#belonging expo

[ncfcatalyst]

First Belonging Expo promotes Inclusion on Campus

Oct. 7 marked the day of the Student Activities & Campus Engagement (SAUCE) office’s first Belonging Expo, opening doors for students to engage with various affinity clubs and one another. Thesis student and Student Event Team (SET) Belonging Coordinator Celeste Kadzis has spent the past three years organizing similar, individual events encouraging campus-wide involvement and togetherness. “This…

[a-b-riddle]

Part Three

Warning: If you don't like Taylor Swift, you're not gonna like this chapter that much, homie. But So Long, London is so fitting for this drabble series. (I guess a series since it's longer than a drabble at this point)

Can’t stop thinking about reader just trying to move on

You had to remind yourself several times not to check in with the guys. It had almost become second nature doing something big like this. But going to another country…

Not that they would care. You told yourself. It was for the best that way.

The expo went better than you expected. You didn’t believe that there would be a line out the door of eager readers wanting to read your book, but you got a decent amount. More than a few told you they couldn’t wait to read it. Several asking for photos and asking questions on any future books, a spin-off or even continuing the series.

When one a particular large group of girls your age asked for a group photo, you could have cried. They were had found each other in an online book club. You had given them your book several months ago. All copies signed with a note thanking them for taking the time to read what you had poured your heart into.

You had spent a large chunk of your free time talking to them. Bonding more so as women than over your book.

"Have you listened to Taylor's new album?"

It had only been out for two days and you had been able to avoid it like the plague. You didn't need to even listen to 'So Long, London' to know it would fucking gut you. So you would enjoy your time in the states. Save the listening experience for when you were packing up their stuff.

They had posted and tagged you before continuing on with the rest of the expo. You had reposted the photo to your own social media. Or at least one attached to the pen name you had crafted. You only had twelve thousand instagram followers, but it was something.

The first day was much like the second. You had attended several Q & A sessions with a panel of more experienced authors and managed to go to a few meet and greets. Before you knew it, it was time to pack up shop.

The agent the publishing house had assigned to you had stuck with you for most of the day. You were able to pick her brain a bit about new ideas for possible future plot lines and her thoughts. Overall, the trip was great.

Not only were you able to make great connections and take a lot back home with you to reference, but for a few days you forgot what waited for you back home. Or rather what wasn't waiting for you.

By the time your plane landed back in London you could barely hold yourself up. You left the expo, went straight to the hotel to shower, pack and head to the airport.

Your flight was delayed. Your luggage was taking forever to get onto the belt. It was only seven, but fuck if you weren’t ready to just call it a day. Tomorrow you would have to start again. Opening up the shop. Coming back to an empty flat. Maybe start gathering up the items the boys had left behind.

Should you give them in separate boxes or just one giant one and let them sort it out themselves? It was easy to discern whose sweatshirt and t-shirts belonged to who, but when it got to things like socks and chargers...

Yeah.

They could sort it themselves.

You could drop it off at Kyle's when you knew he would be at the gym. He was good at avoiding you anyway.

It wasn't until you stood in your apartment did it hit you.

You were alone.

For the first time in over a year you couldn't call one of them over to soothe that ache of loneliness.

For the first time in over a year, you had to relearn how to handle just being alone.

You usually showered at night. Washing away the grime of the day before settling into bed. But today was a new chapter. You woke up wanting to start it on a good note. Plus you went straight to bed after getting home so you still had a bit of airport funk on you.

It had been a week. One official since you had sent that text nailing the coffin shut. You had touched base with your friends who didn't bat an eye at you dating four men at once. They liked them, even if Simon scared them. You didn't give them the details of the breakup or the cause. You were pretty private in your problems and if you wanted relationship advice, you would seek an unbiased unopinion.

You had a good group of friends, but the moment you told them that you were well and truly heartbroken, they would insist the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Something you were nowhere near ready for.

So you needed to look like you had your shit together. You put on a dress that was feminine and, most importantly, comfy as fuck. An A-line floral frock paired with a light sweater and some white trainers. You knew a few of your friends would be stopping by for tea so you need to look like you were taking the separation well. Even if you were barely holding it together.

With makeup and perfume on, you started the early morning stroll to your shop.

You loved openings. Starting up the register and selecting the playlist for today. Picking out the essential oil to put in the diffuser even though you mostly stuck with a lavender and vanilla blend during the spring months.

For the morning you stuck with a Taylor Swift Instrumental playlist you had found initially for studying, but you liked the peaceful feeling it brought. Even when it covered the most gut wrenching songs.

You had started to collect the online orders that had accumulated over the last week. Sending out the e-mails alerting to your patrons that their orders were ready for pick up. Luckily you weren't set to receive a delivery until tomorrow.

It was eight and everything was set. Although not many people came to a bookstore at eight in the morning, it really didn't bother you opening up that early considering you were the only employee that was on the payroll. It gave you the possibility of making money, but mostly you spent the morning reading or writing.

You flipped the sign over from CLOSED to OPEN. Ready to start take on the day.

You had turned the kettle on in the back room when your friends had stopped by around lunch. You always said it was just tea, but you always had an array of snacks on standby for you all to munch on.

Meredith was complaining about what a dick the new client at the law firm was being. An absolute slime who had been married to his wife for almost twenty-five years before he decided to fuck his twenty-two year old assistant.

Tabitha didn't want to talk about work. To her, her career in tech was just a paycheck. She did what she needed to do and left when she was done.

You talked about the expo and how your book. Although neither of them really read, they had promised that they would read your book. You didn't hold your breath. They had reposted your posts as well as making ones of their owns in celebration of you. Words of praise about your dedication and hard work.

You realized that even though they couldn't give you the support you needed as readers, they supported you blindly. You could have written absolute garbage, but they would still support you.

You talked about how many people liked your book and wanted pictures and to sign their copies.

Then came the question you had been rehearsing since you had texted them a week ago. They both shared a look before Meredith finally asked.

"How are you holding up?" You gave a half-smile and a shrug. So perfectly rehearsed in your head you were ready to deliver your lies lines.

"I'm fine," you lied. "It was just fading so there isn't much of a difference, I guess." Not necessarily a lie. "We just wanted different things and were on different paths in life." Not a lie. "It's for the best." You weren't sure if that last one was a lie or not just yet.

They both shared a passing look before returning their gazes back to you. "You know you can come to us about this stuff." Tabitha's hand reached across the table, placing a hand on top of yours.

"It wasn't going to work out." You added. "Situations like that don't and I should have known better."

"A situation?" Meredith asked. "When have you ever called it a situation?"

"It always was one."

"I love you enough to call bullshit." She raised her eyebrow at you, crossing her arms over her chest. "You loved them and you need to stop pretending this is easy."

"You're a divorce lawyer, Mere," You reminded. "You see marriages fall apart every day."

"I do. I get to see from across the table how a woman is still willing to take her cheating arse of a husband back. So the fact that you went from on cloud nine with all of them to not even talking about the break up is concerning to say the least."

"Tabitha," you looked at your only ally left. "A little back up would be nice."

"I'm with her on this one." She confirmed. "You loved them. Not that I cared, but if you weren't talking about books or the shop, you were talking about them. What you did, where you went. How they fucked you."

"I think I'll miss that part the most." Mere sighed. "I lived vicariously through you."

"You know you could actually date people." Tabitha suggested.

"I'd rather live with chronic carpal tunnel than a man." You almost choked on your tea. If you were wearing pearls you would have used the comedic relief of clutching them to break the awkwardness of the current topic of conversation.

"That should be put on a t-shirt." You suggested

"I wouldn't mind it on a welcome mat to be honest." Tabitha added.

"But in all seriousness, cut this bullshit." Meredith gave you an sympathetic smile. "We're here. Good, bad and ugly."

You returned her smile. "I know."

You had closed up shop for the evening. Your lunch had gone longer than expected so now you were left doing the dishes and clean up during closing. You were setting the last cup on the drying rack when you heard the front door chime.

Shit.

You must have forgotten to lock the door when you turned the sign.

“I’m sorry!” You apologized, making your way out of the back break area and to the front of the store. “We’re-”

“Closed.” He said, locking the door behind him. “I saw the sign.”

[dcxdpdabbles]

DCxDP Fic idea: What's the Rule again?

It starts with Wes Weston accidentally banishing Danny from his haunt. He didn't mean to, and he panicked along side Sam and Tucker when Danny was effectively evicted Danny from Amity Park.

See the four have become tight-knited friends every since the trio started talking to Wes back during the summer between freshman and sophomore year.

During that time, Wes's other friends had drifted apart once Wes' attention moved from basketball to ghosts- specifically Phantom. Danny had felt at fault that he was left a loner because of his secret identity and had invited Wes to sit with them at the Nasty Burger the second week of Summer break.

Wes was suprise to find out that Sam, Tucker and Danny were much better friends then the ones he hanged out with since third grade. He was used to people only speaking to him in class or the few times they hang out on breaks but the trio would message him about every single thought or meme they had. They could laugh togther until tears fell from thier eyes and they couldn't breath over the silliest of topics.

Wes also found out that the trio was supportive of all their interests. Sure, his old teammates and friends didn't make fun of him for crocheting or painting, but they wouldn't accompany him to an art market. Nor would they actually wear the scarves and gloves he made them.

They sure as hell didn't volunteer to help him run a booth to sell his own crocheting pieces after encouraging him to get a table. And they wouldn't cheer loudly when he made his first sale.

Wes also wouldn't have happily gone with them to an observatory, a Dark Poem Night, or even a tech expo. But he found that he had the time of his life watching Danny, Sam, and Tucker nerd out at the events much as much as he did at his own.

He also never had anyone he knew would be down to do him favors or even take notes for him when he was out sick.

So he became close friends with them, passing sophomore year with far more enjoyment than any other grade, then Junior year came and went just as fast and as fun. It was their last summer as high school students, so Wes wanted to do as many new activities as the four could together before Senior year.

Who knew what would happen to their little group after graduation? He wants to think they would all remain best friends but he's heard so many stories of people drifting apart that Wes was afraid of risking it.

That's why he researched urban myths and legends around the world regarding ghosts- more then any research paper he's ever done- and jokingly asked Danny to partake in some of them as a halfa.

They joked and laughed- throwing salt in a circle around Danny, lighting a candle for him to use Morse code with- but it wasn't until Wes got to the one where he tried smoking Danny out with a banishing spell he found in an old book that things turned from funny to horrible.

It worked

Danny was flung from his haunt- effectively banishing him from the area he was haunting. Dann just happens to be haunting all of Amity Park, so he ends up on the outskirts of town, unable to cross the invisible line.

Wes practically choked on his tears as he apologized for Danny not being able to cross back in, but the other three quickly informed him that they, too, took part in it, and it was no one's fault. Danny just had to find a way to reverse the banishing spell.

The only problem was that the book pages Wes found online were only on the banish spell itself and nothing else. He couldn't even find the whole book since it belonged in a private family library.

The family library was located in the most dangerous city in America. Gotham.

The library also belongs to a very wealthy family that had recently all but perished except for their lone heir- Timothy Drake.

Now Wes attempted to contact Timothy Drake in hopes of having the other teenager send him copies of the book, but he never got a reply. He thinks it was due to not explaining why he needed the book and ending up sounding like a bot or a scam.

With each passing day of Drake not responding Danny's situation grew worse. Jazz luckily covered for them, claiming to have signed Danny up for some camp so his parents wouldn't think he was missing.

That would only work until school started, which was a time limit that was weighing on all their shoulders as they tried to find a counterspell.

Jazz, Tucker, Sam, and Wes each took turns driving out of town to bring him food and a change of clothes so Danny could figure out his situation, having to do it in shifts to not alert any of their parents.

However, without his haunt to pick up natural exoplasm, Danny was growing weaker and weaker by the day, looking half stave out in the little motel room Sam rented for him as they tried to get him back into the town.

Danny needed to either make his way back to his haunt or go somewhere that was so infected with ectoplasm that it actually felt cursed.

Tucker found the solution to all their problems with a few hacking skills that he learned to fight off Technus' invasive attempts of his personal tech.

"A full ride to Gotham Academy?" Wes' mom gasped staring at the acceptance letter her son eagerly showed her. "With a promised full ride to any university in America?!"

"Yeah, Tucker, Sam, Danny, and I all got accepted for our work on clean energy generators. We sent it in for the Wayne scholarship, and we won! The only thing is that it's a requirement to graduate from high school in Gotham. I have to go!" Wes gasped, eyeing both his dad's and Kyle's doubtful frowns. He couldn't afford for them to say no when Tucker had worked so hard to bump them up as Winners. Bruce Wayne's computer security is no joke. "This is the once in a life time opportunity!"

"But where would you live?" His dad asks, shaking the letter. "Wes, this is clear across states, and it only covers school expenses."

"Sam's parents bought her a house. She's going to rent us some of the extra rooms." It was a lie; her parents would never let four boys- especially these boys- rent from their daughter. She told them that the school provided co-dorm rooms "I can get a job at the local library- I already sent them my resume and got a call for a interview."

"What will you do for food?" Kyle asks. "We both know you can't cook."

"I can't, but Danny does. He's amazing in the kitchen."

Here, his parents share a loaded look. "So you'll be living with the Fenton boy....."

