#granted there's not always a huge difference but still. its a thing i do

[bambiraptorx]

my favorite way to draw draxum is to make his hair spikier when he's shocked by something. he just fluffs up like a cat lmao

[obliviouskara]

wouldn’t it be beautiful if there was a fic where kara would lose her memory and instead of being the number 1 lena luthor defender who has devoted her existence in making sure everyone knows lena is a good person kara would become the very same people she used to defend lena over. kara's judgment on lena would be base on her last name and nothing else. because she would forget seeing lena testify against her own brother during the trial all she would know of lena is that shares the same last name with the man that repeatedly tried to kill her cousin. the whole time this is happening, lena is still very much mad at supergirl or kara about the whole lying thing so mad that she might have been one of the reason why kara lost her memory however now with kara having no memory of her she feels like its pointless to be mad at someone who doesn’t even remember lying to you, who doesn’t even know who she is. so she puts her anger on a shelf and offers to help alex out. she doesn’t understand why she feels the need to help supergirl, her lying manipulative two faced ex-bestfriend but she does anyway. of course she does because she's lena luthor and she doesn't have to explain herself to anyone. she convinces herself that its because alex is asking for help. because its the right thing to do (not that she'd really cared about what's right or wrong every since their fallout with supergirl) but still. alex of all people is asking her for help which means its bad bad. alex who feels helpless and hopeless because kara is back to her old insecure self. she doesn’t even remember being supergirl and because she doesn’t remember saving alex from the plane kara doesn’t feel the need to become supergirl. she has no memory of being a superhero and she's very much content of being cat grant's assistant and nothing more. everything is overwhelming for her. alex just wants her sister to be okay. lena just wants to back at being mad again. sam is just in here for the ride and is very amused about the whole situation. its a mess and now alex is asking for lena's help because she has wasted countless deo resources but nothing is helping. Not that Kara is being any much of help because Kara feels overwhelmed and Kara just wants things to go back to how she remembers it. She doesn't want to accept the changes alex keeps on telling her and alex knows if there is one person that could bring kara's memory back — bring her sister back that would be lena.

but the thing is, kara doesn't like the idea of being close to a luthor. she doesn't even understand why out of all people alex would trust with their situation, it had to be lena luthor. now every time alex would bring lena up, she feels like she has to defend lena nonestop from kara's relentless accusations. talk about major irony. Kara has been nothing but:

"Why are you trusting her?! She's a Luthor?! What makes her so special??"

"They're evil, right? What if this is all some plot she has to kill me?!"

This feels like a huge slap in the face for alex but she carries on, exhausted she explains:

"Yes, majority of the luthors are still bad but she isn't"

"I dont know why she's different, okay? She just is"

this was so much easier when alex was doing all the accusing but she pushes forward

"We trust her. Yes, I trust her. You trusted her too, yknow?"

"Yes, I dont always trust your judgement but she's a good person. How do I know that? I don't know!! Will you just let her prick you with a kryptonite needle so we can go on with our lives!?!"

"why does she have kryptonite? she made it— its not that bad, i promise! she’s just super smart! stop floating away and come back here!”

what a mess would that be kara doesn’t even want to touch lena with a 10 foot pole. its very to hard catch an alien when she super speeds every chance she gets whenever she feels lena is close by. its frustrating and its taking longer than it should have. everyone feels like they're wasting time and should just accept this as how it is. the entire national city is looking for supergirl. she's been missing for months now. all while lena, lena takes it all in like a champ but deep down lena luthor is still mad. scorching hot mad. how dare kara forget every pain she has caused lena and is now actively avoiding her?! how dare this superhero just ups and leaves and stop being a superhero?! how dare her give up when lena hasn't even decided on her revenge for the years of deceit. its so unfair. its not suppose to hurt. she should be happy that kara doesn't remember her at all. this was what she wanted with myriad. a clean slate but why does it make her heart ache everytime kara tells her she's a luthor with so much distain. this was what she wanted, right? this would have made it easier for her to forget having feelings for her bestfriend but why does lena find herself trying to recreate every lunch date she has with kara danvers? so much so she brings her her favorite food whenever they stay in the same room. offers her snacks she knows she cant resist. kara doesn't understand why lena is being so nice. she still doesn't trust her but it makes her curious why lena's heart always beats differently whenever she's around. why lena looks at her the way she does. as if kara has stolen a piece of her heart. and kara doesnt understand whenever she eats her favorite food, all she thinks of is lena's shy smile whenever she accepts her takeout. whenever kara lets her touch her to examine her and its just a mess can someone please just...

[halemerry]

The thing is. When people look at Book Omens and Show Omens there are a few different things that can happen. Sometimes you get people who try and shove them into one universal true canon. Sometimes you get people totally dissociating them from each other into two separate entities. And, to be clear, I don’t think either of these options is inherently bad to do - I myself defaulted to the latter for quite awhile after season 1 aired - and I always think folks should choose to view these characters in the way that makes them happy. For that matter, I think that there's nothing wrong with disliking a version or preferring one over the other or even ignoring one exists. But, I do think a lot of analysis I have seen has a tendency to remove the characters from their context in a way that does them a bit of a disservice. Because their context matters quite a bit.

Book Omens and Show Omens were made in two very different worlds facing two very different problems and two very different futures stretching out in front of them. The Book belongs in the context of a world on its way out of the Cold War while the Show belongs to a world starting to buckle under the weight of capitalism’s pressure. The evils in the story reflect these two world states - which I think is a good thing. As much as I love the book, if the show had just done the Cold War allegory, I don’t think it would’ve hit quite the same way and could've easily felt dated.

The most notable impact narratively from this shift is the fact that Heaven and Hell both have a more constant presence. Show Aziraphale and Crowley feel far more watched and actively monitored than they do in the book, especially in Aziraphale’s case. His relationship with Heaven especially is far more ‘boss checking the quarterly numbers’ or ‘oppressive family head checks in on their younger sibling’  than it is ‘spy reporting his findings’. And this shift is a huge one as far as what it means for our characters and their context.

Take for example, a small exchange of dialogue in the book where Crowley and Aziraphale do something that we know for a fact would never happen in the show - where they discuss the admittedly slim possibility of each other’s side granting of each other asylum. This is dialogue that works quite well if you’re looking at them as two spies with wavering loyalties but does not work for the show version of our protagonists, because the pressures they face from Heaven and Hell are different. The same thing goes in reverse for the Bandstand scene - a scene that is not in the book at all because it works far better in a show interested in a character facing pressure from a toxic family than it would in a book where Heaven’s presence is a very distant one.

And this right here is where we end up with the question of character consistency. There’s traits that each version of Aziraphale and Crowley have that the other does not, which leads to them feeling like two sets of characters in a way that can make them feel like the show is occasionally out of character. But it’s not really that, I don’t think. I think that's just a side effect of viewing them out of context. And I think a lot of those differences and the ways they manifest make a lot more sense if they're viewed like aus - because that's what they are in a lot of ways. The Book is a Cold War au and the Show is a modern au. They’re different, yes, but still undoubtedly them.

[defectivehero]

Please write about a nb hero who is big on "not owing anyone money" and "its my problem and weight, let me carry it" and "please let me pay u back" and "its your money even if you spend it on me"

And a nb snarky millionaire (by evil methods) villain who is obsessed with their hero and is like "let me spoil u bbg" and *casually throws money around for hero* and very big on "I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR U" but hero is too fucking dense to actually believe rhe villain.

this snippet completely spiraled out of my control (as most things do).

It all started with that damned news article. In hindsight, perhaps the hero shouldn't have been as forthcoming as they were. But, they wanted the world to know that the life of a hero wasn't always glamorous. They just... didn't expect for the journalist to capitalize on the single remark they made, the single huff of laughter they let out when asked about the wages. Days later, when the article released, the hero was stunned.

Heroism: A Thankless Job

The hero remembers the dread coiling in their chest as they opened the newspaper to find the article, apprehension increasing as they digested the information. That picture of their apartment complex... they don't remember consenting to release that information. Granted, the journalist kept them as a nameless, anonymous hero. But, it wouldn't take a huge leap in logic to connect the dots—to find the building's tenants and cross-reference those names with the hero agencies nearby. The hero just hoped an average reader wouldn't take the incentive to do something like that. They spent the rest of that day struggling to keep their paranoia at bay. It took them a while to fall asleep that night.

Fortunately, they slept well and their anxieties seemed to fade. The hero stumbled through their morning routine and opened their front door an hour later, ready to greet the day, only to nearly trip on a package. They had frowned and taken the package inside, unable to shake the recognition that they hadn't ordered anything to be delivered. Upon opening the package, they found a single unmarked envelope. Their jaw had dropped to the floor once they found the bills inside—an amount more than their typical paychecks.

