#found this in my photos and completely forgot where I found it but HERE WE ARE

[canadiancryptid]

[ifwdominicfike]

── .✦. ──

“okay, guys can you hurry up my arms gonna fucking fall off already god-“ nick says while holding up the small camera in his hand.

you all had gone out but it really was just an excuse for you and nick to get good pictures to post, as the night went on the pink and orange hues in the sky were starting to fade before you knew it.

you guys had been trying to get a good picture for about 10 minutes now, nick was complaining about why he had to hold the camera, chris kept saying matt was blocking his view, and matt kept pointing out every cat he saw so you weren’t really getting anywhere.

“okay okay nick shut the fuck up already, kid we’re going” chris says obviously irritated by his brother, you stood in front of matt so you weren’t blocked by him. nick had angled the camera high to get all 4 of us in the photo, you heard the click and saw the flash go off.

“fuck y/n again you need to tiptoe or something bitch” you groan, this was the third photo already with only the top of your head showing. “no need to yell nick im right here, my ears are gonna melt off because of you” matt giggles at your response which also causes you to laugh along with him.

“can we hurry the fuck up before i start walking home i swear you guys are not funny” this leads to you, chris and matt to look at each other and laugh once more. “okay kid no need to throw a fit just come on” chris says motioning to the camera, same process again, only this time it was half of your face.

“there’s no way- im so done. matt get the car started im going home-“ your cut off by matt grabbing your wrist and dragging you back “nope sweetheart just one more, please?” he smiles and you groan rolling your eyes. “fine but what if w-“ you feel matts hands grasp onto your hips and lift you up a little “what the f- matt put me down” he laughs while tightening his grip.

“nick hurry up and take the picture come on” he says hurriedly, his touch tickling you, making you squirm and giggle, the flash goes off once again. “FINALLY.” nick yells “we finally have a decent picture, okay now we can go home” he bluntly says making his way towards the car, chris on the way right behind him.

“that was not funny matt, what if i fell?” you say, trying to straighten out your clothes from twisting and turning around in matts hold. “but you didn’t though baby, did you?” he grins while you roll your eyes at him in “annoyance”.

“yeah whatever matt” you couldn’t hold back your smile anymore when you felt his hand snake around your waist and pull you in closer, he looks down at you and smirks. his lips almost connecting with yours until you hear nick honk the horn. “can you guys hurry up?! im not trying to see you two make out 5 feet away from the car!”

you and matt burst into giggles “he just has to ruin everything, kids fucking annoying.” he grabs your hand and gives it a small kiss before making your way back to the car.

── .✦. ──

- avery’s note ˚ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆｡-

first blurb and idrk what this was.. i was bored and wanted to write it sigh. THIS WAS A PROMPT AND I COMPLETELY FORGOT WHERE I FOUND ITT 💔💔. ugh anyways i also know this is sorta unrealistic because the triplets are lowkey short kings.. BUT THAT DOESNT MATTER 💋.

bye love youu ᥫ᭡.

[moonystoes]

Tiktok Trend - Elisa De Almeida

Summary: you and Elisa decide to hard launch by doing a tiktok trend.

A/n: heyyy!! This was actually my first ever fic (January 5th) and I completely forgot about it until I decided to clean up my notes app and couldn't even recognize it. It's quite short ( and a mess) but sweet. Enjoy!!!

"Okay let's do this tiktok trend you showed me!" Elisa jumped up from the beige couch excitedly. It was you who showed her the tiktok trend where couples tell the camera what they like and hate about each other, but it wasn't your intention to film one. She was skeptical about posting a lot of photos of you on her account, worried if her fans would bother you. And although it annoyed you at first that she's hiding you, it made you warm that she's doing all of this for your comfort.

But fanpages had already found your accounts on tiktok and instagram, stalking your posts and going through your stories every time you post. At first it made you uncomfortable, but you had accepted it for the sake of elisa. Some of them are nice, ones that you look through their edits and content and smile. But of course there were some that sent you weird messages about leaving their 'wife'.

"Are you sure it's a good idea? I haven't posted tiktoks about you yet."

"I mean... do you not want to? It's your account. And besides, you have already posted photos of me on Instagram so they're aware of us." Her sudden energy slightly deflated when she heard your hesitant tone.

"Yes! I don't mind it at all. Ehm... okay sit next to me and I'll prop my phone here." You pointed next to you on the couch, grabbing your phone and angling it on the coffee table perfectly to show the both of you.

You took a deep breath as you opened tiktok. You knew there was no going back once you do this, they will either love you or completely harass you.

"Hey I'm here with elisa and we have to say one thing we hate about each other." You touched your hair, making sure it's not a mess. Elisa can sense you being worried, she softly intertwined her hand with your other one.

"Why hate? Why not love?" She fake frowned, "wow is there no love in your heart?" She looked at the camera with a raised eyebrow in fake-shock.

"Oh my god!" You rolled your eyes, "we will start with hate and then love. So if you get pissed at what I hate about you, you'd feel better about the love." You played with her thin cross bracelet, your eyes zoning out at the sight of her veiny hand. She looked back at you with a sarcastic angry face and a soft hum.

"Okay who will start?" She asked. Her gaze softening when she realized that you're not listening. She squeezed your hand, making you look up towards her face with a slight flushed face.

It was obvious that her hands and arms were distracting to you, she had noticed your fascination to them since your first date. At first she thought there was something like a sauce or maybe a bug on her hand when your eyes kept going down there, but there wasn't a thing there and it didn't take her long to understand.

"I'll start," she whispered, "I don't like it when you...always put others first, sometimes you need to be selfish and think about yourself." She whispered, her other hand playing with the button of your shirt.

You looked away to stop the blushing, realizing that if you looked at her eyes you'd probably stammer and never end up saying what you want. The amount PDA she's doing is stressing you a little, worried what the media would think. "What I don't like about you is... the tech fleece." You laughed at the way her face dropped.

"Are you serious? Mine was so romantic and yours is just so mean!" She let go of your hand, turning to the camera and folding her arms over her chest. "Wow you guys are witnessing a break up right now. The best thing about you is...the break up right now."

"Okay whatever, the best part about you is-"

"My hands!"

"Huh?" You looked at her face in confusion. She burst out laughing, her head tilting back and her hands clutching her side.

When realization hit, your face had a small shameful frown. You really thought you were slick admiring them, but she obviously knows you a little too much.

"Whatever, my favorite part about you is your smile." Elisa brushed off your reaction as she responded. She placed her arm around your shoulder and pulling you into her side, a soft smile blossomed in your face at the mention.

You hoped your blush was not obvious when you looked back at the small screen. You reached for the phone and ended the video, making a quick caption: "She got mad but it's the truth and you guys know it too."

You threw the phone to Elisa, obviously too scared to press 'post'. She held into your hand tightly and did it for you, before turning to look at you and shrugging, "done."

Since your job was at the evening, it wasn't hard to avoid your phone all day. It was until 10pm when the both of you cuddled in bed. Elisa's face was resting on the nape of your neck, she tapped your arm quickly as she huffed in frustration.

You stopped scrolling on Twitter to glare at her, "what?"

"Tiktok time before we sleep," she lifted her head to give you a pout, making you giggle and roll your eyes. It has been a routine for you to go on tiktok and her just staring at your screen before sleeping. The first time it happened was when you had your first night at her apartment, and you can vividly recall her face trying to pretend that she wasnt looking at your screen until you called her out for it.

"Fine," you laughed and went on tiktok, but the '99+' notifications reminded you of the video you made. Elisa noticed your uneasy look, before pressing the little envelope to see them.

The video already had around 50k likes, which was surprising since your usual ones get around 3000 only. You scrolled through the comments, many of them were in Portuguese since she's mostly popular in Brazil.

"You know... I don't feel so bad now that I don't speak Portuguese, because I don't wanna know what all of this is about."

Elisa sat up and grabbed your phone from your hands, she leaned in closer to your screen since she wasn't wearing her glasses, "umm...some of them are crying about me not being single, and...about us being touchy."

You remained quiet for a second, "so none of them are rude to me, yeah?" You glanced at her face as she turned to look at you, "don't lie, I wanna know what they think about me."

Elisa leaned in close and hugged you, she can hear the insecurity in your voice, "none of them are mean to you, I promise. They're just hurt that this sexy, hot, talented, beautiful woman has a girlfriend. But that's it."

You sarcastically pushed her away, "you don't even describe me that way."

She laughed and continued scrolling. By now, the comments became more international. Arabic, Spanish, French, English and more. You can understand some of them, which made your body relax when you realized Elisa was somewhat right.

"Omg what 💀💀"

"Noooooooo she's not single wtf"

"Please why is Elisa so touchy (im gonna cry I wish that was me)"

"Guys be nice to the poor girl, she looks so stressed posting this. We need to let her know that she's loved and appreciated by us 💞💞 (we need more content of elisa tho, plz y/n 🙏)"

"Please why are they cute"

"OMG WAG?? WE NEED SERIOUS WAG SERIES Y/N IF YOU'RE WATCHING THIS PLEASE"

"I think I just heard my heart get crushed. As long as she's happy"

"Why is Elisa with someone like that? She deserves way better 🤮"

Your eyes quickly looked away from the phone. Of course you'll get hate. There is no way you can please the millions that are thirsting for her.

Since Elisa's English isn't the best, it took her way longer to read that comment than you. She glanced at you as you were adjusting your pillow, preparing yourself to sleep.

She sighed and turned off your phone, reaching out to put it delicately on your nightstand, "baby...you know that they're just jealous of you, right?"

She placed her hand on you side and pulled you closer. She hated how you weren't facing her, it made it harder for her to see your features and emotions.

"You're the most beautiful and pure woman I've ever seen, I love everything about you and they clearly don't know anything for them to say a thing," she can feel your tense body slowly relax, "the truth is...dating someone that's famous, there are so many childish teens being obsessed and have no respect for others. It doesn't matter what that person says, because I'm happy with you and I hope I make you feel the things you make me feel."

You slowly turned around to face her, a soft grateful smile in your sleepy face, "I love you, and I'm so happy I bumped into you that day...I don't care what they say, I just hope I don't disappoint them."

"You'll never disappoint me, and they got to see only a minute of us...while I get 24 hours of you."

It softened your heart talking to her about all of this, feeling a little lighter after having this conversation. Within the 6 months of you dating, you were too scared to bring this topic up. And Elisa knew about it but waited for the moment you were comfortable enough to speak.

You leaned in closer to her as you placed your palm on her cheek, pulling her in to give her a peck. Elisa pulled you in closer to deepen the kiss, "I love you so much, y/n. I would make a whole tiktok account to bully the bullies if I had to."

You cackled at the comment, resting your head on her chest, "I love you too...but please don't do that,"

"Hmm...I just want to protect my princess," she joked.

"Goodnight, Eli."

"Goodnight."

___

~ Pleaseee hit my inbox if you have ideas because this was the last one in my brain

~ sorry if this isn't the best, I genuinely didn't know how to make it right

[heiayen]

gently wipe the sorrow off my life, i dream scaramouche x gn!reader

summary: "you didn’t know what happened, why it happened and that was breaking your heart, cutting it open, leaving burning pain in your chest, where once flowers of love bloomed." you're surprised and completely heartbroken when your lover, kunikuzushi, suddenly disappears without a trace. you think it's the end of the world, with your heart open and bleeding but soon you discover, that there is still happiness waiting for you.

tags: based on the prompt "there’ll be happiness after you but there was happiness because of you", scara's real name used, modern au (from highschool to college), scara basically pulls an irminsul but why? blame dottore angst/bittersweet, [name] is very much going through it </3 title name taken from the honkai star rail song "if i can stop one heart from breaking". not proofread

notes: hi. i come back with angst! written for @thexianzhoujade's personal memoires event and truthfully i kinda hate this fic HAJAHS but this is fine i am not fine blah blah blah yippee. i forgot how to write scara so sorry if this fic is kinda ooc but yeahhh have fun enjoy !! <3 as if anyone is going to enjoy angst LMAO

“Come on, it’s just one photo and besides, we barely have pictures of us…”

“...just one, fine. Get in here.”

A part of you wished you had taken more pictures with him. Pictures from dates in the blooming parks, from hangouts with your friends after school, from spending time together at his place, something to fill up the empty photo album you found hidden in your room. You filled only a few pages, with a few pictures of you and Kunikuzushi, of you taken by your friends, of your family during holidays, pictures of you and your friends, his friends, a picture of him you took when he didn’t see– the one you considered putting in your wallet, laughing how you’d look like a spouse missing their husband. 

(You counted exactly six photos of him in your album, compared to the twenty or so with others. Barely a quarter, not even a half, barely a page and a half of the album.)

You moved your fingers over one of them, the one you took after graduation– laughing with your friends, posing at the camera, tightly holding his hand, and tugging him closer, and wondered.

Did it have to end like this? If you only knew what was happening, would you somehow fix it in time?

Things were… nice, before. Being with him was nice, even if his personality sometimes made you tug at your hair in annoyance. But you found a common language and spoke in it till the very end, sharing your joy and sadness, annoyance and anger, silent tears and gentle fluttering in your chests. 

When you first met Kunikuzushi in school, you had your opinions about him– he wasn’t the nicest, wasn’t talking with many other students, and seemingly valued his time alone more than with someone. You understood it, some people simply weren’t the social butterflies but it became a problem when, by some unlucky charm (at least, you thought it was unlucky then), you ended up together to work on a project. You didn’t know him and your teacher decided to pair you by herself, saying how she wanted her students to interact more with each other. It seemed like a terrible idea at first.