"Well. Yeah? I already said that?" He returns, confused, and Kuule coughs to cover a laugh. Confused he stares at his older brother, who quirks a grin at him.

"Don't worry about it." Kyle laughs, but his wiggling eyebrows tell Wes he should worry a lot about it. He would inisit a little more to find out what Kyle knew, but he needed to convince his parents more.

Eventually, after five days of attempting, Wes got their permission and could tell his friends, who all shared the same results. The remainder of the summer is spent preparing for their move- finding the house, getting it furnished, packing their things, transferring schools- it's a lot, and he's never been so grateful for Sam's wealth.

She hires people to get it all done for her-including hiring a trailer to take their four cars-, so he only has to worry about his packing. The four meet up at the airport on the day they live, flying first class thanks to Sam's grandmother.

Tearful goodbyes and good luck from their families leave them all a bit down but they board the plane and take off without too much trouble.

While on the plane, Sam turns to the boys. "Does everyone remember the phases of the plan?"

"Phase one: Blend into Gotham until we find Timothy Drake" Tucker states, pushing up his glasses

"Phase two: Get Drake to invite us over to his house and find the book," Danny tacks on, tapping his foot on the ground.

"Phase three: Find all the pieces for the counterspell- usually scattered around the magical family's ancestral home- and get Danny home!" Wes shouts, raising a fist in the air.

Sam nods, looking satisfied. "And what are we not allowed to do? Danny?"

"Become a vigilante when my ectoplasm is on a limited intake" Danny grumbles, sinking into his chair. "Let it to the Bats and keep my head low."

"Good. Tucker?"

"I'm not allowed to hack into anything because it can gain the attention of the Bats or Mr.Wayne, and then we'll be on a wanted list" Tucker sighs "No matter how much fun it would be to battle it out with the legendary Oracle."

"That's right. I'm not allowed to go anywhere near Poison Ivy no matter how much I want to yell at her to go fix the coal riffs and cut down forests instead of wasting her powers on the stupid heist." Same all but bites, and then she turns her attention to Wes, who startles.

"Wes?"

"Wait, I have a rule?"

"Course, man," Tucker laughs. "We all have rules."

"But I'm not interesrted in anything in Gotham besides the Drake grimoire!"

"Wes," Danny says gently, his soft baby blue eyes making him a little hot under the collar as they stare into his soul. "You're not allowed to fall in love with any of the Bats."

Wes mind blanks, then reboots, "Excuse me!?"

"We know you had a crush on all of us here Wes and Val" Sam laughs when he turns wide eyes at her. "It's cute but you really shouldn't try for the Bats. They're the violent sort"

"What?!"

"Yeah, you have a type, and it's a hero or hero adjacent." Tucker shrugs "It's cool."

Wes can only gape at them, no matter how much he tries to convince them; otherwise, the three refuse to remove his rule. He is highly offended by it.

Yes, he's never really gone out with Team Phantom, just because when he joined the group, most of Danny's rouges were long gone leaving behind the tiny ones that he could handle on his own, but he wasn't into heroes!

And okay- maybe, maybe at one point or another he may have had slight crushes on his friends but they were quick and gone before the first school year together!

So the rule is utterly ridiculous!

At least, he thinks so until five days later when he's trying to find his way around the new neighborhood and gets caught up in a mugging. He could have quickly taken the mugger- humans had nothing on ghosts- but he attempted to talk the young adult out of it when Red Robin swooped in like a knight in shining armor.

He may have just stared at the hero's tight-skin outfit instead of letting the hero know that he could handle it, and he may have made a fool of himself when Red Robin asked if he was right.

"Yeah tots fine" He babbles. Ugh, who says tots?! He wants to stop talking but when Wes gets nervous he tends to just word vomit and he could hear himself doing it now. "You know who else is fine?"

Red Robbin raises a brow, likely knowing the pickup line. Cowering, Wes changes the answer in a panic. "Timothy Drake!"

Red Robin stills. "Come again?"

"Timothy Drake, a boy in my class! He's fine that you think he was part siren or something. You've seen him, right? I mean you have eyes!" He repeats with a squeal "I want to get into his private liberty!"

"Do you?" Red Robin tilts his head, a slight smirk forming on his mouth. "You should try flirting with him then. Maybe he can give you a tour."

"Oh, I want more than a tour!"

Why did he say that?!

At least the hero in front of him laughs until a shout has them both looking away.

Danny is running down the street screaming his name, thank the Ancients. When Wes turns around to wave at him, Red Robin vanishes without a sound or trace.

Like a ghost.

Oh no, that's hot.

"Danny, I broke the rule"

"For Ancient's sake, it hasn't even been a month."

[welikeimagines-andfandoms]

Dating Volturi guards headcanons

Jane

- Jane likes watching movies with you, even horror, but as soon as it’s something to do with witch burning she refuses

- Jane didn’t have much of a childhood and lived where people feared her so you always try to do more fun and wholesome things with her

- Winning her prizes in a claw machine. She pretends it’s silly but really she treasures it so much!

- Takes her a while to let her guard down but you become the one person she tells everything to

- She’s surprisingly good at braids and it’s one sweet thing she loves doing for you

- Difficult for her at first to accept she has a mate but you go slow together

Demetri

- Demetri loves camp versions of vampires, Dio is his favourite

- Always tries to find fun things for you to do together at night that isn’t just clubs and dinners. Markets, outdoor movies, camping etc.

- Lavish gifts, from perfume to jewellery and clothes

- Lots of whispered praise and hand kisses

- He gets really turned on when you start learning Italian if you don’t already know it

- Making vampire jokes and he actually loves them, makes him laugh a lot

- Staying up late together exchanging stories

Felix

- Love the headcanon that Felix was a gladiator and honestly he would role play that in the bedroom. You’re his prize for his victories

- So many piggybacks and shoulder rides everywhere!

- He is your guard dog. From grocery shopping, to concerts, no one is hurting you

- Puts his coat around you all the time

- Loves when you steal his clothes

- Absolutely hates historical inaccuracies in movies and will let you know. Takes you twice as long to get through movies sometimes because he goes on rants

Alec

- Loves taking you to different museum expos and telling you about his life at that time

- Alec is usually pretty quiet but once he’s comfortable with you he loves to tell you stories

- Always has to act tough but honestly loves being praised and taken care of by his partner (both sexually and not)

- Don’t ask me why but I can see Alec secretly loving old cinema, from westerns to blonde bombshells

- Keeping an eye out for old movie screenings to go to together

- Finds himself always reaching for you

- Will fight anyone in the castle who thinks you don’t belong

[spidergrysn]

Spider!Mark origins: Mark Lee x Reader

cw: part one of many, spider! mark, kinda sorta in the mcu????!? just a bit, haechan and reader are siblings, slight violence, sloww burn, fluffy, silly banter, EVENTUAL SMUT (none in this chapter) dorky mark lee.

wc: 7.7k🕷️

ISSUE #1: MARK’s ORIGINS. 🕷️🕸️

ISSUE #2 : THE MAKING OF HERO 🕷️

Annoyed was an understatement.

All his life, Mark had been constantly on the move. It felt like he was never going to have the chance to settle down and be a semi-normal person. From living in Canada to South Korea and now to the US, it seemed like there was no point in getting attached to anyone or anything because, just like before, he was more than likely going to endure some type of change. Mark for one wasn’t unfamiliar with change.

His youth had been filled with broken promises, loneliness, and distractions. There were three things in this world that Mark Lee loved more than his aunt and uncle Park: quantum physics, engineering, and music.

Despite the constant upheaval in his life, these passions had remained constant, serving as his anchor in the storm of his ever so changing life. Whether he was studying the intricacies of the universe, tinkering with gadgets and gizmos, or losing himself in the melodies of his favorite r&b songs, Mark found solace in the world of science and creativity.

But even with adoration for his interests, Mark couldn't help but long for stability. He yearned for a place to call home, a community where he belonged, and people who understood him. Yet, each time he packed up his bags to go to yet another house in another city in another place he knew this was nothing more than a distant hope.

That being said, these passions were the only things that seemed to get Mark through the days. There was something about listening to R&B music and testing major theories of famous physicists in his ever-changing bedroom that kept him grounded. So that’s what he did. After moving to different cities in Canada, Korea, and finally the US, he decided to start uploading videos to the internet.

Now, he didn’t show his face, but his videos featured him making different technological devices while simultaneously playing old R&B music in the background. It was some weird niche thing that he adored. Sure, Mark had garnered 100 subscribers, and sure, some of them may have been weird YouTube bots. But when you thought about it, if you put that many people in one room, it would be a whole lot. Sure, his account didn’t get much attention, but the few comments he’d get on his videos made his day. It made him feel like he had “friends.

Recently, he had uploaded a video explaining his view of quantum theory while Aaliyah's smooth voice filled the background. After a couple of hours, he received a notification from a subscriber who usually commented a lot. They had chatted a few times in his YouTube comments, and Mark had learned that he was a physics professor at MidTown university a college in New York which just so happened to be not too far from where Mark was currently living.

Today’s comment was a bit different though as he reads it, Mark could feel his eyes widen, absorbing every word the professor had to say. He had told Mark that there was an upcoming science expo happening at the school. It was free for all and would be a good way to learn new things. Reading this excitedly Mark, he immediately liked the comment before going to his Safari to search the event, and sure enough, it was there: "30th Mid-Town Science Union Expo" on September 3rd. Finally, something Mark had to be excited for. For the next week, that’s all Mark could think of, and his mood had noticeably changed, prompting his auntie to take notice, thinking that Mark had finally made some friends or, dare she say it, a girlfriend, which Mark waved off, saying it was nothing.

As the days passed, Mark found himself eagerly counting down to the expo, his mind buzzing with anticipation. It felt like a rare opportunity to immerse himself in a world of science and innovation, surrounded by like-minded individuals who shared his exact same passion. And as he continued to upload videos to his channel, the thought of attending the expo filled him with a renewed sense of purpose and excitement.

Finally, the day had come. Mark wore a corny math t-shirt that said “find x,” some blue jeans, and his annoying circular prescription glasses that his auntie always nagged him about, making sure he was wearing them at all times or his vision would only get worse.

His body bounced with anticipation as, Mark exited their small house and strolled down the street, making his way to the train station. Ear to ear, he stood on the subway train like an absolute loser, feeling his heart beating against his chest as the train made its stop. He slipped through the other passengers before breaking into a small jog up to the campus. Signs pointing to the event adorned the lawn as Mark made his way there.

He took a few turns before coming upon a gym. He opened the door and was met with a sea of people and all kinds of experiments and technologies. He stood in awe, just observing everything around him. For the next couple of hours, he walked up and down the aisles, taking pictures and listening carefully to all the presenters. He was observing a particularly cool machine when he was interrupted by someone on a microphone.

“Hello, I need everyone’s attention right now! Experiment #127 has gone missing, and we need everyone to quickly exit the gym be sure to check your bodies and under your shoes to make sure it didn’t bite you. If you’ve been bitten, please reach out to me. It’s very, ah, fatal,” the man in the lab coat announced urgently.

Mark looked up at the man, his heart pounding in his chest, as he watched all hell break loose. People were running into each other, things were being broken, and it was absolute chaos. Mark felt himself being shoved out of the way as he made his way towards the exit. Finally, after a few minutes of pushing and shoving, he was able to make it out, out of breath but relieved to have escaped the hell inside.

As darkness covered the streets, Mark walked home his shoulders slumped, annoyance bubbling within him as he muttered to himself. Of course, the one time he decided to go out, it would get ruined. As he walked, he couldn't shake the feeling of something on his neck. Out of instinct, thinking it was some type of mosquito, he swatted at his neck, feeling the bug squish under his hand.

“Ew, dude, so gross," he muttered to himself, looking at his hand. Mark's eyes widened as he noticed that the bug had eight crooked legs and big, beady eyes. It was definitely not a mosquito. He swatted, wiping his hand his on pants before , exclaiming how there was no way that could be the spider from earlier.

Trying to brush it off as some kind of coincidence, Mark kept walking only to feel his skin start to tingle, his body goes cold but he simply dismissed it as paranoia. Taking a few more steps, he felt his legs turn to jelly, his eyes getting heavy, and he started to feel disoriented before everything turned black.

•

•

"Is he dead?"

"No, Y/n, he isn’t dead. His leg just twitched."

"I don’t know, Hyuckie, sometimes dead people twitch."

"HOW CAN SOMEONE TWITCH IF THEY'RE DEAD-"

"OH SHOOT, HE'S MOVING! IS HE A ZOMBIE?"

"Y/N, HE'S NOT DEAD, HEADASS."

Mark's head absolutely ached, and the voices he heard were not helping at all. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head. By now, it was morning, and the sun was shining onto him. His glasses were somehow still on his face, but his vision was blurred. With ease, Mark took off his glasses and gasped at the sudden clarity. He could see everything, including the two people in front of him.

They both looked about his age. The boy had dark brown hair and an annoyed look plastered on his face, as if passed-out Mark was some kind of inconvenience. Next to him was a girl, a bit shorter than him, with h/c hair, and a surprised yet curious expression on her face.

"Ah, where the hell am I?" Mark hoarsely asks as he looked between the two. The two exchanged a look of concern before carefully helping Mark onto his feet.