Little did the hero know, this would be far from the last time they received an unmarked package with a far too generous, entirely unexplained gift inside. At first, the gifts were just small things: a collection of medical grade bandages and antiseptic, a new sweater after they spilled coffee on theirs at work, a care package with things like cough medicine and tissues that appeared the day they got sick. The hero was still profoundly uncomfortable with the idea of some mysterious benefactor providing them with these things, but at least the packages were small. The magnitude of the first gift hadn't been matched since, and the hero couldn't help but feel grateful.

Amidst their hero work and their daily life, the hero found their mind quickly returning to the question of their gift-giver's identity. It had to be someone they interacted with fairly often, considering the far too accurate timing of several of the gifts. One time could be dismissed as a mere coincidence; a box of cough medicine a mere hour after they found themself bedridden, however... That is an entirely different story.

The gifts continue, but, thankfully, they are small in scale. The hero still feels horribly guilty about being entirely unable to pay this person back, but there's almost nothing they can do. Their benefactor clearly doesn't want to make themself known, and that's fine. Really, it is.

Until there is another envelope. This time, their mystery patron doesn't bother concealing their gift within a package. Instead, the hero opens their mailbox to find an unmarked burgundy envelope. Dread coiling in their chest, they look around—foolishly hoping that their gift giver would somehow have a change of heart and decide to show themself—before heading back inside. The hero sits on their sofa and takes a deep breath, before opening the envelope with care.

What they see is enough to make their hands tremble and their grip falter, allowing the envelope to slip down to the floor. They hold their present in disbelief.

It's a check—for more money than they could possibly fathom having. This sum is so large that the hero wouldn't have to work another day in their life. They would be able to live comfortably without earning so much as a single penny on their own.

The thought sickens them. "I can't accept this," the hero breathes aloud. They look down at their apartment's hardwood flooring as if it will give them the answers they're looking for.

"I don't recall asking you to." The hero jumps, looking up to find the villain standing before them. How they got there, the hero doesn't have the faintest idea. They blink at them for a moment, wondering how they didn't connect the mysterious gifts to the villain sooner. Their enemy has always had access to extremely high-tech weaponry and state of the art medicine (judging from their utter lack of scars despite their numerous fights); not to mention, they've had an inexplicable disregard for finances for as long as the hero can remember. It's all beginning to make sense now.

The villain takes a step closer and the hero remembers their remark. "I'm serious," they say with a frown. "Why are you doing this? Do you want me to owe you? ...Is that what this is? Want to, I don't know, kick me while I'm down? You're such a good person, helping the needy." The latter statement is spoken with venom.

"No, of course not," The villain argues.

"Then why?" The hero repeats, the volume of their voice rising as they get more frustrated. They take a deep breath and clench their fist at their side. They're still holding the check in their other hand, and despite the fact that it's nearly weightless, they can feel a pressure pushing their hand down. "And, more importantly, how in the hell did you get this much money?" The hero hears themself ask.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to," the villain says lightly. There's a darkness to their eyes that suggests the hero should cease this line of questioning. They take another deep breath.

"You're assuming I'll just... accept this," the hero realizes aloud. That familiar itching feeling is rising to meet their skin, and they're becoming less convinced that they should stop it.

"Perhaps."

The hero blinks at them once, twice. The villain refuses to break eye contact; their gaze almost urging them to do it—to use their powers to turn the check to ash. The hero gives into the flames prickling along their skin and summons their fire in the palm of their hand. It will only take a moment, maybe two, for the bottom of the paper to char. From there, it will only be a matter of time. The hero watches in anticipation.

...But nothing happens.

"Did you really think I'd be foolish enough to give you a check you could just burst into flame?"

The hero stares ahead blankly, their ears ringing. The villain's expression blurs into a twisted smile. A figment of their imagination or reality? The hero hears their breaths, ragged and half-panicked in their ears.

"I don't understand," the hero repeats hollowly. They don't understand anything that's happening—anything that happened that led them to this very moment, standing before the villain and holding a check that their enemy gave them.

"You don't have to understand," the villain says, crossing their arms over their chest. "I'm not asking you to understand. Hell, I'm not asking you to do anything. I'm ordering you to cash this check."

The hero's tongue is ironed to the roof of their mouth. Even if they desired to speak, they don't think they'd be able to.

The villain notices their speechlessness and sighs. "I didn't want things to come to this, but..." They break off. "As I predicted, you're stubborn as hell, and self-sacrificing to a fault." The hero doesn't have the energy to be offended or outraged.

"So," the villain drawls, their arm falling to their side quickly. The hero blinks and they're suddenly being held at gunpoint. "Go to your bank. Now." The hero suspects the weapon is more than a gun—and they don't care to find out just what it can do. It appears they really have no choice. The villain is forcing their hand.

An hour later, the hero is walking out of the bank with sunken shoulders. "There," the villain says, clapping a hand on their shoulder and leading them out of the building. "That wasn't so hard, now, was it?" Upon closer examination, the villain's weapon is nowhere in sight—as if it simply vanished in thin air. The unlikely pair walks down the street and heads back to the hero's car. The hero ignores the domesticity of it all, securing their seatbelt over themself. The villain doesn't seem keen to wear their seatbelt, so the hero reaches across and buckles their rival's seatbelt for them before they can object.

"I'll transfer the money back to you tomorrow," the hero announces as they're driving down the street, back towards their apartment. Their eyes are locked on the road, yet they somehow know that the villain's gaze is fixated on them with frightening focus.

"We both know you won't," the villain hums with certainty. The hero hates that they're right, hates that their rival can read them so damn easily. Their hands tighten around the steering wheel and the rest of the ride is suffocated with a horrible silence.

When the hero arrives back home, they can't shake the realization that the villain seems deeply pleased. They say as much to their enemy, who hums.

"Of course I'm pleased," the villain says, "If I knew this was all it would take to get you to accept a much-needed gift, I would've done it eons ago."

The hero takes a deep breath, struggling not to cry. It's been a long day, and they're reaching their limit. "I think you've humiliated me enough today," they announce. "Can you leave?" Please, the hero thinks to themself.

"I suppose," the villain sighs dramatically. They take one step to the door, then another. Just before their hand can clasp the doorknob, the hero feels one last objection fall from their lips.

"That money could go to far more deserving people and causes," the hero chokes out. They're choking on their own pride, choking on the simultaneous acknowledgment that they need money and the horrible knowledge that almost no one in their situation has an out like the one they were just presented with.

The villain turns around to face them, clearly moments away from rolling their eyes. "Do I look like a philanthropist to you?" The hero shakes their head, their throat burning. Their enemy nods in confirmation and turns back around. They twist the doorknob and tug the door open.

"You deserve nice things, you know." The villain's parting remark is murmured so quietly that the hero convinces themself they imagine it. The hero watches their front door close and waits a few moments before locking it. They turn around, their back to the door, and slide down to the ground with their head in their hands.

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[galexystern]

all's fair in love and chicken

pairing; eddie munson/reader

rating; T

warnings; lots of fluff, a tiny bit of angst, love confessions, pining, getting together

word count; 2.1k

desc; robin and steve dare you and eddie to a game of girls vs. boys chicken. eddie has something up his sleeve that changes everything.

masterlist

The first thing you see after stepping inside the Harrington mansion is Robin looking guilty as sin. It makes you uneasy, and you immediately want to walk over and demand what the fuck that expression is for, but it’s the annual pool party bash and you’re carrying the first bottles of booze its seen and Steve is already ushering you to the backyard so you can set them down on the makeshift bar.

“Thank god you’re here,” he mutters under his breath. “People have been clamoring for drinks for half an hour.”

“Only like a fourth of them can legally drink,” you point out. When you reach the table, he helps you unload and set up so guests can pour their own concoction.

“And they’re bossy as fuck.”

You laugh, half-forgetting Robin’s mysterious guilt, and arrange the liquor just so. Steve excuses himself and runs into the house to get ice, and another boy almost instantly takes his place.

“Hey, princess,” Eddie says, surprising you and making you knock a bottle of vodka over. He deftly catches it and stands it upright.

You turn to him with a look. He’s grinning devilishly, loving that he spooked you. You’re notoriously easy to startle, and despite the fact that you’re secretly in love with him and have been for two years, the trick got old a long time ago. You hold back the smile threatening to bloom and narrow your eyes in annoyance. Eddie’s eyes get wider in response, doe-like, and his mouth turns down into the cutest pout. After a few seconds, you sigh and finally grin, forgiving him quickly. It’s a tried-and-true routine you two have done since you became friends.

