is replacing their fav white male character.

And for Side B, you do realize the argument “Warmachine is basically a black Iron Man and he doesn’t get this hate” isn’t actually as valid as you think?

The reason he doesn’t get the same hate is because never once did he move to replace/further Tony Stark’s legacy. For most of the series he was often pushed to the sidelines and utilized more as a sidekick to Tony Stark rather than his replacement. So no, he is not a black Iron Man because he was never Iron Man, but if he WAS in line to take up the mantle of Tony Stark’s legacy I know very well that he would indeed be getting hate much like Sam Wilson is for being a black Captain America. You just don’t want to admit your hatred for characters such as Sam Wilson and Riri comes from the fact you can’t stand to see black people be the ones furthering the legacy of a previously white character because you don’t enjoy when black people can see themselves in these white characters like you previously could, or you’re just too blinded by the past to give the future a chance.

All this to say, put some damn respect on Riri’s name, even RDJ himself said “Ironman loves Riri”

[pipsweet]

chapter three | masterlist

warnings : small reference to mc's mom's violent death, strong language, angst

The few times Caleb was ever angry at you had one thing in common. It scared you shitless. Not because he was especially cruel or explosive, but because it made you come to a realization.

Caleb was always different to any other guy you’ve met. Whereas other boys had short tempers or had very clear and strict expectations of you, Caleb was calm and permissive. You were sure when you broke one of his model airplanes that he would lay into you. But he just smiled and told you it was okay, very unlike most ten year olds.

It was like that ninety-nine percent of the time. Through the years, the two of you grew to expect things of each other that were the foundations of your bond. You would never do anything to intentionally hurt each other and you could always count on one another.

He had only gotten angry with you two times since you met him. The first was after he had met your dad. You and grandma weren’t home, so that left him to answer the door. The man was well manicured with an unfriendly disposition. He asked for you impatiently. Him being twelve and this being a stranger, he was wary to say anything. How did Caleb know he wasn’t lying?

“Okay listen little boy, I don’t have all day and frankly? I don’t have to prove anything to you.”

Caleb lied and said he had the wrong house. It was no use, Through his phone calls with grandma, Caleb gathered that he didn’t want you to have anything to do with him or grandma. He was taking you away. For good. And he was taking you all the way to Snowcrest.

The trouble came the next time he showed up at the house. You and Caleb were in his room as your dad and grandma spoke in the living room. Grandma hated him just as much as Caleb did, but she explained to Caleb very carefully how crucial it was that they didn’t bar you from having a relationship with your father. It was only then that he realized how selfish he was being.

Of course he didn’t want you to go, but one of your parents was alive. Oh, what Caleb would give just to see his mother or father again. Losing his mother when he was five prepared him in a morbid way for losing his father to the chronorift catastrophe. He had to experience that twice, but you didn’t. You could live a normal life.

Through the door you cracked to eavesdrop, you heard all of your father’s promises of endless “love”. All the toys money could buy, the three pets he bought, the luxurious room he has waiting for you. Every word he spewed was about money, money, and more money. Caleb knew he was well off from what you told him. It was why your real grandmother married your mom off to him.

He couldn’t help associating your father with that. You living with him felt like you were selling your soul. But it was your choice, not his.

You vehemently refused. Your father offered temporary one-week stay for you to get a feel for living with him. No matter what grandma said, your answer was a resounding no. Then grandma dropped the bombshell.

“Your father… he got married to someone shortly after he left your mom. They had a kid together. You have a half-sister, honey.”

After hearing that, the case was closed for Caleb. You had two living immediate relatives. You should be with them. Caleb was distraught, already mourning your absence. You were confused, as you had no intention of going.

“Why are you crying? I’m not going! I’m not! I refuse to leave with him!” you announce defiantly. Caleb rubbed angrily at his already raw eyes.

“What about your sister?” he sniffled.

“What about her? I don’t even know her! I know you guys more than I know either of them! I don’t want to leave you guys!”

“Just go,” Caleb let a hint of his frustration show in his voice.

“No! I said no! I won’t leave you guys—”

“Stop being stupid!” he shouts.

You stare at him, glassy eyed. You couldn’t believe he raised his voice at you. You couldn’t understand why he wanted you to go so bad. This outburst set the tone for any other instance Caleb got mad at you. Whenever he got angry, you got more aware of a terrifying prospect. Losing Caleb. Losing him physically, sure. But losing him as your best friend? Pushing him to the point that he doesn’t love you anymore? It kept you up that night. You kept crying until you had no tears to spare. You wanted to crawl into his bed like you usually do, but you were scared to confirm that he hated you.

Caleb didn’t know why he said that. He was just so angry at you for not giving it a chance. For missing out on something so crucial. He didn’t want you to leave. He didn’t even want you to go for that one week, but how would he feel if you kept him from living with his parents?

His outburst pushed you to try it out. He was wracked with grief the whole time. Grandma coldly suggested that they might have to ship all of your things if you decide to not come back after that week. Caleb clutched one of your stuffed animals at night, crying into the synthetic fur. He did that every night, horrified by the fact that you never called once.

But eventually there was a knock at the door. By the time Caleb raced to see you, grandma had already opened the door to reveal you in tears. You were inconsolable. You and your sister didn’t get along and she was the clear favorite. That monster didn’t even treat you like his daughter. You explained that you felt like the fourth pet.

The second time was during freshman year. You were excelling, surpassing Caleb as the top student in the district. Your drive was palpable, it made Caleb a little competitive. Even stronger than your new work ethic was your hatred for wanderers. You taped a printed out picture of a wanderer, an image that used to reduce you to tears, to the punching bag grandma bought you. One day Caleb came down to the basement to see you punching and kicking away until the wear and tear became too much. The bag tore open, spilling out its contents onto the basement floor. You heaved, looking at the mess before looking at him guiltily.