"We found you passed out on the side of the street this morning on our way to a friend’s house, so my sister here thought we should check to make sure you weren’t dead," the boy explained.

Mark rubbed his eyes before cursing, pulling out his phone to see numerous frantic texts and missed phone calls from his aunt and uncle.

"SHIT, they're gonna kill me," Mark muttered, running his hand through his hair. "I've got to go," he said, about to leave. The girl protested, "BUT WAIT, DON'T GO! WHAT IF YOU'RE HU--" And before she could finish her sentence, the boy was already sprinting back home.

"This is what you get for trying to help someone," the boy, Haechan, teased his sister as she rolled her eyes, and they headed to their destination.

•

•

Mark ran home as fast as he could, his heart pounding out of his chest. He reached the front door and before he could touch the handle, it flew open, revealing his distressed aunt. Her face went from sadness to relief to anger in a matter of seconds as she opened her mouth to reprimand him.

"Lee Minhyung, where in the hell were you?" his aunt demanded, hitting him on the back of the neck, the exact place where he had gotten bitten. Mark winced, but then a thought struck him. Why wasn't he dead? He had passed out from that spider bite that that one professor said to be fatal.. how was Mark still alive?. His thoughts were interrupted as his auntie embraced him, hugging him tightly.

"Please don't do that again, Mark. You scared me and your uncle half to death. I know we've been moving a lot, but I swear this is the last time. I'm sorry if that was upsetting you," she pleaded.Mark enclosed his arms around his aunt, apologizing for his disappearance. He was relieved that his auntie didn’t question it anymore, just happy for him to be back.

"Oh and, Mark,please shower. I love you, but you stink," his auntie teased. Mark lightly laughed before heading into the house , going straight to his room, grabbing some spare clothes, and going to the bathroom. He turned on the hot water and got in the shower, letting out a sigh of relief at how relaxing it felt. As he scrubbed his shampoo-filled hair, he tried to recall everything that had happened – the science fair, walking home, the spider bite, the two weirdos – but nothing inbetween the bite and waking up came to mind.

He turned off the shower, wrapping his body in a towel before heading to his room. Shutting the door, he sat on his bed and looked in the mirror, noticing something different. His body looked completely transformed. Mark wasn't out of shape before, just a bit skinny, but now he could barely recognize himself. His whole body was toned, his arms looked like he lifted weights every day.

"What the actual fuck is going on?" Mark muttered to himself, completely confused. First, he passed out, then he couldn't see with his glasses, and now he was built like a character from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure."Minhyung, I made dinner," his aunt's voice rang from the kitchen, snapping Mark out of his thoughts. He quickly got dressed and joined her at the table.

"I made Jajangmyeon," his aunt said, gesturing to the food.

"Ah, thank you, Auntie, I appreciate it," Mark nodded, smiling as she took a seat and began to pray.

“Hey, Mark, I see you're back from your little adventure. I told you, Jen, the man just needed some time to himself," his uncle said, entering the room. He clasped Mark's shoulder as his aunt rolled her eyes and told him to clean up and join them.

As Mark dug into the delicious meal, he couldn't help but notice his auntie and uncle looking at him in awe as he managed to eat five, going on six bowls.

"Who are you and what did you do with my nephew? his auntie chuckles as mark ravenously ate. Mark pauses his eating laughing quietly and shrugging, but he couldn’t help thinking again… what in the hell was wrong with him.”

•

•

As Mark settled back into his daily routine, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Strange changes were occurring within him. His senses seemed sharper, his reflexes quicker. Initially, he attributed it to the adrenaline rush from the spider venom clearing out of his system, but as more days passed, he began to realize there was something going on with his body he just didn’t know what.

Like a couple days ago he found his phone quite literally sticking to his hand like glue. Another time, as his auntie was about to drop something, and he experienced a weird tingling sensation, and with lightning-fast reflexes, he managed to catch it before it hit the ground. And then there was the odd incident when he dropped something, and as he thrust out his wrists to catch it, he noticed a sticky white fluid oozing from his wrists.

All these thing led Mark to a startling conclusion: either he was going through puberty again, which compared to the things happening to him did not seem highly unlikely, or that spider bite had changed him. It had altered him into some kind of superhuman freak, and Mark struggled to weigh that in his head.

Night after night, Mark found himself hunched over his computer, scouring the web for any clue that could shed light on his newfound abilities. Hours turned into days as he delved into articles and videos, hoping for a breakthrough, only to be met with frustration and defeat. With a heavy sigh, he ran his hands through his hair in frustration before defeatedly turning off his computer and chucking his notebook full of possibilities at the wall. His exhaustion was taking over and he decided to tackle this spider shit tomorrow.

As Saturday morning arrived,Mark found himself awake earlier than usual. The cool breeze whispered through the open window, beckoning him outside. Needing to clear his head a bit , he quietly slipped out of the house, not wanting to disturb his sleeping auntie and uncle. The streets were quiet, the wind was cool, and it was the perfect time for a morning jog.

As Mark pounded the pavement, his thoughts swirled with uncertainty. The rhythmic thud of his footsteps and the steady beat of his music provided a temporary escape, allowing him to clear his mind. He looks at his watch seeing that it was somehow 1 pm… he has been running for a little over 6 hours and hadn’t even worked up much of a sweat.

“What the actual hell is going on.” he groans to himself as he decides to take a break from jogging and try and find something to eat. Weirdly enough , as he was walking down the street a strange sensation washed over him—a familiar tingling that prickled his skin and made the hairs on his arms stand on end. With a frown, he removed his headphones, tuning in to the sounds of the city awakening around him.

Ahead, in a dimly lit alley, Mark heard voices—a commotion that was almost inviting him to come in. Peering around the corner, he spotted a group of men surrounding a lone girl backpack. Their menacing words echoed off the walls as they demanded her belongings."Come on, Stark, no one is here to save you. Hand over your stuff, and nobody gets hurt," one of the men taunted, his voice dripping with malice.

Mark's heart raced as he watched the scene unfold, his mind racing to place where he had seen the girl before. There was something familiar about her, something that tugged at the edges of his memory, but he couldn't quite grasp it. With a surge of adrenaline, Mark knew he couldn't stand idly by. He put his hoodie over his head concealing his face and took a big deep breath. This was his moment to step into the unknown, to test the limits of his newfound powers, and to help someone out.

"And why should I? If you want money so bad, get a JOB... J-O-B. Do you need me to spell 'application' out for you too?" The girl retorted, a hint of amusement in her voice, before one of the guys grabbed her collar.

Without a second thought, Mark sprang into action. With newfound agility and strength, he swiftly removed the robber from the girl's grasp and stood between them, a dorky determined expression on his face as he kept his face down not wanting his identity to be seen by robbers.

"Uh, I wouldn't be doing that if I were you," Mark said, attempting to deepen his voice, though he couldn't help but cringe inwardly at how it came out.

"Oh my God, who is this loser?" the man scoffed, joined by his two lackeys in mocking laughter.

Mark's heart sank at their taunts, but he steadied himself. "Alright, captain save-a-hoe over here. What exactly will you do to me, loser?" the man sneered, before Mark's fist connected with his jaw, sending him crashing into a pile of trash cans.

"Holy shit, that kid is strong," the other two men exclaimed, abandoning their unconscious companion and fleeing the scene.

Rubbing his barely aching hand, Mark turned to the girl. "Oh, hey... you're welcome for saving you," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Uh, thanks, I guess," she replied awkwardly, eyeing him with a mixture of surprise and skepticism. "I totally was handling it on my own, but, uh, yeah, sure, thanks."

Mark felt a pang of disappointment. He had hoped to be hailed as a hero, not dismissed like he some kind of nuisance. "Sorry, it just looked like you needed help—"

"I didn't. I could've handled it on my own," the girl interjected firmly, before turning to walk away.

Mark sighed, preparing to leave, when he heard her voice again. "Wait, I know you... you're the boy from a few weeks ago, I found passed out." She comes up to him taking his hoodie off, she had gotten a small glance at him when he had bolted in the alley.

And then it clicked—Mark remembered her. "Yeah, that was me. Uh, thank you for helping me that day. I was in such a rush, I wasn't thinking," he admitted sheepishly.

"No worries, consider us even," she said with a soft giggle, extending her hand. "I'm Stark, Y/n Stark."

Mark's eyes widened in surprise. "L-like Stark Industries?" he stammered. Although He had just moved to the US, he would be a fool to not know who Tony Stark was, the billionaire superhero with a niche for technology. The name was practically synonymous with heroism and technological advancements.

Y/n rolled her eyes, clearly used to this reaction. "Yes, like Stark Industries. Usually people say their name when they introduce themselves, but yeah," she replied sarcastically.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I'm Mark, Mark Lee," he replied, feeling a bit flustered as he shook her hand.

"Jesus, your grip is strong as hell. Do you lift or something?" Y/n remarked, her eyebrows raised in surprise as she looks from Mark to her attacker that laid knocked out on top of some trashcans.

Mark chuckled nervously, his heart racing as he hesitantly agreed, earning a laugh from the girl beside him. "So, uh, why were those guys giving you a hard time?" he asked, hoping to keep the conversation going.

The girl rolled her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Hmm, let me guess. Maybe the fact that my father is a billionaire and one of America's most annoying men on the planet, who knows," she replied sarcastically, her tone laced with slight annoyance.

Mark sheepishly scratched his neck, nodding in understanding. "Uh Can I walk you home or something?" he blurted out, surprising himself with his boldness.

The girl giggled, giving him a small nod. As they walked side by side, Mark listened intently as Y/n told him about her life—her school, her dad, her step-brother Haechan. She spoke with pride about the things in her life, and Mark couldn't help but admire her confidence.

"What about you? I've talked so much about myself, I forgot to even ask you anything," Y/n said, her voice light with laughter.

Mark stumbled over a few awkward "ums" before launching into a tangent about his own life—constantly moving, living with his overprotective auntie and careless uncle, and the fact that he had never had any close friends.

Y/n listened attentively, offering encouraging nods and murmurs of understanding. "Well, you know what, Mark? Consider us friends," she declared, extending her hand in a gesture of truce.

Mark hesitantly shook her hand, feeling a rush of warmth at the simple gesture. She squeezed his hand before announcing that they had arrived at her home.

"Wow, it's really—" Mark began, but Y/n cut him off with a knowing smirk.

"Big, huge, expensive, amazing, and awesome. Thank you. It was a high school graduation gift. This is what happens when you graduate top of your class and your dad is loaded," she finished, her laughter filling the air.

As they reached a gate, Mark watched intently as Y/n tentatively punched in a number. "So, I'll see you around," he trailed off, feeling a sense of reluctance to leave.

"That you will," Y/n replied, her smile radiant. Mark swore her eyes sparkled a bit in the light.

"Thank you, Mark," she said, hurrying through the gate and waving goodbye. Mark waved before walking back home a bit awe struck at the encounter.

•

•

"Hey, Hyuck," the girl greeted, her hand pushing open the huge door to the sprawling mansion. "And Jeno... and Jaemin and Renjun," she added, spotting her brother's best friends lounging on the plush couch, engrossed in some sort of fighting video game.

"Hey, Y/N," they chorused in unison, their attention briefly diverted before returning back to their game.

"Hate to ruin the fun and all, but Hyuck, can I talk to you?" Y/N asked, her smile carrying a hint of suspicion.

"Yeah, sure," Haechan replied, casting a curious glance at his sister, waiting for her to speak.

"Ahem, ALONEEEE," Y/N insisted, emphasizing the word.

"Ugh, fine," he grumbled, rising from the couch and following Y/N into an empty room. Y/n closes the door behind him as he urges her to speak.

"Okay, well, I almost got mugged today," Y/N confessed weirdly calm.

"AGAIN??? What have I told you about leaving the house without keeping a communicational tracking device? Also Haechan scolded, his irritation all over his face.

“Also you know how to fight i don’t know why you never use that.”

"Ugh that’s so annoying and heavy plus Find my iPhone works just as well, and my dear brother violence is never the answer ," Y/N replied, scratching her neck.

Haechan rolls his eyes at her reply knowing she was full of shit.

"Aht anyways , key word though: ALMOST... I got saved," she continued, a spark of excitement in her eyes.

"Okay, so what's so crazy about that?" Haechan sighed, already bracing himself for another wild story from his sister.

"You know the really cute weird guy we found tweaking on the sidewalk one morning on our way to class?" Y/N asked, her voice laced with even more excitement.

"Yes..." Haechan replied cautiously, raising an eyebrow in anticipation.

"Get this: he's the one that saved me," Y/N revealed, her words hanging in the air, begging for a reaction.

Haechan's eyebrow shot up even higher, his interest piqued. "Okay, but this time he was strong as hell, some kind of superhuman strength, I swear to God. And he dropped in at the perfect time, it was crazy."

"I know exactly where this is going, Y/N," Haechan interrupted.

"Just hear me out, Hyuck," Y/N pleaded, her excitement bubbling over once again.

"I think we should tell Dad about this. It was a bit strange, and I don't know, I think he's some kind of mutant or superhuman guy thingy for sure," Y/N suggested, her mind racing with possibilities.