(You rolled your eyes, giving a look to your friend. You really didn’t entertain this idea– to do a big project with someone other than your friend? You dealt with enough shitty groupmates leaving you on read or delivered in your life, and that was for small projects! What if you got someone as shitty as them? You shuddered at the thought alone.)

But, oh, how wrong you were. You didn’t expect to befriend that guy, and yet a few months in, Kunikuzushi became your best friend, and a year later– your lover. 

You remembered that love confession like yesterday; a little awkward, he jumbled over his words and you said something stupid in return, laughing awkwardly at yourself and almost getting up from that bench and marching back home. It was late, the bench in the park illuminated by the streetlight. A part of you was sure he planned for the confession to look different, yet whatever his ideal plan was, you wouldn’t exchange what you got for it. 

He walked you back home, you remembered, holding your hand.

To say you were happy was an understatement. Something bloomed in your chest with every day spent together with him, the little affections between you warming your heart and cheeks, and every morning seemed… a little brighter. It wasn’t wake up, get dressed, go to school, spend majority of your day studying, sleep, anymore.

Wake up, reply to Kunikuzushi’s late night message he sent. Get dressed and don’t forget about that chain necklace with a pendant he gave you for your birthday (you were matching, of course you were matching). Go to school and spend the day with your friends, with Kunikuzushi, with his friends (although you weren’t sure if that ginger guy was really his friend, but…). Spend the rest of your day studying, texting, and sometimes hanging out if you had free time (which turned into weekly hangouts with all your friends and… sometimes, more than once a week, just you and Kunikuzushi). Text him goodnight and smile at his, although short, reply back. Sleep. 

You hoped it would stay like this… for longer. For as long as possible, just living in this bliss, being happy and not alone, with people you loved and who loved you back, some even more than others.

(Selfishly, you wanted that to last forever. Forever the high school student with no worries other than passing exams and doing your homework on time. Forever with your friends, spending weekends with them, having fun and not caring about anything else. Was it selfish to want to be happy forever?)

Kunikuzushi was here with you for all your problems, even if, truthfully, he wasn’t the best at solving them, and neither he was good at words. But he was still here, offering you support and letting you talk about what annoyed you, what made you sad and sometimes, he still would try to comfort you, loudly agreeing with your complaints, (lovingly) threatening to beat someone up if they were an asshole to you, telling you to not worry. It wasn’t the end yet. 

His presence alone helped you manage through harder days– it was better to be with someone after all, rather than spend your days wallowing in sadness alone, with only the walls willing to listen. 

(You offered him help, too. Quietly sitting and listening to his rants about his mother, squeezing his hand and tugging him closer to you– or simply being next to him, when touch was something unwanted.)

When graduation came, in bittersweet tears you promised your friends (and Kunikuzushi, of course) to still be in touch with them, and never leave them alone just because you weren’t students from the same class anymore. That didn’t change anything, no.

The summer vacation you spent mostly with your friends, hanging out and enjoying the warm, summer weather. So many trips, so many walks with Kunikuzushi and dates– oh, that picnic you two went on one day… it started raining at one point (the weather reports lied to you, it seemed) and you only had a blanket to cover yourself from the rain. How funny it was, how much you wished you could get the chance to do it again, with him–

You sighed, closing the album. Sometime before the summer’s end, right before the start of college, you noticed… changes in Kunikuzushi’s behavior. He still was your lover, caring about you in his own ways, he still was the man you loved, but something seemed to always bug him. Something seemed to sit on his shoulders, heavy. You always asked him if he was okay because yes, yes, you noticed his worse mood, noticed all the little things he tried to hide and you were worried, really worried, and–

And yet, you never got a proper answer. Always to not worry, that nothing was wrong, and you were tired of that, maybe if you, at least this once, pressed him for answers, during that summer night you called a date–

Maybe you would know why he suddenly disappeared without a trace.

The many messages you sent, the many unanswered calls– you asked your friends around, his friends, and were greeted with radio silence in answer. You didn’t know what happened, why it happened and that was breaking your heart, cutting it open, leaving burning pain in your chest, where once flowers of love bloomed.

(These flowers would never truly burn, you feared. Some would still leave, polluting your heart and making it harder to breathe.)

What was once beautiful turned into a burden, far too heavy to carry alone. There was so much stress on your plate– because what if something happened to him? What if someone did something to him, what if there was something you could do to change it? Why were you so distracted throughout the day? Why was it hard to get up in the morning, why the only thing you wanted to do was to wait at your phone, with hopes of seeing at least a single message from him? Where went your motivation to study, to do well in college as you promised yourself?

Where was he? What happened? Could you change it?

Were you at fault?

(No, of course you weren’t. You did everything in your power, but it just wasn’t enough. None of this was your fault.)

Were you alone in it?

…no, you weren’t. It felt like you were, especially at first; with new people around you, your friends offering you support but ultimately being busy, you felt alone. Terribly so, loneliness gnawing at your soul all the time, leaving the icy cold feeling in its wake. 

But life forced you to get up from that pit, whether you wanted that or not. You couldn’t fail your major, not when you worked so hard to get into it in the first place. And neither you wanted to completely cut off your friends, so you started replying to their texts more. You’ve met new people, too, and made new friendships.

Things were getting back on track after, you thought that they wouldn’t. You pulled yourself up with your own strength, with your friends cheering for you from the distance, their cheers putting a smile on your face. 

(Younger you thought that if you ever were to break up with Kunikuzushi, the world would simply… end. You ignored that thought creeping into your mind, waved it away, pushed it deep at the bottom of your mind. It wouldn’t happen.)

Now, as you looked at the pictures, you still felt a sharp pang in your chest. You missed him, yes, and you still thought about the days you spent together with him, but they no longer brought you back into that darkness you once experienced.

They were a bittersweet memory now. Ones, you would cherish till the end, gently putting them on the shelf with new, happy memories. 

You hummed to yourself in thought, tapping at the cover of the album with your nail. Maybe instead of pondering how you should take more photos of the past, maybe you should take more of the future? Fill the album up with new photos of yourself, your friends, random things that you found pretty and worth remembering. 

Your phone threw you out of the thinking, the loud noise of the ringtone filling up the room. Right, you were supposed to meet up with your friends in an hour and here you were, going through your old stuff and procrastinating the shower. 

You put the album away and picked up your phone. A smile tugged at your lips hearing the overjoyed voice of your friend, telling you how excited they are to meet with you again (your last hangout was two weeks ago!) and that they already left.

You looked back at the album.

With today, you’d start filling it up with new memories of your happiness.

[xoxobuckybarnes]

January 2024 Stucky Fics

Completed

The Things We Hide (Rated: E, Words: 109K) by ThePirateStorm / @fsbc-librarian

Summary: Bucky looked at Steve. Steve carefully did not look at Bucky. “You didn’t tell him?” Becca asked, pausing in the doorway. Steve shook his head. “He only just got here. Besides, I thought you would have told him over the phone,” Steve grumbled, now also carefully not looking at Becca. “He is also standing right the fuck here,” Bucky snapped. “In case you both forgot.” “Steve,” Bucky started, quietly, purposely not looking at either of them now. “Why is Becca your doctor?” Neither Steve nor Becca answered him. Bucky looked up. Becca was watching Steve, who was staring intently at a wrinkle in the sheet covering the bed he was sitting on. “Why is Becca your doctor right now?” He asked again, more forcefully, this time looking to his sister. “And why are we in the fucking family rooms?” ***** Steve’s a marathon runner. He’s still friends with his ex-alpha, his life revolves around training, work, and Bucky, his best friend. He’s also 6 months pregnant and he doesn’t know who the sire is. If he ignores his problems, they’ll go away, right?'

Wanna Be Your End Game (Rated: E, Words: 23K) by KirkApologist

Summary: "Brooklyn, baby!" Bucky types up an Instagram post. "It was so great to be home. Y’all were the best crowd I could’ve asked for on the last night of the US tour. I’m going to miss the hell out of all of you. Get ready, Italy! I’m coming for you next month. And @StevenGrantRogers - my DMs are open. Ball’s in your court - er, zone? 🏈" Before he can second-guess himself, Bucky attaches a few photos from the concert and hits post. Then promptly tosses his phone away as if burned by it. * The one where Bucky's a world-famous popstar, and Steve is the NFL player who sweeps him off his feet.

young hearts, out our minds (Rated: T, Words: 2K) by junko (orphan_account) / @ladydent

Summary: Bucky posts a selfie of the two of them in bed to his instagram. He hashtags it #goodmorningamerica. Sam Wilson and Pepper Potts retweet it to their twitter accounts.

a question of expertise (Rated: E, Words: 2K) by mwestbelle / @villainsexuale & Fancomic by piumpoetam / @pium-poetam

Summary: Steve has criteria for losing his virginity. Bucky knows somebody who meets them.

The Long Way: A Stucky Fancomic (Rated: T) by BeaArthurPendragon / @beaarthurpendragon & LittleWolf82

Summary: After Thanos is defeated, Steve doesn't stay in the past. This is the story of where he and Bucky go next. Seven pages. Posting complete.

A Trace of All That Was (Rated: M, Words: 36K) by leavinghope

Summary: Bucky Barnes has to deal with the pain of watching Steve Rogers leave and return as an old man. Sam Wilson has to learn how to become Captain America when he had not asked for the role. How could they both have been so wrong about Steve? How could the man they both thought they knew have let them down so completely?

Lost But Found (Rated: T, Words: 2K) by innerslumber / @innerslumber

Summary: Bucky shrugged Steve's hand off his shoulder and tried to get up but his legs wouldn’t co-operate. His whole body felt heavy with random bursts of pain shooting through his synapses. The interior lights were too bright and while the quinjet was quieter than almost anything except a Wakandan aircraft, it still emanated noises that his super soldier ears could pick up. It was all too much. Bucky curled his body toward the wall and tried to make himself as small as possible. “Bucky-” “No, Steve,” Bucky groaned, his voice barely a whisper. “I can’t do this right now.”

Joker in the Pack (Rated: G, Words: 9K) by Ginny_Potter / @hipsterdiva

Summary: “Shut up,” Bucky mumbles, closing his eyes and leaning the back of his head against the bricks. “You’re jinxin’ it. C’m on, deal. I’ll know if you cheat.” “I never cheat,” Steve says, a smile already creeping up, anticipating Bucky’s reaction. Bucky snorts. “Like hell, you don’t.” Or, Steve and Bucky team cheating at cards, 1922 to 1945.

Barnes & Rogers and the Goddamn Truth (Rated: NR, Words: 18K)

Summary: There are three well-known facts at Shield High: 1. The history teacher Mr. Barnes is a stone-cold terror, and it’s not even because he only has one arm. 2. The other history teacher, Mr. Rogers, is a mysterious enigma, and it’s something to do with the body of a Greek God and contradicting stories of his past. (They’re all rumours, anyway.) 3. Mr Barnes and Mr Rogers hate each other. Bucky wouldn’t have it any other way.

Crack My Back Like a Glowstick (Rated: T, Words: 1K) by moodymelanist / @moodymelanist

Summary: Actors Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes read thirst tweets to promote their latest film.

Everybody is Supposed to be Dead (Rated: M, Words: 22K) by pollutedstar

Summary: “…there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds.” In 1944, Bucky Barnes falls off a train into the Alps, missing and presumed dead. Months later, Steve Rogers nosedives a plane into the arctic. In 2010, the Winter Soldier project is uncovered by S.H.E.I.L.D., and Bucky Barnes is found alive. Three years later, Steve Rogers’ frozen body is found in the ocean.

look what you do to me (making me love you) (Rated: E, Words: 13K) by burning_brighter / @burnin-brighter & art by Reagy_Jay / @reagi-df

Summary: “Oh, you like this, don’t you?” Steve says, though it doesn’t really sound like a question at all. There’s an underlying threat in his voice, something almost dangerous, almost animalistic, and a smile spreads on his face when he sees Bucky shudder again. “Yeah you do.” Steve takes a step towards him, and he’s still so far away, but Bucky finds it hard to breathe anyway. The air around him feels heavy, tense, and he doesn’t know what to do. “Shut up,” Bucky mumbles, but he doesn’t deny it. He can’t really, because Steve is right, he is, and Bucky hates it. ———— After a failed mission, Steve and Bucky find themselves in a safehouse, where tensions run high and a lot of things come to light. When everything is said and done, it’s unclear where they stand and where their relationship – both personal and professional – is headed, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. Bucky has only one thing on his mind: to find out what happened on their mission.

put you on something new (Rated: E, Words: 13K) by howdoyousleep / @howdoyousleep3 & the1918 / @the1918

Summary: “What? Y’never suck a dick before, Rogers?” Steve can’t even stop the hysterical bubble of overcompensated laughter that escapes out his open mouth. It’s loud and such an extreme reaction that Steve can’t take back, makes his cheeks heat right back up. He shuffles on his feet, bounces on the balls of them a few times, has another round of giggles as he chugs the rest of his beer. “N-nah, I...fuck, yeah no I haven’t really—” --- Steve's fraternity throws a kegger. The star of the football team shows up.