That hatred was unexpectedly dangerous. Hunters from the UNICORNS division raced to Bloomshore High after reports of energy fluctuations. It was too late. Five wanderers were ripping through the school, sending all the students and staff into a panic.

Thankfully, most buildings were equipped to handle this horrifying scenario. You watched as a heavy metal barrier slammed down in front of the door you were running to. You stumble, regaining your balance before scanning your surroundings. The sound of metal slamming repeatedly echoed through the mostly empty building. Mostly. You could hear them. Their roars rumble through the halls. You still had time to knock, the barrier still had time to rise and let you in.

Your feet were frozen in place.

Across campus, Caleb slides under the barrier just as it's closing to the horror of his teacher. He was texting someone in your class to check if you were there. His heart dropped when he saw that you were unaccounted for. This was stupid, he knows this, but it would haunt him for the rest of his days if something happened to you.

The roars grew closer, and you can hear the impact of it's feet thudding rapidly against the floor. You reach for the blade inside your boot shakily, your trembling breaking the tears free from your eyes. Your heart pumped rapidly as you held it firm, gritting your teeth.

The wanderer slid from around the corner and you felt your chest constrict with that same debilitating fear as that day. You saw it amble toward you in slow motion, transporting you back under the debris. The image of the monster slashing your mother open played in your mind and the anger began replacing the fear. You raised the blade at the monster, blood pounding in your ears and blocking out the sound of the hunters screaming for you to get out of the way.

The monster leapt just as it had in the commercial you saw at thirteen. Your mind emptied of anything not pertaining to avenging your mother.

Just like that day, something encompassed you. It wasn't light this time but red and blue streaks. You were hoisted into the air and sent careening into the wall of lockers. Ear-piercing gun shots ring out and the wanderer lets out one last scream before thudding to the ground.

The pain in your shoulder hadn't dawned on you yet. The adrenaline was still coursing through your veins. Your eyes are locked on the felled wanderer lying on the ground.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?"

If it had been anyone else, if he had spoken in any other tone and hadn't cursed for the first time since you met him, you might not have been shaken from your daze. Your head cranes up to face him, almost flinching at the unbridled anger in his face.

"C-Caleb-"

Caleb needed you to understand gravity of what you just did and he needed you to understand quick. It's too bad that he was being a bit irrational himself.

"You couldn't have saved her!" he shouts like the words are being torn from his body. He clenches his jaw, unable to look at you.

"When are you going to stop..." Caleb trails off, rubbing his face after catching a glimpse of the betrayal on your face, "when're you gonna stop beating yourself up for something you had no power to change?"

"As if you know that-" you clutch your throbbing shoulder as you rise from the floor, glaring at him, "as if you know anything! You don't know everything, Caleb! You're not the boss of me or my guardian. I'm so fucking sick of you pretending you know better than me."

"Okay, kids, we're going to need you to clear the area. You can step outside with the other Hunters by the courtyard," a woman with an authoritative edge to her voice steps between the two of you, shooting you both a warning glare. You storm away and Caleb is tearing himself apart. Too stubborn to follow after you and see if your arm is okay.

"I may not be your guardian but I clearly know better than you! I actually have an EVOL and even I wouldn't do something that stupid!" Caleb shouts after you, a desperate attempt to make you engage. You don't you just turn your head to shake it at him disapprovingly.

It stays like this for a couple days. Overly-obedient-Caleb makes sure to tell grandma right away. You scoff, dropping your utensils on your plate, looking at him incredulously.

"Wait... you what?" grandma's greys had become a more dominant force in her hair, drowning out the black almost completely by now. She's mellowed out in her later years, much less reactive and more serene. Even now she seems a little confused. It's not like you to be this reckless, after all.

"You're an asshole," you hiss as you depart from the dining room, slamming the door to your own.

It went back to normal eventually, Caleb tricked you into attending a picnic with all your favorite foods. You begrudgingly attended. You always wonder if Zayne hadn't come into your life during the most tumultuous time in you and Caleb's relationship, would the three of you be close friends?

Who are you kidding, the minute the rumors started going around that Zayne was your boyfriend, Zayne became public enemy number one for Caleb.

─★ consider liking and reblogging!~

a/n: obviously next part will be about apple snow? apple frost? and MC and just Caleb's jealousy in general.

[omaano]

SW Hades AU MAY-JUNE Update

Some links and previous updates: May - June - July - August - September - October/November - December - January - February - March-April - everything else in this AU

Would you look at that! I managed to put together an update post with more than just May the 4th Boba :D Happy Pride, happy last days of June, and please enjoy the fact that I finally added 2 more ladies to the Hades AU. Full renders will come.... eventually ^^; I feel like I'm really super overdue to one though...

We're making this a girls thing >:3

I've drawn a younger, cockier Boba in the style of Hades 2 (instead of the usual Hades (1)) for May the 4th, because I am very much obsessed with the game and I desperately wanted to draw Boba again.

It's been deeply unfair to him that I had drawn him way back in 2022 (Jesus Christ! am I taking my sweet time) and never again ever since in this style. But when he wears it so well!

I also have a surprise Leia! And Satine as well!

If you recall I'd had the hardest of time for months to come up with anything for Leia, which I can only partially blame on whatever shape of artblock/burnout/exhaustion I had been feeling recently. Then one night - BAM! I was just messing around, looking at pose references on my pinterest boards and sketching and all, and suddenly I had a "businesswoman in a rush between meetings not having enough time for your shit" pose and look for her that I was very happy with. Might have been shortly after I watched (and had a great time while doing it) The Phantom Menace. Or the end of Andor. One of these two.

