#and the radio show only gave a little bit of explanation

[hearts-hunger]

big squeeze || josh kiszka x reader

Read on AO3 | Masterlist | Cabin Fever Masterlist

Summary: When you need a little extra love, Josh knows just the thing to help.

Pairings: Josh x Reader, Danny x Reader (platonic) | Genre: fluff, hurt/comfort | Word Count: 1k | Warnings: mentions of family drama

A/N: Hi! Here's a little fluff for your evening! I hope you like it! ♡

“Oh, for the love.”

You rolled your eyes at the most recent text and turned your phone off, putting the argument out of sight but unfortunately not out of mind. You looked over at Josh and saw him studying your face with a bemused and mildly worried gaze.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. He offered a smile. “Sam’s sending you memes again?”

You wished you could have coaxed out a laugh, but you couldn’t manage it. 

“Yeah, I wish.” You set your phone on the side table and crossed your arms over your chest, leaning back further into the uncomfortable green room couch.

“Family shit,” you said after a moment, knowing Josh was hoping for an explanation. “It’s stupid. My family’s exhausting sometimes.”

His expression softened. “I’m sorry, baby. Do you want to talk about it?”

You shook your head. “No, thanks.” You glanced over and saw the notebook he had open on his lap, the pages covered in lyrics written in his messy scrawl, some of them crossed out, some of them with charming little doodles beside them.

“I shouldn’t have brought it up,” you said softly.

A frown tugged at his features. “Why not?”

You shrugged, embarrassed by the drama you still seemed to get roped up in with your family, wishing you could forget about it altogether and be fully present for your boys. They were doing a radio show in a little while, and they’d invited you and Sparrow to hang out at the studio. Sparrow and the rest of the guys were having a grand old time exploring the studio and raiding the snack bar; you’d gone off on your own to fight with your family over text, and Josh had come to share your couch keep you company even before he’d known what was wrong.

He closed his notebook. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

You ran a hand over your face. “I want to forget about it,” you said truthfully. “And I don’t want to bother you with stuff like this, especially when you’re working.”

“You’re never a bother, baby,” he reminded you gently. “You know that.”

All of a sudden, you felt like crying. “Thank you, Josh.”

“Aw, sweetheart.” He took your hand. “What can I do? I want to help.”

You breathed a mirthless laugh, not really surprised to feel a couple tears fall. “You can fix all my family’s trauma.”

His smile was wry and impossibly tender as he brushed his fingers over your cheek to dry your tears. 

“Something within my power to do, preferably,” he teased gently. “But I’ll certainly try if you want me to.”

You sighed and leaned into his touch. “I don’t know. I feel all... twisted up. Nervous.”

He gave a thoughtful hum. “I think I know something that can help.” He stood. “Are you okay with being touched?”

You nodded, a little bemused as you looked up at him. “Where are you going?”

He smiled. “To get something that’ll help.” He kissed your forehead. “Be right back.”

You watched him go, wondering what on earth he was going to get, wondering why he’d asked if you were okay with being touched only to leave right after. You resisted the urge to pick up your phone when it buzzed again, trying not to get dragged back into the tennis match of stupid texts.

A minute later, Josh came back into the room with Danny right behind him.

“Ta-da!” Josh said, proudly presenting his brother. “Instant serotonin.”

Danny looked you over with a bit of worry as you stood. “Josh said you needed a hug.”

Your heart wobbled. Your gentle giant Danny was famous for his bear hugs, and he was always generous with them when one of his friends needed a little extra love.

“I figured a hug would feel good,” Josh explained. “But I’m a small man, you know this. My hugs aren’t crushing with love. Danny can give you the whole weighted blanket effect.”

Your laugh was watery and tight with emotion. “Yeah, I mean, if...” You looked up at Danny, a little shy. “If you want to.”

He gave you a warm smile. “Come here, trouble.”

You wrapped your arms around his waist and instantly felt his arms go around you with a broad, safe, secure affection. He squeezed you tight and gave a contented groan.

“Oh, there we go,” he said happily, rocking you side to side a little. “Big squeeze.”

You smiled to yourself, comfortably crushed against him, knowing without a doubt you were loved and cared for and wanted. You couldn’t help but relax some of the tension in your frame as Danny hugged you, totally safe for a few blissful moments wrapped in his arms.

When you felt a little jelly-legged and more relaxed than you’d felt all day, he gave you one last squeeze and let you go.

“Better?” he asked.

“Yeah,” you said with a smile. “Thanks, Dan.”

He grinned and gave you a goofy kiss on the forehead. “You’re welcome. Come get me if you need another.”

He gave Josh a quick smooch on the cheek as he left. “Here. A little something for you, too.”

Josh giggled and playfully pushed Danny away. “You’re a nut, Daniel.”

You heard Danny laugh as he went to rejoin the rest of your friends, and you turned to your boyfriend with a grateful smile.

“Thank you for getting him, Josh.” Your friends were the most precious thing in the world to you next to him, and you were always thankful to be so loved and cared for by the people you loved most.

His smile was gentle. “You’re welcome, honey.” He came close and gave you a hug of his own, not as squeezy as Danny’s, but every bit as nice. You rested your head on his shoulder as he drew his hands up and down your back.

“Did it help?” he asked.

You nodded. He kissed your temple.

“I’m glad,” he said softly. “I knew it would. You needed a good squeeze, and our Danny’s very talented at it.”

“Yeah,” you said, and your voice was tight. You looked up at him. “How do you always know how to take care of me like you do?”

He smiled. “I love to learn how to love you,” he said simply. He laughed. “It's kind of like a hobby. Before we got together, I’d find out something that you liked and promise myself that I’d remember it, so that if I ever worked up the courage to tell you I loved you, I would know all the things that made you happy.”

You framed his beloved face with your hands. “You know you're at the top of that list, right?”

You felt his smile under your hands as you saw it light up his face.

“You’re so sweet, baby.” He kissed you. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I love you very much.”

He hugged you again, and you rested against him. “I love you very much too.”

(i'll rb with tags later because i don't want to wrestle with tumblr right now djhjdhb)

[drooperz]

Night out

I love this picture so much ><

Summary: After your friends abandon plans Ringo spots you and wants to spend the evening with you!

Ringo Starr x reader :P hurt/comfort but overall fluff

You often came down to the pub whenever your friends offered to meet up, it was a good place to chat and relax about things over a drink. Many memories of laughing and gossiping and getting a little too drunk some nights rushed to mind when you opened the front door. The place was a bit more busy than it usually was and you felt a little anxious when you didn't spot your friends on any table.

Hopefully they turn up soon.

You found an empty table and brushed the crumbs off the seat before settling.

The radio gently drifted over all the chatter of the room and the noise seemed to put you at ease, tender tunes soothing your worries.

As you sat waiting at a table you stared off into the distance, your mind went blank as you started to count the minutes...

5 minutes turned to 10 minutes and then 10 to 20...

As you waited, you noticed people coming and going out of the pub and the evening got darker.

You were sure your friends had forgotten about this meetup. No, surely not... Right?

You rested your head in your hands and sighed, thinking if you should just go home and wallow in the fact that you could have been forgotten or stay a little longer.

But, you decided to stay for a few more minutes, hoping they'll pop through the door and get to talking. Explaining how they'd been held back in traffic or some other explanation as to why they're so late.

Your mind went blank, again. A thick haze of thoughts and reasonings your friends could be late, retreating more and more inwards as you dwelled on them more.

"You alright luv?" A voice called.

You looked up at the figure in front of you, watching his slightly concerned face.

"Oh- uhh, yeah I'm fine." You gave a little smile to reasure the stranger. You rubbed your eye, feeling tired and let down.

"You sure? I've seen you waiting here for about a half hour..." he retorted, sounding sorry as his expression softened.

Your eyes felt heavy and sore, you sighed, "I uhh, I just thought I was gonna meet up with friends but..." you looked up at him and raised your hands up on either side before resting them on your lap, "I dont know where they are. Or I'm in the wrong pub!" I tried to chuckle, make light of it. I wasn't going to hold it against them but I still felt dejected.

He pulled out a hard wood chair next to me and sat down, "Could I spend the evening with you then luv? " I could see the features on his face better now, I didn't notice how blue his eyes were until he sat face to face with me, "A birdy like you should have a nice evening." He smiled and chucked slightly as he spoke, it made you feel warm.

Your face flushed, "You sure?" You asked, "I dont want to intrude on anything-"

"Believe me, it's fine." The stranger spoke gently, "I came looking for a good chat!" He was lively and his energy consoled you.

"Oh, I'm Richard by the way," he held out one of his hands and you noticed the rings on his last two fingers, "but all me mates call me Ringo." He chucked at himself again and you shook his hand, "y/n," you replied and smiled at him, "do you come to this pub often then?"

"Mostly on weekends but other than that every other day! When do you usually come here?" He leaned forward towards you and his wilting sky blue eyes waited for an answer. Before answering, you admired him, only for a split second; the curve of his lips, his long lashes and soft features made him look so charming.

In a flash you felt yourself get flustered at his handsome-ness. Dont be weird! You thought, you've got to think of an answer!

"Erm, well... I dont usually come on my own. But, I usually come down on weekends too, when me and my friends are off." You fiddled with your fingers, feeling your palms get sweaty. Be brave, be brave! "Even though my friends didn't show, I'm glad I'm talking with someone."

"Don't worry yourself doll," Richard stated, "I've had this happen and the best thing to do is not dwell on it!" He smiled again and it reassured you that what he said was true. This moment was surely just a blip in the grand scheme of many nights out you thought.

As the evening went on you both went back and fourth about questions and interests. You had learned that he plays the drums in a band that often played in another pub not far from this one.

You both shared a common interest in music and asked about if he had done any songs himself, to which he replied, 'I dont have anything solid, yet.' Sometimes he would ramble a little, then apologise but you didn't mind. You found him endearing and you liked hearing him talk and the more he talked the more you found yourself liking his company.

At one point he held your hand whilst he was talking about something and your mind completely zoned out, only focusing on his thumb gently running over the ridges of your fingers. He teased you when he saw how red your face was, according to him you were 'a kin to a tomato'. You felt so embarrassed that after Richard let go of your hand you rubbed and cupped your face hoping the blush would go away but he laughed again and called you cute, you hated how he already had this effect on you.

You cursed yourself for how easily he was swooning you with his sweet face and funny attitude and perfect eyes and cute nose and... and... ohhh no... you were in deep... he was already all you could think about this evening!

"Oh my goodness what is the time?" Richard exclaimed, snapping you out of your thoughts about him. He looked past you and presumably out of a window.

The evening turned to night and the outside world was dark, streetlamps illuminated the road with a warm hue. There were only a handful of people within the pub at that moment, it was very quiet. The radio being turned off didn't help with the stiffness of the atmosphere surrounding the pub but you two were happy with whatever you had going on.

"Can I walk you home?" He asked, already getting up out of his chair looking down at you for an answer.

"Would that be okay?" You answered, you couldn't really walk out in the pitch blackness on your own and at this point you just wanted to spend time with Richard.

"Of course love!" He extended a hand and you took it, happily going with a man you just met that night.

He opened the door for you and you thanked him as you both practically skipped out of the pub.

"My house isn't far from here, so I hopefully wont tire your legs." You giggled, smiling his way.

"Dont worry about me legs love," he huffed, "I wanna make sure I see you home safe."

"Thank you Richard." You really appreciated his kindness and couldn't be more thankful for meeting him.

The walk home was slightly misty and quiet, distant dog barks could be heard from time to time and the street laps hummed slightly as you both walked under them.

"I was just wondering," Richard stated, "I'm playing at a pub next week and would you like to see me and me mates play?" He asked before adding to the statement again, "Not in like, an egotistical way but like-" he cut himself off and laughed at his explanation.

"No I'd love to hear you play!" You exclaimed, you hoped he noticed how enthusiastic you were about wanting to hear him in his element.

"I'll save you front row seats!" He rubbed his hands together excitedly and you chuckled at him.

You recognised your neighbours houses, "Not far now," and soon enough, through the puddles and lamp light you were infront of your house. Tired but happy to be so near a bed as soon as I unlock the door...

You smiled again, "thank you again Richard."

"Its the least I coul do." He looked at you kindly and sweetly.

You looked down, a little nervous about how you should go about saying goodbye.

Caught up in the moment, you leaned in and cautiously you placed a delicate kiss on his cheeck.

Backing away, you already missed the feeling of Richard's warmth.

His hand gently moved to graze the area you kissed and after his shocked expression faded he smiled lightly to himself.

"Consider that a promise that I will, in fact, see you play next week!"

He looked at you, "you're a right charmer you know that?" You giggled at what he had to say.

It was late and even thought talking to Richard was the best thing to do, your bed was calling and you still wanted to make a good impression.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you play, I'll see you then-" you were about to unlock the door until he said something...

"Wait, theres something else I need to give you." He looked like he was thinking about something.

"Yeah, what is it. What's up?"

In a second he leaned forward and your mind raced, unsure of what he was doing, until one of his hands held your shoulder ever so tenderly and he kissed the corner of your lips.

The feeling was brief and chaste.

It still made you feel giddy with butterflies.

As Richard broke contact he placed both his of hands on either side of your cheecks, rubbing his thumbs on your reddening skin. You looked at him and he was beaming back at you.

"I, in fact, hope to see you there."

~

Author's note: this is my first ff on tumblr! I hope you liked it :^)

[oodlyenough]

I haven't bothered with posts about the anime episodes because for the most part they've been like... fine to moderately amusing and there's not really anything to say beyond that. 2x06 Sound the Turnabout Melody (what a title) was uh not like that lmao so

started off strong with that terrible Wright & Co commercial. god bless you Maya.

ever since they introduced the concept of the friendship keychains I've been wondering if Larry still has his or if Larry is a normal person and the keychains are a consequence of Phoenix and Edgeworth specifically being Like That.

I thought s1 really tried to be like "a no homo trio of besties!!!" so I assumed it was likely Larry did. instead not even 3 years later Larry is like "lmao you still have that?" and Phoenix is both embarrassed and defensive which is much better and funnier than I expected from this show lmfao god bless

Larry discovering girls while Phoenix is STILL thinking about Miles and then deciding to dedicate songs on the radio to him fahfkdhlhkhglh .... incredible. showstopping

the dedication just kept going and going, too. i thought it would end with like, 'to signal red from signal blue' but it went on and on. i know she read page one of his ten page letter. didn't even mention the illustrated annexes of red and blue holding hands 😔

edgeworth thanking phoenix aloud and meanwhile phoenix sensing a disturbance in the force and turning around to look ... lmaoooooooo?!?!?... I mean even by the high bar set by their game canon I was pretty stunned

the flipside of all the crazy but believably IC baby narumitsu stuff was I found the Von Karma stuff all kind of weird and not particularly believable/IC

I appreciate the anime making it unambiguous that Edgeworth was raised by MVK, I feel like in the games there's a bit of vagueness for no real reason despite it being the most logical explanation for everything. so that was nice. but:

as hilariously cruel as it is to imagine MVK raising this kid for three years before turfing him to an orphanage, even applying 5d chess psychological torment logic I can't really make sense of that. why would he wait that long lol. why would he have taken miles in to begin with if not part of a long-term scheme.

baby franziska was cute as hell but i think she was too nice. i totally believe she'd be obsessed with her new little brother and want his attention/approval/etc. i ...don't really believe she's emotionally equipped to go about it so sweetly, lol.

miles' prosecutor vs defense ambition arc was convoluted to me, and an example where i feel like the games already gave us reason enough for the switch (the idea that greg's murderer got away + mvk's influence) without the anime now presenting something that makes less sense. (i'm still playing AAI but i sense i'll have similar criticisms of it, as in, "you're offering me a new explanation that makes less sense than the original". a common issue for prequel media.)

the cravat-giving scene felt like it was presented very earnestly despite being objectively kind of creepy given, you know, everything.

dog person miles edgeworth REAL

why'd they name that puppy napalm 😭😭😭😭

oh most importantly THE EPISODE TAG?? LMAO? edgeworth giving them the only like on their commercial why can't i find a clip or gifset of it the people need to know NEVERMIND @camalyng has bravely answered the call with a gifset

[findafight]

here is the spotify link to Robin and Steve's Epic Platonic Soulmate Mixtape (vol.1) I'm going to say they made this version in the early spring of 1985. fic link

track list and explanations under the cut!!

Side A--the queer side

Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler: I'm gonna take a wild guess and say y'all know why this is here

Rainbow Connection by Kermit: also self explanatory. and a bop. AND about rainbows. what more could you want?

Bangkok/One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head (Original Chess Recording version): 1) a banger. 2) from a whole musical written by the Bs of ABBA 3) Steve likes to listen to musical while vacuuming his pool :) 4) queer vibes. "the queens we use would not excite you" "i get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine" also to note they DID probably shave off the first minute of instrumental, but not all of it. I used this version and not the radio edit because in my heart of hearts I believe Steve picked up the Chess concept album in the fall of 1984, vibed with it, (I've answered an ask about stobin and the musical chess where I talk more) and that's the version he has.

Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen: tbh always sounded gay to me, and it's such a fun song, I think they'd vibe with it and agreed it's a silly little nod to steve's previous rep.

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard by Paul Simon: GAY GAY VERY GAY SONG "it's against the law...what their mama saw/it was against the law" HMM also it's catchy and has so much potential to be an angsty queer ballad too. (also Robin's dad is 100% a Simon and Garfunkle stan that's just. a fact to me.)

I'm Coiming Out by Diana Ross: iconic song claimed by the gays. for the obvious reasons. bit on the nose but this is for THEM.

Sunshine (Go Away Today) by Jonathan Edwards: About not letting someone control your life. It's catchy and heartfelt, dreams about the future. Steve's Vecna Song for me.

You Can't Hurry Love by The Supremes: stobin are losers in the love department, and it's a great and hopeful song about not rushing into things. The Supremes Version because Robin is influenced by her former Hippie parents, and Steve by his Aunt Evelyn and her love of 50's and 60's music. They have appreciation for the Oldie Goldies.

Lady Marmalade by LaBelle: Disco baby. I also feel this was a song for us queer folk. maybe because I'm queer and I like it. it's great, and robin loves hearing women sing about having sex.

Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler: throwback to the first song on the mixtape Steve gave Robin at the very beginning! now with the Upside Down between them it means more too. it's also SO FUN to belt in the car. frantic and with a good beat. I don't think I need to justify this one haha

Believe it or Not (theme from Greatest American Hero) by Joey Scarbury: Robin LOVES this stupid show about a cringe fail teacher with his cringe fail life getting a super suit from aliens and then losing the instruction manual. It just feels like a show she'd like even though it's so silly. The theme song is actually great tho. I think it'd really tickle the part of Robin that feels overly average and a bit trapped in Hawkins, but feels those confines lessen when she's with Steve and getting to feel like there's more out there for her. Personally, I first heard it on cassette of top 100 tv themes (along with MASH, Law and Order, Hawaii Five-oh, Andy Griffith etc) sitting in a booster seat in the front seat of my family's motor home on a long summer road trip in the early 2000's, as my dad drove and told me what show each song was from. (Steve buddy I understand your dream so much ok. There's nothing quite like being a kid and going on a roadtrip with your family. magical.)

Side B--The Besties side

You're My Best Friend by Queen: Love song for your best friend me thinks yes :)

Stuck With You by Huey Lewis and the News: the only anachronistic song on the playlist, but I couldn't NOT put it on. lavender marriage stobin REAL. They're stuck with each other :) also look at Steve. He is a guy who listens to Huey Lewis. We know this. He heard this song a year before it came out and was like robin :') it's us....I'm stuck with you...I'm so Happy about it :))

Stoned Soul Picnic by The 5th Dimension: Robin's parents are former hippies. This song is fantastic. Pure vibes. Steve and Robin are going to get rescue cats that are bonded together and name them Sassafras and Moonshine for this song.

Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles: Bop and a half. Sing along song.

Both Sides Now by Judy Collins: 1)gorgeous song originally by Joni Mitchel but this version is a bit faster 2) Robin's former Hippie parents influencing her taste strike AGAIN 3) she tries to convince Steve it's about being "queer like him" and he doesn't buy it but "I've looked at love from both sides now/.../I really don't know love at all" and "Oh, but now old friends they're acting strange/ And they shake their heads and they tell me that I've changed/ Well something's lost, but something's gained" hit different for him

Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel: I chose this billy joel song because it's 1) catchy as all hell 2) about having sex 3) mentions dying and stobin are like We didn't die!! hell yeah! Steve's a pianist and tbh he loves billy joel. who doesn't. it was between this one and piano man i guess, tho i love many Billy Joel songs that are "deeper cuts" ha. and "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints/the sinners are much more fun" line is like. what are they gonna do. not be an emotional queer teen about it?

Raspberry Beret by Prince: it's catchy, and whilst originally I had put La La Love You By Don McLean here, I like this one better. Robin is definitely a Prince fan. and a beret fan. happy coincidink. and its a fun song! about loosing your virginity to a hot girl in a barn!

Indiana Wants Me by R. Dean Taylor: okay originally I'll admit I put this on the masterplaylist because. obviously post-s4 Eddie running away angst song even if it's more folk-rock than metal. I think Steve and Robin would listen to it and really vibe with wanting to go home but not being able to. even if it's not literally. also they live in Indiana and like. you've gotta respect a song about where you live. ALSO the cop sounds in it. so good.

Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen: a song? about being disillusioned with the American dream after seeing the institutional failures of the government??? very Steve. the whole album is great, and I know I've reblogged a post about Steve and the album (My Hometown hits different). It's angry, frustrated, passionate. Being queer in a small town where the government covers up it's human experimentation and alternate dimensions probably makes you feel a lot of things. All with the veneer of Americana.

Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) by Peter Starstedt: purely self indulgent of me. I adore this song. I think Steve heard it, and thought of Robin. The remembering, the deep knowledge of another person, the longing. When he told Robin that it's a song he always associates with her she tears up a bit, because it's so tender and loving, and a bit silly. Like. Steve knows she'll be amazing and can't comprehend anyone not seeing it. It's sooo tender.

Thank You for Being a Friend by Andrew Gold: Golden Girls didn't air their first episode until fall 1985, and obviously when it does Stobin are loyal viewers, (Steve is in love with Bea Arthur. as is right) but this song came out in the 70's. It's fun and cute and catchy! They love each other and are so, incomprehensibly grateful that they found each other.

[cheesybadgers]

(GO TO PART 2 AND PART 3)

PART 1

I’ve been meaning to do this for a while and just never got round to it, but figured now was finally the time!

This post is basically a bunch of random trivia and references for OHDH based on stuff I’ve researched when writing. There are a few things in my next couple of chapters that I thought warranted further explanation if anyone is interested. And well even if they’re not, it’s handy for me to refer to when I no doubt forget things 😂

I’ll keep adding to it as much as I can, including going back to older chapters whenever I think of anything.

1. The bombing in Madrid that happens whilst Horacio is living there in chapter 6 actually happened in real life in 1992, which is the year I placed Horacio in Spain.

2. The crucifix necklace that features throughout the fic was based on the chain we see around Carrillo’s neck in the scene below (and the screencap doubles as a nice bit of eye sex as well 😉). I just headcanoned it had a cross attached to it, seen as we see him praying with Trujillo and I think it’s highly likely he had a Catholic upbringing in Colombia. 

3. Linking on from the above, thanks to this post I also found out part-way through writing the fic that there was a prop necklace made for season 2, but we never see it on screen (we were robbed!!).

I don’t know if this is the same one from season 1, I suspect it’s not otherwise why would the auction not mention that? Plus the one above appears to be silver (although the lighting is terrible in that scene so who knows?!). 

The auction page says the following about the prop, along with a charm bracelet:

Now, I haven’t been able to fathom out what they mean re: the charm bracelet tbh. Because the first time we see it is when Steve goes to dinner with Connie in The Enemies of My Enemy:

He gives it to Connie to give to Olivia, but Connie tells him to keep it because he needs the luck. This scene takes place after they visit Juliana Carrillo, but what I don’t get is a) Why would Steve still have it after visiting Juliana if he was supposed to give it back to her? and b) If it is supposed to be Carrillo’s, what was he doing with it when he died? Because he clearly wasn’t wearing it lol. I can only think his wife/daughter gave him it for good luck and he just carried it around on him, which is a thought I have a lot of feelings about 😭❤️

Anyway...I digress lol. As for Carrillo’s necklace, I ran with the auction site saying the medallion is of a deity, and after falling down multiple research holes, I found out there is a Colombian deity called Bochica. 

Bochica looks like this:

I went through all of the Colombian deities and to me, the medallion looks most like Bochica out of all of them.

Now, this is where I lost my mind slightly. Because Colombian mythology states that Bochica is the God of morals and laws 👀👀 So, I can only assume it was a deliberate choice by the writing team/prop department to include Bochica on Carrillo’s necklace. Which makes it even more of a crying shame that we never saw it in the show! 

Linking back to OHDH for a second, as I’d already given Horacio the crucifix necklace by the time I was aware of this prop, in chapter 14 I decided to add a second one that belonged to Horacio’s dad instead. And it may make another appearance in a future chapter 😉

4. In chapter 13, Horacio talks about celebrating Día de las Velitas every Christmas (the candles in the guesthouse were his own tribute to it). It translates to ‘Day of the Little Candles’ in English and is celebrated on 7th December in Colombia. In the same chapter, Javier also mentions Las Posadas which is celebrated in various Latin American countries and Mexico between 16th and 24th December. 

5. In chapter 13, the song on the radio at Chucho’s celebration meal is Look At Us by Vince Gill. Because the lyrics just felt apt for where Javier and Horacio were at by this point of their relationship ❤️

6. If you want an idea of what I had in mind for ranch!Horacio in chapter 13 (when Javier can’t control himself in the kitchen 😉), this is basically it:

This is Maurice Compte in There is a New World Somewhere (which you should definitely watch if you haven’t already btw) and even though I wrote a damn fic about this film lol, I had forgotten he wears this outfit. And it wasn’t until I went looking for gifs of Maurice wearing jeans (because I just couldn’t imagine Horacio wearing them for some reason 😂) that I realised he was basically ranch!Horacio 👀

7. The scenes between Horacio and Chucho in chapter 15 were slightly inspired by the fact that both Maurice Compte and Edward James Olmos starred together in Mayans MC. I remember watching Mayans early last year after I’d started OHDH and could not believe my luck, because their interactions in that were kinda how I imagined Horacio and Chucho (although Chucho doesn’t at any point attempt to kill Horacio, unlike their respective characters in Mayans 😂). The scene of Horacio drinking on the porch and of Chucho covering Horacio with a blanket were nods to similar scenes the actors shared in Mayans MC. 

8. Speaking of Edward James Olmos, in chapter 15, Horacio finds a book on Javier’s shelf called With His Pistol in His Hand by Américo Paredes. A film adaptation was made of it in 1983 called The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez starring none other than, you’ve guessed it...Edward James Olmos. The detail of Javier and Horacio watching the film serves no purpose other than a fun Easter egg for my own amusement tbh 😂

There are also a few other literary references in the same scene as the above that I thought were kind of apt: Rosario Castellanos (a Mexican author/poet), One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

9. In chapter 15, Chucho talks about making an altar for Mariana each Día de Muertos, which translates in English to the Day of the Dead and is celebrated in Mexican culture on 1st and 2nd November. 

A large part of my inspiration for this came from a book called Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester which I highly recommend. 

10. Whilst on the subject of other books I’ve read that have inspired me for this fic, here are a few more (and I’ll add any others I read in the future): 

Like This Afternoon Forever by Jaime Manrique

Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

11. In the opening scene of chapter 16, Chucho is cooking with a Mexican spice called epazote. And ok so this is really random, but I have to thank this interview with Tony Dalton (Lalo from Better Call Saul) who is from Laredo, for educating me on the existence of this spice. He talks in that interview about how he schooled the BCS writers on authentic Mexican cooking and got them to change a line in the script to include epazote. So, I thought why not use it here when I’m writing about characters in Laredo?! Frijoles de la Olla is also a Mexican bean dish that uses epazote in the recipe. 

12. In the scene where Javier and Horacio reunite, I kind of had the bottom gif from this post in mind, which is a scene from another Maurice Compte film called I Do. Obvs Horacio is wearing a cowboy hat as well, but you get the idea 😉

13. In chapter 16, when Javier tells Horacio everything about Los Pepes and Bill Stechner, I expanded on the canon detail that Bill Stechner was an instructor at the School of the Americas and was involved with conflict in Nicaragua, and decided that it was highly likely Horacio and probably Javier as well, would have received some sort of SOA-related training. 

As is so often the case, I got sucked down a research rabbit hole and ended up reading this book: The School of the Americas: Military Training and Political Violence in the Americas by Lesley Gill

This was an interesting paragraph that made me think of a certain scene in Narcos, I can’t imagine why 👀

14. Chapter 16 is named after Like a Prayer by Madonna because it just suited the mood and also, some of the lyrics are so them ❤️

15. The show sets Javier’s and Horacio’s trip to Tolú in December 1989, but never specifies a date. My anniversary with my husband also happens to be in December, so in chapter 17, I may have given them the same anniversary 😳

EDIT TO ADD: Erm, the show actually did specify a date for their trip to Tolú. And you'll never believe which date:

For some reason, I only noticed this in August 2023, so there you are, they actually do share my anniversary based on canon's timeline of events 👀👀👀

16. The song they dance to in chapter 17 is Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. I kind of need to do a shoutout to The Killers for covering the song and planting the idea in my head to use it here after setting up in chapter 15 that Javier kept Mariana’s records in his bedroom ❤️

17. The poetry book Javier gifts to Horacio in chapter 17 was heavily based on An Anthology of Spanish Poetry: From the Beginnings to the Present Day, Including Both Spain and Spanish America by John Armstrong Crow. I particularly wanted to include Federico García Lorca because he was a gay Spanish poet, who was tragically assassinated for his socialist political views. 

18. Thank you to this post for helping me figure out that ‘Mi hogar’ was the right Spanish phrase for ‘My home’ ❤️

19. There’s also a callback in chapter 17 to Horacio discovering Javier’s copy of Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin in chapter 15. Weirdly, I included this detail before I read or knew anything about Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski, in which the gay main character bonds with his boyfriend over Giovanni’s Room. The way I SCREAMED when I read Swimming in the Dark, having already included a reference to Giovanni’s Room in chapter 15 👀👀

20. I’ve already mentioned Las Posadas in chapter 13 and seen as chapter 17 takes place a year after chapter 13, I thought I’d go into more detail about the celebrations. You can read more about the significance of the piñata and various traditions here and here.

21. Chapter 17 mentions Día de los Reyes Magos, which takes place on 6th January and closes out the festive season. Rosca de Reyes (Kings’ Loaf) is a type of sweet bread traditionally eaten on this day.

22.  Fiesta San Antonio is references in chapter 17 and is an annual festival that takes place in San Antonio every April. Cascarones are a tradition at the festival, where confetti-filled eggs are cracked over the heads of your friends and loved ones (I loved discovering this fact!).

23. I did a lot of reading about Madrid and Spain for chapters 18 and 19, so I’ll talk about the books I found the most useful here:

Snow on the Atlantic: How Cocaine Came to Europe by Nacho Carretero

This book was INVALUABLE in helping me link together Spain and Colombia with regards to drug trafficking (of which I knew nothing about beforehand, funnily enough). In fact, it’s now my headcanon that this is what Horacio would have been involved with when he was exiled to Madrid in the show lol. Galicia is a region of Spain where drug trafficking clans operate and they ship product in from Colombia to distribute through Europe. Weirdly, I saw a news story about this in the UK the other day (April 2023) where traffickers were using submarines to smuggle cocaine off the Spanish coast, so this kind of thing very much still goes on!

There was also a line in the book about Pacho Herrera visiting the clans in Galicia back in the 80s/90s, so that’s where I got that line from in chapter 18.

Operación Nécora is covered in the book, but you can also read more about it here as well (this was another namedrop in the conversation between Horacio and Álvaro).

The Book of Casey Adair by Kevin Harvey

A book about gay characters living in Madrid in the 80s – perfect research! I do have more to say about this one, but I’ll save it for after chapter 19 has been posted.

For any Pedro fans interested in A Strange Way of Life that’s coming out later this year, Pedro Almodóvar gets mentioned quite a bit in this book!

Without a Second Thought: A Memoir of Life in Franco's Madrid by Diane Lorz Benitez

This was a memoir of an American woman living in Madrid in the 70s and 80s, so just at the end and immediately after the Franco regime. Again, I will say more about this book after chapter 19 has been posted.

24. The bombing that killed Álvaro’s brother, Jaime, is based on the one that actually happened in Madrid in 1993. Please note I have not based Jaime on any of the real victims; the date of the bombing just fit the timeline of the story.

25. El Retiro Park exists in real life Madrid, as does the Fuente del Ángel Caído (fun fact: it sits 666 metres above sea level 😈), the Palacio de Cristal, the lake and the Monument to Alfonso XII.

26. La Semana Santa is Holy Week in Spain, which begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday. If you’re alarmed by some of the outfits shown in that link, don’t be, as they came first and it was a certain white supremacist group who did the cultural appropriation.

Some of the foods referenced in chapter 19 are traditionally eaten during La Semana Santa. Here are a few recipes: Espinacas con Garbanzos, Croquetas de Bacalao, Bartolillos Madrileños, Buñuelos de Viento, Flores Fritas and Torrijas.

27. I previously mentioned reading Without a Second Thought: A Memoir of Life in Franco’s Madrid by Diane Lorz Benitez (see point 23). In chapter 19 of OHDH, Señora Romero talks about hiding people from raids back in the days of Franco. This book references such raids by Franco’s men during the Spanish Civil War and explains how the porter in the author's apartment building used to hide people like this. So, given the age of Señora Romero, I decided she would have been in Madrid around this time and it felt fitting for her character to have put her neck on the line for others.

28. While on the subject of historical Madrid, I also previously mentioned reading The Book of Casey Adair by Kevin Harvey (see point 23 again), which follows a gay American postgrad student living in Madrid at the start of the ‘80s. It focuses largely on his personal relationships and sexuality, the political upheaval in Spain around that time and also the HIV/AIDS crisis.

I cried my eyes out at the ending, and it got me thinking about my own fic. When I first started it, I wasn’t expecting it to become so detailed with history and realism beyond what we see in Narcos, so I didn’t plan on talking about HIV/AIDS at all. But now we’re here and research has become a big part of the process for me, so even though I didn’t want it to be a significant subplot (because there's enough going on already), I wanted to at least acknowledge the existence of HIV/AIDS in a story about bisexual men set in the ‘80s/'90s. And I think it adds another layer to the sense of relief Javier and Horacio are feeling now they’ve come through the other side of everything ❤️

29. In chapter 19, the phone call between Javier and Chucho delves into their family history and gives a bit of backstory about how Chucho’s and Mariana’s parents came from Mexico to the USA. The following book about repatriation of Mexican and Mexican-American people from America in the '30s has been an invaluable resource and I couldn’t have written this scene without it: Decade of Betrayal: Mexican Repatriation in the 1930s by Francisco E. Balderrama

30. I chose Cattleya orchids for Trujillo's wedding, as it's the national flower of Colombia.

31. The church where Trujillo gets married is the same one seen in The Sword of Simón Bolivar (season 1, episode 2) where Javier is anxiously waiting for news from Helena (also just feel the need to say I'm obsessed with the framing of this shot below, it has subtext written all over it lol):

It's the Iglesia del Señor de las Misericordias and the below picture shows the balcony Javier and Horacio talk over more clearly:

32. I included several Colombian wedding traditions in Trujillo's ceremony and the reception (disclaimer: I'm not Colombian and unfortunately have never been to a Colombian wedding, but I've tried my best with research and appreciate some people may do things differently). The candle ceremony, arras coins, mantilla veil, the shoe game and belt contest, La Hora Loca, the bride and groom having godparents (padrinos and madrinas) rather than bridesmaids/best man, Trujillo's guayabera and bandeja paisa are all referenced here and here.

33. Feria de las Flores is a festival of flowers held in Medellín every August.

34. Jardín Botánico de Medellín exists in real life, and really is a stone's throw away from Iglesia del Señor de las Misericordias. However, I may have taken artistic license with the Orquideorama (the orchid canopy under which the reception is held). It does exist as below, but it wasn't actually built until 2006 lol:

I'd already decided on the botanical gardens being the reception venue, then I saw someone's beautiful wedding photos and decided I had to have the Orquideorama and the tables amongst the trees ❤️

35. I won't link each dish separately, but for most of the wedding food, I used this Colombian recipe site for ideas.

36. Cumbia is the national dance of Colombia, so I had to include it in chapter 20.

Lucho Bermúdez was an important influence in cumbia music and you can listen to Tolú here.

I've had a hard time tracking down the origins of Noches de Cartagena. It seems to be one of those old traditional songs that everyone has done a version of, e.g. here's one version that sounds very different to this one. So take your pick!

37. Given Javier's background, I wanted to include something from the Tejano/Texan music world as well: Laura Canales was a Tejano musician and Hank Locklin made country music.

I also want to mention this piece written by a gay Texan man about dance hall life and his sexuality. It's so beautifully written and the lyrics to a Hank Locklin song called Please Help Me, I'm Falling certainly hit different from a queer point of view. Immediately after reading this piece, I wrote Javier's memories of dancing in chapter 20.

38. If anyone didn't already know what shirt stays/garters are, you're welcome:

They're commonly worn in the military/police, apparently, so I figured there's no way Horacio would put up with an untidy shirt 😉

39. Carolina García Velásquez, who is mentioned in the final scene of chapter 20, is the innocent bystander killed by accident in the La Dispensaria raid. The show didn't give her a name, so I did, just to give Horacio some closure really.

40. For some strange reason, the show never gives Trujillo a first name. So, in the OHDH universe, he's called Felipe, just because I thought it suited him tbh lol.

41. I don’t think I’ve ever really mentioned the fact I decided to kill off Horacio’s dad lol. The only reference to Carrillo’s parents in the show seems to be this one-off line by Escobar when he’s having his bitch-off with Horacio over the phone:

So, this suggests in canon, Carrillo’s parents are very much alive and well. But in the OHDH universe, I liked the parallel with Javier losing his mother (seen as it’s very heavily implied she’s no longer around in the show, and I believe the mother of the real life Javier Peña died too) and helped to develop the thread of grief running throughout the fic.

42. I established in chapter 17 that Horacio’s family live in Manizales. So, once I started researching the city and discovered it’s part of the coffee growing region of Colombia, the idea of the coffee farm in chapter 21 just sprung to mind.

43. La Leyenda del Mareco (The Legend of the Mareco), which Horacio tells Javier about in chapter 21, is a story from Antioquian folklore that I came across in my research.

44. The sudado de pollo recipe cooked in chapter 21 is based on this one and this one (for some reason, the voice of the chef in the video totally reminded me of Juliana Carrillo’s lol).

45. The line in chapter 21 about Madrid being good enough for Simón Bolívar stems from the fact he lived there for two years and married a Spanish woman named María Teresa Rodríguez del Toro y Alaysa.

46. The references to La Violencia (The Violence) relate to a civil war that took place in Colombia between the Conversative and Liberal Parties in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Given how old I placed Horacio and Eduardo, it fit that Eduardo would have been a serving police officer around this time, and I liked the parallel of him being as morally conflicted as Horacio ended up becoming.

The Colombian military and the CNP were largely on the side of the Conservatives, and were up to their necks in brutality and corruption (police officers who were known to be Liberals were also kicked out of the force). So, for me, it kind of puts the outrage/surprise in the show at Carrillo’s more extreme methods in a new light, because plenty of police officers/soldiers before him did a lot worse lol.

Ironically, a lot of those displaced in rural areas by La Violencia fled to cities like Medellín and that's how Comuna 13 was born, which obviously went on to become a victim of Escobar's violence.

Some books I read that add a lot more context about this era:

In Evil Hour by Gabriel García Márquez

Blood and Fire: La Violencia in Antioquia, Colombia, 1946-1953 by Mary Roldán

47. Speaking of Gabriel García Márquez, the line Javier quotes to Alejandra in chapter 21 is from One Hundred Years of Solitude (“We came,” they said, “because everyone is coming.”). In the book, it comes after a railroad is built to Macondo (the fictional town the story is set), which sees the beginning of capitalist imperialism in the town as the American banana companies take over and exploit the Colombian workers.

The line before the one Javier quotes is: “Look at the mess we’ve got ourselves into,” Colonel Aureliano Buendía said at that time, “just because we invited a gringo to eat some bananas.”

It just felt like an apt comparison to America’s involvement in the War on Drugs, so that’s how that ended up in there.

48. In the same conversation between Javier and Alejandra in chapter 21, he calls cowboys ‘vaqueros’ whereas she refers to them as ‘llaneros’. ‘Vaquero’ is the Mexican word for ‘cowboy’ and ‘llanero’ is the Colombian equivalent.

49. The two cats in chapters 21 and 22, Caturra and Bourbon, are named after types of coffee beans.

50. In the conversation between Horacio and Elena in chapter 22, I couldn’t have written the parts about the jaguar, snake and condor without Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (I’ll talk about this book more again after chapter 23).

Another book by a Colombian author that inspired me for chapters 21/22 was The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir by Ingrid Rojas Contreras (the same author as The Fruit of the Drunken Tree, which I’ve mentioned above somewhere).

51. In chapter 22, when Horacio says: “But there can be a certain kind of freedom in the dark....” I have to give a nod to Black Sails. It’s a quote I’ve talked about before on my Tumblr after I realised it had unintentional similarities to chapters 1 and 2 of OHDH (I only watched Black Sails for the first time in 2023, so wasn’t aware of Flint’s quote back in 2021). Obviously, Flint isn’t just talking about queerness in his speech to Silver, but I used light/dark metaphors in a similar way at the start of this fic, so this is just another callback to that.

52. The mention of El Dorado (‘The Golden One’) in chapter 22 is in reference to the Spanish conquistadors’ quest for a hidden city of gold when they came to Colombia and other parts of Latin America. The legend centres on Lake Guatavita (located near current-day Bogotá), which was one of the sacred lakes of the Muisca people (of which Bochica is a deity of). They were said to carry out rituals at the lake involving their leader being covered in gold dust and trinkets/jewellery etc. would be thrown into the water as offerings. The Spanish colonisers found the lake and tried to drain it in order to hunt for gold, but nothing substantial has ever been found. The lake is now a protected area and attempts to drain it are illegal.

53. The Simón Bolívar half-man, half-condor statue in Manizales mentioned in chapter 22 exists in real life:

54. Here’s the Colombian coat of arms referenced in chapter 22, which also forms part of the CNP emblem:

55. Bochica has been mentioned previously, but I added reference to Chibchacum here as well, who was the one to cause the flood that Bochica stopped with a strike of his staff by creating the Tequendama Falls (also near current-day Bogotá).

56. Día de Todos los Santos refers to the Catholic tradition of All Saints Day, which as explained in chapter 22 differs from Día de Muertos. I wanted to show the differences between Colombian and Mexican culture here – and by extension, Horacio’s and Javier’s different experiences -  but then also maybe have one kinda influence the other based on Horacio’s time spent in Texas.