Birthday Wishes (Rated: E, Words: 6K) by Graendoll

Summary: Steve Rogers has made the same birthday wish for almost a decade. The wish has gotten more explicit since he and Bucky started living together.

No One Wants Your Opinion (Rated: E, Words: 5K) by thepinupchemist

Summary: Wherein Bucky loves to cuddle Steve Rogers, Steve comes out on national television for the sole purpose of spiting conservative politicians, Tony sees things he wishes he hadn't, and Pepper doesn't know why she even bothers.

WIP

Lost Vocabularies that Might Express (The Memory of These Broken Impressions) (Rated: E, Current Words: 93K) by dorian_burberrycanary / @burberrycanary

Summary: The worst of times, like the best, are always passing away. How’s that for some consolation on the road? A post-The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Stucky fix-it as part of the all-American road trip, detours included.

twelve twenty-five (Rated: E, Current Words: 40K) by burning_brighter / @burnin-brighter

Summary: “I have to say,” Winifred says, a mug of cocoa in her hands. “When you say you were bringing someone home, I thought you meant you were bringing a boyfriend. But I’m glad you brought Steve.” “Who says I’m not?” Bucky teases, laughing when Steve lets out an exasperated groan. “You two finally got your respective head out of your respective ass?” asks George, looking at Steve and Bucky intently. “No,” Steve says pointedly, “Bucky just thinks he’s so funny.” - Ever since they met, everyone assumed it was just a matter of time before Steve and Bucky became a thing. Ten years later and it has yet to happen. But when Bucky invites Steve to spend the holidays with him and his family in upstate New York, things start to change.

Every Me and Every You (Rated: M, Current Words: 23K) by deadto27 / @deadto27

Summary: Bucky Barnes is doing his best. He’s getting by after the blip, after Sam became Captain America, after Steve…well, it’s best he doesn’t think about that. The point is, his life is different now, and he’s trying his best. He just wishes the hollow feeling in his chest would go away. —– Bucky gets blinded by a bright light as the tear seems to implode in on itself and there’s an odd little jolt as the pulling stops, and then Bucky’s blinking, trying to get his vision right again as he loosens his grip on America. “You okay?” he checks, still squinting. He’s probably not blind, he thinks. It just feels like it right now. “I’m okay,” America tells him and he sees her nod shakily as his vision starts to clear, and he carefully lets go of her, seeing that she can support herself, hands pressing onto the floor next to her. “Uh…I don’t think I am,” says another voice, and Bucky turns his head so fast he might give himself whiplash. Because he knows that voice. He knows that voice better than any other voice on the planet and he’s missed that voice, so, so much.

[jungle-angel]

The One With The Home Movies (Rhett Abbott x Reader)

Summary: You and Rhett find some old home movies of his parents and decide to watch them

Warnings: Pregnancy, birth, mentions of custody battles, Royal being a pain in Cecelia's ass etc.

Tagging: @floydsmuse @bradleybeachbabe @callmemana @attapullman

"Jeebus, Mary and Joseph, how fuckin hard is it to find a fuckin Disney movie in this house?" Rhett muttered under his breath as he went through the box of video tapes in the closet.

His efforts weren't proving much as he tried to find a movie that wouldn't scare the bejesus out of Amy, despite the fact that she was only six months old and wouldn't be paying attention. Hercules? That was always a good one.

"The hell?"

He pulled a videotape from the box, the masking tape on the side labeled "Roy and Cece, '92-'93". He set it aside and kept searching, finding a bunch of others labeled with his parents' names and their dates stretching all the way back to at least 1985.

"Whatcha lookin for Rhett?" Royal asked him.

"Tryna find a movie for Amy, all I found was uh......Hercules and......this," Rhett answered.

Royal took the tape from him, laughing a little. "Not sure if she's gonna wanna watch this," he chuckled. "Completely forgot about this one."

"What? Ya'll made a sex tape back in the day?"

Rhett laughed as Royal swatted at him, missing him by barely an inch. "You're somethin else boy," Royal told him. "I'll pop it in after lunch and we'll see what's on it."

As soon as his father's back was turned, Rhett made a face and thrust his hips back and forth, thinking Royal wouldn't notice.

As soon as lunch was over and Amy had been put upstairs for a nap, you and Rhett gathered in the living room with his parents to see what horrors lay in wait on the videotape.

"Hope it still works," Cecelia said, crawling under the fuzzy throw blanket with Royal.

The VCR clicked and the video began playing, the date April of 1992 displayed across the bottom corner of the screen. You and Rhett were shocked when you saw a very young Cecelia Abbott appear on screen, holding a little stick in her hand and the voice of a small toddler running around and babbling in the background.

"Alright what's up?" asked Royal's voice. "Is it showin?"

"Yep, there it is," Cecelia answered, showing him the stick. "Showin positive."

"Oh my God," Royal chuckled. "Oh holy shit......I didn't think doin it like we did would work......"

"Oh Dad that's nasty!!!" Rhett blurted out, laughing.

"What? I didn't think it would," Royal said before Cecelia smacked his shoulder.

You laughed too, turning your attention back to the TV, the footage cutting to some time later in June, showing Royal and Cecelia in Montana with John and Evelyn Dutton.

"Oh God, I remember that day," Cecelia chuckled. "I miss her so bad."

"Yeah, get it! Get it! Show it off!" Royal's voice told her.

You both laughed as young Cecelia showed off her unnoticeable bump along with Evelyn, the two of them bantering with their husbands.

"So this was with you?" you asked Rhett.

"Yep," he answered, a huge grin plastered on his face.

"Oh God here we go," Royal said. "This was the day Perry found out he was getting a baby brother."

You giggled a little when you saw the date of August, 1992 on the bottom of the screen, Royal still behind the camera and Cecelia pointing out all the details in the sonogram photo in her hands.

"What am I seein?" Royal asked.

"Right there," Cecelia said, pointing it out.

"Right where?"

"Right there! Look with your eyes ya moron," Cecelia chuckled.

"OOOOOH!!!" Royal exclaimed. "Oh jeebus!!! He's fuckin flashin us!"

You and Rhett laughed as his parents rolled their eyes.

"I no wanna baby bruver!" the two year old in the video pouted.

"Well, you're gettin a baby brother Per," Royal told him.

"No I not."

"Yeah you are."

It continued like that for a good minute and a half, you and Rhett shaking your heads.

"And that is where your father learned quickly, never to pick a fight with a two year old," Cecelia laughed.

Back to the TV your eyes turned with more footage to come, jumping quick from August to December. "Oh God I remember that year," Cecelia groaned. "My mother had me on bedrest after Alabama defeated the Hurricanes."

"You know you're gonna need to quit scarin us right?" Royal said, his nose pressed against Cecelia's bump, herself half hidden as she held the video camera. She laughed when he gave her an annoyed side-eyed look, the fabric of her denim shirt stretching when the baby's foot nudged against his father's nose.

"Ya'll see what the little fucker just did?" he asked.

"No I did not just feel my lungs getting rearranged and moved in fifteen different directions," Cecelia laughed.

"He keeps it up I'm giving him his eviction notice."

"Ya'll will do no such thing," Cecelia told him. "If I go into early labor it's on you and you're taking Perry for an entire month."

"Yes dear," Royal sighed.

"Jeez ya'll must've been those last few weeks, huh?" Rhett asked his father.

"Try the last month," Royal answered.

"Oh jeez here it comes," Cecelia laughed.

You and Rhett were squirming a little when the video cut to the day Rhett was born, January 29th of '93. The footage showed poor Cecelia all laid up in her bed, the very same room upstairs in the house that hadn't changed in the last 31 years, laying on her side and her hand on her belly as she tried to plow through the labor pains.

"So.....ya'll want me to get a double wide shot o' this or pan down?" Royal asked before she flipped him the bird.

"If ya'll get even so much as one shot of anything comin out down there, I'm gonna kick your ass," Cecelia groaned.

You and Rhett couldn't help but laugh when suddenly it cut to the actual birth footage. "OH GOD DAD!!!! FAST FORWARD!!! FAST FORWARD!!!!" Rhett blurted out.

"I'm tryin! I'm tryin!" Royal insisted, trying to use the remote to fast forward.

Cecelia laughed a little. "Revenge, thirty something years in the making," she chuckled.

When Royal was finally able to fast forward through the nasty parts, he stopped at the one part that had you melting and Rhett's cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. You couldn't believe how adorable Rhett was as a newborn, his face pinker than the sunset and a head full of dark hair, all snuggled under his little blanket.

"Aw look how cute you were?" you teased.

Rhett felt a flush of heat going from his cheeks down to his chest.

"Yeah he was cute but when he turned two, he turned into a lil devil," Cecelia joked.

Now it was yours, Rhett's and Cecelia's turn to embarrass Royal when a shot of him holding Baby Rhett came on the screen, the tiny little baby practically being swallowed up by his blanket and his father's arms all at once.

"Are ya'll cryin?" Cecelia asked, aiming the camera at her husband and newborn son.

"Nope," Royal croaked.

"Bullshit, you're cryin," Cecelia chuckled.

You went through the rest of the video, all of you half laughing and half crying. It was a part of your in-laws' past that you had never seen before, a side of them that had only returned when Perry had been kicked out of the house.

"Are you actually crying?" you asked, noting the misty look in your husband's eyes.

"Darlin I'm fuckin laughin," Rhett chuckled.

"Bullshit, I know you better than that," you laughed, kissing him on the lips.

You couldn't see it, but the smiles on Royal and Cecelia's faces said it all.

[fortheloveofwonderland]

Me & You & Everyone We Know | Chapter 8 | S.R

Not my gif

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter Summary - You and Spencer have a serious talk about the direction your relationship is heading in. Spencer takes you and Taco out for the day where you bump into two members of his old team who also happen to be on a date.

Pairing - Single Dad! Spencer Reid / Fem! Reader

Category - hurt/comfort, angst with happy ending, smut minors DNI.

Warnings - starts off angsty but there’s tons of fluff in this chapter. Mentions of cheating, swearing, making out, Spencer’s insecurities, more dog silliness, slightly awkward introductions, Garvez.

WC - 5.6k

Chapter 8 - Half of My Heart

Half of my heart's got a grip on the situation,

Half of my heart takes time.

Half of my heart's got the right mind to tell you,

That I can't keep loving you,

With half of my heart.

“Y/N,” he swallowed. “What are you doing here?” 

He felt like his heart had leapt into his throat at the sight of you on his porch. 

You were probably the last person he expected to see here, on his doorstep in the middle of the night. 

You hadn’t said a word to him since crushing the very expensive bouquet of flowers so to say he was surprised to find you here was an understatement. 

“I don’t know why I came here.” You shrugged, scuffing your toe on the doorstep.

You were dressed in sweats, your hair was a little messy and your face was make-up free as though you’d just rolled out of bed. 

The truth was you had. You’d been laying in bed staring at the ceiling and all you could think of was Spencer. 

You were angry at him, hurt at the way he’d treated you but for some ungodly reason you missed him. 

So you’d found yourself jumping out of bed and into your car and driving out of DC and into the Virginia suburbs just to see his face. 

But you didn’t have any idea what you planned on saying when you were actually here, or why you’d come here in the first place. 

“Oh.” He chewed on his lip. “Ok?”

“Can I come in?” 

Spencer looked over his shoulder briefly before looking back at you. His expression was almost guilty. 

“Uh…you see the thing is…”

Your heart dropped and your chest tightened as you stared at him wide eyed. 

“Oh gosh,” you gasped, stumbling backwards a little. “You have another woman in there.” 

Spencer couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips at the misunderstanding. 

“In a way. A little woman. Daisy’s home.” He shrugged. 

“Oh.” You exhaled, trying to get your breathing back to normal. “I thought your kids were with their mom this weekend?”

“Lily is. Daisy…there was a thing. It was messy. It resulted in Daisy not wanting to see her mom right now.” He gnawed on his lip. “She’s asleep though, so it’s probably ok if you come in.” 

You nodded stiffly and Spencer held the door open for you to enter. He noticed you immediately glancing around the room. 

“You painted?” You frowned, and now you were in the light you could see paw prints all over his shirt. “And so did your dog.” 

“Yeah. It was time.” He shrugged, leading you over to the couch and wishing he’d thought to change out of his paint covered shirt. 

He completely forgot he had the photo album still laid open on the coffee table and he saw your eyes land on it straight away. 

You took in the photograph of a much younger Spencer and his pregnant new wife. 

“Uh…I don’t even know how to explain that.” Spencer sighed, chewing heavily on his lip. “It’s been a really fucking weird week.”

You glanced up at him as he raked his fingers through his hair. 

“You look so young.” You mused. 

“I guess I was. It seems like a different lifetime ago now.” He shook his head. 

“So does this fucking weird week have any relevance to why you showed up at my apartment drunk out of your mind and acted like a complete asshole?” You raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Kind of.” He shrugged. “I haven’t told you the reason why I got divorced.” 

You narrowed your eyes on him, wondering what this had to do with things, but wanted to give him a chance to explain. 

“No, you haven’t.” 

“My ex-wife, Maeve, was having an affair. For three years.” He spoke stoically. “We never told the kids why we broke up, it seemed better if they didn’t know. But Daisy found out and I got angry and I tend to drink when I’m angry. And that’s how I ended up at your apartment, drunk out of my mind and acting like a complete asshole.” 

“Three years? Shit.” You rolled fur lip between your teeth. “That’s fucked up.” 