Originally I wanted her to appear as if she was on a holo call with Din, projected by R2, because she is busy and in a rush (like Hermes), but I'm undecided if I will want to go through with that in the end. Mainly because I'm not very thrilled by the idea of having to draw a portrait for R2 as well for that.

I also had a surprisingly great time coming up with a getup for her!

I believe that I finally started slipping along the double edged sword of how it's both a hindrance and liberation that I don't have to come up with character designs of my own for this AU to most characters. It takes a lot of pressure off me that I can treat this as a style and coloring exercise, but at the same time it's very limiting. I think I have already bemoaned how Star Wars character designs can be so grey and same-y at times (especially in the Outer Rim, and seriously, why is everyone so blue? Or black and grey) whereas Hades is so beautifully and colorfully designed!

I did a tiny bit of research on Wookiepedia - nothing major, as this was still just a past-midnight-waste-some-time sketch - and set out to merge some design and wardrobe elements from Breha, Bail and General Organa. If you can make out my handwritten notes, you might see some of these design elements, and to whom they shall refer to (like the bracers and belt to Bail, the braids and bun for Breha and Leia's own future). Ultimately more of the "Bail" elements won out if you wanted to weigh them against each other. I feel like that would fit Leia, her fierceness, and pragmatic strictness and determination best.

I'm a little regretful about the veil, but I worried that it would be too much flowy fabric next to her sleeves/cape. Very sad.

So it really was a relief to get into some designing with Leia, and to add some more colors and intricate details to Satine.

I don't have that much more to say about Boba and Satine tbh. Mostly because Boba is still a bit of a miracle I'm still unsure how he happened and how he looks so good (although not shiny enough compared to the latest update of Hades2 where all the gods, and really all the characters, are suuuuuper shiny. like. seriously). While with Satine my only goal was to make her look less willow-y (because it drives me insane how everyone in TCW is so damn thin), and might have fallen off on the other side of the horse (I'm pretty sure that's not the actual English idiom, please excuse me), and she's got some real massive shoulders and sleeves XD also how does she keep her head up with all that on her head? ^^;

Anyways, I love her with all her faults, and I just really wanted her to look beautiful and sad, and Mandalorian, and let her wear beskar heart elements in her design.

-

.

Taglist of anyone who wants to be pinged once a month for these updates <3 If you want to be added to the list send me a message, or just reply to this post (a 👀 would do, nothing fancy required ;))

@elwinged @yeehawgeek @velsayshi @lionsaint @hastalavistabyebye

@ribbonkandy @nalase @schrodingers-cosmic-abomination

If you want to be taken off the list just message me and I’ll take you off, no hard feelings :)

[loricciardo]

CHAPTER FOUR | THE RED INTIMIDATOR

tags. original female character, mild misogyny, public scrutiny, references to michael schumacher’s accident and condition, performance anxiety.

a/n. double update!!! this will be the last double update for awhile i fear. i just wanted to get the intro chapters over so next week we can start natalie and max’s beef.

taglist. want to join or be removed from my taglist? send me an ask or comment below!

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“Up, Schumi!” George Russell’s voice rumbled down the hallway, far too cheerful for six in the morning. And before Natalie could even groan in response, her door creaked open and something cotton but heavy smacked her in right the face.

“Rise and shine rookie,” George cooed sweetly from the doorway. “Suit up.”

Natalie yanked the crumpled Red Bull polo off her head with a scowl, squinting at him through one eye. “Are you serious?”

George shrugged, already backing out of the room with a his toothbrush hanging from his mouth. “Fifteen minutes, lady. Albon’s making breakie. If you’re not downstairs by then, I’m eating yours.”

“I’ll suffocate you with this shirt.”

“Ahh… cheerful. See you soon, Nat.” George winked and disappeared down the hall.

Natalie flopped back into the pillows with a groan, the shirt bunched in her fist, already regretting not staying at Mick’s. But Mick didn’t come with George’s British charm or Alex’s dramatics.. And unfortunately, she kind of needed both on her first day.

On second thought..? The door burst open again.

Alex stood in the doorway, shirtless, black tendrils a mess, and holding a saucepan in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other like it was some kind of ceremonial drum and drumstick. He leaned against the doorframe, already grinning, tapping the spoon against the pan rhythmically.

“Hear ye, hear ye,” Alex announced, “The sun hath risen, and thou hast precisely ten seconds to get vertical before I drag thee from thine bed burrito style in yon duvet!”

Natalie groaned, grabbed the nearest pillow that lay beside her waist, and hurled it toward Alex’s face. He ducked, barely missing the cushion.

“The fair maiden has denied my decree. I am forced to take drastic measures,” Alex eventually got out, albeit with his giggles tainting his Shakespearean.

“Try it and I’ll shove that saucepan somewhere very creative Albon.”

Alex gave a dramatic bow. “She’s up! I hath fulfilled my noble duties,” he then dashed out the room, taking the saucepan and spoon with him.

“Mick never treats me this way,” she yelled, dragging the covers off and squinting at the ceiling.

“Well Mick goes to bed at nine like my nanna,” Alex yelled down the hallway. “You’d have died of boredom!”

Fifteen minutes later, she eventually emerged freshly showered, blonde hair still damp, dressed in the fresh navy blue of her Red Bull polo. George handed her a foil wrapped egg sandwich and a bottle of water wordlessly.

“Ah, Thank you,” Natalie acknowledged through a yawn, collapsing onto the couch.

“Y’know, I’ve kept mine warm by sitting on it,” Alex announced proudly, holding up his sandwich.

“You’re disgusting,” Natalie muttered.

