#away from any stranger they are sitting by

[jenscx]

CALL IT WANT YOU WANT — yu jimin x f!reader

the self-on kode with karina had boosted your popularity as a solo member immensely. you find yourself invited to another show; nothing much prepared. yet, you weren’t exactly alone this time.

TAGS — fluff, lesserafim member!yn, flirty!karina, continuation of magnetic, lee youngji’s show, lowk crack

WORDCOUNT — 2.3k

your manager drops you off in front of an apartment complex. waving goodbye to him, and with a promise to not stir up any trouble, you enter the apartment building, nerves trembling. reaching the lobby, you press on the call button, dialling in lee youngji’s apartment number.

“hello!” you greet as youngji’s face comes into view.

“oh my,” youngji gasps, “hurry up before i leave!”

“this is your house though?” the video ends abruptly. you laugh as you enter the lift.

the lift slowly brings you up, a stranger eyeing you weirdly. pulling up the mask closer to your face, you resist the urge to run away.

the lift dings, and you exit, turning corners to finally reach her apartment. pressing on the doorbell gingerly, you start to remove your shoes. you hear youngji’s rapid footsteps as she approaches.

“y/n-ssi!” youngji shrieks. cheers resound from the small crowd of staff. cameras and lights form a semicircle, capturing your every move. you smile shyly at everyone, waving your hand.

“welcome to my house!”

“Is this your actual house?” you ask, “not like a set?”

youngji laughs, “what makes you think i can afford a set like this? of course it’s my actual house!” you nod, grin plastered on your face as you sit down on the cushion. youngji immediately starts introducing the various food items she prepared for you.

yet, when she points at a certain plate, your eyes widen in recognition as she states, “that’s for our other guest, she likes tonkatsu.”

“other guest…?” you repeat, “my manager didn’t say anything about another guest.”

youngji grins at you apologetically, “because we didn’t inform him about it! no worries, you should be well-acquainted with her!”

the staff laughs at your reaction, glaring at youngji who paces around the room.

the webcam rings again. you try to soothe your nerves by slurping up the noodles youngji had prepared. acquainted with you? and someone who likes tonkatsu? you couldn’t believe it. could youngji really manage to get..?

“karina unnie! welcome back to my house!” your heart drops.

the familiar idol peeks around the corner.

“y/n?” jimin gapes. you share a similar reaction. youngji claps gleefully at the interaction.

“welcome back my favourite unnie and my newest unnie!” your eyes narrow while jimin’s crinkle into an eye smile.

“please take a seat next to y/n unnie!” you tense up before shifting slightly to accommodate for the unexpected arrival. jimin grins, sitting down with her humongous bag. “hi, nice to see you again. you haven’t replied to my message yet.”

“i was busy,” you reply in a low voice. jimin only rolls her eyes and moves in closer. you feel your throat constrict at the closeness.

“youngji, can i have water please?” you ask. the girl mentioned immediately brings out a large bottle from the fridge, placing it on the table. she clears her throat, “okay, now that we are all settled! today we have y/n-ssi and karina-ssi!”

you cheer awkwardly along with the staff.

“this is the first time we have two people from different groups!” youngji exclaims, “unnie, of course, has been here before and y/n is here for the first time.”

youngji turns to you, “have you watched unnie’s episode?”

“ah… no i haven’t…” you glance at jimin apologetically. the idol turns to you, affronted.

“y/n, that’s so hurtful!” jimin pouts. you look away, coughing to mask the choking sensation caused by her big puppy eyes.

you take a large gulp of alcohol, youngji laughs at your expense.

“have you watched any of y/n-ssi’s content recently then?” youngji prompts.

jimin sighs, hands going to massage her temples exaggeratedly, “of course! i watched her vlog to japan and her dazed interview.”

you try to hide your red face behind the glass of alcohol, eyes darting from jimin’s piercing gaze.

“y/n-ssi, did you hear that? unnie has been keeping up with your content!” your ears flush maroon.

“sorry… i’ve been busy with stuff,” you defend yourself. jimin giggles, sipping on her miniature cup. her posture seems relaxed and calm, of course, since this would be her second time appearing on the show. meanwhile, you sit upright, meekly staring at youngji.

“how have you guys been? aespa’s having a comeback, right?”

jimin brightens up, “yes, it’s our first full album. we have a pre-release single called supernova and our title track is armageddon! please show lots of love since it will be our first time promoting a full album!” the staff breaks out in applause. you clap along.

“y/n-ssi!” youngji calls out, “are you going to buy their album?” you gape at youngji, “uh, sure!”

“shouldn’t you ask unnie for a signed copy?”

“ah… uhm, karina-ssi—”

jimin pouts at you, “call me unnie and i’ll give it to you!”

you feel faint at the close proximity of her beauty.

“unnie…”

the idol laughs, patting you on the back, “youngji, isn’t she so cute? her reaction is the opposite of minjeong but they’re both so funny.”

“what’s your mbti? wait no— i’ll guess!” youngji shrieks. even before she opens her mouth a second time, jimin swiftly answers, “istj!”

“oh, sorry, but even if you’re older than me you can’t just interrupt like that,” youngji deadpans. you choke on the water you were drinking. jimin only swats at the host, “i was helping you. you definitely couldn’t guess her mbti.”

you cough, “jimin is correct.”

“unnie, you’re istj? wow!”

“i think it’s quite obvious, no?” you ask, pointing at yourself. jimin shoots you a smile.

“how do you guys feel about your episode on self-on kode reaching five million views? it’s one of the most popular videos now. please say something to the camera,” youngji asks. jimin nudges you while she takes a bite out of the tonkatsu. you blush thinking about the video.

“i’m thankful for all of jimin’s fans who watched the video and enjoyed our interaction. it was my first time appearing solo and i was worried that my personality would be too timid and shy. but i’m glad our fans liked the video,” you smile at the camera, “to all the mys and fearnots, i love you all.”

youngji sighs, “unnie.”

“yes?”

“should we just get married? i think i should pay more taxes to witness your smile.”

jimin interrupts again, cheeks puffed with food, “no!”

the subtitle underneath would read, ‘in a fight between whales, the shrimp is the one that gets hurt.’

“y/n is mine,” jimin says after swallowing. you just stare at her incredulously.

“unnie, you can’t just claim people like that! what if y/n unnie doesn’t like you!”

“i don’t care, i met her first.” you think this side of jimin is incredibly childish. and cute.

youngji frowns but then bursts out into laughter, “okay let’s say, we share y/n unnie.”

jimin shakes her head.

“okay, pick between, no shin-chan or no y/n— let’s play a balance game!” your eyes widen as youngji yells. maybe too much energy was a bad thing.

“three, two, one, answer!”

jimin huffs, “no y/n…”

you chuckle, of course jimin’s love for shin-chan would prevail. you roughly remember the boo keychain she had given you last time after the shoot ended, thankful that you dealt with her nonsense.

you didn’t bother telling her you had fun. she could probably tell from the smile on your face.

“lee youngji, jay park or y/n? three, two, one—”

youngji slams the table, scoffing, “unnie, let’s just continue the shoot without you.”

jimin claps gleefully. as the idol laughs, her hand comes striking down on your back. you yelp in pain, surprised by the forcefulness of her slap.

“—oh! i’m sorry!”

you narrow your eyes at jimin, “was that on purpose?”

“i would never slap someone like that on purpose!” jimin was such a liar. you’ve been her victim many times.

“unnie, even y/n unnie is scared of you,” youngji says, bringing out a candy ring from her pocket, “that’s why, y/n unnie should marry me instead.”

you laugh loudly, reaching out your hand to receive the ring.

“hey, didn’t you give me a shin-chan ring?”

“that was in the past, it is all about the future—”

“i’m going to slap you next!”

while the two bicker, you slip on the ring, yet it doesn’t fit quite as snug as you hoped. a little loose around the edges, jimin notices your call for help. deft fingers wrap around yours, trying to tighten the ring. a snippet of her tongue pokes out, eyes focused on securing the ring. your eyes flicker to her face. it’s adorable how jimin is so concentrated.

“there,” her eyes shone, “it’s secure now.”

you look back at her, mumbling, “thank you, jimin.”

a voice breaks your eye contact, “i’m sorry, but is this a blind date? am i interrupting? should i leave?” youngji stands up.

you hastily try to pull her arm back to sit down, “no!”

“yes!” jimin nods. you glare at jimin, who pouts again. what was god thinking when he made jimin? did he not consider how many heart attacks her pout would cause?

“ah, young love,” youngji sighs, lamenting as she sits down again, “unnie has mentioned you countless times on bubble.”

“oh, really?” you turn to jimin, in disbelief.

jimin scowls, “lee youngji, don’t buy my bubble just to tease me.”

“i didn’t buy your bubble!”

“ah, you bought mark’s one, right?” you ask, remembering the episode with twice. youngji nods excitedly, “you watched nayeon and chaeyoung unnie’s episode?”

you nod, “i’m a once, it was a very fun episode.”

“unnie, flatter me more and i’ll ask them to text you.”

laughing, you shake your head, “it’s okay, i’m happy being a once and watching their content.”

“i heard you were a fan of got7 too.”

“yes, ahgase was actually my nickname in the self-on kode episode.”

“jimin unnie, you said you liked older women in the episode,” youngji asks, “how did you feel when you found out y/n unnie is younger?”

“of course i was still happy! i liked y/n ever since lesserafim debut,” jimin says, “and park y/n, you watch twice but not aespa content?”

your eyes widen as you shake your hands in front of you, denying, “no, i watched twice’s episode a long time ago! i didn’t have time to watch yours!”

“what if it was minjeong who came? would you watch it?”

at this point, jimin was just having fun teasing you.

“i really didn’t have time,” you whine. jimin sighs dramatically, “maybe i’m the only one putting in effort in this friendship.”

“jimin unnie, i think you should consider acting,” youngji says out of the blue, “like a first love turned ex type of drama.”

jimin laughs. you could definitely imagine jimin acting. but maybe for the sake of your sanity, she shouldn’t act in any romance drama for now.

“have you guys met recently after the self-on kode episode? all your fans have been wondering and ah! did you see the article about y/nrina’s outing?”

you roughly recalled such an article. chaewon had showed it to you. it was a few weeks after the episode had aired and jimin wanted to go out. you had agreed, and unbeknownst to the two of you, there was a fan who took a photo of you at the restaurant.

“we went to a photobooth, and to the arcade. i think fearnots may know but jimin won a plushie there, the cute cat one that i posted on weverse. then we went to go eat.”

youngji pulls out a piece of paper, the photo printed on it.

“lee youngji, what is this prop?” jimin asks.

“newest edition to our show!” youngji says proudly, pointing at the two familiar figures, “can you explain this photo?” it was the trending photo of jimin and you fighting over the bill before jimin ended up handing her card to the waiter, happily smiling at you.

“jimin wanted to pay the bill and i disagreed, wanting to split half-half,” you explain, “we played rock paper scissors and jimin won, so she paid.”

jimin grins, looping her arm through yours, “but next time y/n is paying!”

“next time, will you guys invite me too?”

“sure!” you exclaim, “we can go eat pork belly. let’s shake on it!” you extend your hand, grasping youngji’s and shaking in a firm grip.

youngji pulls back, eyeing her hand as she says, “i’m never washing this hand again.”

“lee youngji—”

“ah, unnie, isn’t it time for you to go home?” youngji perks up. jimin shakes her head, “i wanna stay here longer.”

“unnie, don’t make me call your manager,” youngji turns to you for help.

you sigh, grabbing jimin’s humongous bag and trying to get her to stand up, “jimin, please get up.”

jimin resists for a few seconds. you smile shyly at her. she finally relents.

turning to the camera, you grin, “thank you for inviting us today, youngji! i had a lot of fun and so did jimin.”

“thank you for coming!” youngji smirks, “and thank you for dragging unnie home! let’s stay in contact y/n unnie!”

you wave goodbye at the crew and drag the frowning jimin out of the apartment. after successfully reaching the door, you put on your shoes. jimin’s arms wrap around your back as she sighs, “y/n…”

“hm? what is it?”

“i want a kiss.”

you smack her shoulder, “no, get off me.”

“please y/n! i didn’t even tease you that much this time! and if youngji can ask for your hand in marriage, you should allow your girlfriend to ask for a kiss!”

“on the cheek.”

“no!” jimin points at her lips, “here!”

glossy, red and plump. your eyes zero in, but you shake your head, “no, jimin. control yourself. we’re still outside youngji’s apartment.”

jimin huffs, sulking as she puts on her shoes.

“in the lift,” you say, “i’ll give you a kiss in the lift.”

your girlfriend perks up, tying her shoelaces with a speed unknown to mankind. you giggle at her eagerness.

“y/n, hurry up!” jimin yells, pulling your arm towards the lift lobby.

nothing has really changed. you still can’t find yourself denying yu jimin. even after she’s become your girlfriend.

[yanderemommabean]

What if you were a pregnant woman in Fallout, running and trying to get far away from raiders or something/someone else. You are scared and trying to hide it this gloomy and abandoned home only to accidentally found a nest with egs6 and mother Deathclaw. You frozen in shock and fear, not having an idea of what to do in this situation. However the beast didn't tear you apart but comes closer, sniffing you and gently nuzzling you already big stomach. But when the pursuiters found you both, so Deathclaw cover you and her eggs and tears them apart, leaving NO survivers. Mother protects mother.

You just tremble, holding a hand over your stomach in fear as the beast trots closer. Its curious, head tilting here and there as it chuffs and snorts, before it just lays its head on your stomach as well, even seemingly purring. These things can do that?!