“Hi, Eds,” you reply, hoping your lovesickness doesn’t ooze too obviously. You always think you sound so gooey, but he’s never picked up on it. This time is no different.

“Get you a drink?”

“Yes, please. Our usual.”

“One Munson Special coming up.”

You chuckle and take a few steps away to claim a free beach chair. You set your bag down and shuck off your clothes, stuffing them away. You test your bare feet on the concrete, but it’s too hot, so you keep your flip-flops on for now.

“Here you go–”

You spin around in concern as the end of Eddie’s sentence turns into a choked sound. You find him staring at you with huge eyes and a slightly open mouth. You move closer to him. “Are you okay?” You ask worriedly.

He blinks and then nods jerkily, practically throwing your cup at you. You avoid the liquid that splashes over the edge and take it carefully. You’re still looking at Eddie, unsure what could be wrong, but he just swallows and smiles reassuringly. ���Something in my throat,” he explains, and you exhale in relief.

“Good. You can’t choke here otherwise Steve will be the one doing CPR.”

He barks out a laugh. “I’d sooner die.”

Your mouth twists, wanting to smile but holding back somewhat. “Be nice,” you chide half-heartedly. “He’s our friend now.”

He makes a disgruntled face. “I guess.” You look at him with petulant sternness and his expression softens. “I’ll try. Only for you, princess.”

Your heart flutters and you take a gulp of your drink to hide your quick breaths. He can’t just say things like that. He takes a sip as well, and you two settle into a comfortable silence. You take a look around the party, watching as the kids splash around and play Marco Polo in the pool, and eyeing as Steve and Robin bicker while she throws obvious longing glances at Vickie, who is sitting with her feet in the water and both pretending not to notice and trying not to blush. Nancy and Jonathan are sitting in the hot tub, having what seems to be a lively discussion with Jeff, Grant, and Gareth. Hopper, Joyce, and the rest of the adults are at the back, manning the grill and pointedly avoiding the shenanigans everyone else is getting into.

You turn back to Eddie to find him looking at you. Your head rears back a little, not expecting his gaze, and he quickly averts his eyes and takes a drink. A light blush spreads across his cheeks and towards his ears. You want to pull his hair away from his face to see if the tips are red as well, but keep your hands to yourself.

You’re admiring how tan he’s looking, the deep tone of his skin gleaming golden, when Robin shouts your name from across the patio. Both you and Eddie turn towards her; she’s speed-walking over with an annoyed Steve in tow. “Dingus here thinks we can’t beat him and Eddie in chicken,” she says when she arrives.

You blink. “What?”

“The game chicken, where two people fight while on the shoulders of other people?”

“Okay,” you reply slowly.

“Steve thinks boys would ‘obviously’ win over girls.” You raise your eyebrows at him and he shrugs, shy now that his and Robin’s argument has involved more than just them. Robin continues, “‘Obviously’ he’s wrong. But he won’t accept it until you and Eddie actually join us for a round.”

You glance at Eddie, who shoots you a grin. “I’m down if you are, princess,” he says cheekily.

At his smug tone, your competitive spirit comes alive. You look at Robin and nod. “Let’s wipe the floor with them.”

She whoops and drags you both to the pool. She and Steve slide in and stand at the edge so you and Eddie can sit on their shoulders. There’s a lump in your throat when you swallow; you didn’t think it’d be you two on top and fighting so close. But you can’t back out now, so you just focus on balancing as Robin walks further in.

She turns and there Eddie is, smiling mischievously, surprisingly stable atop Steve. His eyes sparkle in the sun and his tattoos stand out like they’re three-dimensional. You lock stares, and he runs a finger across his neck in a threat. Your eyes narrow as you mouth, You’re going down.

“Alright, are we ready?” Steve asks, sickly sweet. It’s purely for Robin’s sake, and she immediately replies, “Go!”

You lunge forward and grab Eddie’s biceps, his hands clamping onto yours. You grapple, pushing and pulling in any effort to destabilize the other, Robin and Steve compensating for your movements below. It’s a tough battle, but at some point, you’re leaning all the way into Eddie’s space and he’s precariously teetering backwards. You feel a triumphant smile start to form when he does the unexpected.

He kisses you.

It’s a soft, short peck, but it shocks you so much that you fall back, all the way off Robin’s shoulders and into the water. Once you’re submerged, it’s like time slows down, and you try to comprehend that Eddie just kissed you. 

Eddie kissed you.

All to win this stupid game.

“That was definitely cheating!” Robin is yelling when you surface, inhaling oxygen desperately and pushing your hair out of your face.

“It was not!” Steve shouts back. “All’s fair!”

The two continue to argue, and you look at Eddie. He’s mysteriously quiet but half-grinning, and your fury grows. You stalk away–as much as you can while underwater–and pull yourself out of the pool. You detour to your chair to grab your towel, and then you’re racing inside, up the stairs to Steve’s guest room, where you’ve stayed a couple times after late nights. You slam the door shut behind you and sit on the bed, not caring if you’re dripping on the duvet.

You’re shaken and upset, and you can’t believe Eddie would do something like that to win a game of chicken. If you didn’t like him romantically, it would be misleading and give the wrong idea, and Robin was right–it is cheating.

A knock comes on the door, and it slowly swings open to reveal the man himself. “Princess? Are you okay?” You just glare at him in response, and he steps inside and closes the door behind him. “What’s wrong? Did you inhale water?”

If you weren’t so upset, you’d be touched by his concern. “You’re a fucking asshole,” you seethe. “I can’t believe you would do that just to win. That’s such gross bro behavior.”

He’s wide-eyed. “What? No, I’d never do that.”

“You just did!”

“No!” He runs a hand over his face. “That’s not why I did it.”

“Then why?” You grit out.

“Well, Robin told me that you liked me–”

You suddenly remember Robin’s face from the beginning of the party and understand. She’d blabbed to Eddie that you were in love with him and felt guilty for doing so. Well, she fucking should.

“That’s worse!” Your face burns in embarrassment and anger. “You used my feelings against me to win instead. Real nice.”

“Will you listen to me?” Eddie pleads. “I didn’t believe her, you’re way out of my league, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And when we were playing, you were so close and you smelled so good and your lips looked so nice, I couldn’t help myself and kissed you.” His entire face is tomato red. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you lose. I wasn’t even thinking about the game, just you.”

“I don’t understand. Are you saying you like me now?”

“Now? I’ve been in love with you for two years, princess. I just didn’t think you’d like me back.”

You stare at him. “What?”

“Yeah.” He sighs. “I’m sorry. I can leave.”

But before he can turn away, you’re leaping forward and pulling him into a heated kiss. He’s surprised by it, stiff and still, and you think wildly that you’ve finally gotten him back for scaring you all those times. Eventually, his brain catches up and he melts, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you flush against him. His lips are soft and warm, and it’s leagues better than the kiss in the pool, and you don’t want to stop but you’ve gotta breathe at some point. You two break apart panting, gazing at each other for a minute until you both burst into laughter. Your foreheads meet as you shake with it, and when the giggles fade away you’re still resting against each other.

“You’re an idiot,” you tell him fondly, and he chuckles. “I’ve been in love with you for two years too. I thought I was so obvious about it.”

“No, you’re right. I’m just an idiot,” he replies, making you snort. “But I could tell after Robin told me.”

“That doesn’t count! If she hadn’t, you still wouldn’t know.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

You’re about to argue some more when he captures your mouth again, and you sink into the kiss. You run your hands through his hair, pulling inadvertently, and he moans a little. You pull away with a smile, hands poised to do it again, but he holds them still.

“Don’t give me a boner at a pool party,” he begs. “I’d never live it down.”

You laugh. “Alright. Only for you, Eds.”

He smiles softly. “I love you, princess.”

“I love you too,” you reply with heart eyes at full power.

He steps back. “We really gotta go back now, or I will have a boner for the rest of the night.”

You shake your head with a grin and take his outstretched hand. You two walk downstairs and out to the backyard, where the festivities are in full swing. Steve and Robin are near the doors, still bickering. When she spots you, she gasps your name.

“Are you okay?” She asks worriedly.

You nod. “I’m fine. But we will be talking later.” She blushes and that guilty expression returns. But then she sees your hand intertwined with Eddie’s and it retreats somewhat. She smiles triumphantly, and you can already tell your stern talking-to will go in one ear and out the other. “And,” you continue, “I want a rematch.”