“I prefer creative, actually.”

“I don’t care.”

The car ride to the track was familiar in the way that old routines became comforting. Sort of like when you’re streets away from home after being on the road for a very long time. The quiet roads hummed beneath the tires, sunlight crept through tinted windows, and the occasional stretch of silence that didn’t feel awkward. She had always ridden with Mick whenever Formula 2’s schedule allowed her.

Surprisingly, the car was quiet. Well, except for George’s phone, which was not. A TikTok looped at full volume in the backseat, some girl ranting about red flags in dating while autotuned music played over her voice.

“George William Russell,” Natalie hissed, “I swear to God—”

“What?! I’m learning!” he defended. “This is research, Natalie.”

“Research for what? Figuring out how Carmen hasn’t dumped you yet?” Alex deadpanned from the driver’s seat, flicking the turn signal on.

They pulled into the lot and sat there for a moment, the three of them exchanging glances. The place was already a fucking zoo. Flashes popping, cameras swinging toward every new face, reporters shouting questions over the hum of the crowd. Phones were raised like a sea of glowing rectangles.

George glanced sideways at Natalie, a half smile tugging at his lips. “So… You want to lead the charge, or should I send Alex out first to take the heat?”

Alex didn’t miss a beat. “I volunteer as tribute,” he chimed with a smirk, swinging his door open before anyone could answer.

They climbed out of the car together. Natalie found herself wedged between George and Alex, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she adjusted the sunglasses resting on her nose. The moment their feet hit the pavement, the press descended like a pack. Questions flew from all directions, flashes erupted, and microphones thrust forward as if drawn by some invisible magnet.

Natalie steeled herself, already bracing for the onslaught.

“Natalie! How does it feel stepping into Checo’s seat?”

“George, any thoughts on the new car?”

“Alex! Predictions for Williams this year?”

“Natalie, what do you make of Max skipping media day?”

Natalie’s mouth parted, ready to answer the flood of questions, but before a single word left her, the atmosphere shifted. A low murmur rippled through the crowd, spreading like wildfire as cameras and microphones suddenly pivoted. Reporters craned their necks, and the flashbulbs multiplied, all turning toward the source of the disturbance behind them.

She didn’t need to glance back to know who it was.

There Verstappen was, walking past the trio with that nonchalant, effortless stride. His shoulders hung loose, carrying the calm confidence of someone that owned the room, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as if he was privately amused by the chaos his presence ignited. The dark lenses of his sunglasses masked his eyes, but his.. cocky aura was unmistakable, commanding every camera and microphone to follow him instead.

Not a single reporter dared speak to Natalie anymore and she was suddenly invisible in the wake of his arrival.

Natalie swallowed hard, her breath catching for a moment before she forced herself forward. The press had moved on, but the weight of being overlooked settled heavily on her chest as she kept walking.

“Who are we stuck with for the press conference again?” Natalie cleared her throat.

George made a face. “Alonso and Hülk.”

“Oh, yippee,” she muttered. “Didn’t know it was senior citizen day.”

“We should place bets on how long it takes Fernando to mention ‘back in my day,’” Alex added.

“I’m putting five on the first three questions,” Natalie chuckled, nudging the door open with her hip.

George immediately reached for the door to open it for her. “First three? Blimey! I say the first one!”

The lights in the press conference room were too hot. Natalie could already feel the back of her neck starting to itch from the heat of it, but she sat straight, legs crossed neatly at the ankle like Heather had reminded her backstage. There were four of them seated at the front table. Fernando Alonso to her left, Nico Hülkenberg to his, then Alex and George on the far end. It didn’t escape her that someone had purposefully placed her in the center.

“So, Fernando,” one of the journalists started, “how does it feel being up there with the future of Formula 1?”

“Hey, I’m here too,” Nico cut in dryly before Fernando could answer. His deadpan tone earned a decent ripple of laughter from the room.

Fernando just smirked and leaned into the mic. “Yeah… it’s certainly interesting,” he mused, drawing out the words, eyes flicking sideways at George. “Backstage, they were all talking at once and I… I could hardly understand half of what they were saying.”

Laughter broke out louder among the crowd that time. Natalie glanced to her right and caught Alex covering his mouth, shoulders shaking quietly.

They were, undeniably, a pair; George and Alex. Always had been. If you saw one, the other was usually just a few steps behind. Natalie had never figured out which one adopted her first, but somehow they’d both become her best friends on the grid.

Another hand went up. “Alex, does it feel strange to be heading into another season with so many newer faces around you, like Schumacher and Piastri? Or your new teammate, Sargeant?”

Alex shrugged with a grin. “Not strange, exactly. I think it’s good. Keeps us all honest. Plus, I still get to say I’m the mature one at this table.”

“Right. Mature. Sure,” George rolled his eyes.

“And Natalie,” the same reporter continued, shifting attention her way, “you’ve got a big spotlight this season. Does it feel like extra pressure, or does it motivate you?”

Natalie smiled, careful not to let it show how often she’d practiced the answer in her hotel bathroom mirror. “I think pressure’s always part of the job,” she nodded. “It’s there, but that’s what makes it worth doing. And I’ve got people around me who keep me grounded.” She angled her head slightly toward George and Alex. “And I guess they’re pretty alright.”

“‘Alright’? She’s been spending too much time with Horner,” Alex muttered, making her snort.

A hand went up near the back. “Natalie, you’ve known some of these drivers for years now. Can you tell us how that relationship’s changed, now that you’re racing in F1?”