You almost sigh in relief, gently scratching the massive beasts head as a thank you, but that crackling of broken glass gets your attention. The fuckers you've been running from found you-seemingly breaking a window in the process as they hollered for you to give up the jet and med-ex you had on hand. You don't though. They're just hellbent on this idea though and have chased you for literally nothing. And you're close to tears, thinking you were about to die either by this angry beast or by psychos. But the deathclaw stands in front of you, roaring loud and deafening, shaking the foundation of the abandoned building as she makes sure it's known. This place is a death trap if they step any closer.

Do they listen? Well no. They aren't the type. They were literally going to kill you for drugs you said you didn't have and proved you didn't have, why would a deadly lizard beast be a threat to those idiots?

Three seconds. It takes three seconds as you turn away and hunch over, holding your stomach with both hands to protect you and your baby. They're scattered, some even eaten whole as their screams are cut off. The next thing you feel is a blood covered nose nudging you, as if to reassure you that you're ok, and it makes sure to push you again when it thinks you didn't notice. How...Cute? Can deathclaw's be cute? Well, you suppose this one can be. And its a hero, oddly enough. To think you fight these things regularly... "Thank you, uh...Ma'am?" you ask, unsure how to address it or give the beast a name. Maybe names can come later? You're exhausted from the entire chase, and thinking death was seconds away. The deathclaw just whuffs, encouraging you to sit down in the rubble-Wait, nest? It's nest right?? Maybe not- and you oblige. She trots away for a moment, sniffing the puddles of blood to make sure the bandits were dead, before taking another bite for good measure. You suck in a breath, but decide to just let that image be locked away for now, needing to rest for you and your baby's sake. Seems the deathclaw agrees, coming to curl around you as she turns her eggs, facing them towards the sun as she grumbles and purrs, making sure you're warm and protected as well as her belly presses to your back.

Maybe this is the beginning of something even stranger, but, for now you decided to just sleep while you can. Who knows when you'll be able to again?

-Mommabean

[takes1]

one night stand aftermath with needy!tsukishima

semi-drabble i just rlly liked the sound of. i wanna write more for this, still debating how i wanna actually write the smut for it

warnings. implicit nsfw. minors DNI

info. fem!reader / one night stand aftermath / no cuddling / needy!tsukki / miscommunication / future smut / future fluff / timeskip!tsukki / reader with trust issues kinda / 408 words / reply to be added to taglist for part 2!

haikyuu collection.

more links. masterlist. my ao3. requests open

Tsukishima was still swimming in his residual post-orgasm paradise when you were feeling around for your top in his tangled sheets.

His hand left his stomach to make room for your body next to his. It was stuffed behind his cold, silk pillowcase.

It didn't seem odd to him when you began to put some clothes back on- he understood it wasn't his privilege to ask about any potential insecurities, or start any hard conversation after just meeting you and fucking your brains out.

You were adjusting your tits back in place when he asked, eyes closed, "You want some water?"

"Oh- no thanks," You chuckled, a little put off by his concern.

It made him open an eye to try to decipher your stilted tone. He saw you reach for your heels and his stomach flexed with an instinct he didn't know he harbored.

Of course, you were doing everything in your power to not look at him, so you didn't see his funny half-sit-up to his elbows, or the twist of his brow when you checked your watch.

"You're leaving?"

It came out a little less cool than he wanted. It obviously didn't land well-- he pulled the sheets up, pissed that he sounded so desperate, over his hips when you spared a subtle, shocked look in his direction.

"Yeah?" Was another polite laugh from your lips.

Was it some kind of inside joke? Was he missing something? It left him more embarrassed, since it only hurried the collection of your miscellaneous belongings.

Instead of taking time to put them where they belonged in the pockets, you just shoved your jewelry inside in one big clump.

He knew he made it more difficult, more uncomfortable, by expecting more from a stranger he met at the club.

But he couldn't bring himself to feel bad about it when his heart felt like it had been replaced by a lead block. Sheets clutched between his fingers, he stared down and away when you closed the distance between yourself and the door.

A pause, just as your hand hit the handle.

"This was really fun," You said, incredibly too soft, too sweet.

He chose not to look at you. You took it as a sign to leave.

The door clicked to a quiet shut. He slid back down and covered his burning face with his hands, sick to his stomach at how badly he still needed you.

taglist.

none! reply to be added.

masterlist.

[rin-may-1103]

The Wrong Robin Au (part three)

Previous | Next

Danny never said he knew what he was doing, but he thinks he's doing something right if the kid hasn't started crying yet. so you know, that's great. now, he just needed to get the kid out of here, so Danny could have a moment to mourn his retirement plans.

He wasn't going to blame the kid, ancients know Danny would have gone back to hero work eventually. He just couldn't let things go if he could help it, and he could in this situation.

"Alright, here's the plan." Danny announced, slapping his legs as he stood up. "it's late, you're a kid who needs sleep. let's get you home, then we can get a game plan on how to do this."

Tim had been nodding his head, even if it was reluctantly, before freezing in sudden realization. Danny raised his eyebrow in question, wondering what was wrong now.

"you want my help?" Tim asked, absolutely gobsmacked.

Oh, the kid thought Danny was just going to send him away like any reasonable adult would. Ha, Danny wished. but no. He had no clue what he was doing and this kid was his only trump card for making any of the half-assed plans still forming in his head work. AND he had a feeling if he didn't keep Tim close by, the kid would run off and do something stupid.

"Yep," Danny snorted, "you were smart enough to figure out who Batman was, and then you decided to take it upon yourself to help him; whether by convincing me to do it or yourself."

"Now then," Danny said as he walked over to the couch and pulled his hoodie from under Sam. Sam, to her credit, told him to fuck off and went back to snoring. Tucker, somehow having heard her, responded with a 'Go fuck yourself'.

Shaking his head, Danny turned back to Tim. "Let's get going. It's-" Danny turned to look at the clock, his eyes narrowing when he found it; 4 am. The kid was up and coherent enough to try and blackmail someone into being Robin at four in the morning. "-four. you seriously need to get some sleep kid. It's a school night." actually, what day was it???

Tim rolled his eyes but started to follow Danny out the door. "It's Saturday, and I've stayed up longer," he grumbled.

Danny snorted, "So have I, but we still need to sleep." He should probably try and prevent the kid from staying up longer than he should. Danny knows what years of not sleeping properly does to someone. The kid's obsessed with Batman and Robin, right? He'll just use them then.

"Robin needs all the sleep he can get. Otherwise, Batman will bench him. If Robin is benched, then who is out there helping Batman?" That's convincing, right? Does Batman even have the power to bench Robin? From the sounds of it, Robin is his kid's vigilante name. Which means he totally has the power to ground them.

Wait...

If Danny was going to be Robin, does that mean Batman would think he's his kid?

Oh, hell naw. He was not going to be adopted by another fruitloop! If Bruce Wayne even thinks about it, Danny will be out of there so fast even the Flash couldn't stop him.

Tim stumbled, his eyes wide in surprise. "Really?" he asks, turning to look at Danny in horror. Danny blinked, brain failing to remember why the kid would be surprised.

shit, what were they talking about?? Robin... It's four am... Right!

"Yep," Danny chirped, leading the kid to his car. "Now, I know everyone says not to get into a stranger's car and all that jazz, but it's the only way I'm getting you home. So, hop in."

Tim didn't even hesitate to jump into the passenger seat, pulling the seat belt across his chest. Danny stared at him for a second, before opening the car door and sitting down.

"kid, you do know you're not supposed to get into strangers' cars, right?" Danny asked, closing the door and buckling up. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his keys and started the engine.

"Well, yeah?" Tim replied, turning to face him, "But you're not a stranger. You're Robin. You protect people not hurt them."

and well? Danny can't argue with that, now, can he?

"Right, fine. Just promise not to get into strangers' cars. I don't care how much you think you know about them. It's not safe, and you could get hurt."

Tim hummed, thinking about it for a moment before nodding his head. "Yeah, alright. I promise."

"good." Danny sighed, turning to look at the road to see if it was clear. then he sighed again, "Don't tell strangers where you live, please."

Tim looked at him in amusement, a small smile spreading across his face. "Drake manor. 1015 Mountain Drive. It's in the Crest Hill community."

"You're killing me here, kid." Danny groaned, hitting his head against the steering wheel. Then he slowly lifted his head and turned to stare at Tim, "Kid. How the hell did you get all the way over here? Mountain Drive is all the way over in Bristol??? That's, like, twelve miles outside of city limits?"

"I have my ways."

Danny narrowed his eyes, "You bribed someone, didn't you."

Tim looked away from him, fiddling with his fingers.

sighing, Danny sat up and started driving down the road. They sat in silence for a while, just listening to the chaos that was Gotham City as they drove. Tim eventually slumped over, his head resting against the window.

It took a good thirty minutes before Danny could turn onto the bridge out of town. The traffic wasn't heavy, just the occasional car here and there. It was almost peaceful.

"Turn here," Tim suddenly instructed, startling Danny.

"Tim!" Danny cried, turning to look at the kid, then back at the road. although, he did do as the kid instructed. "don't do that! you'll give me a heart attack or something! Ancients!"

Tim blinked, then shrugged. "ok," he yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"my house is the one with really stupid-looking ducks carved into the gates." Tim supplied, waving his hand at the road ahead of them. "Bruce's is the one with bats, but you knew that."

"Right," Danny agreed. What were the chances that Batman happened to live in a place called Gotham and in a house with black iron gates covered in bats? It was almost as coincidental as Danny's last name sounding like Phantom. Fate really had quite the sense of humor, didn't they?

after they passed a few more dirt roads, Tim pointed at a specific one, "Turn here. The gates a little further back than everyone else's."

Danny hummed, turning the car onto the road. What was his life at this point? Driving children to their huge houses at four-thirty in the morning? agreeing to become Robin? coming out of retirement because a kid asked him to?

Bruce Wayne better appreciate all the effort this kid was going through...

A tall gate slowly popped into view, making Danny slow the car down until he could stop right in front of it. "Alright, kid. You're home. get some sleep. Go to school, I don't know, what do you rich kids do on the weekends? actually, you know what? It doesn't matter, do you have a phone?"

Tim blinked as he slowly unbuckled, "yes?"

"One that's not monitored by your parents or anyone else?"

"..."

Danny sighed, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his phone. "Here," Danny unlocked it, went to settings and pressed the factory rest option. Once the phone finished the reset, he quickly scanned through it to make sure it was all gone before adding his second phone number. once done, he tossed it over to the kid. "here, should work for now. Don't let anyone else have it."

If this was any other situation, Danny would have gone straight to the kid's parents; but considering it was past four in the morning and there wasn't a city-wide amber alert? He has a feeling the kid needs a safety net, and well? What better than a direct line to him?

"I can't just take your phone!" Tim cried, catching the phone before it could fall to the ground.

"It's my backup one. I tend to break my phone pretty often, so I always keep an extra one on me. my current number is saved on it, you can reach out and get in contact with me now." Danny waved off the kid's concern, reaching into the back of the car to grab a bag.

with how often his phone had broken during ghost fights and how frequently his parents dissected his phone for parts? It's a habit at this point to have a backup. or Ten. Pulling the bag to the front, Danny showed the kid what was inside.

"..." Tim blinked, then looked up at Danny. "why do you have a bag of broken phones in your car?"

"Because my phones keep breaking and I figured it would be easier to just keep them for extra parts than toss them. Now," Danny tossed the bag into the back, ignoring how it tipped over and spilled the contents all over the seat. He'd clean it up later. Maybe. "It's early. You need sleep, I need sleep. We can pick another day to sit down and build a game plan."

Tim sat in silence for a moment, staring at the phone in his hands, before glancing up at Danny. "You really mean it?" he asked, turning the phone around anxiously, "you really want my help?"

"kid, Tim," Danny started, tilting his head so he could make eye contact. "with how bad you say Batman's gotten? I'm going to need all the help I can get. Who better than the one who went out of his way to try and actually do something about it?"

Tim's eyes watered as he looked back at the phone. "ok," he whispered, nodding his head. Reaching up, he wiped his face clean before taking a deep breath and letting it out.

"ok," he repeated, voice stronger now. "I'll help. I want to."

"Good," Danny nodded in agreement, then smiled. "get some sleep kid, you need it."

"I don't need it," Tim grumbled, turning to open the door and get out. "but if that's what it takes for you to allow me to help, then I guess I can take a nap or something."

Danny snorted, watching as Tim closed the car door and started making his way to the gate.

as soon as the kid was out of view, Danny slammed his head onto the steering wheel and groaned. He had definitely jinxed himself earlier. How hard can being Ribin be? Yeah right. He hasn't even gotten to meet Bruce yet and he's already stressed.

...

Glancing up, Danny watched as the clock glitched then turned to five am.

...

Well then, he might as well do something productive since it was unlikely he'd be getting any more sleep if he went back. Sam would be up by the time he got back, which meant he'd have to answer all of her questions... which would wake Tucker up, which would mean Danny'd have to explain all over again.

Glancing around, Danny suddenly realized something.

Batman.

Bruce Wayne was Batman.

Bruce Wayne; as in, Gotham's own himbo billionaire.

Who lives in Bristol.

Which is where he is right now. Logically speaking, he'd be able to find it pretty fast if he just looked at the gates. It's probably just a few houses from Tim's too, now that he thought about it...

Oh, this was a terrible idea, but when had that ever stopped Danny?

Jazz was so going to kill him for this.

Next

[000-pawz]

" fantasy romance tropes " bnd series masterlist °｡⋆⸜ 🪽♡🪄

coming soon!

a/n: i was listening to dawn in the adan by ichiko aoba and got inspired to start a series! i barely see any fantasy stuff on here and i'm a big lover of it so here this is :3 <3 (p.s. there won't be an order to posting! it'll be random >3<) i tried to put my own spin on these tropes, so i hope you guys look forward to them! <3

"bloom for me" - sungho x reader ˚ ⋆｡˚

angel sungho x human!reader | modern-day au, forbidden love, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort

"sungho has been assigned to be your guardian angel, to look after you from afar, and to make sure you stay out of harm's way. the only rules? don't get too close and never interfere with true fate. but when you find yourself in a dark place, unsure of whether life is truly worth living, sungho finds himself unable to simply sit around and watch you fall apart. he wants to show you the light; even if he must sacrifice everything he has even known for it."