"Don't you think before you tell Tony, you should get, like, some proof? He could just be really strong, and you know, we did find him on the side of the road. It could be Crack. I heard Crack make people hella strong at times," Haechan reasoned, his tone tinged with skepticism.

Y/N shot her brother a withering glare as her eye twitched in annoyance. "We live in a world full of actual superheroes. Our uncle is a big radioactive green man, and you think this boy is on CRACK ," she said, her frustration evident.

Haechan shrugged indifferently before turning to walk off. "You know how Tony is. Get proof that this guy is some sort of superhuman, and then you can tell them."

"So you're saying I should pull a Joe Goldberg and follow him around," Y/N muttered sarcastically under her breath as Haechan walked away to join his friends.

“Not exactly what I meant, but if that gets you your info, then be my guest," Haechan called back over his shoulder before disappearing into the living room area.

"Asshole, so much for his help," Y/N muttered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief as she retreated to her room to devise a plan. She was determined to uncover the truth about the mysterious boy who had come to her rescue.

•

•

As the middle of September came, Mark finally felt like he had some peace in his life. Despite that spider bite giving him these wacky powers, things were good. He was starting up at a private college soon meaning, he finally had a chance to make friends and enjoy being in school for a longer period of time. Although he moved a lot, Mark always made sure to stay on top of his grades and work, and he was so smart that when moving down to New York, he was offered a scholarship at one of the top high-class private colleges. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't slightly excited. His auntie and uncle were doing well and were in good health, and things actually felt normal.

Or at least, normalish. His days were fine, but his nights were filled with endless research. "Radioactive spiders," "superhuman," "mutants" were all over his Google search history. His notebook was filled with pages upon pages of his abilities and his discoveries. Mark would be lying if he said he didn't sneak out his window a few times to stop some petty crimes, dressed in all black and a raggedy Halloween mask to conceal his face.

But despite his newfound abilities and the excitement of starting college, Mark couldn't shake the feeling of something missing. He missed the chance encounter with Y/n, the girl who had saved him and intrigued him all at once. He found himself thinking about her more often than he cared to admit, wondering where she was and if he would ever see her again. But for now, he had to focus on not embarrassing himself on this first day of school keep his nighttime escapades under wraps. After all, being a superhero wasn't exactly part of his college plans.

•

•

The sun crept through the curtains, casting a soft glow into Mark's room as his Auntie Park flicked on the light switch, breaking the peaceful morning silence. "Why is it that you’re finally an adult, and I still have to wake you up early for school like you’re 8?" she chided, her voice warm yet tinged with annoyance, before kissing Mark on his head and leaving his room.

Mark groaned, his eyes still heavy with sleep as he rubbed them, reluctantly pulling himself out of bed to start his day. The cozy warmth of his blankets calling for him to stay in bed as he stretched, his muscles protesting the early hour. With a seep sigh, he shuffled over to his closet, grabbing his school uniform he received at his orientation. He was slightly confused that at his big age he’d be wearing a uniform to college, but he wrote it off as something that rich people probably did. He shrugged the thought off as he hastily got dressed, adjusting his tie carefully.

Rushing to the bathroom, Mark brushed his teeth and splashed his face with water aka his sorry excuse of a skin care routine. Drying his face he scurries to put on his shoes-all the while Grabbing a piece of toast from the kitchen, Mark quickly pecked his auntie on the cheek, telling her he’ll see her later before dashing out the door to catch his train to school.

The train ride calming, soft murmurs and the rhythmic hum of the engine, punctuated by the occasional screech of brakes as it slowed to a stop caused Mark to relax a bit. He closed his eyes, his mind drifting with the music pouring through his headphones.

Stepping off the train, Mark found himself immersed in the early morning bustle of the city streets, the cool morning air hit him as he made his way towards the big gates of his prestigious private school. Cobblestones lined the walkway, while vibrant flowers danced in the gentle breeze,

The stained-glass windows of the school caught the early sunlight, casting a kaleidoscope of colors onto the ground below. Each pane was a reminded Mark of attending church early in the morning with his Auntie and Uncle as a Kid. Mark paused, momentarily lost in the thought , before finally tearing his gaze away to enter the new school .

Inside, the air was alive with the energy of rowdy students and bustling footsteps, students mingling in clusters as they navigated the long hallway. With a deep breath, he pushed forward, his footsteps echoing against the polished floors as he walked to his first class of the day.

Opening the door, Mark was greeted by the warm smile of his teacher as the bell chimed signaling everyone to get to their classes. The teacher greets the class before asking Mark to stay in front of the class to introduce himself.

Mark swayed a bit clenching his jaw as he stood in front of a sea of people wearing red and blue.

his eyes were glued straight ahead as he introduced himself, he adjusts his uniform cuffs as he nervously speaks up.

The classroom hummed with the anticipation as Mark nervously stood before his classmates, his heart pounding in his chest like a drumbeat. "Yo.. uh hi, my name is Mark," he began, his voice betraying him as he cleared his throat. "I'm from Canada, and then I moved to Korea for a bit, and they're both a bit different from New York." His words spilled out in a rush, the syllables tumbling over one another as he struggled to find his footing in this unfamiliar environment. "Uh, I live with my aunt and uncle, and, uhm, yeah, that's about it," he concluded with a nervous laugh, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head.

The teacher nodded encouragingly, gesturing for Mark to take a seat as the other students shifted in their chairs, their curious gazes following his every move. Mark offered a quick bow in gratitude before hurrying to his desk, his mind focused on how he just embarrassed himself. "Way to go, Mark," he chided himself, rubbing his temples wishing he could get rid of the awkwardness in the air from his introduction. With a deep breath, he forced himself to focus as the teacher launched into a lesson on chemical matter, the words washing over him in a blur of scientific nonsense .

Mark began to take notes on the board, plugging his earbuds in as he begins his assignment. Everyone else’s focus is interrupted by the entrance of a late classmate.

The door swung open as a girl stood in the doorway, her uniform askew and her hair gathered into some weird crossover of a ponytail and a bun, she gives the teacher a toothy smile and a sorry as she tries to catch her breath.

The teacher's annoyed sigh filled the room as He sternly gaze at the girl. "Miss Y/n, this is the third time you've been late this week… and it’s only Wednesday,"He said, his tone full of annoyance.

Y/n's eyes widened with remorse as she profusely apologized , her words tumbling out scattered . "I know, I've just been getting caught up with other things," she explained, her voice trailing off as she met the teacher's unwavering gaze. With a weary sigh, the teacher issued a final warning, threatening to involve Y/n's father if her punctuality did not improve. Defeated, Y/n slunk to the back of the classroom, sinking into an empty desk next to the new boy, her expression a mixture of annoyance and frustration .

As Mark’s head nodded to the beat of his headphones, he felt a subtle shift in the air beside him. Sensing someone's presence, he instinctively unplugged his headphones, his gaze locking with y/n's, whose eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected encounter.

"Mark?" she exclaimed, a hint of disbelief painting her voice as she struggled to contain her excitement at the random meeting.

"Oh, Wow yo y/n, hey," Mark replied, equally taken aback by their chance encounter. The coincidence of the girl that’s he’s been thinking about going to the same school as him made his heart pitter-patter.

"You're stalking me or something, tiger?" y/n teased, a playful smirk gracing her lips as she watched Mark's face flush with embarrassment at the nickname.

"N-no, no, no, it's just—" Mark stuttered, his words faltering as y/n interrupted him with a soft laugh, her amusement evident in the twinkle of her eyes.

"I'm just messing with you, but seriously, what brings you here—to a small private college in New York?" y/n inquired, her curiosity piqued as she observed Mark with a raised eyebrow, her gaze sweeping over him inquisitively.

"Last time I checked, you aren't a spoiled rich kid whose family buys everything for them. You also just look really out of place," she added, a playful grin dancing on her lips as Mark chuckled nervously and explained the circumstances of his scholarship.

"Wow, so you're much smarter than you look. Good to know," y/n remarked teasingly, the corners of her mouth quirking up in a mischievous smile as they shared a lighthearted moment.

As the lesson resumed, Mark and y/n launched into small talk, their conversation flowing effortlessly, their laughter mingling with the hum of the classroom. Despite their initial awkwardness at their first meeting , Mark couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and familiarity in y/n's presence, as if they were old friends catching up after a long absence. And as they went deeper in conversation, the world outside faded into the background, leaving only the two of them, lost in their convo.

•

As the teacher's lesson drew to a close, the classroom gradually began to stir signaling the end of the class. Mark watched as his classmates gathered their belongings, their movements synchronized as the excited the class. The teacher's voice rose above the all the movement , emphasizing the importance of an upcoming assignment deadline.

Mark didn’t even hear a word he said his attention was suddenly diverted by the presence of y/n, standing just a few steps behind him. Surprise flickered across his features as he turned to face her, his curiosity piqued by what she’s about to ask him.

"What class do you have next?" she asks, her voice cheery as ever.

Mark blinked in surprise, momentarily taken aback by the question. "Uh, this is my lunch period," he replied, trying to remember .

A smile tugged at the corners of y/n's lips as she met his gaze. "It's mine too," she revealed, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Mark nodded in acknowledgment, a sense of relief washing over him at the fact that he didnt have to sit by himself at lunch. "Uhh maybe, we can go together then," he suggested, his words punctuated by a slight stutter.

Y/n's smile widened at his response, her excitement contagious as she grabs his wrist. “Uh isn’t the lunch room, this way?” Mark asks gesturing down a hallway as y/n looks at him like he’s crazy.

“Absolutely not," she declared, her tone laced with determination. "Let's take my car and go off campus."

Mark's brow furrowed in confusion, no way he goes to a school like this and the food is bad.

"Is the food bad or something?" he asked curious fabout how quickly she’s ready to leave

Y/n shook her head, a playful glint in her eye. "No, the food is fine," she reassured him. "It's just... it's loud and there are too many people. I prefer to eat out."

Mark nodded in understanding, his curiosity giving way to intrigue as he followed y/n's lead, allowing her to guide him out of the classroom and into the bustling parking lot beyond.

As they made their way across the asphalt parking lot, y/n's steps quickened with purpose, leading them to a vibrant red 1990 Acura parked nearby. Mark's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the vintage vehicle, its classic design standing in stark contrast to the sleek sports cars that dotted the parking lot.

"Nice ride, huh?" y/n remarked, her gaze seeking Mark's approval.

Mark nodded in agreement, his admiration evident as he took in the car's well-maintained exterior. "Yeah, it's pretty cool," he conceded, a smile gracing his lips as y/n unlocked the car, signaling him to get in the passenger seat.

As y/n settled into the driver's seat, she reached over to fasten her seatbelt, adjusting her mirrors as the car roared to life. Mark watched her with interest, noting the way her delicate fingers navigated the controls of her phone, he quickly looks away when he thinks he might be staring too hard.

"Do you like SZA?" she asks, her eyes flicking to meet his as she pulled out of the parking lot, the slow beat of the music filling the car with its infectious rhythm.

Mark's face lit up with excitement at the mention of the artist. "I do, I really love music in general," he replied, his voice oozing with enthusiasm as he settled into his seat. As the melody enveloped them, he found himself humming along, his voice blending seamlessly with the rich tones of the song.

Y/n's smile widened at his response, "Oh really now, that's super cool," she remarked, her gaze softening as she focused on the road ahead. "I love music as well. I'm not a singer—I can't hold a single note—but I appreciate the beauty of it."

The next twenty minutes passed in a blur of laughter and song recommendations, the car filled with the sounds of their shared enthusiasm. As y/n drove through the busy winding roads, , their conversation flowed effortlessly as they delved deeper into each other's lives.

Eventually, y/n pulled up to a gate, her hand entering a code before the gate swung open, granting them access to the sprawling estate Mark had seen before.

Y/n parks the car, and motions Mark to follow her as she stepped out of the car, her footsteps echoing against the polished marble of the driveway. As they made their way towards the entrance.

As they reached the door, y/n fumbled a bit with the buttons, her fingers tapping eagerly against the keypad until the lock clicked open, revealing the warm glow of the entrance, only to be met with the sight of her brother and his friends sprawled out on the couch, their attention fixed on the tv and a greasy pizza box balanced on the coffee table.

"Why are you guys skipping class?" y/n demanded, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she looked the scene before her. Her brother and his friends exchanged sheepish grins, their laughter echoing through the room.

"Free period," Jeno replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, his gaze meeting y/n's with a hint of mischief.

"We can ask you the same thing, missy," Jaemin chimed in, a sassy smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"Aht, it's my lunch period," y/n retorted, her tone laced with playful defiance as she stepped further into the room, her eyes scanning the faces of her brother's friends. Spotting Mark hovering awkwardly by the doorway, she motioned for him to join her.

"This is Mark," she introduced, her voice warm as she gestured towards him. "Mark, this is Jaemin, Jeno, and Renjun. You've met Haechan."

Mark nodded politely, a small smile playing at his lips as he exchanged greetings with y/n's brother and his friends.

"Anyways, I'm gonna warm us up some food, and we can sit in my room," y/n announced, her trying to contain her excitement as she moved towards the kitchen. But before she could finish her sentence, Haechan interjected with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Not so fast, someone is in the office right now, and if he realizes you're home without saying anything to him, he's gonna be pissed," he teased, a grin spreading across his face as y/n groaned in frustration.