57. Calentado is mentioned in chapter 22 and there’s a recipe if you fancy a traditional Colombian breakfast and here’s a recipe for cocadas as well.

58. Eduardo’s term of endearment for Elena is ‘Mi media naranja’, which literally translates from Spanish as ‘My half an orange’ but really means ‘My better half’ or ‘My soulmate’. I went with soulmate in my translation, as it feels more significant/appropriate to me. The reference to a postcard with orange groves on it in Eduardo’s trinket box is also a nod to this nickname, just because lol.

59. In case anyone was wondering, or didn’t pick up on it, the scene towards the end of chapter 22 between Horacio and Javier in the car and looking down on Medellín is the same spot from chapter 5 where they said goodbye before Horacio left for Madrid. It felt like the perfect full circle but everything is obviously different now ❤️

[theshadowsanctum]

The story of how Lamont Cranston got his power, from a Shadow Comics issue

[fandomperv]

Never Have I Ever // SNEAK PEEK

Here's a sneak peak at a fanfiction I am writing. It's called Never Have I Ever!! Hope you enjoy this sneak peak.

Content: fem!reader, gendered pronouns and titles, sub!spencer, cursing, masturbation (male)

Word count : 1,072

“So.. Pretty boy, a fantasy about a coworker huh? Naughty boy” I teased, it only seemed to make him a little more nervous, a dark pink blush instantly flushing his cheeks. “I- uh yeah” He stuttered, shifting in his seat and avoiding eye contact. “It just kind of happened” He added quickly, fiddling with his fingers as he spoke.

“Who was it? JJ? Elle? Garcia?” I joked, pinching his thigh teasingly, Spencer didn’t answer. Instead of pressing harder I just opted to turn the radio on instead, switching it to the station I had programmed just for when I drove with him. 91.5 Classical Medley.

For the next 10-15 minutes we just drove, silently enjoying the music together. Until I pulled into his apartment complex, parking in a visitor spot to drop him off. “Y/n?” Spencer said his first words in a while, sounding unsure of himself “It w-was about you.” He said so quickly I almost missed it, finally making eye contact with me for the for the first time in an hour or so.

His words took my by surprise, “What?” Even though I fully understood what he was trying to say, “N-Never have I ever..” He took a pause. “I-my fantasy was about you Y/n. Actually b-both of my answers were about you. I-I’m so sorry”

I could tell my face must’ve been very expressive of the shock I felt bc of how quickly Spencer was to apologize again. “Fuck I’m sorry, I-uh I should go.” He scrambled to grab his bag and reach for the door, so reaching for his hand, I spoke “Wait Spence, no”

He quickly turned to look at me, eyebrows furrowed slightly. Without further explanation I pulled my keys from the ignition and got out of the car, knowing Spencer would follow me. We made the quick walk down the street to my apartment complex, Spencer rambling the entire time, confused by what was happening. “Y/n I really am sorry, I-I am also a little bit confused so if you could just explai-” His rambling continued all the way until we were inside my apartment. After unlocking the door I quickly turned, pulling him inside before closing the door and pressing him against it. “Is this okay” I mumbled quickly, as soon as he nodded I pressed my lips to his.

Spencer practically melted into me, dropping his bag to the ground to grab the side of my face. I could tell his hands were scared to move anywhere else, so I let my hands travel first, moving from his shoulders to behind his neck, softly tugging at the hair. In response he pressed his lips harder against mine, groaning into me as my fingers continued playing in the roots of his hair. I allowed my lips to travel down his jaw, causing Spencer to whimper and let his head fall back. My hands shifted from his hair, trailing to the buttons on his shirt. One by one the buttons were undone, leaving his shirt open, hanging on his shoulders.

Removing myself from his embrace I took his hand; leading him to my bedroom, taking a seat on the bed with my back pressed against the headboard. In times like this I envied Spencer for his eidetic memory. I want to remember the way he looks forever; hair messy, lips pink from the blood rushing to them, cheeks flushed, small pink marks decorating his jaw and neck. His shirt hung loosely around his defined shoulders, chest bared and aching to be marked, the only clothes that hid him from my gaze was his slacks, now strained tight against his crotch “Come here angel, sit in front of me.” I beckoned, patting the space between my legs. “Y-yes ma’am” His voice faltering, breath catching in his throat.

Now with his back against my chest, I softly pressed my lips to his ear “Show me how you touched yourself thinking of me” I mumbled, scattering kisses across his neck and shoulders. He obliged, moving his hand to grope himself. “Y-Y/N please” I could feel him panting, unintelligible pleading for me to put my hands on him. I gave him the relief he was seeking, sliding my hands down his chest, stopping on his lower abdomen, tracing little shapes onto the skin. His stomach clenched under my touch. “Go ahead sweetheart, touch yourself” I cooed.

Spencer’s hands shook as they reached for his belt, pulling it off, then moving on to the button, I decided to help him unbutton his pants and pull the slacks from his legs, pulling underwear down with them. My mouth watered looking over his shoulder, taking in the sight of him “Such a greedy boy” I cooed, letting my hands rest at his thighs while I spoke. “Keeping all this from me.” I could he his jagged breath, chest heaving as he gripped himself and processed my words.

“I-I’m sorry ma’am. I d-didn’t know would want me” Spencer whimpered, each word chipping a piece at my heart. I stroked his skin, moving one hand up to his chin, tilting his head slightly so I could press my lips to his, silently telling him that I wanted him just as bad as he wanted me. He chased my lips as I pulled away.

“So tell me.. Doctor, when you get off thinking of me, what do you think about” I let my fingers trace up and down his thighs; watching him stroke himself and let out the most pathetic, whiny moan I’ve heard in my life as his head fell back against my shoulder.

“I-I think about you, and h-how pretty you are. I think about your lips- Oh god- t-they’re so glossy and soft and I think about feeling t-them wrapped around me.” He whined. One of my hands moved to grab his wrist, leading his free hand to my mouth, taking two of his digits between my lips, sucking his fingers. His slow movements of pumping himself began to quicken, his breath stuttering. “F-fuck please Y/N p-please touch me. Oh my god”

—

I’m so excited for you guys to read the full story!!! I hope you liked the sneak peak and if there’s any other requests you have, feel free to dm me or inbox me so I can add them to my list of blurbs/one shots to write!!! xoxo. Follow for more cm/mgg smut/content ~ Mars aka perv hotch <33

[whisker-biscuit]

The Birds, The Bees, and The Bottles

Fandom: Psychonauts

Rating: T for mild language and discussions of underage drinking

Summary: Two teens are caught trying to sneak into a bar. Bob finally has a conversation he’s held off for far too long.

Because herbaphony is not the only thing that runs in the Zanotto family.

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

Bob’s phone rang at two in the morning. Judging by the jolly ringtone of Helmut singing Strawberry Fields Forever, it was his personal phone instead of his work one, and that was the real tip off to things being very, very wrong.

He woke up and groggily pulled out of his still-slumbering-husband’s arms to answer the little thing going off on his nightstand.

“H’lo?”

“Bob!” Truman’s voice came out far too loud for the time of night, and far too stressed. “Bob, I’m so sorry to wake you, but something happened with Lili. I need you to pick her up for me, please.”

The older man sat up, much more awake as worry and fear immediately rolled in his gut. Helmut finally began to stir beside him, sensing his partner’s agitation.

“Truman, what’s going on? Pick Lili up from where?”

“The city’s police precinct on Abbey Avenue. She – she called me, but I’m out of state and I wouldn’t get there for hours at least even if I left this instant. She’s not in danger!” He added hastily, hearing the concern before Bob could even voice it mentally. “She didn’t get hurt! She’s just…”

The way he tapered off, the way he hesitated, said more than words could.

“She just got herself into some trouble, and she needs someone to go get her.”

Helmut was sitting up now, and Bob felt the question cross their mental link.

 What happened?

 Truman needs me to pick Lili up from the police station.

“I’m up, I’m on my way right now,” He responded to his nephew verbally, heaving himself out of bed. His husband followed suit despite still looking extremely puzzled, bless him.

“Thank you so much, Bob. I’ll make it up to you as soon as I can, I promise.”

“Don’t worry about it.” The older man waved a dismissive hand even though Truman wasn’t there to see it. “Family is s’pposed to do that for each other anyway.”

“Did I hear that right? Our peppy petunia had a run-in with the law?” Helmut asked as soon as his partner hung up. He paused, and in a lower tone – “she didn’t kill anyone, did she?”

“I don’t think it’s that serious,” Bob said, pulling a coat on over his sleep shirt. “But something tells me we still have a few things to worry about. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Ohohoh, no, don’t even think about hoofin’ it without me. We both know I’m the better driver.”

“Neither of us are very good drivers, Helmut.”

“Exactly! That little bit makes all the difference!”

The herbophanist sighed, charmed despite himself and the situation. “Alright, alright. Let’s not keep her waiting.”

The police precinct was nearly dead at this time of night. While it would’ve felt eerie to anyone else, Bob was grateful for the lack of people, and not just because he was still an introvert of the highest degree.

Two teenagers awaited them in the lobby, sitting on a bench together. One was hunched over and burning a hole in the ground with his downcast eyes. The other sat straight up, defiant, holding a glaring contest with the officer standing over them. When Bob entered the room first and met his great-niece’s eyes, her self-assuredness wavered for a brief moment. She hid the slip-up behind a wall of indifference.

“Lili,” he said softly. Then, just as softly but with a gruff tinge of surprise; “Razputin.”

There was no accusation in his voice, but the former scowled harder and the latter looked like he wanted to employ his invisibility. Bob studied them both a moment before his husband appeared and broke the tension with his mere presence.

“We’re here to bust you out, kiddos!” He announced with spread arms, cheerfully ignoring the looks he received from every person in the room.

“Are you Truman Zanotto?” Asked the officer who finally broke his gaze away from Lili to give them a disapproving once-over.

“No, I’m uh, I’m Bob Zanotto, and this is Helmut,” came the awkward reply. “Truman called me to pick Lili up. She’s my great-niece.”

A few seconds of silence passed as the officer made no move to do anything with that information. Bob cleared his throat.

“We’re, uh, listed in her emergency contacts for school?”

“I see. If you can just fill out some paperwork first, we can release her into your custody.”

The herbophanist watched the way Raz seemed to sink further in his seat at the mention of family contacts. The Aquatos were also out of state right now too, if he remembered correctly. Perfect timing for two minors getting up to mischief.

Well, up until they were actually caught.

“And…Razputin, too?” He asked, catching the teen’s startled gaze and giving him the mental equivalent of a thumbs-up.

The officer raised a brow. “Is he related to you, too?”

“Well, uh –”

“Yep!” Helmut interrupted, strolling right up to Raz and giving him a merry clap on the back. The teen had a physique comparable to most adult Olympic athletes, but even he nearly toppled forward from the force of such a big man. “He’s my third cousin, twice removed. Big family. Very close. Holidays are an experience, lemme tell ya!”

“Fine,” the officer pinched the bridge of his nose. “Fine, okay, I’ll make sure he gets cleared for release too. I’ll be right back.”

He stalked off, muttering something about it ‘being too damn early for this’, and the older couple turned to face Raz and Lili. Helmut steepled his fingers together to rest against his mustache.

“So! Now that Officer Spoil-Sport is gone, are we allowed to know what heinous crime has been committed in the night by my favorite pair of mischief-makers?”

The two glanced at each other. Raz was the one to break their silence.

“We, uh…got caught sneaking into a bar.”

Cold heat rushed through Bob’s core. Helmut blinked once, twice, then let out a boisterous chuckle.

“That’s it? Jesus! From the way you two were acting I thought you’d robbed the First National Bank.”

“…Helmut.” His husband murmured. The psi-king lost his mirth as he caught Bob’s eye.

“Ah…w-well, y’know, while I’m certainly glad we won’t hear about a righteous homicide in the news tomorrow, forgery ain’t exactly a humble hobby either.”

“It was just two IDs,” Lili muttered under her breath. “Not a big deal.”

The ice in her great-uncle’s heart turned frigid, but before he or Helmut could say anything to that, the officer was back. He shoved a handful of forms under Bob’s nose and the herbophanist fumbled to grab them before they all tumbled to the floor.

“Uh, uh, thank you.”

“Alright, we’re putting the pause on this conversation to make you free citizens again, but don’t think that means we’re done with it.” The Psi-King gave the teens the sternest look he could manage. “As soon as we get in the car, you two will have a lot of explaining to do.”

“O-Okay.”

“Uh-huh.”

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

No one spoke a word as they got in the car and started the drive back.

Raz seemed content to continue his efforts to blend in with the background of his seat, still not meeting anyone’s eyes, and Lili stared out the window with her chin in her hand, leaning against the car’s backdoor and letting the lights of the city bathe her in neon sickness.

Helmut, bless his soul, dutifully kept the radio going while he drove, changing the station to something more mellow whenever a song started getting a little too upbeat for the collective mood of the vehicle. Bob sat in the passenger side with his arms folded awkwardly. His brain was buzzing, dreading the inevitable conversation he needed to have with his great-niece and trying to figure out how he was going to go about it.

It surprised them all when Raz spoke over the music.

“It was my idea.”

The two adults glanced at each other, then through the rearview mirror at the fidgeting teen.

“Your idea to go looking for a drink? Or to sneak into a bar to do it?” Helmut asked, turning off the radio.

“Both.”

He still wasn’t meeting their eyes. Bob sighed through his nose.

“I don’t believe you.”

Razputin’s head finally snapped up to stare at him in shock for the fast call on his bluff. “I’m telling the truth!”

“I think you’re only telling part of it, kid.”

“No! I’m telling all of it.”

“Razpu-”

“Oh, come off it, Raz,” Lili snapped a little too loud, making the whole car jump. “Quit trying to take the fall for me. It was my idea to try the stupid fake ID thing, okay? Happy now?”

“Wh – uh, who said anything about being happy about it?” Helmut asked, legitimately confused.

“Look. Neither of us had anything to do tonight, and we were bored, so Raz suggested getting a drink somewhere, but Adam and Lizzie are out of town so we couldn’t ask them.” She crossed her arms and spoke without any inflection. “So, we went out but no one would let us do anything cause we’re minors. I thought that was stupid, because we’re agents same as any of you, so I came up with the sneaking-in part. We only got caught cause one of the bartenders recognized Raz from a show.”

There were a lot of loaded things to parse through from that explanation, but Bob’s mind stalled on one particular detail.

“Adam and Lizzie give you two alcohol?”

“Not…often,” Raz admitted. “Just once or twice, when we asked.”

“Do you mean like, a literal once or twice, or a…an estimated once or twice?”

“Did Dad put you up to this?” Lili shot back. “It was just a few times, like he said. What’s with the inquisition?”

“…Lili –”

 “Raz.”

“Okay!” Helmut proclaimed as he slapped his hand against the steering wheel in boisterous aggression. “Who wants some ice cream?”

Everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Cause I’m really feeling some chocolate-vanilla swirl right now. Basic bitch style. Right? Who’s with me?”

Silence.

“Great! Look at that, open Dairy King right there, better take advantage of this opportunity before it slips through our fingers like the melting ice cream we’re all gonna have in about five minutes!”

The psi-king swung into the parking lot in a frenzy and herded the car crew inside before any of them could come out of their shock long enough to protest. It was only as Bob was staring up at fifteen flavors of oversaturated sugary goodness that he realized what had just happened.

He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief over his husband’s diversion. The tension that had been boiling over was cooled significantly by the sudden non-sequitur, and while the teens were rather half-hearted about picking out their sweet treats, there was no longer a risk of an explosion happening.

Metaphorically and literally.

Helmut caught his spouse’s eye with a meaningful look at Lili the moment all of them had their orders in hand, then slung his arm around Razputin’s shoulders and steered him away. “C’mon my lad! Nothing like the cool night air of three in the morning to keep your Hurricane ™ properly chilled!”

The poor boy had no choice but to let himself be pulled outside, leaving the two Zanottos standing awkwardly in the dingy restaurant. Bob gave a nervous scratch at his chin under his beard.

“How about we, uh, find a seat somewhere?”

Lili couldn’t fully cross her arms while holding ice cream, but she did a good job of making it work anyway. “Sure.”

They sat in a booth in the farthest corner from the front counter. Both great-niece and great-uncle stared at their respective sweet treats as if they could teleport them out of this situation. Bob glanced out the window and saw Helmut and Raz standing outside of the car. The former was on one knee with his hand on the teen’s shoulder, speaking earnestly but inaudibly, and the latter was scuffing the toe of his sneaker against the asphalt.

“Are you going to lecture me?” Lili finally cut through the silence.

Bob turned back to her. “No. Not really.”

“No?” She broke her gaze away from her ice cream just a little bit, eyeing him with surprise. “Then why did Helmut take Raz and leave us alone?”

She was so perceptive, so smart. And yet, still so young.

“Well, I… I still want to talk to you about what happened. I’m just not very, good, at this kind of thing.” He took his spoon and absentmindedly began drawing a flower in his soft-serve. “You already know what you did wasn’t a good idea, right? So I don’t think a lecture would help things any on that front.”

She didn’t respond. He continued.

“It’s less about the fake ID and more…the reasons you made the fake ID. Does that make sense?”

“I guess so, but I know what I’m doing, Uncle Bob. I’m not going to drink irresponsibly.”

The herbophanist shook his head. “But you’ll do irresponsible things to be able to drink in the first place.”

“That’s not –” Lili didn’t have a good rebuttal. She folded her arms and grumpily started eating her cherry chocolate delight. “Whatever. It’s two different things, anyway.”

Against his better judgement, Bob began picking at his own food as he thought about how best to bring the subject back up without making the teen defensive again. Spoons clicking against teeth was the only sound between them for a solid minute.

Finally, an epiphany.

“Did Truman ever…tell you anything, about your great-grandma?”

The girl paused with a bite halfway up to her mouth. She frowned, confused. “Grandma Tia? Not much. Just that she died when he was a baby.”

“Yeah. Yeah, she did.” He ran a tired hand over his face. The ache in his heart might have long-since healed into a scar, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt when pressed. “She passed away when I was nineteen. The doctors told me it was liver failure.”

He didn’t have to say anything else. Lili’s mouth thinned and she put her spoon down, uncomfortable.

“When I…found out the reason behind her death, I was horrified by it. It didn’t make sense to me why she would willingly do something that hurt her so badly, especially when I was right there to love her and help her. It felt like a betrayal that she never got help or made herself stop. I was…disgusted by the mere thought of doing anything like that.”

Bob took a moment to breathe and wipe his eyes. He wasn’t crying, but better safe than sorry.

“It sounds pretty hypocritical when I say it now, doesn’t it?”

His great-niece only gave him a hesitant look.

“Anyway, uh, where was I…” He worried his lip. “Oh, right. I told myself that I’d never touch the stuff after that. I was angry at what she’d done, and I was determined not to have the same ‘weakness’, so to speak. As you know, it, uh, it didn’t last long. I was at a college party barely a year later when I was invited by some friends to drink with them. I didn’t make human friends very easily back then – actually, I still don’t – so I was a little desperate to keep them. It turned out to be pretty hard whiskey, so I got hammered.”

The man leaned back in his seat, staring at the patterns in the booth table.

“Back then, no one really knew how alcoholism could run in a family. Everyone thought it was a personal choice to keep drinking. It wasn’t even classified as an addiction yet. So I didn’t know how susceptible I was, or how careful I had to be. I’d spend months not having a single drink, thinking I was fine and could handle myself, and then I’d get plastered for a week at parties and bars and God knows what else, and it would take me even longer to get myself to stop again. It was like that even when I was with Ford and his gang. It wasn’t until I started dating Helmut that I started trying to change those habits. I’d never met anyone who loved me so unconditionally that I wanted to be a better person for them, until him. And it worked for a while.

“Well, barring our wedding, of course. I got shitfaced at the reception. It was embarrassing afterwards, but Helmut told me it made our cake-eating ceremony a hell of a great time.”

Lili snorted, and it was accompanied by a tiny upturn of her lips. Then it dropped as her expression became solemn. “And then…everything with Maligula happened, right?”

“Yeah. I think you know the rest of that story.”

“Uh-huh.”

Great-niece and great-uncle sat together for a while, just thinking about it all.

“I know I have to be more careful drinking than a lot of people, Uncle Bob,” Lili finally said at length. “My dad warned me about it when I was old enough to ask.”

“Truman is a good dad,” he murmured in response.

“The best dad.”

“Definitely the best dad.”

More silence.

“I didn’t mean to worry you and him,” she continued. “Or scare you. I know it was dumb to do what we did tonight.”

Bob looked at her, and she gave a conceding sigh.

“Okay, it was dumb to do a lot of what we’ve been doing with this stuff. That doesn’t mean I’m not being careful.”

“Kid, it’s not always just a matter of being careful. I thought I was being careful. I thought that for years and years, and when I finally realized I wasn’t, I convinced myself I could stop any time I wanted to, and kept up the same patterns anyway. That’s what I’m trying to get you to understand. I just don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. I’m just worried about you.”

Lili closed her eyes with a grimace. “I know. I’m sorry, Uncle Bob.”

“Hey, kiddo, look at me.” He waited until she did so. “I’m not mad at you. I’m not disappointed, either. That’s your dad’s job. I get it, is what I’m saying. It gives you a buzz, and it’s fun and exciting, and you just wanted to have a good time with your, uh…”

Bob leaned in a bit, and dropped his voice to a stage whisper.

“Is Raz still your boyfriend?”

“Wha –” her cheeks went red. “Yes, he is!”