“Yeah.” Spencer leaned forward and closed the photo album that seemed to be taunting him. “I wasn’t pining or anything. That’s not what this was about. I just…I don’t know. I needed to remember when things were good. Because things feel as though they haven’t been good in a really long time. Not at least until I met you.” 

“You were a jerk.” 

“I was. It was totally inexcusable for me to act the way I did. When it comes to my ex and my kids, I can get a little crazy.” 

“I can tell.” You softened a little. “It doesn’t make up for how you treated me.”

“No, it doesn’t. I can sit here and say I’m sorry until I’m blue in the face, Y/N. I am sorry, if I could take it back I would. The last thing I ever wanted to do was make you think I only wanted you for sex because that’s not true. At least I don’t think it is. 

Honestly I don’t know what I expected between us. I wasn’t looking to meet someone or start anything. I was just trying to get through life one day at a time and keep my head above water. Dating was the last thing on my mind. 

But then, there you were. You just showed up in my life and made me believe I could be happy again. And I went and fucked that up by getting drunk. 

I’m a mess ok? I can’t promise I’m not going to get wound up by something my ex-wife does and drink through the anger again. My life is a fucking disaster, quite frankly. And I’d understand if you didn’t want to get involved in the tsunami of my life, I get it. It’s a lot to ask of anyone. I have baggage and sometimes it’s too much for me to carry alone so I drink or I shut myself off from the world. 

There are a million reasons for you to walk away. And I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I just hope that maybe you see something in me worth staying for.” 

Spencer inhaled deeply after his long, sprawling rant. 

He’d been sitting on the words all week, desperate for you to hear them. And now he had you in front of him he had to get them out before you left again. 

You needed to know the full story, everything you were getting yourself into if in fact you wanted to get into it with him. 

He needed to lay all his cards on the table and hope to god it wouldn’t completely terrify you. 

You listened intently and took in every one of his words, sitting and swirling them around your brain for a few moments. 

Spencer chewed erratically on his lip while he waited for you to respond. 

When you did, your words took him a little by surprise. 

“Look Spencer, I need to know, do you still have feelings for your ex? Because I don’t want to get in over my head for a man who’s hung up on somebody else.” You folded your arms across your chest in a way of creating a barrier between the two of you. 

Spencer glanced back at the closed photo album, biting on the inside of his cheek. 

“The truth is, I don’t know.” He looked back at you, tears glistening behind his eyes. “We got married before we had the chance to know each other. I always told myself that I loved her, sure, but I was never in love with her. I focused on my girls after she left, only letting myself think about what her leaving did to them. I told everyone I was fine because it was just a marriage of convenience. 

No one thought we were going to last, myself included. My father walked out on me and my mom when I was ten. My mentor who hand picked me for the BAU left me with a note. People leave me. It’s a pattern. I guess I always thought she’d do the same. So I tell myself I don’t care and that I’m fine but really…I honestly don’t know how I feel.” 

You appreciated his honesty. You were surprised by it and so was Spencer. 

He wasn’t comfortable being so raw, so vulnerable. It made him feel exposed, as though his chest had been cut open and you were staring at his insides, watching the physical beat of his heart in his chest. 

You shifted a little on the couch, unfolding your arms again so you could play with your hands in your lap. 

“I uh…thanks I guess. For telling me the truth.” Your voice cracked a little. 

Spencer moved closer to you, taking you by surprise. His large hands found your face and cupped your cheeks. 

You felt yourself melt into his hold. Spencer’s skin on yours had a habit of doing that. 

“I don’t know how I feel about my ex. But I do know how I feel about you.” He looked at you intensely, almost as though he was staring into your soul. “I never felt…when I first saw you…” he trailed off with a chuckle. 

“Cat got your tongue, Doctor?” You smiled a little against his warm hands, feeling your previous anger towards him slowly dissipating. 

“I have an IQ of one hundred and eighty seven but I swear when I look in your eyes it renders me dumb.” He exhaled to try and get his brain working. “I am infatuated by you. I have been since the first moment I laid eyes on you. I saw you that day on campus and I swear to god Y/N the whole world stopped turning for me. I have never in my life felt such a magnetic force pulling me towards someone. 

There is something about you that just…it’s like my heart just stopped beating when my ex left and you were like the jolt of electricity that brought me back from the dead. I started to breathe again the moment I looked into your eyes. It’s like I’ve been sleepwalking through most of my life and now I’m wide awake and I…I…I am infatuated by you. Truly and utterly infatuated. So no, I don’t know how I feel about my ex but I damn sure know how I feel about you.” 

His words had caused tears to well in your eyes. It was the most open he’d been with you, it was the most open he’d been with anyone in a long time. 

Did it make you a complete idiot that you were falling for this? He’d admitted he didn’t know how he felt about his ex-wife, what if he realised somewhere down the line that he was still in love with her? What would that mean for you? 

It was probably easier to walk away now. At least it should have been. But despite yourself you were already in too deep. Your feelings for Spencer had manifested at lightning speed and you were already hooked on him. 

Chances were this would end in disaster. But wouldn’t it just be the most beautiful disaster? 

“I’m not looking for a fling, Spencer. I’m not looking to just be a bit on the side while you resolve your feelings towards your ex. I’m not after something casual. And if you can only give me casual then I think it’s best if we-“ you were cut off suddenly when Spencer’s lips crashed against your own. 

You whined a little, your lips parting and his tongue took the initiative to glide into your mouth. 

He laid you back on the couch and held your face while he kissed you with bruising force. The passion laced in that kiss set your body aflame. 

You wrapped your arms around his neck, keeping him close. He explored your mouth with a combination of desperation and intrigue. 

The weight of his body pressed you into the couch and you felt him growing hard almost immediately. He rolled his hips against yours and you moaned against his lips. 

You moved one hand down his chest towards his crotch and started stroking him through his pants. 

He bucked against you, moaning into your mouth.

“Fuck.” He panted. “Fuck, we can’t.” 

Reluctantly Spencer tore himself away from you, a part of his brain screaming at him to kiss you again. 

He pulled himself off you and sat up, trying to ignore the throbbing in his pants. 

“My daughters upstairs. I don’t want…I don’t want to be the dad that has sex while his daughter is right upstairs.” He put his head in his hands. “And also, it doesn’t exactly help my case of showing you I want something more if I try to get you into bed at every available opportunity.” 

And as turned on and as frustrating as it was, your heart melted. 

“Spence?” You whispered, shuffling closer to him and stroking the back of his neck. 

“Hmm?” He uncovered his face again and looked at you. 

“You’re an amazing father.” You placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. 

“Thank you.” He choked a little.

“So this isn’t just a fling?” You nervously chewed your bottom lip, needing to hear him say it. 

He leant forward and tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. 

“You could never be just a fling. I can’t promise you forever Y/N because I can’t even promise myself that. The only long term relationship I’ve ever had was with Maeve and that ended so terribly that I am terrified of letting myself be vulnerable again. But I want to try. And I can promise you I will give you my all. I will give you every piece of my heart that is still mine to give. But you have to understand that my heart isn’t necessarily whole anymore, but I want you to have all the shards that I still have.” His eyes filled with tears again. 

“Ok.” You nodded with a small smile. 

“Ok?” He frowned. 

“Ok, I might consider letting you take me out again.” 

“How about tomorrow?” The tears in his eyes seemed to vanish only to be replaced with a sparkle. 

“I thought you had your daughter this weekend?” 

“Me and my friend Jennifer were supposed to be taking the kids to the park tomorrow but she owes me a favour.” 

“What are you suggesting, Doctor?” 

“JJ and her husband can handle the three kids. And the dog. Tomorrow I want to take you out.” 

“You really don’t have to.” You shook your head. “I don’t ever want to get in the way of you spending time with your kids.” 

“I spend all my time with my kids.” He chuckled. “One Sunday isn’t the end of the world. And besides, with Daisy so angry at her mom I have no idea when I’ll have a free weekend again.” 

“I have one stipulation.” You cocked a playful eyebrow. 

“What’s that?” Spencer frowned a little. 

“Bring the dog. I love dogs.” You smirked.

“Trust me, you won’t love this one.” Spencer laughed. 

“Not the way you do, no.” You giggled, standing up from the couch. “But bring the dog.” 

“You will regret that.” Spencer stood too and walked you towards the door. 

“We’ll see.” You opened the door and hovered in the entrance way. “So, tomorrow?”

“Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.” Spencer leaned in and kissed you softly again. 

But soft quickly turned passionate and he had to forcibly pull back before he got carried away. 

“Goodnight, Doctor.” You laughed as you stepped onto the porch. 

“Goodnight, Angel.” He smiled dopily as he watched you leave. 

Daisy hid out of sight in the corridor, peeping through the crack in the living room door. She cradled Taco with her good arm. 

She watched her dad close the door and lean back against it, a smile on his face bigger than any she’d seen on him for a while. 

She didn’t need to read micro expressions to know her dad was actually happy. 

It made Daisy smile too. She loved her dad and wanted him to be happy and she was smart enough to know he hadn’t really been happy since her mom left. 

When Spencer moved away from the door and started shutting off the lights, she quickly and quietly scampered back upstairs and into bed before her dad realised she’d been spying on him. 

She got curled up under her duvet with Taco under her arm just moments before the door reopened a crack and Spencer stuck his head inside. 

She kept her eyes screwed tightly shut as her dad hovered in the doorway. After a few moments she heard him whisper, “sweet dreams, pumpkin. I love you.” And then the door closed again.

She opened her eyes and snuggled closer to the scruffy mutt. 

“I love you too dad.” She whispered into the dark. 

***

JJ was more than happy for Spencer to skip their park day and take Daisy with them, especially when she found out why. 

Spencer however had a slight crisis of faith about the whole thing. 

“Does it make me a terrible dad for palming off my daughter on you so I can spend time with a woman?” He fretted. 

“Spence, you couldn’t be a terrible dad if you tried. It’s hard enough being a parent when there’s two of you. Being on your own and dating…you do what you have to do.” JJ tried to reassure him. 

“I just…I don’t want to be like my dad.” 

“Spencer,” JJ gripped his shoulder. “Your dad walked out on you. He just got up and left. You are having one day off, which rightfully should have been your day off anyway because Daisy was supposed to be with Maeve. You are absolutely nothing like your dad. Please stop worrying. Focus on Y/N. I’ve got this.” 

God he didn’t know what he would do without JJ’s words of wisdom sometimes. 

Still feeling a little guilty, he kissed his daughter goodbye and hopped in his car, along with Taco, and drove to Folger Park where the two of you were meeting.

He was a little late thanks to his crisis and you were waiting on a bench with coffees.

You lit up when you saw him approaching but it turned to a frown when you saw the hairy creature trailing behind him on a leash.

“That’s a dog?” You stared at it.

“I’m starting to become unsure of that myself.” He wrapped his free hand around you, cupping your lower back and placed a soft kiss on your lips. 

“He looks like a Gremlin.” You crouched down to inspect him better. 

“I thought about getting him groomed but I’m scared of what I might find under there.” 

“He’s got a cute little face. His ears are too long.” You giggled, patting the mutt on the head. 

Taco responded by giving you a happy little bark and then attacking your face with his tongue. 

“He likes you. I think. I don’t know, I haven't figured him out yet.” 

“I think he likes me. Do you like me, Taco?” You continued to fuss him and he kept licking you. 

“Ok, ok, that’s enough. I’m the only one that gets to use tongue with her.” Spencer tugged the dog away from you before lifting him up and sitting down on the bench with Taco in his lap. 

“Are you jealous, Doctor?” You sat next to him, handing him one of the coffees.

“Of a mangy dog? Hardly.” Spencer scoffed. 

“You’re going to give him a complex if you keep talking about him like that.” 

“It’s a good job he can’t understand a word I’m saying then.” Spencer chuckled. 

“You like the dog.” You smiled in amusement.

“I do not. Stop saying that.” Spencer grumbled.

“The dog certainly likes you.”

“As he should, I saved him from near death.” 

“You like the dog.” You laughed to yourself, sipping your coffee. 

“Please can we stop focusing on the dog? Just pretend he isn’t here.” 

“Maybe we should walk him.” 

“As long as we don’t talk about him, I’m fine with that.” Spencer set Taco back on the ground and the two of you stood up. 

You strolled through the park sipping coffee and basking in the pleasantly warm weather. Spring was approaching and flowers were starting to blossom, the smell of the pollen in the air. Trees were regrowing their leaves, lining the path you walked in a welcome shade. 

Taco stopped to sniff every flower they passed and got skittish when other dogs tried to greet him. 

Spencer lost count of the amount of times he had to tell dog owners, “he’s nervous. I think. He’s weird.” 

You chatted between yourself comfortably when Taco wasn’t demanding attention. Once the coffees were finished and disposed of you continued to walk. 

Spencer rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows as the sun's warmth started to beat down on him. 

At one point your hands brushed against each other’s and it made Spencer jump a little although he wasn’t sure why. It was like static electricity had passed between you. One that sent shocks right to his heart. 

When it happened a second time he took it as a sign and without looking to see your reaction, he threaded his fingers in yours. 

You glanced over at him with a smile and held his hand tightly. 

“Is it weird to say that this feels…normal?” Spencer asked as you walked. 

“What do you mean?” 

“It’s just…I don’t feel as though I’ve felt normal in a long time. Maybe ever in fact. But this, walking with you, hand in hand, even the dog…it just feels normal.” He shrugged. 

