#but i go to school there still literally a block away from my gifted school

[muirneach]

my experience in my schools gifted program is very specific but even when i was little i knew that the program was racist so i dont know how people on here are fully grown adults and yet lacking that knowledge. the gifted program for my general area happened to be in a school in a predominantly non white, poor neighbourhood. i came from a neighbouring school like a kilometre away at most that was majorly white. most of the kids in the gifted program were from all around the city and probably 60-70% white at best (toronto is 45% white as a whole). like the disparity between my class and the class next door… very obvious! also gifted wasnt even good i literally learned nothing for three years so i don’t get the hype

[bluesidez]

Gym Rat Miguel Part 12

content warning: Miguel is very dramatic in this one, mentions of food

word count: 4k (SHOUTOUT TO MY BETA!! @slushycoookie 🩵)

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DISCLAIMER: This story is not canonical. 😒 Most, if not all, of the characters used are OOC. I literally can not stress this enough.

GymRat!Miguel who tries not to dwell on the fact that it’s been just about a month since he’s seen you. It’s the middle of the week and if he thinks about it too much, he’s going to go crazy.

It feels odd because you’re on the same campus as him. You’re not across the country. You’re not out of the country. You’re literally a short walk or drive away and neither of you have time to see each other.

He’s considering printing your pictures out and walking around with them like a forlorn lover looking for his lost soulmate. It feels like he’s back in his bedroom staring at your pictures for hours like a man at war aching for home.

He’s exhausted all of his options.

The couple-lunches have all been rain-checked, the weight of your workload trapping you in the Art building.

Your sleep schedule was terrible, if the late night TikToks and reels were anything to go by. He knew you had morning classes too so he could only assume you’ve had a few hours of sleep during the weeknights.

The weekends were for rest and he didn’t want to disrupt yours.

Your dorm tracked visitors which means he’d only have a few hours with you before curfew if you were even there.

GymRat!Miguel who misses you so bad he’s temporarily replaced his gym playlist for the one you gifted him.

His face is set hard, feet heavy as he sprints over a curved treadmill. After a few minutes he stops, takes a small break, and runs again.

Even the melodic and somber voice playing over a groovy piano couldn’t soothe his thoughts.

His heart rammed in his chest as sweat trickled down his face, his tank drenched and clinging to his chest.

Just a few more sprints to go.

GymRat!Miguel who slides the ear of his headphone off because Xina is standing in front of him, blocking his path.

“Anymore sprints and you’re going to pass out,” she hands him a towel.

“Maybe I want to,” Miguel grumbles, nabbing the towel and rubbing his face like someone spit on it.

Xina grabbed her ponytail and pinned it up, loose hair sticking to her neck. “Don’t say that. It’s not funny. I can only manage pulling your body to the entrance to the gym.”

Miguel snorted.

GymRat!Miguel who fills up the time that he used to spend with you to get to know his friends and meet others.

This meant having game nights with Peter and Ben. They were so close, not really, to convincing him to join their DND parties.

If he wasn’t with them, he was occasionally calling The Geek Squad and catching up. A Friendsgiving date was now tentatively on his calendar because of it.

Of course, his robotics team was still going steady. Aaron was interesting, if nothing else, and Margo was like the little sister he never had.

Then, there was checking up on Gabriel like a Tamagotchi. Was he eating ok? Did he need some money? Is he trapped in the subway? Did a rat eat him?

Gabriel had sent him a screenshot of his contact with his name being changed to “Mom #2.”

Miguel only scoffed and told Gabriel his name was going to get changed to “pain in my ass.”

The newest development, however, was Xina. Her transferring here felt like middle school when they used to be attached at the hip.

They had their programming class together two days out of the week, biweekly study sessions, and the occasional late night excursion.

It also explains why she’s eyeing him from the stairmaster while he heaves over the handles of the treadmill.

GymRat!Miguel who thanked Xina as she handed him his jug of water. He sat up from the bench to let her take a seat.

“So,” she started.

“I’m not helping you hack your professor’s dashboard. While you could do it, it’s not a good idea and quantum physics isn’t that-“

“It’s not that, you dick,” Xina pinched his side. “It’s you. What’s up with you?”

“Nothing is up with me.”

“Miguel.”

“Xina.”

“Now, you’re being a brat. Something is definitely wrong.”

Miguel picked at the peeling Game Over sticker on his bottle. He needed to tape it down or he’d lose it.

“I miss her.”

“Miss who? Your mom?”

“What? No. I miss my girlfriend.”

It was quiet between them, the sound of chatter and the clanking of equipment filled the white noise.

Xina tilted her head, “That bad?”

Miguel nods.

“When’s the last time you saw her?”

He takes a dramatic breath, “Our anniversary date. Last month. I feel…”

“Like you can’t function? Like it’s hard to think?”

“Is that pathetic?” Miguel winces. “I have a feeling you’re going to say that it is.”

“No, I don’t think that.”

Miguel pouts as he looks up. Xina shrugs and slides her hands on down her leggings.

“Remember the times I went boy crazy? All the times I came crying to you after they screwed me over, even when you already warned me they weren’t good guys? I think you deserve to be crazy about your girlfriend.”

“Thanks,” Miguel blinked. “You were way too nice to those first guys.”

“I learned though, didn’t I? I know a good guy when I see him, now,” Xina pushed at Miguel’s shoulders with hers.

“And now those self-defense lessons won’t go to waste, right?”

Xina snorted as she recalled the time she managed to flip Winston on his back at Miguel’s instruction.

GymRat!Miguel who watches Xina’s eyes grow in shock when he tells her how long he’s been dating you.

“Dang,” Xina stops in her tracks. “A year?”

Miguel puffs up his chest and stands a little straighter, a confident stride in his step, “One year and counting.”

“That’s,” Xina turns and waits for a car to go by. She readjusts her gym bag. “That’s awesome, Hare-Hare.”

GymRat!Miguel who feels the mood shift by the time he drops Xina back off. He’s not sure what’s brought it up, but now he’s nervous about upsetting her more.

He taps on the wheel, after he pulls into a park.

“You sure you don’t want me to get you anything? You don’t need to go anywhere?”

Xina unbuckles her seatbelt, “Nope. All good. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” he watches her close the door before he can even finish. “See you.”

GymRat!Miguel who obliges when Xina texts him the next day to switch up their study session location.

Miguel wanted to keep the busy calm of the 1st floor of the library but Xina insisted on giving him a change of scenery.

“It’s good for you! You stare at the screen all day when you’re coding,” Xina slams Miguel’s car door to which he sneer at her for. “You need to look up and smell the coffee sometimes.”

“You just want a reason to not do your work.”

Xina turns around and walks backwards in front of Miguel, “And that’s completely fine. We should live a little.”

She trips over the edge of the sidewalk with a yelp and Miguel is quick to catch her, the panic on his face evident.

“See,” she grins as she pulls herself up by Miguel’s shoulders. “Living!”

GymRat!Miguel who lets Xina order for him while he finds a table.

The cafe was bright, white wood accenting the walls with vines and plants adorning the area. Salmon pink brought a pop of color to the sandy-looking tables and fairy lights hung in the corners of the room.

Miguel’s eyes grew as he saw the variety of desserts on display, his mouth itching to take a bite.

“No, no, no. Go away. I’ll pick something you’ll like,” Xina blocks Miguel’s lingering eyes.

Miguel clicks his teeth, “If it’s not good, I’m going to be really upset.”

“I doubt it.”

GymRat!Miguel who walks deeper into the cafe. He’s dodging ceiling plants left and right, but he’s sure that the best seats are in the furthest of the building.

He shuffles around a corner, eyes adjusting to the sun coming through window.

He blinks a few times and takes in the spacious area.

That’s when he sees you.

He walks fast, the strides of his steps wide.

The closer he gets, the stronger the smell of peaches builds. The sun was shining down like it granted Miguel one the greatest gifts of his life. Its rays danced across the spot that you're in.

He gets to your chair and pulled it out with ease, the sound disrupting the hushed corner.

A pen falls to the floor, voices are cut short, and arms are flailing but Miguel’s nose is buried deep into your neck.

Your arms tighten around his neck and your voice skips across his ears.

“I-” a kiss across your face, “missed you so much.” Miguel looks at you like you hold the stars in the sky within your palm.

“You scared the shit out of me, Miguel,” you say with no really malice in your voice. Your thumbs run across his cheeks, watching as he beams at you. You kiss him once or twice, heart fluttering as your feet dangle in the air.

“I hope there aren’t many people picking you up in the middle of establishments,” Miguel mumbled across your lips.

“Guys, there’s people staring at us,” a voice creeps in from the side of Miguel.

Miguel’s eyes follow it to see a deer-looking kid with hoodie pulled up over his ears.

“Who is this?”

GymRat!Miguel who is introduced to Miles, your freshman classmate that you’ve taken in.

He’s sitting across the table nodding along to you as you rave about Miles’ work. The entire time, his right hand didn’t leave your left one.

“So,” Miguel chimes in when there’s a pause. “Have you both been coming here a while?”

“Nah, I just dragged her out here recently. She never leaves the art building when a deadline is near. It’s kind of depressing-“

“You know, Miles.” You're holding back an eye roll. “There are times when you could just not talk.”

“No, actually tell me more,” Miguel insisted, attentive.

GymRat!Miguel who hurries to help a struggling Xina when she rounds the corner with a tray full of goodies.

A cinnamon roll, a lemon tart, a tall purple drink, and some warm tea is placed on the table while you and Miles clear the area.

You sit up straighter to watch Miguel pick up the tea cup and blow over it. “Tea? No milk with a pinch of coffee?”

“Amor…”

Xina looks over to his cup, “Did you want something else?”

“No, this is good, I haven’t had this in a while,” he takes a sip and hums while explaining to you. “I’ve been on this sweet drink kick since she let me try her frappe last year.”

“That’s rich because you always hated it when I got those.”

“To be fair, you downed like four of those in one day. I’m surprised your body didn’t go into shock.”

“I don’t know,” you shrug. “Four in one day must have meant you were going through it.”

Xina smiles and nods her head, “Exactly. And I told him-”

“We’re not doing this,” Miguel grumbled and stabbed his fork into his roll. “Four was way too much and she was bouncing off the walls all day just to crash and throw up on my shoes.”

“I said I was sorry about that!”

GymRat!Miguel who cuts pieces of his dessert to feed to you. You look at him incredulously as he insists on giving you bite after bite.

“Is it good?” Miguel asks chewing his own piece. You nod and he grins, happy in the bubble he’s created.

When Xina reaches for his plate for a piece he slides it away with ease, a move he knows too well.

“Why can’t I have some? I bought it.”

“You didn’t even ask!”

“Neither did she!”

Miles leans over to you, “I feel like I’m watching a fight between me and my baby sister.”

Miguel is pushing Xina’s hands away from his plate while she laughs up a storm. You think that it does mirror something like Gabriel and Miguel’s relationship, but something about Miguel isn’t the same.

GymRat!Miguel who continues his Tom and Jerry act with Xina even when the food is gone.

They were bickering over some formula that you couldn’t begin to figure out by yourself. To Miguel, it’s easy. To Xina, the setup makes no sense.

“How did you survive Ivy League without me?” Miguel asks as he reaches over and erases an error on her page.

“Like I do anything else, with peace.”

“So what you’re saying is,” Miguel points his pencil at Xina, “you hate me and I am not needed for problems 4 through 10.”

“No!” she panics, pushing his pen back to the paper. “I need you to start this one. I don’t understand it.”

“We just did one like this, though. It’s just the imaginary number all over again.”

Xina groaned and slumped in her chair while Miguel just turned back to his on work.

GymRat!Miguel who peers up from his computer to watch you work. You eyebrows pinch as your wrist moves across the large sketchpad in front of you. Your hand is moving fast and you’re so focused. Miguel hasn’t seen you like this before. In your element.

He leans his head on his hand, cheek squished and staring at you like he’s never seen you, like you were something to be admired.

You were pretty today, a sweater with some cartoon on it and some jeans that flared out at the bottom. Your bunny necklace was dangling around your neck and your glasses were falling down your nose.

You push them back and a smudge of charcoal from moving Miles’ artwork gets on your cheek.

“Stare at her any harder and she might grow something freaky,” Miles whispers.

Miguel falters and grabs a napkin, leaning to wipe your cheek, “She has something on her face.”

GymRat!Miguel who tries to be even more discreet as he watches you fill up the page. It’s mesmerizing seeing what you come up with.

He’ll type a little bit then look at your sketches, he’ll click a few links then look at your face. Sometimes, you would catch him looking and smile at resulting in his heart picking up.

Occasionally, Miles would ask your opinion on something and you would give him pointers, the two of you discussing something about focal points and rule of threes.

Miguel just wanted to put his stuff up and listen to you all day.

“What are you working on?” Xina asks, her voice breaking the silence. She’s staring directly at your drawings, fingers tapping against her notebook.

You perk up and flip your pad around, “It’s some ideas for one of our bigger projects! The theme is reinventing a classic, so I’m thinking something like a spin on Lady Godiva with a haunted theme and darker palette. Or The Fallen Angel with a bird’s eye perspective of him on the ground.”

You took a breath and flipped the page, “And then there’s The Kiss which I wanted to actually do a glaze to really give it that ‘mosaic’ look.”

Miguel leaned in with Xina to take a closer look.

The sketch was exceptional to say the least. Miguel wasn’t too sure how the original painting looked, but your drawing detailed a woman wrapped in these angular, moving shapes. Her face was angled up and a far-off look adorned her features. To her right sat a man whose lips were on her neck and his attention solely on her.

It was soft, yet strong. How you managed to put so much intimacy onto a single page was beyond him.

The feeling of it was familiar and when he looked up at you, he knew.

Miguel opens his mouth, “It’s..”

“Boring.”

“Beautiful.”

He turns to Xina with a frown on his face as she flips back to the front page.

