#but I had to reply bc I need James to interact with everyone

[nataliesfirefly]

You and I Walk a Fragile Line - Farleigh Start x F!Reader - Part 4

a/n: hey everyone! i know it's been a while but the next part is finally here! not sure how many parts i want this to be bc i dont want to fill up the tag, still waiting to make an ao3 account haha- but anyways im getting a taglist started just of people who have shown interest in this series, if i put you on it and you don't want to be on it just let me know. and ofc if u want to be on it lmk! i also made a playlist if anyone wants to check that out :))

playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/60Kll9HCoQru14J18bT21C

series masterlist

word count: 3.9k

warnings: language, suggestive stuff?, alcohol, smoking, emetophobia

Things are extremely awkward with Felix. He’s too nice to kick you out of Saltburn, yet he’s too prideful to apologize, so you two are stuck dancing around each other with small talk and short interactions.

Things with Farleigh, on the other hand, are surprisingly good. You never would have expected how close you two became in the past few days. In fact, you can’t remember the last time he insulted you, at least not in a playful way. You must have bonded over your shared dislike for Felix at the moment.

But for some reason, you worry if you get too close, he might push you away.

Tonight was dinner with all of Sir James’s friends, and as the Cattons tend to call them, the Henry’s. The actual dinner was full of awkward conversations with people much older than you about the future of your life and what you were going to do after graduating college. You actually had no idea what your plan was or what you wanted to do with your life. You used to push all the questions away and blamed it on the fact that graduation was pretty far away. It only recently dawned on you that you would be graduating in about two years. 

After dinner, you sit in the dimly lit living room with Farleigh on the couch as everyone else participates in karaoke. You and Farleigh snicker at some of the guests’ performances, whispering things to each other as if you are judges of some competition.

Eventually, Farleigh sighs and stands to his feet. “I’m going to go smoke,” He tells you, putting his hands in his pockets. He turns and looks at you expectantly. You take it as his way of asking you to come with him, so you stand up and snatch the bottle of wine you were drinking off the coffee table.

You follow him up the stairs, down the long, dark hall and eventually into his bedroom. He shuts the door behind you and draws out the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lights one. “At least open the window,” You walk over to the window and open it to let the smoke out.

“Oh, right. Cause you hate the smell so much.” He rolls his eyes at you as he exhales some smoke. “Weren’t you the one that asked me for one of these the other day?” He points the cigarette at you and you glance down shamefully.

“Yeah. I wasn’t at my best, okay?” You shake your head and slump down to the floor, leaning against the wall and stretching your legs out.

“Okay, sure, miss goody two shoes.” He chuckles and sits down next to you. You take a swig from the wine bottle and sigh, leaning your head back.

“So, Felix…” Farleigh trails off and looks over to you. You continue staring up at the ceiling. “Can we not talk about Felix right now,” You reply, closing your eyes. “We need to,” He says, nudging you.

“What is there to talk about?” You ask, turning to meet Farleigh’s gaze. He presses the cigarette to his lips and inhales. “You said it yourself, that he only hangs out with me out of pity.” 

As he breathes out, the smoke passes over your face but you don’t care. “And what’s your problem with him? It seems like you’ve been waiting for someone to turn on him so you could join in,” You continue, and his eyes tell you that you’ve just read him like a book.

He quickly recovers and remains expressionless. “You’re projecting,” Farleigh responds. “Then why have you been so nice to me?” You ask.

The room goes silent and you are stuck in a moment where time doesn’t pass, it’s just you and Farleigh. His usual cold and dark gaze is replaced by something softer, warmer. Something in the air shifts and you can feel some kind of tension rising.

But then he looks away, breaking eye contact. “Because Felix is just stupid sometimes,” He finally replies, nodding toward the bottle of wine you are holding. You hand it to him and your fingers brush against his.

He takes a drink. “I don’t think he ever had bad intentions. He’s just an idiot,” You consider this. Maybe he’s just extremely out of touch with reality like the rest of the Cattons.

There’s a pause as you think of something to change the subject to.

“So… How about that Sadie girl?” You ask, turning to him with a grin. He gives the wine back to you and you take a quick swig.

Elspeth is, for some reason, attempting to set Farleigh up with a daughter of one of James’s friends. Her name is Sadie, and she is very pretentious and fake, from what you can tell. You hadn’t spoken to her, but you watched from afar as she and Farleigh engaged in a conversation.

“She’s alright,” He shrugs and stands up to press the cigarette out on his ashtray. He sits back down next to you and sighs.

“She was like, hardcore flirting with you,” You chuckle and observe his exasperated expression. “Oh, I know.” He smirks smugly and you roll your eyes.

“That’s weird, usually you hook up with someone the moment they show interest in you,” You smile at the way he frowns slightly. “That’s not true,” He furrows his eyebrows and glances at you. “Okayyy,” You say sarcastically.

A while later, you are still upstairs with Farleigh, but you are now feeling the effects of all the alcohol you’ve consumed. You both had gone downstairs to steal more booze, and you ended up drinking almost all of it. Your whole body feels tingly and warm, and your brain is fuzzy.

You run a hand through your tousled hair and sigh, turning to check if Farleigh is as wasted as you. He seems slightly better off than you, but his dark eyes are half lidded and glossy.

“Do you ever miss Sasha?” He glances at you, seeming surprised at your random question. Sasha is Farleigh’s ex from Oxford, who he had endured a tumultuous and rollercoaster ride of a relationship with. You had met her once or twice, she seemed kind, but slightly possessive.

“Sasha?” Farleigh repeats her name and takes a moment to process it. It seems like memories are returning to him and replaying in his head.

“Sometimes. But not really. She was crazy,” He raised his eyebrows and stared straight ahead. “You guys broke up and got back together, like, ten times,” You giggle foolishly and he turns to look at you, slightly offended by your amusement.

“It was too hard to keep up with,” You sigh after your laughter subsides. 

“I didn’t know you were keeping up,” You make eye contact once again with Farleigh, and this time his gaze is more intense. You can’t tell if it’s one of his usual sarcastic comments or if there was an underlying meaning behind his tone. Your face burns red with the realization that you had been studying his relationship so closely. But, really, everyone in your friend group knew about Sasha and Farleigh’s dumpsterfire of a romance. Break up, random hook ups, they said they love each other, then they argued again.

“It’s just.. what friends do,” You reply, your speech slurred. “Friends keep up with each other’s relationships.” You shrug and wave your hand as if to dismiss the seriousness of it.

“You consider me a friend?” Farleigh chuckles, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Well, what if I do?” Your voice comes out softer than you intended. 

There’s another long moment of silence and prolonged eye contact between you two. The tension is so thick, you can feel it in the air and your heart pounds. It’s almost like you are waiting for who will make the next move. Your brain is all muddled and you can’t seem to think clearly.