“Alright, sorry, I’m just always out of the loop. No one ever tells me when these things change or not. Anyway,” he continued before she could get brighter than the cherries in her ice cream. “I’m just saying that you gotta be more than careful with this kind of thing. Everyone should be, really, but especially people like us. Plants aren’t the only thing that runs in the Zanotto family, unfortunately, so we just have to be aware of it and act accordingly.”

The teen turned this over in her mind. He could practically see the gears moving. When she looked at him again, it was with a slow, contemplative nod.

“No more late-night bar-hopping?” Her great-uncle asked.

“No more late-night bar-hopping.” She answered, sincere.

“Good.” He looked outside. Helmut and Raz were both lying on the front of the car, pointing out stars to each other. The sight made him smile. “Come on, we’ll work on that whole thing about Adam and Lizzie giving you alcohol another time, when it’s not three in the morning. For now, let’s rejoin our boys again and go get some rest, okay?”

“Okay.” Lili slid out of the booth and tentatively took her family member’s hand. His fingers squeezed hers in reassurance. “And...thanks, Uncle Bob.”

“Well, what can I say. Us weird Zanotto plant people hafta look out for each other, right?”

“Right.”

They walked out together, hand-in-hand.

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

A/N: I knew from promotional material that we'd be going into the mind of someone struggling with alcoholism, but Bob's Bottles punched me hard in the gut. It's probably my favorite mind in the game, both because it's visually gorgeous and because it hit a little close to home with some of the themes, like generational alcoholism and how the addiction can make someone a shell of themselves.

I wrote half of this three weeks ago and then found myself really struggling to finish it because it brought up a lot of old feelings I thought I'd sorted through a long time ago.

Psychonauts, man.

[its-me-im-coraline]

Birthday Surprises // Damiano David

words // 984

warnings // none

pairing // Damiano David x F!Reader

author's note // let me know if you want to be tagged. its a little stupid, with a little stupid humor cause i saw something like that online and i just... it inspire me

request // yes by @ starslazyandcozy, happy belated birthday babe, I hope you like it.

summary // Reader has her birthday and thinks Damiano has forgotten but the man has a few tricks up his sleeve.

It was a special day today. Her birthday was finally here and she could not wait to spend it with her lover. Y/N woke up that morning full of excitement - it would be the first birthday with Damiano - but the aforementioned man was nowhere to be seen. His side of the bed was empty, and cold by the time Y/N woke up, only a note there , folded in four and left on the pillow.

Good morning, amore. I did not mean to leave so early but I was needed at work. Seems some of our demos have been ruined and we might need to re-record them. There’s breakfast already made (I did promise, didn’t I? I made some waffles - yes I put syrup on top) and coffee is at the coffee maker (oh I wish it will stay tasty till you wake up).

I’ll try to be back before lunch. There’s this new place at the end of the town square - Thomas told me about it - and I thought we should go.

Have a good day dolcezza, I love you.

♡ Damiano

Not a word about her birthday. Nothing at all! Y/N tried to not start the day on a bad note, instead taking a deep breath and deciding to go and enjoy the breakfast Damiano made. Maybe he did not entirely forget. Maybe he did not have time to even think about it when he left. He must’ve already made the breakfast before they called him to go. Yeah, yes, that’s the only logical explanation. He will surely text me later.

But later never came. Y/N spend the morning entirely alone - well with the exception of Damiano’s cats. There were phone calls occupying the phone all day, from family and friends and all of that, but nothing from the one person she expected to call her the most. The man had gone in radio silence, not even a text shot her way.

By the time striked 15.00 PM Y/N was convinced Damiano forgot. Of course he did! It’s not like he does not have entirely too much on his plate. He’s so busy, I understand, she tried to convince herself but she knew that she was actually pretty upset. It did hurt that Damiano did not remember her birthday, after a whole year of being together and over 5 of being friends. It was impossible, or at least it seemed to be, but as the facts show it did happen.

“Amore, I’m back,” called Damiano entering the apartment, “are you ready to go?” He walked in the house all excited (and with a few surprises up his sleeve) but it was not reciprocated. “Amore?”

Y/N was sitting on the couch asleep in a state that the man could only explain as (very mildly and kind of falsely) depressive. There were dry tears in her face, her hair was a mess. Damiano simply could not believe it. He felt guilty, having a few ideas as to what got his girlfriend in that state but he wanted to make sure. So he did the most ‘logical’ thing he could: wake her up.

His fingers started softly running through her hair, landing on her back and rubbing it over the thin material of her his t-shirt. “Dolcezza, hey, hey baby, hi,” he whispered seeing as she slowly opened her eyes. “Happy birthday baby.” A soft kiss was all that followed his words and a soft smile of relief as he saw his love smiling as well.

“Did you sleep well?” He questioned, never pausing his very relaxing actions.

“Not really,” she said truthfully, “I thought you forgot.” The confession felt very freeing to Y/N. It had almost stressed her out - the possibility of her lover forgetting such a day.

“I could never forget you, amore-”

“Yeah but you never said happy birthday all day,” she whined a bit, slightly joking but slightly actually complaining about his actions. To his defence he was not planning on ignoring his lover, only giving the birthday wishes and gifts a little later that day, in an attempt of a surprise.

“I only wanted to surprise you,” he explained, pulling Y/N out of the couch as he got up and walked to the front door. There, by the door, on a comfortingly old chair, sat a bouquet of flowers and a big pastry shop box with two candles and a little stick that throws fire sparks taped up top and two candy bars (Y/N’s favorite). “The lady gave me those for free. She said I was - and I quote - so funny, she had to gift me at least those because she has not laughed this much in a while. I don’t even know what that means,” he laughed making Y/N laugh with him before embracing him strongly.

“Hey, get off! You have to see the cake.”

“What did you do Damiano?!”

“Nothing, open it up!” If he could be ‘too excited’ then Damiano was just that. He had this stupid little boy-ish grin all over his face, all but yelling ‘immature teenage boy’ in the most positive sense that could have. He could be an adult rockstar at 23 but sometimes his humor matched a 15 year old.

Y/N did as told, opening the box of the cake and almost falling to the floor while laughing, tears in her eyes. In the open box sat a cake in the shape of a crooked penis with a lopsided smile and a few words written on it. ‘Another year you’re alive. It will be my pleasure’. No wonder the lady found it so funny.

“Do you like it?” Questioned Damiano, not much that curious about the answer, his own entertained smile turning into laughter soon.

“I love it,” replied Y/N and kissed the man softly, “thank you.”

“Happy birthday, amore.”

tag list: @bieberhoodforever @tabi-toast @ginny-lily @moriro-da-regina @the-killer-queenie @makapaka11 @teenyweenynightghost @superchrystaldrug @selenophiliaxx

[voiceless-terror]

Jon plays the piano. That’s it, that’s the fic.

At first, he thinks it’s the radio. It’s not uncommon for these stores to play classical music, trying to add an air of sophistication in what’s otherwise a dark room of dusty knicknacks. But when he walks towards the noise, he instead finds Jon sitting at the bench of an old wooden upright, his posture straighter than Tim’s ever seen it, hands moving slowly but deftly across the keys as he leans into each note.

It’s mesmerizing.

Jon must hear his footsteps as he doesn’t startle when Tim sits beside him. “You never told me you could play,” Tim says, too enthralled to be truly annoyed by it. Jon gives him a self-deprecating smile, though his eyes don’t leave the keys.

“I can’t, not anymore,” he responds in complete defiance of his actions. Tim’s always loved Jon’s hands, delicate and slender and naturally elegant in all of their movements; even the most awkward of gestures made with a sort of grace. He shouldn’t be surprised that he plays so wonderfully. But Jon’s always been protective of his interests, careful not to volunteer too much information lest he be laughed at or scorned. Sometimes, when it’s only the two of them, and occasionally Sasha, he’ll let his guard down and his enthusiasm for even the most mundane of subjects is surprisingly contagious.

“Well, seeing as how I can only do Hot Cross Buns, I think you can, actually.”

“Middle C is flat,” Jon continues as if Tim hadn’t spoken, his brow furrowing in annoyance. He taps at the key a few times, but Tim’s never had a good ear for that sort of thing, so he’ll have to take Jon’s word for it. “They should really keep this in better condition, it’s a shame.” He stops his tapping but his hands still flutter over the keys as if they itch to play more. Tim would gladly sit here all day and listen.

“What was that?” He nudges Jon’s shoulder, pleased when Jon leans further into his side. 

“Satie. From his Trois Gymnopedies.” 

“Ooh, nice accent,” he teases, though he does indeed love it. “Someone passed their French A-level.”

“Shut up,” Jon butts his head affectionately against his shoulder, his face flushing. “You’re just as bad with your insufferable Italian.”

“Alright, alright,” Tim lets out a small laugh. “It’s just, you never said. Seems like you enjoy it.”

“I did,” Jon replies, his eyes going distant. He gets like that, when he talks about his past. Tim knows very little of it, though Jon insists there’s ‘nothing to know.’ Jon’s told him about what brought him to the institute in a rare moment of vulnerability, but other than that, he knows the bare minimum. “I still do, I suppose. You know, my Gran was the one who actually pushed me into the lessons.”

Jon doesn’t talk much about his grandmother. He remembers back when he first started, Jon disappeared for a week and Sasha kept checking her phone anxiously. Tim later found out that his grandmother had died, that Jon was the only one left to take care of such things. That Jon was an orphan. That Jon came back with that stiff upper lip even though he looked like shit, and promptly crumbled when Tim gave him an awkward, one-armed condolence hug. 

From what Tim knows, she wasn’t the greatest guardian. Far from it in his opinion. But she was all Jon had.

Not anymore.

“Said I needed something to distract me from- from-'' his voice stutters out and Tim wraps his arm around Jon’s waist- he knows. He doesn’t need the explanation. “Well, she wasn’t the type of person to recommend therapy. It was her way of showing that she cared.” Or just wanted you dealt with, Tim doesn’t voice.

“Did it work?” He knows the answer.

“Not at all,” Jon smirks and his hands abruptly fly across the keys in a lively, fast tune. Jon isn’t just good, he’s excellent. The way his eyes brighten and his face lights up - the man’s in his element. “Still enjoyed it, though. And I was pretty good at it, entered a few competitions.” Pretty good is more than an understatement, but Jon’s never been one to brag over things that truly matter.

“What’s this one called?”

“Rondo alla ingharese quasi un capriccio,” Jon rolls out in an over-exaggerated Italian accent. “More commonly known as Rage Over a Lost Penny.”

“You could’ve just said that.”

“I could’ve, yes,” he replies playfully, the lilting tones of the music perfectly matching his little smile. He’s an infuriating little bastard. Tim loves it.

“You didn’t want to go professional? Hit the big time?”

“Hardly,” Jon snorts in derision, his hands stilling again. “Gran was right, it wasn’t practical. No use paying for a degree in music when so few people make it.” The music, still lively, goes a bit softer. “Didn’t stop me from auditioning, though.”

“Really?” He tries to imagine a young Jon in front of a panel of judges. “Must have been nerve-wracking.”

“Indeed.” Jon says stiffly, his hands abruptly stopping as they hit a sour note. “I had a panic attack before my hands hit the keys.”

Tim winces in sympathy. “Oh, Jon…”

“And I haven’t played since.” Tim reaches out to take Jon’s hands in his own, although the man avoids his eyes. Jon puts up a hard exterior, but he’s very easily wounded. One wrong word, one bad experience- it’s internalized, played over and over in his head. People don’t realize that about him, but Tim knows better than others that the mind keeps score. “I think a part of me knew she was right. Shouldn’t have bothered.”

“That’s a pity,” Tim once again wishes Jon had one person he could’ve relied on as a child. One adult he could confide in or get encouragement from. He thinks about young Jon, tiny and traumatized and alone, and his chest aches with it. “I think you could’ve made it.”

“Sweet of you.” Jon leans against his side and closes his eyes. “But there’s no need to flatter.”

“It’s not flattery if it’s true,” Tim insists. And yeah, maybe he’s not well-versed in music, but he knows talent and passion when he sees it. He used to see it in his brother all the time. And it’s sad that Jon doubts himself so much. He should be able to at least enjoy his hobby without being reminded of the guilt and what-could’ve-beens.

“Always wanted to learn an instrument,” he begins carefully, letting go of one of Jon’s hands to tinker at the keys. “Maybe I’ll get a keyboard, you can show me the ropes.”

The hand still in his twitches, and he turns to see the small beginnings of a shy smile. Jon’s a good teacher, patient and kind when someone shows a genuine interest in what he has to say. And Tim would do anything to see that easy, boyish smile again, see those fingers flying across the keys with such enjoyment.

“Not sure if you can afford my rates, Stoker.”

“Hey-!”

A cough cuts into his argument. It’s the old woman who sat behind the counter as they arrived, and she’s looking at a spot somewhere above Tim’s ahead. He turns around.

DO NOT TOUCH.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” he drags Jon up from the seat, ignoring his squeak. “We’ll just be going now!”

They sprint out of the store, giggling like naughty school children the entire way. Jon’s genuine laughter is rare, and something to be treasured - nothing like the sarcastic snorts he usually prefers. 

“Damn!” Jon swears as he checks his watch, smile still lingering on his face despite the furrow in his brow. “We were supposed to interview that witness at noon, it’s already half past.”

“Don’t worry, this was a necessary detour,” Tim assures him. And for him, it was. “Piano could’ve been haunted, after all.”

Jon rolls his eyes as he barks out a laugh. “Haunted. Yes, of course.”

On the train, Tim googles how much a keyboard costs. He’s thinking he might take it up after all.  

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31219403

[yeolmae-s]

a chanbaek analysis from a veteran exo-l (part 2)

CLICK HERE TO READ PART ONE

Writing this was a bit harder in comparison to the first part, because I wanted to organize things into a neat timeline, but I ended up not having enough patience for it lol specially because both of ChanBaek's main archive blogs seem to have deleted their pages documenting each date of EXO's early years. Therefore I apologize in advance if this part is a bit more messy. Also, please don't forget that all of this is my opinion and I don't mean for any of it to be taken as truth!

I kind of want to jump from MAMA era directly into Wolf era, since we don't really have a lot of cover regarding their debut phase besides Chanyeol's overeagerness and Baekhyun's awkwardness towards it, so to sum it up, I felt as if Chanyeol was more confident and consistent on what he thought an idol should act like, while Baekhyun (sweet, innocent Baekhyun who was a trainee for less than a year!) was still unsure on how to act on camera.

On the few early variety shows/interviews EXO appeared on, the members always pointed out how funny Baekhyun was, how good he'd be at variety and at doing imitations, but he never really lived up to all the praise on camera, although off of it, he most likely was as good as his members claimed.

He was a bit stiff on his early days in comparison to what we see today, and that's normal, I guess, since he debuted really quickly, but when you compare him to Chanyeol the contrast is so interesting, because the latter was able to latch on to a persona as soon as the public gave him one, while to me, Baekhyun was still doubtful regarding what to put on display. In the end, deep inside, Baekhyun is a private person, and was even more so when he wasn't confident enough to talk to fans like he does today.

Once again, I’m sorry for not being able to upload the gifs directly into the post, so I’ll just link them like I did on my last one.

This is another one of the moments where Baek appears to tell Chanyeol to just. Hold on for a bit.

There's another one similar to this where Chanyeol does the same thing (try to whisper on Baekhyun's ear) and Baekhyun fake laughs and stares at a fan's camera right after. Then, his expression just goes blank. It's really interesting to watch because you can just see the gears spinning on Chanyeol's brain as he stares at Baekhyun for a second and clearly thinks alright, fanservice time, and leans in to whisper something: it happens so fast you just know it wasn't genuine whispering, just a playful interaction for the fans, and Baekhyun's direct stare to the camera as soon as it happens just confirms this for me. 

1: Chanyeol spots his target.

2: He’s really thinking this through.

3: Baek's in a perfect position for whispering-time, so he leans in and does his thing.

4: Baekhyun laughs.

5: And stares directly at a fan's camera.

6: Immediately regrets his life choices. Chanyeol looks pleased.

It's actually better to watch the whole thing, so I'll leave it here. (starts on 0:28!)

(Random note: on this date EXO perfomed a cover of H.O.T's We Are The Future, and I feel like a lot of new EXO-Ls have not seem it and I adore this performance, so I'll link it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1-z4s3fdgo)

Now let's jump on to Wolf era, shall we?

Wolf era

I can't help but laugh when I think about how wild 2013 was for both EXO and EXO-Ls. They had their first hit song (which was Growl, not Wolf) the fandom grew considerably, shippers where just discovering the cute ISAC moments between "BaekYeol" and "HunHan"... Or at least that's how everyone remembers most of what happened during that year.

Are we forgetting the rumoured ChanBaek fight?

Considering their past interactions on airports, SMTOWN concerts, ISAC and other events, ChanBaek was now widely known to be close to each other. Baekhyun even said Chanyeol was the one who made him open up, and both of them mentioned feeling this "connection" to each other as soon as they met (although jokingly).

After Mama, the fandom was content-less for a considerable period of time, and what most people did was sharing around old performances and repeat overused memes.  I think that in every fandom there is a period where fans establish their main inside jokes and basically just get together to create a collective line of thought for perceiving their idols. That being said, one of the most well established facts in the fandom was that Chanyeol and Baekhyun were close. That was a fact.But then Wolf came, and they suddenly were not. 

This gif is a good example of how awkward their interactions were. Not even my delusional shipping brain in 2013 was able to come up with an explanation for it.

They simply did not acknowledge each other at all, and Chanyeol appeared to be closer to Kyungsoo (I think Baekhyun interacted a lot with Tao, but that may have been during the Growl era, not Wolf. As I said before, I'm a Chanyeol stan guys, sorry lmao).

Point is, these two boys who seemed to be best friends suddenly were clearly distant from one another.

What added fuel to the fire of the rumours was their appearance on Sukira, a radio show, where Sehun cried because the members sometimes had fights. Here's a fanacc:

[130530] EXO at Sukira

Sehun cried because the members sometimes fight.

Sehun: "Let's be loyal to each other, don't fight, and go until the end"

D.O: "We've been under a lot of stress lately because of the comeback, so I wish we won't fight in the future and do our best"

Here's a video cut of this part of their interview. 

I think this ask on lets-talk-baekyeol, a popular ChanBaek analysis blog from back in the day, shows how curious a lot of fans were.

What happened back then?

There's really no answer for that. On my opinion, not even Chanyeol or Baekhyun could give us a concrete answer on it, because I don't think an actual fight happened. For me, it was most likely a personality clash, a disagreement that probably wasn't even voiced out loud, just both of them noticing how uncomfortable things got, if Baekhyun's reactions to Chanyeol's fanservice is any indication. I somehow doubt there was a specific episode that created this distance between them, specially because during Growl, they went back to being friends, although not as touchy on camera as before, as if one of them had established their limits (oh, I wonder who!), but I still have this feeling that all of this was unspoken, because unspoken things seem to be a pattern on ChanBaek's relationship (something I'll touch on later, hopefully).

But it was during Growl era that I noticed something else about Baekhyun.

Wolf era

EXO'S Showtime was a such a gift. I recommend reading lets-talk-baekyeol's blog for this. I don't really agree with everything they say they do present a lot of relevant points. I may repeat them here, since I noticed them myself as well, but credits for them nonetheless.

I remember finding the lack of ChanBaek interactions during the episodes really dissappointing, but considering the Wolf Era drought, this was better than nothing.

My 13 year old self was devastated when Baekhyun appeared so quiet during Chanyeol's birthday episode, and during a recent rewatch of it, I think realized why.

Baekhyun doesn't like superficial things. It's not that Chanyeol is insincere, but he's just better than Baekhyun is at handling people pleasing, even when he doesn't really mean what's he saying/doing. The Chanyeol birthday episode was heavily centered on Chanyeol's random admiration for Kai, which I think we can all agree that it was a little bit scripted or a really spur of the moment thing that they just ran along with and oh man. Baekhyun did not want to be part of it.

During ChanKai's hug, this is what he looked like on the background, and the poor boy even refused to eat cake. He's just in the back, which is weird, because he's such a talkative person and Chanyeol is one of his closest friends. The only moment where he seems to be genuinely comfortable is when Chanyeol blows the candle and it's really cute. To me, it seems that he was kind of embarrassed to witness so much acting from everyone else and was unable to participate because he struggles with things like this, but the moment Chanyeol blows his candles to comemorate his birthday seems sincere enough for him to fondly smile.

This ties in so well with everything from Mama Era. He's just unable to keep acting/people pleasing on the same easy way that Chanyeol does, but this time he's not as nervous about it as he was on his earlier-early days, where he probably felt pressured to actually do stuff. Now he just doesn't do **it, he just doesn't do something that he dislikes doing, and that sadly creates a distance between them on camera and probably on a deeper level in their relationship as well, because both are just realizing how different their perceptions over their jobs is.

There's also this moment that the mods on lets-talk-baekyeol pointed out.

On the Christmas episode, when the members leave the couch to go get their presents, Chanyeol stays seated while Baekhyun gets up to fetch his. This is the sitting arrangement before (almost) everyone got up:

But when Baekhyun comes back, there's free space next to Chanyeol, however he's hesitant to sit by his side. He actually hesitates and doesn't sit down. Jongdae even gives him a little push right after.

Baek just seems hesitant to do things on camera, to interact with Chanyeol in front of an audience. For this moment, I feel like he's afraid to sit next to Chanyeol and end up having to over act. It's not that Chanyeol himself makes him uncomfortable, but the image of the friendship that they ended up creating for fans demands a lot from him.

And when I say hesitant to do things on camera, I really do mean it, because when Baekhyun thinks he is not being recorded/seen, here's what he does:

Here and here.