“I mean, I think one of the other two is better, you know? More of a twist on the originals. The last one feels safe.”

The table is quiet as Xina’s comment marinates. She’s flipping further into your book and Miguel promptly snatches it from her and closes it a bit harder than he needs to. Miles shifts in his seat, chewing on the straw of his drink.

“Can you explain why it feels safe to you?” your fingers pick at a nail.

She looks up, “Well, don’t you want to stand out? Out of the others, I don’t think this one is that unique.”

“The point isn’t to stand out,” Miles chimes in. “The assignment is about remixing a classic and all three of these do that pretty well.”

Your smile is small, “Thanks, Miles.”

“So which one do you think is better?” Xina asks.

“The last one,” both Miles and Miguel say.

“It carries the emotion of the original while also bringing more focus to couple rather than the abstracted cloth. You can see the love between them in a way that the original doesn’t have and it’s not even painted yet,” Miles talks with ease. “But! That’s just my opinion.”

“I think it’s powerful,” Miguel hums. “You should go with that one.”

You nod, thumbing over the corner of the pages.

GymRat!Miguel who watches Miles nearly fly out of the cafe.

Something about catching the bus to go see a friend perform.

“Poor thing,” you mumble. “He didn’t even buy the tickets yet.”

GymRat!Miguel who can almost see the stress coming off of you in waves the later it gets in the evening.

“Are you alright?” Miguel places his hand over yours.

“Yeah, I think I need a nap.”

“Need me to drive you back?”

“No, it’s fine. You need to drive Xina back.” You start to pack up. “I brought my car anyways.”

Miguel follows your movements, hands putting his laptop up as well.

He hurries to pull your chair out and you thank him with a quiet voice. He follows you from the table to the door to your car. The scene is almost comical the way he’s in your peripheral.

“Will I see you again soon?” Miguel leans on the hood of your car, body practically falling onto you in the driver’s seat. “We gotta set up a date.”

“I’ll see what I can do, baby,” you rub his face and kiss the kicked-puppy look off of his face. “I’ll text you once I get back.”

“Please.”

GymRat!Miguel who throws his backpack in the backseat and slumps over the wheel once he’s certain your car was down the road.

“What now?” Xina patted Miguel’s back. “You miss her again?”

Miguel just dug his head onto the horn, the effect alerting anyone within 50ft radius.

“Ok, ok,” Xina yanked him up by his shoulders only for him to drop back down again. She sighs and grabs the back of his head with a slight yank to his hair.

Miguel swats her hand away with a grit to his teeth and a pinch to his brows.

Xina only holds her hands up with a grin lining her lips, “Calm down.”

“You’re really annoying me today.”

Xina drops her hands and her smile falters. Miguel straightens up with an apology on the roof of his mouth before Xina picks back up with joy.

“What I think you need is an awesome rager for your birthday.”

“No.”

“Why not? It could be fun!”

“I’m all partied out until next year.”

“Not even with your friends? People from your department? A couple of classmates? The robo nerds?”

“That’s robo rockstars to you.”

Xina laughed and buckled her seatbelt.

“I think it could be great, seriously. We’re doing it.”

Miguel only groaned and turned on the ignition.

GymRat!Miguel who wanted to use his Sunday for relaxation, a cheat day, maybe a game or two with Gabriel, Peter, and Winston.

Instead, he’s lying on his bed listening to Xina rant about one of her roommates using the sink as a trash can.

“Like we have a ridiculously expensive trash can that’s less than a foot away from the sink. It’s a simple spin and drop.”

“Ok, I get this is really gross, but don’t you have other friends you could bother?”

Xina pauses, and points her finger at him, “Hey, I’m here to help you out. If I wasn’t here, who knows how down in the dumps you’d be.”

“This isn’t helping me.”

GymRat!Miguel who answers his phone while Xina has managed to pull Peter into a game of Overcooked on his Switch.

“Hey, Ma.”

“Miguel! How do I connect your father’s computer to the TV? He found a movie that we could watch but the screen is so small.”

“He found a movie but can’t connect cords?”

“Just answer the question, mijo.”

Miguel sits up, prepared to spend at least forty minutes trying to explain what an HDMI cord is.

“Yeah.”

Xina gasps, pauses the game leaving a displeased Peter, and hops into the corner of Miguel’s phone.

“Hi, Mrs. O’Hara!”

“Hola, mi dulce niña! Hace mucho que no te veo. ¿Que tal te ha ido?“ (Hello, my sweet girl! I haven’t seen you in a long time. How have you been?)

“Más o menos, pero me alegro de verte.” (So-so, but I’m happy to see you.)

“No, Xina! ¿Qué tienes?” (What’s wrong?)

Miguel just plopped the device in Xina’s hand, “I like how you both started a conversation on my phone.”

“We’ve got important things to discuss,” Xina waved him off while she and his mother continued to fawn over each other.

Miguel just slid off the bed and joined Peter.

GymRat!Miguel who doesn’t get his phone back until curfew hours are around the corner.

Xina and his mom discussed everything from reality TV to recipes to her time up north. Xina left happier than when she came in which Miguel didn’t mind. He just wished he could have had the room to himself.

GymRat!Miguel who doesn’t see your message until he’s about to go to sleep.

“Baby”

“Let’s do something together on your bday”

Miguel unpeeled his eyes and typed swiftly.

“YES”

“YEESSSS”

“Best birthday ever already”

“Someone’s excited”

“I haven’t even said what we’re doing yet”

“What are we doing”

“Tell me please”

“Pleasepleasepleaseplease”

“Mmm”

“No”

“It’s a secret 🙂‍↔️”

“I can wait”

“That you are”

“Sometimes”

“😗”

“But mi luz I think Xina is trying to plan something too”

“Oh”

“Should we raincheck then?”

“NOOOOOO!”

“I can do both”

“I’ll literally split myself in two”

“You don’t have to choose”

“My gift is small”

“I want you to have fun on your special day”

“Can you come to the party?”

“I don’t want to miss it but I’ll have to see”

“If anything it’ll be much later”

“As long as I get to see you I’ll be happy”

“Good night bebé”

“Night!”

"Love you"

“Love you more"

divider by: @plutism 🩵

a/n: I have no notes other than school is starting back up so my posting schedule will be even more irregular. 🤠 Please bear with me.

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[exceptional-z]

zed necrodopolis x reader

this is an au where zombies were never allowed to go to human high school. so zed is aged up (though age is never mentioned so you can imagine whatever) but has never been on the other side of the barrier. i attempted not to use gendered language but i tend to write with fem!reader in mind.

also please ignore any inconsistent verb tenses. english is not my first language and verb tenses are literally the bane of my existence. + i wrote this in like an hour

your family didn’t have much money growing up, hence why you lived so close to the gate. real estate was cheap since no one wanted to live near the zombies. but it also meant you learnt how to save money in as many ways as you could.

seabrook was all about perfection. if a mattress was two years old, it was time to throw it out and buy a new one. if a bike had a single scratch, it was thrown into the dumpster. all of the old items deemed as ‘garbage’ were brought to a warehouse that was emptied around every two weeks. and this was your favourite place to be.

you sneak into the warehouse. it’s late at night and there’s never any security around. you’re immediately greeted with piles of furniture and clothing and trinkets that are too unique to fit into the seabrook aesthetic.

you start to rummage through with the plastic gloves you always wear just in case any bugs or mice decide that this is a perfect place to burrow. lost in thought, you don’t hear the creaky door open, but you do hear the sudden shout that erupted from behind you.

your heart nearly stops beating at the sudden noise and your head swivels around. the lighting isn’t great, and you can only make out the vague shape of the person blocking your only exit. he looks fairly lanky, and if you squint you could make out some of his features. he doesn’t look much older than you and he certainly doesn’t scream “imposing”. he’s taller than you, but maybe if you caught him off guard you could knock him out with one of the many heavy objects splayed around you.

“i was told no one ever came in here,” the boy says. fuck, his voice is attractive.

“they don’t. in the three years i’ve been doing this i’ve never run into anyone else.” you answer, obviously suspicious.

“i’m uh- i’m just looking for a gift for my little sister,” he explains, “it’s her birthday soon and she said she wanted a new bike but we can’t really afford it.”

you relax a little at his explanation, sharing that you’d gotten into the habit of coming here to rummage for things since your family also doesn’t have much money. “i could help you look if you’d like? and even if we can’t find a bike, there’s a ton of cool stuff you can find if you’re willing to dig.” you offer.

you can’t be sure, but you think he smiles as he answers. “i’ll take any help i can get. my friend eliza told me to try coming here to look, but honestly, i’m a bit overwhelmed.”

you talk and laugh together for what must be at least two hours. you don’t end up finding a bike, but you find an old cheerleader outfit that looks to be in perfect condition. you can’t imagine why anyone would throw it out unless it just didn’t fit anymore. the boy -who still doesn’t have a name- literally jumped up in joy when he saw you holding the skirt from the set, doing a little celebratory dance that should have been embarrassing but was somehow endearing. (that’s how you figured out his little sister was obsessed with cheer).

eventually you have to part ways; it’s getting into the early hours of the morning and you both need to be getting home. he’s halfway down the street when you realise you never shared names and you yell out, “wait!”

he stops and turns around, and you jog to catch up to him.

“what’s your name, stranger?” you ask, “just in case we run into each other again.”

he tells you his name is zed, and you tell him your name in return. for a few seconds the both of you just stand in the street, memorising each other’s faces until you look away, shaking off the thoughts of how attractive he is under the starlight.

(bonus: when zed gets home, all he can think about is you. he wonders if eliza would recognise your name, or if he would possibly run into you if he chose to go to school for once instead of always skipping. he wonders where you live in zombietown, since he doesn’t recognise you and is sure he would remember seeing someone as gorgeous are you. he spends the next few days wondering, and then is in for the shock of his life when he sees you through the fence that blocks off zombietown from seabrook and learns that you’re human.)

[xuchiya]

"Quick Reaction" || kang yeosang || one-shot

| genre: non!idol ateez. fluff. slice of life | mentions: teasing. fainting. jewelry gift. | This is literally my high school delusions. My old school is literally an 'old school' school like no phones and computers, being in a relationship is not allowed, and big ass windows as our source of fans--- i mean we do have electric fans and ceiling fans but with the weather and a very old, close to dying, e-fans? We really have to depend on the wind from our windows. Anyways, this list is basically a true experience. My personal favorite? Song Mingi's.

You were bored out of your mind, wishing you could have brought your book or your drawing pad to pass time, although everything seemed to be going smoothly—until your professor called you to the faculty room. "You're missing an assignment," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice as she added, "and so is your classmate, Kang Yeosang."

Anything but that. You cried, stomping your foot to the ground out of frustration. You sighed internally, mentally retracing your steps to figure out which assignment had slipped through the cracks. As you walked to the faculty room, carrying your notebook and pen, you bumped into Yeosang, who had the same expression of concern on his face. You both exchanged knowing glances, resigned to your fate.

“You lost your assignment?” Yeosang asks. You shake your head, “I’m not sure either but I know I wrote it and had a perfect score. What about you?”

Yeosang shrugs, “I guess I was cutting class when it was given.” Both of you giggling knowing that is farfetched. He never does and never will, most especially his mom is your math adviser. Besides, there are guards blocking the two entrances of your school gates, so there is no point in cutting class unless you decide to fake ‘sickness’ to not attend school.

Standing outside the faculty room, you could hear your professor bustling about. "Alright, since you two are here, I’ll dictate the assignment instead, but since students aren’t allowed inside, I’ll give you the answers too. Be quick, though—it needs to be passed immediately and the head will not be happy to have students inside."

You pouted, “We could just work inside the classroom.” 

“Oh … you’re right. You may go but I hope to get this one before dismissal and ask one of your classmates to dictate some of the homeworks you both are missing.”

And that’s how you found yourself inside your classroom. Yeosang stays at the other but you both agree to stay at your classroom instead. You pulled out your notebook, your pen poised to capture every word. Years of training as a news anchor for your upcoming college years had honed your ability to take notes swiftly and efficiently. Yeosang, however, wasn’t faring as well. As your classmate, Hongjoong rattled off the questions and answers, you noticed him out of the corner of your eye, struggling to keep up. His eyes darted from his notebook to yours, then back again, frustration clear on his face.

"Hey, hey, what’s this..." he whispered urgently, tapping you on the shoulder to grab your attention, leaning over your shoulder. It wasn’t until you leaned back to check on him that both of you realized how close you were. Your faces stopped just inches apart, your breath brushing against his lips. Yeosang froze, his gaze trailing over your features, taking in every detail. His heart pounded in his chest as he noticed every imperfection—each one making him feel something unfamiliar yet undeniably warm.

"Hey, if you two are gonna kiss, let me turn around first!" Hongjoong teased, breaking the moment.

Startled, you both pulled away, cheeks burning with embarrassment. You quickly handed your notebook to Yeosang, avoiding eye contact as you nervously fiddled with your pen. Meanwhile, he hid his face behind your notebook, furiously scribbling down the remaining answers, trying to ignore the heat still lingering on his cheeks.

As both of you finished the assignment, he took your notebook and he handed the assignment to Hongjoong who insisted on bringing them to your professor since he will be passing by the faculty room and towards the auditorium. After thanking Hongjoong, Yeosang glanced at you, a shy smile tugging at the corners of his lips. You met his gaze for a brief moment, sharing a silent understanding, before both of you looked away, the air between you filled with unspoken words and the beginnings of something new.