Your eyes flicker down to his plush lips and you can’t tell if it’s the alcohol or not, but your instinct is to kiss him. You grab him by the face, a hand on either cheek, and pull him in, smashing your lips together sloppily. You pull away, shocked at yourself, dropping your hands into your lap as your lips hover over his.

You expect him to be disgusted and stand up and walk away, but there’s a slight pause before he is grabbing you and pulling you back in, kissing you almost aggressively. Like he’s been starved, like there’s not enough of you.

You squeak with surprise before you melt into him, softening as one of his hands travels down to your neck and the other settles on your waist. You both have to gasp for air in between sloppy kisses, but you don’t mind. Your heart races and your hands travel up into his hair, running your hands through his unruly dark curls. You find that you’ve been waiting so long to do that, to feel his hair in your hands.

He bites your lower lip and your eyebrows pinch together. “Sorry,” He mumbles, although his voice disappears into your mouth. You feel yourself losing balance and beginning to fall back onto the floor.

Before you know it, he’s on top of you, refusing to stop kissing you. It’s messy and you know you’re both drunk, but damn does it feel good. The tension feels like it’s being lifted off of you, and it’s relieving. You don’t know how long it will last but hell, you’re enjoying it. Both of his hands have moved to your hips and his fingers are pressing into you.

You feel his lips move from yours, moving down from your jaw to your neck. He’s kissing and sucking on your skin so passionately that you know you will have bruises tomorrow. You moan quietly and you hear him groan in response, his low voice vibrating against your neck.

You attempt to catch your breath as you suddenly feel something in your stomach, something unpleasant. Saliva begins to build in your mouth and it’s like you have an internal clock telling you how much time you have left before you absolutely hurl.

“Far-Farleigh,” You place your hands on his shoulders. You whimper and slightly push up on him. He glances up from your neck, staring up at you in confusion. You can’t deny that you enjoy viewing him from this angle, but you have other concerns at the moment.

“Gonna throw up,” You manage to get out before he’s rolling off of you, allowing you to get up. You clamber to your feet and scramble into the connecting bathroom, barely making it to your knees in front of the toilet before you throw up. 

You grip both sides of the toilet for support as you practically spill your guts, coughing loudly. You would have liked some help or something from Farleigh, but it seems like he has just left you here to deal with it yourself.

You groan and wipe your mouth, sitting up and staring straight ahead in some sort of daze. You eventually come to your senses and stand up, flushing the toilet. You feel dizzy so you grab onto the counter of the sink to not lose balance, catching your reflection in the mirror.

Your hair is very messy, and your mascara is slightly smudged around your eyes. Your cheeks are warm and rosy, but in an unflattering way. You look like a wreck. 

When you walk back into his room, he’s gone. You sigh in frustration and press a hand to your aching and pounding forehead. Somehow, you stumble back to your room and flop onto your bed. You managed to avoid the small number of guests left in the house, along with Venetia and Felix. You just want to get some sleep after the shitshow that just happened. And you know you’ll be paying for it in the morning. 

2 YEARS EARLIER

You, Felix, and some of your other friends were gathered at the pub on a Friday night. There was chatter and the smell of cigarette smoke all around you. Felix returned from the bar and handed you a tall glass of beer.

You were focused on Farleigh and the girl who sat on his lap. Her hands were all over him, and he seemed totally enamored with her. She had a short skirt on and her wrists were covered in bracelets. She was pretty, you had to admit.

“Who’s that?” You asked, glancing up at Felix and pointing to the two. “Oh, that’s Sasha.” He replied. “She’s obsessed with Farleigh. And from what I can tell,” Felix sat down, pulling his chair closer to yours, “He’s liking it.”

You chuckled and took a sip of your beer. “Good for him,” You said, shrugging. “Bet they’ve already fucked,” Felix remarked and you snapped your head towards him. “Ew, Felix. That’s none of your business.” You made a disgusted expression.

“What? Everybody shags around here, it’s no surprise,” He shrugged nonchalantly. “Except you,” He added, grinning and nudging you. You rolled your eyes and looked back towards Sasha and Farleigh.

You didn’t want to imagine them… doing that. But for some reason, your mind kept trying to paint a picture of it. You shook your head to clear your thoughts. 

You didn’t know why, but for some reason, you felt jealousy bubbling up inside of you. Why was it so easy for her to get what she wanted? You had liked a few men at Oxford, but you didn’t really even want a boyfriend or a commitment like that.

But as you watched Farleigh and Sasha’s hands intertwine, you felt envious.

“Hey, Felix, who was that guy you were going to introduce me to?” You asked, tapping your fingers against the table. “What? Oh, Joshua? I thought you said you didn’t want to meet him,” He replied. Felix was trying to set you up with one of his friends who seemed like a player. At this point, you didn’t care. It was like you were trying to prove that you could actually get a guy. Prove to who, though?

“I know. I changed my mind,” You said decidedly. “Well, he’s actually here tonight. Would you like me to go grab him?” Felix stood up and pointed towards the other side of the pub. You nodded. “Sure,”

You waited patiently and took a few swigs of beer for confidence. A minute later, Felix returned with a man who was a few inches shorter than him, with fluffy blonde hair and hazel eyes. Freckles were dusted across his nose and his skin was nicely tanned due to the warmer weather of spring. He looked sweet and innocent, but the rumors you had heard about him told you otherwise.

“Hello,” He greeted you, holding out his hand. You stood up to shake his hand, smiling as you introduced yourself. “Nice to meet you, I’m Joshua.” He grinned brightly and Felix seemed amused by the interaction.

“Hi, Joshua.” You tried to make a good first impression, although you weren’t good at this stuff. But it seemed like he was already interested, looking you up and down.

You both sat back down and began small talk about classes and life and friends. Felix left you two alone, but you’re not sure where he went. It was good, talking to someone new, but still a bit uncomfortable since you were so introverted. The conversation flowed nicely between the both of you.

You couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching you. You glanced up, seeing Farleigh’s cold gaze drilling into yours, flicking back and forth between you and Joshua. It was like he was waiting to see who would break eye contact first, and of course, it was you. Your gaze faltered down to the table and then back up to Joshua.

“You alright, love?” He asked, placing a hand on your thigh. You nodded and your face turned a shade of pink with embarrassment. “Sorry. Just thinking,”

“Hey, what do you say when we go back to my dorm? To just chill, relax, you know.” He tilted his head and you could already tell what he was implying. “Uh- Sure, yeah. Let’s go,” You smiled and stood up, grabbing your bag and walking past him toward the doors. He placed a hand on your lower back as you stepped by him.

You woke up the next morning unsure of where you were before memories of the night before came back to you. You were in Joshua’s bed, tangled up in the sheets, with your clothes off and scattered on the floor.