“I’m glad.” You felt a small blush creep to your cheeks. “And it’s not weird. It does feel…normal.” 

“And then we remember I have an ex-wife and two kids and really, this is far from normal?” 

“Maybe.” You nodded. “Maybe it’s not normal. But it at least feels good.” 

“It certainly does.” He gave your hand a squeeze. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“I read about this place nearby called Barkhaus, it’s a bar-restaurant that welcomes dogs off leash, they even have an outdoor seating area with a fenced off dog park next to it. Seeing as we're hungry and you love dogs and I have a dog…”

“You love that freaking dog!” You giggled. “You researched places to take him!”

“I researched places to take you. And they had to accommodate dogs because you insisted I bring him.” He shook his head with a laugh. 

“You are truly obsessed with this dog, you just don’t realise it yet. But yes, Barkhaus sounds perfect.”

“I will kick this dog in the face if it will prove to you I don’t like it.” 

“You would not.” You rolled your eyes. 

“No, you’re right I wouldn’t.” He laughed, tugging the leash in the new direction they were heading. “Come on Taco, let’s go make you some friends.”

***

The restaurant was only a few blocks away so the two of you continued your walk and left Spencer’s car near the park. 

Barkhaus was an old industrial building and was very contemporarily decorated, with exposed brick walls and pipes decorating the ceiling. One wall was entirely covered in fake grass. 

You got a table on the patio and Spencer coaxed Taco in the fenced off area where a couple of other much bigger, much more dog-looking dogs, were already playing. 

The area had some wooden hurdles which the bigger dogs were having no trouble with but Taco was so small he just walked right under them. 

The other dogs were curious about Taco, rightly so. They followed him around, sniffing him and watching his every move. 

Taco didn’t seem like he much enjoyed the attention but Spencer hoped he’d ease into it. He really didn’t want to spend his afternoon worrying about the dog when he had more important things to focus on. 

But he couldn’t help but be utterly fascinated by his stupid dog. 

After a little while he heard you laugh and snapped his eyes away from Taco to see you watching him in amusement. 

“You love that dog.” You giggled, picking up your menu as Spencer glared at you. 

“I find him interesting.” He rolled his eyes, picking up his own menu. “I do not like him.” 

“Hmm, sure.” You didn’t look up from the menu but he saw the smile on your lips. 

You both ordered burgers and milkshakes while you watched Taco start to loosen up around the other dogs. It didn’t take long for him to start looking as though he was actually having a good time. 

Spencer had moved his chair next to yours and slung his arm around your shoulders. You leant in close to him and threaded the fingers of his free hand with yours. 

It felt natural. It was calming to have Spencer so close while you were wrapped in his protective hold, watching the strange creature grow accustomed to other dogs. 

You sat like this until your food was brought over and you ate in companionable silence, Spencer glancing over his shoulder to check on Taco every few minutes. 

Once you’d eaten, he sat back in his chair and sipped on his milkshake.

“So how would you feel about a weekend away?” He mused out loud. 

“With you or in general?” You teased. 

“Preferably with me.” He laughed around his straw. “My friend Rossi has a cabin near Lake Anna. It’s supposed to be incredibly romantic and I wondered if you might like to go with me?” 

You felt yourself blushing and distracted yourself by taking a sip of your milkshake. 

“What about Daisy? I thought she wasn’t keen on going to her moms right now?” 

“Where there’s a will there’s a way.” He shrugged. “I’ll talk to her. She’s going to have to see her mom at some point. But if I can convince her to go…”

“I would love a weekend away with you.” You smiled brightly as Spencer reached across the table and took hold of your hand. 

“Perfect. Great. I’ll call Rossi tomorrow and-”

“Reid?” A voice cut him off and he didn’t need to turn around to know who it belonged to. 

He sighed, letting go of your hand and slowly turning, expecting to just see the person the voice belonged to but there were two people standing a few feet away, one of whom was holding a dog leash. 

“OMGEE is it boy wonder!” Garcia screeched a little and was suddenly launching herself towards him while the voice he’d heard, belonging to Luke Alvez, hung back with Roxy.

Spencer pushed himself to his feet just in time to be swallowed in a bear hug by the bubbly tech analyst. 

“What are you doing here?” She jiggled him a little before letting him go and her eyes landed on you. “Oh my gosh! Don’t tell me this is Y/N!”

You shyly stood and offered a small wave but then you too found yourself engulfed by the colourful woman’s arms. 

“Uh…hi.” You giggled, wrapping your arms around the strangers neck in response. 

“Spencer did not mention how utterly beautiful you are!” Garcia let you go but not before first squeezing your cheeks. 

“Uh…I didn’t know Spencer had mentioned me at all.” You blushed a little, sidling up to him and he instinctively put a protective arm around you. 

“Y/N, this is Penelope Garcia and Luke Alvez. I worked with them at the BAU.” Spencer offered up the introductions. 

“And this is Roxy.” Luke pointed at his dog. 

“She’s beautiful.” She smiled bashfully, sinking into Spencer’s hold. 

“Thanks.” Luke smiled back at you. “I forgot you got a dog. This is the last place I expected to see you.” 

“Yeah, he’s over there being weird or something.” Spencer motioned over his shoulder. “Are you two uh…”

“On a date.” Luke beamed brightly. “Yeah.” 

“Oh wow, that’s great. I had no idea.” 

“It’s early days.” Garcia nudged Luke’s shoulder with her own. 

“We uh…haven’t told the team yet.” Luke added. 

“My lips are sealed.” Spencer nodded in understanding. “Do you uh…want to join us? We’ve already eaten but we’re not in a rush, right?”

He glanced down at you and you looked back up at him and nodded. 

For all your confidence, meeting Spencer’s friends had thrown you through a loop. 

“Yeah sure, that would be great.” Luke agreed for both of them. 

Spencer placed a gentle kiss on your forehead and let you go so he could procure two more chairs while you and Garcia slotted into the ones already at the table. 

Luke deposited Roxy in the fenced off area and as if sensing Taco was Spencer’s dog, she padded right over to him. 

And Taco didn’t shy away. He seemed to take an instant liking to Roxy which went against everything Spencer knew about his dog. 

“Wow, look at him making friends.” you laughed a little, shuffling your chair closer to Spencer’s as you felt Penelope and Luke’s eyes on you. 

“Roxy has a calm about her. People and dogs seem to pick up on her energy.” Luke smiled at you. 

“I don’t want to talk about dogs.” Garcia leant forward on the table and you half thought she might lunge at you across it. “How did you meet our Mighty Professor?” 

You looked from the brightly coloured blonde to Spencer as if you needed some kind of push.

He smiled at you in such a loving way, it helped in calming your nerves. His hand moved under the table and gently cupped your knee which helped even more.

“It was on my first day at Georgetown. I’m a TA and I got lost on my first day. Spencer showed me where I needed to go.” You felt him squeeze your knee encouragingly under the table.

“Like a knight in shining armour.” Garcia fawned. 

“She wasn’t a damsel in distress, Garcia. I simply showed her the way to the psychology building.” Spencer chuckled at his friends over enthusiastic nature. 

“Don’t downplay yourself, Reid.” She scolded him slightly. 

“Yeah, don’t downplay yourself.” You giggled giving him a sideways glance. 

“Have you met his kids?” Luke asked now. 

“Oh no,” you shook your head. “We’ve only just started dating.” 

Spencer swallowed, shrinking down in his chair a little but no one seemed to notice. 

He hadn’t even considered that. He hadn’t thought that dating someone would eventually lead to them meeting his girls. 

After the way Maeve had hurt them, he wasn’t exactly keen on letting another woman close to his daughters. 

“They’re the cutest! You will adore them!” Garcia squealed a little, getting animated as she started talking about her nieces. 

You glanced at Spencer who looked suddenly pale. His body was a little stiff and his hand on your knee had gone limp.

It was obvious only to you why that was. 

He didn’t join in the conversation much after that and left you to be grilled by Garcia and Luke. 

Eventually sensing they probably wanted to eat and enjoy their date and realising he needed to get back for Daisy, Spencer drew their lunch to a close.

After collecting Taco from where he was playing with Roxy, the three of you walked back to Spencer’s car in stilted silence. 

You knew exactly why he was acting this way but you had no idea how to broach the subject. 

When you reached his car and you both slipped inside, Taco settling onto your lap in the passenger's seat, you finally decided to say something. 

“You know I’m not expecting to meet your kids right?” You spoke up as he was jabbing the key in the ignition. 

He exhaled loudly and slowly turned to look at you. 

“I never even thought about it.” He frowned. “This whole thing with you happened so suddenly that I never considered that dating meant the possibility of someone being introduced to my girls one day. And if I’m being perfectly honest with you, that scares me more than anything.” 

You smiled sympathetically at him and reached out to take hold of his hand that was clutched around the steering wheel. 

“Spence, we’ve just started dating, neither of us is ready to get your kids involved in our relationship. We just have to take things a step at a time. Day by day. But I guess one day, if things were to get serious then I would probably have to meet them. But that’s a bridge we cross if and when we come to it, ok?” You brushed your thumb over his knuckles to try and sooth him. 

He nodded briskly but he was still frowning slightly. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess. I’m sorry, this is just all so new to me. Dating and being a dad, you know?” He exhaled again. 

“It's new to me too, I’ve never dated someone with kids before.” You chuckled, bringing his hand to your lips so you could lightly kiss his knuckles. “We’ll puzzle it out together, ok? But in the meantime, I remember there being talks of a weekend away?” 

A bright smile suddenly broke out on his features, reaching up to his eyes. 

“I’ll speak to Rossi tomorrow.” He returned the favour and kissed the back of your hand too before surprising everyone when he patted Taco’s head completely unprovoked. 

“Sounds good.” you agreed as he let go of your hand and started the engine. 

As he pulled away, you saw him glance at the dog a few times before speaking again. 

“But the dog stays home. He’s a real mood killer.”

You couldn’t help but laugh and muss the dog’s scruffy head. 

“Whatever you say, Doctor. Whatever you say.” 

@andiebeaword @muffin-cup @takeyourleap-of-faith @dirtytissuebox @ssa-uglywhore27 @foxy-eva @kbakery @chrissyflo3 @simxican @aysixdy @givemeth @its-yagirl-raelynn @loonalockley

[football-and-fanfics]

The Photographer - Wout Weghorst

Who: Wout Weghorst, Denzel Dumfries Summary: As sports photographer for the Dutch NT you take photos of all the players during training and all around their Euro 2024 basecamp. One day you leave one of your cameras lying around, and the team notices how there are one player seems to feature a lot in your camera roll... (This request was made in Dutch. This summary is a short translation of that). Requested by: @unleashthelion Word count: 958 Warnings: none

For several years now, you were the photographer of the Dutch national team. Wherever they went, you went, too. You were with them for matches and trainings, spent free time with them, ate with them and stayed at the same hotels. You had a good relationship with all of the staff and the players, some of whom had been part of the national team even longer than you.

Today started off as any other day. The Dutch national team was gearing up for their first match at the Euro 2024, and as you did every day, you'd been snapping photos around the basecamp, in the gym and of that morning's training.

As training was over, you walked back to the hotel for lunch. Chatting and laughing cheerily with Nathan and Virgil, you completely overlooked the fact that you forgot one of your cameras by the side of the pitch.

You never knew that such a small thing would turn out to have such an impact on your day...

---

"Wout!" Denzel stormed into the team's rec room, where he found their striker slouched down in an armchair with his legs stretched out on a low table in front of him.

Wout looked up from his phone. The grin he saw playing on Denzel's lips already promised mischief. "What's going on?" Wout asked a little apprehensively. "Dude, you have to see this!" Denzel grinned like a maniac now, and pushed the photo camera into Wout's hands. "You need to check out what is on there! The photographer lady forgot one of her cameras by the pitch. Me and the boys were having some fun with it before we would return it, but... well, you should check out the photos on it."

Wout took the the camera from Denzel with a deep frown on his face. "First of all, she has a name. And, secondly, what does this have to do with me?" Denzel rolled his eyes. "Just flip through the photos, please."

Wout hesitated for a few seconds more. It didn't feel completely right to go through someone else's stuff, but his curiosity got the better of him. He switched the camera on and flipped through the photos. He quickly knew what Denzel meant. Of course there were photos of everyone in the team, but Wout couldn't deny that there was an abnormally high amount of photos of him on there.

"I..." Wout wasn't often lost for words, but right now he didn't know what to say. "She likes you," Denzel smirked teasingly. Wout had to admit it sure looked that way, although he wasn't ready to accept that conclusion just yet

Without another word, Wout briskly got to his feet. "Where are you going?" Denzel asked. "To talk to her." Wout called back over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. "That's my boy!" Denzel called after him. "Let me know when your first date is!"

---

You were working on editing photos in one of the hotel's business rooms, which served as your workspace during your stay here. You startled slightly when there came a soft knock on the door and you found Wout standing there.

"I believe you forgot this." Wout held up the camera. You quickly looked around at the cameras you had been using today, and indeed found one missing. "Oh, shit, yeah!" You gasped. "Thanks for returning it." "Thank Denzel," Wout chuckled, "he found it. And don't get startled by the photos he and some of the boys took." You laughed. "Typical."