Their relationship clearly changed, and I think the reason for it is actually simple: both of them were under the impression that they were compatible with each other when they actually were not. Their personalities are extremely different, even if the way they present themselves is sometimes similar. Wolf and Growl era was our way, as fans, of watching them navigate around each other and finding out how their relationship was supposed to work.

And you know what's nice about that? The members watched all of it unfold. Their reactions to some of ChanBaek's interaction is a gold mine when it comes to analyzing them, because they clearly know, just as we do, that their relationship is kind of complicated. But I want to talk about it on the next part.

I am sorry for cutting this off again! I don't know if the next part is going to be the last, because after Growl there's Overdose and we all know what happened on 2014 [coughs] dating scandal [coughs] god help me I don't want to talk about it [coughs] so there's a lot to uncover and I need time to organize stuff.

Thank you for reading!

[zhoufeis]

MISCHA’S KDRAMA REVIEWS 2.0

The not-so-newbie newbie finished 20 21 Korean dramas. I adjusted the ratings of the 10 dramas I made a review of in the past. I’ll link that post too; the adjusted ratings you can find here (with a little explanation in case I adjusted the ratings). The 11 new dramas will be rated and reviewed under the cut. It’s a bit spoilery, but not in a way you’d remember.

Dramas under the cut with longer reviews: Doom at your service | Happiness | Hometown Cha Cha Cha | I’m not a robot | Moon Lovers | My Only Love Song (please excuse me for finding out only afterwards that the actor is the worst) | My Roommate is a Gumiho | Secret Royal Inspector & Joy | So I Married an Anti-Fan | Vincenzo | Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo

Dramas with ratings that I’ve (partly) adjusted and have reviewed before: A Love So Beautiful | Bring it on, ghost! | Extraordinary You | Hotel del Luna | Radio Romance | Romance is a Bonus Book | Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung | Run On | The Tale of Nokdu | W Two Worlds

Rated from worst to best:

#21 로맨스는 별책부록 Romance is a Bonus Book (2019) Rating: 2,0 of 5 stars. I adjusted it down, it’s as terrible as before but I have more comparison now and it’s just the worst Korean drama I’ve seen. The review can be found HERE.

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#20 어사와 조이 Secret Royal Inspector & Joy (2021) Rating: 2,3 of 5 stars. I love Taecyeon and Kim Hye-yoon, which is why I started this show. The show has an A+ cast. Unfortunately, that’s the only good thing I can say about it. The show is an utter bore. Nothing happens, the characters are flat, the scenery is - considering that they travelled through all of Korea to film this - rather underwhelming. I was desperately looking for a plot, but tbh, nothing keeps your interest. I’ve noticed that problems arise the moment I start liking the villain(s) more as the leads. Happened here. Tae Seo is a much more interesting character because we actually get to see layers to him and his motivations for his actions are explored and are actually complex. Every other character rather stays dull. I liked the fact that we had comedy, but it came the point where I was sick of it. I didn’t cry once with this show, I also barely laughed. The first 3 episodes were fine, episodes 4 and 5 were amazing. Afterwards, it was all terrible. The writing was all over the place, the cinematography alright-ish, the characters flat enough. We focused too much on side characters and kept introducing characters that no one cared about. While I did like that the girls had scenes on their own, they were usually so detached from the “important” storylines that they just added to the boredom. The chemistry between Taec and Hye-yoon was undeniable but I’ve never seen a drama that gave so few scenes to its main ship, specifically because the show was promoted with their amazing chemistry. Don’t even get me started about how the show could have great messages about feminism and grief and abandoned children but falls short on all of them because it doesn’t treat the characters in a suitable manner. Eventually, you could have read out of the show that every woman at that time who was unhappy in her marriage could only blame herself cause she could have just quit. It’s not like there’s further consequences, am I right? It’s not like women could get murdered when getting divorced in such a time era. And do not get me started on Tae Seo. Like wtf was that? THAT’S how he dies??? What are you trying to sell to us???????? He deserved SO MUCH better. All in all? A show with a lot of potential that failed completely in execution. Completely. And it’s boring on top of that.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: the cast is really A+, episodes 4&5, TAE SEO!!!!!!! Negative: everything else.

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#19 간 떨어지는 동거 My Roommate is a Gumiho (2021) Rating: 3,0 of 5 stars. I literally have no idea why the hell everyone loved this show. It was fine for the most part. Fine as in: no harm done, also I’ve forgotten what was the storyline even, except that she lived with him after swallowing the golden thingy. I liked the second male lead more, he had more charisma. Well, sorry, okay, maybe it’s because the ML’s actor isn’t my cup of tea. I tried Search: WWW too and thought he was... boring (For everyone’s information: I can’t put Search: WWW because I genuinely didn’t watch the show, but I did watch each and every single scene of Lee Jae-wook and Lee Da-hee, they were soooooooo cute). Sorrrryyyyyy, I know many of you like Jang Ki-yong, but he’s not my cup of tea at all. Meanwhile, Lee Hyeri is incredible and outshines him all the fricking time - I’m watching her on Moonshine right now and she’s great and her co-stars are much more charismatic and interesting. The secondary couple was nice though. I didn’t finish it however. After episode 12, I called it quits. It was just too boring and the storyline too dull.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: Lee Hyeri, the secondary couple, the second male lead. Negative: well... everything else.

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#18 신입사관 구해령 Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019) Rating: 3,3 of 5 stars. This rating was adjusted DOWN as I’ve been trying very hard to remember what the show was about but couldn’t really except for the things that the title gives away lol. No, honestly, I’m still convinced the show ain’t terrible but it’s also not something you will remember 2 years later.  The whole review can be found HERE.

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#17 갯마을 차차차 Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021) Rating: 3,4 of 5 stars. Another Tumblr favorite that I don’t entirely understand. I liked the first few episodes. The FL was great. However, it bothered me from the start that the show loved mansplaining. Like instead of showing what a strong, intelligent FL we had, she constantly had to be corrected by the ML - in her behavior, in her way of thinking, but even in her skills in mathematics and the like. It bothered me from the start but I was like: ‘kay, we can ignore that. What I couldn’t ignore was how she turnt into some clingy girlfriend the moment they got together. It sincerely annoyed me how both, ML and FL, lost their... personalities the moment they got together. And Jesus, his backstory revelation was so goddamn melodramatic I wanted to choke. I could oversee their cheesiness that was much beyond good and bad (I did feel the need to punch them every now and then), but the show shined in its first few eps through interesting characters and non-melodramatic storytelling, which is precisely what I enjoyed about it. And it turnt its two main characters into some lovey-dovey ship with no personalities anymore, and the non-melodramatic storyline into double-melodramatic storytelling. At some point, I started to wonder if I was watching a Mexican telenovela now with surprisingly good cinematography. Ah, right, the amount of 50k side characters and side ship no one fricking cares about also added to the telenovela theory. A show that started strong but turnt... cliché. Ofc we ended this with a wedding *sigh*

Favorite character(s):

Positive: everything in the first few episodes (minus the mansplaining), the cinematpography in general, the banter between the two leads in the first few episodes, a good senstivity to emotions and feelings. Negative: the amount of irrelevant side ships of side characters i really didn’t care about at all; everything in the last few eps concerning characterization, storytelling and just... generally... writing.

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#16 빈센조 Vincenzo (2021) Rating: 3,6 of 5 stars. Why the hell did Mischa rank this show so badly, you ask? Well, I’m sorry, I cannot help it as this show was an utter letdown in its last few eps. Let’s start with the good thing: This show was quality. You can tell from the first second you enter it, the cinematography is beyond, the plot was intriguing, the characters are incredibly sharp and complex and unique. I clearly remember I was AMAZED beyond compare by episode 6. It was some sort of How to Get Away with Murder show, but like 5 times better, spiced up with better and more consistent characterizations. All of this was well done. Problems started arising around episode 10, when the show started dragging things out. By episode 12, everyone could tell how this storyline would end. I wanted a conclusion, maybe then get to the final storyline with the Mafia. Instead... we just dragged on and on and on. By episode 16, I was just annoyed because I either wanted a plot twist or a new layer in the storyline. It wasn’t given. Instead, we sidelined Cha-young for no reason whatsoever and went with all the clichés that Korean dramas could give. I could have forgiven this - I really could have... if the writers hadn’t screwed over all character and relationship development in its last episode to write an “open ending” that no one wanted. Cha-young deserved her happy ending and not some stupid “I’ll wait for you”-storyline for a guy who doesn’t deserve it. She deserved better. We deserved better. This show deserved better. 16 eps would have also been beyond sufficient. Besides, I have not forgiven them for how I will never get this pic ouf of my mind of Taecyeon’s character’s death. I’m traumatized by it. Objectively, it’s a well made and well written show. But there’s so many flaws in the last episodes and the ending that I just cannot rate it high as it didn’t leave me with a good feeling after all. I kind of just wish I’d forget about this show.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: cinematography, incredible plot twists, CHA YOUNG!!!!!, A+ cast, intriguing and interesting, characters are complex and unique. Negative: drags on in the last few eps, screws over character and relationship developments for the sake of writing a “unique” ending, leaves you unsatisfied.

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NEXT UP: All shows I sincerely enjoyed until the end!

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#15 런 온 Run On (2020) Rating: 3,8 of 5 stars. Rating adjusted DOWN. Look, let me explain: this is a very, very well-written and well-directed show. In my personal opinion, it just doesn’t have this obsession factor as other shows. It has great characters, relatable characters, to be precise; it has good storylines, it’s adult, it’s metaphoric, it treats all its topics with sensitivity. The relationships are great, the friendships are nice, it’s a slice of life made into art. It’s wonderfully made - it’s just not the kind of show I’d rewatch really or get obsessed with. Objectively, it’s one of the best out there though. So if you enjoy show that show you a slice of life, this one is TOTALLY worth your time! My whole review can be found HERE.

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#14 라디오 로맨스 Radio Romance (2018) Rating: 3,9 of 5 stars. Rating adjusted UP. This is a truly nice show that is so deep that it’s truly a tragedy that there’s a useless love triangle on there. The love triangle adds nothing to the story and is just nothing but annoying. The backstory... the way it deals with depression, with grief, with PTSD, but also with feelings in general... The way it promotes kindness and celebrates compassion and empathy... Amazing.  My old longer review can be found HERE. This would be one of the best if it just wasn’t for the love triangle. If we cut that part, we could have sized down the show to 12 episodes - and those would have been awesome.

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#13 아름다웠던 우리에게 A Love So Beautiful (2020) Rating: 3,9 of 5 stars. Rating adjusted UP. I have to admit I just love this show, it’s so cute and lovely and makes you feel so melancholic. I personally consider it to be the lighter, less complex version of Our Beloved Summer - a currently airing Korean drama that has me OBSESSED. For everyone who wants to see a lighter, funnier, less heartaching version, A Love So Beautiful is perfect for that.  My old longer review can be found HERE, even though it’s probably not that fair towards the show.

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#12 그래서 나는 안티팬과 결혼했다 So I Married an Anti-Fan (2021) Rating: 4,0 of 5 stars. I honestly only started this for Choi Soo-young and I didn’t have any large expectations - and I was positively surprised. It was such a lovely show with a nice ML and FL; I loved their dynamic early on and I loved seeing them grow together. This show truly know how to write a mature adult relationship and, yet, they also knew how to write enemies-to-lovers. I sincerely enjoyed this show and while it gets a bit boring in the last 2 eps, it’s still easily watched. I also discovered Choi Tae-joon through it. It was funny, it was cute. A nice romcom for adults! The only rather annoying thing were the secondary couple. Not only were they beyond toxic, they were also beyond annoying, constantly dragging down the ML with them. But ignoring them, this was a great show I highly recommend if you love romcoms! If we compare it A Love So Beautiful and Radio Romance, we can say that Radio Romance is rather concerned with emotions and experiences than with comedy. Radio Romance is an exploration of characters and how past experiences and feelings can shape the way one perceives the world; A Love So Beautiful celebrates youth and the growth people go through by telling the story of two high school teenagers who grow into adults who have to manage their lives; So I Married an Anti-Fan is a romcom - enemies to lovers who get over first loves and past heartbreaks and grow together by trusting each other and confiding in each other.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: loved the actors, loved most of the characters, well executed enemies-to-lovers storyline (not every enemies-to-lovers storyline should exist, but this one is great), all in all a lovely romcom. Negative: the toxicity of the secondary couple and of the two characters involved in it. I just wanted them to break up and to both get out of Hoo Joon’s life forever.

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#11 마이 온리 러브송 My Only Love Song (2017) Rating: 4,0 of 5 stars. WARNING: The main actor is a sexual predator (Netflix offered this show to me and I had no idea who he was, but I’d like everyone to consider for yourself if you want to check out the show anyway or not - with the knowledge that I didn’t have.) Leaving aside the fact that the main actor is the worst, this show is cute. It feels a lot like an ancient Chinese drama as it involves time travel and rather short episodes and is a lot more light-hearted than the typical sageuk. As it is short, and so are the episodes, it’s fast-paced and genuinely always a pleasure to watch. The dynamics work out great, the friendships are beyond adorable, the ending is well-deserved. I personally cannot find any flaws in characterizations, development or writing. It’s just really well-made. The camera work and editing could be better at some points, but it’s clearly decent. Its only real flaw? The main actor. And it’s a shame because the show is awesome.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: I love almost everything about this show, but mostly... the fact that it feels a bit like an ancient Chinese drama rather than a sageuk. China is better than Korea at ancient dramas and this show just has those nice cdrama vibes I’m always looking for. Including the enemies-to-lovers I always love. Negative: I’ve said it like a dozen times, you know who it is.

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#10 달의 연인 - 보보경심 려 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016) Rating: 4,2 of 5 stars. This show should and could be rated higher. It should be rated higher if I didn’t have many shows I subjectively consider to be better because I’m a romantic. And it could be better if Tumblr hadn’t drawn a wrong image of this show. I don’t know which ones of you have watched it or not - but I can assure you, I have no idea why the hell Tumblr is shipping the two leads. Like WHAT. THE. HELL. They may be the most toxic leading couple I’ve witnessed in any Korean drama. No, wait, I KNOW they are. And the thing is - the show wasn’t drawing them in a positive light. They were clearly presented as negative. He gives her up for power. He literally doesn’t fight for her. But even their beginning is so beyond questionable as he is rather obsessed with her than anything else - and she is in love with another. The reason why I like this show anyway is because I never had the impression that the show was wanting you to ship them. The writing was trying to intrigue you in the storyline - and God, it did. The deaths. The pain. The betrayals. The suffering. The manipulations. I died one thousand deaths. The amazing cinematography, the complex storytelling, the most cruel depths of human evil... it’s all right there. This show is SO well made. Just that Tumblr doesn’t understand anything about it. It just sees a rather toxic ship and goes OTP OTP OTP. No. This show is good for so many reasons and NONE of them are the leading couple. However, individually, the two leads are great. Acting is beyond compare, they have a star-filled cast and they knew how to make use of it. An incredible show - if you wanna watch something intriguing and wanna step away from shipping for a moment, watch this one. It leaves you speechless.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: everything. IU tho. IU always. And Nam Joo-hyuk. Negative: whatever the hell romantic bullsh*t Tumblr made out of it.

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#9 싸우자 귀신아 Bring it on, ghost! (2016) Rating: 4,2 of 5 stars. Rating stayed the same. My review of it can be read HERE. What can I say? My fave drama of Taecyeon, it was one of my first too, I will love it forever.

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#8 어느 날 우리 집 현관으로 멸망이 들어왔다 Doom At Your Service (2021) Rating: 4,4 of 5 stars. The problem with this show is easy. This show is, easily, one of the best out there. But. But. But. The love triangle. I have literally nothing, NOTHING, NOT A TINY LITTLE THING, to say about visuals or directing or writing or acting - as long as it concerns Myul Mang and Tak Dong-kyung and their related storyline. However, for some totally unknown reason, some writer decided to write a love triangle of the secondary characters in there that was not only terrible but also beyond unrelated to the actual storyline. Like WHY THE HELL DID I HAVE TO SIT THROUGH THIS LOVE TRIANGLE??? On top of that, Lee Soo-hyuk is the worst actor I’ve watched on a Korean drama. You cannot enjoy all actors, and I said before I also didn’t really like the one on Gumiho but the one on Gumiho is still so much better than this one. I may not really enjoy seeing Jang Ki-yong but he’s most definitely bearable. Meanwhile... Lee Soo-hyuk is not. He has two facial expressions, can’t talk properly and I downright hated watching every scene he was in. To the point that I just stopped watching his scenes. Meanwhile, Kang Tae-oh is one of the best actors to exist and he was given so little to work with. Nevermind the fact that I also automatically rooted for him in the love triangle even though I just really hated this love triangle from the beginning and every episode got worse. But anyway, back to the good part of this show, which was literally everything that wasn’t the love triangle. The show had me from the very first episode, I was completely intrigued by the storyline and enjoyed the ride. Also sorta adore to have happy endings; I have to endure life anyway, so I’m not opposed to having overly happy endings like this one. It personally would have destroyed me if I didn’t have one. I just wished the show had simply only had 12 episodes instead of 16 and threw out the entire storyline of the love triangle. Then this show would be a 5/5.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: Literally everything that wasn’t the love triangle; those incredible acting skills of Seo In-guk and Park Bo-young. Negative: the love triangle; the lack of acting skills of Lee Soo-hyuk.

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#7 역도 요정 김복주 Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016) Rating: 4,5 of 5 stars. Probably one of the few Tumblr favorites that rightfully deserves its praise and approval. What a beautiful, beautiful show. So pure, so fresh. A little bit of feminism and a little bit of enemies-to-lovers added on top of that with nice, enjoyable side characters, great cameos (KANG CHUL!!!!!!!!!), and a well-rounded show that lacks nothing. I’m deducting 0,5 stars because I could have someeeetimes lived my watching well without the uncle’s love life and because I didn’t like the message about Jun-hyung’s mother being forgiven for abandoning her son. Let us start holding our parents accountable. Other than that, a perfect show with a great cast and great dynamics. And very nice messages. Needless to say, Lee Sung-kyung and Nam Joo-hyuk are wonderful together.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: loved the entire vibe, the cast, the visuals, just loved it. Negative: tiny things I mentioned in the written text.

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#6 해피니스 Happiness (2021) Rating: 4,7 of 5 stars. I went to watch this because I kept seeing it on Tumblr and because... Han Hyo-joo. Duh. I didn’t go in there with a lot of expectations; after all, it looked like zombies and like... not sure that’s for me. Except... it wasn’t a zombie show. It was a show about a pandemic, making references to the COVID-19 pandemic... and its measures. The show had a sort of critical eye on the entire handling of things by the government and there were multiple occasions at which you could clearly draw some parallels. It leaves you thinking, it leaves rich people in a quite negative light, but its message is actually something else: Don’t lose your kindness towards other people in rough moments of your lives. We live together and we should try to treat each other with kindness and respect, not to point the finger at everyone who seems different or thinks differently. Be kind, show respect, treat people the way you would want to be treated as well. Being humane is not the appearance or the lack of a virus; being humane is about who you are and who you want to be.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: a critical but not problematic view on pandemics and the way people treat each other during such; a nice adult love story as side plot; unique characters; a realistic resolution; very pleasant cinematography: Negative: i just wish it was longer lol

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#5 조선로코-녹두전 The Tale of Nokdu (2019) Rating: 4,8 of 5 stars. This show’s rating has been adjusted up because this is, without any doubts, the best sageuk out there. Interesting plot that doesn’t drag on, wonderfully lovable characters, plot twists to leave you gasping, pretty cinematography, nice directing, tragic pasts, and a wonderfully heartaching, pure romance. A beautiful, beautiful ending that gives you everything you wanted. And it knew how to treat Kang Tae-oh’s acting skills well, like Run On did too, and not how Doom at Your Service did. How could you possibly ask for more? Original review HERE.

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#4 로봇이 아니야 I’m not a Robot (2017) Rating: 4,9 of 5 stars. The only reason why this show loses 0,1 points is because I expected something different when I went into it. I was expecting a sci-fi show. Okay, no, even though it has science fiction parts, that’s not the focus nor the essence of the show. The essence of the show is celebrating human relations. Celebrating that we are living in societies, that we care for one another, that we live and laugh and love, that we show kindness and adoration, forgiveness and sadness, happiness and love. That we move on, that we experience life at its fullest and move on from past experiences that shaped us, that made us who we are, but that should be left behind to move ahead. That nothing is more beautiful than being close to the people who value and treasure you and love you with your flaws. The show makes correct use of its side characters and never steps away from the main storyline. This show is the romcom with the most beautiful messages you can find and as it adds a bit of science fiction and a lot of tragedy into it, I could not do anything but love it.

Favorite character(s):

Positive: the messages, the entire cinematography that makes it look like a hollywood movie, the acting, the EVERTYHING. Negative: the only minor thing I would need to complain about that I didn’t particularly enjoy that he went to the military in the end - like i get it, full circle to the first scene - but I’m never with military arcs lol.

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#3 어쩌다 발견한 하루 Extraordinary You (2019) Rating: 5,0 of 5 stars. The first 3 ranks haven’t changed at all. It’s still those 3 shows and I don’t think something will ever beat them. However... I said it last time already, the 3 of them are interchangeable. So today, I feel like ranking them like... tomorrow it’s changed. 3 incredible shows, not to ever be beaten. Entire review can be found HERE.

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#2 호텔 델루나 Hotel del Luna (2019) Rating: 5,0 of 5 stars. Loved it back when I first rated it, still love it now. Nothing changed. A Korean drama beyond compare. Check out my entire review HERE.