Your eyes widened as you realized you had lost your virginity to Joshua Brown. You sat up and scratched your head, not sure what to do next.

“Oh my God…” You whispered, looking down at Joshua, who was sleeping on his stomach, his face pressed against the pillow. It didn’t look like he was waking up anytime soon.

You stood up and winced as you realized you were a bit sore. You tried to be as quiet as possible as you picked your clothes up off the floor, hurriedly putting them back on.

Joshua stirred in his sleep and groaned, rolling over. You grimaced as you took your bag off of his desk chair, tip toeing to the door and opening it slowly.

You sighed with relief once you had closed his door behind you and you were safely out in the hallway. You know you probably looked like a wreck, but your main goal at the moment was to get back to your own dorm going unnoticed.

You heard your name being called, fairly close to you. You froze before turning to identify where it came from, and you swear your heart dropped to your ass. Farleigh was standing in the doorway of his room, which was conveniently right next door to Joshua’s, smirking at your frazzled state.

“You should work on keeping it down. I couldn’t sleep last night because I kept hearing you and Joshua.” He chuckled and you could feel your face heating up.

“Sorry,” You muttered, casting your glance downwards to the floor. 

“You finally got some after all,” He teased. “Can you shut up?” You groaned, facepalming and shaking your head. “Oh, I will if you can figure out how to,” He raised his eyebrows. “Was it really that good?” He questioned.

You considered the question. You didn’t really know if it was or not, you were just trying to be loud because you thought guys liked that. Were you satisfied by the end? No. But Joshua certainly was.

He seemed to notice your puzzled expression and he nodded. “Oh. So the rumors are true about him.” You tilted your head with curiosity. “What rumors?” You asked.

“Oh, you poor thing.” He cooed sarcastically. You narrowed your eyes at him and crossed your arms. “Well, you’d better get back to your place so you can study,” Farleigh mocked. “Make up for that time you lost last night, huh?”

“Can you just not tell anyone? Please?” You knew it was useless asking him not to tell. He had the biggest mouth in the whole class. He just snickered at your pleading and stepped back into his room and shut his door.

That night you hung out with Joshua in his dorm once more, but you told him you didn’t want to have sex again. He respected your decision, so you were just drinking some alcohol with him and making out occasionally.

“Yeah, I don’t really know what I’m going to do with an English degree. I just had to pick something.” He shrugged. You were talking about your futures after Oxford and what you were both majoring in.

“Hm. Well, there’s a lot you could do,” You replied, trying to reassure him, although you weren’t too sure yourself. “You could be-” Your sentence is cut short by a loud moan coming from the room next to you.

“Ah, shit. It’s Farleigh and Sasha again,” Joshua shook his head like it was a regular occurence. “They’re usually at it for a while,” He informed you. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”

Some odd, depraved part of you wanted to stay and listen. “No, that’s alright.” You shrugged. “Surely it can’t be that bad.”

The walls seemed paper thin. You swear you could hear every little noise, like the bed springs squeaking and the wanton sounds that came from Sasha. But then you heard something different. It was Farleigh, whimpering and moaning in a way that you couldn’t even believe what you were hearing. You didn’t know men could make sounds other than grunting during sex, let alone sounds like that.

“Oh fuck,” You heard him breathe heavily and Sasha was practically screaming at this point. 

“Damn. They’re really getting into it,” You whistled and raised your eyebrows. Joshua nodded. “I wish I was as good as people say he is,” Joshua looked down. “What?” You asked as you tried to ignore the continuous noises. He was really telling you to be quieter earlier today?

“Farleigh. People say he’s really good in bed,” Joshua explained. You were surprised that he was okay with discussing this with you. “Oh.” You chuckled nervously. You didn’t expect that, but for some reason it made sense. “Was I bad?” Joshua asked suddenly.

You froze at his question and wondered if you should tell him the truth. “I mean… I don’t really… know the difference, you know? It was my first time, remember?” You told him. He nodded but you could tell he seemed hurt and defeated.

“Right,” He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and you leaned back in your chair. You could say this was one of the most embarrassing moments of your life, having to listen to Farleigh fuck some girl while having an awkward conversation with the man you had a one night stand with.

The next day around noon, you were walking to a café near campus when you saw Farleigh walking ahead of you on the sidewalk of the cobblestone streets.

An idea popped into your head and you smiled mischievously, jogging to catch up with him. When you appeared at his side, he glanced down and made a face.

“Are you following me?” He asked, glaring at you as you fell into step next to him. “No. I just had a complaint,” You tried to hide the smile threatening your face. “What’s that?” He quirked an eyebrow.

“Me and Joshua were trying to have a nice conversation last night,” You started, and his playful expression immediately dropped. “Maybe try to keep it down next time, right?” You grinned and he stopped in his tracks.

“You were there last night?” He seemed annoyed and a little bit shocked. “Yeah.” You nodded and stopped next to him. “I mean, I couldn’t even hear my own thoughts,” You laughed to yourself and he narrowed his dark eyes at you.

“And it wasn’t even Sasha as much as it was you–” “Keep your mouth shut,” He ordered, and you knew you got a rise out of him. “Practice what you preach, that’s all I’m saying,” You waved and skipped along the sidewalk, leaving him standing there in shock.

taglist: @isla-finke-blog @ibimbogrl @drunkmysticsquirrel @alonia-olivia @novemilady @saltburnsworld

[seokjinsonlyone]

Hiya! I found your tumblr bcuz of an mtl I found you had written! Would you take requests for mtls bcuz I have one lol? Most to least likely in bts to be an overprotective boyfriend?

HEY GIRLY HOPEFULLY MY RESPONSE DIDNT TAKE TOO LONG!!! it’s a struggle to put all my thoughts into words most times but yeah u can always send these in!! i like to think about these things!!!

now when you say overprotective i’m thinking in like a possessive machismo kind of way but also in a wants to shield you from the world type of way so

tae: 1/2 of the hard no for the perilla leaf debate and that tells me that if you with this man he gon be observing you and your interactions with others closely like you can’t be just acting any kind of way and doing any kind of thing 😭 he just not having it at all like he knows he don’t own you but at the same time you’re HIS and he just has a lot of thoughts on what’s best for you bc that’s all he wants fr and he’s sorry if he’s overbearing about it sometimes but anyway yeah unless u just like crazy ultra submissive expect a decent amount of “light fights” in your future 💀

jk: i literally just came across one of his replies from ig and the army was like “i was sad but you came so i’m better” and he was like “who made you sad? 🤨 HUH?! BRING THEM HERE” and that just tell me everything i needed to know fr. also 2/2 of the hard no for the perilla leaf debate like if you rolling wit him he just got to keep you close like don’t go too far or do too much