But before y/n could protest, Haechan's expression shifted, his eyes lighting up with mischief as he turned to Mark with a devilish grin.

"Come here, Mark. Have you ever wanted to meet Tony Stark?" he asked, his voice tinged with excitement as he beckoned Mark closer.

•

•

"Are you serious? Really?" Mark asked, his eyes widening in surprise at Haechan's revelation.

"No, sorry, I was kidding. You should've seen the look on y'alls faces! I couldn't resist," Haechan chuckled mischievously, dodging a playful swipe from y/n as she scolded him.

"You're so annoying, Hyuck," she groaned in mock exasperation before turning to Mark with an apologetic smile. "Come on, Mark, let's go."

Mark followed y/n down a hallway, the sounds of laughter and chatter fading behind them as they ascended a staircase. They made a few turns before arriving at a door, y/n swinging it open arms wide.

"Welcome to my humble abode," she announced, gesturing grandly at the cozy space beyond.

"Humble, really? Your room is as big as my whole house," Mark chuckled, his eyes roaming over the aesthetically pleasing decor that adorned the walls and windowsills. Lush green plants added a touch of nature to the space, while a plush rug sprawled across the floor invited relaxation. Bean bag chairs beckoned from one corner, while a large bed occupied another, and y/n's impressive PC setup commanded all of Mark’s attention.

"Take off your shoes and make yourself at home," y/n insisted, gesturing for Mark to get comfortable.

"I'm gonna go warm us up some leftover pasta from this really good place down the street," she continued, flashing Mark a bright smile before darting downstairs. Moments later, she returned, balancing two steaming plates of pasta in her hands.

•

The two of them sat comfortably on y/n's floor, plates of pasta in hand, both glued to some random video that y/n had put on.

"You know, Mark, I have a question," y/n began, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"What's up?" Mark replied, a mouthful of food momentarily slowing his response.

"You know a few weeks ago when you saved me?" y/n asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

Mark's hesitation was evident as he replied, "Uh-huh..."

"Did that have anything to do with you passing out on the sidewalk and having that big-ass spider bite on you?" y/n pressed, her gaze fixed intently on him.

Mark's attempt at denial was feeble. "Uhhh, no, what? Why? Nooo," he stammered, his words failing to convince her.

"Uhh, what spider? How do you know it's a spider? It could be a totally different bite, like mosquitoes," Mark blurted out, his voice laced with nervousness.

y/n looked at him deadpan before bursting into laughter. "Oh, Mark, I'm not stupid! You got bitten by something, and it gave you powers. AKA, that spider that got loose at that science expo."

Mark's eyes widened in disbelief. "Uhhh, how did you know that?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

y/n simply shrugged. "I did a little research," she replied casually. "You were found a few blocks from a college that later announced to, uhh, let's say 'higher ups' that a dangerous spider got loose. And then you just so happened to step in and beat those assholes up when I was in trouble."

Mark's shock was evident as y/n continued. "Oh, and let's not forget your nightly crusades," she added, watching as different emotions flitted across Mark's face.

"You wanna know how I know, Mark?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.Mark nodded, eager to hear her explanation.

"Okay, well, the news has been saying lately that petty crime rates have been down, and those assailants all end up somehow wrapped in webs? Crazy, right?" y/n chuckled, observing Mark's reaction.

"Also, I didn't know if that was exactly you, but your face confirms my suspicions," she said, giggling.

"I... I don't know what to say," Mark admitted, feeling a bit unnerved by y/n's deduction.

"The only thing I want you to say is yes," y/n said, her eyes locking onto his.

"Yes?" Mark asked, confusion evident in his tone.

"Yes," y/n affirmed. "Mark, let me train you. Let me be your brains of operation. Let me turn you into a real superhero."

Mark tilted his head at her, a bit hesitant. After a moment of contemplation, he uttered a confident, "Yes!"

•

•

WOAHH i am so tired LOL!!! hope you guys enjoyed i love me someee spider man mark lee!!! idk mark and peter parker just have so many cute dorky similarities i love it. a few things im gonna say

-Mark is spider-man in this Au there is no peter parker

-His Aunt and Uncles last names are Park a little reference to Peter’s Aunt May and Ben Parker

-reader & haechan are half siblings that grew up together aka tony stark is a man whore!

anyways second part will be up soon :)!! i’m turning 20 in a few days so it may not update for a minute!!!! also thank you guys for really loving challengers 🤗💞💞

[drrav3nb]

Second Chances

Things got this bad, Frank? It was only her voice, a figment of his troubled psyche, fractures of memories and recollections that he was struggling to keep from disappearing and yet, despite them being unaccompanied with images of the woman they belonged to, he could still sense the judgement in her tone, her eyes full of concern. “I’m trying, Karen-” I want there to be an after for you. “How can there be? You’re gone…” | After The Blip, Frank struggles to come to terms with Karen's death. But when Matt shows up one day, disclosing revelations he never thought possible, Frank must confront what is false and what is real, his own reality seemingly playing tricks on his mind. (Inspired by the trailer for Daredevil: Born Again released at Disney Expo 2024)

Tags: Implied/Referenced Self-Harm. References to Depression. Post-Blip. Angst with a Happy Ending

Read the fic here

[xreaderanonaccount]

HIII!!!! is it ok if i can request some smut with Dottore? :33 the webtoon verison specifically pls. And i would like it to be fem reader if ur comfortable with that!! if not i understand.

Synopsis: Webttore needs to remind you who you belong to after a certain Red hair tavern owner had the audacity to talk to you. Especially when you wear such a pretty dress.

Tags: NSFW MINORS DNI, Afab Reader, Jealousy, rough sex, semi-public, orgasam denial, light choking, grinding,

A/N: YES FINALLY AN EXCUSE TO WRITE FOR WEBTTORE, I have loved this man since the very beginning.

Words : 1.6K

You were just idly chatting with the owner of the Dawn Winery. You’ve heard about him before as Lord Regrator was talking, well more like ranting, about the owner. He was a handsome man you must admit but you can’t help but to wander your gaze over to your dear lover who was glaring at the two of you. 

“I’m still in awe that you are in love with Lord Dottore.” Diluc’s voice snapped you back into your conversation. 

“Why yes, he is everything I love in a man.” You felt your cheeks heat a bit as you talked about Dottore a bit. Diluc just nodded his head in politeness as he sipped on his drink. The party seemed to be going nowhere and you were just bored out of your mind. Luckily Diluc seemed to be in the same boat so you two chatted it up. You wanted to know more about this Lord Ragnvirdr of the Dawn Winery, just in case you can have some leverage against Lord Regrator. As you two continue a random conversation a white haired man approaches you two. 

“Lord Ragnvirdr, master Alberich is here to see you.” The white haired man spoke. Diluc nodded his head as he handed his glass to a random butler.

“It was nice talking with you madam, hope you enjoy the night.” Diluc smiled gently, taking your hand in his, he was about to plant a kiss on your knuckles before you were ripped away from his grasp. You gasped as you were dragged away from Diluc who he and the white haired man looked confused. You turn to see your assailant and spot the icey blue hair bouncing with each step. You knew who it was, very well. 

“D-Dottore!” You stammered as you were continued to be pulled away. Dottore’s grip was harsh on your wrist as he pulled you through the twist in turns of the Cathedrals till you two were in a very secluded part of the Cathedral. Dottore shoved you against the wall entrapping you within his arms. His ruby red eyes stared straight to your core. His shark-like teeth catching a glint of the moonlight. 

“Dottore?” You whispered, you wanted to say something else but the thought was quickly thrown out as Dottore slammed his lips onto yours. His lips were rough and chapped as he was passionate about taking the air out of your lungs. You felt as his hand dragged down to the slit of your dress trailing up your exposed skin. You gasp as Dottore gives a harsh slap onto your thigh giving Dottore access to your mouth. He plunged his tongue down your throat, you tried to pull out but Dottore used his free hand to take hold on your throat. Giving it a light squeeze. When he finally decided to part you were taking deep breaths trying to catch your breath. You watched curiously as he rested his head on your shoulder. 

“How dare he. '' You barely hear him whisper, you let out a curious what before yelping in pain as Dottore bites down hard on your exposed shoulder. He continued biting your shoulder going up and down. You were moaning in a mix of pleasure and pain as his shark teeth sank down on your shoulder, drawing blood. When he finally finished his ruthless attack on your shoulder he pulled back giving a soft cackle as he admired his handiwork. 

“What would he think, hm?” He smirked as he was only inches from your face.

“Who?” That answer seemed to piss Dottore off as he flipped you around pressing your chest against the stone wall, the cold biting into your skin. You felt his hand snake around your throat again and the other slipping your dress slowly over your hips exposing your now soaked panties. You shivered as you felt his hand tracing slowly up till it was resting on your rear end. He pressed himself against you, feeling his hard on against your ass. 

“Do you know what you do to me?” Dottore started as he started to slowly grind against your ass, “What this does to me?” Moans kept falling out of your mouth as he teased you. The hand that was around your throat slowly trailed down till he was cupping your breast. Kneading it and pinching your nipples through your dress. 

“P-please, I need you.” You whimpered pushing yourself against him. 

“Oh so you want me now? How about when he was talking to you?” Dottore sneered at the mere mention of him. Him? Who was he talking about- oh… the Dawn Winery owner, Diluc.You tried to protest but Dottore slammed his lips back on you gnawing on your lips. Finally, finally Dottore gave you the grace of touching you. You felt his hand push your panties aside, giving your vagina a slight tease, spreading your juice around before plunging three digits straight into your vagina. You moaned loudly into his lips as he set a rough pace, pistoning his fingers in and out. The sinful sound of your juices echo across the empty hall. Dottore removed his hand trailing his fingers down to your clit giving it slow uneven circles. You pulled away from Dottore’s kiss giving a pornographic moan, throwing your head against his shoulder. You pushed your hips back meeting Dottore’s fingers midway, setting your own pace. 

“Please, please, please” You were breathless chanting, hoping for Dottore to give you that sweet release. Your walls clenched around his fingers, the coil in your stomach ready to snap but was ripped away as Dottore pulled his fingers out of your soaking vagina. You let out a high pitch whine from the empty space inside you. You were roughly turned around, your legs instinctively wrapping around Dottore’s waist. You stare as you watch Dottore unbuckle his slacks only allowing for his dick to spring free. Dottore chuckled as he gave a teasing couple of thrust, his dick giving your clit some stimulation. You panted as you watched Dottore pull away a bit, lining up his dick to your hole. You couldn’t watch Dottore plunge his dick into you as he captured your attention again by muffling your moans with his lips. His pace was brutal as he slammed himself deep into you, pulling away till he was almost out and slamming back in. The once quiet hallway was now filled with sin. As the slapping of his balls against your ass and your muffled moans echoed in the hallways. He continued his brutal pace, he pulled his mouth away from yours allowing his soft moans to fall on your ears.

“You’re mine. Mine, mine, mine.” He cackled as he smiled watching his dick disappear into your soaking vagina. You walls are sucking him in more and more, greedily taking his dick like it was the last dick on Teyvat. 

“Look at how good I make you feel darling. You're practically sucking me in.” He smirked as he started to draw circles against your clit. You moaned loudly, throwing your head back from all the stimulation that he was giving you. You can feel your coil winding up again, you chanted Dottore’s name like he was Barbatos himself.

“Yes, keep saying my name. Let him hear you. Let everyone here in this god forsaken country that you're mine. Mine.” He snarled as he picked up his already brutal pace. The stimulation overwhelming you the coil kept winding and winding.

“C-cum, please let me cum.” You were able to get out in between moans. 

Dottore snickered, “You want to come? Sure then, but scream my name, yell it to the Tsaritsa herself. Let everyone know who you belong to.” Obliging with his request you shouted his name to the stars. 

“Dottore. Dottore. Dottore!” You moaned loudly practically chasing your high, which Dottore gracefully allowed. You clamped down hard against Dottore’s dick cumming down hard on him. You gave a final shout of his name before you slouch against the wall. Dottore continued fucking you through your high, cumming a few moments later. You felt his thick seed filling you up and spilling out as he pulled out. You both were panting as Dottore fished something inside his pocket. You tried to get up but was pushed back against the wall.

“What are you doing?” You softly asked, watching as he kneeled before you pulling an object out of his pocket. You shivered as you watched him trace his finger scooping up his cum and shoving it back inside your vagina before plunging something teardrop shape into your vagina. You yelped at the foreign sensation. Dottore chuckled as he got up pulling your dress down. 

“Don’t want any of that falling out.” He gave a wicked smile, as he took a couple steps back. You pushed off the wall soothing down your dress and hair, fishing in your purse for your compact comb. 

“Come now darling, let’s head home. This part is a bore.” He offered jerking his head towards the exit. You nodded as you took a step forward. But you suddenly dropped to the floor, your knees giving out. Dottore was already a few steps ahead before he heard your fall. He turned his head and saw you trying to get up. He cackled as he walked up to you.

“You look like a newborn deer trying to get up.”  You cursed him as you tried to straighten up but your knees were not giving you the strength. 

“Hmph, come now dear. Can’t have you looking like this.” He smirked as he looped his arm around yours guiding you out to the exit. 

“I’m going to have marks all over my neck.” You muttered as you two left the cathedral, the night wind blowing against you. 