[kenlvry]

hiii hello if requests are open again can i request stan, kyle, and kenny making up with reader after a fight? ☺️ i love your works sm!

making up after a fight

an, HELLO YES REQUETS ARE VERY OPEN thankyou sm 🤭🤞 im reading this while listening to boombayah yall . gn reader ( use od girlfriend in kyles oh and 16/17) also their kinda a bitch but its all good in the end

kenny

you two fought again, i mean it wasn't the first time, you two don't usually fight and when you do its intense. you just found out mans still hasn't deleted some of his hoes contacts and still talks to them like???? you brought it up and he immediately apologized but you wanted to explanation, you bring up how this has happen before and he still hasn't deleted em "look baby i was lazy, i dont even talk to them" he said walking closer to you. you brought this up when he's with the others, and it got heated. it ended with you flipping him off and going back home, " we're not helping you again this time btw". you blocked him everywhere and refuses to meet his eye at school. you thought abt it and maybe you overreacted, you decided to apologize and search for him everywhere, then you saw him talking with alot of girls and you couldn't be more angrier, you confront him then and there "wtf ken?? this is literally what we talked abt? if you want to cheat atleast make sure i dont find out" you ran away, you were so devastated how could he? after everything :(( . immediately running to your room crying and cursing kenny out, your mother then knocks and opens your bedroom door "kenny is here honey, should i let him in?" "no let him die out in the cold ma" your mom shrugged and left, few seconds later the door reopened at it was kenny "what do you want?" you rolled your eyes and he walked over to you on your bed "please hear me out" "im not even kicking you out js talk" you said sitting properly on the edge of the bed "look babe about the contacts, i keep their numbers on my phone because i ask them abt girl tips.." he said while looking down in shame, you scoffed "are u joking? thats so obviously a lie" "check my phone then, you can scroll until the top of the chat" he said giving you his phone, and it's true, its mostly "what do i do if she has her period" or "what do girls like as a gift" and "if she says shes ok but put notation at the end what does that mean" you laughed at how cute that was but then you remember earlier, you immediately glare back at him and he understood "i asked them how to comfort you, im not good at this shit bae" you laughed again and he inches closer to you "i would never cheat on you, i love you too much and you know that" kissing you and you kissed back smiling in the kiss.

kyle

again, you two aren't one to fight bc there was nothing to fight abt, but recently all he talks about is cartman and he won't shut up about him, cartman this cartman that youre sick of it, so you talk it out with them. "what do you mean i talk about cartman all the time? i wouldn't give that bitch any of my time" he said looking at you from his computer, you sighed "our past three convos is about cartman and how you cant stand him, earlier at school when we walked home tgt you talked about him, yesterday all you could say was how cartman was this and cartman was that, am i your girlfriend or is he??" you scoffed, "look can we talk abt this another time? I'm about to 1v1 cartman and loser has to do what winner wants" he said turning back to his computer "this is literally what im talking about! you are so caught up abt him you dont even pay attention to me, have you even see my text to you?" he sighed "i did, about the ice cream right" you couldn't believe him rn "my fucking pet hamster died kyle????" you can't stand this shit anymore you left slamming the door at him. sheila asked you to drink with her but you just ignored her, what the hell is wrong with kyle? he could've atleast replied about your pet hamster, he knew how much it meant to you. at school you wouldn't even stand near him, you talked with the girls and sat near tolkien and you walked home with tweek. you got a call and it was cartman, the cause of your fight "what is it" "yo dawg, kyle asked me to tell you to meet up with him at the pond" you were confused "why" "idk, but bring protection, im sure he didn't bring any" he said laughing and you rolled your eyes ending the call. you put your jacket on and went out to the park, from afar you see him on the bench swinging his feet. "kyle?" he stood up "oh uh y/n, here" he gave you flowers and motioned for you to sit down, "im not good at this um" he played with his thumbs and was looking nervous ,you laughed a little "take your time". he sighed "y/n im sorry, I should've paid more attention to you and not cast you away like some stranger, im really sorry about your pet hamster too, i know how much he means to you." puting a hand on your thigh while looking at you he smiled, you smiled back "well it's going to take alot more than just a simple sorry" you said sarcastically and looked away , he laughed "well then, should we watch a movie?" he stood up and so did you. that day you two watched a movie and had the best dated ever.

stan

recently life has been real shitty for stan, with his dad being a dead beat who won't shut up about his farm, cartman being a bitch in general and kyle not understanding what he's going through, its rough for him. he takes it out on you, he'd randomly lash out on you then say sorry which isnt even a good apology, he would ignore you and your texts and reply in two days time. you have had enough and went to his house to talk about it with him. "i dont get mad at you and i dont ignore you, your making things up y/n" you sigh softly at his remark "stan if i were to ask people what they think about us they would say we're just friends and not in a relationship, thats how much you fucked up" he stood up from his chair at your remark "how much i fucked up?? maybe you shouldn't have texted me so goddamn much , maybe you shouldn't bother me when i'm clearly in a bad mood, how is it my fault?" "this is exactly what I'm talking about, I didn't do anything and you act as if i committed third degree murder" he scoffed "fine then what do you want? to break up? if thats what make you so happy then we are over" he said and going back to his game "fuck you stan, you couldn't even try to communicate with me, i know ur going through some shit rn but that doesn't give you the right to take it out on me im not ur toy." you left his house and went home, can you believe the audacity this boy had? you blocked him everywhere and deleted his name in your bio, when people found out they comforted you, some even flirting with you, you dont want to be associated with him anymore. he however realises how much he fucked up and was regretting every decision he did that day, he tried to talk to you many times but your friends would always block his way to talk to you, you could care less. you went home alone one day and can feel a presence behind you, you walk faster each second and to one point running with the man running after you "y/n!" he yelled and you immediately recognise the voice, you look back to see stan panting with his hands on his knees, you sighed rolling your eyes "what now stan?" "please, just let me explain" you stayed silent. "im.. im sorry, i should've talked to you about the things i was going through, i was just going through a hard time and yes its not an excuse i know, i didn't talk to you about it because i was scared you'd tease me so i isolated myself thinking it was for the better but instead it created something worse" his eyes were glassy and he sniffled. "I can't forgive you just yet yk" crossing your arms, "i know, so please be my mine again i will make it up to you" his desperate face was the cutest and you agreed, he took you out on many dates and was replying often, he opened up to you and you two always helped each other when needed. he couldn't imagine loosing you again and he's going to make sure he doesn't anymore.

[wildlife4life]

Tease Tidbit Tuesday

*A nylon gloved hand reaches out of a dark hole that smells like toothpaste and medical grade cleaner. In its trembling fingers is a wrinkled torn out note page. At the top there are crossed out chart notes and below that are the words NFL Buck snippet*

I LIVE!!!!!!!!! What up my buddie peeps? Making a surprise NFL Buck tidbit drop between studying and having my fingers in people's mouths (I am not a crazy person, I am in Dental Assisting school and doing my clinical rounds). The writing beans woke up for once and I had to share! But this does not mean a new chapter is going to drop any time soon. I am nearing the end of my schooling, on top of being a mom and running a household, so the time to actually sit and write, and have the writing beans working is very rare these days. BUT! NFL Buck is still in the works and another chapter is coming, just need to be patient with me. To those who are being patient and have stuck around for this fic, thank you.

Tagged by the super lovely and super talented @spaceprincessem. I am ever patient and beyond excited for your upcoming mockingjay buddie fic!

"Drinks are on me tonight." Eddie states firmly before Chimney could finishing reaching back for his wallet. The older man looks back and does a mental count of everyone that came along after their very rough shift and can't hide his small wince, "You sure Diaz? Including Athena, thats 10 weary firefighter bar tabs you'll be covering." And Chimney knows better than most how much just one thirsty civil servant can put away, let alone 10. Eddie shrugs one shoulder and gives him a small smirk, "Oh yea. I mean technically drinks are on Buck tonight, as thanks for saving me after the whole 'reckless spider-man' routine." His right hand throws up air quotes while his left is pulling his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. Gifting an expensive coffee machine for the firehouse was one thing and knowing the basic financial logistics of Eddie's upcoming birthday golf trip was another. But having the funds on hand for an on the whim night out with several thirsty hard working men and women, was tipping onto the side of skeptical. And Chimney needed to voice it. "Doesn't he have an expensive birthday trip for you to save up for?" Chim quirks an eyebrow. The Texas native's smirk broadens. Instead of vocally answering him, Eddie opens his wallet and pulls out a fucking black American Express card. Chimney's jaw literally drops, as the bar lights reflect off the silver EDMUNDO DIAZ stamped at the bottom. Next to him, Hen audibly gasps before quickly collecting herself and shouting out, "118, drinks are on Diaz!" And is immediately met with loud hollers and cheers. Rich man Diaz laughs loud and reaches past a still stunned Chimney to hand the prized card to the wide eyed bar tender. In a hook and ladder joint, a card like Eddie's has probably never even come close to even the block of the bar and Chimney's only seen a black Amex in movies and tv shows. "No restrictions." Eddie tells the bar tender, "And I'll start with whatever IPA is on tap." He looks back at Chimney, "What'll have Han?" And folds up his fucking Burberry leather wallet before sliding it back into his back pocket.

For those who are not familiar with this fic, please go check the first two chapters of Three Taps for the Lombardi. All other snippets and posts for NFL Buck can be found here. Warning, there are a lot! Hope you enjoyed!

Tagging (no pressure!): @hippolotamus @dangerpronebuddie @daffi-990 @tizniz @rainbow-nerdss

@elvensorceress @monsterrae1 @eddiebabygirldiaz @lonelychicago @spotsandsocks

@diazheartsbuckley @diazsdimples @exhuastedpigeon @cal-daisies-and-briars @watchyourbuck

@glorious-spoon @prosperdemeter2 @bekkachaos @tidesreach @kitteneddiediaz

@eddiestummy @aroeddiediaz @lemonzestywrites @bi-buck-coded @lover-of-mine

@beyourownanchor6 @honestlydarkprincess @bucks-daddy-issues @inell

@pansysgothgf @smilingbuckley

[futurewriter2000]

Something Universal - pt. 1

A/N: I was just listnening to an Audiobook that really highlights subconsciousness and spiritual laws and I thought how cool would it be if Professor Trawlaney had a daughter that is very similar to her. I also am at the seaside and have literally nothing else to do than waste my phone battery and read.

Pairing: Fred Weasley x reader

XX

When it comes to unseen, invisible and unknown power of the Universe, people like to turn a blind eye. People, Muggles, Wizards and Witches run from the universal power, simply because they cannot accept that there is something more powerful than them.

You’ve transformed yourself to suit other people’s beliefs but the urge, the curiosity in you just didn’t let you be that.

You were the apple of your mother’s eye, witty, beautiful and spiritual. You’ve never shown any gift of seeing beyond the third dimension but you have tried. You have tried so many practices but it just wasn’t in you. The gift just didn’t descend and though you were frustrated, you were also relieved. A part of you wanted to carry on your mother’s legacy, another part was relieved you wouldn’t witness the horrors the gift can bring.

Your mother was the greatest mother to be. Your childhood was brought up in muddy feet and much joy-brought adventures. There was so much light in your child years, where you can remember painting freely with your fingers, shaped cut out potatoes, sponges, brushes and anything your eye could find. Every single moment with your mother was colourful and happy- as if every day was a holiday, something worth celebrating. Your mother always asked you, each and every day, what were you thankful for and your answers were easily answered; the food, the grass, the rainy day so the two of you could spend time inside, cleaning with music on, dancing and especially… her.

Until- just a few years before your Hogwarts admission a tall, magnificent man walked into the house.

*flashback*

“Professor Dumbledore. To what do I owe this visit?” your mother smiled through an unexpected surprise.

“Mrs. (y/l/n), good day. May I come in?” He gestured, flicking his eyes to you and seeing a small glint in it. Back then your mother still had your father’s last name… all before this day.

Your father stepped in front of you, tall as he was also magnificent, he smiled and held your chin in his large hand. He smiled gently, reassuringly. He brushed his thumb over your cheek before walking to the visitor. “Professor Dumbledore, to what do we owe this late pleasure of the evening?” He smiled widely, showing his famous, charming smile.

“Well, I come on some private business- the one I think is meant for more adult ears.” He said as he walked to you, squatting to your level.

Though he was, he still intimidated you with his presence. You could almost feel the strength of his aura, blasting you away with it but you stood firmly on the ground. “You’ve got strong magic in yourself, miss. I hope you will bless our magical school with it.”

This time it was your mother that stepped in front of you, blocking the view with her long skirt. Her eyes weren’t surprised anymore, they were protective. “Go to your room, (y/n).”

And with that you ran up stairs and stopped at the end to listen. You knew you should go to your room. Your mother’s voice changed tone only when she was serious, when that was on very rare occasions.

You still stayed and listened- your intuition told you so. Your ears missed most of Dumbledore’s proposal but your mother and father talked loud and clear enough for you to hear.

“I do know I owe you my education, professor but I do not wish to tap into the future for your purposes- not for what you are about to ask me.”

“Your gift, Mrs. (Y/l/n), is extremely rare in this world. It is not to simply tell the future, it’s the prophecy of the war.”

“Exactly, the prophecies do not work as readings. They have their own power- they are simply dangerous to mind and soul.” She said frustrated and you could feel your father comforting her.

“I know of prophecies.” Said Dumbledore. “ I know I ask many of you but I also offer you, no matter the consequences or results, you and your family will be taken care of.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning your daughter would be under my protection if her gifts develop as yours did.” He said. “And this has been a thought as well before my proposal but I will be in a need of a Divination class when the old centaur retires.”

“That is wonderful news.” Your father exclaimed and you could see the smile on his face. It wasn’t easy to forget. “Sybill…” he pleaded. “Think of our little girl- wouldn’t you want to know that she is safe in the near future? In this world… in this war…” his voice got quieter.

“I never want to read into her future…” she said and you smiled because she promised you she would never and you knew you were safe forever.

*end of flashback*

Yet she did. Arguments after arguments with your father, who pleaded for stability, meanwhile your mother pleaded for safety. Your father reassured her how strong she is, that nothing can break her, not this prophecy, since she had survived many before. But she was weary, your mother, because becoming cocky didn’t belong into her character and she was afraid.

But what was one more prophecy. She promised him this one, the last one, and never again. She did not want to put the mother of her child in danger. To lose herself, you as well.