joon: i don’t know if you’ve seen extraordinary attorney woo but if you have he’s the type you gotta “woah woah” pretty frequently bc one thing bout joon is he gon take care of it like i just think about how he is the number 1 army defender like every time someone say sumn off about us he like 🤨🤚 hold awn now especially that whole james cordon situation like i won’t even up in arms but the way he stuck up for us was so hot so he just really not gon let anyone pull up on you any kind of way in fact he gon go out of his way to make sure no one does ur his queen nd will be treated as such

jimin: this the same man that pop up every couple weeks just to tell us to dress warmly and not to catch a cold so there’s definitely a measure of protectiveness there but overly? not necessarily mostly bc he makes it so hard for you to focus on anything but him like in a room full of people everyone could be looking at you but you’re only looking at him so why should he worry? however there are times when people try things that make him :\ or when he projects his own insecurities onto you or the people around you and in those cases he do be acting up so there’s that

hobi: physically i think he wants to put you in a bubble like if he could just trap you in one and lock you in a room to make sure you’re in top condition at all times he would do that like he’s definitely the type to come over with three different medicines and some soup if u said your throat was a little sore or if you had a sneeze but when it comes to other people? tbh if u going for a night out with the girls he’s probably helping u pick out your outfit and he’s photographing you before you leave his only problem is that he’s only getting a glimpse of you for the night and when you get back you’re probably gonna be too trashed for him to fully enjoy you like he believes in you and the relationship y’all have built together for sure

yoongi: he has a couple of hard no’s on things he thinks should or shouldn’t be done things that bother him for whatever reason but really that’s it like he don’t sweat the little stuff he knows you he trusts you so it’s cool not afraid to pop off on someone else if they being real persistent tho

jin: mr worldwide handsome is not finna be policing u at all if you not with him he is somewhere playing games like what reason do he have to be all over you? you have been specially chosen to be with the only 10 in a world full of 8 and belows like if u mess around that’s on you 😹 and he not getting with anyone who ain’t got common sense like he’s just real confident that you’re a strong independent woman who knows where home is

[dani-escribe]

A Place To Call Home

Chapter 1 

Pairing: Marcus Pike x F! Reader 

Wordcount: 1,594 

Summary:  Who would have known that a day at the art museum could lead to meeting an extremely handsome FBI Agent ;)

Warnings:  An incredible amount of fluff (seriously, like cotton candy level). SLOW BURN (buckle up for the ride!). Reader is a pediatric nurse, so a few mentions of kids and medical procedures in later chapters. 

A/N:  Thanks so much for reading and I really hope you like it! This is my comeback into writing and I am honestly so excited to keep writing this series. After watching the Mentalist and seeing how it ended I wanted to give our precious Marcus a happy ending (this is totally self-indulgent bc why not!). I want to thank @lowlights @fastandfeminist @wbl75 for being my beta readers and for all of their support. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! :) 

Read here on ao3 

You didn't know what possessed you to go visit the art museum on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, but you’re sure glad you went. You hadn't really had time to go to many museums in the last couple of years and wanted to really take in the experience. You’d been walking around looking at all of the intricate paintings and reading the descriptions of each one to try to understand what they were about when you saw a man that fit right in with the artwork. His pensive stance and deep brown eyes drew you in right away. 

He was reading the description of the painting in front of him. He let out a short stifled laugh as if he knew something more about the painting that wasn't included in the description. The grey suit and black tie he was wearing made you wonder if he might be here on a date with someone or if he worked here. You were truly hoping that it was the latter of the two.

 When you noticed that you had been staring at him for a creepy amount of time, you started to turn away, and in that exact moment he seemed to catch your eye. The way that he smiled made it seem like the world stopped for a short second. Before your flirty gaze turned into an awkward stare, you gave him a smile back and retreated to look at other artwork. 

Walking around the other exhibits and looking at the sculptures and canvases from different time periods you began to think about all the wonders that you missed moving around as a kid. Your parents were teachers/potters and their jobs came with the occasional relocation to different places. They said that while teaching was their passion, ceramics had been their first true love. This meant that while you were usually in a stable place for a few years, during summer you and your sibling moved around with them to sell their art in different fairs. While you had seen and sold a lot of different types of art over the years, you never really had much time to appreciate it. 

Your parents had been incredible in providing for you, and had only moved to ensure you had the best opportunities; but you always wondered about the experiences that you missed while being in a hurry to assimilate for half of your life. You knew that their teaching jobs didn't pay much, and that they used the money they got from their art to help cover the bills. This is why you had decided to move close to your family after starting a job at a local hospital in order to find a permanent place for yourself, a place that you could call home. 

After making sure to see all of the exhibits at least once, you walked out of the museum with a sense of satisfaction: one, because you felt like you were catching up on lost time, and two, because of the interaction that you had had with a handsome stranger. 

One of the best things was that the drive back to your new apartment from the museum, and pretty much everything else, was only about 5 minutes (10 if you counted traffic during rush hour). This also meant that everything was within walkable distance, which was also good because you sure as hell needed to start buying some supplies if you were going to clean up the pile of unpacked boxes at your new apartment. 

As the night went on you were able to get most of your unpacking done, and you thought back to the stranger with those big brown eyes and gorgeous smile. He had a kind smile, one that made you feel like you could trust him, which was rare in a man you had just met. God, not only that but the suit that he had on made him seem like he was straight out of a James Bond movie. While putting away the last of your clothing, the blue scrubs that you had bought for your new job fell from the pile that you were carrying. This was enough to snap you out of your train of thought. You really needed to focus on thinking about that instead of daydreaming about a person you haven't even talked to, even if he had some of the cutest dimples you had seen. After trying to get him out of your thoughts unsuccessfully, you figured that it was either stressing about your new job or thinking about him. Ultimately you decided that a little daydreaming couldn't hurt too much. You wondered if you would ever see him again, and hoped that by some twist of fate you would. 

--- 

With your job starting today you figured it would be a sign of good comradery to bring your new coworkers some coffee from the cute diner down the street. Also, you found social interactions to be quite tricky at first and an ice breaker couldn't seem to hurt. Plus who doesn't like free breakfast, especially on a Monday morning right? 

As you got dressed in your blue scrubs you headed for the door a whole hour early to avoid being late and to try to make a good impression. Making sure to note as you entered the diner to grab some scones or muffins for those who don’t like coffee, you accidentally stumbled into the man exiting with his coffee. The splash drenched his tie and shirt, only leaving his pants unscathed. Starting to profusely apologize and grabbing a handful of napkins to clean up the mess, you almost missed the fact that the brown eyes that were looking at you right now were the same ones that had held your gaze in the museum. 

“I am so sorry, I can totally pay for your dry cleaning,” you gasped, both out of embarrassment and amazement that you were seeing the gorgeous stranger that had plagued your mind for the past couple of days. 