"night life stars" - riwoo x reader ˚ ⋆｡˚

elf!riwoo x human!reader | old fantasy au, forbidden love, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, strangers to lovers

"growing up, you've always been told to never pass the flower field in the woods and to stay far away from elf territory because everyone knows that elves are the most violent creatures in the forest. one summer, a drought spreads throughout your village, and while fetching water from a stream in the woods for your family, you end up slipping and hitting your head on a rock. when you finally wake up, your eyes immediately lock on to a pair of glimmering green ones. eyes that belong to the enemy itself."

"safest sounds"- jaehyun x reader ˚ ⋆｡˚

hybrid!jaehyun x human!reader | modern-day au, hybrids & humans, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, strangers to lovers, living together

"after another tiring day at work, you're walking back to your apartment when you hear soft cries coming from an alleyway. with your undeniable curiosity, you go to find the source of sound—and much to your surprise, you find an abandoned hybrid curled up in a ball, shivering from the cold. with a promise to take him to a shelter when the sun rises, you let him come home with you so he can eat and have a warm place to sleep for the night. in the morning, though, you discover that this hybrid has already claimed you as his owner."

"seneca" - taesan x reader ˚ ⋆｡˚

magic!taesan x non-magic!reader | modern-day magic, rivals to lovers, fluff, hurt/comfort

"han taesan. the bane of your existence. he's been your academic rival at your boarding school ever since you transferred a few years ago, and you have despised him ever since. on your way home one day, you end up encountering some people looking for trouble. in the blink of an eye, taesan is there to help you get away, but something is off. might it be his glowing hands and eyes? no, no, no. you must only be imagining things... but taesan's threat to keep everything a secret says otherwise."

"dance on the moon" - leehan x reader ˚ ⋆｡˚

mermaid!leehan x human!reader | pirate au, angst, emotional hurt/comfort, hidden love

"there's nothing more that you hate than working as a maid on this deck. your captain and crew are worse than scum and you miss home every day, but you must do as they say if you want to survive. one stormy night, the crew catches a mermaid in their net while in the pits of the sea and your captain declares to sell him on the market as soon as they reach land. but when you become tasked to watch over the poor mermaid every night, you end up promising to help him escape back to his home. maybe he could find a way to help you escape too."

"seek for warmth" - woonhak x reader ˚ ⋆｡˚

vampire!woonhak x vampire!reader | vampire au, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

"woonhak never asked to be a vampire; he never wanted to live a life he didn't choose and be cursed to live forever. thankfully, there's another fledgling in the coven who sees the light still shining in his undead eyes. you're there with him through the insatiable hunger and the yearning for a past he never had the chance to live, holding his hand through it all. eventually, he begins to find solace in your warmth despite his fingers being cold to the touch."

masterlist

[causenessus]

cold kisses

part 0.4. BALD SUITS

PLAYING FROM KODZUKEN'S STREAM . . . she's gonna leave you by the walters

prev. | m.list | next

extras <3

i really just look through my chapters looking for the most unhinged things i can title them as

kuroo and oikawa went to some bougie stark white ice cream place open late at night

pretty sure it'd be stranger seeing two big tall men standing in a line of teenager girls giggling and hovering over one of their phones (not to mention one of the big tall men have a bandaged hand) than being one of the teenagers in that ice cream line

y/n was so energetic and felt like such a boss after the talk of kenma anyone who did pass her on the sidewalk she just glared at which was very effective at making any harmless passersby uncomfortable

then she sat curled up on the edge of a sidewalk and no one in the right mind talks to someone sitting facing the road at one in the morning

suna did end up giving y/n his jacket and carried her "only" because he was hot and didn't want it anymore

anyone walking from the other direction just saw a terrifying, bulky, two-headed shadowed figure from far away which was even more effective at scaring people to the complete other side of the road

noya started tweeting while tsukki had shut off the lights and was trying to sleep but he heard his phone buzz and looked at the notification

when he replied to noya about killing him in his sleep noya sat up to look at him and tsukishima was already staring back at him, pale face illuminated by his phone screen and noya just silently laid back down turned away hoping he would survive the night

kenma sat staring at a wall while petting goldfish waiting for kuroo and oikawa to arrive (and was wondering if they even ever would)

iwa has kuroo and oikawa's twitter accounts on mute to keep his peace of mind

while they were talking y/n took one glance at her phone, put it back down, and told him not to look at twitter

he didn't ask questions

taglist: @rinheartshyunlix @kettlepop @eggyrocks @cr4yolaas @httpakkeiji @keioover @does-directions @calx-bdo @staygoldsquatchling02 @cherrypieyourface @iluv-ace @kitty-m30w @h3xi2g0n3 @mylahrins @thechaosoflonging @momoriii-i @localgaytrainwreck @a-pastel-edgelord @bugglesboop @polish-cereal @osakis-gf @whykirbo @phoenix-eclipses @faesix @ryeyeyer @starxq.zip @skylarkalchemist @kunimix @sereniteav @kodzubaby @stayyyyyyyyyyyy21 @r0seandth0rns @gsyche @1lovestrawberrymilk @kitnootkat @seillarium @tamimemo (form to be added to taglist! <3)

[little-cereal-draws]

@nonbinarylocalcryptid has put this au in my head so here are some headcanons for Odysseus adopting Astyanax instead of killing him

When Odysseus finally gets home, Astyanax is ten and Telemachus is twenty, about to turn twenty one

Astyanax is incredibly furiously jealous of Telemachus. He doesn’t know who this guy is or why Odysseus is so obsessed with him. He isn’t used to having to share his dad’s attention

He tries to come up w ways of getting Odysseus to focus only on him but he’s never successful. Either he gets in trouble for doing smth bad or he tries to start a game and it gets turned into a whole family activity

He gives up after a few weeks and sulks by himself exploring the palace and city. Odysseus eventually finds him and they have some much needed one on one time. Astyanax is ecstatic

Telemachus is incredibly furiously jealous of Astyanax. He doesn’t know who this kid is or why Odysseus is so obsessed with him. He isn’t used to having to share his dad’s attention

Him and Odysseus are trying to make up for lost time and Astyanax keeps bursting in and being super annoying. He’s so glad every time Odysseus shoos him away. He desperately needs this one on one time

Astyanax isn’t sure abt Penelope. She’s very nice, makes an effort to connect to him, and Odysseus hasn’t stopped raving abt her for as long as he can remember. But hearing abt someone in a story is different from actually meeting them. She a total stranger. He warms up to her after a while but for the first month or so, he’s very shy and apprehensive around her

He doesn’t consider her his mom tho, only Odysseus’ wife. He used to think calypso was his mom (she would be the first woman he would be old enough to remember and they lived w her for most of his life) but now he’s content to not have a mom. He only needs his dad anyway

After about a year or so, both Astyanax and Telemachus begrudgingly accept that they’ll have to share Odysseus. They’re both not thrilled abt it but they’re not angry anymore either

Telemachus is a self sufficient adult at this point and spends a lot of time doing his own thing. He’ll go on trips, go hunting, attend his parents’ court, try to woo maidens, debate policy and philosophy w the advisors (which can get pretty complicated when his parents join; his dad especially loves having battles of wits), etc

Astyanax is a preteen and very curious abt what Telemachus is getting up to and what the adult life of a prince is like. He followed him secretly at first but quickly got found out. Telemachus thought it was kinda weird at first but then was a little flattered

He started letting Astyanax accompany him (to an extent. Long trips and wooing maidens are off limits lol). But he’ll take him to court, on quick trips, to his fighting lessons, to intellectual debates, etc.

Penelope isn’t so sure but Odysseus is adamant that learning by experience is just as valuable as structured lessons and they should just be happy that they’re finally getting along lol

The only part he has a problem w is the trips. He’s already anxious when Telemachus leaves on his own but when he takes Astyanax too… The thought of potentially losing both his sons, them taking years to return, or them being harassed by the gods eats him alive. It’s terrible to watch. He doesn’t eat, barely sleeps, doesn’t do any work. The only thing he does is sit by the door to the palace and wait for them to come back. Not even Penelope can soothe him

It’s worse when they go on a boat. Even if they’re only taking a one day trip to the city next over, he’s literally shaking w stress. Instead of sitting by the door, he’ll sit in Poseidon’s temple and do nothing but pray for their safe passage, not stopping at all for food or sleep

Telemachus has offered to leave Astyanax so he feels a bit better but he insists that he’s fine. It’s more important that the two of them bond, form good relations w their neighbors that will benefit them when they’re the king, and become more worldly. He’s fine. He swears it. He’s fine

Telemachus has taught Astyanax how to shoot a bow, how to track animals, how to identify plants, and how to basically do anything that doesn’t involve living on a boat lol

They’ll spar too. Astyanax is much better than Telemachus was at his age and Telemachus is a little jealous abt it. If he didn’t win anyway bc he’s bigger and stronger, he definitely would be angry

It’s weird tho bc he’ll be like “how did you learn that move? It was super advanced." And Astyanax will just casually be like “dad taught me after we fought a harpy.” And Telemachus is reminded that this kid has spent more time w his dad than he has. He never got to have his dad teach him how to fight but this other kid did. It’s not fair. He pushes it deep down and ignores it

Astyanax is aware of what happened to his biological family. Odysseus told him when he was eight. He was a teary mess, barely able to get the story out, but Astyanax wasn’t distraught like Odysseus expected. Astyanax was quiet for a long time, thinking, then went off on his own for a while but by the time it was night, he seemed to have moved pass it

He didn’t remember that family so he wasn’t very upset. He definitely thought it was messed up that he was taken in by the enemy that killed his whole family and destroyed his city but Odysseus was nice and it beat being killed too so he wasn’t complaining

Sometimes he’ll lay awake and wonder what his life would’ve been like if he had grown up in Troy tho. How his biological dad would’ve raised him. How different his life would’ve been if he hadn’t been constantly moving around and fighting for his life. As a kid, he can’t even begin to imagine what that would feel like bc he’s never known it. But by the time he’s grown, it’s different

Telemachus is on the throne now; Odysseus retired and just hangs around now. There are rumors that he's gone mad and even tho it's 100% false, he does nothing to stop the rumors bc he thinks it's funny and likes to mess w ppl

Astyanax is in his mid to late twenties now and he's feeling like he doesn't belong in Ithaca. He looks different from the rest of his family, he's got a much darker and complicated past than most of them, and every time they talk abt war in the court he can't help but get angry and closed off

Tho to Telemachus' credit he's a very fair king and does his best to avoid war and getting involved in other people's wars. That's how he lost his dad for so long and he's not making Ithaca go through smth like that again

Astyanax decides that he needs to see Troy. What's left of it, any new civilizations that replaced it, anything he can find. He's a little worried about the trip across the sea but figures if he did it once before, he can do it again

There's nothing when he gets there. Most of the wood has rotted and the ground is black and charred. He can walk the Greek camp based off the burnt fire pits, the tent peg holes in the earth, and the rotted outlines of the thick wall. The field in between the camp and Troy is littered with swords, spears, arrows, shields, and the occasional chariot wheel. Troy is a ghost town. The only thing left are the great walls. The inside is baren and empty

When he returns, he's furious. His "dad" destroyed his entire civilization. Except for him, no mercy was shown. It was a horrible, monstrous thing to do. (He's forgotten the memory of how much Odysseus cried telling him what he did)

He goes off on Odysseus. Odysseus is partly resigned (he knew this day was coming and he’s in the wrong) but he’s still a stubborn ass who resorts to violence instead of talking things out so the fight gets pretty explosive. It stays an argument but only just barely

They both have swords in their hands when Telemachus comes in. He tries to talk them down and pretends he doesn’t know what the fight is abt even tho the whole palace can hear them yelling

Astyanax asks for Odysseus to be executed, banished, or otherwise punished in someway. Telemachus won’t do it. Astyanax is furious that he’s not taking his side. Telemachus didn’t see what he saw. He didn’t lose his whole family and get kidnapped by the man who murdered them. He has no idea how it feels to have your whole world flipped on its head

Astyanax debates fighting both Odysseus and Telemachus but decides against it. He storms out, gets on a boat, and goes back to Troy. He wanders around there for a while until he finds a civilization to join

Years go by. Odysseus dies, Telemachus has his own kids and grandkids. His hair is starting to go gray. Then one day a messenger runs in announcing the approach of a foreign army

Telemachus runs out to see the threat and a fleet of twelve boats is abt to enter Ithaca’s harbor. At the prow of the biggest one is Astyanax, torch in hand. He’s going to burn Ithaca like they burnt Troy

The prophecy is fulfilled

[fluentmoviequoter]

Speak Up

Requested Here!

Pairing: David 'Deacon' Kay x shy!fem!reader

Summary: Your shyness makes it hard to speak up for yourself. Your boyfriend Deacon makes it easy.

Warnings: angst?, reader is belittled and harassed, fluff and comfort!

Word Count: 1.7k+ words

Masterlist Directory | Deacon Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

Deacon Kay is unlike any other boyfriend you’ve ever had. Though you are used to disappointment and broken relationships, many of which you blame on your shyness, you know that what you have with Deacon is different. Your relationship is fairly new, you’ve been together less than a year, yet you survived the honeymoon phase and the weeks that followed. Perhaps the most incredible part of Deacon and the relationship you’re building with him is how he treats you. From the beginning, Deacon acknowledged your shyness but has never abused it or treated it as a flaw. He supports you, talks for you when you struggle, and has never shamed you for being shy or falling into quiet moments.