And you knew, you felt it. Something was in the air that day. It was and you knew it was a bad thing to do but she smiled and reassured you. You pleaded with your father, but he cupped your chin as always, he brushed his thumb over your cheek and he smiled. It worked like a charm. You were safe. You were always safe.

Until you were proven right.

Your mother wasn’t your mother no more. You lost her slowly. The day after, she felt “under the weather” but one day turned into one month soon after. She was pale like the wall behind her. She had no shine whatsoever.

Nothing was happy and colourful after that day. Your father tried but he never did his safe movement. He smiled but his eyes never did. Must have been the guilt.

You tried but it was like talking to a stranger.

Your mother almost went blind from the prophecy, so your father made sure she got the prescripted glasses, which took all of her facial features. Her whole appearance changed and you knew, your father didn’t recognise her as well. But he tried and he tried until there came a day when he saw the burdon it took upon you.

“I am thankful for today’s sun.” You said just before you were turning 11. You took her hand but she moved it away, her eyes bulging through those horrible glasses. Your heart broke and you could feel something hard form in your throat. “I went out to buy some school supplies with dad… we had fun so I am thankful for that too…” your voice starting to wander off as you realised you are talking to a stranger.

“That’s wonderful, dear.” She said as if she knew who you were. “And your mum?” She asked and you felt tears form in your eyes. “Oh, I didn’t mean to upset you. Is she not in the picture.”

You smiled through the tears. Memory loss was present for a few months now but still you weren’t used to it. “She’s not herself lately. She couldn’t come.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.” She said, her voice wandering off as she looked into the sky. She then looked at you, confused and disoriented. “Dear… where am I exactly?”

And that was pretty much the last normal conversation you had. She had her memory of her childhood and her life at Hogwarts but you and your father were very much out of the picture.

Your father felt guilty for it. You knew. He wasn’t himself and he took up drinking. It was your auntie, his sister, that sobered him up and he turned to be hard as a rock. The guilt was there… but he hid it behind a hard exterior. He said he had to be tough for the both of you but the truth was, you needed him to be soft again. You needed his smile, his gentle hand raising your chin up when everything felt low. That never happened.

Now you sat in the Divination class, looking at your mother scrambling her things into her large purse and silently talking to herself.

You smiled… you smiled because she did that whether she was crazy or not and that comforted you. It did. It gave you hope that maybe she was still in there- after all these years.

“Khm…” you heard somebody behind you and you turned around, startled.

There was a completely different lightning when you spun around and you couldn’t see whether there was a brown-haired boy- no, red-haired, looking down onto you or a tree, taller than ever.

Until he squatted down to your level, his brown comforting eyes setting on yours and his smile, charming as ever. The feeling of seeing his face felt almost familiar… felt warm. “Thought you might now that the class is over.” He spoke softly and you smiled just as back.

“Yeah, I’m sorry.” You said, scrambling your things as well and holding tightly onto your bag. “I just got lost in thought.” You got onto your feet and almost knocking yourself down as your foot got stuck onto the robe.

His hand placed itself on your waist, pulling you slightly back up. Despite that you didn’t fall, he was still ready to catch you.

He removed his hand to avoid discomfort but he eyed your mom and grinned. “Spoke to her about my last assignment. Let me go easy for not turning it in.” He said as he gestured your hand to walk in front of him.

You kindly took to gesture.

“I saw you sitting up there, thought you might entered some universal state from the way your eyes were fixated on the professor.” He said and you felt your cheeks flush from embarrassment.

“Like I said… I got lost in the train of thought.” You replied.

“Yeah, thought I might do a good deed there and check if you were alright.” He smiled and you let out a short laughter.

“No wish to go to hell?” You eyed him.

“That wish evaporated a long time ago.” He whistled for the effect and both of you laughed. “You seem to admire her though… professor Trawlaney, I mean.” He said and you stopped to look at him. “I saw it in your eyes when I looked up. Usually, people-“

“People are cruel.” You finished for him. “And she does have a special place in my heart.” You continued to walk slowly. Nobody knew she was your mother, not even the staff in this school… nobody except the Headmaster and your father. “And that’s the truth.”

He stopped at the intersection and continued to look at you. “Something… something…” he started but it was as if he was lost for words.

“Something what?” You laughed.

“I can’t put words together but something about you…”

[lacunasbalustrade]

my parents' situation has escalated in the time I haven't been here properly, I'll summarize:

I had to call the police because my mother, a grown woman of 47, thirty years older than me, and my father, a grown man of 50, decided to attack my younger brother for sassing them.

He's got a tone issue. He's always had a tone issue. But apart from that, he's obedient, much more than a normal child, good in his studies despite a slight disability that makes it hard for him to read, and takes care of our younger siblings.

this grown couple decided they needed to beat him to teach him a lesson. he hid in the bathroom. I had to hold my mother back and literally block my father's way. when I first tried to call the police, he took my phone and locked it in a room.

It's happened in the past. Same thing, but with my older brother, who is decidedly more troublesome, but also definitely not delinquent status.

it's been a few days since then. the police arriving stopped them from contemplating more violence - also, I managed to make them give allowance and transport to school by threatening to file charges. but some changes have been made. all of us older kids have to cook our own meals, sleep at 9.30 pm, and adhere to random rules they've decided to put into place without prior notification. furthermore, my mother has been throwing away the gifts we gave her in the past.

it's not the rules I hate adhering to - in fact, it's a bit of relief since I no longer have to depend on their constantly fluctuating schedule. It's the awful reason behind them - our parents wanting to alienate us from them and make everything a business transaction. it's the frostiness and polite greetings and designated responsibilities purposely planned to make us bear the weight of their lack of affection.

it's the way my mother refuses to talk about anything that's happened. she says she can't manage it emotionally. so i can hold back my parents from attacking my siblings and research laws and scholarships to get out of this place and she can't bring herself to have a mature, reasonable conversation. any disagreement is seen as disrespect, arguing with her.

we have five kids in this family. the older kids take care of two of the youngers. we don't go out after school, don't take any extracurriculars other than the school mandated ones, don't take tuition because we know family expenses are tight, don't even have friends we spend time with on a daily basis.

my mother's parents kicked her out of the house once she got married and played favourites, preferring her brothers to her. my father's mother was promiscuous during her marriage, is a Buddhist who forces her view of religion on others - think making everyone eat vegetables - and his father was abusive.

It's not that I don't know they've gone through pain. But pain isn't an excuse for them to pass on their life trauma. My mother bought a couple of clocks after the argument. They make the same sound as the clocks her parents have at their house. Ding-dong. Think creepy school bell.

I'm researching full-ride scholarships overseas. If worst comes to worst I'll take a government bond scholarship. I'm also thinking about setting up my own debit card since I'm over 16, and starting to work part time - which I've wanted to do, but which they've never let me.

I'm not injured by this, per se, because I still love them, even though they definitely don't love me. But my self worth does not hinge on whether they love me or not, and I want to, moving forward, find a source of income and work harder at my studies and extracurricular activities, plus creative pursuits, so I have a better portfolio that I can use to get myself into a scholarship.

They didn't actually have enough money to pay in full for my university/college anyway. Instead of relying on them, I'd really like to broaden my horizons in a foreign country, take subjects I'm interested in, and see how far I can go without them to hold me down and shut me up.

[pianocat939]

Yandere request for our lovable mad dogs ! HCs being rejected or worse friendzone by the reader , how do you think their would react ? 😈

This is like 50% of my effort help.

Tw: Murder (a shit ton), brief moment of manipulation, kidnapping

Yandere Turtles being Friendzoned by MC

✦Rotting Apple Hanging on the Eiffel Tower ✦

Takes it pretty well.

Sure he's hurt but it's not like you hate him! You just would rather be friends.

He doesn't pry and just accepts it as how it is; however, he will continue his dependent behaviors in a platonic fashion.

He'll still cling to you and get anxious if you're gone. If you ever stay the night at the lair (literally any day you don't have school or work) he's all cuddly.

He'll kill potential suitors though.

Sure, you may not see him in a romantic sense, but he won't let anyone else be seen in such a way either.

“Oh I’m sorry, I can’t believe your crush got smashed to death!”

✦Laugh Life Liver✦

Does not take it well at all.

He convinces himself that you're just confused about your feelings and need some extra affection and psychological misleading to unlock the romantic attraction you truly feel.

This means he'll find out exactly what your love language is, (if hasn't already figured it out) and figures out ways he could glorify himself.

For example, let's say it's quality time: he'll take you to Hidden City and go to fun places or in general, activities you enjoy that he can join in with.

If that doesn't work, he'll go for heavy manipulation. Additionally, he kills off anybody he suspects harbours or is receiving romantic attraction.

"So...What do you think of the new DLC? Fun, right? Like me?"

✦Danny DeVito✦

Doesn't accept it.

He exposed his entirety for you, and you now say you wish to not accept his love for you? He already struggles to express it enough, but being rejected? Ha, you really want to break his demeanour completely, don't you?

He'll first block everyone on your phone just so it makes things easier for him. Additionally, he'll kill many of your friends/people you're close with. He's not going to let you run with his heart in your clutches.

He'll kidnap you, holding a gift in his hands when you awaken. The room is completely decorated by trinkets and decorations of your favorite things like it was made for you. Which, it was.

"Dearest, don't you understand? If you had accepted my love, you never would have to go through this."

✦Madagascar Went Waka Waka Away From Africa✦

Accepts it.

If you do not see him in such ways then so be it. He's fine with being only friends because he still gets to be around you.

He'll be normal, nothing particularly odd other than the shrine he has of you. He might get jealous at times, but that's because he wants some affection.

But if someone else comes around (romantically), he'll be sure to whip out his nunchucks.

He doesn't believe anyone deserves you, and if this person trying to stain your righteousness, then he's going to eradicate them from this earth.

"You were never on the same level as them!"

——————————————————

It's been a while since I posted a request. Hopefully, I'll get back on track soon.

- Celina

[deconstructthesoup]

The Hexsquad + Vee in different D20 seasons:

This was an idea I came up with in my brain. If I could draw it, I would, but I can't, so... settle for this massive fucking block of text. Have fun.

Fantasy High

Luz: A human wizard (Evocation) whose life goal is to be the greatest adventurer the world has ever seen, and that all starts with Aguefort Adventuring Academy. She was always considered the "weird kid" in middle school, but she's confident that she'll find her people at Aguefort, and she's ready to take the school by storm... or, at least, find some friends who she can connect with. Luz is definitely the type of person to get her magic-studying done ahead of time, so she's a little bit ahead a lot of her classmates---mostly due to the fact that she keeps on trying the more complicated spells instead of starting with the basics.

Vee: Luz's adopted sister and a changeling sorcerer (Aberrant Mind). She's less keen on the whole "adventuring" thing, preferring a more mundane life, but she and Luz are thick as thieves, and she knows that her sister is definitely still going to get bullied at Aguefort---better to be there so she can have her back. Vee doesn't really remember a lot of her life from before she got adopted by the Nocedas, though she does know that something happened in those lost years that gave her the powers of the Far Realm... powers that she still can't quite control.

Willow: A dwarven druid (Circle of Spores) and barbarian (Battlerager). She's a case study in what happens when the shy, awkward girl from middle school discovers roller derby over the summer and transforms into a confident, punk-rock powerhouse... who still has some of those old insecurities lingering underneath the surface. Not to mention, pretty explosive anger issues. Willow is more than ready to form a kickass adventuring party on top of starting a roller derby team at Aguefort, but so far, she's only got one member...

Gus: A halfling rogue (Arcane Trickster) who skipped two grades due to being a quote-unquote "prodigy," which is a nice way of saying that he's struggling with severe gifted kid syndrome. He and Willow have been best friends for years, to the point where ending up at Aguefort is kind of the best thing that happened to him, even though he's still pretty insecure about his rogue abilities. Since he's younger than almost everyone else, Gus doesn't have a lot of friends to start outside of Willow... so, of course, the best course of action is to join literally every extracurricular. Despite already having a packed schedule. Yeah, he's overworking himself.

Amity: A high elf artificer (Battlesmith) who's built up a reputation as a top student at Hudol---a reputation that, according to her mother, she's completely throwing away by not only choosing to be an artificer instead of a wizard, but purposefully failing the Hudol entrance exam so she could go to Aguefort Adventuring Academy instead. Amity's really just learning how to be rebellious, so she's taking small steps---different academic path, exploring her own passions, dyeing her hair a different color---before she can hopefully build up enough disrespect for authority that she can move out, or at least help her dad work up the courage to ask for divorce papers. She's trying.

Hunter: A tiefling bard (College of Valor) who, like Fig, has only recently discovered that he's a tiefling. Rather than going straight to the rebellious route, though, he's kind of at a loss as to what to do, to the point where he even drops being a paladin in favor of being a bard---though, of course, still within the standard-hero vein. He's been raised by his uncle his whole life, and while their relationship has been pretty positive up until now, it's become fairly strained due to Belos never telling Hunter that his mom was a devil ("I don't give a fuck about safety, Uncle B, the fact that I am literally a spawn of hell is something that I should know"). But he's got an outlet. He's learning guitar and some bard spells.

A Starstruck Odyssey

Captain Luz Noceda: The Amercadian girl who always dreamed of becoming a spacer, she's now the captain of her very own ship, The Selkie, at the age of twenty-six... and she's struggling. Sure, she's joined every union she can, got all the insurance, and has really been trying to keep the ship on the up-and-up, but every time she takes a risk and goes for a more dangerous job, things fail drastically. Luz loves her crew and her ship, and she really doesn't want to give any of it up, but she can't ignore the little voice in her head that's telling her that she might not be as cut out for the spacing life as she originally believed. As luck would have it, though, her new hire has some excellent skills up her sleeve...