“No worries at all. I actually needed an excuse to get out of wearing this tie that I got as a gift last year, so to think of it you really saved me,” he let out a chuckle. Now that you're looking at it, it is a very… bold choice of clothing. It was a striped neon tie with pink and orange interchanging lines. 

“I got it as an office exchange party gift and now have the perfect excuse to change out of it.” Those killer dimples were showing along with the smile he gave you that helped to put you at ease. 

“Well at least let me replace your coffee,” you said with a laugh at his honesty. 

You went back inside to pay for his and your coffee orders and got to talking a bit before your orders were out. 

“So what brings you around here, besides the coffee of course. I haven't really seen you here before,” he stated as he moved slightly closer to hear your answer over the clinking of cutlery and dishes. 

“Oh I actually just moved near here. I’m starting today at the nearby hospital as a pediatric nurse. ” His proximity made you suddenly aware of how tall he was. He had at least a few good inches on you, and he leaned in to listen when you spoke. This didn’t help with your already flustered state to say the least. 

“That sounds really exciting, congrats! The closest I get with kids at my job is the ones on an oil painting,” his eyes crinkled a bit as he laughed. 

“Yeah, I totally understand. Little kids are such a wonder but working with them is not for everyone,” you chimed in with a bit of a laugh “Are you a curator then, is that why you were at the museum the other day?” You asked with a hope that he hadn't been there with anyone as a date. 

“Oh no, I actually work with the FBI. I’m in the art crimes division. I was doing research on a new case which is why I was down in the museum. Some inspiration never hurts.” Now it was your turn to be amazed. You didn’t actually think he would be an agent like James Bond, but you weren’t complaining. 

“I guess it doesn't hurt that it's really close to here too huh.” You added noting that it was a bit serendipitous to have met him twice in a few days within the same five mile radius. 

Just as you were about to say something else your name was called and your orders came out. When you were about to turn to leave he called to you. 

“I never did get your name,” he noted before heading out. 

You told him your name and he repeated it in a way that made it seem like he was trying it out. 

“And I feel like the least I can do is learn the name of the person who I so viciously attacked with a coffee cup.” You stated as you gave him a sheepish smile.  

He let out a short laugh and replied, “The name of the person who you saved from having to continue wearing a highlighter tie is Marcus.” You shook your head at his joke and turned to leave. 

As you grabbed the door handle you took one last look back and said “hope to see you around, Marcus.” You waved and parted ways to head in for your first day of work.

[evandearest]

aww i’m so happy to hear you like the ideas! <3 i base many off decade old oc’s or old writing prompts xD yes, i think there’s something so beautiful in empowering innocence, which the reader could portray. for example, the color white can be both pure but represent an never-ending unfulfilled void - like she [reader character], although ethereal in some qualities, is decidedly devilish in others (represents a void of a conscious, which is just like james, &

(replying to this in parts)

imo would even freak him out seeing someone outsmarted him at his own game, though through innocence and religion); and that the dark can be terrifying but also the complete absorption of visible light- purity, clarity in itself, and aims at disasembling “the evil” in the world (maybe for her), which is rooted in the pursuit of the ultimate love (pursuit of going back to a sort of “garden of eden” where nothing could ever go wrong). i see [reader character] as someone who would be comfortable just being james princess, but could unknowingly push herself over the countess as queen if she wanted to through this pure, but unconscious void in her conscious. (Midsommar May queen inspiration there~)

omg this concept is genius! this would for real be such an interesting thing to see play out, and to see the power behind innocence! also the fine line between what seems innocent, what is innocent, and what is “evil” is so interesting. there is so much depth there!

i have absolute confidence that you’ll be able to write up something amazing, regardless of how long it takes! don’t ever pressure or rush yourself babe! self-care and living life is the most important, but its my wishes that if you ever need a little alone time or break from school/work, you can have something creative like these ideas, to work with, back here! i would love to see this idea come to life one day, and you’re defo the best writer in tumblrtown hehe :)

thank you so much for saying this. seriously. often times it feels like i’m in a rush with my writing, which is part of the reason that i stopped as it was becoming less enjoyable and more of a chore, which i definitely don’t want to happen, as it is one of my biggest passions. thank you for being so flexible. 🤍

also another message to let you know you aren’t alone in terms of feeling like you had a couple down days/ dark phase mentally and emotionally. 2020 or late 2019 came and, i too had my dark times mentally which exhausted me physically. and im so so happy to hear you feel like you’re starting down the road to love, as love is the best thing there is! i hope u decide to give it a chance, even if it seems daunting in any way or for whatever reason. <3

if anything, i wanted to extend love in this message, as a warm hug, or a hand to hold in times of need, or just a pillar of support for a little while. i know dark times are never fun (they seem so out of the blue too), but they’re also a great opportunity to grow after the storm has passed. if you want just an ear, or advice, or a place to rant, i will always try my best to support, promise! bc you deserve the best love- the type of love you always try to extend to others, creatively in your writing, or just in everyday real life interactions.

unfortunately there are so many that have had dark times during this pandemic. i feel that the world has been in such a state of anxiety that has pushed many to their limits. i just pray that we can all make it out stronger. and i completely agree with you on that note! i’ve grown so much as a person in the last six months, let alone year. it’s been a journey and i feel stronger and more determined every day. i just hope that you are feeling the same! your love has really hit home for me. this message was recieved at perfect timing and i just want to send the love back your way, as you are so incredibly helping me. thank you again.

don’t forget about that little light within, to nurture it, and never stop shining it for anyone or thing. bc in the end we aren’t our minds, but the thing behind it, we r that lil light. i fully 110% support you so much in focusing on yourself and striving to better you FOR YOU, step by step, because everyone is on that journey in one way or another. it’s healthy always to be a little inactive ;) ~ and you’re living life to the fullest, you gorgeous soul!! you are not alone, and don’t apologize for taking up space and time!! you are worthy beautiful. so, so worthy! sending you so much love and light this winter season! ❤️👼🏼🍪☁️🌟 (i am gravely sorry for my amount of spam. i like, dont know how to send msgs with no word limit on tumblr!! )😂😅

don’t apologize for the spam! this message was so beautiful and sweet that i just wanna find you and give you a big big hug! 😂♥️ seriously though, thanks darling. you have no idea how grounded this makes me feel. the connection we receive with others in life is truly the best thing, and finding another soul that is kindred with yours is truly incredible! i completely agree with everything you said. we are all on our own journeys, all growing and learning together, although a lot of us need to learn to appreciate that and one another. thank you for the validation. always message me if you want to share anything at all! these messages were so thoughtful and wonderful! sending you peace and love 😌 i wish you a happy holidays if you celebrate, and if not (and regardless) i wish you to be happy everyday! you truly are such a kind and beautiful soul! stay creative darling 🤍🌙

[jjpmoans]

50 Questions Tag

Tagged by @prettywordsyouleft and @itsallabigmess bcs these two unnies really love me

1. What takes too much of your time?

Social media (yes that includes tumblr)

2. What makes your day better?

These days, Jinyoung. Lol okay so I am a very talkative one. So yeah, talking to someone will immediately makes me feel less stressful.