As you move around your home, getting ready to meet Deacon, you realize that Deacon doesn’t know the full extent of your shyness. He knows that you have trouble talking to strangers and look away when he compliments you to hide your warming cheeks. The other part, the one that leads you to be quiet because you know people won’t listen even if you did speak, the one that drives you to watch videos on how to stand up for yourself, is the side that Deacon hasn’t seen. Your phone buzzes and you forget about your struggles being shy as you see Deacon’s name appear on the screen.

You smile at his text, a simple message that he’s looking forward to seeing you. Once you’re ready, you slide your phone into your bag and exit your home. Deacon often runs late for dates, but you don’t mind waiting for him. You’d wait forever for a man like Deacon.

At the restaurant, you linger by the door for a moment. There was no sign of Deacon’s car in the parking lot, but it’s so busy tonight that you wouldn’t be able to see him even if he was here. You consider asking the hostess if Deacon’s here yet, but there’s a crowd around her stand.

“Are you in line?” someone asks behind you.

“No, sorry,” you answer softly as you step out of the way.

“What was that?” the woman asks.

You shake your head this time, and she laughs in your face. There’s nothing to say in response to that, nothing you want to say at least, but when she turns and calls her friends over, your eyes drop to the floor.

“Aw, she can’t even talk,” one of her friends says over their laughter.

“Did you get stood up, honey?” the first woman adds. “I can see why.”

With your eyes on the floor and your bottom lip pinched between your teeth, you don’t see Deacon walk in. You also don’t see him stop to watch the high-school-level bullying you’re facing just for being quiet. He wonders how often you deal with this; how many people have treated you like a doormat that can’t argue rather than the amazing, beautiful woman you are.

“Hey,” Deacon says as he walks to your side.

You close your eyes and sigh in relief when his arm circles your shoulders. However, you tense when you realize what he just witnessed.

“Go back to your table and harass each other,” Deacon tells the woman.

“We were just having a little fun, handsome,” she argues.

“I’m not.”

She rolls her eyes and leads her friends away, whispering about you even as they leave. You want to take Deacon’s hand and thank him, but he steps back before you can.

“Come on,” he urges kindly.

You allow him to take your hand and follow Deacon to your table. Rather than sit across from him, you slide into the same side of the booth and look toward Deacon. He smiles at you, his eyes nothing but caring and loving. Nothing like the judgemental look of the women earlier.

“Thank you,” you murmur. “But it’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“It’s not fine,” Deacon argues firmly but kindly. He takes your hand and presses a kiss to your knuckles. “And you shouldn’t be used to it.”

You shrug, and Deacon raises his other hand to your jaw. He cups it gently as he repeats, “It’s not fine. And what they said wasn’t true. You’re not different or undesirable.”

You nod; the only reason you believe him is because he shows you daily.

“You deserve better than that,” he continues. “I’m not going to convince you to stand up for yourself if that’s not what you want. This isn’t about becoming someone you’re not to stop that from happening, okay?”

“I know,” you assure.

“Besides, you don’t have to do anything about people like that when I’m here.”

You chuckle as he puffs his chest, then lean against his shoulder as you examine the menu before you. Speaking up for yourself won’t be easy any time soon, maybe never, but you know that Deacon will always be here to tell you the truth.

Deacon thinks that he can read you well, and after what he witnessed at the restaurant, he’s convinced that he is getting even better and knowing what you need and want without asking. As you sit on his couch the next evening for movie night, he gets confirmation.

Your legs are folded underneath you, but your shoulders are rigid as you toy with your fingers. You need something, Deacon thinks, and though he’s told you everything here is as much yours as it is his, you struggle to help yourself to what you want. And sometimes, you can’t bring yourself to ask.

“Are you okay?” Deacon inquires during a lull in the movie plot.

You nod and send him a small smile in reply.

“I’m going to the kitchen for a refill. Do you need anything?”

Your eyes drop quickly, but you answer, “No, thanks.”

“You can talk to me, you know that, right? Anything you want to ask, I’ll do it,” Deacon adds.

“I…” You pause as you try to find the right words to say. “Thanks.”

“For?”

“Most people, in the past, I mean, tried to force me to talk. When they thought I needed something, they kept pushing, but that makes it worse. So, thanks for inviting me to ask.”

Deacon’s jaw clenches quickly. He gets angry for you sometimes, and upon hearing that people have pushed you to talk when you are obviously shy angers him tonight. There’s no reason to force you to talk, Deacon thinks, because you’ll ask when you’re ready. And the more comfortable you get, the quicker it comes. Last week you left his side to get a snack and he’d never been so happy to be abandoned on the couch. But right now, rather than letting his anger show, Deacon pulls you into a hug. You happily wrap your arms around one of his and lean closer to his side as the move continues.

Deacon can’t help but smile when you ask, “Do you have more popcorn?” ten minutes later.

“Can you help me with something?” you ask Deacon.

“Of course,” he answers without hesitation.

“You don’t know what it is yet.”

“Of course,” he repeats firmly.

“Okay… I want to learn to speak up for myself. If I can.”

“You can.”

“Online it says to be prepared, identify your feelings, be assertive, set boundaries, and be confident. I don’t know if I can do all of that all the time.”

“You’ve researched this?” Deacon asks.

“Is that weird?”

“No, no, and it’s good advice, but a lot to remember. Maybe that’s just my brain getting old.”

You laugh and gently shove Deacon’s shoulder. He grabs your wrist and uses it to pull you closer.

“What if, next time someone says something you don’t like, you ask them to stop? Not much to remember and it would be over quickly.”

You nod as you lean against Deacon’s chest. “What if they don’t stop?”

“Walk away.”

Before you can ask if Deacon has any advice on what to say, he kisses you, and you forget about the question. With Deacon beside you, you feel like you can do anything. Even learn to stand up and speak up for yourself.

“Can I have another kiss?” you ask boldly after he pulls back.

Deacon smiles and rewards you with several kisses instead of the one you asked for.

Waiting in the police station isn’t something you do often. Deacon usually meets you in HQ, but he’s in a meeting, so you take a seat in the lobby.

“Hey, aren’t you dating Sergeant Kay?” an officer asks.

You look up and nod, surprised that anyone can recognize you as Deacon’s girlfriend.

“Yeah, you’re the one that never talks. How can you think he actually loves you if he doesn’t even know you?”

“I’d rather not talk about my relationship with you,” you respond.

Your soft and polite version of asking him to stop only spurs him to continue. As the officer continues making inappropriate and unwelcome comments about how unhappy Deacon must be with you, you stand. Deacon once told you that you were welcome to come into HQ if he was running late. So, you’re taking his advice to leave the situation because the person you spoke up to didn’t listen.

“Who will do all your bidding when Deacon gets tired and leaves you?” he asks, following you into the hallway.

“Stop,” you demand.

“Or what? You’ll give me the silent treatment?” the officer taunts.

“Officer Duncan!” Deacon calls as he enters the hall. “Sounds to me like you’re interested in armory duty.”

“Sergeant Kay,” he replies quickly. “No, sir, I was just talking to your girlfriend here.”

“Really? Because it sounded to me like you were pushing her after she told you to stop. Do you do that often, Duncan? I’m sure IA would love to make an inquiry into your treatment of women on and off the force, if so.”

“I’m sorry,” Officer Duncan tells you. “Excuse me.”

Deacon smiles once you’re alone and hugs you tightly.

“You did so well,” he applauds quietly.

You duck your chin to hide against his shoulder, but the truth is that you’re proud of yourself, too. The shyness inside you won’t disappear, but with Deacon teaching you to speak up for yourself and helping you when you can’t, it’s not so bad.

“I love you,” you say against Deacon’s shoulder.

“I love you,” Deacon replies.

He proves it with a kiss, and you find that you’re not shy about the public affection. Deacon is good for you, and he always will be.

[sunflowerharrington]

@steddiebang2024 project reveal!! This is not a drill!

I’m so so excited for this year’s Steddie Bang! I’ll be collabing with the amazing @mvnsvn6 for this project! Forget everything you know about Stranger Things and Saltburn and dive into this adventure with us. You can find the summary and a little excerpt will be under the cut.

Looking forward to posting this Fall :)

Summary:

Eddie Munson knows he won’t make any friends at Hawkins University. He knows it. He knows it… Until he crosses paths with Steve Harrington; a hunk who’s got it all: the looks, the ladies, the money, and a mansion way too big for an eccentric family of five and a butler. He’s got a mansion.

He’s got a mansion.

or, Eddie Munson is twenty years old and enrols at Hawkins University. He falls in love with a guy from university, falls out of love with the same guy, grows to resent him — even though some feelings still lie at the bottom of his heart — and the aftermath of it all.

Excerpt:

The sun shines bright, the grass is greener than ever and the skies are pure, perfect blue, with no clouds in sight. Shadows follow Eddie as he cycles along the road by the crystal-clear river, and he breathes in the fresh air. Today’s going to be a good day.

A buzzing atmosphere flutters around him like butterflies, but it’s pretty bittersweet. Why? Because some god-awful racket is disrupting the peace. It’s Steve, sitting on the verge up ahead, cursing under his breath as he kicks his bicycle. What ever could be the matter? Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

Eddie smirks as he passes, but stopping to help might get him on a page in Steve’s good book. He breaks to a halt in front of Steve.

“Hey, what happened?” Eddie asks, as if he doesn’t already know the answer. It’s a flat tire and the chain is looser than it should be. Steve has the bike upside down, trying to fix it by staring at it, hoping it’ll do something. Spoiler alert: it won’t.

“I’ve got a flat tire.” Bingo. “Chain’s loose too.” Double bingo.

“That’s bad luck,” Eddie says, and for once, something truthful comes out of his mouth— Eddie stops. For once, uh… he says something useful? Maybe? Eddie rolls his eyes. He has to stop changing his story! He was doing so well.

“I’ve just been trying to fix it,” Steve says, looking down at his feet. “Of course it’s when I’m already ten minutes late for my tutorial.”

Ooh, a tutorial. Eddie rolls his eyes. So posh. Jesus H Christ.

“Where is it?” Eddie asks.

“Just off Cherry Lane.”

“Oh shit.” That is pretty far away. Poor boy’s gonna have to walk all the way there on his own like half the people in college, probably. Eddie scoffs, it’s nothing. A walk is nothing. A run? That’s hard sometimes. Walking’s easy, and a good time to have a cigarette. And it’s less dangerous, and a lot easier, to smoke while walking than riding a bike. The scar on Eddie’s right arm is proof of that.

“Yeah…” Steve trails off, pouting like a kicked puppy. Jesus Christ, and Eddie thought he himself was dramatic.

They both look at the bike at the same time. It’s pretty much a goner. There’s no way to fix it in time for Steve to get to his stupid fucking tutorial before it’s over.

“I skipped last week to go- don’t tell anyone- but I went on a date with uh… Can't remember her name, sorry. Heather, or something. And I’m already in trouble with my parents for scratching some of the paint off it, so…”

Oh, poor, poor baby. Eddie internally rolls his eyes. Is Steve seriously trying to make Eddie feel sorry for him? Eddie’s pretty sure Steve’s parents could buy him a thousand bikes if he asked. But… He wants to get on Steve’s good side. He’s definitely popular around campus, and having that under his own belt could be good. Might get Eddie laid by a pretty girl if he’s lucky.

“Look, I’m not really going anywhere,” Eddie says, smiling at him. “Just taking these back to the library. So you can take my bike if you want?”

“No, no, no, I couldn’t. I mean, it looks like rain, I wouldn’t want to—”

Eddie can’t help but melt under Steve’s gaze, and that smile. Jesus H. Christ. “I’m not really going anywhere anyway. I can just get it back from you later. You’re in my college, so…” Perfect. He’ll get to see Steve again. One point for Munson.

“Am I?” Steve asks, keeping his gaze trained on Eddie.

Eddie sighs, his eyes downcast. “Yep.”

It’s a big college, sure, but how has Steve not seen him around before? Has he forgotten about their exchanged looks and smiles around campus whenever they cross paths? Does anything even really matter to him?

“That’s so kind, are you serious?” He asks, getting up from his spot by the tree. “That’s so kind, man. Are you sure? I mean, it’s a long walk back to college and I don’t want you to feel like you have to wheel it back.”

“You want me to take yours back?” Eddie asks. Oh what, so this douche thinks he can tell Eddie what to do now? He doesn’t even know Eddie’s name and he’s already giving him orders. Maybe it’s because Eddie looks easy to manipulate into doing whatever he wants.

But that’s what he wants Steve to think.

Eddie likes to think of himself as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s the strategy in life that gets people everything they want. And what is it Eddie wants? More. More. And even more. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get that, and so far it’s taken him right to Steve Harrington by a tree just outside of Hawkins University.

It didn’t exactly take much for him to get accepted; a carefully curated persona full of smiles and the story about his upbringing. That, and all the little extras: no criminal record—that the police know of, he knows how to make people take the fall for him. Bless Gareth, Frankie and Jeff—no drugs in his system, and a willingness to go down on anyone in any room to keep up his good GPA score.

Bedroom eyes go a long way, and the lack of a gag reflex goes even further. He’s willing to become the local slut to get what he wants. He doesn’t even have to try hard. Eddie is a slut and he’s damn proud of it.

“Oh, no, no, no!” Steve starts. “I’m sorry, I just thought that since I have your bike, you’ll take mine?” Eddie’s works, Steve’s does not, it makes little to no sense.

“I mean, I can wheel it back to college for you, it’s not that far away,” Eddie proposes… to get on Steve’s good side, of course.

“Thank you.” Steve takes Eddie’s bike from him.

He must be so used to people bending over backwards to help him.