“Now people will know who you belong to.” He sneered as he strong armed you towards the Goth Grand Hotel in where Lord Regrator rented out the hotel. You rolled your eyes as you leaned your head against his shoulder.

“And who said I’m going to hide it?” Dottore gave a hearty laugh as you two continued your nighttime stroll to the Hotel. 

A/N: divider credits: cafekitsune

[macsmoods]

Hey love, can I request a hobie brown x fem! mma fighter reader who’s also a spider person or symbiotic (meaning they have a venom or something like him). Maybe Miguel sent hobie to go retrieve a new recruit and he finds her at a fighting expo absolutely kicking to crap out of her opponent.

feel free to ignore tho

THE PUNISHER

Hobie Brown

Summary: Miguel is tired of Hobie complaining about have no competition at HQ, so he sends him to find the new recruit. Miguel knows you’ll be his match. You are low on cash even though your the spider women of Earth-233. You decide to take it up in the ring to make some extra money.

warning⚠️ swearing, hitting

not edited ———————————————————————

Hobie entered Miguel’s office ready to get yelled at again. It was the third time this week he’d been called in for his “bad” behavior as Miguel put it.

“You know if you want to talk to me this bad all the time might as well just ask for my number.” Hobie yelled up to Miguel. Miguel scoffed as he lowered his desk. He turned already glaring at Hobie.

“Ah yes i just love the bullshit that comes out of your mouth so much that i have to hear it every hour.” miguel retorted as he walked towards Hobie.

Hobie rolled his eyes before beginning again. “What did u do this time, boss.” Miguel turned towards his desk going to sit again. He motioned for Hobie to join him.

Reluctantly Hobie stepped forward looking at the screen. “That’s your next mission. She’s our new recruit. Y/n. The spider women of Earth-233.”

“Isn’t that your job?” Hobie asked.

“Usually but you’ve been asking for some competition. She’s it.” Hobie scoffed walking off the platform.

“Yeah will see.” Hobie said disappearing through the door.

Back on Earth-233…

You grunted throwing another punch at your opponent hitting him square in the jaw. Quickly you threw another earning yourself the victory as he fell to the floor.

You smiled as the announcer pulled your arm into the air. You smiled into the crowd wiping the blood from your lips.

Walking out of the ring you went back into the locker room. Grabbing your belongings you checked the time to see it was two in the morning. You would be able to get at least 6 hours of sleep.

Instead of walking you decided to swing yourself to you apartment using the back roads. Making it there you quickly put on pajamas and fell asleep.

Waking up you did the normal spider women things such as stopping someone from robbing a store and so on. It was finally time for another fight. You had been preparing for this for months. You were going against the reigning champion and odds were definitely against you.

Meanwhile Hobie has just arrived at the ring ready to enjoy a fight.

“Today we have a good match up folks. The reigning champion, the crusher! His opponent today is the undefeated castigadora!” he yelled. “Please shake hands and wait for the fight to begin.

Hobie watched as y/n and the so called crusher shook hands and got into position. He watched as the 6ft giant towered over your 5’5 body.

“DING!” The fight was on.

Crusher threw a punch but it was to slow. You swiftly moved out of the way punching him twice in the abdomen.

He didn’t fault quickly countering with a punch to your jaw. Now you were mad.

“you fucking bitch.” you scoffed under your breath. Before he could even react you took two swift punches to his jaw and one to his stomach making him double over.

You kept punching until the finally bell rang. Steadying yourself you felt your hand pushed into the air.

“The castigadora stays undefeated!” the announcer shouted. You smiled looking through crowd before your eyes laid on him.

Making your way out of the ring you headed to the locker room.

“Did miguel send you?” you questioned as he entered the room. You struggled trying to clean up your lip.

Hobie walked over grabbing the cloth from your hand dampening it before dabbing your lips. “Your quite a fighter darling. I expected you to get the shit beat out of you.”

You scoffed at that. “I’m more skilled then i seem. Who even are you?” You questioned.

“Hobie Brown. Miguel sent me to recruit you which i’m guessing you know about already.” You simply nodded.

“I think that’s it.” Hobie stated dabbing the last bit of blood.

“Thank you.” you said with a small blush.

“Ok now let’s begin are journey to HQ.” he said.

“I’m sorry but there must be a misunderstanding. I’m not going to HQ with you.” you answered.

“Why’s that darling?” Hobie said tilting his head. You blushed as you made eye contact. He was undeniably handsome.

“I want Miguel to take me. Just to make sure that this safe.” you said.

“Oh so you don’t trust me?” he questioned with a slight chuckle. Every step he took towards you to you took one back. Soon enough your back hit the sink.

He leaned close to your ear before beginning again, “Please love, come with me.” He wrapped his arm around your waist.

You protested as he flipped open his watch. You tried to break from his grip but it was relentless. You watched as he smiled at you before stepping into the portal. ———————————————————————translations castigadora-punisher ——————————————————————— Authors note

This is so trashy😭 I’m sorry this was my first request attempt so hopefully it gets better in the future. Woke up this morning and my one shots had blown up. Im so surprised cause i thought the writing was so crapppy. Anyways tysm for the love. Enjoy this Hobie fic. I think i’m gonna try an obx one shot next…

REQUESTS: OPEN

Sincerely,

macsmoods🌊🫧

[siancore]

SamBucky | M | 2.8K | AO3

Synopsis: It was a bad idea. Sam knew as much. His mission directive was clear: Travel back in time, go to the Stark Expo, and retrieve the stolen Wakandan artefact as a promise of goodwill and a way to make amends with a valued ally. He had finished the first half of his mission and secured the artefact, but he had not activated the Temporal Shift Device to return him to his own time. Curiosity had gotten the better of Sam. Curiosity and a yearning deep inside. He knew that there was a chance that he would see this other Bucky. He knew that if he set the Device to pick-up Bucky’s corporeal frequency, he would find him in the sea of people. The fact of the matter was, Sam missed Bucky. He missed his Bucky.

Content: Thunderbolts Era SamBucky; Possibly Unrequited Love; Vintage Queer Slang; Impulsive Sam Wilson; Charming Bucky Barnes; Angst & Feels; Mission Fic.

There was a certain buzz of excitement in the air. The Stark Expo was a hit. So much to see and do. Bucky was sure he would be thinking about some of the things he had seen that night for a long time to come. If he had much more time left. It was his last evening stateside. He would be shipping out in the morning with countless other young men to face a growing threat that he did not really understand. To face a world that was bigger than he could have ever imagined. So, Bucky did what most young men were doing that night: He was out to make some memories. Even if his best friend had other ideas, Bucky was going to enjoy what might be his last night in the city that he loved.

And boy did he love New York City. It was a bustling hive of many faces and flavors. He had heard that Europe had different sensibilities for young men like him, but his home would always be his home. He was going to miss the way the tall buildings were like an embrace, proffering protections from the outside world. Holding him close and steady. Making sure he melted into the tapestry of the cityscape. Bucky had always stood out from a crowd. Good looks that masked a melancholic glint behind his cool blue eyes. But sometimes he just didn’t want to be seen; to be perceived. He wanted to make his memories and take his pleasures away from judgemental eyes that could never understand.

Bucky lit a cigarette and waited for his and Steve’s dates to return from the lady’s public rest room. They had polished off one too many Coca-Colas that evening. Full of giggles, the sweet soda, and excitement for the night. Bucky would take them dancing and then make sure they got home safely. It was how most of his dates went with young ladies. Laughter and sweetness and sweat as they danced the night away. Bodies moving together to the blare of big band orchestras under dim lights in smoke-filled dance halls.

He took a pull from his cigarette and glanced around the immediate area. The night had just begun for some people, while others were heading on home after the excitement of the Expo waned. The hurried crowds slowly dispersed and that was when Bucky saw him, a good-looking Black man standing over under a streetlamp. He looked as if he was out of place and did not belong. And not in the way that many bigoted people thought. Not in the way the owners of the piers excluded certain dockworkers. He just looked like he was not from that place and time. As if he was in one of those fantastic tales in those rags Bucky bought every month. As if he had been placed there by some unseen hand of some ancient deity for Bucky and Bucky alone to see. And he was looking at Bucky as if he had seen a ghost. Bucky exhaled his smoke, kept his eyes locked on the stranger, and then stepped in his direction.

“Hello,” said Bucky with a dip of his head. “Can I ask you somethin’?”

“I don’t know,” the man replied. “Can you?”

Bucky let out a little amused laugh and said, “What’s your name?”

“Sam.”

“Sam,” he replied with a lilt to his voice. “I’m Bucky, and I guess that’s settled, then.”

Sam nodded his head before tilting it to the side and asking, “What’s settled?”

“We ain’t strangers anymore,” Bucky said with a smile.

“Yeah, I guess not,” said Sam with a small grin of his own.

“Friends?”

“We’ll see,” Sam offered sincerely. 

They each remained quiet a beat as they took in the other’s appearance. Sam was dressed in the fashion of the day as per the Device’s settings. Bucky was still in his service uniform.

“So, Sam. What brings you out in the city tonight?”

“You’re full o’ questions, uh?”

Bucky took another drag from his cigarette and then tossed it with his fingers before saying, “Sure am. So, what’re you doin’ tonight?”

“I’m on a mission,” said Sam, not divulging much else.

“A mission, eh?” asked Bucky, as he inched closer to Sam. “Is it a secret?”

“Yeah, I suppose it is,” Sam replied with the hint of a smile on his lips. “I would ask you the same question, but your uniform is sorta a dead giveaway.”

Bucky smiled and ran his hand over the lapel of his service jacket and said, “Yeah, me and a bunch o’ other guys thought it might be a good idea to dress the same and get on an airplane tomorrow, to go fight a bunch o’ other guys. May not be the smartest idea I’ve ever had, but then again no one’s ever called me smart.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s not the case,” Sam replied. “You seem plenty smart.”

Bucky licked his lips and let his gaze wander up and down Sam’s body; Sam noticed.

“Really?” asked Bucky. “How you figure that?”

“Well, you were smart enough to come talk to me,” said Sam with a shrug.

Bucky let out a laugh that was earnest and true, causing Sam’s smile to widen. The other man’s bright beam made Bucky’s head feel light.

“Backing out on my plans for the evening to come talk to a stranger mightn’t be the smartest idea I’ve ever had.”

“Hey, we’re not strangers, remember?” said Sam with a playful yet earth-shaking smile.

“Right,” said Bucky as he took out another cigarette. “Fast friends.”

He lit it and held it out for Sam. He shook his head a politely declined.

“So, what plans are you backing out on tonight?”

“Tonight,” Bucky drawled before leaning toward Sam a little. “Tonight, I was meant to meet my best friend and take some pretty girls dancing. But, on account of me not bein’ so smart, that plan’s changed.”

“Oh,” said Sam, leaning over into Bucky’s space. “I mean, it doesn’t have to. You’ve still got time to go dancing.”

“Nah.”

“Why?”

“Well, to put it plainly, I know I said I’m not smart, but my best friend’s an idiot, and truthfully, those girls ain’t half as pretty as you.”

…..

It was a bad idea. Sam knew as much. His mission directive was clear: Travel back in time, go to the Stark Expo, and retrieve the stolen Wakandan artefact as a promise of goodwill and a way to make amends with a valued ally. He had finished the first half of his mission and secured the artefact, but he had not activated the Temporal Shift Device to return him to his own time. Curiosity had gotten the better of Sam. Curiosity and a yearning deep inside.

He knew that there was a chance that he would see this other Bucky. He knew that if he set the Device to pick-up Bucky’s corporeal frequency, he would find him in the sea of people. The fact of the matter was, Sam missed Bucky. He missed his Bucky. Not seeing the man whom he had grown close with for nearly six months was making Sam not think straight. He would never put a mission in jeopardy, of course, but he just wanted a glimpse of the man. You could not blame Sam for being curious.

The Device showed a reading and Sam knew he was close. All Sam needed to do was stand a little ways away, out of sight and out of the way of nosy bystanders, and cast his gaze in that direction. That was when he saw him, standing there with a cigarette in his hand and the hint of a smile on his lips. Same eyes; same staring problem. Their gazes locked and Bucky made a move in his direction; Sam knew he was fucked.

…..

The train ride seemed to go by too quickly. Bucky sat close to Sam, their legs brushing against one another, under the cover of masses of other commuters leaving the Expo. They spoke in hushed tones, Bucky ever charming, drawing laughter from Sam as he told stories about himself and his stubborn friend, Stevie. It made Sam’s chest feel tight at times. He asked questions about Sam’s family. It gave him the chance to talk about his mother and father, something Sam hadn’t done in so long with anyone other than Sarah. It was nice, riding the train with that Bucky. When they reached Brooklyn Heights, they walked the streets slowly, trying to draw out the moment.

They reached the piers at what was now known as Brooklyn Bridge Park. There was something kind of romantic about seeing the cityscape like that. The old buildings standing against the starry night sky. The steady flow of the East River. Bucky sitting so close that their shoulders were touching. A comfortable silence passed between them as Sam stared out over the water.

“I love this view,” said Sam as he glanced sideways and saw that Bucky was staring at him.

“Me, too,” said Bucky, never taking his eyes off of Sam. “So goddamn pretty.”