3. What’s the best thing that happened to you today?

Just now @itsallabigmess made an exception for me to write a GOT7 fic asdfghjkl I FEEL A LITTLE TOO OVER HAPPY

4. What fictional place would you like to go to?

I think almost all my friend would have guess this. Hogwarts. Because the food there seems to be endless and really, I’d love to try eating both drumsticks in my hand and I want to put an incantation to whoever tries to hold me from eating.

5. Are you good at giving advice?

Well, I think I am. Judging from how my whole family turned to me when they wanted to share their problems. Also when I gave advises, I always stresses this one thing “Listen to understand, don’t listen to reply” and that implies to me too. And honestly, I listen too much and sometimes when people just don’t want to change, I feel really annoyed BECAUSE WHAT IS THE POINT YOU WANTED MY ADVISE???? Okay I think I’m good. hahahhahhaha

6. Do you have any mental illness?

Horny 24/7 is that a mental illness? lmao no I’m not that bad but I think I need to get married. NOW.

7. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

Not yet. In my country, people describe sleep paralysis as you got crushed by some spirit (ghost to be exact) and yes it is scary and I hope I would never experience it.

8. What musician inspired you the most?

I’ve been thinking a lot and though I really want to say GOT7, I’d say EXO. Partly because I was there since early times, but also, the amount of success and loyalties they have received are really unbelievable. The secret of EXO’s and BTS’s popularity which leads them to win daesang in every award is their fans. And I really hope ahgase can be like them. I’d be lying if I say our fandom is really hardworking when it comes to award season. I’ve seen my friend bullshitting EXO and BTS bcs whenever any of them is nominated in the same award of GOT7, automatically, GOT7 will lose. And no joke, army and exol are really monsters during award season. And I hope us ahgase can be like that too. I know got7 said they didn’t mind but Jinyoung once said that he want to know how those groups can win daesang easily and he thought got7 need to work harder. smh I’m emo. sorry this got longer than it should. 

9. Have you ever fallen in love?

I do. Hahahahhahaha yes I do. 

10. What’s your dream date?

Well for me, just talking with each other is a date. I love to know small details because when I love someone, I just want to know everything about him. But okay a dream date? Amusement park. Yes you need to know which ride makes me scream like a girl and which makes me scream like a mad woman.

11. What do others notice about you?

I’m very talkative (that really shows lol). And I don’t know how to refuse when someone ask for a help or anything. I always tell myself to treat people the way I want to be treated. 

And they said I’m too nice. Yeah I figured that too hahahahhaa

12. What is an annoying habit you have?

Refuse to listen when I’m angry. I feel annoyed because I know I’m wrong but I’m angry but I don’t want to hurt people. So I’ll say “Sorry, I’m very angry now but I know I’m wrong. Just, I’ll be okay later so we’ll talk later”

13. Do you still talk to your first love?

Yes and no. Our last conversation was he wanted to meet me. But ever since then, no other conversation.

14. How many ex’s do you have?

Can’t relate lol

15. How many songs are in your playlist?

Here’s the thing. I have a lot of playlists. Phone playlist, laptop playlist, joox playlist and youtube playlist. So I don’t know how many of them.

16. What instruments can you play?

Non existent.

17. Who do you have the most pictures of?

My phone? Now? Jinyoung smh this is all Tumblr’s fault lol. 

18. Where would you like to go before you die?

Mecca. I’d like to die there if I can.

19. What is your zodiac?

Virgo. And please, someone, please help me calculate whatever thing it was (sun sign, moon sign and all) I never knew those things and it irks me when I don’t know it hahahahhaaa

20. Do you relate to it?

Well I did some research here, Virgo firstly is a virgin and yes I am. It says that virgo is very supportive of people in their lives and even strangers, that is me. I’m a critical thinker bcs I personally hate when something goes wrong. but lol hardworking, artists and remembers everything? Not even close. I’m a lazy ass, I draw a cow but it turned into a pig and I am hopeless with my memory.

But one Virgo thing about me, yes I am an overthinker hahahahhaa

21. What is happiness to you?

When my family reunited.

22. Are you going through anything right now?

Family problem. Mom just got heart attack, dad married another woman, brother on crisis with mom, sister just stabbed my back, aunt made everything worse. It’s been three months into 2019, every week, another family problem popped up. But we are trying, I tried to fix everything, another role which the smallest child has to take upon responsibility but I’m fine. Just, tiring.

23. What’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?

applied for the wrong scholarship and wasted an opportunity to fly to New Zealand for study.

24. What’s your favourite store?

Food stores. Any of them. ARE MY FAVOURITE ahhahahhaha

25. What’s your opinion on abortion?

Because I’m a muslim, I am against abortion. Here, in my country, abortion is done because it was done out of wedlock and they feel embarrassed. So, it irks me bcs if you can think to have sex, you can’t think that there is possibilities that you can get pregnant? And to kill your child bcs you wanted to cover it, is unacceptable. But again, it is personal choice. 

26. Do you keep a bucket list?

I have a few but not enough to be a bucket. 

27. Do you have a favourite album?

Honestly, if favourite means I have listened to all songs in that album, it’s EXO The War album. 

28. What do you want for your birthday?

A freaking big plushie. I love to hug big plushies. But no one ever wanted to give me that for my birthday. And now, I’ve been searching for a big squirtle plushie or snorlax plushie (yes jackson and jaebum)

29. What are most people’s first impression of you?

okay this one lol they said I look scary and they thought I’d be the grumpy one. Well, if you meet me when I’m hungry, I have the tendency to be one.

30. What age do you seem according to most people?

I don’t know anymore. An aunt asked me “Are you the one who got married?” when it was my sister smh 

31. Where do you keep your phone while you’re sleeping?

next to my pillow bcs I need to charge it.

32. what word do you say the most?

me? I say “shit” a lot lol

33. What’s the oldest age you would date?

well I would say I definitely date anyone as long as they are not the same age with my dad.

34. What’s the youngest age you would date?

idk I never thought on dating a younger one. But if I do, maybe 4 years younger bcs damn, if I make it 10 years, my date would be 12 when me here is 22.

35. What job/career do most people say would suit you?

something which requires me to talk a lot. 

36. What’s your favourite music genre?

K-Pop.

37. If you could live in any country in the world, where would it be?

South Korea. New Zealand. Anywhere but Malaysia lol.