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#1 더블유 W Two Worlds (2016) Rating: 5,0 of 5 stars. Rating adjusted UP because it is my first and my forever beloved Korean drama. Jesus, I love it so much. So, so, so much. Yes, it has minor - MINOR - flaws in the end but it is MY beloved. Lee Jong-suk and Han Hyo-joo for the win!!! HERE is my original entire review of it.

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Abandoned shows because I really didn’t enjoy them: Goblin | Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol | My First First Love | Memories of the Alhambra | Uncontrollably Fond | Search: WWW (watched Lee Jae-wook and Lee Da-hee’s scenes though) | Strong Girl Bong-soon | Love Alarm

Shows I started that I didn’t get very far yet though: My Country - The New Age | Signal | The Crowned Clown | Moonlight Drawn by Clouds

Shows I am currently watching that will be on the next ratings: Our Beloved Summer | 100 Days My Prince | Moonshine

[potter-imagines]

Sunday Morning (George Weasley)

Pairing: George Weasley x reader (y/n)

Prompt: George and Y/n have been dating for sometime now but hardly anyone in Hogwarts knows much about the couple. Everyone loves to make assumptions and imagine what it’s like but only the two of them truly know how wonderful it is. 

Disclaimer: if you consider making out and kissing light smut, then this would be light smut lol also I will be posting more Tuesday from previous request !!

Warning: implied smut, mainly fluffy

Word Count: 4.9k

No student in their right mind enjoyed waking up before noon on a Sunday morning at Hogwarts. Saturdays were reserved for Quidditch matches, late night parties, trouble, and day trips to Hogsmeade. Sundays were reserved for recovery. And this morning was no different.

A handful of students were scattered about the Great Hall munching on the delicious food before them. Despite the colorful and bright breakfast lining the tables, the mood was dull and tiresome. Small whispers were heard as well as the pages of a book being turned, otherwise, it was quiet. The Gryffindor table was bare- well almost.

Each table had at least seven students or more but at the Gryffindor table, there were only two.  The previous night had brought a never ending line of drinks and laughter. The Gryffindor common room was still buzzing even after the sun had risen. A nail-biting match between Gryffindor and Slytherin had taken place Saturday night. The tension was thick but the win tasted oh so sweet. Everyone was running on a high after the game. As a result of their victory, the fourth-year students and up decided to have a ‘little’ celebration. It could be assumed nearly no one went to bed the night fully sober, not even Hermione Granger. Fred Weasley had coaxed her into trying his beer after spending three hours following her around and pestering her with amusement. The same two Gryffindor’s sitting closely to each other at breakfast were the same two students who turned in for the night at 9pm and fell asleep in a sober state.

George Weasley and Y/n Y/l/n had been a couple for about a year and a half and seemed to only grow more infatuated with each other as the time swayed on. They were a more reserved couple, which surprised most. Fred and George had a large reputation at Hogwarts. Every student, as well as professor, knew their name. Even the ghosts and portraits would greet them by name!

The twins were outgoing, popular, chatty, and loud. They walked the castle with confidence like the prankster kings they are. That didn’t mean they weren’t two totally different people.

Fred took the lead in most situations and George followed after him with explanation. Fred acted on impulse and George put a bit more thought behind decisions. George was also more sympathetic than his twin. It was in these differences and more that Y/n fell for George and why they connected so perfectly. She was similar to him; outgoing, but still solemn and secretive. Happy and bubbly, thoughtful and caring.

When word spread about Y/n and George dating, everyone expected the two of them to be showing off their relationship with fireworks, bright lights, and confetti. Though the pair walked calmly into their class, holding hands and giggling to themselves as they whispered. They didn’t feel the need to show anything off to anyone or prove a single thing. Besides, Y/n didn’t want the whole school knowing her personal business. It felt a little more personal when they saved it for behind closed doors. 

This doesn’t mean George wasn’t affectionate with Y/n in public. He always had his hand on her, typically laced within her own. He’d walk with her to every class, leaving her with kiss on both cheeks, her forehead, then lips. He’d flirt with her in class through notes and tease her endlessly. Everyone knew they were a couple deeply in love, they just didn’t know as much as they wanted. Gossip was the devil’s music and almost every student had their radio volumes on high. But George and Y/n refused to give them anything to talk about. It was admirable in the way. Their love was crystal clear, everyone could see that, but there was so much more beneath the surface their eyes were blocked from, and the couple loved that.

George and Y/n spent Saturday night in George’s dorm room, having their own little party. They mingled and socialized with their friends for a good two hours before sneaking away to the boy’s dormitory tower. Y/n managed to swipe a large carton of pumpkin juice to share then chased behind George. A smile kissed her lips when she noticed her boyfriend was having the same ideas as her. In his hands was a stack of cookies, and a bag of crisps.

“Great minds think alike.” He smirked and reached his hand out, eager for her touch again. She accepted the offer and delicately tugged on his hand. George glanced back, curious at her gesture. A gleeful flash crossed her sharp features. Y/n grabbed a fistful of George’s black robes and slammed his body towards her. George gasped slightly at the movement, clutching the food in his arms as to keep himself from dropping them.

Y/n matched her lips with George, dragging the tall Gryffindor down for a kiss. Bent at the knees, George leaned back so her body could rest against his. Y/n’s grasp remained on his chest but her free hand yanked at the back of his neck, deepening their already heated make out. George allowed his hand to slip down her back, the other still holding their snacks. Resting right at the small of her back, George began to lift his head, a signal for Y/n to pull back. A childlike pout seeped on her face while she let out a huff. She knew they would continue with this in his room but she couldn’t resist the opportunity to get a special sneak peek. A chuckle emanated through the grinning redhead. He was still shocked by her boldness- not that he minded. Not in the slightest. George leaned forward and painted a trail of kisses all across her face, not missing an inch of skin. The young witch retaliated the attack with a jab to his side, then a full-on tickle war. Loudly yelping, George attempted to grab her hands, but she was too quick. This was a typical moment between them, but not when they were somewhat in front of their friends. Not that they were paying any attention at all.

The partygoers seemed far too engaged in the music and talk that they missed the sweet entanglement. What a shame, George thought, it was what they had been waiting for after all. Something to talk about. Although the party was sure to give other chatter and topics for the next week to discuss. Y/n slowly stopped, still buzzing with laughter. George shook his head and leaned into the wall, still trying to recover from his girlfriend’s torturous wrath.  His warm brown eyes were trained on her. They had been together for a while but sometimes, he still thought it was a dream. George left one last kiss to her forehead whispering against her skin, savoring the moment.

“I love you, darling... you’re so beautiful.”

“Stop it Georgie, you’re making me blush.” Y/n squealed as George grabbed at her waist and gave me a small twirl. Her flats landed back on the stone stairs with a clank. Leaning up, Y/n left one last kiss to George’s pink lips.

“That’s kind of the whole point, you’re adorable when your flustered. Now can I have another kiss, darling?”

“You’re going to have to catch me first!” With a quick giggle, Y/n turned on her heel and sprinted up the steps of the boy’s dormitory. The staircase was spiraled making the chase more difficult. Y/n was well aware she wasn’t going to win, but that was part of the fun. George being much taller took two steps at a time with ease, rapidly catching up to the young witch. This was their game, George could easily pull her back and get a kiss himself, but it wouldn’t be as exciting this way.

Y/n stopped at George’s door and looked behind her only to see George nearly towering over her smiling. He unlocked the door and pushed it open for the pair to enter. Luckily, all his roommates were still wrapped up in the party and wouldn’t be up for a few hours. George led Y/n to his bed, snatching back the covers and practically shoving her on the mattress. Y/n’s glamorous laughter filled the emptiness, warming George’s heart.

Pulling his wand out, George muttered a privacy spell, not wanting anymore to hear your sweet noise that would soon be coating the walls. He set his wand on his nightstand then focused back on the girl laying underneath him. She looked so pure, so dreamy just lying there. George moved forward, unable to resist the gravitational pull. This kiss was different than earlier- more serious and compassionate. Y/n wrapped her hands around his face, desperate to have as much contact with George as possible. They spent the rest of the night tangled in his bed sheets and howling with laughter. They watched the stars outside the small dorm window and held each other for the remained of the night. George’s roommates hadn’t even noticed the pair passed out in his bed when they turned in for the night.

Fred walked over, excited to tell his brother about his snog fest with Angelina but stopped short. His twin was sound asleep, arms secured around the smaller frame in front of him. It was a good thing Fred liked Y/n, otherwise he surely would’ve kicked the girl out. Although he didn’t have the heart to do so when he saw the couple. Y/n’s hands clutched her boyfriend’s grip as her head rested against his chest, buried in a deep slumber.

“Oi’ Fred, leave ‘em be. They’re in love.” Lee, still buzzing off the flowing drink, was stumbling to his bed, tearing off his school uniform in the process. The lights were dim and the rising sun began to break through the dorm windows.

Fred walked towards Lee Jordan’s bed and started rummaging through his dresser drawers. He was in search of something, Lee wasn’t even sure. Soon enough Fred came back to his bed and sat down with a camera in his hands. Lifting the lens to his view, Fred snapped a line of photos of the sleeping couple. Lee chuckled with a roll of his eyes. Fred always loved harassing his twin about how in love he was with their friend. Lee and Fred were happy it was Y/n and not some other girl.

The pictures slowly processed but Fred’s interest had moved on. Lee was already tucked into bed, his eyes closed as his drunk snores shook the room. The alcohol was wearing off and the desire for sleep was settling in. Fred threw on a pair of red pajamas and climbed into bed. He was in another dream land before his head could hit the pillow, which brings us back to breakfast Sunday morning.

Y/n and George enjoyed the lack of life in the dinning hall. They shared a similar group of friends and loved them very much, but it was a special moment when they were able to bask in the light of each other. George’s company was like a never-ending hug. His smile conflicted with the fearless butterflies fluttering in her stomach. No other man had ever had this effect on her. She was weaved into his very soul.

Sitting and chatting amongst themselves, George had an arm thrown loosely around his girlfriend, admiring her morning appearance. Her hair was still messy, needing a brush through. There were tiny lines under her eyes from the lack of sleep she had been getting. George knew she slept best when they shared a bed so he always tried to let her sleep in as late as her vivid mind would allow. For Y/n, sleeping in until 10am on the weekends was considered a treat. She hated feeling as if she has wasted her day away by sleeping. George on the other hand would stay in bed all week long if his professors allowed it.

“Did you hear Lee last night? I heard him trying to get to the bathroom and when he was going for the door, he tripped over Fred’s school bag and took down his nightstand with him! Fred screamed so loud- I can’t believe you didn’t wake up!” Her musical laughter sent tingels through George’s body. It was like a dose of dopamine, his eyes couldn’t resist glancing down at her. George had almost every little centimeter of Y/n’s grinning features memorized in his skull. Although there were pictures to taped to his walls of you so of course that played a role as well. But he often found himself staring at her- sometimes not even noticing the diversion of attention. Most of Snape’s class George spent daydreaming about his future with Y/n. He’d think of their wedding, buying a house together, starting a family, celebrating holidays together, seeking out new adventures and everything in between. He found himself eager to leave Hogwarts for good and move out so you could start that chapter of your life together.

Squeezing Y/n shoulder, George pulled her closer to his side,

“No, I slept like a baby next to you. Can’t believe you’re thinking about other guys while you’re laying in my arms, that’s just heartbreaking-“ “George!” Wide eyed, Y/n smacked her boyfriend’s side. George erupted in a fit of chuckles, rubbing the side of his arm she had attacked. “I’m only teasin’ you, darling. Wish I would’ve seen that though, I’m sure Fred will give him hell for it.”

“It wasn’t a pleasant sight at all. Poor boy just laid there, didn’t even get up for another few minutes.” Y/n took a bit out of her toast absentmindedly. Her thoughts were still on last night and the tumble her friend had taken. It was pretty funny, but she was too tired to humor the moment. Not to mention the moans of pain Lee let out as he squirmed around on the floor. It was an odd method to rid the pain, not that it seemed to relieve anything.

“Sure it hurt his massive ego more than anything.”

Y/n was about to change the subject when the sound of footsteps made the couple turn. By the entrance of the Great Hall was half the group of Y/n and George’s friends. Fred, Lee, Hermione, Harry and Ron found their way to the pair as they entered for breakfast. Ron was visibly excited at the menu for the day. He plopped himself diagonal from his older brother in front of a mouth water mountain of pancakes swimming in syrup and crisp strips of bacons displayed on top. The ginger wasted no time digging into his meal. Hermione squinted her eyes at him but took the open seat next to him regardless. She was across from Y/n and gave her close friend a sweet smile and ‘good morning’. Harry sat next to Hermione and Lee crossed the table to occupy the spot next to Y/n. She looked at him knowingly and before she could ask how he was feeling, the Chip to George’s Dale greeted them,

“Good morning, love birds! Have we missed out on any adorably puke worthy moments yet?”

“Hello Fred- and everyone else.” Fred swung his leg one at a time over the long bench, shoving himself in-between George and Y/n. This earned a harsh shove from George causing Fred to bump Y/n. Her juice splashed onto the table, wetting the front of her notebook. The girl glared at the twins, annoyed by the shift in company. George muttered an apology while Fred simply shrugged and leaned into her.

“How are you feeling after your little accident last night, Jordan?”

“Oh god,” Lee face palmed immediately while Fred started to laugh at the recollection, “Please don’t tell me you were awake.” He said embarrassed. Y/n nodded and gave him a sympathetic smile.

“I woke up when I heard you talking about the bathroom then I saw you get tangled in Fred’s bag and fall onto the floor. You also knocked over your stand I believe. Then you just laid on the floor and I reckon you were gonna end it all, felt sorry honestly. I would’ve gotten up but I was too tired to help.” This caused the whole table to laugh in unison at her statement. Lee scurried to explain and calm down his friends,

“You would be right- it’s not funny, guys! I was piss ass drunk and couldn’t tell my right foot from my left.” The giggles continued on for a while as Harry and Ron asked Lee to explain. He told the his side of the event, which created ever more rambunctiousness. Hermione was holding to Harry’s shoulder for stability as her body shook with humor.

“Speaking of last night, you two cuties seemed to have a fun time alone!” Fred sounded a bit too happy for either of the couple’s liking.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Fred?”

“Don’t ask-“ Lee was swiftly interrupted by a gleaming Fred.

“Glad you asked!” He cheered. Lifting himself up, Fred reached into the pocket of his robes and retrieved four square slips. He held the small card like squares in one hand and, much to his brother’s disbelief, wrapped his free his arm around Y/n’s shoulders. George’s eye narrowed at this. What was his brother up to? The mischievous smirk returned to Fred’s face as he looked between Y/n and his brother. It was so hard for Fred to get something good to tease George with. He practically gave him nothing!

Fred turned the squares around flashing the contents to the four friends sitting infront of him. Hermione was the first to react, gasping as she took one of the squares from Fred. Her hand was covering her mouth as she awed. Ron looked… disgusted? It was hard to tell. He looked pleased with the food on his plate and in his mouth, but bitter towards Fred’s surprise. Ron waved his hand, signaling to Fred that he didn’t care.

Harry just smiled then glanced up towards George, then over to Y/n. By this point, Y/n had enough of the mixed emotion stares from her friends and yanked Fred’s arm back so she could see what the pictures were of.

Suddenly, the Gryffindor felt her mouth open in shock as she examined the photo. George mirrored her actions and looked at his twin in confusion.

“You creep! We were sleeping.” Y/n screeched at the image clutched between Fred’s fingers. George attempted to snatch the pile from his hands but being twins, Fred saw that one coming. He pulled them back, there was no way Fred would allow George or Y/n not have the pictures that quickly. Lee Jordan had a similar smirk as Fred, it was amusing for a Sunday morning. Saturday hadn’t given much news for the week so of course their friends were bound to fall back on the topic of George and Y/n. Fred had struck gold with this one. It was harmless of course, but it made the couple flustered to deal with the teasing.

“I told him to leave you guys alone, but knowing Fred, this is nothing. Actually quite a cute little moment-“ Hermione interrupted Lee with an excited voice,

“Oh my god, Y/n! This is so adorable. I have to show Ginny!” She flashed a grin to Y/n and exited the hall with a speed walk. Y/n let out a groan. Hermione would show Ginny plus some, Ginny would show Alicia plus some, and so on. She didn’t care so much as she was annoyed to have attention drawn to her relationship with George. It happens to a lot of couples at Hogwarts. It’s a big school, but the students are close. Couples get a little more attention among the students. Watched with more scrutiny by students praying for drama, sadly there was an overcrowding of these students at Hogwarts. Talk spread like wildfires, and in the process, words get manipulated. Rumors ensue and drama explodes. Y/n and George were happy- in love. The last thing they wanted was talk around the castle.

“Girls…” Ron mumbled and shook his head.

“Really, Fred? You know I’m going to make it my goal to get a picture of you snogging Angelina. At least people know I’m dating Y/n, wait until they get ahold of you and Angelina! The gossip! I can already hear it.” George’s threat came with a devilish smirk to his lips. On the other side of Fred, Y/n felt her body calming at George’s words. He was cracking playful taunts and was somehow enjoying the situation.  

“Ah it wasn’t that bad, relax. I’m just giving the people what they want! You two are so secretive- everyone wanted to see more! I mean, you guys are basically the topic of everyone’s discussion lately. It’s sickeningly adorable so chill out. You don’t need to take it that far.”

“For once, he’s right, George.” Y/n squished Fred as she leaned across his body causing him to move back so she could squeeze George’s hand. “I think it’s cute. You look so soft and peaceful when you’re asleep!”

The four boys watched hesitantly. There were rare instants like these where they got a glimpse into the layers of the couple’s ways. This also means they had a feeling where this was about to turn, and none of them wants to deal with any sappiness before noon. Just as predicted, George slides his hand from Y/n’s up the side of her arm to her neck, where he held a half grip for composure and control. Nudging her forward by the back of her neck, George linked his lips to Y/n and kissed her with his twin still leaning back. This time, Fred did not want to sit in the middle of them. A chorus of protests could be heard as Ron threw a piece of bread at George. Harry stuck his tongue out in an overexaggerated expression of disgust. Hands secured around his face. Lee opened his fingers to peek through waiting for the heated embrace to wrap up.

“Well how could I not when I have the most beautiful girl in the world laying in my arms?” This was their favorite game to play. George would over play his cheesiness until his friends would lose interest and demand the cuteness to stop.

Y/n batted her eyes up at George, bathing in the reactions of her friends. They made her and George uncomfortable more times than she could count so it was self-rewarding to turn the table on them.  

Fred place one hand on Y/n’s shoulder and the other on his twin, shoving them apart in one motion,

“Okay, ew.” A grimace covered Fred’s features. He found himself wished he had stayed in bed instead of coming to breakfast. It was far too early to see this much love. George’s plate was nearly empty, and he was finishing up the last bit of his omelet. His coffee cup was bone dry, having been that way shortly after they sat down. It was no secret he had a bit of an addiction of caffeine. Y/n sipped from a small glass cup. The dark blue liquid was sweet and smooth. Blueberry juice was a rarity she had only stumbled upon at Hogwarts. She could recall the look of cluelessness her muggle cashier had given her when she asked for a gallon from a supermarket near her home.

Y/n chewed on the last piece of her toast while George gave his brother innocent eyes,

“What? I’m just giving the people what they want, what they’ve been dying to talk about! You said it yourself, Freddie.” Fred shot sharp daggers at George for his wit. He knocked him on the side of the head a replied, 

“Okay, I take it back then. I’d rather not know, and you can go be all lovey dovey in private, away from me please!” Lifting his hand, Fred started shooing his hand and motioned towards the staircase outside the large doors.

Harry and Lee paused their side conversation and Ron sat down his fork for a moment. Ron grasps his chin and slides his lips to the side of his mouth, as if deep in contempt. He then remarked,

“Agreed.” Harry and Lee chuckled and shrugged.

More students had started to flow freely into the dining hall. Y/n figured the more Gryffindor’s that swept into the hall, the less occupying the common room.  The gentle brown orbs of George found their way to Y/n’s every few seconds. When their gaze met, her bottom lip drew back as she bit on the skin subconsciously, George noticed this. He shifted forward not realizing he was leaning in towards her. Fred shouted a quick ‘no’ not wanting a repeat of the previous scenario. Y/n made kissy faces at Fred, mocking his displeasure. At the same time George brought his finger up to his twin’s head and delivered a hard flick. Fred reached for the side of his head, glaring at George.

“C’mon, George. I think we have some business to attend to, in private.” Y/n winked at her boyfriend who had a cheeky smile plastered to his lips. George sprung up from his seat and quickly got off the bench and extended his arm. A light tint popped on Y/n’s cheeks as his thoughtfulness. Wrapping her arm around his, she accepted his help and climbed over the seat.

“Couldn’t agree more, love.” George and Y/n started walking away from their friends and heading for the common room. They hadn’t made any plans for the day anyhow so spending it next to the fire or in his room sounded more than appealing. George stopped their pace just as they reached the massive doors of the Great Hall. Bending slightly at the knees, George pressed a feather like kiss to Y/n’s forehead, then on the tip of her nose, earning a wave of giggles from the girl. It was his favorite sound. George attached his arm around hers once again and set back off for their destination. Before they could make it out free, the familiar voice of Fred shouted across the hall,

“You better keep it on your side, George! And not on my bed or I swear to Merlin I will hex both of you!”

George waved back to him, giving him a thumbs up with a less than confident expression. His hand trailed down from her back to the curve of her ass and started to grab at the skin until she swatted it away, feeling the pairs of eyes glued to them. It was bold, undoubtably hot, but there were far too many students in the hall for Y/n’s liking to continue it there. His touch creates a pit of warmth in the bottom of her stomach. They didn’t show any of this in front of their friends, so it was exciting in a way but worrisome at the same time. Y/n had no intentions of turning a PG-13 situation R in the Great Hall with most of her friends and a bunch of second- and first-year children trying to enjoy breakfast. Didn’t mean she wasn’t feeling a bit frustrated and wanting to throw that feeling back on him. Fred scowled but sat back down. They were twins, he knew George wouldn’t but that didn’t mean he wasn’t annoyed by his mockful antics.