Wout hesitated, allowing a short silence before he spoke again. "Can we talk for a moment?" You immediately noticed the change in him. All of a sudden his voice sounded a bit shaky, and he nervously wrung his hands together. "What's wrong?" You asked. Wout meant to speak, but thought better of it. Instead he turned around to close the door behind him, and leaned back against it. He looked ill at ease, more than you had ever seen in him before.

"Do you have a thing for me?" He finally spoke. It came out much more bluntly than he meant to. "I'm sorry," Wout recollected himself, "that wasn't right of me. What I meant to say... I've seen the photos in the camera roll, and I couldn't help but notice that the majority of photos... is of me." His voice trailed off as he looked down at his shoes.

You sat frozen behind the desk. Every ounce of your willpower went into keeping yourself from running away, crying, or both. You slowly looked up at Wout, somewhere a little afraid of his reaction. Wout glanced up at you, too. Despite his towering presence, he looked so small and vulnerable in this moment.

"So... I... I'm not wrong?" He stammered softly. The expression on your face was all he needed to see. "No." You finally admitted. "You're not wrong." "For how long?" He mumbled. You hesitated to answer, because you were slightly embarrassed by it. "Since the World Championship in Qatar, I guess," you admitted.

To your surprise, a big smile spread across Wout's face. The confident, slightly cocky attitude was immediately back in all his features. "I like that." He smirked. "Because that's around the same time you caught my eye, too."

You immediately blushed furiously red. "Really?" "Yeah." Wout confirmed happily. "So..." You chuckled softly. "We have unknowingly liked each other for at least two years, and never acted upon it?" "Apparently." Wout nodded, smirking. "And you know what? Once this tournament is over, we are going to change that. Maybe you and I should go out for drinks or dinner?" "Or both." You winked, feeling your confidence grow again. Wout grinned broadly, nodding his head. "That's a deal."

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Request an imagine | Writing masterlist

[bagopucks]

M. Marner - Light My Love

✄————————————

Mitch Marner x Fem!reader

Word Count: 2.3k

Warning(s): none!

It felt like such a Mitch song, and I wanted to do something real tiny before going on to new requests!

—————————————

Can you light my love?

Flames glowing bright as the sun

Deeper than oceans you run

Watch as our world has begun

I was an art major, but my art never had feeling behind it. It was my passion, but somewhere along the line, I forgot passion in the midst of work. In the midst of going through the motions. I lost my motive and love for the things I made. My works had beauty, but they had no fire. They had no feeling.

Until I met Mitch.

My classmates often said the things they loved were their muses. Pets, music, books and movies, family or friends. Lovers.

Mitch was my friend, but he was too vast. Looking at him was overwhelming. Mitch was his own work of art. Made up of the elements. The ocean in his eyes and the earth in his hair. The wind that followed his stride on skates, and the fire that represented itself in the heat radiating off his skin any time of day.

He was vast, made up of cuts from all types of fabrics, his mind ran deeper than one could possibly imagine. His pain, shortcomings, and strife made him the man he was. Likewise, his accomplishments, past, and those who loved him. Every moment in his life shaped him. Mitch was like a ten page essay. Just when you got the motivation to start, you’d look at the ten empty pages and feel too overwhelmed to continue.

That’s how it felt when I pulled out a blank canvas and decided to use Mitch as my muse. It was blank, and I didn’t know where to begin. Or how to paint him. There was too much of him to cover, and I felt I’d never have enough paint to do it all.

When I met Mitch, I wanted to know him completely. From head to toe. From mind to heart. He became my next project.

Your mind is a stream of colors

Extending beyond our sky

A land of infinite wonders

A billion lightyears from here now

The days spent in cafe’s, dinky diners, and the living area of my apartment, were ones I looked forward to. I found myself asking Mitch about himself nonstop, and most questions he asked about me were pushed aside with quick or rushed answers.

I found that he was such a creative and lighthearted person. Full of childish wonder and boyish charm. He’d play nonstop if the world let him. Which I assumed was why he chose hockey as his career. Mitch loved touring me around Toronto, showing me things to take pictures of and explaining what he found beauty in and why.

In the late evenings, we found ourselves caught up in conversations of wild theories and subjective beliefs. If he believed in aliens. Which planets he wanted to visit. Who he thought built the pyramids and which conspiracy theories he believed or laughed at. Mitch’s mind worked a mile a minute.

He liked to tell me of all of his ideas for new workout routines, little senseless inventions he thought would be beneficial to life, and of all the things he wanted to try and experience.

Whoa, light my love

Whoa, light my love

My art adopted a brighter complexion each time I spent a new day with Mitch.

There was something about him and the way he saw the world, that was awfully refreshing.

I have seen pictures of time

The frames still in motion I find

A grand revolution outlined

Hate bound by fear will unwind

Through time I fell in love with Mitch and his beautiful mind. My pictures shifted from tourist spots and landscapes, to those of him that I snuck on nights out and nights in.

I could scroll through the photos and recall memories of each moment.

A photo of him mid laugh, hands held over the sink covered in white powder while there was some on his face and in his hair. The rest of the mess on the counter. I had been trying to help him learn to cook, and we ended up in a flower fight.

I had another photo of him. An ‘aerial’ view, where his head had been in my lap, a blanket pulled over his body but his bare shoulders peeked out just enough to know he was shirtless. I took that one after Mitch had showed up on my apartment doorstep, sore and miserable after a hard game. We became so comfortable with one another that he didn’t bat an eye when I invited him into my room to watch a movie and get a back rub.

My favorite photo of Mitch, was the one that finally allowed me to see him completely and clearly as my muse. The one that helped me bundle all of Mitch in his entirety, into one photo. Into one work of art.

A still of him in my art studio, the sun illuminating his figure from the skylights above. He was sat on the linen cloth I had spread across the stained wood floors, a canvas laid out that I told him he could use while I worked. The canvas had a brown blob on it with big orange eyes, and a white bandanna. The only reason I knew what it was is because Mitch never shut up about his dog. Little old Zeus, who I had the luxury of meeting on multiple occasions when we went for walks.

I took the picture when I turned to check on him, his face all scrunched up and focused. I captured the photo just after he’d gone to itch his cheek, smearing the brown he used for Zeus across his cheekbone. He looked so relaxed, and yet so happy at the same time. Content to do nothing with me but still do something in the same room.

I decided to use Mitch as a figurative muse first. So I painted him as things he reminded me of. When he asked about what I was doing for the art final, I never told him, and he only got fussy when I wouldn’t let him in my studio to see either. I invited him to the college’s gallery presentation of the art finals when the night came. I told him I was wearing baby blue, and he was welcome to do the same.

I told my teacher, that my plan was to reveal the final piece of my project at the viewing. That my final piece would be my ‘inspiration.’

The only reason she gave me an exception was because she said she saw a real improvement and emotion in my art. That in all the four years she taught me, she was incredibly proud and excited to see what had brought back my passion and desire to continue to create.

We were both hopeful that the moment, when it came, would go well.

Your mind is a stream of colors

Extending beyond our sky

A land of infinite wonders

A billion lightyears from here now

“Mitch!” I whisper-shouted over mumbling parents and guardians, lovers and friends. The showing was hosted in the library, big enough to house all of the art, and the right setting to let people know it wasn’t supposed to be loud. Those that came in mostly spent time looking at the art of who they came for.

I was stood somewhere around the middle of the room, my various pieces set up on easels I brought from my apartment, and one toward the end of my display still covered by a sheet.

Mitch quickly walked down the few steps by the door, swift to slip though the crowd to meet me by my displays. He wrapped his arms around my hips, and my own flew over his shoulders.

Our blues didn’t entirely match, but it was closer than I expected them to be. I wore a baby blue dress with a flowing skirt that stopped just above the knees, the sleeves made of lace that hugged my wrists and a bodice that hugged my torso and hips.

“Hey, so sorry I’m a little late.” I shook my head as I pulled away. I took a moment to examine Mitch’s outfit. Black slacks and a baby blue polo. I straightened his collar. He smiled bashfully.

“Don’t worry about it, Mitchell.” I teased quietly, barely able to contain my excitement. He could tell, and it made him all the more smiley than before.

“So? Can I finally see this stuff?”

“Goodness, Mitch.. I’ve been waiting so long.” My heart rate picked up. In this moment, I was more worried about him not liking my art, than the possibility of failing my last final. I reached for his hands, took them in my own, and stepped a few paces back. I led him toward the first canvas, his eyes already looking over my shoulder at the art before I could inform him of what it was.

“That was from our first hike.” His pearly smile made me giggle as he spoke. I let go of his hands and turned to look at the first painting. I considered a hike something to be done in mountains and wooded areas, but Mitch and I had walked for a while down the coastline that day. He tried to prove to me that a ‘hike’ didn’t have to be an incline.

“How’d you do that?” He reached out to run his fingers across the grooves and divots of dried oil paint. I had never painted with textures before, but I felt it was one of the many elements I needed to properly represent Mitch and all of his layers.

My eyes examined him, as he examined my art. That same wonder I used to see when he discussed his own passions, now presented itself in his eyes as he took in my creation. I hadn’t realized I became one of his new passions over time.

I reached for Mitch’s hand again, taking it and guiding him to the next piece.

“This one might be a little harder to guess-“

“You took pictures of this one when I was over at your place.” I was astounded by his attention to detail. “It had just finished raining outside. You said you liked the yellow in the clouds.”

We made eye contact. I couldn’t have been smiling any wider, and Mitch looked oddly proud of himself for remembering such a random detail.

“What’s the last one?” He was the first to break our eye contact, nodding behind me to the canvas covered by cloth. The same linen from my studio floor.

“You’re sure you don’t wanna get a snack or drink first?” I tried, my hand subconsciously squeezing Mitch’s.

“Come on. I’ve been waiting for like- a month to see all this.” He didn’t have to beg or ask much. I gave in quite easily. I took a step back, my breath caught in my lungs as I reached with my free hand to hoist the cloth up over the canvas.

“Okay.. but- I did my best. It’s not perfect.”

My third and final oil painting. Of Mitch in the middle of my studio floor. I used the photo I took of him, but in the background I added other elements. His jersey draped over the empty easel, and a pair of paint stained skates hanging from my wood shelves. I included the pair of his favorite slippers, a can or two of Red Bull, and a rolled up yoga mat. My favorite addition though, was the tiny details of our photos together, painted so they looked to be tapped up on the wall in the background.

I clenched my jaw while Mitch looked, his brow furrowing at first. Then his head tilted. I worried he wouldn’t like it, and his initial reaction had me pulling my hand away from his own.

Then his brow smoothed, and he stepped closer, eyes squinting to catch all the tiny details. His lips turned upward. He looked at me. I offered an uncertain smile.

“What made you do this?”

Whoa, light my love

Whoa, light my love

“You..” I shrugged. “You became my muse. I needed something to bring the feeling back into everything. My art, my life.. I didn’t really expect it to be you. But it was.” I looked back at the painting. “I caught this photo of you a little while back. I added some of your favorite things in there. Figured I didn’t need to include Zeus because you already had him in your own little painting.” I teased softly in hopes of easing my own tension. Mitch laughed softly.

He stepped up by my side, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“It’s really cool.. but you’re missing something, ya know?” His question had me raising my brow as I looked up at him. He looked down at me.

“Can’t have all my favorite things without you.” My heart skipped a beat, I giggled bashfully.

“Mitch-“

“I’m serious. Nothing else matters if you’re not there too.” He turned his body to face my own, and I found myself stumbling over my own thoughts. I was supposed to be the poetic and meaningful one. And yet I couldn’t think of a single thing.

“It’s almost perfect.” He continued, and I found the courage to meet his eyes.

I decided to test him. To be certain.

“What would make it perfect?” I was hesitant. Hot all over, trying not to crash and burn.

“If you’d be mine.”

“God Mitch..” I breathed out in relief. He looked panicked for a moment, worried he’d crossed a boundary. I eased his nerves by springing forward to connect our lips. His hands raised to his sides in a concerned motion, before he relaxed and returned the kiss, his hands found my hips with ease.

One of my hands held his face, the other on his shoulder. By the time I felt satisfied, I pulled away breathlessly. Mitch’s wide eyes stared me down, smiles slow to find both of our lips.

“You came just when I needed you.”

“I like you so much.”

“I really like you too”

I really needed to pass that final, but it was the last thing on my mind.

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

[madisonfilmss]

I Am Yours - austin x reader

Inspired by I Am Yours by Andy Grammer 

You would always be proud of Austin for chasing his dreams. You were proud to have a front row seat to his life changing. Most of the time. It was days like this you feel unworthy to be loved by Austin. It’s currently 10:30 your time which means it’s about 6:00 am Australia time. You haven’t been able to talk to him since yesterday morning due to your conflicting schedules. You would have gone with him to Australia but you had business back home you had to be present for. 

You have a tendency to overthink the littlest things, not just with your boyfriend but in general. If someone’s tone is off, you notice it and then think about it for the next month so not talking to Austin for as long as you have makes you believe the worst. 

He’s found somebody else. 

I should have gone with him. 

He forgot about me. 

Your phone rings and you look to see Austin’s contact photo flash on the screen. Your mood is ruined now. He’s gonna pick up on it. You can’t do it right now. You decline the call hoping to pull yourself together but Austin doesn’t give you the chance because he calls you back immediately. 

There’s nothing you can do because you know if you decline it again, he’s gonna be upset with you because you aren’t answering his calls. 