38. What is your current favourite song?

Say you won’t let go - James Arthur

39. How long have you had this blog for?

I had this blog for a few years. But just becoming active just recently hmm I don’t know the exact date. But I know it started after I interacted with @prettywordsyouleft

40. What are you excited for?

Food. and sponsored vacation

41. Are you a better talker or listener?

A better talker. but also a pretty good listener

42. What is the last productive thing you did?

Last sunday, i climbed a 200m hill to get to the view point. It got me panting like a dying cow.

43. What do you want for Christmas?

While I don’t celebrate Christmas, I welcome gifts. Any gifts would be fine lol (make sure its food)

44. What class do you get the best grades in?

High school? Chemistry. College? Mathematic. Now? Nothing hahahahaha

45. On a scale of 1-10, how are you feeling right now?

5 and exhausted but tomorrow? 10 BECAUSE A JINYOUNG IS COMING

46. What can you see yourself doing in 10 years?  

10 years I just hope that I am already working and saving money to go on vacations and can sponsor my family on vacations too.

47. When did you first get your heartbreak?

2009 when I discovered that dad has another wife. I was 12 and just got my exam result but dad wasn’t there. He was never present for any of my achievements in school. Turns out he has another child the same age as me and he puts her before me. Since I was born, I was always put second.

2011 when I liked a guy but he hated me awh teenagers. He said I’m too fat and how dare a fat girl like me tries to like him? He was my first love.

48. At what age do you want to get married?

When I am ready. I have a dream wedding, so I would work hard for it to happen.

49. What career did you want to have as a child?

Idk I always change it lol today i’ll say teacher and next day I’ll say ballerina. Yes I spent my whole school life giving different careers when teachers asked me.

50. What do you crave right now?

Food bcs I’m on diet and hell those food porns are getting on my nerves.

Phew it was a good time answering all these questions and it drains my energy lol. So for this, hmm I don’t know who to tag. But i’ll go with this one @sevenpeaches @riceeater22 @tuanyiems @kpopchangedme @kpopstories @starhibiki @ongsung @sehunsmybae (yes I always saw you) and everyone who want to do this! of course, you are not forced to do this

[dolanswhore]

45. “I should be the only one making you happy.”46. “All I want is to be everything you need.”

45. “I should be the only one making you happy.”46. “All I want is to be everything you need.” I picked e bc I feel like he’d finally have enough and SNAP

To say Ethan had a weird relationship with was an understatement, he didnt even know if it was called a relationship actually all he knew is he couldnt go days without seeing her and when she was around he never felt so complete.

There was problem though, despite the kisses, cuddles and long night buried inside of her none admitted their feelings. The idea of committing, of growing up scared Ethan, but he couldn’t shake the paranoia that ran through his body watching his girl laugh and giggle with another guy.

Yes she was his girl no matter the situation and clearly the guy trying to make a move on her didnt seem know this. Despite not labeling everyone who was relevant around them knew exactly what they were. Ethan finally had enough of torture getting up from his spot on the couch and towards her. James had just bought a new house and to celebrate invites at his closet friends, ethan texted her before asking if she was coming home with him tonight and was happy over the yes ❤ but now it felt different.

“Hey.” Ethan cleared his throat, suddenly growing nervous at the redness of her cheeks from laughter. It didnt seem like she laughed this hard at his jokes? “Hey e.”

“We were wondering if you wanted to come sit with us.” Ethan asked but was soon crush by her reply, “I’ll be over soon E, I’m talking with Tim.” (SO BASIC IDK)

You best believe Ethan sat with a scowl all night, arms crossed over his chest not even trying to interact with anyone finally he had enough and didnt care about this ‘unspoken rule’

“I need to talk to you.” She followed Ethan outside into the warm evening weather of LA with confusion.

“What the hell are you doing? I thought we were ya know, but here you are flirting with him!”

Ethan didnt give her time to talk, “what is so good about him? What do I need to do to be like him? To be everything you need.”

She couldnt help the wide smile that filled her face confusing ethan even more as his hands flare in anger, “WHY ARE YOU SMILING?”

He was so confused and hurt at the moment, hearing his heart beat in his ears waiting to he told he would never be good enough. “I should be the only one making you happy.”

“You are you freaking idiot!” She chuckles wrapping her arms around his neck, and kisses against his jaw, “james is taking to him, he like boys ethan..”

"Oh"

[vio1315]

ALSO 14 BC APPARENTLY I CAN"T READ?? Like that's one of the most interesting ones on the list anD I SKIPPED IT BY ACCIDENT

You are the kindest to me, thank you xD

14. Your OC finds themselves in your universe and you are their only contact. How well do they handle the adjustment and how would you try to help/hinder/contain them?

We go through the main 6 first, as always. And this reply can be extra long now that it’s a separate thing~

Skye would be so confused, but also pretty eager and easy to handle. Like she’d wanna get back home for sure, cuz heck, she has a family that needs her, but along the way of trying to figure out how to return, she’d be learning as much as possible. She’d be a regular wikipedia dweller as soon as I showed it to her. I’m assuming she’d magically be able to speak English, too. She’d think computers were like the most awesome thing ever, and nothing would really top it. I would help by googling solutions to getting her home and also teaching her how to navigate this world. I bet she would enjoy memes, actually. I’d introduce her to microwavable meals and I think this would be another highlight for her. She would love documentaries and probably cry a bit while watching them because they’d remind her a little of home 

Gill would be probably 3x as anxious about things as Skye. He needs to get home like yesterday, and he’s already decided it’s impossible, but that won’t stop him. Despite this, he’s well mannered, and restrains showing any of this. He’d take some pains to learn cultural differences so he could operate better in this world. When he got more comfortable with the assurance that ‘time isn’t passing there, I promise’ he might chill enough to try and learn all the languages at once. Just for funsies. It’s relaxing. He’d probably act more like a grandma on a computer than Skye. Like not being able to nail down which bar is a search bar and which isn’t so well. Won’t stop writing like it’s a personal letter even when I explain it’s more polite not to. He likes googling things, but shies way far away from it when I explain that there’s bad sources, and he ends up being more of a library gremlin. It’s familiar, yet he can also get books shipped there, and heck, how nice. He probably thinks the lack of magic is total bs, but he keeps watching surgical shows. Probably watches the news 3 days straight when he discovers it, and then is quickly done with it and actually bothers with the computer again whenever there’s something current he’s interested in. Takes notes on everything. Thinks all the paper I have lying around is super cool. Eagerly has a special notebook for stuff he wants to tell people when he gets back. I help in the same way I help Skye, just with more reassurance. Oh, I also tell him that white hair is popular and people dye their hair that way (ON PURPOSE EVEN) so everyone will think he looks cool. He’d appreciate that.