“Not nice, George. You’re so mean to poor Freddie. I think I should go talk to him and make it up to him… for how rude you were.” Her words dripped with witticism and a sweet passion burned in her eyes. George knew that look; he absolutely loved that look.

“No, you’re not making anything up to him. You’re mine, not Fred’s or have you forgotten? Now go up to your dorm room and meet me in mine in twenty.” There was a difference to the twinkle in his eyes. Darker than before, more fired up. Y/n’s hand shook at his words, noticeably flushed and taken aback by his strong words. They had only recent started being intimate a few months ago so they had been finding out new things about each other every day. This, this was definitely new. And Y/n found herself weak at the knees by it.

These moments were not too common, but she loved them. It was fun to see George getting worked up by just her teasing words alone. He shifted as he picked up the pace. The material of his jeans growing constrictive and uncomfortable with every step. Y/n was practically being dragged down the long hall until George came to a halt, then abruptly turned to head back in the direction of the Great Hall. Before walking off completely, he left one last peck to Y/n’s warm cheek, then dart off. 

Lost at his change, Y/n furrowed her brows in question, “Where are you going?”

George’s body swirled around at her request. He didn’t stop his pace, now walking backwards towards the dining hall. Shoving his thumb to his back, he gestured to their previous spot,

“I’ve gotta tell my roommate not to come back to the dorm for a few hours. We’re going to be quite busy, darling. It seems there’s a lesson that you’ve forgot. I’m going to have to teach you and knowing how stubborn you are, it could take a while.” With a wink he rushed into the hall and disappeared. Y/n didn’t need to be told more. She started walking again- or rather running towards her dorm room to freshen up. Based on his words, she knew it would be one hell of a morning.

[writingtoforgetreality]

Speak Of The Devil (Malcolm Bright x Winchester!Reader) | Prodigal Son/Supernatural Crossover

[Prodigal Son-Masterlist], [Supernatural-Masterlist]

Summary: What started as a normal case for the NYPD ended in you needing help from your family. Malcolm had never met your brothers & they had no idea you were dating. Things were bound to get complicated, it was inevitable. Still, you had to focus on this case before another person got killed.

Words: 5,557

Warnings: spoilers for 2x02 (doesn’t follow the actual plot obviously), murder, demons, language, confused Malcolm, lil hint at Destiel (barely there, could be missed if you don’t pay attention - sorry, I couldn’t help myself), I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun while writing something

If you like my work & wanna support me: a coffee would be highly appreciated ❤

The NYPD was assigned to solve a “creepy ass case”, as JT so lovingly put it. As Malcolm & you got to the crime scene, you understood what your fellow coworker had warned you about. Ugh, you hated churches with your guts. Well, that was not entirely true. But whenever a murder happened on a holy ground, nothing good ever came out of it. That was what you experienced before you started working for the police. Before that…you also worked for the police somehow? Just, they were not aware of that & you might have done some criminal things. For the greater good, though! Your brothers & you had saved thousands of people. They still did. You just needed to get out of this life & see if there was more for you to achieve. And there was. Not only did you find a great family who was also your team, at the same time you found Malcolm, your boyfriend.

Back to the case. Walking into a crime scene had always been bizarre to you. It showed you how close you still were to murder, even though you promised your brothers to distance yourself from it entirely. Technically, you did. This was different, though. At least you told yourself so. Gil, JT, Dani & Edrisa were already inspecting the scene when you two walked in. Oh no. This could not be good. The image in front of you seemed familiar & if it were not inappropriate to roll your eyes at a dead person, you would do it. Gil briefly explained the situation to you. Apparently the victim had been a member of the church for 30 years. The Lieutenant & Malcolm interrogated Sister Agnes. She was the one who found the body. There was another thing bothering you, so you did not really pay attention to whatever she was saying. Your focus was solely on JT, who had been through way too much to stand here & act as if everything was fine. A slight touch on his shoulder made him turn his head in your direction.

“Hey, you okay?” of course you were concerned about him. He was family, after all.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” he brushed you off as if he did not know what point you were trying to get across.

“Really? Because usually when Malcolm says he’s fine…well, he’s everything but.” a chuckle lightened the mood a little. You had to keep a closer eye on JT for the time being. Just in case.

“Our victim here performed an exorcism.” Malcolm’s statement let your eyes snap back to where he was standing. Edrisa smiled excitedly at him. This woman…She was the sweetest soul. Could be annoying, too. But in a sweet & loving way. Maybe she should turn down her excitement for murder. Who were you kidding? Your boyfriend was probably worse when it came to that. Wanting to have a closer look at the book Malcolm was referring to, you put your gloves on & carefully walked over to him. Trying not to mess up any possible clues left behind by the killer.

“Can I have a look?” you gestured to the small book & Malcolm handed it over to you. Shit. If you remembered correctly, there was a similar one back at the bunker. A look inside the pages confirmed your assumption. No need to freak out right away. There were tons of crazy people out there. Just because of this murder in this church & this book did not mean that there was anything supernatural involved. You just hoped it would stay that way. For everyone’s sake.

Your face fell when Edrisa said that there was a note left behind, written in blood. To the others, it looked like a sign without meaning. It looked familiar to you but you could not quite pinpoint where you remembered it from. Sister Agnes’ words made you stop in your tracks.

“Abaddon.” she breathed out. Sure, why the hell not? Okay, maybe this case was something for your brothers. But wait a damn minute…last time you checked, Abaddon was stabbed with the First Blade. She could not possibly be back, could she?

“Now we know our killer’s name.” Malcolm’s words gained the attention of the entire team. There was no way he had everything figured out already. You knew he was a great profiler but even that would have been too fast for him.

“Oh? Who is it?” Gil asked intrigued.

“You know.” Malcolm paused for a few moments. Probably for dramatic effect but what did you know? “The devil.” you could not help but laugh at his words. Great, now everyone was looking at you weirdly. Oh, he made a joke. Of course he did. Sometimes you forgot that you were not an active part of the hunting life anymore. A few coughs from you stopped the awkward tension in the room. At least a bit.

In no way did you want to defend Lucifer. He had made your life literal hell one too many times. But even he would not go as far & do something as cruel as this. Again, last time you checked, he was dead. But death did not agree with Lucifer. How many times had he died? You probably should not be the one to judge. You were not better by any means.

Excusing yourself to get some fresh air, you grabbed your phone out of your pocket. Hopefully he would pick up. It had been a while since you last talked. The phone rang & rang & slowly you lost hope. Maybe he really was mad at you for being radio silent for so long.

“(Y/N)?” his voice startled you slightly.

“Sam! Uh, hi.” suddenly you turned shy.

“It’s so good to hear from you! How are you?” he was happy that you decided to call after so long.

“I’m good, thanks. Actually, I need to ask you for a favor…” you started.

“What is it? Everything alright?” Sam was growing concerned. Back then, you hated relying on another person, too stubborn to ask for help, because you wanted to do everything on your own.

“There’s a case here in New York…I believe it’s your kind. And I genuinely don’t think I can deal with this on my own.”

“But you’re safe, right?”

“I am, as safe as one can be.” you chuckled. Working for the police & all that. Not that you would tell Sam on the phone. If they were to come by, he would find out sooner or later. “I’ll send you the details, alright? Be here as fast as you can.”

“Okay, no problem. Take care, okay?”

“You too. See you soon.” wow, you were about to see your brothers again. Hopefully everything would be fine & nobody would rip your head off.

“See you, (Y/N).” Sam ended the call & you let out a breath you did not know you were holding.

The phone call should stay a secret for the time being. People breaking out in panic was everything but convenient. Besides, you did not need your team looking at you like you were a lunatic. Malcolm explained possession trance disorder when you joined everyone again. How could one human being know so much about so many unimportant things? Like, this man was a human dictionary. Looking over at Gil, you had to grin by how hard he was trying to make sense of what Malcolm was saying. Gil noticed you staring at him & gave you a look. The one that made you not want to mess with him. Still, you laughed shortly, you could not keep it in any longer. Malcolm gave you a questioning look but you simply shrugged him off by a wave of your hand.

The last interrogation of the day was with the guy who was currently doing the painting job inside the church. Unfortunately, you did not get any more information. Everything he told you, you had already heard from the others. Basically, after interrogating everyone, you were certain that this was not a common case for the NYPD. And you were more than happy that your brothers were on their way to come over. How would you explain any of this to Malcolm? He knew you had two brothers but you had also told him that you were not necessarily talking, only when it came to emergencies. Great, Malcolm would freak out. Even more so than normal, probably.

“Why do we have to visit your father again?” you shot the question at Malcolm as you were walking over the psychiatric yard, looking for Martin. He rolled his eyes at you, exhausted by your constant questioning.

“I’ve explained it a thousand times, (Y/N).”

“Well, I don’t see how any of this is connected to him.” you argued. Whenever Malcolm had the great idea to visit his father, you tagged along. Simply because you knew it was always hard for him & you wanted to support him wherever you could. Right now, though, you were losing your patience. After all, you knew the cause of this case. But your brothers had yet to arrive so you should play along for now.

“Malcolm, my boy. (Y/N)! Always nice to see you.” Martin started, excited to see his son accompanied by you. The first time you visited Martin, he took an immediate liking to you. Probably because he could see that you were good for Malcolm & his son meant the world to him. Still, he was a narcissistic psychopath. Remembering clearly how he had told you that everyone had flaws during your first meeting. Ah, good times.

“I wish I could say the same, Dr. Whitly.” a sarcastic smile plastered on your face. From then on, you let Malcolm do the talking, not really paying attention to what he was saying. Your thoughts were with your brothers, hoping they would get their asses here quickly before you had to endure more of this bullshit. It was frustrating when you knew how to solve this case but there was nobody you could talk to, not about this. Malcolm desperately tried searching for a non-supernatural explanation. Of course he did. And you just stood by, not being helpful at all. Malcolm did notice your quietness but did not comment on it. Not when you were with his father. He would ask you later today, when you were back at home.

Sam sent you a message earlier today, asking for your address to meet up. This meant that they would not take much longer. The knock on the door was confirmation enough. Malcolm walked over, ready to open it & you did not have enough time to warn him. Oh, this was bound to be fun.

“Uh…Hello?” Malcolm, everyone. Great first impression.

“You’re not (Y/N).” you could make out Dean’s voice. Walking up to where Malcolm was standing in the doorway, you looked over his shoulder & smiled at your brothers. They really were here, it had been too long. Softly pushing Malcolm out of the way, you pulled both of them in a long overdue hug. It was only then when you realized how much you had missed them. Malcolm observed the interaction from afar, confusion obviously shown on his face. Right now, you could only focus on the men in front of you, though.

“It’s good to see you guys again.” smiling widely at them. Sam nodded at you & even Dean could not hide the small smile that was forming on his face.

“I’m sorry…Can I help you guys?” Malcolm spoke up, waiting for answers from either you or the strangers that now entered his apartment.

“No, but we’ll help you.” Dean walked over to Malcolm & patted his shoulder.

“Sam, Dean. This is Malcolm. Malcolm. These are my brothers.” you awkwardly introduced them to each other. Malcolm’s mouth hang open & he could not form a coherent sentence.

“Nice to meet you.” Sam held out his hand & it took Malcolm a second to shake it.

“Your brothers?” Malcolm whisper-yelled.

“Yeah?”

“And what are they doing here?” it was not his intention to sound rude, you knew that. Yet, he seemed rather frustrated because you clearly knew they were coming over but decided against telling your boyfriend.

“Remember when I told you that they had a similar job to ours?” Malcolm nodded at you. “This case we’re working on…that’s one of their kind. We wouldn’t be able to solve it without their help.” you tried explaining.

“We have the best working team out there! Of course we could’ve solved it alone!” but you simply shook your head at him. He would understand sooner or later.

Sam & Dean sat down on the expensive couch, Dean putting his feet on the coffee table. Good thing Malcolm did not care too much about his furniture. Malcolm & you brought drinks from the kitchen & sat across from them. Dean only eyed Malcolm, though. The inevitable was about to happen, you just hoped Malcolm would deliver accordingly.

“Who the hell are you?” he was judging Malcolm & neither Sam’s elbow nudging him nor your dirty look changed the way he looked at him. What could you say? Dean was very protective of you, even after ages of not talking.

“Malcolm Bright, profiler for the NYPD.” that made the brothers’ eyebrows raise. Thank God he did not let slip that he was the son of a serial killer.

“You’re working for the police?” Sam eyed Malcolm, now being confused as to why you would get them involved with the police even though you were aware of what they had been through.

“Well, yeah. I mean, (Y/N) & I met there.” Malcolm reasoned. Great, the cat was out of the bag now.

“Seriously (Y/N)?” Dean looked…disappointed?

“Okay, wait a minute. Let me explain!” Sam & Dean nodded at you to continue. “When I left you guys, I really tried to leave this life behind. I did. But I still wanted to help people. So…one thing came to another & then I was part of the NYPD &-“ you were interrupted by Dean, of course.

“And slept around with this guy?” Dean looked Malcolm over & you rolled your eyes at him. Malcolm looked offended but stayed silent.

“This guy is my boyfriend. And his name is Malcolm.” you defended him. “And I asked you to help me with this case, not with my dating life.” looking at Dean sternly, he nodded at you & apologized. He could get caught up in the heat of the moment but you had more important things to focus on.

Throughout your talk, Malcolm sent you questioning looks every now & then. You brushed him off, telling him you would explain it later. Sam & Dean got the message & tried keeping the talk casual. Clearly, your boyfriend did not know about the supernatural & it would be better if it stayed that way.

“Okay, so tomorrow, we’ll talk to Norman & see what we can find out.” Malcolm concluded after some long confusing hours.

“Sammy & I need some sleep after that long ass drive anyway. We’ll be meeting at his house first thing in the morning. Don’t be late.” when he said that, he stared at Malcolm. Rolling your eyes at his childish antics, you slapped him lightly on the chest.

“Do you wanna stay here for the night?” you asked when they were walking to the front door.

“Um, no. We’re checked in at the motel a few blocks down. Besides…” Dean gestured wildly with his hands. “This entire apartment looks too luxurious for us. How did you get so much money anyway?” Dean asked, again motioning at the expensive looking apartment.

“It’s actually Malcolm’s…I moved in not too long ago.” explaining to both of them. Sam nodded, looking satisfied with your current living situation. Dean, of course, had another thing to comment on.

“Oh wow, (Y/N)…Good catch.” winking at you, you shoved him out of the apartment, shaking your head.

“Good night!” you said before closing the door behind them, letting out a long sigh.

“Your brothers are…nice.” Malcolm started. You winced at his choice of words. In your head, it all worked out way better.

“I’m sorry, Mal…They can be quite protective.”

“No, it’s fine, I get it. They’re, uh, very into this religious thing, huh?”

“Oh, you have noooo idea.” you chuckled.

“Why didn’t you tell me they were coming by?”

“I don’t know…I guess I didn’t want you to think that you’re not good enough for this case.”

“But?”

“But I need you to trust me when I tell you that Sam & Dean are the ones who should handle this one.”

“I trust you, you know that, (Y/N). But you have to give me permission to say “I told you so.” when we solve this case without their help.” Malcolm held out his hand for you to shake.

“Deal.” you smiled at him. Your brothers & boyfriend might not become best friends but you did not expect them to. All you wanted was to get rid of whatever killed that priest. And you knew that the supernatural feared Sam & Dean. This would be over soon.

“You sure these are the same guys who were at our apartment yesterday?” Malcolm whispered to you when you were approaching two men in suits. Not their usual flannel attire, they were working a job after all.

“Just play along, alright?” Malcolm nodded at you. He promised to trust you on this & you seemed like you knew what you were doing.

“Detectives.” Dean greeted you.

“Shut up.” you threw back almost immediately. Sam & Dean laughed at your comment.

“I missed you, lil sis.” Dean said with a genuine tone, one that made you smile wildly.

“Alright, let’s do this.” Sam knocked on the door, waiting for it to open. They introduced themselves as FBI & showed the woman in the doorway their badges. Shooting Malcolm a look as if to say “Don’t ask.” & he just acted as if he had not seen this. The woman led you upstairs to a room. She warned you to not cross the salt lines. All of you nodded. Well, all but Malcolm. The poor man could not understand a thing. Sometimes you wished you were this innocent when it came to cases like this. If it were not for Malcolm, this would have felt like the good old days when you spent your time solving case after case with your brothers. Yeah, it had been dangerous & exhausting but you still liked being a hunter. Also, the three of you were one hell of a team.

The door opened & you were met with countless geometrical lines made out of salt. Because a simple circle would not do the job or what? Fucking show-off. Careful not to mess with the salt, the four of you stepped inside the dark room. Norman’s back was facing you. While Sam & Dean simply took in the room to check for any indicators of anything supernatural, Malcolm started interrogating Norman. You signaled the boys to let him do his job.

“The salt keeps him out.” suddenly, Norman’s voice was way deeper than when he first started talking. Weird guy. Still, you did not think it was him.

“Who?” Malcolm asked in a calm voice. He was good at this. Even though he almost always got himself killed.

“The demon.” Norman said. What the hell was wrong with him? Malcolm turned around to you & found the three of you rolling your eyes. Really desperate if a person wanted to be a demon.

“He’s clearly mentally ill.” Malcolm stated quietly.

“Oh, really?” you sarcastically shot back. Who would have thought? Malcolm started lifting one of his foot, meaning to cross the line.

“Mal, wait. Don’t.” you warned him but when did Malcolm ever listen? You were not sure how Norman even noticed Malcolm crossing the line, his back was still facing you after all, but all of a sudden things escalated. Apparently, Norman thought Malcolm was a demon. He was everything but, really. He just had some demons to fight but he was not one. Norman was grabbing a lamp, wanting to attack Malcolm with it but you got everything sorted before anything bad could happen. Norman was on his way in the hospital & you were just glad that everyone was fine.

When all of you were outside the house again, Sam & Dean looked annoyed.

“Dude, we wasted time with this madman.” Dean started. “That’s bullshit.”

“Dean, stop.” you cut him off before the situation got too intense. “He was the only suspect we had. We couldn’t have known he was mentally ill.”

“We should check out the church tonight.” Sam suggested.

“Why at night?” Malcolm asked curiously.

“Oh, look how precious he is.” Dean mocked. If he kept acting that way you might as well salt & burn his bones next. Turning to Malcolm, you tried reasoning with him.

“Because we can’t risk people watching us. Not when we’re doing this.” Malcolm understood but he also planned a lot of questions for when you were back home.

“Alright, we’ll meet there later. Dean & I will take care of everything we might need.” Sam said before walking off to Baby.

“I see you took great care of her.” nudging Dean, motioning at the beautiful ’67 Chevy Impala. Another thing you had missed dearly. Countless nights had been spent in the backseat, you associated this car with a lot of happy memories.

“Always.” Dean smiled at you. “Baby misses you, too, you know?”

“I’m sure she does. After all, I had the brains. Of course she misses my smartness.” Dean shook his head at you, rolling his eyes at the same time. Saying goodbye & turning around, Malcolm gave you a look.

“What?”

“Baby? Her? You sure you were talking about the car?” oh, that was bothering him. Now you understood.

“It’s a long story.” you laughed & gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking past him. He let out a short laugh & smiled at your actions.

“(Y/N)? I think we should talk.” Malcolm started shortly after you entered your shared apartment.

“Oh no…that’s never a good sign.”

“What’s going on here?” you could tell he was serious. Fuck, you hated lying to him. One of the reasons why you had barely mentioned your brothers was to avoid questions you did not want to answer. It was now or never. Telling Malcolm to sit down, you were about to start at the very beginning. There were still a few hours left before you had to be at the church, might as well use it appropriately. Hopefully, Malcolm did not decide to leave you after opening up to him.

“So…you’re telling me that monsters are real, your brothers hunt them down & you used to help them before you left.” you nodded when Malcolm tried processing what you had just told him. “And my girlfriend saved the world more than once.” he concluded.

“Pretty much, yeah.” he was silent for a few seconds. That would be the moment he would ask you to leave.

“My girlfriend is a badass.” Malcolm mumbled & started laughing then. You joined in.

“Really? That’s all you have to say?” you questioned, not really believing that he dealt with it so casually.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m freaking out.” he confessed. “You know, makes me think of all the cases we couldn’t solve. Maybe we weren’t successful because of…supernatural beings playing a part. But honestly, it’s just another thing that got added to my plate. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Mal…”

“No, really. I mean it. Besides, now I know that if I ever meet a monster, you’re here to fight it off. Or your brothers. If I were a monster, I’d be scared as shit of them.” Malcolm finished & you laughed, throwing your entire body back on the couch. That actually went quite well? At least something positive.

Churches were creepy in general. But churches at night? That was a whole other level of madness. You met Sam & Dean at the Impala, Dean’s face buried in the trunk, looking for suitable weapons. Malcolm had promised not to question your actions & you were thankful for it. Because you had other things to focus on. Dean handed out weapons which you gladly accepted.

“Mal? You gotta promise me to stay behind.” concerning eyes met his & he knew better than to argue with you. Malcolm gulped but nodded anyway.

“You ready to do this?” Sam asked.

“I am but I think (Y/N)’s a little rusty.” Dean commented.

“Just...let’s get this over with…” rolling your eyes at Dean, you hated to admit that he was most likely right. You had not been on a hunt in a very long time but you knew you could fight when push came to shove.