Amity Blight-Deamonne: The youngest daughter of renowned inventor Alador Blight and high-society fashion designer Darius Deamonne, Amity's got money, mechanical skills, and a sense of style that's the envy of every femme in the galaxy. She was apprenticing under both of her fathers at the same time, but after hearing that her older siblings had apparently made quite a life for themselves as spacers, she decided that there was no way she was going to miss out on the fun and joined Luz's crew as a mechanic and a "crew diplomat." Of course, Amity isn't the most prepared for the combat that they wind up in more often than not, but she is prepared to do some handy repairs and a lot of smooth talking when necessary. Which is almost all the time. (Also, she lost a leg and an arm in a childhood accident, but her family could afford to have her get fitted for cybernetic replacements without going into massive debt. This has caused her to be a major advocate for cyborg rights.)

Deep-Sea Volcano Eroded By Time, human name "Vee": An Aguatunisian who set off on her Galivant several years ago, she's been exposed to how dishonest, selfish, and uncaring the world outside her home planet can be, which has led her to becoming quite the nervous wreck. True cynicism is something that's pretty much impossible for Vee to really achieve, due to being a psychic being who can tell when people are lying and being fortunate enough to land among folks who are pretty open with each other, but she's still wary of new people until she gets a chance to communicate. Because of this, being the comms officer was the perfect choice, and Vee's pretty comfortable on The Selkie. Still doesn't stop her from going into a panic attack every time the crew gets into combat, though.

Gus Porter (soon-to-be Dr. Porter): Youngest of the crew, Gus is a medical grad student who's interning on the ship for his thesis project---which basically translates to him being the ship's doctor. On paper, he doesn't mind doing the medical stuff, since his entire thesis is on how spacers can maintain a healthy lifestyle while in a fairly dangerous occupation, but more than half the time, he's stuck doing emergency surgery and trying his damnedest not to remind everyone that he's studying to be a doctor, not a surgeon. Despite everything, Gus is absolutely enamored with the spacing life, and he's probably gonna stay on The Selkie well after he finishes his degree.

Wondrous Willow: The beta version of a battle droid that eventually got remade and rebranded as an assistant, Willow has long since given up attempting to fulfill that function and has fully embraced herself as part of the crew of The Selkie. She's a gunner, a heavy-hitter, an extremely loyal friend, and is surprisingly good at cooking---all of which makes her a crew favorite. Of course, despite technically fulfilling what she was designed for, she's still trying to find herself beyond just claiming agency, and it's slow-going for our girl. But she's not called "Wondrous Willow" for nothing, and if there's anything she knows, it's how to tough it out in this galaxy.

Hunter "Lucky Number" Seven: A supersoldier clone turned rugged mercenary, Hunter was designed to save people with smarts as well as brawn, as part of the renowned Hunters For Hire. He and his fellow clones were incredibly adept heroes who helped out anyone in AnarchEra that were in need... until a mysterious individual slaughtered almost all of them, with Hunter Seven being the only one to escape. Currently, he believes that the culprit is his now-slain creator's brother, the elusive and infamous mad scientist known as Dr. Philip B. Wittebane, but that may be a red herring, and the real killer could still be out there. For now, Hunter's found a new squad in the crew of the Selkie, a sister figure in Luz, and a girlfriend in his fellow gunner---and until he gets his revenge on, he's happy for now.

A Court of Fey and Flowers

Luz & Vee: The "twin" daughters of Trickster Court nobility, the two are a rare example of a human and a changeling who decide to remain in the Feywild rather than the Material Plane. While Vee fits in seamlessly in a court of shifters, pranksters, and folks who enjoy nothing more than mischief, Luz stands out in fey society due to her magic not coming naturally and the simple fact that she is a human---despite her parents having blessed her with an unusually long life. As such, she's in the rare position of being more nervous than her sister from the prospect of attending the Bloom, but while Vee has no other intentions than to just have a good time with members of other courts, Luz dreams of potentially finding a match at what some call the most romantic occasion the Feywild has to offer. Though it's uncommon for a fey to fall for a human, maybe Lady Luck is on her side...

Amity: She and her family are all that remains of the Court of Craft, and her father Darius disappeared some time ago. Having only recently come to the conclusion that his husband is dead, her other father, Alador, has agreed to form a marriage alliance with the lady Odalia of the Court of Wonder, something that Amity knows will destroy their court---and she believes wholeheartedly that Darius is still alive. She's at the Bloom for the sole purpose of finding out how to save her court and her father, and romance is the furthest thing from her mind... until she meets a kindhearted individual from the Trickster Court, who seems to not care about the pressures and expectations of fey society. And more than that, she wants to aid her in her cause.

Willow: The niece of Queen Titania and a duchess of the Seelie Court, Willow has attended many a Bloom, and she's used to the whole song-and-dance routine by now. However, her aunt has advised her that this year, the Bloom will be quite a different affair, and it would be in the Seelie Court's best interest for Willow to try and find a political match by the end of the celebration. Of course, Willow's a very free-spirited individual and is adamant about marrying only for love, so she's really just looking for a way to prove to her aunt that she's quite capable of being a high-society woman on her own... until she meets a certain individual.

Hunter: Heir to the Unseelie Court, Prince Hunter is attempting to put his past of just being the nerdy teen who talks about his interest to anyone who'll listen behind him, and in doing so, goes full Mr. Darcy---closed-off, socially awkward, and barely capable of making actual conversation. He fully intended to just spend the Bloom waiting for it to end so he doesn't have to keep on being "a shining example of the values of the Unseelie Court," but on his very first day, he meets the wisecracking and whip-smart Willow, and develops a big ol' crush on her almost instantly... though it takes him a while to figure out how to word it, because, y'know, zero social skills.

Gus: Pretty much the only person who's here for the social drama rather than the romance, Gus is an up-and-coming diplomat of the Goblin Court who's writing a book on the intricately woven fey society---he's intending it to be an anthropological study, but it's slowly starting to become a tell-all expose. Because of this, Gus always has his ear to the ground when it comes to secrets, and it's very rare for anyone to be able to tell him a successful lie... so, needless to say, when he catches wind of Amity's plan, he is one hundred percent on board. (Also, he and Vee become friends almost immediately. Chaos recognizes chaos.)

[qq-is-dreamin]

"Pinky Promises? ♡"

Pairing: gn! reader x leona kingscholar (established relationship)

Summary/Warnings/TWs: None; SFW scenario/oneshot with leona (also a reverse comfort fic?; ends on a sweet/happy note though) ♡

Notes: literally thought dumped and not rlly proofread, so beware of grammar errors and stuffs (again)! This fanfic assumes that reader is Yuu and that you and Leona are in an established relationship. Never wrote TWST characters before so I hope I didn't make them (Leona, Ruggie and Crewel) so OOC- It's a rather self-indulgent piece ngl so reader's mannerism or talking may be very specific?

(once again!! pls do not follow if you're a minor and I will also block if you're minor or ageless blogs; read more in my pinned post)

Brrring!

"Alright, well done, my puppies! That will be all for today's class. Don't forget what you've learned today and also remember to complete your assignments! All of you are dismissed!" A hint of a smile flashed on Professor Crewel's lips as he dismissed everyone.

Standing up, you stretched and yawned before turning on your phone (the one that Headmage Crowley had graciously gifted you) to check for any messages. You were expecting some messages from your favourite lion beastman (sorry Cheka /j) but before you can read the unread messages while on the way out of your alchemy classroom-Ruggie was waving and gesturing you animatedly to walk over to him. Curious to see him waiting outside of your class, you flashed him a questioning look and make a beeline to him.

"Hey, prefect! Since you're probably on your way to see Leona anyways, shyehehe," He said with a knowing and teasing glint in his eyes. "Mind passing these assignments to him when you see him later? He missed an entire day of lessons again! And Professor Trein is threatening to fail him if he doesn't start attending classes again." He sighed with his ears sort of flattened as he continues to speak. "I gotta rush for my part-time job and since you're like Leona's favourite herbivore, please persuade him to go to class tomorrow and also complete his assignments! I believe in you, prefect~" He grinned widely and thrust the pile of assignments into your hands. Before you could even say a word, he disappeared into the crowd of students who were leaving their classrooms. You sighed at the task given to you before resuming to check your unread messages -

My Lion King 🦁 : "Herbivore, you don't have anything after class right?"

My Lion King 🦁 : "Meet me at the botanical garden when you're done. See you later."

You couldn't help but smile and feel amused as you read Leona's text messages. Most people may think he's demanding to his partner after looking at his text messages. You know that's not the case. Though he does not show his affections outright to you in front of others, he shows his love and care in his own way- by being himself. His messages are actually indirectly telling you how much he wants to see you as soon as possible. And that he misses your presence. You pocketed your phone after sending a confirmation that you're coming and start making your way to the school's botanical garden to finally see your favourite lion.

Sure enough, there was your boyfriend was lying on his back in the shade of a tree, his usual favourite spot to peacefully rest away from other students. Though his eyes are closed and he appears to be snoozing, his (soft) ears are a dead giveaway. They're perked up and occasionally flicking, showing that he's long aware of your presence. Although he can't see your smile, you still smiled softly in his direction. Walking over and squatting down next to his resting self. You leaned down and kissed him gently on his forehead then said teasingly, "Good morning, your lionliness." Instantly feeling your kiss upon his forehead, his eyes fluttered open and yawned before giving you a charming smirk. "Took you long enough, herbivore." You then lowered yourself to sit next to him, crossing your legs and readying your legs to be his pillow. As expected, he took the opportunity to rest his head on your lap. You naturally began to comb through his hair with your fingers, feeling the soft strands between your fingertips and hands determined to detangle any knotted hair strands. His eyes were half-open, looking at you still heavy with sleep and he continues to lazily smirk at you. Momentarily, his gaze flicked towards the pile of papers but he ultimately settled on looking back at you and asked, "How's your classes?" As you shared what happened in your classes, he listened intently, occasionally making a sarcastic remark or two about the other first-years' antics. Your snorts and laughter at his comments made his tail swished. He enjoyed seeing you relaxed and laughing, and he was happy to be able to make you smile.

After sharing your day, you both fell into a comfortable silence. You continued to play with his hair, enjoying the feeling of the soft strands against your fingers. As you did so, you noticed that he was starting to doze off. Realising he is about to doze away, you decided to address your task. "Sooo, a little birdy told me that Professor Trein is not happy that you skipped for class today and also asked me to pass you your assignments for the day." You pointed to the stack of assignments. Hearing about that, he scoffed with his ears lowered slightly. "You mean a hyena, right?" One of his emerald eyes opened and stares at you rhetorically. You still nodded instinctively and he groaned in response before looking away and his tail starts to sway in annoyance.

"I know you've been working really hard with your Spelldrive practices and I've noticed that you've been attending your classes more often lately." You were not trying to appease him; it is the truth, Leona had been attending his classes more often, especially after you two had gotten together. Ruggie teased you both, saying that your goody shoes self have been a good influence on Leona and he was glad that Leona has a sweetheart around to "tame" him. This, of course, earned him an earful of (empty) threats from Leona like adding more to Ruggie's chores. Your hands continue to comb through his hair as you continue your words, "I'm actually proud of you. I know it hasn't been easy for you either." He puts in a lot of effort, but sometimes his thoughts get the best of him and he finds himself sleeping in his dorm or the botanical garden, where he can escape his thoughts.

As he heard your words, his tail's swaying slowed down and his ears perked up slightly as though in surprise, which you noticed and feel sad that not many have acknowledged his diligence. He remained silent, but he listened attentively to you, even though he was now facing away from you. You smiled gently and patted his ears, saying, "Like I said before and will always continue to remind you. I'm here for you just like you have been for me. I promise." His ears flicked and he felt his eyes watery before he takes a deep breath to calm himself down. "...Thanks for being here, herbivore. Fine. We'll see how it goes tomorrow." He mutters a response as he finally looks at you again. Your face lit up at his reply. "I don't know how much I can help with all these assignments, but I'll be there, cheering you on!" He responded with a rare soft and genuine look.

To lighten the mood, you quickly reached out with your right hand and hooked your pinky finger with his left. "I pinky promise to be there for you, no matter what! You're stuck with me for life and ever, Leona. Even if you're sick of me, it's too late to back away now." You said with a laugh, but your eyes have a determined and genuine look. He blinks at you owlishly, surprised at your bold promise. He glances at both of your hooked pinky fingers and then back at you. His lips unable to stop curling into his trademark charming smirk as he gruffly replied, "Oi, herbivore. You can't just pinky promise like this. It's supposed to be a two-way street, you know." He responded in a playful but serious tone, but did not make the effort at all to pull his pinky finger. He tightened his pinky finger in response to your assurance, but his heart was hammering in his chest. He tried to maintain his cool look, but he could tell that you could see right through him. Though he tried to be cynical and thinks that he's being naive, he couldn't help himself to be hopeful towards you and the future. In his heart, he silently made a promise to himself that he would be there for you just as you were there for him. He knew that he could count on you, and he wanted you to know that you could count on him too.

Ending notes: Thanks for reading my first twst fanfic/thought dump. This was supposed to be a lighthearted fic and I thought it would go something like this: reader was supposed to make a silly pinky promise like "you gotta promise to get me boba/something since I deal with sm Crowley's nonsense etc. /j" and Leona was gonna like gonna bicker (lightheartedly/affectionately) and pinky promised jokingly to "cancel out the promise" (mentally swearing that he will be there for the reader platonically or romantically ) with the reader, ending off on a sweet note. but as you can see- I do not plan my writing and just improvise as I go and it just becomes kinda heavy halfway through lolol.

I was inspired by a irl situation when I jokingly pinky promised my friend and said they owed me a lifetime supply of boba. They then caught me off guard and pinky promised back (to cancel out the promise ykwim).

For those who's been following me, I'm sorry I haven't been writing as much. University once again held me at a chokehold (and also I've been reading so much interactive fiction wips whenever I have free time-).