Marth is the actual worst about wanting to get back home, and stays focused on it for much longer, even when I keep saying it’s something only I’ll be able to do for him -once I figure out how- 

My poor son is very anxious for most of his stay as he can’t stop worrying about the others, even when told time won’t move there until he gets back. -I would tell none of them that I wrote them, so I can never quite convince him- I would probably sign him up for the nearest horse therapy thing I could get access to, or just horse riding in general, and that would help actually. He could hold my dog the other times, or visit my niece or cousins. This would help. He’s not a nerd like Skye and Gill, so he wouldn’t get too into the computer, though he’d be really blown away by some technology, I think a lot of it would just seem too similar to magic to him. Though he’d lowkey be really excited that he could use it too. He’d probably force me to do responsible things a lot, though. Like ‘Clean your room or I will remove everything from it and put it outside’ and like 

‘we’ve been sitting inside all day while you stare at that thing’ 

‘I’m researching how to get you back’ 

‘no, this sounds too familiar, no. We’re getting food and also going outside’

‘but don’t you want–’ and then I am forcibly removed from my room. 

I would probably help him by lowkey trying to teach him about mental health things, but he’d sabotage this by only being interested in what people he knows could have. I’d also never be able to leave him alone because he would absolutely go out and continue trying to interact with people as if he was back in his universe despite KNOWING BETTER because I TOLD HIM how to interact with them, but he’s a little troll that way and realizes there’s not many consequences. This is also his tactic to get me outside more. He’s troublesome, but also amaze, I have acquired another dad

Kydin would be really lowkey about how panicked he would be, because he always hides this type of crap, but internally, he’d be freaking out hardcore. Out of everyone, he believes me the fastest when I tell him that time won’t matter. And as soon as I explain things to him, he’s immediately turned all the panic into excitement. He’d drag me out and try to make friends despite me being like ‘uhm, you won’t be able to see them again once you go home so making friends is gonna be heartbreaking’ Nah, he doesn’t care. When someone mentions facebook in his friendship questing, I have to show him computers and facebook, and sign him up. He has like 100 friends the next day. He knows gossip about everyone in my neighborhood, and about people I’ve never heard of. He gets into TV hardcore. He particularly likes dramas, soap operas, comedies, and musicals. The comedy one is odd because he doesn’t get half of what’s supposed to be funny, he just likes the atmosphere of them. He stops me from researching a lot to try and get me to watch a movie with him. When I refuse too much he’d go out to a theater. Eventually he’s applying for jobs so he can go places with his friends. He’s basically started a new life within like 3 months. I ask him if he even wants to go home anymore, and he very genuinely and sentimentally tells me that he can’t wait to return home. He knows more celebrity gossip than I’ve known in my whole life. He knows more gossip about me than I know. When he finally does return home, everything in my community is disrupted. Who will they hire as a babysitter? Who will they get advice from for their woes? Who will help with the charity bake sale? Who will be the friend who you can ask to watch your dog while you’re away no matter how short of notice? WHO WILL CLIMB A TREE TO SAVE THE CAT AND ALSO MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVE THE FALL FROM SAID TREE? 

Nobody knows, we only know that we will never be able to live life the same way again

Ariella is… an interesting one. She sees that she understands nothing of this world, and she’s angry about it. Why do we hug people when we see them after some time apart? What are we? Barbarians? And how can we speak in such a lax manner? Despicable. She will not hear of things like ‘different culture’ and ‘please calm down’ or even ‘it’s probably not super legal to carry around a real sword, oh gosh please stop’ NO, we are the ones who are wrong here. When I tell her that I’ll find a way to get her back, she feels satisfied with this, and somehow this is my actual job now. If I leave for work, it is cause for all kinds of scolding. How dare I. 

Eventually, Ariella has decided that I’m one of the good ones, and there’s not so much scolding, though the sarcasm is more than I can handle anyways. She can never quite figure out how to interact with me in a way that makes me consistently happy, but she tries in her own way. She likes to go out on her own, and inevitably I follow from a distance. The world isn’t ready for her. I wasn’t ready for her. She discovers things like the news, and I show her how to use google, and soon she’s complaining to me about politics and certain laws that I had no idea existed. She does not notice when I have lost interest. 

One day I catch her humming something from Disney, and refuses to answer how she knows it. Another day I hear her singing something from a screamo band. I never tell her that even though she’s singing it like a normal song, I’m well aware it’s from a screamo band.

She thinks running water is the most amazing thing in this world. She watches a lot of makeup tutorials once she discovers youtube. She likes to correct them in the comments. In the end I make her her own account so I don’t lose face. I avoid her a little bit, and she’s okay with this.

James is probably the least concerned about his new surroundings of anyone. He’s used to crap not making sense. He’s more surprised when he figures out it’s real, but still the most chill about this. He gets a job almost immediately, because he’s not okay with me supporting him. He decides his own rent after I keep refusing, and leaves money in my drawer. He’s fairly drawn to TV, but ends up doing a lot of research into his areas of interest. He rarely asks me direct questions and tries and figures things out on his own. After I’d taught him enough to use google, he actually used that for everything, and was the only one who grasped the concept quickly and stuck with it. This doesn’t mean he was at all good at understanding everything, as even google used a lot of terms he wasn’t familiar with, and inevitably I would find him struggling with something and just explain it in simple terms to him. He would always apologize for bothering me. 

After some time he’d figure out that I’m not incredibly wealthy, and act a little more relaxed in some ways, realizing we’re essentially equals. He talks to me a lot more then, and lets me help him more. He starts doing all the yard work, and is really shocked when without prompting I give him permission to have a small garden. Tools like the lawn mower and such kind of frighten him, and at first he tries to avoid using them. With time he ends up really liking them. 

He’s absolutely shocked when he learns that humans and animals are basically all there is. He keeps listing things like ‘centaurs’ and asking if they exist, and has no idea how to handle the fact that they don’t and never have. He finds it sad, and feels like they went extinct instead. 

I would absolutely tell him that his feelings towards Ariella were mutual, and because he’d avoided mentioning a thing about his home to that point, he’d be very defensive and concerned for awhile, but eventually start asking questions. He’d start asking about if magic really didn’t exist here as he tried to figure out how I could know. I’d let him talk to me about everything he had to keep secret and complain as much as he wanted. He would resist at first, but he’d eventually do this quite often. 

He ends up liking cars quite a bit, and is the only one who would be allowed to try and drive them, and aside from Kydin the only one who was very interested in them at all. Y’know, past the normal ‘oh gosh what is that’ stuff.

He’d be the only one to even suspect that I wrote his world and such, but honestly it’s only because I would only need to be open with him about it. He’s the only one who needs that kind of assurance that someone knows all the stuff he’s seen so he can speak freely about it. Ultimately he decides it’s something else though, because even though he’s the most open about being fiction, he ultimately can’t accept it. Particularly since he’s gone through such crap, and he can’t believe someone chilling on a couch with him showing him how to work netflix would be the one who did that.