The four of you entered the church silently, weapons at ready. After walking around for a while, Dean lifted his hand to stop you all. Trying to get a better look at what made him freeze, you were shocked when you saw Jonah, the painter, pacing these holy grounds. Why did you not think of him? It was quite obvious, really. Maybe you were getting rusty.

“Well, he is a demon, no doubts, but he isn’t Abaddon.” Dean spoke, quietly enough as to not get caught. “So if you guys distract this son of a bitch, I can catch him off guard from behind & stab him.”

“No, wait. You can’t kill him, Dean.” you argued. There was still a possibility of a human being somewhere inside.

“What? Why?” Dean turned towards you & tilted his head in confusion. Sighing out, you tried to talk some sense into him.

“Let Sam do an exorcism. We don’t know if Jonah’s still in there.” Dean thought about this for a few seconds but nodded afterwards. Sam grabbed an old lore book with the exorcism inside. He remembered the words by heart but better safe than sorry, right? Your plan was to stay hidden, the church was dark enough to do that without getting caught.

The demon was confused when he heard the first words of the exorcism, already struggling to stay inside Jonah. Good, he was not a strong one. Malcolm stayed close with you. Sam & Dean each took one side of the church, just in case something went wrong. Sam continued with the latin words & the demon was unable to move anymore. He was trapped in one place. That was when all of you made yourself shown to him. Hopefully, Jonah was still alive in there. If not, you had a lot of explaining to do. You already had but another dead person would make everything even more complicated.

“I AM ABADDON!” the demon screamed & you noticed that he barely had enough strength to stay in Jonah’s body anymore. Malcolm stayed in the background, simply observing & letting you do your job.

“I’m sure you wanna be, pal.” Dean got closer to the demon but not too close for it to be dangerous. “But we got rid of her a long time ago.” and it was true. Abaddon’s death was years ago. Why this demon thought to be her? You were not sure. But you also did not care. You just wanted this to be over. Sam finished the ritual & black smoke came out of Jonah’s mouth. After that, he fell to the floor & all of you ran over to him. Malcolm checked for a pulse & nodded when he felt it. Letting out a breath, you were glad that you could save him. Grabbing your phone out of your pocket, you dialed 911 & called Gil right after.

In no time, cars were surrounding the church. Sam, Dean, Malcom & you were standing in a small circle outside. Gil approached you.

“What the hell happened? And who the hell are you guys?” the second question was directed at your brothers who coughed a little, not knowing how to answer. Time to sell a little fake story.

“Gil, these are Sam & Dean, my brothers.” Gil shook both men’s hands.

“Didn’t know you had brothers.” he noted.

“Long story…Anyway, they came to visit & stayed at our apartment. They kinda overheard Malcolm & I talking about the case. Sam, here, has the brains-“

“Hey!” Dean feigned hurt at your words.

“And he pieced everything together. We didn’t wanna waste time & before I even had the chance to call you, we had already caught him.” as soon as you finished, Malcolm joined in to help with your little white lie.

“Jonah was poisoned by the lead in the paint he was using. It can cause dissociative behavior that can be mistaken for possession.” thank God for Malcolm “Human Dictionary” Bright. Gil could not argue with this so he simply went back over to the rest of the team. Nice job.

“Thanks guys.” addressing Sam & Dean.

“So that’s it, huh?” Sam asked, sad that he knew he had to let you go again. Yet, he supported your decision.

“Hey, Malcolm?” Dean looked at him. “I wanna show you something, come on.” Malcolm followed Dean to the black car which left you alone with Sam.

“He’s gonna kill him, isn’t he?” Sam laughed at your words.

“Possibly.” then he turned serious again. “I miss you.” Sam confessed, his jaw clenching.

“I miss you, too, Sammy.” looking up at him, you continued. “And I’m sorry for disappearing off the radar. It’s just…when I left, this entire starting new thing took more time than I thought it would.”

“I get it & I’m not asking you to come back with us. I can see that you like it here. You’ve finally found your happiness & by the way Malcolm looks at you? He’s utterly in love with you, (Y/N). Take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will, I promise. You, too. Call me when you’re starting the next apocalypse.” you joked with him. He then pulled you into a big hug, one that you had missed so much. Sam always gave the best hugs.

“What is it?” Malcolm asked Dean, nervous as to why he wanted to talk to him alone.

“Look, man, (Y/N)’s my little sister & I’d do anything for her. So if you ever hurt her…know that I’ll beat the crap outta you.” Malcolm gulped but found enough courage to answer him.

“I love (Y/N). I’d never to do anything to hurt her. I get why you worry, I do. But she’s safe here. I promise.”

“Hey Dean, go easy on him.” their heads snapped in the direction your voice was coming from. By the smile on your face, he knew you were joking. Sam & you reached the car.

“I’ll miss you.” approaching Dean, you were more than satisfied when he opened his arms for you to pull you into a hug. He pressed a soft kiss on top of your head before releasing you again.

“Malcolm promised me to keep you safe.”

“Did he now?” turning around, eyeing your boyfriend with a smirk.

“Check in with us, okay?” Dean grew serious.

“I will, I promise. You guys take care of yourselves, okay?” both men nodded. “Tell Cas I said hi. How are you two doing anyway?” you stopped briefly to wink at him which made Sam chuckle quietly. “And bring him next time.”

“Alright, goodbye.” Dean said, laughing at you, Sam joining him.

“Bye, guys.” you waved at them when they got into the car.

Leaning into Malcolm’s side, you could feel his arm sneaking around your waist to keep your close. For a few moments, you stood there in silence, watching the Impala slowly disappear out of your view.

“Do I need to be jealous of this Cas guy?” Malcolm asked all of a sudden & you broke out into laughter. His confused face was hilarious.

“Trust me, Mal. If you meet him, you’ll know that there’s no need to be jealous.” tears were threatening to escape your eyes. The simple image of you & Cas together made you laugh out loud.

“I guess I need to trust you on that.”

“Hey, remember what you said when you thought we wouldn’t need help solving this case?” you asked him, changing the topic entirely. His face showed you that he did, in fact, not remember.

“I told you so.” you smirked at him, enjoying how his smile slowly faltered. Rolling his eyes at you, he wanted to say a witty remark. You knew what he was trying to do but before he had the chance, you silenced him with a long, soft kiss. That always managed to do the job. Pulling away after a few seconds, you lovingly stared into his eyes. This moment could have been overly romantic. If it were not for you putting salt into his wound.

“I told you so.” repeating your previous words, you walked away from him, sarcastically smiling as you did so. You were right about this & Malcolm prepared himself to hear the same words over & over from now on.

Published (04/15/2021) by Cathy

Tags: @thefictionalgemini, @prodigalsonlovingbisexual, @octopus5555, @claudiaparker30, @the-unknown-fan-girl, @popcornanon, @jasminetea-andpaisho, @anatanotegami, @blackandwhitejoker (thanks for your support <3)

[aliwritesfic]

The Night Shift Part 4 (F!Reader x Frankie Morales)

Chapter summary: Cute work things (sorry im very hungover and i can't remember what i actually wrote)

Warnings: maybe a bit of second-hand embarrassment, masturbation

W/C: 1.5K

Part 1 Part 5

Monday night, Frankie arrived before you. The day cook, a grizzled old woman named Annette, gave him a toothy grin.

“Evenin’ hotshot,” she said. “You here to make all my dreams come true?”

“Only for a night, darlin’,” Frankie said.

“All you men are the same,” Annette laughed and handed Frankie the spatula. She gave him a to-do list, which was significantly shorter than the one on Friday night had been, bid him goodnight and hightailed it out of there, saying something about dinner with her husband.

Frankie watched the window out of the corner of his eye, waiting for you to arrive. There weren’t many orders up, so he could manage the task of cooking and having his head whip up every time he heard the tinkle of the chimes above the door.

It was almost forty-five minutes after he arrived before you came in, red faced and breathing heavily.

“I’m-I’m so sorry, Riss,” you panted. Marissa shrugged and patted you on the cheek.

“Don’t worry about it, sweet, I had some good company,” she winked at Frankie. “Have a good night, guys, don’t get into too much trouble!”

Frankie watched as you leant over the counter and caught your breath. “Do you want some water?”

You nodded wordlessly, straightening up. Frankie handed you a glass, a shock of electricity surging through him as your fingers briefly touched.

Fuck. He had it bad.

“I had to run here,” you said when you had your breath back. Frankie nodded, waiting for you to continue. “I found a kitten behind a dumpster, all wet and shivering and crying, so I had to take her to the vet.”

“What kind of kitten?” Frankie asked, having a soft spot for cats. He had had one, until he and Portia broke up and she took the cat with her. He didn’t hold it against her: Anthony the Great was technically hers.

“A black one. I’m not good with breeds,” you said.

The conversation was broken up by a pair of old men calling out your name. Your genuine smile was back as you greeted them. Frankie adjusted his cap and smiled to himself.

Occasionally he would glance up at you while he worked, catching the occasional glimpse of your side profile or the back of your head. You seemed a little lighter today, like you weren’t carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. It was nearing 1 in the morning before he decided to attempt a conversation with you.

“So, how was your weekend?” He kept his tone light, nonchalant. You shrugged, pouring him a cup of coffee.

“It was okay, nothing special.” You stirred in the sugar as you spoke, avoiding his gaze. “My boyfriend has his stupid friends over so I spent most of my Sunday cleaning up after them.” Frankie deflated just a bit. Of course you had a boyfriend. Of course. Someone as beautiful as you . . . he’d be more surprised if you were single.

“But uh, I saw Manny on Sunday,” you continued, oblivious to Frankie’s disappointment. “You remember Manny, right? He was the night cook before you, you met him I think.”

“Yeah, I did. Nice guy.”

“Uh, yeah, so I saw Manny for lunch on Sunday and he suggested making a night shift lunch group.” You wiped down menus, deftly avoiding Frankie’s gaze. “And um, well, if you wanted to come this coming Sunday, that’d be cool.”

“You’re inviting me to lunch?” Frankie asked.

“Yeah,” you said, finally looking up at him. You flushed slightly. “If you’re interested, that is. You don’t have to, obviously, but Manny and I thought it would be nice. We could all get to know each other outside of this place. Make friends, you know?”

Frankie smiled, happy at least with the prospect of a friendship with you. “That sounds great. What time?”

“Midday, if you want you can give me your number later and I’ll text you the place?”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

“Oh, and it’s just us three. So don’t invite the weekend crew, or your wife or anything.”

“I’m not married, so no problem there,” Frankie grinned at you. You nodded quickly, turning away before you could see the smile you were trying so desperately to fight off.

~*~

You didn’t know why it excited you so much that Frankie had said yes to Sunday lunch. Maybe it was because he wasn’t married, not that it made a difference.

Still, it gave you a slight thrill that Frankie had said yes.

You worked with a renewed vigor for the rest of the night. You weren’t sure any amount of rude customers or spilled drinks or broken plates that could bring you down. At one point you found yourself humming along to the radio, some song you hadn’t heard in years by an artist you couldn’t place. You knew it would bug you until you figured it out

“You like Prince?” Frankie asked, making you blush furiously at being caught with your guard down.

“I-uh-I-yeah. Yeah a bit,” you said, “actually, I haven’t listened to him in years. But I like a few of his songs.”

Frankie grinned and began to sing along in a terrible falsetto, making you snort with laughter. You danced along, allowing yourself this moment of freeing yourself of any embarrassment. After all, if Frankie was willing to put on the falsetto, it wouldn’t kill you to dance. The entire thing was ridiculous, but you were having a better time than you had had in months.

Frankie ended the song with a kick and a flourish, taking off his cap to bow dramatically.

“Have you ever thought of auditioning for one of those talent shows?” You grinned at him, wiping the sweat off your brow.

“Actually, I’ve won several of them,” Frankie winked, “I just work jobs like this when I’m not on sold out world tours.” You laughed again at his joke, almost shocked at how easy it was to laugh with someone. How freeing it was to dance like a fool and not feel embarrassed or like you were in on the joke and not the butt of it.

The rest of the shift passed quickly, the night peppered with jokes between you and Frankie. At the end of the night, instead of rushing out the door as soon as your relief was there, you waited around a few minutes.

Your phone was mercifully free of messages from Kurt, pushing your mood even higher.

Frankie met you outside by the back door, and looked shocked to see you still there. You held up your phone as a way of explanation. “I still gotta get your number.” You handed your phone to Frankie, already open to the new contact screen. Frankie punched it in quickly and handed it back to you.

“What’s with the emojis?” you asked, squinting at them.

“It’s my nickname, Catfish. My buddies and I all had callsigns in the military and that was mine. Except for Benny. He was just Benny.”

“Catfish,” you repeated. “Well, I’ll see you tonight, Catfish.”

“Yeah, see you tonight.”

~*~

You couldn’t sleep. You were too busy thinking. About him. Frankie. His dark, warm eyes that when you looked into them you felt like you could melt. The way his soft looking curls stuck out under his ever present cap. His smile that felt like safety. His hooked nose that led to lips you could only imagine kissing. His hands. You felt yourself warm as you imagined what you wanted his hands to do to you. You let yourself imagine what the rest of his body might look like.

Before you could overthink it and stop yourself, your fingers slipped between your folds and began to rub. You were wetter than you could remember yourself being. You moaned softly as you thought about him doing things to you that you didn’t even realise you wanted. Within minutes you were to your climax, legs stiffening and back arching. Sweat dotted your brow and your heart slammed into your ribcage. You hadn’t orgasmed in almost a year, always too exhausted to masturbate, and it wasn’t like Kurt gave a shit about you finishing when he fucked you.

The thought of Kurt immediately turned you sour. The burning feeling of betrayal knotted itself in your stomach. Kurt didn’t even let you have a vibrator. He had huffed and become scornful when you tentatively brought up the subject a few years back. He didn’t want anyone or anything but him to make you cum. It was a man's job to keep his woman satisfied, even if he struggled with the whole keeping you satisfied part.. You knew Kurt would practically have an aneurysm if he knew you were touching yourself to the thought of another man. But the thought of Frankie touching you gave you a thrill you hadn’t felt in years. You couldn’t bring yourself to feel truly guilty for it. Surely that was some kind of sign.

Eventually, you fell asleep a few hours before your alarm was supposed to go off. Normally, you dreamt of being in your own private space station, as far away from the apartment as possible. That night, you dreamt of Frankie.

Taglist: @hnt-escape @sharkbait77 let me know if you'd like to be added <3

[scatterpatter]

"Where's the essay OP" Said no one, and yet here I am

Lampy isn't stupid, he's neruodivergent: a rushed-together masterpost

Disclaimer: I'm not a liscened medical professional but I'm neurodivergent who's close to many neurodivergent people so I know when certain traits strike me as very familiar... Also tblt is my comfort movie I've seen it probably over 100 times, not exaggerating, so if anyone here's an expert on it, it's me.

I'm only going by the first movie because while To The Rescue and Goes To Mars probably have evidence to back me up, I don't feel like sitting down to watch them as I don't have them as memorized as the original

Point #1: Lampy is arguably the most intelligent appliance in the movie

Honestly it apalls me that so many are convinced that Lampy is an idiot when he displays some of the most intelligent traits in the movie. I'll just list off some of the most important scenes that show this

1: When discussing a way to get to the city, Lampy comes up with plans that end up failing, true. But we should also consider that not only did Radio and Toaster come up with bad plans before deciding on the swivel chair, but 2/3 of Lampy's ideas involved the same mechanic: on something with wheels(yes the mattress had wheels for some reason) being powered by Kirby

2: "From here you can see the really big lamp!" This scene is simply due to the appliances being sheltered from the outside world. Lampy displays the same level of naive-ness as everyone else: Radio seems earnest in calling the sun a "really big lamp", and Kirby calls the grass "shag carpet". Lampy is not at a lower intelligence in this scene, he's exactly at the same level as everyone else

3: The scene with the storm really sells his intelligence. The appliances have a rudimentary understanding of electricity, most likely from being appliances, but Lampy displays an excelled level of understanding by sacrificing himself for the battery. He understands that batteries are powered by electricity, lightning is electricity, and by using himself as a lightning rod, he acts as the conductive metal to easily transfer this energy from the bolt to the battery. Technically this should have overcharged and fried the battery but we'll suspend disbelief for the sake of this movie.

4: He knew that stacking the appliances to roughly human height, creating a dark environment with ominous sounds, and putting Toaster at eye-level to scare the human with his own reflection... Again, this is an intelligent understanding of how to scare a human

5: It's unclear on whose idea it was to look up Rob in a phone book, however this shows that not only can Lampy read(most likely picked up from being Rob's reading light), ESPECIALLY when Toaster struggles to read, but also has an understanding of phone books, addresses, and finding humans based on family names. I cannot stress how intelligent this is for a sentient desk lamp

There's a few more minor examples, but these are the biggest cases. Lampy is intelligent.

Point #2: Lampy struggles with social cues and doesn't empathize as easily as others

My biggest point here is when people think neruodivergents are "dumb" for having trouble picking up on things like sarcasm when that just... isn't the case. A few notable examples include:

1: When Air Conditioner says "You're a real bright little lamp", Lampy doesn't pick up the sarcasm and thinks he's being complimented. Though he definitely shows a level of emotional intelligence because he looks to Toaster to confirm "hey I was complimented", sees they're still looking angry, and gets the hint that he was insulted without someone needing to explicitly tell him that, to which he then responds with "Heyyy >:("

2: Sometimes he's able to read the room and pick up on tones, but other times he shows a level of emotional density. Legitimately not knowing if Rob had returned even when seeing Blanky disappointed to the point of near tears... But then knowing "brains wouldnt hurt either" was a jab at their intelligence and reacting with appropriate annoyance... But also when Radio says "Things could be worse!", doesn't realize he's just saying that to make Toaster feel better and asks "How could they be worse?"

3: He bullies Blanky alongside Radio and the others, unclear if he's actually being a jerk or just "oh this is what everyone else is doing so this is the normal way to act", but he's legitimately confused when Toaster tries to explain why they're suddenly being nice to him. He doesn't get the "now I feel better" argument because his argument was "Well you were never this nice to him before". Even when Toaster tries to explain why it feels nice, it just doesn't click... until Toaster finds a way to explain that connects personally to Lampy's own emotional state. He has trouble empathizing until realizing "oh this is like this thing that I feel sometimes"

4: Something I've noticed when gathering evidence is that more than once, Lampy goes "Wow..." After someone gloats about themself(Twice with Radio, once with the Computer). It's clear by the third time, when Radio goes "What does that mean?" And Lampy responds "I don't know. [To Computer] What does that mean?" That he doesn't even know what's being gloated about, let alone why he should be impressed. He has the emotional intelligence to recognize when someone's gloating and the "appropriate" response of amazement, but it seems like it never comes from a place of earnest. (While Neurotypicals can and do engage in "performative" behavior, I tend to notice this way more commonly with neurodivergents)

Also the "wow..." Performative thing is VERY reminiscent of Peridot from Steven Universe(a characters who many autistic fans see themselves in and the creator herself saying she doesn't consider Peridot or any of the gems to be neurotypical) going "wow thanks" as her default "this is how I've been taught to show gratitude" response

Point #3: Miscellaneous traits that could be neurodivergent

These traits COULD be interpreted as neurodivergent, but I will admit they could also be interpreted as something else so like take these with a grain of salt

1: Lampy appears to have sensory needs. When sleeping, he needs to tap a rock a few times(presumably to make sure it's "right") before clonking his head on it. It's interesting because rocks aren't a very "lamp" thing whatsoever, and none of the other appliances look for pillow-ish objects to rest on, so this could be a sensory thing.

2: Lampy has an interesting vocal quirk: repetition of phrases at the beginning and end of a sentence. Instances include "How exactly do you propose we do that, exactly?" "All of a sudden you're being so darn nice to him all of a sudden" "The fact is there's just not enough facts" The third one is a bit of a stretch but the first two seem to indicate a possible pattern of speech. Part of me wants to say this could be a verbal tic or some type of verbal stimming, but I've never met anyone who has a tic or stim like this so I can't say it's a neurodivergent thing with confidence, but I wanted to mention this quirk regardless.

3: Physically saying how he feels. Two instances where multiple characters are laughing, Lampy speaks while laughing "That's funny - I'm dying!" "I'm aching with joy!". It's just interesting that no one else speaks while laughing and for whatever reason, Lampy needs to verbalize "Yes I find this very funny" as if simply laughing along isn't enough. I've seen somewhat similar stuff in neurodivergents who have issues expressing emotions implicitly so they state them explicitly instead.

4: I've noticed Lampy isn't touchy... except with Radio. Some neurodivergent people can have issues with physical contact, which could explain that. But I've also noticed that Radio also gives me huge neurodivergent vibes... But more importantly Radio is extremely touchy with everyone, Lampy included, hence them often getting into physical fights but also just- tapping them or wrapping a cord around the other and pulling him close(they're so in love but that's a post on its own). A possible explanation is Lampy having issues with touching others, but either feels comfortable being touchy with Radio(due to emotional bonds and trust) or simply recognizes "Radio likes being touchy so I should be touchy back". A stretch of an argument, I'll admit, but I think the interpretation is there and valid.

In conclusion

I mean idk if Lampy was written to be neurodivergent or if the writers just wanted him to be "quirky" and accidentally gave him a lot of neurodivergent traits, but he reads as very neurodivergent to me(probably autistic or adhd but I'm not a professional and can't diagnose him). But while I can chalk up neruodivergency being one of many possible interpretations of his character, I WILL argue that he's not "stupid" given the evidence we see throughout the movie

Tl;Dr: Lampy is evidently intelligent, but sometimes struggles with social cues, empathy, and overall shows numerous traits of neurodivergency