Just like always -- pls don't plagiarise, repost, or claim my writing as your own - instead i appreciate any likes, comments, reblogs or follows!! check out my other works if you like! I haven't wrote TWST fanfic until now but there's some Obey Me writings I did (Specifically for Mammon and & Satan).

[widowbitessting]

Heyyy I’m so glad you are back to writing but it’s good to took a break cause breaks are good too!!

Anyway I had a question would the trio do something to celebrate baby finishing finals and the semester?

Hey my love! I remember seeing this and wanting to reply almost immediately then...writer's block hit...and life soooo...hi😅 I am so sorry for the literal, 7 month wait to get back to you *insert face plant gif here* (although I swear I replied to this...cos what I've just written is eerily similar but I can't find that reply anywhere...meh oh well!

All the love (I still can't get over you read my stuff!)

They would for sure spoil you rotten. Like, they've had everything planned for literal months. And kept it all quiet - for months! They wait for you to get back to their apartment, exhausted from your last day, and sit in literal darkness - Wanda literally having to be gagged by Carol to keep her excited giggles quiet - and when you manage to turn the lights on, you all but head butt the ceiling when you see and hear your girlfriends in the living room; Wanda finally being able to let out the excited noises she had been made to keep in. You swear your heart almost jumps out of your throat as you let out a very high pitched scream, arms and legs stuck in a desperate tango of fight or flight.

When you finally, finally, regain enough composure (and your ability to see again), your girlfriends are now standing. Wanda holding up a self made sign that the Trio! had individually put their signatures on - and you can safely say, through tight lips as you try to hold a laugh in, that Art is not any of their strong suits. Natasha and Carol are both holding balloons filled with helium in their hands, and their mouths are still open from their shouts of : "Congratulations!"

It takes you a second or two, to come round; heart pounding loudly in your ears as one hand clutches your chest with vice like fingers. When you finally overcome the panic and register the sweet act before you; you let out a small laugh and cover your mouth.

The living room has been switched to an indoor picnic; blanket lay out on floor with cushions adorned with fluffy blankets and a couple of your favourite stuffed toys. On the couch, an assortment of your favourite foods and snacks, as well as sugary drinks - Natasha reminds you it’s a one time treat to drink them so late in the evening, especially considering you hadn’t drank your total amount of water that day - and you can’t help but zero in on the small bundle of presents that sit beside the food.

You tackle them each for individual hugs and kisses, burrowing into them tightly and thanking them over and over.

“It’s just a small thing,” Natasha says as she squishes you tightly against her, “for all the hard word you’ve put in to your school work.”

“You deserve it and more baby.” Carol adds, kissing you cheek.

“I wanted to take you to Italy but these two said it was too much.” Wanda winks, slapping your ass.

You’re whisked away by Wanda to get changed into brand new pyjamas chosen by Carol - satin ones with matching shorts in your favourite colour - “For easy access.” Wanda adds.

You’re then led downstairs and given the option or eating first or opening presents; and let’s just say, the wrapping paper lasts all but five seconds when they allow you to get to them.

Your gifts are perfect.

A giant teddy bear holding a single rose; and around the stem, the diamond necklace that had caught your eye weeks ago. 

A box of your favourite chocolates. 

A brand new journal and pen.

The last box has your face turning crimson. Underneath delicate tissue lies a lingerie set that leaves little to the imagination. 

“A-are these for any particular event…?” You hold up the bra, eyes near bulging from your head when Natasha holds the matching knickers. 

“These are more for…personal use, baby. Just for us to enjoy.” 

Yeah, there was no way you were going to wear knickers with a slit in the middle out in public. 

The rest of the evening is spent enjoying each other and eating all the rubbish food your tummy can muster.

And when you doze off on the floor around 1am, curled around Carol; Wanda and Natasha cover you in a blanket and snuggle down alongside you.

Everything is perfect.

[his-tamine]

life update :3 (a little vent-y)

sooo, been over 200 days since the house caught fire and we had to move. obviously, a lot of stuff's been happening. can't go into deep details for fear of someone I don't want to find this, finding this, but I'll say this much: FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've very rarely mentioned family on here (for obvious reasons - this account is NOT made for that lol) but here goes. tw for pretty heavy topics: mentions of abuse, father issues, health issues, transphobia & financial issues. I turned 18 Feb 21st, literally just almost 2 months before the damn house caught fire. Meanwhile, my brother's still a minor. MEANING, I narrowly escaped the custody battle my mom & dad are in. But unfortunately, he's still stuck in the middle of it. :( My pops was not really the nicest person to me when I was a kid -

whooping my ass whenever I did anything wrong, no matter how minor the offense was.

Telling me that he loved God more than he loved me, because "You're God's gift to me. God is the one who gave you to me in the first place," when I was four.

Telling me that if I didn't start being ok with receiving physical affection from family - which he knew made me uncomfortable - I was "going to grow up to be a S3R1AL K1LL3R" (yes he said that.)

Telling me that "God doesn't make mistakes," and that he "made me into a beautiful young woman for a reason" after I came out to him personally at 14 - big mistake 0/10 stars, would never do again. You get the idea. And those are the tame examples I could think of. So, I finally cut him off. As soon as my mom, brother, & I were in our new place, I blocked his number and haven't talked to him since. I was sick of him not respecting my boundaries, and repeatedly demonstrating that he thought of me as nothing more than a possession. Tired of him making me feel crazy all the time too. But now he's fucking with my mom & brother. Intentionally not paying child support till the last minute possible - & then making it in as small of payments at a time as he possibly can (yes he can afford it btw.) Trying to force my brother to go over to his place, even when my brother does NOT want to - which has begun giving my brother psychological issues & issues with school, mirroring the ones I used to struggle with bc of that bastard. My mom is juggling all sorts of things, & I really at least wanna try to help financially by getting a job, but I can't yet because: she says that I'm only 18, & shouldn't have to get a job to help out (I disagree.) I don't have an ID bc she wants me to wait on my legal name change - which costs a pretty decent chunk of change - reason is bc she "wants me to have as easy an early adulthood life as possible" (love her.) AND, I haven't actually graduated - No, I dipped in 11th bc school was hell (not exaggerating,) & instead just decided to pursue a GED, that I haven't been able to work towards bc of the shit show that is life in midwestern america. So I've been very depressed, exhausted, & hopeless. The least I can do is clean up our house while she's at work, & get this - some days I don't even have the physical energy to do THAT! I do not know what the hell is wrong with my body currently, but it absolutely sucks. & I'm really tired of just taking up space all the time. She's dealing with health issues too, & I'm always worried ab her. Idk what the hell to do, but something's gotta give. Everybody needs a fucking break. I keep trying to shoo away all the dark thoughts, push myself as often as possible, & keep my fingers crossed, but jfc... Sorry just needed to yell into the void for a sec. I'll live, I'm sure - I've survived worse. Sometimes things just suck. But I like to think that someday they won't. :,)

[docholligay]

Never Have I Ever

This is a short story collection I got as a gift quite awhile ago, and as one might expect it took forever for me to work it into my reading list because I’m just like this and I have 86 things I always want to read. 

Anyway, very glad this wasn’t a commissioned read, as I apparently have managed to lose the book somewhere between my room and pool deck, which is admittedly pretty impressive, even for me. I’m hoping it’s just under something back in the room. 

SO! Non-spoilery: This is a Filipino-American paranormal collection of stories, that leans heavily on the knowledge of FIlipino culture and creature. Like all short story collections, it’s definitely patchy, but comes in with some really beautiful stuff here and there. Yap seems to struggle a little bit with endings occasionally. 

SPOILERY: 

So I can’t actually decide if I liked this or not. Yes? But also no. I saw the pull quote from Tamsyn Muir on the cover and was like, ‘Oh great, when it came down to it, I did not like Gideon the Ninth. Fantastic” BUt there was a lot lot lot more for me in this book than Gideon. 

I CAN tell you that I wish I hadn’t been reading it poolside, because I don’t have a lot of exposure to Filipino culture and go I had to google a LOT for this collection, which I absolutely do not mind doing, I like to learn, but while I’m trying to relax in the hot spring, having to google a bunch of stuff to try and grasp the context of what’s going When I say this book requires a solid footing in Filipino culture, I mean, there are entire lines of dialogue, untranslated, in Filipino. 

It is patchy--A Spell for Foolish Hearts, for example, feels TOTALLY out of place in the collection, which is mostly darker in tone and subject, and then...we have a fluffy gay boy story in San Francisco. The story itself, while not being to my taste, isn’t BAD, just a bit saccharine--okay, a LOT bit saccharine, and it turns out he’s dating the mist of San Francisco and there’s a funky sitcom mixup that leads to a romcom style breakup and gag gag lots of you would LOVE this but it just ain’t for me-- but it feels like a friggin pothole in the interruption of the flow of the collection. The first story, which I can’t remember the name of, was, for me, very “yeah, yeah, the monstrous feminine, we’ve all seen it” and while it’s not terrible, I suppose, it doesn’t break any ground. Many of her stories end hanging, which is fine, but they feel unfinished in a way. There’s not a lot of great drop lines. Sometimes I think Yap gets real tangled up in THE MESSAGE I AM CONVEYING and it takes away from her truly good handle when she allows things to get creepy. 

Now, to stories I loved: 

Have you Heard the one about Anamaria Marquez?: This was a great story that really played into gossip and what it is to be remembered, with a fairly light touch of possession and belief. I loved the way the rumors about Anamaria’s ghost wavered from wildly ridiculous to plausible, in keeping with the ways that all high schools have a ghost and that ghost always has a tragic story. 

Asphalt, River, Mother, Child: This was maybe my favorite story in the whole thing, despite the fact that if someone accused it of being heavy-handed, I wouldn’t disagree. My friend actually said this story reminded her of my writing, which I found insanely flattering. Its about corruption and death and innocence and best intentions, and the exhaustion of compassion, how you can help so little, even if you are a goddess of sorts, but that small but still means something. 

Hurricane Heels: This is a grown up magical girl story! I could have written a variation on this idea, I fucking love it. I don’t even know that I think it’s the most artful story in the collection, but this was the story that made my friend decide to give this to me, and you know what? She’s right. 

How to Swallow the Moon: You see literally every beat of this story coming, if you’ve been around the block once or twice, but it kind of doesn’t matter. The only thing I don’t like about this story is that it’s written in second person, which is not the first time Yap does that. I don’t know if it’s to prove that she can, but there’s nothing about this story that fucking requires it to be in the second person. But, otherwise, it’s a beautiful and lyrical take on the whole ‘princess and handmaid’ type story trope, which really flattens how good I genuinely think the story is. The description in this story is as good as Yap ever gets in the whole collection, and I actually suppose if I had any other mild criticism of this story, which is once again a criticism of the collection itself, is, this story doesn’t fit. I actually think this would go better in a different collection, maybe one with Spell for Foolish Hearts, actually. I think many of y’all would love this one--nicely written stock fantasy beats, gay, happyish ending but not cloying. 

So, yeah, there we are! I guess I would say I DID like it, in general

[somekndofnature]

No Other Way #23

Two domaystic2022 prompts in one day?  Look at me go! This story literally just poured out of my fingertips, without my normal amount of struggle. It is the first actual fight I've written, though. So, I'm still a little nervous about it. I'm also slightly anxious about the subject matter but I'll leave that to all of you to judge. I hope you like it! This is non-explicit, sfw. 

Day 23: Gossip in the Salon

Fandom: Inuyasha, Modern MMA AU

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

Rating: G

AO3

Leaving Like a Day That's Done a Part of a Season

Sango zipped up her puffy black coat and opened the door of the salon, shivering against the sudden blast of icy air from outside. Beside her, Kagome flipped up the collar of her tan pea coat and huddled into her fluffy green scarf, taking a deep breath before stepping out into the elements. It was a frigid winter day and the wind was cutting through the city streets like a knife.

Sango groaned, so desperately wanting to shove her hands into her pockets for a little warmth, but loathe to chance ruining her recent manicure. She looked down at her bright pink nails and smiled. This had been just what she needed; a little time with her best friend and an early Christmas present to herself. 

“That was fun,” Kagome said as if reading her thoughts.

“Yeah, it was,” she agreed with a smile. “Thank you for suggesting it.” 

She shrugged. “I felt like we could both use a little time to ourselves.” 

“Tell me about it,” Sango replied with a roll of her eyes. “You wanna grab some lunch?” 

Kagome nodded. “Sure, there’s a little cafe just a block away. I normally go there for coffee but they have sandwiches and stuff like that.” 

“Sounds good.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Then we can do a little Christmas shopping.” 

“Ugh,” her friend moaned as they weaved around other pedestrians. “I need your help. I have no idea where to start.”

Sango smirked; that was very unlikely. Kagome was one of the most intuitive people she had ever met. She had the annoying ability to give heartfelt and insightful gifts, the kind that always had Sango on the verge of tears. “I’m sure you have it under control.” 

Kagome grimaced. “I got a late start this year, but school just kept me so busy.” 

“You’re finished with classes now though, right?” she asked as they came to a stop at the crosswalk of a busy intersection.

“Yes, thank goodness. I was so burnt out.” 

A crowd of people was gathering around them and Sango reached over to grab her cuff, pulling her friend closer. The city was normally safe but Kagome was a magnet for trouble. “How far is this place? I’m starving.”

“It's just across the street.” She smiled and linked their arms together, pointing to a nearby building.

It felt like forever before the light finally changed, indicating that it was safe to cross. They hurried to the other side of the street as Kagome carried on about class projects and tight deadlines. By the time they reached the cafe, Sango’s teeth were chattering and she sped up her steps. Behind the glossy large windows, the small restaurant glowed with inviting warmth. She was so eager to get inside that she didn’t notice when her friend suddenly went quiet. 

Kagome froze on the sidewalk, mouth parted around a startled breath.  

“What is it?” Sango searched the windows for a second. 

“Shit!” Kagome yelped, grabbing Sango’s arm and yanking her down behind the shrubberies lining the cafe’s patio.