Steve grins. “Oh, thank you. Thank you… I’m sorry, I don’t know your name. I’m Steve,” he says with an apologetic look. Oh, but is it fake? Who knows? Everything is fake around here. And posh, rich boys like Steven Otis Harrington are no exception.

I already know your name. And you have no idea just how much I already know about you, Steve.

“Eddie. It’s Eddie.”

“Eddie. Eddie, I love you.” Eddie’s eyes widen as Steve grabs him by the shoulders, planting a kiss on the top of his helmet. Even though he doesn’t want to play it safe in college, he also doesn’t want to get a concussion. So the stupid helmet will have to stay on. “I love you, I love you. Seriously.”

“Like I said, no big deal.”

“Thank you so much, Eddie,” he says with a wide smile, hopping onto the bike, swinging his leg over to put one of his feet on the pedals. “So kind. You’re a fucking lifesaver, really. Thank you.”

Eddie scoffs. Yeah, sure. He’s so thankful for it. Sure. Eddie rolls his eyes when Steve isn’t looking, too focused on pedalling to look back.

“I’ll just leave yours in the bike shed, yeah?”

“Yeah, fine.” If Steve even so much as scratches the bike, it’s over for him. No more talking, no more looking… Eddie will just have to find a new friend, or else pretend to forgive him to stay on his good side.

“Thanks, Eddie!” He calls over his shoulder. “I love you!”

Wow. Does love even have any meaning to him? Does Steve even know what love is? Surely not if he’s telling a fucking stranger that he loves them.

Eddie watches Steve disappear around the corner, leaving him standing alone, holding the broken bike. This is so stupid. He’s gonna look like a fucking idiot walking a bike all the way back to campus. But who cares? It’s not like anyone’s even going to pay attention to some small-town boy anyway…

But Steve might.

He just might. Because that’s all Eddie’s ever wanted.

Attention.

And he’ll do pretty much anything to get it.

[h-haunted]

magic kisses

my hero academia

neito monoma x reader

gender neutral

sfw

haven’t touched mha in like three years but my best friend shared this with me so obviously i had to do it!

~

You were no stranger to the nurse’s office at UA. Being in class 1A was no walk in the park. You were stuck with the best young heroes of your generation- plus that one green-haired kid who won’t stop attracting villains' attention- and it was certainly a challenge.

Cradling your freshly broken arm and dragging your feet, you slowly made your way to Recovery Girl’s office. A heavy sigh slipped past your lips, illustrating your exhaustion. You had been paired up with Katsuki for training. Long story short, he didn’t even pretend to go easy on you. No surprise there, he was far too competitive for that.

You practically stumbled into the room, your legs feeling like jello underneath your weight. You couldn’t even mumble a greeting before you collapsed down into a chair.

“My my, what happened to you?”

You knew that voice.

Despite your fatigue, your eyes snapped open.

Neito Monoma, asshole of class 1B. You two had been at each other’s throats ever since you met.

Sensing your annoyance before you even opened your mouth, Neito laughed and poked your forehead. “Don’t look so happy to see me.”

“Where’s recovery girl?” You manage to ask, raising your eyebrow.

“She had to step out for a while, I’m here to take her place while she’s gone. Just had to copy her quirk,” the blonde shrugs, leaning back against the wall, “Not the most ideal situation, but whatever. I’m the right guy for the job and I figured I’d do something nice for once. C’mon, let me see your arm.”

You immediately turn away from him, pulling your arm back. You wince as you do so, the pain practically shooting up your spine. Neito covers his mouth and tries his hardest not to laugh, earning himself a sharp glare from you. “If you just let me do it, it’ll stop hurting.”

“No thanks, I’d rather die.”

“Hey, if you insist. I won’t complain.”

“Asshole.”

“What? You said it first, not me. That’ll take forever to heal, and Recovery Girl won’t be very happy that you refused help.”

After a moment of hesitation, you hold out your mangled forearm. “Yikes, you got your ass kicked, huh? Thought you 1A idiots were supposed to be strong.” Neito quips. You shoot him a glare, and he laughs. “Alright, alright. Calm down, feisty.” He gently places his hand on your wrist and leans down, pressing a tender kiss to your skin. The butterflies that flutter through your stomach startle you, your cheeks heating up at the contact. You can feel your bone beginning to fuse back together as he backs away, watching your reaction. After a few seconds, you flex your arm and move it around. Good as new. Huh.

“Hm? You seem a little red. Coming down with a fever, are we?” He teases, savoring the way you avert your gaze and mumble ‘shut up’. He runs the tips of his fingers down your freshly healed forearm and it feels like lightning.

You rip your arm away, shooting him yet another glare. He flicks your forehead, rolling his eyes. “Your face will be stuck like that if you don’t stop.”

“And if you don’t stop rolling your eyes, they might get stuck in the back of your head.” You retort through a small yawn, covering your mouth with your hand. Neito looked at you, his eyebrow raised.

“Hm. Someone’s tired.”

“Shut up.”

“What? I just pointed it out. Side effect of the quirk.” Neito laughed, his voice as smooth as honey. “I can’t send you back to class like that. Just relax, you can take a nap here if you need to.”

“That’s oddly nice of you-”

“No promises I won’t draw on your face while you’re out though.”

“There it is.” You roll your eyes, leaning back against the wall. Neito grabs a pillow and offers it to you. “I’m not going to take a nap.”

“You don’t have to. Just get comfortable.” Neito rolled his eyes in return, sitting down next to you. You hesitantly grabbed the pillow, placing it behind your head. It wasn’t any more comfortable than just leaning against the wall, but you were too exhausted to complain.

“Seriously though. I’ll stay here with you if you want to take a nap.” He hums. You open your mouth to protest, but it’s cut off by yet another yawn. Okay, maybe that nap wasn’t a bad idea.

When you wake up, the first thing you notice is that your head is resting on something- or rather, someone. It’s Neito’s shoulder. You shoot up, startling him.

“Woah, hey, what’s the matter???” He asks in pure confusion, looking at you now. You wince, very quickly realizing that there must’ve been a cut or something on your face because holy fuck it stings after resting on it. He notices your momentary discomfort, and it causes him to frown. It’s a burn, from Katsuki’s quirk.

“I can… heal that too.” Neito mumbles. It’s not anything terrible, it would heal on its own with no scarring. Your breath catches in your throat at the thought, but it doesn’t take you very long to nod. He leans forward and plants his lips on your cheek, letting them linger for a moment. The familiar tingly sensation bubbles up beneath your skin, the subtle ache from the injury fading away.

“What… time is it?” You ask, trying to quickly change the subject.

“Three. You were only out for like an hour.”

“Oh…” You look away. You suddenly remember his earlier threat and pull out your phone, using the selfie camera to examine your skin. He didn’t draw on your face after all.

“Oh come on.” Neito can’t help but laugh at how worried you were about it. “I told you I wasn’t going to do it.”

“Give me one good reason why I should trust you.”

“...Because I wouldn’t ruin such a pretty face with marker.” He winks, and you feel your face heating up again. “What? I just fixed your face.” He reaches out to brush his fingertips across your cheek. “Any other injuries I should take care of?” He jokes with a teasing smirk.

“Oh. Well...I think I… uh… split my lip.” You mumble before you can stop yourself. He looks momentarily flustered and his eyes meet yours for a moment before they flicker down to your soft lips. You open your mouth to speak. Apologize, take back what you said because oh my god that was cringe.

Then his mouth is on yours, kissing you with a gentle passion as his hands find your cheeks.

[foreverfangirlsblog]

Tormented Tales (Husk x Reader Coffee Shop AU)

Summary:

Coffee shop AU with Husk and a twist!

Notes:

Word count: 2283 Requested by: Melted_Halo on AO3 Ty for the request! I hope you don’t mind my twist on this chapter! Im assuming (like Angel Dust) that Husk had a different name before he sold his soul? Or adopted the nickname Husk later in life/death. So I literally looked up popular names from his time period to make him a name lol.

The bells chimed as you opened the door and walked into your regular coffee shop. Your town wasn’t necessarily big, but it wasn’t small either. It was quaint. If you go to places regularly enough you’d know everyone there, and boy did you frequent this coffee shop a lot. Your best friend actually worked there. “Hey Lily!” You smiled at her as you approached the counter “I’ll take my usual”

Lily greeted you back and nodded before punching your order into the system and waving you off. One of the many perks of having a friend who was in charge of the towns coffee shop, you never really had to pay for your drinks.

After you sat down at your regular spot you noticed someone knew in the shop behind the counter making drinks, being trained by Lily. ‘Who’s this cutie?’ You thought to yourself as you couldn’t help but notice his attractive features. The stranger was around your age, probably early to mid twenties. His face a bit pale, with bushy eyebrows and unkept wild black hair to match.

Distracted by the man, you didn’t even notice when Lily came to give you your drink. “Hello, earth to Y/N”

“Sorry Lily I was uh…distracted” Lily smirked at you, noticing where you were looking before she interrupted. “Who’s the new guy?”

“Oh you mean Charles? I just hired him a few days ago, todays his first official day behind the bar. Teaching him how to run everything”

You hummed, acknownledging her explanation as you sipped your drink.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As days turned to weeks you couldn’t help but frequent the coffee shop a bit more and more to admire the new cute barista at work.

Today Lily wasn’t here, something about a wedding she had to go to out of state. When you went into the shop today you immediately noticed, to your surprise, that Charles was at the counter and seemed to be working all by himself. ‘I guess it is pretty slow at this time’ you shrugged as you approached the counter.

“Hi” you greeted sweetly.

Charles looked up at you with a stoic face “Hey, um, Y/N right?”

You looked at him a bit surprised that he knew your name. “That would be me” you said awkwardly “How did you-“ you were going to ask how he knew your name before he cut you off.

“I see you in here everyday, I’m always making the drink you order…couldn’t help but notice you.” He blushed a bit, “anyway you want your regular?”

“Yes please” you nodded in confirmation, excited that he knew your name and your regular order.

“Alright that will be $5.23” he deadpanned as he reached his hand up towards you for payment.

“Uhhhh” you hesitated before frantically looking through your bag to find any form of payment.

He chuckled softly at you “I’m just fucking with ya doll, go sit down I’ll bring it to you in a sec” he winked.

You blushed at his words before nodding appreciatively and going to your usual spot. You always loved to watch him make drinks, especially when it was yours. It also helped that he looked rather handsome in the uniform, who knew a simple white button down long sleeve could look so appealing on someone?

In no time he walked up to your table with your drink in hand. “Here you go Y/N”

“Thanks” you replied as he turned away to go back behind the bar “Wait a sec!” You said quickly making him pause before he could get too far.

“Something wrong with your drink?” He asked nervously

“No no, I just wanted to know if you’d sit with me, maybe we could chat for a bit”

He looked around the empty shop and shrugged “Don’t see why not” he smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You ended up staying to chat with him for his whole shift. Occasionally you two would get interrupted by a customer, but he would quickly take care of their order then come back and pick up the conversation as if he never left. You two talked about seemingly everything. Your age, his troublesome family, how he lived a casino.

“You know I even do a little bit of magic” there was a sparkle in his eye as he revealed this new fun fact to you.

“Oh this I need to see to believe” you teased. He laughed at you but complied, pulling out of deck of cards he just so happened to have on hand. “You always keep those on you?”

“All true magicians do” He quickly and skillfully shuffled the cards and had you choose a card and memorize it. Next thing you know the card you thought was shuffled back into the deck was getting pulled out from behind your ear.

“Wow!” You exclaimed “You’re actually really good at that! Show me another!” Husk chuckled and was about to protest but his coworker came up to him.

“Hey Husker I’m here for my shift so you’re good to go now”

“Thanks,” he said a bit irritated and dismissive

“Husker?” You questioned.

“Dumb nickname,” he replied rolling his eyes before turning back to you “anyways want to get out of here?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two of you left the coffee shop and wondered around town still chatting about whatever came to your minds, until you figured it was getting late. “Well I think I should probably head home now, it was lovely spending time with you today”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you home?”

“No that’s alright”

“I insist Y/N, its not always safe around here you know that,” He wasn’t wrong, there’s no denying that there was a creeping sense of danger growing in the town recently due to some girls going missing, and you didn’t really want to say bye yet, so you accepted his offer.

As you walked home he started asking you more and more questions “So what’s your dream”

You laughed at him “My dream?”

“Yeah you know, your goal in life”

You hummed thinking to yourself for a moment “Its a bit silly but I always wanted to open a little bookshop cafe.”

“I don’t think that’s silly at all, why don’t you?” He questions. Valid since your best friend ran a shop, who’s to say you couldn’t.

You explained to him that you had responsibilities to your family and it just never seemed like the right time to start something that time consuming, but that you still wish to one day.

He accepted that answer “Well I know you’ll do it eventually, what are you gonna call it?”

“Tormented Tales and Tempting Treats” you said confidently

He laughed at the oddness of the name, but it made perfect sense coming from you and he liked it. “Not bad”

Eventually you made it to your apartment and were a bit disappointed to be separating from him, you throughly enjoyed his company. “Well this is me” you said hesitantly, “thank you for walking me home.”

“Of course, no problem Y/N” you made your way to the doorstep of your apartment building, “see you tomorrow?” He asked.

“See you tomorrow” you confirmed sweetly making your way inside, waving one last goodbye to him.

It wasn’t until later that you noticed writing on the coffee cup from just one of your many refills. ‘Let’s do this again soon’ was written in his sloppy yet beautiful hand writing. You blushed and couldn’t bare throw away the cup anymore. ‘That sneaky magician’ you thought to yourself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ever since that day the two of you had a shared friendship that everyone else assumed to be a relationship. You couldn’t really say they were wrong, the two of you did have pet names for each other, shamelessly flirt, and overall acted liked a couple. But then again the two of you also never really confirmed anything.