“Let’s do it!” Eddie shouts and pulls you towards the pool. He pushes you in, but you hold tight to his hand and drag him under with you. Once Steve and Robin have joined, you maneuver yourselves on their shoulders. You and Eddie make playful threatening motions, you wrestle heatedly, and then there’s cheering from you and Robin as the boys topple backwards into the water. They surface, spluttering from the impact, and Eddie immediately goes after you. You screech with laughter as you weakly attempt to run from him, and he catches you around the waist and lifts you above the water. You squeal with the movement, and after lowering you, he kisses you. You beam with love in the summer sun.

[erin-bo-berin]

Dirty Little Secret

Steve Harrington x Reader

Warnings: Smut (It gets filthy I’m sorry)

MASTERLIST

Steve Harrington was one of the nicest guys around.

He was polite, opened doors for women and always took care of his loved ones before himself.

He was your average, attractive young man.

But you wouldn’t know to look at him that he might have a dirty little secret—a whole different side to him that very few knew about.

Steve could get downright filthy in bed.

While he wasn’t exactly shy outside of the bedroom, he definitely wasn’t as confident as he seemed in it.

You’d never expected him to hear some of the things that left his mouth until you’d first slept with him. It was an absolute turn on for you as Steve’s dirty talk had come as a surprise, yet a welcomed one.

But, Steve wasn’t the only one with a dirty little secret. You had one too.

You were hooking up with your boss.

Steve was your boss.

And your dirty little secret was Steve.

•

Steve had been manager at Family Video rental store for less than a year when you’d first applied. You’d thought he was cute, but that’s as far as it went. It was possible he’d become your boss, anyway.

When you got the job, you were surprised at how much you actually enjoyed it. Steve was an excellent boss—friendly, patient and caring towards his employees. He never yelled at a worker when they messed up on the first day nor did he give them a hard time if it was a slow day. He was personable, chatty and never met a stranger.

While your attraction to him grew, you never gave much thought to anything actually happening. Granted, it was just a video store franchise and not a more serious occupation like the medical or legal field, but you still tried to remind yourself that he was the boss.

That was until one night, after work, hanging out with him, Robin and a few other employees, one drink too many landed you in his bed.

Needless to say, the rest was history.

Now, you’d been called to his office and there you sat, feeling like you’d just been called to the principal’s office. It was either that or Steve was hoping to reenact a scene from a steamy romance novel and had called you in for a whole different reason.

The office wasn’t huge, but it had a desk, a couch and a chair—all seeming to be mismatched but he never cared. He rarely spent all day in his office as he helped his employees out front more often than not. Usually, he only worked on paperwork back here, which is why you were more suspicious than normal.

“Oh hey, sorry, Kelly and Robin just took off for lunch and I told them we had a problem to solve,” Steve said, walking in, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

Your brows practically raised to your hairline. You couldn’t tell if that was an innuendo or not.

He was dressed in jeans, a blue and black striped polo and his usual Family Video vest, always making sure he wore it as he was proud of his manager badge.

“We do?” you croaked.

If you’d known he was up for some fun today, you’d opted for a skirt instead of the jeans you were wearing and silently scolded yourself for the choice of bottom wear.

“Mhm,” he was leafing through papers as he answered, glancing up at you when he found what he needed, a sticky note with some scribble on it, “You know the boxes of new VHS tapes we were supposed to be getting last Monday?”

Your brain tried to keep up as you realized it was actually a work reason, not a sexual reason why he called you in here. You straightened, demeanor instantly changing as you got down to business.

“Yeah. They still not arrived yet?”

“Nope.”

Steve blew out a breath that sent the tendril of hair that was resting against his forehead flying upwards.

“I figured it was time to call corporate, but I had to find their number first,” he explained, before grabbing the phone from its cradle and punching in the number.

“You needed me for this?” you raised an amused brow.

“Well yes. And something else,” he gave you a side glance before speaking into the phone.

“Hi, yes, this is Steve Harrington, manager of the Family Video in Hawkins, Indiana. We were supposed to get a shipment of new tapes this past week and it hasn’t arrived.”

He swiveled back and forth in his chair while you waited patiently to find out why he’d called you in.

“Uh huh. Okay, yes, I’ll hold,” he looked over at you, rolling his eyes.

“Aw, did you want me to keep you company while you were forced to listen to elevator music?” you teased.

“You could say that. Also, to return these.”

He’d been pulling open the desk drawer to his right before he’d finished his sentence and what he pulled out was now dangling from one finger.

Hanging from his index finger were a pair of black lace underwear. Your black lace underwear.

“You left these in my car the other night,” he smirked.

You felt a flush rise to your cheeks as you glanced over your shoulder to his open office door, afraid someone might overhear.

“They’re all at lunch, sweetheart. It’s just you and me.”

You turned back to him, his smirk now have grown wider than before, if that were possible.

“Give me those,” you whispered, even though you knew no one on the other end of phone could hear you either.

He pulled back out of your reach when you tried to grab them.

“Not so fast, Y/N. You’ve been a naughty girl, leaving those out for anyone to find them in my car. You think you deserve to get them back so soon?”

He was clearly enjoying this way too much and you glared at him, though the only heat in your gaze was from your desire, not anger.

“Well maybe I just wanted to leave something for you to remember me by,” you retorted, figuring you could play this game too.

“Oh honey, you leave more than enough for that.”

His gaze swept down your body and you couldn’t help but feel a chill down your spine. You’d been with other guys before, but no one managed to turn you on, satisfy you and make you desire more all in one breath as much as Steve did. Whether it was the secrecy of your hook ups or the intense connection between you two, it made it that much more exciting.

He rubbed the soft, silky material between his thumb and forefinger, still taunting you.

“What is this? Silk? Satin?”

“Satin,” you replied numbly, aware of nothing but him.

“They’re so soft. Perfect for me to shove down my pants and rub against my—yes, hello this is Steve Harrington speaking.”

His voice immediately went from the low rasp, dripping with seduction to casual and business-like as you figure someone finally picked up his call.

You had to squeeze your thighs together, trying to keep in control. You still had the rest of the day to get through and you wouldn’t make it all hot and bothered like you currently were.

He’d dropped your panties in his lap, giving you a raised brow in challenge; if you wanted them back, you’d have to come get them yourself.

He sounded perfectly normal on the phone as he chatted with the person on the other end of the line about the missing shipment of movies. To anyone else, nothing would be amiss, but you saw the gleam in his eyes, noticed the slightly deeper breathing that indicated he was as turned on as you were.

Which is why you marched around his desk to retrieve your panties off his lap. You delicately wrapped your fingers around the material of them, making sure they brushed against his crotch of his jeans in the process. He was hard, just as you’d expected him to be.

You weren’t done yet though. Before removing your hand, you flattened your palm against the bulge rubbing over it enough just to keep him wanting more. One look at his face told you that it’d worked as he bit his lip, eyelids fluttering. You could hear someone talking through the phone, though you couldn’t make out what was being said.

“Mhm, I understand.”

Only the slightest croak of his voice gave him away that he’d been affected by your touch.

Pulling back, depositing the underwear in your pocket, you bent to his ear, whispering a promise to him.

“This isn’t over yet.”

•

You intended to wait until the end of the day to execute your revenge and you made sure everyone else had left before you put your plan in action.

When he wasn’t looking and was busy in the back with the inventory—which managed to finally arrive, albeit delayed—you grabbed the items you needed and headed to his office. You snatched his Family Video vest off the front counter where he’d slung it earlier, a wicked grin spreading on your face as your plan became even better than you imagined.

You had plenty of time to get ready and you waited for a good fifteen minutes before you heard his footsteps approach. You didn’t think he’d realized you were still here and you intended to give him the surprise of his life.

When he opened his office door, he froze in the doorway, jaw slackened.

You laid back against the arm of the couch in nothing but the pair of black lacy panties and his Family Video vest.

“Holy shit,” he groaned lowly, eyes taking you in.

The excruciating wait was completely worth it as you could practically see his desire swallow him entirely.

“Told you I’d get you back for that little stunt earlier,” you smirked.

“Wondered where my vest went,” he mumbled, walking over, eyes still glued to you as he did.

“Thought I’d do some cleaning for you. I can always do a French maid look too, if you’d like,” you grinned.

“I like this one better.”

He was kneeling on the couch, hovering over you faster than you’d anticipated as his lips met yours in a heated kiss. His hand pressed against the bare skin of your stomach, sliding up until it cupped your breast beneath the vest.

Your nipples had already began to harden under the scratchy material of the vest as you’d awaited him, but you felt them tighten again as he squeezed your boob in his hand, wasting no time.