Natalie leaned into the mic again slightly, thinking. “Well… like I said, I’ve known George since we were both teenagers. He crashed into me,” George laughs quietly at Natalie, “He came to my tent hoping to apologize and I didn't want to talk to him. But, my brother said it was too early in my career to start making enemies. So, I accepted and we moved on. Over the season, we really just started hanging out. And then that one,” I pointed at Alex, “was a package deal.”

The laughter this time came with flashes of camera shutters, and Natalie sat back a little, glad the heat in her face could be blamed on the lights as the reporter closed the conference out.

Alonso clapped her on the back as they stepped off the stage. “Good first one,” he said with a grin. “That’s the hardest part.”

Hülkenberg gave a nod. “You’ll get used to it. Eventually.”

Natalie smiled and thanked them both before stepping down with George and Alex at her side.

"Oh shit,” Natalie heard Alex whisper. The temperature in the room dropped quickly as she raised her head to look.

Max leaned against the wall, completing the group of Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. Only adding to the conversation occasionally, their group was called to the stage and he walked right past the trio.

“Wow... that was a colder shoulder than I expected.” George looked at Natalis.

“I’m telling you guys, he has it out for me! I don't know what I did to piss him off so badly.”

The three of them began walking, their steps falling in synchronization.

“He's always pissed off.” George stated, “you're just a new obstacle to get through to him.”

Natalie kept walking, but not before she leaned toward the two and asked, “It’s whatever. But real talk, who are we stuck doing the next presser with?”

Alex shrugged. “Fernando and Hülk were the main ones for today. I think you’re clear till FP2. Want to grab something before we head to the garage?”

“I heard the Red Bull hospitality suite has those chocolate croissants again,” George added.

Natalie gave them both a look. “Are you serious right now?”

“They’re so delicious Natalie!”

The girl sighed, then smiled. “Fine... But you’re both splitting it with me. And after practice.”

As they stepped through the paddock gate, the security guards nodded them through, and the moment they emerged on the other side, the wall of noise hit. Fans and press crowded against the barrier, voices calling out names, phones shakily recording the trio.

“Natalie! George! Alex! Can we get a photo?”

“Natalie! What do you think of Red Bull’s chances this season?”

“Are you hoping to match your dad’s legacy?”

That one always, always, always stuck. The words never failed to land with a thud somewhere beneath her ribs, sharp and ruthless. Natalie never knew how to answer that without sounding either arrogant or broken. Because the truth was: she didn’t want to match Michael Schumacher’s legacy.

She just wanted him to see hers.

She imagined what he’d say, if he’d been able to stand beside her today. Not just as her father, but as the man who had once dominated the very sport she now participated in. Maybe he’d tease her about her little mistakes, or complain about how different the hybrid era felt. Maybe he’d just hug her with those huge arms and say “I’m proud of you, Nat.”

Maybe he would have said it the moment she first drove a F1 car. Instead, all she was left to remember him was his last name.

Natalie’s mind drifted, just for a moment. Back to the cold, still air of the Alps. The sharp crunch of skis on snow. That terrible silence that followed the accident. Her world instantly being uprooted in the most unexpected, unfair way ever. He had pushed it too far, been so unafraid of consequences for too long.

“Natalie,” a voice tugged her gently back to now.

She blinked and Alex was squinting at her, pulling his sunglasses up to look her in the eye. “I’m gonna stop by the Williams garage for a bit before FP2,” he informed, nodding toward the other side of the paddock. “Catch up with a few of the guys. You good?”

She nodded quickly, clearing her throat. “Yeah. Go. I’ll see you after.”

George was already pulling ahead, checking his phone as he walked toward Mercedes. He turned back for half a second to say, “Try not to get caught in too many fan photos. You’re Red Bull now! You’ve got a reputation to maintain.”

Natalie gave him a dry look and flipped him off casually, earning a snort from Alex.

“Tell Toto I said hi,” she shouted as George disappeared into the sea of black uniforms.

Natalie ended the second practice session in third.

Max had been second. But the gap between them was half a tenth, maybe less. That wasn’t what stuck with her. What stuck was the way the car had felt. It was sharp but stable, reactive in all the right ways. Her hands had still been shaking when she unclipped the wheel and climbed out.

Her race engineer, Hugh, had come over the radio just before she reached the garage, voice clear and even despite the static: “P3, Natalie. Good job today. Really good job.”

She nodded to herself as she rolled to a stop, unstrapped, and hopped down onto the pavement. The heat was brutal even in the shade of the canopy, but she barely noticed. Someone handed her a bottle of water as she peeled off her gloves, and she took a sip before being guided toward the media pen.

A new reporter waved her over this time, someone she didn’t recognize. Mid thirties, maybe. He held a mic in one hand and a phone in the other, already smiling before she’d even stopped in front of him.

“Natalie, solid work out there today,” he acknowledged as the mic was clipped to her collar. “P5 in FP1, and P3 in FP2. Feeling confident?”

“I’d say so,” she answered with her voice steady. “The car felt really sharp today. Balance was good, long runs were strong, and the team did a great job adjusting the setup from this morning.”

“Looks like it’s going to be a close fight for pole,” the reporter added. “You, Max, and Charles were within half a second.”

“Yeah,” she raised her brows. “It’s great for the sport, isn’t it? And even better for us as a team, having both cars up there. Let’s hope we can translate it into qualifying.”

The reporter glanced down at his notes, then up again with a slightly mischievous grin. “Now, I have to ask. There’s been some chatter from the grandstands. You’ve probably heard what Max’s nickname for you is, but the fans.. well, they’ve got their own.”

“Oh? I’m almost afraid to ask,” she blinked slowly, awkwardly laughing.

“They’re calling you ‘The Red Intimidator’, but Intimidator for short. Bit of a nod to your father, I think.”