You found that you no longer had to go up to the counter to order drinks anymore. Every time you went into the shop there he would be, at your usual table waiting for you. Reading a book in one hand and the other next to his own drink on the table, yours sat across from him prepped and ready for you, just as you like it. He’d time it so his breaks were when you came in, so he could sit down and spend time with you, even if it was busy.

Everything was going exceptionally well. You were happy, he was happy.

Until that one unfortunate evening.

Maybe fight is too harsh of a term, but you were frustrated with him. The two of you were supposed to meet at the local book store after he got off work but he never showed up. It was well pass dark now and the shop had closed, you were pissed to say the least. He had been hiding a lot of things from you, things about his family that he claimed were dangerous and that he didn’t want to get you involved in.

You were mad, and since he was supposed to come from work you were holding out hope that maybe he had to stay and work later. With a little bit of hope you began making your way across town to the coffee shop where you hoped he’d be waiting. But unfortunately you never made it to the shop. With everything else occupying your mind you had forgotten about all the scary things happening around town recently, and with your guard down it was too late before you felt a sharp and sudden pain on your head, then everything went black, then you woke up in an unfamiliar red hellish place in an unfamiliar body. You were dead. You were in hell.

It was well into the next day before he had found out what happened to you. He went to your shared apartment with Lily holding flowers, hoping he could make up for standing you up. His family kept him from you that night and he had no way of contacting you. As soon as he arrived outside your building he knew something was wrong. Police cars were swarmed all throughout the street and police officers around your building. He cursed to himself and ran up to your apartment looking for you, only to find Lily, crying, speaking to the police. With the sudden noise of his arrival Lily looked up and recognized the panic on his face and shook her head continuing to sob.

The flowers from his hands fell. He knew what had happen. You were gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Flash forward to Husk living at the Hotel in Hell)

Husk lost track of how long it had been since he wound up down in hell. And he lost hope of finding you even longer before that. There’s no way that a sweet thing like you would’ve ended up down here with him.

Well, that was what he’d thought until he overheard a conversation between Charlie and Vaggie one day. “Oh Vaggie you just need to see this bookstore! It so cute! I really think you’d love it, it was called Tormented Treats? No, that not right Tormented something and something treats…” Charlie ranted but Husk was already alarmed.

“Tormented Tales and Tempted Treats?!” He asked suddenly and loudly, interrupting their previous private conversation.

“Yes! Oh that’s it! Have you been there before Husk? Wasn’t it-“ before Charlie could finish her sentence Husk ran out from behind the bar and out the door.

“IM TAKING MY BREAK GOTTA GO BYE”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Husk had fully processed his actions he realized he didn’t really have a plan….is it just a coincidence that there’s a shop down in hell with the exact name you envisioned? What if you weren’t really there? What if you were there? He was far too old for you by now. What would you think of his new appearance? How would you even recognize him?

This and many other insecurities started racing through Husk’s mind. But it didn’t matter now because he was standing in the shop, infront of the check out counter, being greeted by a beautiful demon who he hoped to satan was you.

“Hello? Earth to kitty. What can I get for you”

“Um,” Husk hesitated “Is Y/N here?” He asked softly, afraid of being told no.

“That depends who’s asking?” The woman in front of him stood up straighter and was visabilly on guard now.

“Charles,” Husk breathed “Charles Husker”

Her eyes widened “No fucking way. Charles?!” She made her way out from behind the counter to get a better look at him before bringing him in for a tight embrace. “It’s really you?” She asked nuzzled deep in the fur on his neck.

“Yeah doll its me” he said softly, reciprocating the hug, bringing you close to him even tighter than before “I’m sorry it took me so long, I didn’t think you’d be down here”

You laughed at him before pulling away a little, “Its okay Its not like I did a great job of finding you either.”

“To be fair I do go by Husk now…” he trailed off sheepishly.

“Husk, you mean like the ex overlord Husk?!” You asked surprised

He smirked a bit at this before confirming.

“Oh my satan how did I not fucking put that together. WAIT AN OVERLORD?!”

“Ex-Overlord” he clarified.

“Yeah yeah whatever, get the fuck over here so we can catch up,” you pulled him into the back room of your shop, where your office was “I missed you so much”

“I missed you more doll, we have so much to make up for”

[flw3rrr]

My forever dove

Paring: Billy the kid X fem!reader

Rating: 18+ NSFW MDNI

word count: 4.2k

Summary: wanted for murder. You escape to an old friend's house to find shelter, gaining safety from the law hunting you down. when suddenly Billy sees your face plastered onto a wanted flyer.

Warnings: alcohol usage, unprotected PnV (wrap it up), Oral (Fem receiving), Swearing, fingering, Betrayal, Death, murder, plot twist at the end, No happy ending, NOT PROOFREAD, rifles/guns, no description of reader, No mentions of Y/n.

Please 100% let me know if I missed any warnings! my inbox Is open and free for ask's and requests

Bold = Flashbacks (Note: Had to save this to post for when the new episodes came out <3 )

The sky was dark and gray, as the clouds were gray and threatened to rain any second. Thunder is heard in the distance as you arrive at an old friend's farm house. The farm wasn't really alone in the middle of nowhere; there were other houses in the distance, but they were far away for privacy. Knocking onto the door as tiny droplets of rain had begun to fall and hit the dirt ground, awaiting your friend's response.

You'd been running from the law for quite some time after having an accidental run-in with someone, which caused the gentleman to lose his own life. But in your defense, he earned it after you saved a couple of people from him. He was yelling and screaming and took out his pocket knife. An instant reaction came from your body as you tackled him to the ground, resulting in cuts and clothing being ripped when your hand suddenly knocked the knife from his hand, which landed into his throat.

But before you could get any words out to the law, you were defending yourself and explaining how you tried to hold him down to save those strangers, but there was no mercy, calling you a heartless and unlady person, quickly getting up and running away before your leg was shot. Not noticing it for quite some time as your adrenaline was pumping quickly, running as fast as you could before falling to the ground, a numb, painful, cold yet warm feeling as you looked to see a dark red liquid pour out of your leg along with a trail.

Your thoughts were blank in confusion as you processed the image in front of you. Your vision began to go blurry as you saw the outlines of the lawmen running to get you. Before the darkness consumed you. Coming back to your realization, your friend opened the door for you. "What are you doing here?" She spoke in confusion and worry, seeing your pale, tired face. "Oh Mary, thank God you opened. Please just let me in, and I'll explain everything," letting out a sigh of relief as the door opened wider.

The second you stood foot into the house, the rain began to downpour aggressively. Mary guided you to take a seat at the wooden table, handing you a drink to warm you up. "So why have you come here as if you just had a worrying moment or as if you saw a ghost?" Her words filled up with concern, yet a serious expression was seen on her face. Looking up at her with a painful look and glossy eyes before opening your mouth to explain everything, start to finish.

Your senses slowly came to you as your eyes slowly blinked open as you heard voices speak in the distance, talking, yet you could not comprehend what they were saying. Slowly leaning up, your eyes wander to your leg, seeing a white bandage wrapped around it, though it hurts to move. "Ah, it seems you're awake now; the doctor came by and removed the bullet. gotta keep you alive to give you a trial at least." The sheriff laughed at the end as he sat behind his desk. You tried to sit on the edge, but the pain prevented you from moving more than you could have, forcing you to sit in an uncomfortable way.

Looking at the sheriff before speaking to him. "But I am innocent. I was only stopping the man from harming those people. They saw me; just ask them, and they would tell you I was trying to protect them." The words you spoke hurt your throat. Dry and desperate for a drink to relieve the pain sensation.

A laugh was heard from the sheriff, who was shaking his head as he laughed before speaking once more. "Lucky for you, Miss. I did my research and asked them. They said you attacked them. That's all I needed to know—you were the wrong one and a danger to this town." Standing up immediately, the sting and major pain shot through your leg, and you grabbed onto the bars of the cell.

"They are lying; I swear, I was only protecting them; they are the ones who lie, not me!" You yelled in despair to defend yourself. The sheriff just shakes his head as if you were speaking riddles and jokes, not taking you seriously. "You can say that all you'd want. it’s what they all say, but nothing happens." He walked off to another room, leaving you alone and in great pain. But four days later, you managed to escape with a few others who were arrested and were sent to hang with you. Kindly, they guided you away through the bricks of the wall as your leg was still healing. Leaving you to take a horse and begin your journey to Mary's farm.

Mary spoke your name softly, placing her hand above yours that laid on the table. "So now you're wanted and to be sent to death." You nodded slowly, a slight panic in your face as you suddenly remembered someone you knew a long time ago: Billy. Your good friend, your old lover, somebody who understood you and treated you with the most kindness you ever had gotten. You heard he had gotten a name for himself and was known to almost every lawman in the towns. Now both of you were in the same boat, yet he had more experience than you. praying silently that he'd find you before the law did.

Mary looked to the side before speaking up, almost unheard, as a loud crack of thunder cried out. "I'll try my best to hide you, but you know I won't be able to forever." Stating as she looked you in the eye with a serious tone. Mary was known for being honest, never doing dirty work, and never lying to those she spoke with, including never lying to the law. Knowing deep down this played something big in her life, you agreed to stay for a while, and once your leg healed, you would flee farther away from here.

Taking her hands and playing your forehead on them, giving a silent thank you, and looking up at her with gratitude. "Thank you, thank you, Mary. Thank you so much. I'll never ask again, I promise." feeling the weight of fear dissolve from your body. 

Mary led you to a guest room that was small but yet had a warm bed, and that's all you cared about, giving your body the proper care to fully heal and rest. The rain was still pouring hard, but it always sang you to slumber as a child growing up.

being left alone to dress in a loaned nightgown from Mary and fresh wraps to wrap around your leg, hissing as you cleaned it from a little whiskey, which your good friend also handed with a clean cloth, making sure your night was painless as it was for the past four days.

Once, after getting into the bed all clean and comfortable, you sigh out of gratitude, thankful for being safe as long as God has granted you. Leaving the candle flame to dance until it burned out. Letting slumber claim your exhausted body to comfort.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Billy walked into a saloon with Jesse and a few other men for a drink as a celebration for a good day's work. Walking up to the man who ran the bar, signaling for a whiskey. "This time, don't be worried about getting all out, 'ight?" Jumping from the slap onto his shoulder, Billy looked at Jesse before smiling, "Don't have to worry 'bout me. I'll just do fine."

His head looked around the saloon, looking at the decor and seeing drunk fools tumble over anything and even nothing. Then his eyes land on a wanted board... In one of the sketches, looking a little too familiar, he took a last swig before walking over.

Just as he reached up to the bulletboard, he admired the sketch of the woman, upon his eyes landing to see your name. You, his dove The name of your favorite bird, which you found breathtaking and admirable. Looking around the room to see if anyone was paying attention, he took the paper off, shoving it into his pocket. Jumping at the noise of a man behind him, he turned to see a man, half blind in his left eye, with hair almost gray and missing teeth. "Plannin' to catch that one, eh?" The man asked, his rough southern voice yet scratchy voice almost filling the room.

​​Billy stayed silent for a moment. Every question flew through his mind. What did you do? How on earth did you get into trouble? Taking a deep breath before asking. "Yeah. What exactly did she do though?" looking at the old man shake his head before speaking again, his eyes burning into his. "The real question is, what hasn't she done?" Billy's head followed the man as he sat down. Taking a sip of whiskey before speaking one more. "These fools believe someone like her killed a man."  

The words rang through his ears. Killed? "I saw it myself actually... She was defending a couple. A man was threatening, taking him down and fighting, which caused the knife to slip and land into the man's throat." Billy imagined the scenario of you going through it as the man explained deeper. "My guess the law was so desperate for a crime they took that chance... bribed everybody to lie to get her in trouble... even shot her in the leg as she tried to run." His head shot up, looking at the man in the eyes. Anger filling up through each bone of his body. "Why did they do that exactly?!"

The old man shook his head. "No clue.. I asked them, but they paid me to stay silent. Didn't take it though." Clearing his throat before pointing his hand at Billy. "She escaped though. A couple of outlaws escaped by the building. was blown up by the gang, and they kindly took her and helped her escape, but from what I've known was her last location, she was seen alone.. possibly going to a hideout." Billy quickly thanked the man before walking off to Jesse, eager to find you as quick as possible before the law did. "Jesse is leaving. I have business to attend to; it's urgent." Speaking harshly while gathering his stuff. "Woah woah, what's gotten' you into a twist?" Raising his hands up as Jesse looked at Billy. "Just a job... I'll be back." Storming out of the saloon before heading out. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Mary gave you chores—nothing hard on your leg but simple chores to keep you busy and earn your stay until your leg fully heals. The hot sun beating onto your back as you placed a bucket of hay down for the animals, wiping the sweat off your forehead as you sighed and began to walk back into the building, limping as your leg stung in pain. Sitting down onto the wooden chair, you held tears from the pain before Mary walked in front of you, handing you whiskey. "Here should help with the pain... just don't drink it too fast or you won't have any left." Nodding your head before you took a sip, the drink cooling your dry throat before looking up at her. "You're too good to me, Mary," you let out a chuckle. "Well, I don't just leave helpless friends alone while in pain. You rest for now. I'll cook a little something. I do need to go down later on, just so you know." 

Nodding as you let Mary alone cook, knowing she enjoys that time alone to focus deeply. your head hitting the pillow as you think before falling asleep. 

Being shaken awake by Mary as she spoke your name, which deeply scared you. "Jesus Mary, what is the issue?" You placed your hands onto hers, which kept its place on your shoulders. "There is a man near here. I'm not sure who, but he seems to be coming this way." Those words worried you as you stood up limping to the door. Peaking out to get a glimpse, but the sun setting gives a challenge of guessing. "Go out there and confront him with your shotgun." Mary's eyes widened. "Are you insane?" Shaking her head as you hand her shotgun, opening the door before pushing her out. 