You moaned into the kiss as your hands on his chest glided up to where your arms circled his neck. His hips pressed against yours and you felt the heat begin to rise in you when you felt the hard on in his jeans pressing against your thigh. You couldn’t wait to get his clothes off and let the fun really begin.

He pulled back, smirking when you whimpered from the loss. He repositioned himself to where he was sitting normally on the couch and patted his lap.

“Come here sweetheart. You want me? You gotta come get me.”

You obeyed immediately, climbing into his lap, eager to have his lips back on yours, to feel him against you.

But he didn’t resume the earlier kiss, his hands pushed back the vest, uncovering what little hadn’t already been on display for him.

“As sexy as you are in that, I’m going to need it off you,” he mumbled.

You let the item drop to the floor as his lips attached to your neck. It’d barely been a minute or two since he’d walked in the door and you were already aching with an intensity you’d never felt before.

Your clit throbbed and you found yourself grinding against his crotch, moaning at the contact in addition to him sucking a bruise on your neck. Your hands found your boobs, massaging them—something you never did, but went to show how much you lost your mind when you were with Steve.

“Fuck baby, I’m not even out of my shirt and you’re gonna make me cum already,” he grumbled into your neck, losing all focus as you moved against his throbbing cock.

His fingers dug into your hips as you continued grinding against him. You’d spent nearly six hours horny for him today, so you thought it was fair if he suffered a bit too.

One little whimpered moan from you was all it took as he did just that, a curse slipping from his lips. You peered down, feeling at the same time as you saw the wet spot widen across the crotch of his jeans. He let his forehead drop against your shoulder with a groan of acknowledgement while you smirked, proud that you’d gotten him so worked up, he’d cum in his pants.

“You’re paying for that,” he growled lowly, teeth sinking gently into your earlobe, “I’m not anywhere near through with you.”

A shiver of delight coursed through your body as he laid you back down against the couch, starting back at your lips, taking it much slower. His mouth moved languidly against yours, fingers stroking your side gently. Only when his tongue met yours did he finally speed things up a bit. Your heavy breathing and smack of your lips against one another’s were the only sounds to be heard, minus the occasional moans.

From there, he kissed down your jaw, sucking on random spots as he fanned them down across your neck and collarbones. You tugged impatiently at his shirt, trying to pull it up as he ventured his kisses down to your breasts.

“Someone needs a lesson in patience, it seems,” he mused, sitting back to pull off his shirt.

Your teeth sunk into your lower lip, trying to hold back the moan. He was attractive any time, but you absolutely loved his chest. Not only was it tanned and broad, but covered in a layer of coarse, dark hair that you loved to run your hands over and a splattering of moles that ran all the way down and over his stomach. It was what made him Steve and you loved every peek of it you got.

“No, I need you to make me see fucking stars,” you retorted, pulling him back down towards you.

“Seeing stars is just the minimum when you’re with me,” he smirked confidently, “I’ll make you forget your name.”

“Is that a promise?” you asked, tongue moistening your lips, desperate to kiss him again.

He rolled one of your nipples between his fingers causing you to whimper before he answered.

“Baby, that’s a guarantee.”

You groaned in frustration, not sure how much more teasing you could take, making Steve chuckle. He was only just beginning with you, apparently.

His lips lowered to your chest, tongue swirling around your nipple before flicking his tongue over it and taking it into his mouth, sucking softly. His other hand squeezed your neglected boob, making sure to give it attention too.

As hard as you tried to enjoy the sensation—and it was amazing—you just wanted him between your legs. Whether it was his mouth, cock or fingers, at this point, you didn’t care. He’d wound you up so tight, you were ready to snap like a rubber band stretched too thin.

“Steve, come on,” you whined.

He’d moved on from your boobs, licks and kisses being sprinkled down your stomach, his fingers playing with the band of your panties.

“So impatient,” he mock frowned, “You that desperate for me?”

His touch grazed over the crotch of your panties, eliciting a hiss from you.

“Y-Yes,” you breathed.

“What do you want? Tell me.”

His fingers passed over it again, with just slightly more pressure, only giving you a taste of what was to come.

“Your fingers, mouth, I don’t care,” you groaned, legs inadvertently spreading wider for him.

With a low chuckle, he peeled off the underwear that started the whole thing.

“I have even more appreciation for those now,” he smirked up at you, fingertip trailing along your slit.

“Steve,” you whined, fully unable to mask your impatience.

His intense gaze never left yours as he pushed one finger into you and your eyes fluttered closed, your pussy instantly tightening around the one digit.

“Mm,” he moaned, noticing just how aroused you were, “This all for me, Y/N?”

He didn’t often use your name because pet names fell out of his mouth so easily when he got dirty, but the few times it did, it drove you wild. This instance was no different and you squirmed beneath him, groaning.

“It’s always for you,” you whispered, biting your lip as you looked at him.

He leaned down over you, connecting your lips again as his finger slid in and out of you. You moaned appreciatively when he added another, the slight stretch just preparing you for the delicious sensation of his cock, later.

You could’ve stayed there, kissing him, with his fingers twisting inside you at just the right angle, but he sat back again, settling between your legs, hands on your thighs.

He peered up at you, his hair already mussed to the point several pieces fell onto his forehead and the sides stood up almost comically. But the sight alone was practically orgasmic.

He gave one thigh a gentle squeeze before lowering his mouth to you, licking a line along your slit, ending at your clit which he gave a flick with his tongue.

“Shit,” you hissed, already gripping onto the edge of the couch.

You’d discovered it before, but he never failed to remind you just how good he was at things like this.

His lips closed around the throbbing bud, sucking on it just enough for you to feel the deliriously amazing effect of it. He moved lower, tongue licking into you causing your back to arch, your hips rising with it, trying to get as close to him as possible.

He kept you on your toes, licking, sucking, kissing, savoring you like you were his favorite meal. You felt his own answering moans against you, making you writhe.

The pressure of your impending orgasm was building, that tight knot in the pit of your stomach just aching to snap with one right move. After a few more thrusts of his tongue into you, he replaced his mouth with his fingers, sliding them so easily into you as you were probably dripping at this point.

Circling your clit with his tongue, he kissed it and brought it back into his mouth.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck,” you whimpered, hand threading into his hair.

Even if he wasn’t familiar with your body by now, he’d been able to tell you were close to snapping by the whine in your voice and the way your pussy fluttered against his fingers, repeatedly tightening around them.

At the last second, just when you were ready to fall over the cliff of bliss, he stilled his fingers, completely removing his mouth from you. He placed gentle kisses against the inside of your thigh, smirking at your cries of outrage.

“No, Steve! Fuck.”

This time, the expletive was pure frustration as the just within reach orgasm completely dissipated.

“I told you you’d pay for earlier,” he smirked, the challenge gleaming in his eyes, “But the way you’ve been carrying on, I’m hard as a fucking rock again, darling.”

His thumb teased your clit as he spoke to you and the whimpered moan that left your lips was probably pathetic, but in the moment, you were desperate.

He leaned back down, tongue lapping at your clit. Your head fell back against the arm of the couch, relieved to feel his mouth on you again.

He quickly resumed what he was doing, mouth and fingers combined. The impending orgasm built again, much quicker this time. Once again, you prepared for your climax to hit you and once again he stopped just on the brink of it.

“I really hate you right now,” you seethed, breathless and aching for him.

“With the way you’ve been moaning my name and begging?” he grinned up at you devilishly, one hand sliding up your stomach to tweak your nipple, “I hate to see what you’d do if you really liked me.”

You were too far gone to care about what came out of your mouth.

“Make me cum and maybe you’ll find out.”

“Tell me,” Steve stalled long enough for one teasing lick along your slit, then peered up at you, “How badly do you want to cum?”

“So fucking badly,” you whined, hips rising off the couch, trying to make contact again, “Please, Steve.”

So he obliged, lowering his head, intending to give you what you’d asked so nicely for. One hand gripped your thigh, the other busy, a few fingers deep within you, keeping pace with his mouth on your clit.

At this point, you lost all sense of control as your hips bucked and you practically ground against his face. Your hand gripped his hair and you felt his deep moan against your clit. That was all it took for the orgasm to crash over you, even more intense than it would’ve been the first time. Your thighs shook and trembled as the intense waves of pleasure coursed through your body.

You and he had yet to get to the main event and he’d already made you see stars.

When he was satisfied he’d wrung every last bit of the orgasm from you, he climbed back up to your face, cheeks flushed and lips slick. You may have just had an orgasm more intense than you’d ever had, yet you still hungered for more.

“Such a good girl for me,” he murmured.

As your lips met, your hands busied themselves with his belt buckle and jeans. As amazing as what he’d just done to you was, you were eager for him to be deep inside you, stretching you in ways his fingers couldn’t.