Natalie looked down for a second, adjusting the strap of her fireproof top where it bit into her collarbone. When she looked back up, the smile she gave was small but nevertheless real. “That’s… very kind,” she admitted. “He was the Red Baron. I guess it’s a nice full circle thing, yeah?”

“It’s got a ring to it. The Intimidator of Red Bull,” he assessed, clearly pleased with himself.

“Only if I can back it up,” Natalie replied. “It’s a long season. But if I keep doing my job, and the car stays solid… who knows?”

A voice cut through the low hum of the media zone. Suddenly. there was a high pitched voice, probably a kid, from somewhere behind the barrier.

“Natalie! You’re gonna win tomorrow!”

She turned instinctively, squinting through the crowd until she spotted a young girl with a hat too big for her head, waving with all her might.

“Give me one sec?” she told the reporter, already walking over. Natalie crouched just enough to take the cap and scrawl her name across the brim with a marker someone from the gaggle of people handed her.

The kid was beaming, eyes wide like he couldn’t believe she was real. “Good luck tomorrow, Intimidator!”

Natalie laughed under her breath. “Thanks, kiddo. I’ll need it.”

taglist @anamiad00msday @norstappenvibes @maxswhore33 @ragioniera @anedpev @dannydancer1 @beyond-the-ashes @flowersofdeath @camilahpg03 @iisa-bellla @haileyweinstein @butterflygxril @c3lest328 @toxicthotsyndrome68 @d-aydr3aming-in-stars @itsjustmyopinionf1 @quelinameowl @lagrandeoursee @havaneselover08 @luckyladycreator2 @linneaadele @softmhm @gabriellepearce96 @cryinghotmess @manuztb @embonbon @lelevs @athanasia-day @darkkingchild @wallowinmemories @scentedrosa @at-a-rax-ia @mynameisangeloflife @yuzon3 @satorinnie @simple-soul-searcher @alavbe @f1enthusiast69 @guaaafiiburg @thefandomswhre @quuinyoung

[asiatic-apple]

I needed to take a breather after reading this because I was sobbing SO HARD

For the thousandth time, I will scream at the top of my lungs that Star writes the most beautiful sentences and pure POETRY!!

This part was worded so well that I felt like I was experiencing the strange feeling of living many previous lives myself 😭 I adore this

Something that felt like yours, but not. A dream, or a vision. A promise of something that was supposed to come, or already had. The strangest rush of déjà vu you'd ever experienced.

I also love how you handled this aspect of their relationship throughout the beginning of the fic. It felt so realistic to me—like Xav saying he doesn't expect her to be different from who she is now, UGH I LOVE THAT DETAIL bc I would probably be worrying about that in the back of my head if I was her.

Okay sorry sorry, I'm rambling but I gotta put the other moments I'm obsessed with:

The proposal!!! GAH I LOVE HOW SWEET IT IS! The way you write Xavier is so wholesome, like seriously I am so obsessed.

"I want our life in pictures that I can look at with you. I want our books sharing the same shelves. I want to grow a garden together. I want to go to sleep with you, to dream of you, and wake up to you."

THE ROMANCE OF IT ALL RAHHHHH

"I want to get a little jealous sometimes—"

"A little?"

"And I want to keep you in our bed for days until you can't walk—"

"Xavier!"

Hehe I love their banter so damn much 🤭 and Xav's lines had my stomach doing somersaults

I want to go grocery shopping with you, and hold hands on the subway after work, and do taxes together."

Star, is that part a slight reference to Everything Everywhere All at Once? 🥹🥹 bc it kinda reminded me of it, and even if it isn't a reference, I still ADORE this line.

Oh goshhhh I am so sorry for the novel, but this fic was just such perfection

paper rings (and all my dreams)

summary: you find the shoebox of memories that xavier has kept of all your lives together.

★pairing: xavier x reader/MC ★wc: 1.3k ★content: fluff, emotional and really mushy. established relationship, reader is aware of past lives, nostalgia, talk of previous lives, in the moment proposal, very brief suggestive words. nickname for xavier: love. nickname for reader: starlight. ★a/n: I've had this idea for a while, and that trailer drop gave me the motivation to finally write it!

Silence isn't a foreign reaction when it comes to Xavier.

The man had always been quiet, aloof. Stoic with strangers, and it had taken you time to learn the subtle intonations of his voice, the shifts in his expression when he was happy or sad.

He'd slowly gotten better at portraying his emotions to you, just as you had learned to read him as well as his favorite books that lined the shelves of his apartment.

But when he walks into you sitting cross-legged on the floor of his bedroom, in the center of miscellaneous memorabilia, he's completely silent again, harder to read than he used to be.

"Sorry," is the first word from your mouth, setting down the folded paper in your hands.

Xavier stares at the pale blue paper, and the lavender colored paper ring it goes with, both sitting innocently in front of you.

There's a distant, hazy memory of folding them. A late afternoon, school uniforms, a wooden sword. A sweet smile that had always been for you, then and now. Butterflies in your stomach, heart racing in your chest. Promises in paper of never being apart.

Something that felt like yours, but not. A dream, or a vision. A promise of something that was supposed to come, or already had. The strangest rush of déjà vu you'd ever experienced.

Xavier's eyes glaze over, far away from here, and you rush out, "I just—I was looking for that photo album, and I didn't—I was curious, and I didn't think you'd mind. I'm so—"

"It's okay."

His voice eases you in an instant, and he carefully steps around each preserved physical memory until he's sinking down next to you. He lifts a folded note, handing it to you, and your heart skips a beat when you open it.

Words are scrawled back and forth along every inch of the lined page, along with doodles of shooting stars and flowers. You brush your thumb over the familiar scrawl of his letters, asking to meet up after class again, and then look towards the even more familiar handwriting.