You slide your finger across the screen, his bright smile lighting up the screen. You decided to keep the phone laying on your desk, hoping to gain your composure before having Austin see you upset. 

“Hi love.” Austin says as the phone call connects. 

“Hi love.” you reply 

“Where’s my girl?” he asks curiously

“I have a lot of work to do tonight, babe. I’m so sorry.” 

Honestly you were doing whatever possible to get him to hang up. You wanted to overthink in peace. Maybe even sob into a pint of ice cream, 

“I know you and I know that’s a lie. You always make sure to have your work done just in case I call you.” 

Damn it. He knows you too damn well. 

“Not to mention, you haven’t made eye contact with me once. You only do that when you’re thinking. When you’re thinking, I lose my girl.”

“Austin, I’m fine.” you say trying to get him to focus on something other than you. 

“Hey, no, we don’t do that. Talk to me.” 

“It’s stupid.” 

“That is the furthest thing from the truth. If it’s on your mind, I would really like to be let in so I am able to help you. I understand if you don’t want to tell me everything right away. All I ask is for a little insight. It doesn’t have to be much.” 

“I understand.” you say. You take a moment to finally make eye contact with him. You realize what people mean when they say “Eyes are the windows to the soul.” As you look at Austin, you realize that his soul is made up entirely of you. 

What are you doing? Why aren’t you talking to him? He’s here for you. 

“If you need a minute, I’m happy to just sit here with you. You are allowed to tell me as little or as much as you would like. Take all the time you need.” 

You nod before closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, 

“It’s just– I’m not there with you and the time difference and the headlines and gossip. It makes me feel like you’re going to forget me. I’ve seen the paparazzi photos, Austin. You and Olivia look pretty damn cozy.” you take a breath trying to calm yourself down. 

You didn’t realize how upset you actually were about this whole situation. 

I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset.” you say as you make eye contact with Austin. 

“Love, you have every right to be upset. I completely understand. Would I like you here by my side every minute? Yes. Do I wish when I got anxious before press and events you were by my side? Yes. Do I wish afterwards it was just the two of us? More than anything.” 

“Austin, please.” you practically beg him. You already feel bad enough not being there with him. 

“Just let me finish. There is a point to this. I promise.” he says. 

You look at him, waiting for him to continue. 

“I also know that you are kicking ass back at home and as much as I wish you were here with me, I could not be more proud of you.” 

Your eyes were welling with tears. 

“For years I have been lost. Lost without you. I didn’t understand what my purpose was in this life. But I know who I am now. I am yours.” 

You were full on sobbing now. 

“I am yours now and always. I wouldn’t dream to be anything more. You take my breath away every time. I honestly still can’t believe it when you say you’re mine.” 

This distance was hard on both of you but moments like this makes you stop and realize that you don’t want anybody else. 

“Love, I don’t think you will ever truly know how much you saved me. It was the first time that you smiled at me. I knew right then that I was put on this earth to love you.” 

“I will tell you that as much as I need to in order for you to believe it. I love you so much.” 

“I love you more than you know.” 

You were going to bed that night wondering how you got so lucky to be loved by Austin. 

[littlespacereader]

A Little’s Trip to the Jellycat Diner in NYC!!😆💞🎀

I’m a huge fan of Jellycat stuffed animals! I think they are so cute and especially so soft!! So when I heard they opened a cute experience in FAO Schwarz in NYC I knew I had to go see it for myself!

Before going I have three Jellycats of my own! I have a Manatee, a Sheep and a Kola!

Every time I go to FAO Schwarz I always end up getting a Jellycat since they have a MASSIVE selection. This time they really did not disappoint!

For starters there’s the Jellycat Diner on the first floor of the story! This is where they sell their food stuffed animals! If you ordered a special pack (which included stickers, a pin and a wrapped food such as a hotdog, burger, taco or pizza) they would wrap it like the actual food and give it to you at the diner counter, complete with them hitting a bell and saying you “order number”. It’s such a cute idea!! Below are photos of the food stuffies on the sides of the diner:

Next to the diner was a smaller display of some of their Christmas collection stuffies:

Upstairs they have more of their stuffed animals which are my favorite and go to Jellycats when I come to here! I sadly forgot to take photos of this section but I can describe it to you! This is where all the animal Jellycats hang out! They had a ton of see animals such as whales, shrimps, sea lions, and octopuses. They also had some fall Jellycats such as a pine cone, a fox, and a porcupine. On the back wall they had a mixture of different ones such as dragons, chickens, lions, horses, dogs, cats and more!

I’m the type of Little that has to see EVERYTHING before making a proper decision. So I search that section about 5 times for the perfect Jellycat… and I think I found the best one! I found this elephant section and instantly fell in love with how soft and cuddly the elephant design was! I’m always the type of person who grabs one from the back who isn’t appreciated like the ones in the front, and that’s when I met Wally!

Wally was on the back of the shelf with his head buried. I immediately worried that maybe he had anxiety about how loud store was. So naturally he won my heart over. I immediately grabbed him and brought him close. Maybe we could help each other through our anxieties. So Wally came home with me. He is very happy and has been properly introduced to all my stuffed animals! Here’s Wally back home in my dorm:

Right before I went to check out I noticed this tiny little rattle Jellycat dog. Immediately my little side was screaming at me to get it. It’s such a small size that I reasoned with myself I could take along with me when I travel.

It’s always scary buying something so obviously for a baby. But I do have some advice! For one I took this trip alone to avoid any questions from friend. But when I got to the register with Wally and the rattle I was asked who I was getting it for. The cashier was super nice and was probably just striking up a conversation. So I simply said it a gift for my cousin. Is it? No. This is a gift to myself. But they don’t need to know that! Just make up that you have a younger cousin you’re buying something little or younger for. Trust me it works every time!

But back to the topic of my rattle, I LOVE IT!! The bell is not overwhelmingly and the rattle is super soft! It’s definitely coming with me every time I travel! I named him Spot the Rattle!

I had a great time today!! I’d like to thank everyone again in this post. Your advice really helped me with dealing with the subways today! Thank you again! I hope everyone liked this review of the Jellycat Diner in FAO Schwarz. Comment any questions you have about the store! I’d be happy to answer them!

-Clara🥰💞🎀

[pastelcheckereddreams]

Four Seasons Manor (四季山庄): Set Layout!

If you’ve been following my descent into madness my research progress for my next set design project, you’ll know that it immediately became impossible for me to work out the layout of Siji Manor from screenshot studies of the show alone. To backtrack to about a year ago: it quickly became clear that the exterior shots of the manor’s first courtyard and the birdseye view we see in episode 24 is not located in the same set, or possibly even film base, as the “interior set”. Unfortunately, that secondary set is where many of the indoor scenes take place (with significant rooms, such as Wen Kexing’s bedroom being redressed to be used for other scenes in the show), and is where the secondary courtyard is located.  I soon realised that I had to do three things in order to create a Four Seasons Manor for my project that feels as authentic as possible to the one we are presented with in the show. First, find the full film base on Google Earth (which has the most up-to-date satalite imagery I can find); second, identify all the buildings to create a “complete” Manor and confirm the secondary set isn’t just another part of the first; and third, find the secondary set in order to correctly map its layout and marry it with the birdseye view. Friends, I have achieved two of those three things. The second set still evades me. But so far, I have finally managed to correctly and completely identify the film base that is presented to us as Four Seasons Manor:

Full research breakdown under the cut. Find part two and three linked below, and please consider supporting my research and art projects through kofi or INPRNT 🙏✨

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

project list | kofi | prints

This is one of two full manor sets on Hengdian World Studio’s No.1 Mountain in the ‘Spring and Autumn Tang Park’ filmbase. In anticipation for the birdseye plan in my set design project, I’ve gone ahead and mapped it out faithfully to the satalite image:

As you can see, there's five distinct areas that make up this manor: three courtyards (labelled 1,2,4) and two gardens (3,5). The first courtyard will be familiar to everyone who has watched Word of Honor:

It is the main courtyard of Four Seasons Manor. Likewise, the fifth area will also be familiar to you all, although you may not realise it yet. It's Sanbai Manor:*

*With the exception of the main gate. The main gate of Sanbai Manor is actually from another set in the Spring and Autumn Park filmbase - the Tang Palace. There is fantastic drone footage of that set here. The Sanbai Manor gate is at the rear of the set, but you may recognise the opening shot of this clip as another place we see in the very first episode of WOH 🤫 Edit: I forgot I had a second douyin clip for the Tang Palace set.

These are the main two areas used in WOH of this set. Confirmation of the rest of the set comes from drama New Life Begins and various douyin videos and tourist photos on the internet. I won't bore you with a breakdown because Tumblr has eaten too many drafts of this post and I am Tired, but here is a snapshot of my confirmation process:

Find the difference between these two pictures

Edit: On rewatch, I can confirm that are 4 is also used in WOH. We see it in the very first scene of episode 1, dressed as the Military Governer Li’s Manor:

Here is a daylight photograph (source here) of that same building:

You may be wondering though, about the alternate layout I have detailed in my map:

Friends, this is where I would like to hear your ideas.

After scouring many clips and photographs trying to confirm whether these photos are part of this same set or a later development, I've found that since the satalite picture of this site was taken by Google Earth in 2020, corresponding to what we see in WOH, Hengdian has remodeled this part of the set. You can see a wonderful walkthrough of areas 4 and 5 here, in which you can see the remodelled layout:

This douyin video was the last confirmation I needed to place the photographs from the article. This photograph in particular feels very much like Siji Manor to me, and so I will be trying to include this remodelled layout in my project design:

But.

Despite not having located the secondary set yet, I have been thinking over which area would be best to remodel myself, to try and incoporate the kitchen space and the two rooms it sits between, which I have confirmed to be WKX and ZZS's rooms:

Reminder of that early process here.

There are two options that I see right now:

1) I use area 4 as this second courtyard. I remove the gate, make the main room ZZS's room, remove the side halls, drop in a kitchen, put WKX's room where the gate was. Chengling's training dummies then get dropped whereabouts the hexagonal pavillion is in the alternate layout, and I tweak a random building here or there:

However, somewhat crucially - the view from WKX's moon widow would be blocked by the big building that is the centerpiece of area 5. I don't like that. Past the first courtyard, there's a certain sprawl and lack of uniformity to Siji Manor created in part by this CGI shot. I think that's why the above photo appealed so much to me.

So, 2) I remodel area 3. It's pretty sparse. I was thinking of making courtyard #2's main hall into a private study or meeting room, with the sidehalls being ZZS's "medicine room" and the "first night room" - the Cold River Room, as @minnarr​ called it in their stellar sleuthing post (I hope you don't mind that I'm using the name? And may continue to use it? Also, I'm still searching for this set and your sleuthing is going to be so much help.) - they could later become Chengling's room (and Han Ying's. For hanwenzhou headcanon rights).

Area 4 could then be used as a training courtyard and lecture hall perhaps? Meanwhile area 3 can be completely redone, to have ZZS's room at the bottom facing north, WKX's facing south:

The "training area" is then still technically past a covered walkway to the left of their courtyard. The spirit remains. However, crucially: The dotted line between areas 3 and 4 is indicative of a drop in elevation. The whole set is on a slope, with areas 1,2 and 3 at a higher elevation to 4 and 5. So. If the moon window in WKX's room did face west across the garden and down the mountain, it would actually be true to the CGI we see out of his window in the show: Especially because you see part of a roof. That could totally be the roof of the building that sits against the dotted line.

But additionally, there's also this alternate orientation:

It makes the kitchen feel more tucked away, and the additional screened walkway would give ZZS and WKX their privacy. But the view from the moon window would be blocked, and there's no reason to not have the rooms central to the courtyard the way they are here.

...Does any of that make sense? I bypassed Normal about this show a solid year ago. I'm leaning towards option 2 right now, but I will continue my hunt through cdrama for this other set. What's irritating is that I can see its style in lots of other places, including Lotus Pier, and I just can't find the real world setting for it...

ANYWAY, as always, thank you for joining me on my research adventures -supporting me through ko-fi, and checking out my previous CQL projects here and on inprnt, would be greatly appreciated.

Find part two and three linked below, and please consider supporting my research and art projects through kofi or INPRNT 🙏✨

Part One | Part Two | Part Three project list | kofi | prints

[ladylooch]

Hi B! Not sure if you have seen this but here is man bun (maybe ponytail?? not quite sure) Nico? Hahahah I completely forgot about these photos. I found them here on tumblr a while ago and just now found them in my photos again. I imagine Nico trying to do Lucies hair and it turns out like that 🤣❤️

Omg i have not!! Thanks for sharing babe! ❤️

I’m not gonna lie, i thought we were gonna start talking about his 🍑

The way it would actually look good too! Like Lucie is bopping around in her dress and lil bun. Nico fully embracing the girl dad thing, Even using a comb to make it a crisp, straight line on the back of her head where the hair separates.

Lucie starts requesting Nico does her hair in the mornings. When he’s gone, she is a lil disappointed cause her mama tries but can’t get it the same as daddy does 🥹

[ammimi-78]

Chapter 3

Warnings: none. Just fluff

A/N: English isn’t my first language so there might be some Grammar and spelling mistakes. :)

🎀🎀🎀

We walk back downstairs, where my brothers and Luke were already waiting

I sit back down next to Luke, he wraps his arm around my shoulder again. “Nice shorts” he smiles down at me. I giggle and look up at him through my lashes “they’re from brandy” “Wow very cool Sunny” Nicks says sarcastically from the end of the couch. I give him a glare and he just smirks at me.