He pulled away with a groan when you’d gotten his jeans unzipped enough to slip your hand inside his underwear, fingers curling around his cock.

“Feel how hard you make me,” he whispered against your ear, “That’s all you, sweetheart.”

His words caused the ache between your legs to grow, tenfold.

“I want these off. Now,” you demanded.

“Who’s the boss now?” he teased, sitting back to push his jeans and underwear down his hips.

You watched, eyes taking in every bare inch of him as he stood to pull them off. You pointed to the couch as you sat up, voicing your next command.

“Sit.”

He did as he was told and you climbed into his lap, legs straddling his waist. His grin widened as his hands found your waist, eyes looking up at your face now hovered a few inches above his.

“You gonna ride my cock until you’re dripping down it?” he practically purred, helping you position yourself in his lap until just the head teased your opening.

“Yes,” you said matter of factly.

“Good, ‘cause I want you to drain every last drop from me.”

You rubbed against the head of his cock, causing him to groan—this time it was your turn to smirk.

“I intend to.”

You lowered yourself onto him, deep sighs coming from both of you at how good it felt. You stayed still for only a moment to appreciate the feeling before your hips began moving forward.

You hummed appreciatively as you once again got used to how he felt deep within you.

Steve looked to be as enthralled with the feeling as you were, his head tilted against the back of the couch, watching you through lidded eyes. Your hips moved slowly at first but they sped up as you rested your hands against his chest, leaning forward to kiss him again.

His hands slid from your waist, up your back as he pulled you closer to him. Your arms wrapped around his neck, your chest pressed against his, the kiss as heated and quick as your lower bodies moved. Before long though, it was hard to keep from making noise and he broke the kiss, moaning deeply.

“God, you feel so good. You feel so fucking good,” he groaned, complimentary.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Harrington,” you retorted, biting your lip, trying to control yourself as he continued to thrust deeper up into him.

His hand cupped your cheek, pulling your face closer to his, his lips so close you could feel his warm breath fanning over your face.

“No one’s here baby, be as loud as you want.”

It was as if that permission caused a dam to break within you, all your held back moans and whimpers coming cascading out at once.

“That’s a good girl. You look so good riding my cock,” he groaned, lips skirting over your shoulder.

He held you close, your chests flush with one another as your head tilted backwards. He took the opportunity to press kisses against your throat, moaning into your skin as you both rocked closer to your highs.

You let out a particularly loud moan when his hips circled just right, hitting a sensitive spot within you that practically made your eyes roll, your fingers digging into his biceps.

“Moan for me, sweetheart,” he rasped, lips still pressed against your skin, “Say my name.”

“Steve,” you whimpered, “Don’t stop.”

You felt yourself clenching around him as you spiraled closer to your finish, wanton moans escaping your throat.

“Fuck, baby, yes,” he groaned, your inadvertent clamping around his dick causing him to spiral quicker.

One hand had stayed rested on your lower back as you moved on him, the other exploring wildly. From grazing your boob, giving it a squeeze, to your hips, fingers digging into them. Now, it snaked downwards between you two as he pulled you in for a rough kiss, lasting only a moment or two. He pulled away when his thumb reached your clit, circling it just enough to progress your orgasm faster.

His face was flushed from exertion, hair wild as he looked at you with heavy lidded eyes, drunk off the endorphins that the sex was creating. His voice was firm though, almost boss-like when he spoke his command, his gaze never leaving yours.

“Come on baby, cum.”

It was as if you were so tuned to his body that you truly could release at a snap of his fingers. You cried out as your high hit you, his name falling off your tongue repeatedly, your body refusing to let up its movement until you’d wrung every last bit of pleasure from the climax.

Steve, in turn, had no problem falling right behind you as he’d held back as long as he could, wanting to take care of you first before he gave in to his own pleasure. But one look at your face as it crumpled and scrunched in pleasure as you came was enough to fully send him over the precipice, which he did as loudly as he pleased.

Lips locked in another kiss, both of your bodies slowly eased its rocking as you both enjoyed every possible second of the experience. Your blood still felt heated, electricity zinging through your veins as if Steve had actually lit you on fire from within.

When your body finally stilled against his, you and he both were breathing heavy, a thin layer of sweat coating your bodies. You were sure you had the same sex flush that he did, his cheeks rosy, lips swollen from all your kisses. You saw a blooming hickey on his collarbone that you didn’t even remember giving him, though you felt a tiny bit proud of the mark. Even if no one else knew it was there, you would know.

His chest heaved with his uneven breath, his hands glided up and down your back as he looked up at you with a satiated smile. A big part of you didn’t want the moment to end, but you knew it had to.

He showed no intention of moving right away though. His hand cupped your cheek and even with the touch alone, you could tell that he’d reverted back to his normal, sweet and gentlemanly persona.

He pulled your face to his, kissing you again, this one long and deep, much more sensuous than your wild, eager and desperate ones from before. It was truly a toe curling kiss—as if what you and he had previously done hadn’t been toe curling enough.

When he pulled away, the look on his face made you tilt your head to the side in confusion.

“What?” you asked, a smile forming on your lips.

“I was just thinking,” he began, thumb rubbing gently over your bottom lip, “I haven’t wanted to keep you a secret for a while. But after that? I want to take you out even more than I originally did.”

Your lips parted in surprise, but it was definitely a pleased surprised.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Is that okay with you?”

You nodded, a smile spreading across your face as your teasing remark left your lips.

“Of course. After all, you’re the boss.”

[nctinkverse]

Promissa Redux - Chapter 1

Synopsis: At 32, divorced with a wonderful 5-year-old daughter, questions from your teenage years resurface. The fairy tales and romance novels painted a perfect picture after the "happily ever after," but reality begged to differ. Mrs. Jung was your title for two years, and you cherished it.

Life, however, took a detour far from the expected plotlines, lacking the dramatic twists of a superhero movie. The not-so-happily ever after unfolded with its share of uncertainties, tough decisions, and the consequences of chosen paths.

Now, holding an engagement ring box you stumbled upon, the questions about love, endings, and new beginnings arise again, demanding answers you must seek soon.

Warnings: minnors do not interact!, for this chapter we've got angst, sex, and curse words.

Pairing: jaehyun x f. reader

Word count: 2.400

Unauthorized copying or translation of this work is strictly prohibited.

----------- Preview, warnings and full synopsis here --------------------

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Chapter 1 - Shattered promises & Broken vows.

One day, you promised yourself, one day you're gonna wake up and forget what you once had, what you gave up. It will stop. You won't think about it every time you get a moment for yourself. But right now, you can still remember the choices you had to make.

You feel yourself coming down, orgasms are a good thing, you can't deny it, so you breathe with your nails buried deep in your boyfriend's back. Orgasms are good, they aren't always granted, they aren't always mind-blowing, but they relax you, they have the power of making sure you cannot think. Just enjoy the high, orgasms always tell you. And you listen.

You listen because it's either that or hear the voices in your head saying it will never make you feel the way he used to. It's either go all in or give in to the sadness that is always lurking in your heart, telling you what you can't hear. So, you go high, but you come down, and all you can think is... you need to pee.

Getting up with shaking legs is a light feeling, peeing when you just had sex is also relieving, but almost stumbling back to bed because you stomp on something is no good.

So, you say a small "Shit!" Yeah, you're a mom, and moms do curse, especially if your feet hurt because it feels like you stomped on a huge Lego piece.

Unfortunately, like a mom, you bend down to pick up the shit that made your feet hurt because that's what moms do. Only this time, your eyes pop out of your sockets once you remember that soft velvet boxes aren't Lego pieces.

Who is idiotic enough to leave a ring box on the floor????

It takes a peek of annoyance before you realize the following things: You have a boyfriend. He's lying on the bed butt naked. You took out his clothes right before he said you guys needed to talk. You were horny, so you said, "We’ll talk later." Now, there's a velvet ring box on your hand that must have fallen out of his pocket because his pants were just by it.

"Shit, shit, shit!" you chant in your head this time, so he doesn't see you freak out. Panicking, you start to get your clothes back on again, you can't find your panties yet, so you leave it and start to make it to the door, but before running you make sure to drop the ring box.

When you make it to the room door, you say it with a high-pitched nervous tone, "I have to go, something came up," while turning and shutting the door without waiting for an answer.

When you make it to the asphalt with your black car, cracking the windows down is a must, you need to breathe and can't make it long before having to stop and collect yourself. You're 32, for God's sake, a stupid ring box shouldn't scare you like this. But shit, it does.