"Was this…" You swallow, brows furrowed, still struggling with the surge of countless memories that swam through your mind now. "…me?"

"Yeah." His voice is soft, pensive, as he rests his chin on your shoulder. Reading over the innocent conversation passed between friends in the back of a classroom. "I kept stuff from the first time I met you. And the second. And now, too."

"I can tell," you murmur, glancing over the movie tickets from one of your first dates. Used hotpot coupons, pressed flowers, bookmarks he'd borrowed from you, leftover photobooth pictures.

"I'm sorry," he's the one to mumble it this time, and you try to look at him, but his face is buried against your neck, refusing to let you see. "I need you to know that I don't expect you to be anybody other than who you are now. I just…"

"I know, love," you whisper, carding your fingers through his hair.

For as long as he lived, and long it was, he never wanted to forget.

He never wanted to forget you.

You let him hide his expression against you until he's ready to show it, and you smile down at him when he lets you see his honesty, and his anxiety. Face flushed, eyes wide and uncertain, then fluttering closed when you press a kiss to his frown, easing all that tension away.

"Tell me about it?" you ask, any possible trepidation erased by hope, nostalgia you wanted to make your own as much as his. "About…me?"

You gravitate towards the faded charms that are tied together, two stars linked. His lashes flutter when you lift it, tears clinging to the ends when you smile at the plush fabric.

Turning back to him, your smile widens, thumb wiping away the tear that stubbornly escapes his eyes.

"About us?"

He blinks a few times, wiping his other eye, and reaches for the paper rings.

"The first time I met you, you were sweet, and shy, and saw me when nobody else did." He runs his thumb along the purple paper, tracing each crease in the folds. "I liked you so much, but we ran out of time."

He takes your hand in his.

"The second time, you were fierce, a force to be reckoned with, and fought me on everything." He smiles, a chuckle caught in his throat, as his fingers gently caress your ring finger. "I knew I was in love with you then. I knew I always had been. But I let you down. I'm sorry I let you down."

"And now?" you breathe out, meeting the question in his gaze with a nod.

"Now," he whispers, sliding the paper ring up onto your finger until it's nestled where it was always meant to be, "you're kind, and you're relentless, and I love you. You're the strongest person I know, and you feel like home, and the rest of my life. You're everything to me."

Xavier's forehead rests against yours, his nose nuzzling against yours. Then along your cheek, until his lips are pressed to your ear, so you don't miss a single word.

"I want our life in pictures that I can look at with you. I want our books sharing the same shelves. I want to grow a garden together. I want to go to sleep with you, to dream of you, and wake up to you."

He's holding you tighter and tighter, and you're giggling, burying your face against his neck when he keeps rambling.

"I want you to tell me my cooking is bad, and that I drive too fast, and that I snore a little sometimes. I want you to get mad at me and I want to make it better. I want to be a better person for you."

"Xavier—"

"I want to get a little jealous sometimes—"

"A little?"

"And I want to keep you in our bed for days until you can't walk—"

"Xavier!"

You're laughing, and he's laughing, and you pull back to cup his face in your hands. You see him now with no more masks, no cards kept against his chest. Just him, and you, and what sounds like…

"Xavier," you say again, slowly, watching his eyes widen when you ask, "are you proposing right now?"

The prettiest pink blooms across his cheeks, and his eyes dart away, then back again when you gently shake his face for his attention.

"I'll do it again. I'll do it better," he promises, and you laugh, a choked but happy sound. He looks back down at the paper ring on your hand, his blush spreading to his ears. "I'll get you a better one."

"I like this one," you stubbornly insist, and now he laughs, his body beginning to emit a golden glow that only grows brighter.

To make your point, you take his hand in yours, sliding the blue paper ring onto his finger until it fits just as snugly as the one on yours.

"I want all that too," you whisper, gazing up at him, and you hear his breath catch in his throat. "I want you when you laugh, and when you're pouty, and all jealous too. I want to kick you out of the kitchen when you make the smoke alarm go off again. I want to go grocery shopping with you, and hold hands on the subway after work, and do taxes together."

His nose wrinkles. "I hate taxes."

With a playful roll of your eyes, you kiss the pout right off his face again. He leans in for another when you pull back, and you melt into him, wrapped around each other for kiss after kiss.

"But I'll do them with you." Xavier rests his face against your neck again, your fingers running through his hair. "I'll do everything with you, my starlight. Always."

You smile, looking at the paper ring on your hand. Grateful for every version of you that you'd been, for every you that he's loved. That you found each other again, and get to be in love now.

"Always," you murmur, and hold him close.

taglist: comment here if you want to be added! blank blogs will be blocked ⭐️ Xavier fics: @santaluna @itsmysmut @onigiriinthecorner @inzayneforaj 💖all fics: @frostbitten-cherry @asiatic-apple @heartyluv @floatinginaer @sweetcalebb @princessofenkanomiya @lazygelpen @deepspacebunnieblue @cherryartchaos @kireeen @stargirlygirl @draftbeerbibi @pastelsweaters-and-bubble-t @slovesyouuu @ineffabl-y @grlyeetswrld @toelady @asiaticapple

[philiosart]

“Your Idol” is Gwi-Ma using the Saja Boys as a mouthpiece (and not Jinu singing about Rumi)

I keep seeing posts, “omg when Jinu sings ‘you know I’m the only one who loves your sins,’ he’s singing about Rumi!!” and I have two gripes with this statement. First, I’m not convinced “Your Idol,” is sung by the Saja boys (more on that later). Second, if Jinu is singing about Rumi, it would be a messed-up thing to say to her, and I feel like we’re not addressing that.