As you now watch peeking behind the now open door, watching Mary sigh before taking a few steps in front of the silhouette. "Stop right there... hands where I can see them, mister," hearing the tone of uncertainty filling her throat as she spoke. Watching as the man got off his horse before raising his hands. "I'm not here for trouble, miss." As the words came out of his mouth, you recognized that very voice... Billy... "And that exactly is...?" Mary's hand shook. "I'm looking for- '' His words cutting off as you rushed out before slamming into him, hugging him deeply. His scent of whiskey and cigarettes and gunpowder comforted you.

His arms quickly wrapped around your waist, tightly afraid you'd disappear from him. Moving to look at him to admire his face, which looked... sad and tired. "How on earth did you find me?" You asked. "I have my ways. I even found out the trouble you're in by the law." Staring into one another's eyes before Mary spoke up. "I enjoy a reunion, but we need to go inside; law likes to search at this time." Guiding both of you into before shutting and locking the door

With everyone now seated at the table, the only thing heard was the clock ticking. "So how did you... get here?" Billy asked, breaking the silence. He knew just wanting to know your view from it. Your gaze goes to him before you smile at him. His presence brings you joy and comfort. "A group helped me. I got a horse, and this place was the closest.. and I'm here until my leg fully heals." Just watching him, you could see how his heart broke for you. yearning to place your hand onto his.. to feel him and let him know you're alright.

With Mary not knowing what to do now with two people in her house that were wanted by the law, she grew tense at the thought that if the law found them here, she as well could be in big trouble. Before snapping back to reality, she looked at the both. "I just realized I have to head out and... get a few... things," she said quickly, raising up from her stool before heading to the door. "I can trust him here; I can actually get my things." That was the last thing Mary said before she left.

The crickets began to hum their tune as it got darker than ever, turning your head to Billy, then back to the door. Mary seemed hesitant and almost guilty as she left. "That was odd..." Billy broke the silence. Looking at him with soft eyes with a slight smile. "Nothing to worry about; Mary is just... normally a nervous person; I'm sure she is just anxious." Now both looking into one another's eyes, the tension is growing and yearning for one another. In a blink of an eye, Billy's hand cradles your cheeks as his lips softly land on yours. skin feeling warm as his hands slowly slide down to your waist gripping onto tightly.

A groan escaped his mouth as the kiss deepened, hands roaming around his body, desperate to feel him anywhere you were granted With the feeling of you being lifted onto the table, the feeling of his lips trace and teasing your neck, creating a sensation that tingled well. Biting your lip as he teased at your collarbone before looking at you in the eyes that spoke thousands of words that couldn't be described. "What is it?" You asked, your heart beating from the heated kiss. His hand caresses your cheek before speaking. "I want to make sure you're alright with this, especially because of your leg." His words filled with sincere, truly caring about you and your health.

The words that slipped from his mouth brought butterflies to your stomach—the feeling of love and kindness, and most importantly, trust. "Yes, of course I do.. just not here.. the guest room will do." Getting down from the table as you gently take his hand, leading him to the guest room, upon closing the door, his lips land onto yours once more. the feeling full of bliss as if you both were on earth for one another just to be in love, and that's what your purpose was for, just to be with him in every moment life granted you.

Slowly he laid you onto the bed, carefully untying the ribcages of the borrowed dress Mary gave you, revealing your bare skin to him and the cold air hitting your body, creating goosebumps. You watch him place soft kisses, starting from your collarbone, slowly down to the middle of your breast, and furthermore till he reaches the inside of your thigh. His eyes look up at you once more as his lips place a soft kiss on the inside of your thigh.

Shivers ran through your body at the sight of him and how he moved with grace and patience. His tongue slid through your folds slowly, a wash of pleasure washing over you, your body aching more of anything he has to offer. Hands slowly sliding down to grip softly onto his hair, which granted a groan from him. His tongue continued to move, moving to your clit bringing more stimulation and guiding you to an orgasm.Bucking your hips twoards him, building the pleasure as his tongue flicked at your clitoris with moans escaping your mouth. "Please do not stop," a feeling of euphoria washes over you as Billy's hand grips your thighs to keep you still. Watching him as he rests on his knees, bringing two fingers, slowly teasing your entrance before slowly sliding them in, spreading you out fully

with his fingers. One of your hands grips onto the bedsheets as another grips onto his other hand that held your waist down."

Billy, please," you begged, gasping for breath as your body tried to squirm around, but him holding you down did not allow such a thing. The feeling of his fingers curling up, hitting all the spots, bringing you ecstasy. "Just one more, I promise, then I'll give you what we both want. I promise." Taking his other hand in yours, placing a kiss onto the palm." Just as those words were spoken, a wave of bliss passed, your heart beating quickly, head flung back moans filling the room as you came, your body already hot but yearning for more.

Gently taking your legs before placing them around his waist, watching carefully as he removed his gunbelt.. then his pants.. showing his hard cock, precum dripping out as he moved your waist closer to him. eyes both locked in once again as he slowly slid in, filling you fully up to the brim, bottoming out as both of you groan in pleasure. Taking your hands to wrap around his neck, giving him a soft kiss, and reassuring him to move.

Slowly nodding and proceeding to thrust into you, the feeling of him filling you up greatly encouraged you more to your climax, letting out a sigh as he hits all the right spots once more and more deeply than his fingers. short moans leaving as each thrust he took was not slow nor fast.. just perfect to savor the feeling. "You feel so good wrapped around me.. god," moaned Billy, his hand moving to play with your breast, squeezing, feeling you tighten around him.

"Right there, don't stop fuck." You cry out as his thumb circles your clit to guide you to another orgasm. "C'mon.. together.. your doing amazing." Billy whispered into your neck as his eyes tightened. Within seconds, both of you came together, and both moans could be heard throughout the whole place. Warmness filled you up, bodies both still letting the pleasure pass by.

Within minutes, both of you lay together, bodies covered in sweaty thighs sticky from both of your releases. Taking in the moment of silence with one another. "When do you think Mary should come back?" Billy asked once again, breaking the silence and looking at you. "Nothing we should worry about. She likes her time." smiling as your eyes grew heavy, Billy being the last thing to see before Slumber claimed you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Has Mary returned yet?' You walked up to Billy as he kept watching through the window. "No, not yet. Has she done this before, meaning being gone for a day collecting?" Looking towards you hoping to find a response. "Unfortunately no," you say, wiping your hands on the cloth as you see a group of lawmen on horses come up, aiming guns before the sheriff spoke. Yelling your name. "We know your in there... no hope left. Just come out, and this will be easy for all of us." Billy ran to you, holding you tightly and giving both of you comfort. "How about we talk first, like normal people do?" Watching as he signaled the men to lower their guns. 

You slowly looked at Billy before slowly walking out of the farm house, Billy's hand staying tightly onto your waist, ready to defend you at any cause. "Ah.. you even have Billy the kid himself with you... Your little friend didn't tell me that. As you watched the sheriff chuckle, your heart dropped in horror, eyes widening as you looked over and saw Mary with an upset guilty face. "W.. what?" You stuttered in shock. "Your friend.. you see she didn't want to be the bad guy hiding you.. and so she led us here.. at least thank her for giving you a night in a comfortable bed." Each word rings through your ears as you hyperventilate.

Staring out at whatever was in front of you, everything was blurred. The voices of Billy yelling at everyone, his hand tightened more around you, securing you. "Be quiet Billy, be thankful we aren't taking you in.. though don't worry, we'll come back for you." His smile was corrupted and insane. Two men splitted you and Billy as more held him down, restraining him from getting you. Just as you passed Mary, you spoke. "You fucking traitor. You're no friend. You're a horrible person." You spat as tears filled both of your eyes. Upset and angry as she was crying when she's the one who gave you in.

The last thing Billy saw was you taken away on a horse before he was knocked out cold.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3 months later

Once again, it was raining, but soft as Billy stood there looking down. What kept him so occupied was your headstone, hung by the law—all because of your 'friend.' Anger filled his body as he dropped a coin onto the dirt patch. walking away from where you laid to rest, awaiting for him to return to him and hug him in the afterlife. He had business to finish... to avenge you. blinded by rage as he slowly rode up to the farmhouse Mary resided in. Stopping as he quickly checked if his gun was loaded, before dismounting and walking up to the door and slowly opening it.

Upon walking in, Mary stood facing away from him, pausing as she heard a click of a gun. "Don't move," Billy said quietly. "Please don't.." She slowly said, turning to face him, both hands raised. "Why shouldn't I? You turned her in. Now she's in a cold grave with nobody to keep her warm and loved." His heart felt broken—the same way he felt as he watched his own family die in front of him as he grew. Hearing a chuckle, his breath shook as she watched her. "Fine, you want to know... I couldn't stand her... So I used my charms on the sheriff... on the town.. made everyone think she was a killer. I hated her. Despised her" Mary's voice yelled towards the end. His hand tightened on the gun more as his pointer finger moved to the trigger. "Slept with the sheriff even.. told him she'd probably run to me for safety.. when you came it was the right time to get him... Best thing I've do-" Her words were cut.

Her body laid still... Lifeless just as yours did. Cold and nothing. Blood pooled onto the wooden floors, soaking and staining the wood. turning around to head. out back into the rain, stopping just before he left. "Say hello to her for me." Before shutting the door. Never once forgetting your smile.. the rain slowly stopped. Looking over to the fence, he saw a white bird. Upon further investigation, he noticed it was a dove. looking straight at him before flying away.

a sign that you were now free from your pain of injustice and now could wander free as birds do.. praying he shall see you once more as hold you in his arms as he once did.

[mothidocandart]

I would be such a free spirit if I did not have a million little social rules dictating my every action

[the-real-list-of-ominous-threats]

anyone who interacts with this post will have their pronouns stolen by me

this is more of a promise than a threat, but feel free to use this post to get rid of any unwanted pronouns.

[blueparadis]

when you sit on his lap, legs spread apart from each other, folded and glued along his thighs your dragon!boyfriend knows that it is time for some "instinct inspection" or as you like to put it but he knows that it will eventually end up being much more than that; it always does: either end up him getting hard when you are done or you hurt yourself spilling blood in drops. tsk, what a waste!

but today, it is going to be more than that. . .

"Say ahh," you would order, just like other days, before grazing your index finger against his fangs. At first, it does not grow, you just feel the sharp edge of his fangs on your supple skin. what a tease you are! It grows when you pull away your hand and adjust on his lap for a better grip and angle.

"Bad manners," you would say whenever you spot him letting go of his human form. he even remembers hearing that when he lowly growling in front of strangers who were following you the other night but at times like these, when the whole world is busy, when no one is looking at you two—he can let go of it; that carefully crafted camouflaged self to fool your kind and let his dormant side take over.

"It is just a bite," he would say after sucking your blood from your wrist as he held your arm by the wrist. But it is kind of frustrating, don't you think? how you are sitting on his lap, checking if he has hunted any animals or eaten your kind or not. And when you see he has been such a good boy, slowly learning to control his habits and instincts, don't you think it's a little unfair when you don't reward him? He licks the trickling blood along your hand from up your elbow to your wrist; you can see two dots, fairly distanced and round but somehow it does not hurt.

To think that you would teach him about 'control' and 'instinct', what a naive human being you are.

Even though you are still sitting on his lap, one of his hands holding yours from where he freshly sucked your sweet blood and your other hand is holding his yet you feel something tightening around your belly. You do not stop him as his tail wraps around your body, his eyes slowly getting to glow, his skin changing, shining but before he changes completely you kiss him, kiss him with full might as if you will do the moment your lips part from his.

And when you pull away, he just takes deep breaths and says, "One more time," gulping he adds, "Please," now how could you turn that down even though he has been quite rebellious.

[caelum-in-the-avatarverse]

Fandom can do a little gatekeeping. As a treat.

So I finally decided to archive-lock my fics on AO3 last night. I’ve been considering it since the AI scrape last year, but the tipping point was this whole lore.fm debacle, coupled with some thoughts I’ve been thinking regarding Fandom These Days in general and Fandom As A Community in particular. So I wanna explain why I waited so long, why I locked my stuff up now, and why I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m a-okay with making it harder for people to see my stories.

Lurkers really are great, tho

I’m a chronic lurker, and have been since I started hanging out on the internet as a teen in the 00s. These days it’s just cuz I don’t feel a need to socialize very often, but back then it was because I was shy and knew I was socially awkward. Even if I made an account, I’d spend months lurking on message boards or forums or Livejournals, watching other people interact and getting a feel for that particular community’s culture and etiquette before I finally started interacting myself. And y’know, that approach saved me a lot of embarrassment. Over the course of my lurking on any site, there was always some other person who’d clearly joined up five minutes after learning the place existed, barged in without a care for their behavior, and committed so many social faux pas that all the other users were immediately annoyed with them at best. I learned a lot observing those incidents. Lurk More is Rule 33 of the internet for very good reason.

Lurking isn’t bad or weird or creepy. It’s perfectly normal. I love lurking. It’s hard for me to not lurk - socializing takes a lot of energy out of me, even via text. (Heck it took 12 hours for me to write this post, I wish I was kidding--) Occasionally I’ll manage longer bouts of interaction - a few weeks posting here, almost a year chatting in a discord there - but I’m always gonna end up going radio silent for months at some point. I used to feel bad about it, but I’ve long since made peace with the fact that it’s just the way my brain works. I’m a chronic lurker, and in the long term nothing is going to change that.

The thing with being a chronic lurker is that you have to accept that you are not actually seen as part of the community you are lurking in. That’s not to say that lurkers are unimportant - lurkers actually are important, and they make up a large proportion of any online community - but it’s simple cause and effect. You may think of it as “your community”, but if you’ve never said a word, how is the community supposed to know you exist? If I lurked on someone’s LJ, and then that person suddenly friendslocked their blog, I knew that I had two choices: Either accept that I would never be able to read their posts again, or reach out to them and ask if I could be added to their friends list with the full understanding that I was a rando they might not decide to trust. I usually went with the first option, because my invisibility as a lurker was more important to me than talking to strangers on the internet.