Seven years ago, fear was the last thing on your head when he asked you to marry him, your brain…or is it your heart, remembers you…

But this time, rings, promises, and the possibilities of broken vows scare you. You can’t, you don’t deserve him. You can’t possibly think about making another vow after breaking one just like this.

Banging your head on the steering wheel once, twice, and still not feeling like yourself, you think about the only thing in this entire world that would make you stop thinking about yourself, and that’s your daughter, the beautiful Jung Nari.

So you decide to pick up your phone to look at the time, and start to feel more like yourself when you see a cute orange lily dangling thing tied to your phone case, it was your daughter's Mother's Day gift that she made in art class.

She knows her name is Nari, after lilies, your favorite flower, so anytime she can gift you something, even if it’s just a drawing, Nari makes sure there’s at least one orange flower in the midst. With the cold winter wind flowing through the window and the 10 p.m mark on your phone, you decide to make a call. Maybe if she’s still awake, you can cuddle.

There’s a ring, two, and a third when you listen to a small “Hello” coming in a woman’s voice you love too much.

“Hi, Mrs. Jung, it’s me.”

“I know, dear; is everything alright?”

You laugh still a bit shakily while saying, “Am I that transparent?”

“You’re an open book to me, dear, come home. Nari is still awake, and my back can’t take too many hours of her cuddling before she starts to kick me.”

That sounded like Nari, she just like you, was a kicker of sheets at night. Her father says that she is just like you, can’t calm down unless you’re spooned, and your feet feel warm. You had cold feet and his were always warm and perfectly at reach so you could tangle yours against them.

Shaking that thought away, you replied a quick “I’m going, see you soon” to your ex-mother-in-law, who most of the time felt more like a mom to you than your own.

That’s why you had to make the decisions you made, so you could keep Nari close to her family, the Jung family was your family as well. There was no denying that as much as you always felt you didn’t fit in South Korea, you at least felt at home with them, Mr. and Mrs. Jung and… with Jaehyun too.

You didn’t hate him, never did, probably never will.

He gave you something so beautiful, meaningful that you could never, ever, hate him for anything. It wasn’t hate, it wasn’t the lack of love that led you two to break up, but just the opposite. Loving him was too great, too big, too much, and it was hurting you so much that keeping your cries hidden was becoming a challenge the more Nari grew.

You couldn’t make this to her, you couldn’t even think about the possibility of her thinking her dad didn’t want her or her mother because you kept suffering. She was just a baby, she wouldn’t and shouldn’t understand. The only thing you wanted her to know was love.

A love so great so beautiful that even when the distance put an ocean between her and her dad, love would still ring louder in her head instead of any fear of not being loved. And that’s why you did what you did.

Jung Nari loved her dad, she felt safe with him, she called him when she needed him, and he would pick up in a heartbeat. You knew you made the right decision, so did he. He wouldn’t fault you for it too.

Making your way to your ex-in-law's house, the gate opened just as you pulled up. After parking your car next to the huge 6-bedroom house in the middle of an expensive, almost exclusive part of Seoul, you felt calm. Looking up while going up the outside stairwell next to Mrs. Jung's garden, you could see the pastel pink light of your daughter’s bedroom still lit.

Great, she was still awake, and you wanted to cuddle her to sleep. She could tangle her little feet with your legs, and you wouldn't mind the tiny cold pressed against yours.

You made your way inside, going straight to her bedroom. When you opened the door, your mother-in-law was just next to her bed on a chair, with a princess book in her hand.

"Oh, thank God you arrived. She wanted another story, but we both know she is almost falling asleep," your mother-in-law said.

"I don't want no sleepy granny," Nari whispered in a voice that sounded more like a sleepy murmur than a complaint.

Getting up with the princess book in hand, Mrs. Jung gave her a goodnight kiss on the forehead and said in a light tone, "Good night, Junnie. Your mom is going to sleep with you, okay?"

Shaking off your winter clothes and shoes, you made your way to your kid’s bed, spooning Nari. The first thing she did was place her cold, tiny cute feet pressed against your thigh.

Right now, you felt more like yourself than the whole day.

With her head pressing against your nose, you breathed in her strawberry shampoo and her own soft scent. With your bigger arms, you crossed her center and started to whisper.

“Time to sleep, beautiful.”

“But I want stories,” she replied with so much sleep in her voice that you had to contain a laugh.

“Tomorrow, mommy is gonna tell you two stories before tucking you into bed, but right now, it’s sleep time.” You pleaded through whispers.

She just hugged your arm and let out a small hum. She went so quiet for a while you thought that she had already slept.

“Do princesses get married two times, mommy?” Nari asked while turning in your arms.

Your heart was beating loud in your ribcage, could she know?

“Why do you ask that, sweetheart?”

“Mommy is a princess in my stories, but mommy is not married anymore.”

“Why is my baby thinking about all that? Mommy can still be a princess without a man, did you know?”

“I know, but someone evil will push you to get married to a prince, don’t do it.”

“Why not?”

“The only prince in my stories is dad, you can’t marry someone better than dad, or prettier.”

Holding back a laugh, you went with it to figure out her cute line of thought.

“Do I need to marry someone?”

“No, but it can't be a prince. No frog too! I hate frogs!”

“But why not a prince, aren't they the best ones?”

“No! Only dad! If you marry another prince, you'll forget about me, mommy!”

Your heart constricted in pain realizing where she was going.

“Mommy is never going to forget about you, sweetheart. How can I? Mommy needs you too.”

“But if mommy has another baby with a prettier prince, I won’t be beautiful anymore.”

“Jung Nari, my sweetheart, you could be covered in mud, but mommy would still think you're the prettiest thing she has ever seen.”

“I hate mud, mommy!”

“I know, beautiful.”

She went silent for a few seconds until she said.

“I’ll still be beautiful even muddy?”

“I swear it.”

She stopped again and went…

“O.K. now silent. I can’t sleep with you talking so much.”

Holding in your laugh, you just left kisses on her head and while letting your fingers drag along the dark honey-brown hair color she got from her father. This time, with a calmer heart, she fell asleep.

After a while with Nari’s feet pressed right against your tights, you realized you’ve had fallen asleep too, with careful movements, you were able to untangle yourself from your kid and tucked her in properly with the covers.

Getting your bag and winter coat, you left the bedroom trying to be as silent as possible. Glancing at the watch on your wrist you realized it was almost midnight.

You made it to the kitchen and while waiting for your glass of water to fill you heard footsteps.

“Is she asleep?” Asked your Mrs. Jung.

“Yeah, she did.”

Sitting down on the kitchen table, she looked at you with concern.

“What happened my child?”

You let out a small laugh, she was always very attentive, it was a trait Jaehyun inherited from her, and hopefully Nari would too, it made people around them feel seen and valued.

“Nothing, Mrs. Jung.”

She looked at you with reprimanding eyes, she always hated being called Mrs. Jung, instead of mom.

You breathed loudly and asked.

“How did you feel when Mr. Jung proposed?”

She looked a little taken aback for a minute but replied with a smile on her lips.

“I felt so happy I almost forgot to say eyes because he was so beautiful and looking at me like I was his entire world, it’s such an intense feeling when you realize you matter that much to a person.”

You were looking at her face, checks pink, eyes that screamed joy as like she was reliving the memory in her mind.

“What did you feel like?” She asked.

“You know how it was. You were there, I was crying so hard.” You laughed at the memory, Jaehyun was so nervous he thought you were crying out of sadness, you still remember his relieved face when you managed to breath a small yes between tears.

“I saw it, but I didn’t feel it…what did you felt at that moment?”

“I felt loved…I knew marring me was a big risk, I knew I came with a lot of expectancies and issues, being with me wasn’t goin to be easy or come at a cheap price, yet when he got on one knee I knew… I knew he loved me and saw me for what I was worth, I was crying but I don’t remember anything in my life at that point making me as happy as I was at that moment.”

When you finished, you had your answer.

“Did someone propose?” She asked.

“No.”

“Is someone going to?”

“Probably.”

“And what are you going to say?”

“I don’t know, all I know, it’s if I hesitate…” You couldn’t finish that sentence, what if you couldn’t say yes? What if never again in your life you could let someone in?

Mrs. Jung probably saw all the pain and confusion in your eyes, so she got up from her chair and came to you, pulling you in a hug, she was taller you, so she just let you slump against her and hug her back with yourself tucked like a child in her chest.

You started to cry, and for a while she didn’t say anything, she just let you be while running her fingers along your locks of hair.

After what if felt like at least 30 painful minutes she withdrew a bit and so did you, she looked in your eyes and said:

“You my child, deserve all the love in the world, the magic that comes with it. Don’t tell yourself otherwise, you’re worth it.”