Bucky removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. He gave Sam a cocksure smile and said, “You’re an interesting man, Sam.”

Sam scoffed and said, “I doubt that.”

Bucky laughed and nudged Sam with his shoulder.

“Saw a fella make a car float at that Expo and none of that was half as interesting as you.”

“You’re a real smooth talker. You got a slick mouth on you.”

He laughed. Genuine and amused and lovely. Sam liked the sound of Bucky’s laugh. His Bucky’s laugh. This Bucky’s laugh was similar, but so different. Like the sound of a fresh breeze sweeping through the cityscape. Absent was the heaviness that lived around the edges. It was light just like the sparkle behind his focused eyes.

“You don’t even now the half of it, Buttercup,” said Bucky, swaying further into Sam’s orbit.

“Buttercup?” asked Sam, biting back a smile.

“Don’t mean nothin’ by it,” Bucky insisted. “I don’t claim to be much of an evening botanist.”

There was a mirth that danced behind the cool blue of his irises.

“You’re just bright and shiny. Seemed to fit.”

…

“What do you wanna do after the war?” asked Sam as they sat side-by-side and looked out across the water as the night sky gave way to early morning. He felt kind of sick at knowing the young man’s fate. But this Bucky, the smiling, bright-eyed Bucky, he did not know what awaited him; he deserved to be able to think of a future that was nice.

“Don’t know,” said Bucky. “Figure we might get a parade in the streets. Folks smiling and happy to see us. Me? I’d be thankful for somethin’ like this. A quiet moment with good company.”

Sam smiled at Bucky, all warmth and light.

“All I’ve done was fight since I was a snot-nosed kid in short pants. These,” said Bucky as he raised his fists slightly and knocked them together. “These gotta be good for somethin’ other than fighting. So maybe that’s what I want after the war. Stop going from one fight to the next. Use my hands for something gentle.”

There was something inside of Sam that made him want to warn Bucky. To tell him to flee and not join that fight. That the fight will last longer for him than any other. But he did not. He would not risk the timeline, even though he wanted to. He wanted to say, “To hell with it all.” But he knew that he could not. At least he could give this Bucky a memory that would not be doused in blood.

The bright-eyed young man sitting next to him, awash in the warm light of the early morning, stared into his eyes.

“I hope you get everything you ever dreamed of, Buck,” he said in earnest.

Bucky let his head dip, huffed out a little laugh, and then looked up through his lashes.

“I dreamed of times like this,” Bucky admitted, as he brushed his finger against Sam’s nearby hand. “Dreamed of finding a guy like you and sharin’ a moment like this. Are you a dream, Samuel?”

Sam felt his heart flutter.

“How do you know my name is short for Samuel and not Samson?” he asked, hooking his finger with Bucky’s.

“Because you’re an answered prayer,” Bucky explained. “That’s what Samuel means – that’s what you feel like to me.”

“Wow,” said Sam, barely over a whisper. “Thank you.”

“Nah, thank you. Thank you for makin’ my last night here one I’ll never forget.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Sam replied as Bucky entwined their fingers together.

A small beat of silence passed between the pair as they sat on the pier holding hands in the kind shroud of the early morning.

“You think I’d get in too much trouble if I missed the air ferry later today?” asked Bucky as he ran his thumb over Sam’s. He was joking, but there was a hint of something behind his tone.

“Probably,” said Sam, giving his hand a squeeze. “Better not risk it.”

“You make me wanna take risks.”

“I’m not worth it,” said Sam, sounding more self-deprecating than he had meant to.

“Oh, now that ain’t true at all,” said Bucky as he reached over and tilted Sam’s chin up.

They sat there staring into one another’s eyes. Not moving; not saying a word. Soon, Bucky’s gaze shifted from Sam’s eyes to his lips.

“Please, Sam,” Bucky whispered. “You gotta let me kiss you.”

All of the jest and teasing from before had gone from his tone, and all that remained was something earnest and almost lamenting. As if time was running out for them, and it was. Bucky was nearly ready to ship out; Sam was nearly ready to return home to his own time.

“Please. Can I kiss you?”

“Yeah,” Sam replied as he gave Bucky a soft smile.

Bucky smiled back at him, bright and sunny, as he cupped Sam’s face and then leaned in to press a soft kiss to Sam’s lips. He sought to deepen it, and Sam allowed it, as passion filled them. Sam did not know how long they had spent exploring one another’s mouths, breathing one another’s air, but he pulled away slightly and rested his brow against Bucky’s. He did not realize tears had escaped his eyes. Bucky drew back and wiped the tears away with the pad of his thumb.

“Don’t be sad, Sweetheart,” said Bucky, cupping Sam’s face once more. “I know this feels like – like we’ve run outta time. But there’re a bunch of boys over there right now fightin’ for the future.”

“The future,” Sam replied, soft and plaintive.

“I saw all kinds of things last night that they’re saying are right around the corner,” said Bucky, still holding Sam’s hand. “Things to look forward in the future. Marvels and wonders and things I never thought possible. It’s pretty swell this future that they’re promising. This world of tomorrow.”

“It’s worth the fight,” said Sam as he smiled sadly at Bucky.

“That’s what they’re sayin’,” Bucky replied. “But I look around now and wonder is it a future worth fightin’ for if at some point someone like me can’t spend all of my tomorrows with someone like you.”

“Bucky.”

He smiled then, soft and sure and awash in early daylight.

“You’re gonna haunt my dreams, Buttercup,” said Bucky as he ran his fingers against Sam’s face. “And I can’t wait to close my eyes and see you.”

xXx

The artefact was delivered; Sam’s mission was completed. He returned to his small hometown to be with his family. Sarah cooked for him and his nephews reminded him of why he was doing that important work. Why he got up every day and risked his life. To make the future better for them.

Sam was exhausted, physically and emotionally. He was regretting not returning when he was scheduled to. For remaining in the past. For spending time with that Bucky. It made the longing in his heart stronger. Made his chest feel tighter. He got to share something with someone who was so close to the man he wanted now. To his Bucky. But his Bucky did not want him like that sweet, charming, hopeful Bucky did. His Bucky was so steeped in pain and anguish that it would not be fair on him for Sam to even admit his feelings. His Bucky had left him. His Bucky was never truly his; would never, ever be his. Sam sighed and made his way down to the docks. The steady water always calmed him. He closed his eyes and remembered the pier. Remembered that Bucky’s hand in his; his lips on his. He hoped that it brought some comfort to that Bucky in the midst of war. Hoped his Bucky was safe out there, wherever he might be. Hoped that someday his Bucky might return to Delacroix and sit by the water’s edge with Sam.

[kedreeva]

I was vending at the reptile expo when I felt a little tug on the back of my shirt and suddenly I had a baby to keep me company. He was very tired of being manhandled by the small child he belonged to, and slept up on my shoulder in peace for about an hour before stealing some of my water and heading back to his own people.

[nekoannie-chan]

Love, love

Title: Love, love.

Fandom: Marvel, Captain America.

Ship: Steve Rogers X 40’s!Reader.

Word count: 690 words.

Rating: Teen.

Summary: You and Steve are in love.

Major Tags: Time travel, unexpected kiss, dating.

Additional tags: This is my entry to @multifandom-flash, Valentine’s day card & square 5:

"Garden of love.”

You can read it on Wattpad and Ao3 too.

@saiyanprincessswanie

My native language is Spanish so I wanna improve my writing skills in English if you notice any mistakes, please let me know and I will correct them.

I don’t give any kind of permission for my fics to be posted on other platforms or languages (I translate myself my work) or the use of my graphics (my dividers are included in this), I did them exclusively for my fics, please respect my work and don't steal it. There are some people here who make dividers that anyone can use, mine is not this type, please look for the other people. The only exception is the ones I gifted 'cuz now belong to someone else. If you find any of my works on a different platform and are not one of my accounts, please let me know. Reblogs and comments are always welcome.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Marvel's characters (unfortunately), except for the original characters and the story.

Add yourself to my taglist here.

My other media where I publish:  Ao3, Wattpad, ffnet, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter. 

If you like it, please vote, comment, and give me feedback to improve my skills and reblog.

Tags: @sinceimetyou @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad @navybrat817 @angrythingstarlight @shield-agent78 @charmed-asylum @pandaxnienke @real-fbi @smokeandnailz @white-wolf1940 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @xoxonotme @bluemusickid @leyannrae @harrysthiccthighss @marvelatthisone @caplanbuckybarnes @sapphire-rogers @lizzieolseniskinda @notyourtypicalrose @hallecarey1 @nana1000night @talia-rumlow @writingshae @alexxavicry @azulatodoryuga @daemonslittlebitch @chaoticcollectivenightmare @endlesstwanted @chemtrails-club  @marigoldreamer @whiskeytangofoxtrot555 @here4thefanfics @theestorm @patzammitt @kmc1989 @somegirlfrom

1937

It all started with a playful glance during painting class and, a few weeks later, a small smile when you noticed the paint stain on Steve's nose.

Steve was too shy to talk to you, and you had ignored all the times Bucky tried to flirt with you.

You were beginning to consider talking to Steve and asking him out for ice cream. Although the last thing you wanted was for his friend to be included in the plan too, you needed him to be alone.

You decided that today would be the day, but first, you had made a plan. One of your friends was going to entertain Barnes so you could talk to Steve; it would be at the end of the class, although you were also going to owe him a trip to the cafeteria, not to mention that you had to put up with her for ten minutes laughing at what you asked her.

"It's beautiful," Steve said, standing behind you.

“Excuse me?" You turned to face him; maybe what you liked the most were his beautiful blue eyes.

“Not you, your painting; I mean, you are beautiful too." Steve now sounded confused; he wasn't even sure what he meant.

“Thanks, Steve."

“Ehm Y/N..."

Wait a minute, he knew your name? You were so excited that you stopped listening to what he was saying; you weren't invisible to him.

“Well, from your silence, I guess that's a no," Steve said, disappointed.

“I'm sorry? I didn't hear you say, “ You wanted to hit yourself; you hadn't paid attention to him.

"Doyouwanttogotothemovieswithme?" Steve repeated it more nervously, turning red.

“Is Saturday okay with you?"

“Sure, I'll pick you up at six."

On the day of the date, you stole a kiss from Steve.

1942

“You want to go to the Stark Expo?" Yeah. Bucky wants us to go on a double date.

You agreed, although it was a little awkward, especially since Bucky's date wouldn't shut up and wouldn't stop repeating how awesome and amazing Barnes was. You were about to shove the bag of popcorn in his mouth, if that would shut him up.

1945

Steve's time in the war was unbearable; you didn't see each other, although you got a letter from him every week without fail.

All you wanted was for it to be over so you could be with him again.

Until the fateful day came, that morning you woke up with a strange feeling. As soon as you opened the door, you knew what it meant. As soon as you saw that woman standing there, you didn't even hear what she was saying; you knew what had happened.

When the war was over, you and Steve were supposed to get married. It was all set; all he had to do was go home.

If there was any way...

2023

“Are you sure about this?" Bucky asked Steve.

“I have a promise to keep; I don't even want to imagine how bad Y/N has been having it, “Steve answered. He simply couldn't stop thinking about the same thing; no matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find any information. It wasn't possible that you had vanished; he was sure of what he experienced; however, it wasn't until he made the time trip with the others that he understood everything.

“Say hello to her for me; don't forget your speech on the big day."

“I'm not as much of an idiot as you are."

“You're more."

1945

You frowned in annoyance. It was the tenth time you had tried to read the recipe, and there was always a different interruption. However, when you opened the door, you dropped the container you were holding.

“S-Steve? “ You feared your senses were deceiving you.

“I promised you I'd come back," Steve said as he picked up the container.

“But... "

“I couldn't let you down, honey." Steve took your hand, leaving the container on the small table next to the door.

“Everything was ready."

“I was the only one missing, wasn't I? I'm here; everything will be all right, I promise."

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Francis Drake Main Story

This is a rough translation. I’ll edit this if I find the time. Expect mistakes.

Drake stopped me, and I followed his lead and got into the boat.

Drake: "On your right is a very nice tower."

Mitsuki: "Hehe, that's the Eiffel Tower."

Drake: "That's right, the Eiffel Tower."

Just as he said himself, he hadn't yet memorized all the sights in Paris, so his tour was a bit clumsy. However, I found it enjoyable how carefree he was.

Mitsuki: "What you see over there is the building of the Paris Expo. I went there before with everyone from the mansion."

Drake: "Yeah, they're having a huge festival-like event."

Mitsuki: "It was fun. Let's go together next time. Vincent's studio is also around there."

Mitsuki: "Okay, next. The theater over there often performs Shakespeare's plays. Wait, why does it seem like I'm the one giving the tour?"

Drake: "Haha! You're amazing. I'm learning a lot from you."

He stopped rowing the oar and narrowed his eyes.

Drake: "This city holds a lot of memories for you and the folks at the mansion, huh?"

Mitsuki: "Yup. I was able to get used to and enjoy the lifestyle of the 19th century, thanks to everyone."

Drake: "Do you like this world?"

Mitsuki: "Yes, I do."

When I first time-traveled here, I was bewildered by the differences in time and culture. But now, the people I've met have become dear to me, and this world has become a place I belong to. So much so that I was willing to live here.