Lurking is like sitting on a park bench, quietly people-watching and eavesdropping on the conversations other people are having around you. You’re in the park, but you’re not actively participating in anything happening there. You can see and hear things that you become very interested in! But if you don’t introduce yourself and become part of the conversation, you won’t be able to keep listening to it when those people walk away. When fandom migrated away from Livejournal, people moved to new platforms alongside their friends, but lurkers were often left behind. No one knew they existed, so they weren’t told where everyone else was going. To be seen as part of a fandom community, you need to submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known, etc. etc.

There’s nothing wrong with lurking. There can actually be benefits to lurking, both for the lurkers and the communities they lurk in. It’s just another way to be in a fandom. But if that is how you exist in fandom--and remember, I say this as someone who often does exist that way in fandom--you need to remember that you’re on the outside looking in, and the curtains can always close.

I’ve always been super sympathetic to lurkers, because I am one. I know there’s a lot of people like me who just don’t socialize often. I know there’s plenty of reasons why someone might not make an account on the internet - maybe they’re nervous, maybe they’re young and their parents don’t allow them to, maybe they’re in a bad situation where someone is monitoring their activity, maybe they can only access the internet from public computer terminals. Heck, I’ve never even logged into AO3 on my phone--if I’m away from my computer I just read what’s publicly available. 

I know I have people lurking on my fics. I know my fics probably mean a lot to someone I don’t even know exists. I know this because there are plenty of fics I love whose writers don’t know I exist.

I love my commenters personally; I love my lurkers as an abstract concept. I know they’re there and I wish them well, and if they ever de-lurk I love them all the more.

So up until last year I never considered archive-locking my fic, because I get it. The AI scraping was upsetting, but I still hesitated because I was thinking of lurkers and guests and remembering what it felt like to be 15 and wondering if it’d be worth letting a stranger on the internet know I existed and asking to be added to their friends list just so I could reread a funny post they made once.

But the internet has changed a lot since the 00s, and fandom has changed with it. I’ve read some things and been doing some thinking about fandom-as-community over the last few years, and reading through the lore.fm drama made me decide that it’s time for me to set some boundaries.

I still love my lurkers, and I feel bad about leaving any guest commenters behind, especially if they’re in a situation where they can’t make an account for some reason. But from here on out, even my lurkers are going to have to do the bare minimum to read my fics--make an AO3 account.

Should we gatekeep fandom?

I’ve seen a few people ask this question, usually rhetorically, sometimes as a joke, always with a bit of seriousness. And I think…yeah, maybe we should. Except wait, no, not like that--

A decade ago, when people talked about fandom gatekeeping and why it was bad to do, it intersected with a lot of other things, mainly feminism and classism. The prevalent image of fandom gatekeeping was, like, a man learning that a woman likes Star Wars and haughtily demanding, “Oh, yeah? Well if you’re REALLY a fan, name ten EU novels” to belittle and dismiss her, expecting that a “real fan” would have the money and time to be familiar with the EU, and ignoring the fact that male movie-only fans were still considered fans. The thing being gatekept was the very definition of “being a fan” and people’s right to describe themselves as one.

That’s not what I mean when I say maybe fandom should gatekeep more. Anyone can call themselves a fan if they like something, that’s fine. But when it comes to the ability to enjoy the fanworks produced by the fandom community…that might be something worth gatekeeping.

See, back in the 00s, it was perfectly common for people to just…not go on the internet. Surfing the web was a thing, but it was just, like, a fun pastime. Not everyone did it. It wasn’t until the rise of social media that going online became a thing everyone and their grandmother did every day. Back then, going on the internet was just…a hobby.

So one of the first gates online fandom ever had was the simple fact that the entire world wasn’t here yet.

The entire world is here now. That gate has been demolished.

And it’s a lot easier to find us now. Even scattered across platforms, fandom is so centralized these days. It isn’t a network of dedicated webshrines and forums that you can only find via webrings anymore, it’s right there on all the big social media sites. AO3 didn’t set out to be the main fanfic website, but that’s definitely what it’s become. It’s easy for people to find us--and that includes people who don’t care about the community, and just want “content.”

Transformative fandom doesn’t like it when people see our fanworks as “content”. “Content” is a pretty broad term, but when fandom uses it we’re usually referring to creative works that are churned out by content creators to be consumed by an audience as quickly as possible as often as possible so that the content creator can generate revenue. This not-so-new normal has caused a massive shift in how people who are new to fandom view fanworks--instead of seeing fic or art as something a fellow fan made and shared with you, they see fanworks as products to be consumed.

Transformative fandom has, in general, always been a gift economy. We put time and effort into creating fanworks that we share with our fellow fans for free. We do this so we don’t get sued, but fandom as a whole actually gets a lot out of the gift economy. Offer your community a story, and in return you can get comments, build friendships, or inspire other people to write things that you might want to read. Readers are given the gift of free stories to read and enjoy, and while lurking is fine, they have the choice to engage with the writer and other readers by leaving comments or making reclists to help build the community.

And look, don’t get me wrong. People have never engaged with fanfic as much as fan writers wish they would. There has always been “no one comments anymore” wank. There have always been people who only comment to say “MORE!” or otherwise demand or guilt trip writers into posting the next chapter. But fandom has always agreed that those commenters are rude and annoying, and as those commenters navigate fandom they have the chance to learn proper community etiquette.

However, now it seems that a lot of the people who are consuming fanworks aren’t actually in the community. 

I won’t say “they aren’t real fans” because that’s silly; there’s lots of ways to be a fan. But there seem to be a lot of fans now who have no interest in fandom as a community, or in adhering to community etiquette, or in respecting the gift economy. They consume our fics, but they don’t appreciate fan labor. They want our “content”, but they don’t respect our control over our creations.

And even worse--they see us as a resource. We share our work for free, as a gift, but all they see is an open-source content farm waiting to be tapped into. We shared it for free, so clearly they can do whatever they want with it. Why should we care if they feed our work into AI training datasets, or copy/paste our unfinished stories into ChatGPT to get an ending, or charge people for an unnecessary third-party AO3 app, or sell fanbindings on etsy for a profit without the author’s permission, or turn our stories into poor imitations of podfics to be posted on other platforms without giving us credit or asking our consent, while also using it to lure in people they can datascrape for their Forbes 30 Under 30 company? 

And sure, people have been doing shady things with other people’s fanworks since forever. Art theft and reposting has always been a big problem. Fanfic is harder to flat-out repost, but I’ve heard of unauthorized fic translations getting posted without crediting the original author. Once in…I think the 2010s? I read a post by a woman who had gone to some sort of local bookselling event, only to find that the man selling “his” novel had actually self-published her fanfic. (Wish I could find that one again, I don’t even remember where I read it.)

But aside from that third example, the thing is…as awful as fanart/writing theft is, back in the day, the main thing a thief would gain from it was clout. Clout that should rightfully go to the creators who gifted their work in the first place, yeah, but still. Just clout. People will do a lot of hurtful things for clout, but fandom clout means nothing outside of fandom. Fandom clout is not enough to incentivize the sort of wide-scale pillaging we’re seeing from community outsiders today.

Money, on the other hand… Well, fandom’s just a giant, untapped content farm, isn’t it? Think of how much revenue all that content could generate.

Lurkers are a normal and even beneficial part of any online community. Maybe one day they’ll de-lurk and easily slide into place beside their fellow fans because they already know the etiquette. Maybe they’re active in another community, and they can spread information from the community they lurk in to the community they’re active in. At the very least, they silently observe, and even if they’re not active community members, they understand the community.

Fans who see fanworks as “content” don’t belong in the same category as lurkers. They’re tourists. 

While reading through the initial Reddit thread on the lore.fm situation, I found this comment:

[ID: Reddit User Cabbitowo says: ... So in anime fandoms we have a word called tourist and essentially it means a fan of a few anime and doesn't care about anime tropes and actively criticizes them. This is kind of how fandoms on tiktok feel. They're touring fanfics and fanart and actively criticizes tropes that have been in the fandom since the 60s. They want to be in a fandom but they don't want to engage in fandom 

OP totallymandy responds: Just entered back into Reddit after a long day to see this most recent reply. And as a fellow anime fan this making me laugh so much since it’s true! But it sorta hurts too when the reality sets in. Modern fandom is so entitled and bratty and you’d think it’s the minors only but that’s not even true, my age-mates and older seem to be like that. They want to eat their cake and complain all whilst bringing nothing to the potluck… :/ END ID]

-

“Tourist” is an apt name for this sort of fan. They don’t want to be part of our community, and they don’t have to be in order to come into our spaces and consume our work. Even if they don’t steal our work themselves, they feel so entitled to it that they’re fine with ignoring our wishes and letting other people take it to make AI “podfics” for them to listen to (there are a lot of comments on lore.fm’s shutdown announcement video from people telling them to just ignore the writers and do it anyway). They’ll use AI to generate an ending to an unfinished fic because they don’t care about seeing “the ending this writer would have given to the story they were telling”, they just want “an ending”. For these tourist fans, the ends justify the means, and their end goal is content for them to consume, with no care for the community that created it for them in the first place.

I don’t think this is confined to a specific age group. This isn’t “13-year-olds on Wattpad” or “Zoomers on TikTok” or whatever pointless generation war we’re in now. This is coming from people who are new to fandom, whose main experience with creative works on the internet is this new content culture and who don’t understand fandom as a community. That description can be true of someone from any age group.

It’s so easy to find fandom these days. It is, in fact, too easy. Newcomers face no hurdles or challenges that would encourage them to lurk and observe a bit before engaging, and it’s easy for people who would otherwise move on and leave us alone to start making trouble. From tourist fans to content entrepreneurs to random people who just want to gawk, it’s so easy for people who don’t care about the fandom community to reap all of its fruits. 

So when I say maybe fandom should start gatekeeping a bit, I’m referring to the fact that we barely even have a gate anymore. Everyone is on the internet now; the entire world can find us, and they don’t need to bother learning community etiquette when they do. Before, we were protected by the fact that fandom was considered weird and most people didn’t look at it twice. Now, fandom is pretty mainstream. People who never would’ve bothered with it before are now comfortable strolling in like they own the place. They have no regard for the fandom community, they don’t understand it, and they don’t want to. They want to treat it just like the rest of the content they consume online.

And then they’re surprised when those of us who understand fandom culture get upset. Fanworks have existed far longer than the algorithmic internet’s content. Fanworks existed long before the internet. We’ve lived like this for ages and we like it.

So if someone can’t be bothered to respect fandom as a community, I don’t see why I should give them easy access to my fics.

Think of it like a garden gate

When I interact with commenters on my fic, I have this sense of hospitality.

The comment section is my front porch. The fic is my garden. I created my garden because I really wanted to, and I’m proud of it, and I’m happy to share it with other people. 

Lots of people enjoy looking at my garden. Many walk through without saying anything. Some stop to leave kudos. Some recommend my garden to their friends. And some people take the time to stop by my front porch and let me know what a beautiful garden it is and how much they’ve enjoyed it. 

Any fic writer can tell you that getting comments is an incredible feeling. I always try to answer all my comments. I don’t always manage it, but my fics’ comment sections are the one place that I manage to consistently socialize in fandom. When I respond to a comment, it feels like I’m pouring out a glass of lemonade to share with this lovely commenter on my front porch, a thank you for their thank you. We take a moment to admire my garden together, and then I see them out. The next time they drop by, I recognize them and am happy to pour another glass of lemonade.

My garden has always been open and easy to access. No fences, no walls. You just have to know where to find it. Fandom in general was once protected by its own obscurity, an out-of-the-way town that showed up on maps but was usually ignored.

But now there’s a highway that makes it easy to get to, and we have all these out-of-towner tourists coming in to gawk and steal our lawn ornaments and wonder if they can use the place to make themselves some money.

I don’t care to have those types trampling over my garden and eating all my vegetables and digging up my flowers to repot and sell, so I’ve put up a wall. It has a gate that visitors can get through if they just take the time to open it.

Admittedly, it’s a small obstacle. But when I share my fics, I share them as a gift with my fellow fans, the ones who understand that fandom is a community, even if they’re lurkers. As for tourist fans and entrepreneurs who see fic as content, who have no qualms ignoring the writer’s wishes, who refuse to respect or understand the fandom community…well, they’re not the people I mean to share my fic with, so I have no issues locking them out. If they want access to my stories, they’ll have to do the bare minimum to become a community member and join the AO3 invite queue.

And y’know, I’ve said a lot about fandom and community here, and I just want to say, I hope it’s not intimidating. When I was younger, talk about The Fandom Community made me feel insecure, and I didn’t think I’d ever manage to be active enough in fandom spaces to be counted as A Member Of The Community. But you don’t have to be a social butterfly to participate in fandom. I’ll always and forever be a chronic lurker, I reblog more than I post, I rarely manage to comment on fic, and I go radio silent for months at a time--but I write and post fanfiction. That’s my contribution.

Do you write, draw, vid, gif, or otherwise create? Congrats, you're a community member.

Do you leave comments? Congrats, you're a community member.

Do you curate reclists? Congrats, you're a community member.

Do you maintain a fandom blog or fuckyeah blog? Congrats, you're a community member.

Do you provide a space for other fans to convene in? Congrats, you're a community member.

Do you regularly send asks (off anon so people know who you are)? Congrats, you're a community member.

Do you have fandom friends who you interact with? Congrats, you're a community member.

There’s lots of ways to be a fan. Just make sure to respect and appreciate your fellow fans and the work they put in for you to enjoy and the gift economy fandom culture that keeps this community going.