“What–Kagome!” 

“Shh,” she hissed.  

“Who are we hiding from?” Sango asked.

Kagome’s cheeks took on a deeper shade of color. “Inuyasha is in there.” 

She shook her head and looked heavenward. And they had almost managed to pass the Bechdel test. 

“And we’re hiding from him because…” Sango peeked over the holly bush and into the window, eyes widening as the source of her friend’s discomfort became painfully apparent. 

Now that she was looking for him, it was easy to spot the back of Inuyasha’s silver head and white ears. What had Kagome crouched on the concrete, twisting her fingers until her knuckles turned white, was the woman seated across from him. Kikyo.

Inuyasha’s ex had always been a bit of a sore spot for the couple, having come between them more than once. Sango really couldn’t blame Kagome for being intimidated by the other woman. She was a stunning beauty with long glossy dark hair that starkly contrasted with her pale skin and ruby red lips that were currently pulled up into an elegant smile. 

Kagome could hold her own when it came to physical beauty, however, she did have a bit of a jealous streak, which was understandable given the circumstances. Kikyo had a bad habit of calling on Inuyasha whenever her life hit any little hiccup. Being the good guy that he was, the idiot never just told the woman to handle her own shit. He still considered Kikyo a friend and, as with any of his friends, he would move heaven and earth to help them. 

Sango understood and could sympathize but it really frustrated her that his ‘honor code’ sometimes came at the cost of hurting her best friend. Kagome would never think of asking him to cut Kikyo out of his life and, for the most part, she took Inuyasha at his word when he swore they were just friends and would remain that way forever. 

It didn’t stop her insecurities from eating her alive. Kagome didn’t always have a clear view of herself or the irreplaceable part she held in Inuyasha’s life. That hanyou would walk through fire for her but more importantly, he let himself be vulnerable with her. He trusted her in a way that he never would another, that much was clear from watching them interact. So…why was her friend currently hunkered down on the pavement with her eyes growing more glassy by the second? 

Sango’s irritation flared. “Well, let’s go in there,” she said in a heated tone, rising to her feet. “I have some questions for that asshole.” 

“No!” Kagome yanked her back down. 

“Why not?” She pulled her arm out of her friend’s death grip and straightened her jacket. “Don’t you want to know why he’s here getting so cozy with Kikyo?” 

“They’re not getting cozy,” she snapped. “They’re just…having a friendly cup of coffee.” 

Sango rolled her eyes. “And did he tell you he was going out for a friendly cup of coffee with his ex? 

Kagome licked her lips and grimaced. “Well no, but he doesn’t have to tell me everything. It’s none of my business.” 

“The hell it isn’t,” she said, voice growing louder. “You’re living together, Kagome. I think you deserve some kind of explanation.” 

“Shhh…would you keep your voice down?” she whispered, making a shushing motion with her hands.

“No, I will not. Now, you get your butt inside and confront him.” 

“No!” Kagome pushed some hair out of her eyes, exasperated breaths puffing in front of her face. “Look, I trust him, okay?”

Sango raised a dubious brow. “If that’s true, then I still don’t see why we can’t go have a pleasant lunch in the same cafe.” 

“Because it won’t be pleasant,” she said. “It will be a whole…thing. Inu will get defensive, Kikyo will talk down to me like I’m a child, and it will just make me angry. So, can we just skip it? Let’s go somewhere else.” 

Sango passed a discerning look over her friend. Kagome’s eyes were getting red in time with her cheeks, breaths coming faster from between her lips. She could practically see the million questions and doubts already circling through her mind. 

She sighed. “Fine, but let's go to a different part of the city. I don’t want to be dodging them all day.” She grimaced when Kagome’s face fell. “Not that they’re going to be together all day.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Thanks.” 

“Look, whatever we’re going to do, we need to do it,” she said. “We’re starting to attract attention.” 

Kagome glanced up, realizing that they had become an obstruction on the sidewalk that grumbling pedestrians had to navigate around. She jumped to her feet and grabbed Sango’s arm, hiding behind her collar as she dragged her away.  

“Come on, there’s a train station around the corner.” 

“Fine, but you’re buying.” 

—---------------------------------------------------------------

Inuyasha released a ragged breath, dancing just out of reach of the massive fist aimed at his head. He backed up toward the roped off edges of the ring, reassessing his current sparring partner. Chokyukai was in rare form today, actually providing a challenge for once.

The boar demon smirked, beating his fists against his chest. “Come on, you can do better than that, shorty.”

“Fuck off, at least I can fit through most doors.”

“Don’t let him get in your head, Inuyasha,” MIroku called from just outside the ring. 

“I’m not, that’s just a crap insult. He’s a fucking bus, bigger than everyone,” he replied in a clear reference to the boar’s prominent gut.

“Your father could have crushed me under his claws.” Chokyukai barrelled straight at him, seeming a little lighter on his feet than usual.

Inuyasha scowled, darting forward to meet him head on. “Too bad you’ll have to settle for mine!”

“Don’t just rush in, Inuyasha!” MIroku shouted from the sidelines. “Wait for an opening!” 

“I’ll make my own opening!”  

Inuyasha jumped just as the boar demon took a swipe at him, slamming a knee into the bottom of his jaw. He winced as sharp tusks sliced into the skin on either side of the joint. Gritting his fangs against the pain, he fell back on his other foot, pushing off Chokyukai’s generous stomach and spinning through the air. 

Inuyasha felt a fleeting moment of triumph before he was yanked to an abrupt stop by his ankle and slammed into the padded floor. He shook the stars from his eyes in time to see dual meaty fists come flying down toward his chest and rolled to the side just in time. Chokyukai hit the mat hard with an echoing boom.

Outside of the ring, Miroku was calling out orders that were less than helpful. “You need to be faster.” 

“Thanks for the fucking tip jackass!” Inuyasha growled as he jumped onto his feet. 

He looked down at the deep slashes on either side of his leg and grimaced. It didn’t hurt really; it was little more than an annoyance, but he could be damn sure Kagome was going to get all weepy over it. Inuyasha could only hope that it would be healed enough by the time he got home. He already had some uncomfortable news to share with his girlfriend and didn’t need to add anything else on top of it. Although…maybe he could get some sympathy points? 

“Inuyasha! Pay attention!” Miroku yelled as the Chokyukai made a hasty grab for him. 

He leapt out of the way, but not fast enough. The boar demon’s fingers grasped at the ends of his long silver ponytail and held tight, yanking him forward. Inuyasha snarled in pain but managed to get his feet under him and spring into the air, spinning to plant a solid kick against Chokyukai’s temple. 

He grunted and stumbled to the side, releasing his grip. The boar demon fell to his knees, holding his head in his hands.

Inuyasha grinned and opened his mouth to deliver another insult only to be cut off by a furious feminine voice. 

“Inuyasha!” 

His head whipped towards the sound of his name. 

“Inuyasha! Where the hell are you?” The shout echoed down the gym’s short front hallway, its owner appearing seconds behind. 

“What’s up, Sango?” he asked, right before a solid hit slammed into the back of his head with all the force of a freight train and everything went dark

Miroku was shaking him into consciousness what seemed like a second later. The fluorescent lights above blinded him, stabbing into his brain like an ice pick. Inuyasha groaned as two of his friend’s face appeared in front of his vision. 

“That’s it,” Miroku said, patting his cheek. “Open your eyes.” 

“I’m up, I’m up,” he grumbled, batting his hands away. “Quit smackin’me.”

He could hear Sango ripping Chokyukai a new asshole and the boar demon’s pitiful string of wailed apologies. She shouldn’t have bothered with the overprotective crap. He was the idiot who turned his back on an opponent; he’d just thought Chokyukai was already down.

“He’s awake,” Miroku called out, cutting off her tirade. 

Sango was at his side a second later, helping him into a sitting position. “Inuyasha? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he snapped; his pride hurt more than anything else. That fucking asshole had sucker-punched him!

“Take it easy,” Miroku warned and placed a steadying hand on his bare shoulder. 

Inuyasha brushed him off, shaking the double vision away before turning a glare in Chokyukai’s direction. The dickhead was already gone, probably slinked off as soon as Sango’s attention was diverted. Fucking coward!

Inuyasha cursed, rubbing at his aching head. 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Sango asked, her voice compassionate but still stiff. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” 

“Good,” she said before landing a solid punch against his arm.

“Sango!” Miroku protested. 

“Dammit! What the hell was that for?” Inuyasha snarled, baring his fangs at her. 

She rolled her eyes and stood. “You’re lucky that’s all I’m doing, idiot.” 

Miroku sighed. “Now let's all just take a deep breath–” 

Inuyasha jumped to his feet beside her, unable to keep himself from stumbling when the whole world swayed. “What the fuck is your problem, Sango? Is it your time of the month or something?” 

“You’re digging your own grave,” Miroku mumbled, lumbering to a stand behind him. 

Her face went five shades of red. “No, you two-timing asshole!”

“Who are you calling two-timing, dammit?” 

“You!” she snapped, pushing a finger into his chest. ”Or was that not you I saw, sitting in a cafe with Kikyo this afternoon?” 

“Oooh,” Miroku whispered from behind him. “Tread lightly, my friend. Tread lightly.” 

“Shut up,” he growled over his shoulder before turning back to her. “Are you seriously going to hassle me over that? I ran into Kikyo and her fiance, while I was grabbing a cup of coffee. He asked me to sit with them for a while. I didn’t want to be a dick, so I agreed.” 

“Since when are you not a dick?”

“I will be from now on if this is the kind of reaction I’m gonna get,” Inuyasha replied. “I endure thirty of the most uncomfortable minutes of my life and then get yelled at for it? No, thank you.”

“Well, it’s not like it was some gossip we heard at the salon. We saw the two of you and it looked pretty damn comfortable from where we were standing.”

Inuyasha stilled for a second before grabbing her arm and pulling her closer. “What the fuck do you mean, ‘we’?” 

“Kagome was with me, jackass,” Sango said, shaking him off.

“Fuck! Where is she now?” he asked, glancing behind her in case he had missed something.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “She isn’t here. She went home; said that she ‘had a headache’.”

Inuyasha released a string of curses and stomped toward the edge of the ring, slipping out from between the ropes. 

“Inuyasha!” Miroku called. “We’re not finished with training for the day.” 

“Yes we are,” he replied without looking back.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Sango asked. 

“Where the fuck do you think?” he snapped back, snatching up his duffle bag from a nearby bench.

“You don’t want to at least change first?” 

“No!” he shouted back, already halfway down the hall.

Sango turned to Miroku with her eyebrows raised. “He knows he’s half-naked, right?” 

“I don’t think he cares.” 

—-------------------------------------------------------------

Inuyasha jumped onto his icy balcony railing, cursing when his bare feet fought for purchase. He teetered for a moment before regaining his balance and hopping down onto the rough concrete. He rubbed at the slowly healing lump on the back of his head and growled under his breath, still feeling a slight fog clinging to his mind. Perfect! Just what he fucking needed. 

He shivered as a biting wind pricked at the bare skin of his shoulders. In hindsight, he probably should have thrown on more clothes over his skimpy workout shorts before taking off. In his defense, Inuyasha had been pretty eager to get home, but now, he found himself lingering outside of the sliding glass door, already dreading the no doubt epic fight to come. 

Why the fuck hadn’t he just said ‘no’ when Kikyo’s fiance insisted he join them? What exactly had he been trying to prove? But he already knew the answer and it made him feel more than a little guilty. He’d been trying to prove that he was over it, not to Kikyo, but to himself, and he had succeeded…for the most part. 

Aside from the general awkwardness that came from meeting an ex’s current partner, the impromptu run-in wasn’t terrible. Suikotsu had seemed like a decent enough guy, gentle and soft-spoken, but with an inherent confidence that made you want to trust him. He probably needed that characteristic, since he worked as a pediatrician. 

The guy was a prodigy and likely loaded, but all that really mattered was that Kikyo seemed happy. Inuyasha had never seen her so content in all the years that he had known her. That was all he could ask for, and he was glad to know that she had finally found the same love and support that he had. 

It made him all the more irritated that Kagome hadn’t just come right out and asked him about it, though. She didn’t need to sic Sango on him; he would have told her the truth. After all this time, how could she still not trust him? Armed with this righteous anger, Inuyasha ripped open the door and slammed it behind him, tossing his bag on the floor. 

“Kagome!” he shouted through the quiet apartment.

A soft feminine gasp answered him, followed by the quick patter of small feet from their bedroom.

He chased after the sound, rounding their doorway to find Kagome with her back to him, face nearly shoved into a dresser drawer as she put away the stacks of folded clothes on the foot of the bed.  

“What’s up?” she asked with a forced brightness.

She didn’t need to bother with the pretense; he could already smell the scent of her recent tears in the air and, if not, the dark blotch on his pillow would have given her away. 

Inuyasha scowled. “Do you have something you want to ask me?” 

“What do you mean?” she replied, finally glancing over her shoulder. Her mouth fell open. “Inuyasha! You’re practically naked; it’s freezing outside.” 

“And? What does that matter?” 

Kagome rolled her beautiful blue eyes. “I’ll be sure to remember that one the next time you complain about my outfit when I go out for girls’ night with Sango and Rin.” 

He bristled at the reminder of their most recent point of contention. “Hey! I’m not the one with the sweet ass and legs that won’t quit.” 

“Agree to disagree,” she said with a smirk as she grabbed another stack of clean shirts.

His shoulders bunched. “Cut the crap, ‘Gome. I know you saw me with Kikyo this afternoon.”

Her body went stiff as she turned back to the dresser, busying herself with tucking them into a drawer. “And?”

“And, why didn’t you call me? Text me? Something?” he asked. “Anything other than sending Sango to give me fucking concussion.” 

“What?! What do you mean ‘give you a concussion’?” Kagome whipped around, eyes searching over his body with more intent and widening when she caught a good view of the twin gashes on his leg. “Inu, you’re bleeding!” She rushed to his side, kneeling down to inspect the inconsequential wound. 