“Anyone wanna watch Mean Girls?” Gracie asks from next to Nick. Gracie shared my love for the movie Mean Girls. My brothers don’t. Cuz they’re lame. I squeal as I hear her suggestion “Me! I wanna watch it!” I squeal.

Luke laughs a little and shrugs “sure. Why not. We only watched it 100 times before.” He says sarcastically, earning an eye roll from me.

My brothers agreed too, after a bit of conviction. We settled on the couch, bringing blankets and snacks. I take a sip of my Dr Pepper as the movie starts.

About half an hour in the movie, I start to feel my eyes getting heavier and heavier with each passing second. I lean my head slightly on Luke’s chest to be more comfortable. I feel him stroking my back and putting some strands of hair out of my face. I fall asleep. Into a deep, comfortable sleep.

I wake up by someone carrying me bridal style upstairs. I blink a few times and rub my eyes. Chris smiles down at me. “Go back to sleep sweetheart.” He whisper, giving me a kiss on the forehead.

We reach the top of the stairs and he walks towards my room. He carefully opens the door, to not wake me again. He lays me down on my fluffy bed next to the window. He pulls the covers over my body and kisses my forehead once again before leaving the room.

😴😴😴

The next morning I wake up to the sun beams, that shine through the curtain gaps from my window. I rub my eyes still tired and stretch. I take my phone from my nightstand and check the time. 11:48am. Damn I slept long.

A message from Matt pops up and I instantly open it

So my brothers were out. Where were Gracie and Luke tho? I completely forgot they wanted to sleep over last night.

My question gets answered as the door opened and both of them walk in, followed by Stella.

Gracie jumps on top of me on the bed, making me groan. Luke just laughs at us. “Gracie get off of me.” I giggle. “You’re just too comfy Sun” “Is that a compliment or an insult” “compliment” “it better be”.

I somehow wiggle free out of Gracie’s arms and get up from my bed. I stand infront of my closet and search for an outfit to wear. “What are our plans for today?” I ask them as Luke plops down on the bed next to Gracie “I dunno” “I probably have to get back home soon. I’ve been here for the past 5 days” Gracie says, slightly upset.

“You don’t have to go Gray” I tell her reassuring “it’s fine. I’ll probably come back tonight” she giggles slightly as she gets up.

“See you tonight then?” I ask her as I hug her bye “yup” “bye” Luke dabs her up as a bye.

Gracie leaves and I continue searching for an outfit. “What if we just stay in a watch some movies?” Luke asks me “I’d love that” I smile at him.

I pick out a comfy outfit and put my hair in a braid.

🎀🎀🎀

Luke and I spent the whole day watching movies, cuddling, filming TikTok’s and scrolling through social media on our phones. We also looked at a few old baby photos of me and my brothers and I decided to post them later on my instagram.

Sunshinelover posted on Tiktok

Sunshinelover posted on Instagram

liked by GracieJack, HarryStylesSimp and 5.036 more…

Sunshinelover: look what I just found @Birdboy @ketchuphater @Lilskiesfan 🫶🏼

Comments:

ketchuphater: where did you find all of that?????

➡️Sunshinelover: I’m Moms favorite

➡️Lilskiesfan: Stop lying Annabelle

Birdboy: Don’t expose us like that Sunny😣🫣

➡️Sunshinelover: I love exposing people🤭

view 3.054 comments more…

🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

A/N: this was a shorter Chapter and I’m sorry for that. I was really busy with my own stuff the past few days and didn’t had much motivation to write either. In a few days summer break is starting and I hope that I’ll have more time and motivation to write for you.

Stay safe. Smile. Drink water. Spread positivity. <3

You’re loved. 🫶🏼

[i-dont-pay-taxes]

Umurangi Generation: The last generation who has to watch the world die - quick review/analysis

Umurangi generation is a first person photography game set in a fictional cyberpunk-ish world where humanity is facing an extinction level event. We follow our voiceless MC and his group of equally voiceless (yet endlessly stylish) friends on their trip around new zealand.

The game is split into 8 different stages, consisting of classic punk street slums, restricted rooftops and military bases. Our goal is to take pictures of certain objects or people around the map within the 10 minute time limit, these tasks are called photo bounties. The game also includes bonus objectives with every mission, like collecting all hidden film canisters, taking a photo of all your friends, or finding a spot to recreate the picture of a postcard you are shown in the pause menu.

Stage 1 - The start of your photography taking spree is a small rooftop brimming with graffiti and the punk spirit. This stage acts as the tutorial of the game, containing easy to find photo bounties and collectables. The main thing of note is about this stage is just how nostalgic it makes me feel. To be honest, I've never gone onto restricted rooftops full of punk graffiti, yet the amazing art direction and colour palette make this place feel like a sanctuary of teen angst, as if I've missed countless conversations between friends which have all moved on. It invokes that same feeling as seeing years old graffiti where someone confesses their love to a person you have never met. A painful hit of nostalgic melancholy. All in all an amazing stage which sets a great starting tone for this game.

Stage 2 - Turns out i forgot to mention that the indie punk environmentalist game has a complicated relationship with the government (the UN to be specific). The second stage is set on a UN military base which is riddled with tired soldiers and graffiti expressing anti UN sentiment ("I just wanted meaning in life yet here I am" and "My dreams of being an audio engineer are over." are some of the more notable ones). The base is a clear sign that the UN is trying to stop whatever world ending event is happening, much to the dismay of the people. The stage also contains a hint at what might be causing all this, with a sign counting the number of killed "squids" (they look like jellyfish but fine). Upon completion of every stage we get a new camera lens or picture editing option, and this stage requires smart use of the camera lens we got on the past stage to earn a bounty, teaching the player about smart positioning. At this point in my playthrough i had assumed this game had a strong anti UN sentiment, but later I found another way of looking at things, that comes later tho. Not my favorite stage, but a well done one nonetheless.

Stage 3 - Anyone else love cyberpunk? For me it's not the futuristic technology or sci fi story that's intriguing, but the lively backstreets and (depressingly) squeezed housing. This stage is just that, with even more anti UN (and cop! how political!) messaging, so much so that the stage is a no UN allowed zone, with cops not even responding to any crisis calls. From a gameplay perspective it's a way more vertical stage, with a few bounties being hidden up high on the rooftops. Not much more to say about this one, past complimenting it's amazing design.

Stage 4 - If the stage before was about realistic cyberpunk streets, that being dirty, cramed and depressing housing, then this stage is about the cyberpunk utopia. Bright neon signs and loud dance parties can be found above a tunnel filled with the homeless (and more dance parties!). This stage aint for me, as I dislike the bright neon colour scheme... still, it provides a fine, I'd even say amazing, set up for the next stage (remember that). An interesting thing we see are these huge UN walls blocking off all exits. While they were present in the first stage, their position was far away. This stage is, in my opinion, the worst in the game. Not that bad to be the worst stage in this masterpiece of a game tho.

Stage 5 - The bright streets sure were relaxing, what follows them is logically a warzone. Stage 5 starts on the same UN base from stage 2 (yay, reusing assets in a smart and clever way!), but a huge battle has started between the soldiers and... a giant jellyfish squid godzilla thing? The spawn point of the stage is like a flashbang, with people in front of you fighting for their life. The contrast between this and the rest of the game is amazing, and shows how it's not afraid to make darker stages to tell it's story if need be. The stage from a gameplay perspective offers a bigger challenge, with the player having to avoid squid corpses and find their bounties in a pretty dark area. One of my favorite stages as well.

Stage 6 - My favorite stage. A train ride after the battle that happened on the stage before. Everyone stands around in a surprisingly relaxed way, taking their time. From an outside perspective this level of stoicism (while admirable) is completely unnatural, yet when we take into account the seemingly inescapable and unstoppable ending of the world that is to come, that level of calm nihilism is only logical, even if depressing. The photography we do feels like a distraction this time, an unnecessary hassle. This game may present itself like it's about photography, but by now that's clearly not the case. It's about facing the end.

Stage 7 - The train stopped and the last bastion of human bureaucracy is left doing things that bureaucracy does. People stand in line waiting to get let through a UN checkpoint. We don't see anyone actually moving, or really doing anything, we just see people waiting, not even annoyed as it doesn't matter if they are let through or not. Some people are dancing, not even bothering to step in line, deciding a death embraced is the best way to go. We take our pictures as usual and continue, as there is nothing our camera can do to help.

Stage 8 - Back where it all started, back on that same restricted rooftop. It's nostalgic melancholy is finally realised as we watch the giant godzilla jellyfish squid thing threaten humanity. Humans arent really meant to face death, you know? Our friends stand around, some sit and look, some dance, we take pictures, but really none of us know what a proper response would be. The UN built a big fuck off robot thing to fight the damn godzilla, i mean that just aint the action of someone who's accepted death. And so we wait, our destruction ensured, taking out final batch of photos. I can't call that nihilism, I think it's not a lack of hope, but an acceptance that hope won't help.

One final photo - We are transported to a beach, no context is needed. We are dead. Humanity is dead. As we look up we see the thing that caused our doom, and our last action is clear.

After pulling out our camera, a click can be heard, following which are the credits. At the very end it says: "Umurangi Generation: The last generation who has to watch the world die".

My own interpretation of the story - At first, as I've said before, I thought this game had a straightforward anti UN message... and to be honest, it somewhat does. Still, I believe this is moreso a story about what being a generation that has to face the death of humanity is like. We are destroying the planet, to say the least. We are watching our world die, and the generation after us will also have to do the same, so to be the last generation who has to watch the world die is something both overwhelmingly scary, but also indescribably easing. The ending of a book is always somewhat relaxing, no matter if good or bad.

I don't think I need to point out the obvious connection between global warming and the story of this game, but i'll just add that one of your friends is a penguin, and I chuckled when i got the irony of being in the same position as the penguin, losing my life to something i can not stop.

The anti UN sentiment this game provides is a direct response to the mishandling of major national crises in the year of 2020, from my personal reading this game isn't so much against the UN as it's against the damaging of local citizens and cultures by the UN's mismanagement.

Conclusion - The game is fucking good go buy it already!

[moonsunlovers]

Just read through your "watch" posts. And despite thinking that it's too much of a coincidence, I still think applying Occam's Razor is best.

Harkening everything Jimin and Jungkook do or are surrounded by back to their relationship borders on insanity. They can exist without constantly thinking about each other even if they are in a relationship.

Sometimes, a tattoo of two letters doesn't have deeper meaning.

Sometimes, a clock just stops working without the wearer noticing [because most of us use the phone anyway].

Jikookers always jumping on these "oh that's a secret message about xyz" trains, makes me believe in Jikook less than highlighting actually proven gestures. It makes Jikookers more into Taekookers than any of us want by turning nothing into something.

Hello anon. Thank you for passing by my blog and share your thoughts. (They are talking about my two previous post about the watch that Jimin wore in his live on Jungkook’s birthday: the first one here and the second one here, in case you want to know what is this post about).

I agree with you, we don’t need to analyze everything they do. They can do things without having any intention or being a secret message. I agree, really, and if it had happened in any other date I wouldn’t have share this idea because probably I wouldn’t have found it relevant. But you know what? I’m here to have some fun, I’m here to share the things that I notice and my thoughts about it, not to demonstrate anything. Jikook had done it by themselves already.

And naming taekookers here, well, the difference is that if Jimin came live saying it was an accident and he forgot to set his watch to the correct time I would believe him in a heartbeat. If he were walking hand in hand with a girl openly I would stop shipping him with other person automatically. I’m not here trying to proof that Jungkook is a Christmas tree in a group photo just to convince everybody that they are in a relationship lol.

I already explain why in my opinion this coincidence is very unlikely to be just a coincidence given the date when it happened and the circumstances around it. I talked about this theory because it’s not that crazy. It’s not about trying to be the more delusional in the room. If there were an obvious explanation that would make sense I would embracing it, really. But Jimin does use the clock to watch the time (as I stated in my second post) and the watch was perfectly working in the live, so the obvious justifications are discarded. Even you said it yourself anon: “despite thinking is too much of a coincidence”.

But once again this is just a theory and it’s just my humble opinion. It’s completely fine if you believe in something else anon. With all the respect, if you prefer just a compilation of cute moments and talk about more tangible things then maybe this blog is not your place and you should expend your time somewhere else.

In this situation where we don’t have more information and both of us aren’t omitting data that proofs the contrary, both opinions are equal valid. It’s up to you. Once again I didn’t come here to convince anybody, I’m not sharing this on the army timeline for everybody to call us “crazy”, I’m not using it against any ship. I’m just here sharing my thoughts with my fellow jikookers to have some fun and learn new things about Jikook. Who knows, maybe in one of my rants somebody brings actual data that helps me to confirm or discard some of my ideas. I could be wrong. That’s the enjoyable part of all of this, I’m not presenting my theory as an universal truth, but a way to exchange facts and ideas, to learn something new or to confirm something that I already knew.

So yes, anon, I agree with you: making silly theories out of the blue just to proof something as others shippers do maybe is not the right thing to do and all of us know that we don’t need it, BUT discuss some ideas based on facts just to have some fun, trying to bring new points of view on the table and respecting the truth and data that we have is something that could be really enriching if you give it a chance. You would be surprise.

Until next time 🙋🏻‍♀️