(But…)

Drake: "Then why the gloomy face?"

Mitsuki: "Huh?"

I lifted my slightly lowered face and saw him staring intently at me.

Drake: "Don't you realize? You seem to enjoy talking about this city and the people in the mansion, but sometimes you look a little sad."

(I promise not to feel down, and yet...)

He saw through my expression that I didn't even notice myself. He leaned his elbow on his knee and looked up at me, resting his chin on his hand.

Drake: "If you're carrying something, you can let it out here. You've been around here for a while, so it might be hard to talk to everyone at the mansion about it."

Mitsuki: "........"

Prompted by his gaze, I opened my lips.

Mitsuki: "It's true that I love this world."

Mitsuki: "But the more I think that way, the more I feel guilty about it."

Drake: "Guilty?"

Mitsuki: "Because my loved ones are in my world."

Family and friends. I had left everything from my past behind as I stepped through that door.

I really gave it my all to stay positive, but those lingering attachments and regrets kept dragging me down, making it difficult for me to start over.

Mitsuki: "I felt like I was betraying my world by accepting that I couldn't go home."

(Despite being treated well by everyone, I keep looking back repeatedly.)

(I'm so half-hearted.)

I clumsily let all the worries that had accumulated in my chest out into words, and he listened without saying anything.

Mitsuki: "Sorry you have to hear me talk like this."

Drake: "It's fine."

Drake: "You're ridiculously kind."

Mitsuki: "What?"

Drake: "You're worried that you're betraying someone."

Drake: "I've seen plenty of people get angry and sad because they've been betrayed, but you're different."

He said it as if he were in front of something mysterious.

Mitsuki: "I don't want to betray anyone because it would destroy the precious bond we've built."

Drake: "Bonds, huh?"

Drake: "No matter how strong your bonds are, there's always a chance the other person might betray you."

He looked at me and spoke again.

Drake: "I understand that your world is important, but it sounds like it's become a burden for you."

Mitsuki: "It's not a burden at all."

Drake: "You sure? The only things that come out of your mouth are thoughts of betrayal, guilt, and a sense of wrongdoing."

Drake: "You haven't forgotten or discarded that world. You're continuing to carry it while making excuses about being unable to do anything to comfort yourself."

(.......)

The words he said hit me like a knife.

He straightened himself up, and the wind rustled his hair and the feathers on his hat.

Drake: "If it's really important, even if you're apart and even if you can't meet, those feelings won't change and will remain just as strong."

Drake: "You should be proud that you have many important and irreplaceable things."

Drake: "It's your life. No matter how you choose to live, it won't be a betrayal."

(It won't be a betrayal?)

His straightforward words flowed like water into my chest, making all the worries and hesitations disappear.

Drake took off his hat and gently placed it on my head.

Drake: "Well, unlike you, I've always had this burning desire to get back at my enemies."

He playfully patted my head through the hat and smiled.

Drake: "If you're always thinking about those people and sacrificing your desires, you'll miss out on life."

Drake: "Or are there people among those 'important ones' who would call your way of living a betrayal?"

Mitsuki: "No! I'm sure no one would say something like that."

Drake: "Haha! You said it confidently."

Drake: "In that case, you should choose the path you believe in."

Drake: "In my opinion, living in a way that goes against your own wishes is the real betrayal."

Mitsuki: "Drake..."

(Even if I choose my way of life, my feelings toward those important to me won't change. I won't betray them.)

I traced those words in my heart once more, and my heart felt lighter.

(As he says, rather than being trapped in regret and guilt...)

I should cherish what's important and stay true to my feelings.

I reflected on my feelings and placed my hand firmly on my chest.

Drake: "I just had an idea. Why don't we throw some bottled messages in the ocean next time?"

Mitsuki: "A message in a bottle? The one where you put a letter in a bottle and throw it into the ocean?"

The letter was then carried away by the waves, never knowing when or to whom it would be delivered.

Drake: "Yeah, that. If we use it, the letter won't get destroyed."

Drake: "The ocean goes on forever, after all."

Mitsuki: "That's true. Thank you, Drake."

The smile he gave me was kind of glowing.

I squinted my eyes without knowing if it was because of the reflection of the light on the river's surface or because of my own feelings.

(A message in a bottle, huh? That feels like a dream.)

I hoped that one day I could make it come true with him by my side.

(Talking to Drake made me feel lighter, as if something I had been holding in my chest was flowing away.)

"You're continuing to carry it while making excuses about being unable to do anything to comfort yourself."

What he said earlier really stung. But his typical words and aloof smile freed me from the cycle of emotions.

(It's all thanks to him.)

I tried to thank him again but found him staring at the river.

Drake: "But I think it's amazing that you can think about someone or the world you've lived in."

Drake: "I'll probably never understand that in my lifetime."

He spoke in a hushed, mumbling tone, and his eyes had a cold light in them, giving off a chilling sense of vulnerability.

(Drake?)

Drake: "Well, I’m sure you’ll be fine, so you don’t need to worry about it."

Drake: "Real betrayal is much more merciless."

He suddenly wore a dazzling smile, quite different from before, and casually uttered those words.

(Does that mean he has experienced that before?)

Drake: "Even so, you're quite mysterious."

Mitsuki: "Huh? Is there something strange about me? I think I'm pretty normal."

Drake: "That's what's strange about it. You time-traveled, lived with vampires, and got caught up in ridiculous destinies, but you're just an ordinary girl."

Drake: "You worry, you laugh—you're just a normal pretty lady."

Mitsuki: "........."

My heart skipped a beat at his gentle smile.

Drake: "Maybe that's the sort of person who's destined to make a difference."

Mitsuki: "Drake?"

He suddenly leaned forward, his smile vanishing.

Previous Part ╎ Masterlist ╎ Next Part

[taffycandyqt]

so you love questions I hear... 13 and 24? (turtle asks)

13. Which character are you most similar two.

For me there are two characters that come to mind. The first is rises Sunita. She is by no means dumb, but like me, she is a tad naive. She gets easily distracted and isn't always aware of what's happening around her. But she is generally happy and cares about others. She is fun and is always down for a good time. And on top of all of it she is sentimental.

The next character is 2012 Mikey. Now I like Mikey as a character but I relate to him to much for him to be a favorite of mine. Out of every iterations turtles (minus bay and mm) 2012 Mikey is at the bottom of the list. He just embodies to many feelings and attitudes that I am trying to leave behind. The feeling of not belonging in your family. The feeling of wanting to be yourself and as a result never being taken seriously due to your goofy nature. The desire for companionship outside of you family but being unable to connect with others and ending up with fake friends. Being punished for honest mistakes. Being punished for being easily distracted. The desire to feel important but being out done by your older siblings. Feeling like your only redeeming quality is that you're cute. Mikey as a character is fine but he is to real for me personally for me to really like him.

So I'm probably a combination of Sunita and 2012 Mikey.

24. Roast your favorite character (affectionately)

I'm not gonna lie to you. Idk how to do this, but I will try. 💪(All Donnie's are my fav btw but imma make it easy on myself and go with rise Donnie)

Look at this dingus. With his with his stupid big forehead. Massive friggin forehead. Bros over here looking like a whole purple expo marker. He look like he'd go 'ee ee' if your rubbed his forehead. And then this dude tries and act like an "emotionally unavailable bad boy". Bro you got the attitude of Jimmy Neutron and the personality of a chronically online theater kid. Your a nerd and a dork, ain't no one believes you're"emotionally unavailable" or a "bad boy". The baddest thing you've done is save the world and you did that while BIRTH BREATHING. "Bad boy" my eye.

Thanks for the ask!

[erijuice]

My Revision Of Wish (pt 2): This Wish

Welcome back to more of my personal revision of Wish. Today, I will presenting my version of the film's "I Want" song, This Wish

This is the moment where Asha makes her wish for the townspeople of Rosas, after discovering a dark secret about her parents using the townspeoples' wishes to enhance their dark magic. She argues that they should give their wishes back to the people, while trying to keep what she saw a secret. In her frustration, she escapes from her palace walls to the Wishing Tree of the woodlands to make her wish.

Now, my biggest problem with 'This Wish' is that Julia Michaels has written the song to be generalized and more likely to be sung by any character, instead of making it feel like Asha's song. It sure doesn't help that the song was written before the script... I'm not even kidding! It's a true story!

The song is supposed to be our big "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" moment, and also establishing Asha's character: Her passions, her love for art, her philosophical belief in the stars, and the conflict that she faces as a character. She sees the world around her as a living painting, and this musical number needs to be a reflection of her fantasy. I will note that this version will have the instrumental from the early demo that was heard at D23 Expo in 2022. I actually do have an audio version of my interpretation, which combines both the demo and the official instrumentals of the song, but I can't release it because of that mouse company being strict with copyright. Anyways, onto the lyrics!

[Verse 1]

If the truth’s supposed to set me free, why do I feel so weighted down by it

If I could show the people everything I’ve seen, open their eyes to all the lies then, they would change their minds like did

Cause when I speak, they tell me sit down, but why should I when I found something to believe in

I know where I began, but it’s not where I belong. They say I’m naive but, I know I’m not wrong

[Asha looks up to the wishing star overlooking the kingdom, pulling her closer to the far-off woodlands.]

[Chorus 1]

So I look up at the stars to guide me

And I pray for them to give a sign

If knowing it be could be is what drives me

Then let me bring this dream into life

So I make this wish, to bring something more to all of this

So I make this wish, to have something more for us than this

[As she vocalizes, she imagines the birds around her with glowing star-like speckles, the speckles having a sketchy quality to them to illustrate her imagination]

Hey-yeah-yeah-yeah

Hey-yeah-yeah-yeah-ah-ah

More than this, oh-ahhh-ahhh-ahhh

[Verse 2]

[Asha walks through the forest, letting out all of her emotions]

I never knew I needed room to grow

I always did what I was told, and I never said no

Now I got all of this freedom in my bones

But I can’t even let it show, can’t let it overflow

[Asha climbs the wishing star to a large walkable branch above the ocean]

Cause I got expectations and hesitations on where I should even begin

Always dipping my toes in, but I don’t know if I should sink or swim

I won’t let myself be pointed in any given direction on where to go or what to do

My legs are shaking, but my head’s held high in the way they always taught me to

[Asha imagines a glowing staircase of stars that lead her up to the heavens, beginning to let out her emotions as she runs up the staircase]

[Chorus 2]

So I look up at the stars to guide me

And I pray for them to give a sign

I’m sure there will be challenges worth striving

But I can take them on, one at a time

[Asha sets foot onto the watercolored clouds and gazes at the big, bright wishing star glowing overhead, now closer than she could ever imagine. This climax is inspired by unused concept art for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]

So I make this wish, to bring something more to all of this

So I make this wish, to have something more for us than this

[Here is our ultimate climax! The camera rotates around Asha as she twirls amongst the stars. The stars are shining brighter than they ever have before. Celestial creatures shining with stardust begin to surround her, the stars on the clouds create a bright, symphonic dreamscape.

Hey-yeah-yeah-yeah

Hey-yeah-yeah-yeah-ah-ah

More than this, oh-ahhh-ahhh-ahhh

[Before the outro, we fade back to reality, with Asha on the wishing tree, as she finally makes her wish to the stars above her]

[Outro]

So I make this wish, to have something more for us than this

[The camera quickly pulls back, giving us a huge shot of the sky, the sea, and the Wishing Tree all in frame, as if it were a masterpiece painting.]

[The song ends with a patient silence, as Asha smiles. The pause is much longer than in canon, at least 10 seconds. Her smile drops as she notices that the star is slowly starting to glow bright, and explode with a light of hope and wonder. Asha shields her eyes as the glow engulfs the kingdom of Rosas, and that is where we meet our fabled star boy! End scene]

So that's This Wish! Hope you've enjoyed my intrepretation of the song, and maybe I'll share a couple more revised versions of the canon songs. Goodnight, Kingdom of Rosas!

Part 1: The Story

[the-adventures-of-dave]

if you see this in time and feel like doing it, may i humbly request some caturday vintage Dave 💖

I did not see this in time (was at a comic expo!) BUT here‘s some late vintage Dave for sleepy Sunday!

Plus Tobi, she belongs to my buddy @pteradoxical who’s hosting me this weekend ❤️

[stevebattle]

DJ Robot – Toyota Partner Robot ver. 7 (2004), Toyota, Japan. "Toyota's "DJ Robot," a two-wheeled android belonging to a band of robot musicians that entertained visitors at the 2005 Aichi World Expo, has ditched its entertainment career for a job as a receptionist. DJ Robot's departure from the band comes as Toyota gears up for its debut of a new robot violinist this autumn. The highlight of DJ Robot's entertainment career came at the 2005 Aichi World Expo, where it performed with Toyota's other musically-inclined Partner Robots -- a show-stopping bipedal android trumpet player and an ensemble of wheeled bots playing tuba, trombone, French horn and percussion. Unlike the other band members with their human-like artificial lips and dexterous hands that enable them to play brass instruments, DJ Robot has no special abilities other than the ability to rap, a skill that earned it a role as the group's MC. (Despite what the name "DJ" might imply, the robot has no turntable skills.)" – Toyota 'DJ Robot' quits band, becomes receptionist, Pink Tentacle, August 2007.