“I’m fine,” he replied, snatching her wrist and pulling her back onto her feet. “Don’t change the subject! Why didn’t you talk to me?” 

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she said, looking away with a casual shrug that wasn’t fooling anyone. “It’s none of my business.” 

Up close like this, he could see that her eyes were still red and lashes clumped together with tears. “Fuck that!” Inuyasha snapped. “It clearly upset you enough to turn our friend on me.” 

“I didn’t turn Sango on you,” she replied. “I told her to leave it alone.” 

“Well, you must have been just as convincing then as you are now,” he growled. “Couldn’t you try having a little faith in me?” 

“I am trying!” she shouted, ripping her hand from his grasp with fresh tears gathering in her eyes. “All I’ve done all day is try. Do you think I want to feel this way?” she asked, voice shaking as she took a few steps away from him. “Do you think I enjoy being insecure? Or needing to talk myself down from a full blown panic attack? But I’m trying!”

“Then why the hell are you sitting here crying by yourself?” 

“Because I’m only human, Inuyasha!” Kagome said, brushing away some of the strands of hair that were stuck to her wet cheeks. “I cry when something hurts and it doesn't always make sense. It isn’t always logical, but I was dealing with it on my own! Why can’t you let me do that?”  

“Because you shouldn’t be crying over something like this,” he replied. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you, Kagome.” 

“I know, I know you weren’t,” she said before taking a quick step towards him and cupping his face in her hands. “Look, you didn’t do anything wrong, Inu.” 

He searched her face and released a frustrated huff, feeling more confused than ever. “Then I don’t know what to do here, ‘Gome. Tell me what to do.”  

“You don’t need to do anything,” she replied, brushing her thumbs along his cheeks. “I wasn’t going to make it your problem. I was going to wait for you to talk to me about it, because I knew you would. I do trust you, Inuyasha, I swear. I knew I would feel better the moment I saw you. You’re the one who came home and picked a fight.”

He searched for the right words–never a strong suit of his. When his head throbbed after several long moments of silence, Inuyasha sighed. “I was gonna tell you.” 

“I believe you,” she assured him, threading her fingers through the hair around his face. “Now will you please sit down so I can look at your leg?” 

Any remaining outrage drained out of him and Inuyasha nodded, walking the few steps to the bed before plopping down on the mattress. 

Kagome disappeared into the bathroom and returned seconds later with the first aid kit in her hands. She knelt in front of him, feather light touch brushing over his broken skin. 

He was still unsettled, waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Kagome to make her true feelings on the matter known, but she only cooed and fussed over his wounds. Inuyasha flushed with guilt; maybe he was the one who needed to have a little more faith. 

Kikyo was such a well-worn and sore subject between them. He had expected Kagome to be angry, preparing himself for an argument before he even walked through the door, but things were different between them now; they were settled, comfortable, committed. He should’ve known that she would at least give him the chance to explain. Come to think of it, he never really had.

“I wasn’t meeting her there,” he said, breaking the still heavy silence.

Kagome focused on pulling out a few alcohol swabs and ripping them open. “Okay.” 

“I ran into her,” he continued, wincing as she wiped the blood away from the rapidly healing wounds. “She was there with her fiance and he asked me to sit with them for a bit.” 

“Well, how did that go?” she asked. 

Inuyasha groaned, rubbing at his eyes. “It was super awkward but otherwise fine.” 

She hit a particularly sensitive spot and he hissed in discomfort. “Sorry, sorry,” she said before blowing the sting away. “Is that better? Does it still hurt?” 

“Nah,” he replied. “My head’s still aching, though.” 

“Your head?” she asked with a frown as she crawled onto the bed behind him. 

Inuyasha grimaced as she gently pulled the elastic from his long ponytail. 

Kagome delved delicate fingers into his hair, feeling along his scalp until he tensed and she sucked in a breath. “Oooh Inu, that’s a nice bump. What happened?” 

“Chokyukai sucker-punched me while I was distracted,” he spat. “I thought he was down for the count. So, it took me off guard.” 

“Hmm,” she grumbled. “I’m gonna need to have some words with him.” 

“Don’t, it’s not a big deal,” he said. “Besides, Sango already chewed him out.”

Her soothing touch drifted lower, thumbs rubbing into the tense muscles of his neck and shoulders. Inuyasha groaned, letting his head fall forward in a blatant invitation to keep going. 

“Mmmm, does that feel good, puppy?”

“Yes,” he moaned, arching into her touch. “Don’t stop.”

Kagome chuckled but continued unwinding the tension in his body until Inuyasha nearly melted into a puddle on the floor.

“So,” she hedged, breaking the easy silence. “What’s he like? Kikyo’s fiance.” 

He shrugged. “Seems like a good guy.  He’s a doctor, works with kids, everything Kikyo has ever wanted.”

“Is she happy?”

“Yeah, I think so,” he replied.

“Good, I’m glad,” she said, continuing her impromptu massage.  

Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder with a brow raised. “Really?”

“Of course,” she scoffed. “I don’t hate Kikyo or want bad things for her.”

“Keh, I know that.”

“I wish her all the happiness in the world,” Kagome continued getting onto her knees to wrap her arms around his shoulders. “Just not with my hanyou.” She placed a possessive kiss against his neck. 

Inuyasha chuckled and looked up at her over his shoulder covering her hand with one of his. “You have nothing to worry about; I wouldn’t be happy without you, ‘Gome.”

She hummed and leaned forward to capture his lips in a sweet kiss. Inuyasha cupped the back of her head, encouraging her to linger, but too soon, she was pulling away. 

Kagome rubbed her nose against his. “You want a bath?”

“Keh, you tryin’ to say I stink?” 

“No.” She laughed. “I thought it might help you relax.”

“Sure,” he said with a nod. “But only if you share it with me.”

“Okay, twist my arm,” she said with a mock sigh before winking at him. “I’ll get it started.”

She slipped off the bed, headed for the bathroom. When Inuyasha grabbed her hand, she turned back with a question in her eyes. 

“Kagome, you know how important you are to me, right?”

She offered him a tender smile, brushing the backs of her fingers over his cheek. “I do. Stop worrying, Inu. Everything’s okay.”

He nodded, eyes following her as she slipped through the doorway.  

Inuyasha had been turning a thought over in his head since he’d ran into Kikyo earlier in the day. She had asked if he and Kagome were planning on tying the knot anytime soon and he had waved the question away. He already knew that he was going to spend the rest of his life with her; all that extra ceremony was unnecessary in his opinion. Kikyo had frowned and reminded him that even if it didn’t mean something to him…it might to Kagome, sparking an internal debate that had raged all day. 

The idea of actually proposing to her scared the hell out of him, not because he was worried about her answer, but he was worried about getting it right. He wasn’t exactly knowledgeable about these sorts of things, but even he knew that the proposal was important. It was supposed to be heartfelt and meaningful, full of romantic declarations. All things that he had never been very good at but…it was time. He could struggle through a few moments of discomfort if it meant finally tying her life to his.

Not now, the last way he wanted to propose it was in reaction to an argument, but…soon. Inuyasha was going to make Kagome his in every way that mattered.

[sunnyie-eve]

15 | Asking...

Series: Valentine Addams | Wednesday

Paring: (Xavier Thorpe x OFC Addams! Tyler Galpin x OFC Addams!)

Word Count: 1518

Warnings: conflicted feelings, arguing about a dance

14. It's Human | 16. Rave'N

Enid and a few girls decided we should all go dress shopping for the dance. They wanted us to wear white to match the theme but there was no way I'd wear a white dress. While I went to look at dresses with the girls, Wednesday whet off to see the sheriff. Barely into the shopping I got bored so I left to go to the Weathervane. 

As I walk in Tyler bumps into me on the way out, "Val." He smiles. 

"Tyler." I smile back. 

"What are you doing in town today?" He asks as we walk outside down the sidewalk. 

"A few girls are dress shopping. I got bored of watching them." I shrug my shoulders. 

"For the Rave'N this weekend. It was all the buzz at the Weathervane today." He says as we come to a stop. 

"Wow, everyone is really obsessed with this dance." I shake my head. 

"So, you're not going?" He asks. 

"Actually, I was forced to ask someone because of Wednesday." I roll my eyes still pissed at her. "

Sure, that happens. Who is it?" He asks eyeing me. 

"Xavier..." I watch his whole face change. 

"Got it. Hope you two have fun." He starts to walk away.

"Why are you upset? I literally said I was forced." I make him turn around. 

"I have a reason to be upset because you keep giving me these signals. I thought we liked each other, but then you pull something like this because you were forced?" He looks at me with so many different emotions. 

"Wednesday put me on the chopping block because he almost caught us snooping around his shit. She made something up on the spot and threw me under the bus she was driving. I didn't want to ask him to the stupid dance. If I was going to ask anyone it would have been you." I start to get frustrated. "I told you Xavier was missing something so that meant I don't like him more than a friend." I run my hands through my hair getting even more frustrated. "I still don't fully know feelings because I'm developing new ones I've never felt before until I met you. You make me feel so many things and it makes me feel like I'm losing my mind." I feel myself wanting to cry which I hated was a thing now when I feel super frustrated. 

Tyler walks up to me and stops right in front of me looking down at me, "You make me feel like I'm losing my mind as well." He takes a hold of one of my hands. 

"I'm sorry." I take my hand back and walk away confused wanting to run to the train station and lay down on the tracks.

-

I just end up walk back to school to clear my mind. "Miss Addams, a gift from your mother has arrived today. I sat it on your bed." Ms. Thornhill smiles at I pass her in the hall. 

"My mother sent me a gift? Thank you." I got to my room to see a box on the bed with a letter on top.

My dear, Valentine. I know the Rave'N will be coming up soon around this time. I have a feeling you'll end up going with a certain person or maybe just a friend. So I've taken the time to find you a perfect dress you would love. I didn't send your sister one because I know she would never go. And if I did send one she would even more think I was trying to change her. Love you my sweet little black rose.

I didn't want to open the box quite yet because I wanted it to be a surprise. I end up calling my mother with the crystal ball to thank her for the dress but I don't want to look at it till the dance. She was happy I was going but I told her Wednesday wasn't going to go which she had a feeling.

"We're going for a walk." Wednesday walks into my room. 

"A walk where?" I eye her. "The woods. Eugene is leading the way." She leaves so I get up from my desk following her. 

We end up at a cave that had the same circle spiral in the rocks. "It's definitely a match. What were you doing out here?" Wednesday asks him. 

"Collecting specimens. This place is ground zero for horny gypsy moths. You think it's in there?" Eugene asks. 

"Only one way to find out." She walks up to it and we go in. We see the floor covered in animal bones. 

"Check this out." Eugene flashes his light on shackles nailed into the wall with scratches marks around it. 

She walks towards something else while I touch the shackles. "Stop! Please leave me alone! Don't come near me! No!" A distorted voice screams getting deeper and their blurry body becomes the monster.

"Valentine, what did you see?" Wednesday looks at me. 

"That's the thing, I couldn't really see or hear. It was blurry but the person who's the monster didn't want to change they were forced by someone." I explain to her as she holds a claw. 

"I need to go back to the shed. I need something to compare this too. You don't look well. Eugene make sure she gets to her room okay." Wednesday leaves us so Eugene helps me.

As I lay in bed after taking something for my head I kept thinking about how there was two people we needed to find. Why would someone force someone into that monster? There was banging at the door making me jump in bed. "What the hell?" I get up walking to the door opening to see Xavier. 

"Did you only ask me to the Rave'N because you and Wednesday think I'm the monster? She heavily believes I'm the monster because of all those things I painted of the monster." He brushes past me coming into the room. 

"I don't think it's you." I tell him truthfully. 

"I don't know if I can believe you." He shakes his head. 

"All I want to know is how did you get the scratches and why paint all those? You're my friend Xavier, you can tell me. I was confused to see all that but I still don't think it's you." I walk away from the door.

"The creature has been haunting my dreams for weeks. I try to block it out but I can't. So I just paint it. The recent one, the claws reached out and took a swipe at me." He sits on my bed. "See that makes sense to me." I take a seat next to him. "You're sister doesn't think so." He messes with his hands. 

"Do you care what she thinks?" I laugh. 

"No, I care what you think." He looks at me. 

"Well, I still don't think it's you. I only will if there's hardcore evidence to support it." I chuckle. 

"You didn't want to ask me to the dance did you? You only did it to cover up you two were in the shed." His eyes scan my face so I nod my head, 

"She cornered me into asking you but I'll still go with a friend if you want me to. If you're upset about the whole thing I get it." I let him know.

"I'm hurt you didn't want to ask me originally but I was going to ask you, so yeah, I still want to go to the dance with you." He smiles. 

"Great, because my mom sent me my dress today but I don't want to see it till I get ready for the dance." I clap my hands and he leans over kissing me making me freeze in place. 

"Can't wait to see you in your dress tomorrow." He leaves my room. 

"I just called you a friend, dude." I wipe my mouth as I was left alone.

-

"Whose your date for the dance?" I ask Enid as we hangout in her room. 

"Lucas." She smiles, "It's to make Ajax jealous." She rolls her eyes. 

"But out of everyone, Lucas?" I give her a look. 

"He approached me to get back at someone too so why not." She shrugs her shoulders. 

"Your dress matches the theme." I say as she shows me her dress. 

"What dress did you end up getting?" She asks me but Wednesday jumps in. 

"She's not going to the dance anymore." She says making me look over at her. 

"Why do you say that?" I ask her. 

"Because Xavier knows the truth that you were forced to ask him." She turns to face me.

"I'm still going with him. And my mother sent me a dress. I still haven't looked at it. I want to be surprised when I put it on tonight." I tell both of them. 

"Why still go with him?" Wednesday asks me. 

"He's a friend still. Have fun doing whatever you and Eugene plan to do." I leave their room to go do whatever in my room.