“I’m the only one who loves your sins,” is a statement straight out of the abuser handbook. A statement used to isolate the victim from friends/family and make them solely reliant on the abuser for support, be it emotional, physical, or financial. This is the abuser's way of controlling their victim. This is not the vibe I get from Jinu, even if we are looking at a perspective of cycles of abuse. Which is why I believe “Your Idol” is the Saja Boys being used as a mouthpiece for Gwi-Ma, rather than Jinu singing a song about/for Rumi.

Almost every line in “Your Idol,” draws a direct parallel to a pattern of behavior that we have seen from Gwi-Ma, both from Jinu’s backstories/conversations with Rumi and from how Gwi-Ma begins to sink his claws into the fans after the idol awards flop. This is very stereotypical of these fantasy “battle-of-the-bands” style movies, but I think breaking down the lyrics is a fun exercise anyway, and I think it’s worth diving into that. Which I will do now.

Keeping you obsessed, keeping you in check

Play me on repeat, 끝없이 in your head

Anytime it hurts, play another verse

I can be your sanctuary

Gwi-Ma instills a sense of unending self-doubt and degrades self-esteem over time, and often, negative self-talk becomes an unending record in people’s minds. I especially like “Anytime it hurts, play another verse, I can be your sanctuary” because at first glance it sounds like “playing another verse,” would be a form of comfort for the hurt, when in reality it is just more negative self-talk that leads to a spiral.

Know I'm the only one right now

I will love you more when it all burns down

More than power, more than gold

Yeah, you gave me your heart, now I'm here for your soul

The Saja boys did the hard part already; Gwi-Ma is just cleaning up by enacting the final step of the plan. “More than power, more than gold,” the effect that the Saja Boys had in disrupting the Honmoon, which was turning gold. This line could also be a reference to “Golden,” stating that the Saja Boys’ influence is more powerful than Huntr/x’s final push towards a golden Honmoon by releasing the single.

You know, I’m the only one who loves your sins

Feel the way my voice gets underneath your skin

Once again, we hear the isolation that Gwi-Ma wants from his victims, telling them to push everyone else away because only he can truly understand them. We see this in Jinu’s flashback when Gwi-Ma is talking to him in the puddle, and he subsequently leaves behind his family.

Listen 'cause I'm preachin' to the choir

Can I get the mic a little higher?

Gimme your desire

I can be the star you rely on

내 황홀의 취해, you can't look away

Don't you know I'm here to save you

The fans (i.e., the choir) have already succumbed to Gwi-Ma’s influence; this song is just the final siren call for collecting their souls en masse.

Now we runnin' wild

Yeah, I'm all you need, I'ma be your idol

The demons have been released “runnin’ wild” and the Honmoon is broken. Now, Gwi-Ma is your king/idol.

Cue Baby Saja.

Uh, 빛이나는 fame, 계속 외쳐, I'm your idol

Thank you for the pain 'cause it got me going viral

Uh, yeah, 낫지 않는 fever, makin' you a believer

나를 왜 넌 존재하는 idol?

Don't let it show, keep it all inside

The pain and the shame, keep it outta sight

Your obsession feeds our connection

이 순간 give me all your attention

Something about this verse is particularly interesting to me, focusing on “the pain and the shame, keep it outta sight,” which is the exact way that Mira and Zoey talk about Celine. It is a very interesting minor parallel that pops up between Celine and Gwi-Ma, because the shame that Celine uses to control Rumi is extremely similar to the shame that Gwi-Ma uses to control the demons. (Frankly, I could make an entirely separate post about Celine and her misguided/maybe abusive tactics in training Huntr/x) We see a similar correlation in the next line “your obsession feeds our connection,” since the fans are no longer being used to power the Honmoon, they are allowing the demons to enter the human world even to the point that Gwi-Ma was able to pass over, which I imagine would take an extraordinary amount of power.

Living in your mind now

Too late 'cause you're mine now

I will make you free

When you're all part of me

This part switches into a haunting chant, luring fans towards the stage and starting to claim the fans’ souls. I loved the visual of the zombified fans stumbling towards Gwi-Ma; it shows just how much power he has over everyone in the audience.

Listen 'cause I'm preaching to the choir

Can I get the mic a little higher?

Gimme your desire

Watch me set your world on fire

내 황홀의 취해, you can't look away

No one is coming to save you

Now we runnin' wild

You're down on your knees, I'ma be your idol

A final chorus and shift in lyrics here; “I can be the star you rely on” becomes “Watch me set your world on fire”; “Don't you know I'm here to save you” becomes “No one is coming to save you”; and “Yeah, I'm all you need, I'ma be your idol” becomes “You're down on your knees, I'ma be your idol” This final change up in lyrics at the end, dropping the facade and lies that Gwi-Ma tells his followers and revealing his thinly veiled intentions with a true threat. The trap has sprung, and the souls belong to Gwi-Ma. (except, of course, Rumi swoops in with “This is What it Sounds Like,” and saves the day. The only cure to self-deprecation is radical self-acceptance, a recurring theme in these kinds of films that I eat up every single time. We even see how her own self-acceptance helps Jinu heal and learn to forgive himself, leading him to his sacrifice.)

Breaking down a villain song like this, hunting (haha) for connections and callbacks, is really interesting in what is an otherwise pretty straightforward song. I’d definitely do something like this again, despite the fact that what started as a fairly casual post has now become more of a dissertation XD

TL;DR Jinu isn’t singing about Rumi in “Your Idol” because that would be super abusive and unlike him. Gwi-Ma is using the Saja Boys as a mouthpiece in this performance to finally collect all the fans’ souls, and using callbacks to previous scenes to reveal the true intentions of the Saja Boys.