Mom, yeah, you should really start calling her that again.

Next Chapter

---------------

Taglist: @dulyrana @clblnz 💚

[skaldish]

Helloooo,

I’m not sure if this would be an odd question or not so I’ll give a bit of context for it before I ask: basically I’ve wanted to try and worship/work with Loki and become Lokean for a few years, I’ve always been extremely drawn to Him and He’s the first deity I felt like I loved—I’ve been fixated on him since I was around 8 years old and it was around about then that I wanted to become a heathen, and that’s stuck with me for all these years.

The only problem is that I’ve always been a huge skeptic and I’ve been an atheist or atheist-leaning agnostic (depending on the day) for my entire life, I’ve tried several religions and having faith in multiple deities (Loki included) but every time I try I feel like I just can’t connect with any faith, I can’t believe no matter how much I want to and try to, and I just start getting anxiety around it.

Again this might sound a bit odd but I see the sorts of connections other people have with their deities and how close or happy they are and I’d really like that sort of connection as well. I know religion and faith and a connection with a deity can’t be forced but do you know if there’s any way that I can help myself find faith, and more specifically faith in Loki?

The concept of “having faith”—or unquestioningly believing in a higher power exists without any evidence to support its existence—is a Christian thing. As in, this is a feature unique to the religion of Christianity, especially the Protestant branches.

The state of “having faith” in this manner is actually a state of cognitive compromise. Protestants learn to react to feeling doubt by initiating a certain script of affirmations, which produces feelings of euphoria and drowns out the sensation.

This doesn’t actually make the doubt go away, though. All it does is block the sensation from their conscious awareness.

Doubt is an essential part of our reasoning, and it goes away with verification, not with belief. If I doubt that a wild berry is edible, no amount of “having faith” is going to verify whether it’s edible or isn’t. It’s only by gaining clarity about the nature of the berry do I satisfy my doubt, and this will happen regardless of what the nature of the berry ends of being (edible or not).

At no point should we believe in anything without a satisfactory reason.

I acknowledge Loki as a phenomenon not because I have faith in him, but because I experience him, the same way I experience the sky being blue or the phenomenon of “Autumn”. All it takes to get this experience is to ask the gods to verify themselves for you. (Granted, you’ll want to make sure they’re around to hear you first. Leaving them offerings in a companionable manner is a good way to go about this.)

This is also how I started things off for my own practice. I asked Loki for evidence, and he gave me it through a magnitude of different channels; dreams, synchronosities, physical portents, nonphysical portents, and whatever else was in his capacity to orchestrate as a non-corporeal being. It was a non-insignificant pattern of data. It made me extremely curious and I’ve been playing in this space ever since.

(My doubts still rear up, of course, but that’s because I’m anxious and get stuck doubting my own judgement.)

I would recommend taking this approach for yourself.

[mcd-brainrot-hours]

tell me about how the relics work in your rewrite + what aphmaus connection with irene is, if there is any

(sorry if youve already talked about these things!)

i’ve talked about the divine warriors but not about their relics yet :3 majority of the stuff i have for relics im still not exactly sure if im going to change it or not but here’s what i have for now. i dont know if ive changed much from canon or not, its been a while since i watched mystreet s6

in order for a relic to be made, someone’s soul has to be sacrificed.

irene wasn’t always human, she was once a god. she begged to be with the humans to help them. she was granted her wish and turned into a human with her immortality. the only way she could access her godly powers was through the relic she spawned with. the gods had compressed her abilities into the relic. irene wanted to create relics so she could have companions like her on her journey. in order for a relic to be made, someone’s soul has to be sacrificed.

she’d already found the perfect companions, she just needed to gift them power. irene experimented over and over again to make relics, she would use her own people for the sake of it- they thought they were just going to help their beloved matron with a small experiment, not killed for the sake of magic.

the first successful relic she made was shad’s, using their very own daughter. irene believed that if she used someone close to her beloved friends, she could created the perfect relics for them. she’d never tell them where she got them from. and so, irene lured the closest person to each divine warrior and used their souls.

despite being “human”, irene would never be able to feel the emotions her friends felt upon discovering they wouldn’t find their loved ones. she gathered them and offered the relics as consolation, never telling them who each relic used to be.

shad was the first to discover the truth and he wasn’t very happy. the rest of the divine were too focused on irene’s happiness to even consider that their own relics used to be someone they loved.

ok really quickly onto what each relic does

there are limits to what the wielder can do depending on their experience but i’ll list what each relic is capable of. right now, i have the system working to where each reincarnation cycle of the divine makes their relics more powerful, even if the warrior isn’t reincarnated/the wielder is a descendant

the matron - the matron’s relic has the capacity to heal any injury, cure any sickness, and revive the fallen. no one but the matron herself can wield this power and even she can suffer the consequences of using too much energy.

the destroyer - polar opposite of the matron’s- tin and yang- where the matron can bring life, the destroyer brings death and decay. the wielder can destroy anything they desire in an instant. in order to prevent the relic from becoming too powerful, the original six shattered it.

the protector - the user can summon an diamond shield of any size and gains super strength. however, there are consequences to summoning the shields: the user will become exhausted when trying to summon huge shields or too many shields at once

the wanderer - grants the user the ability to teleport certain distances or connect any door to anywhere as long as the user has the location memorized in perfect detail. it can be very awkward if this power doesn’t work. the user is also granted navigational skills and the ability to read the stars for prophecies or futures (lore reasons for this that i’ll eventually make a different post for)

the fury - the user is granted strength depending on their anger as well as the ability to control fire to a certain degree. their mood can also determine the weather if they are feeling their emotions very strongly.

the keeper - the user is granted divine knowledge, they could learn anything from a book in a simple touch. they can also transfer knowledge to blank pages/books in a touch. they are given exceptional mage abilities.

^(most of what the relics can do is still a wip)

alrighty now onto aphmau hehehe irene’s favorite sacrificial lamb

aphmau came from irene, specifically irene’s conscious. it’s like she is irene but also not at the same time. over time, she is to accept her role and let irene take control once more but aphmau is stubborn and insists on being her own person. she can make a name for herself without the help of a goddess.

i think i might’ve made this post a little too long so i’ll stop there but thanks for the ask :)

[roe-sesandthorns]

unfiltered thoughts on deadpool & wolverine

first, lemme just say I enjoyed the movie. it was a first movie-in-cinema experience after a looong while and I saw it in 3D. granted was a bit unwell so mayyybe that influenced my experience idk.

spoilers under the cut

is it an enjoyable movie? YES. absolutely. i liked the comedy, liked the characters, liked the plot (generic but we'll get to it)

there was obviously a lot of love and care in the movie, for ALL the characters - not just the main ones but also the variants of older marvel movies (or non-movies) like Electra, Blade, and Gambit.

the fight scenes were as always amaaaazing

the dynamic between wolvie and dp was beautifully done

basic premise of the movie works wonderfully. especially given the previous movies as well as the in-universe explanation.

they handled the multiverse thing a bit better than the other ones. there is a legit reason for deadpool to go through the multiverses looking for wolvie to fill in the gap Logan left in his.

speaking of, i was confused how deadpool was in the 616 timeline (which, still fucking bitter they decided to use that for the MCU shitshow) for the meeting with Happy and then 6 years later in the 100005-whatever-the-fuck of his universe if both of those happened after the second deadpool

OR the meeting w Happy was before deadpool 2 and then he goes back and creates the alt timeline which leads to 10005 or whatever. the second option makes more sense so that's what i'm going with.

still confused about how deadpool changing the timeline affected the Logan universe or if they merged cause Logan's death cause the destablisation but wouldn't deadpool's timeline be a new one with some other anchor being - possibly deadpool

anyway, they very strongly claimed that deadpool wasnt the anchor being - which, so many misdirects in the movie that deadpool leans into as almost a mouthpiece for the audience and then they pull the bait-and-switch

sidenote: the misdirects were well done, it didn't cheapen the "twist" or surprises. deadpool's (and our logic) was the obvious track before they flipped it. so no gripe there. it was a good use of calling out the thing then adding a twist or surprise.

anyway the anchor being and the timeline TVA stuff was (as usual) a bit annoying and hard to follow at times logically BUT this is also a superhero movie and it DOES obey its own in-universe laws so the problem I have with Marvel's TVA shit is a personal opinion and not a reflection of the movie itself.

also the movie (through deadpool) IS aware of how godawful the multiverse shit in Marvel has been - and honestly, I agree w DP - fucking stop w the multiverse shit Marvel. it's not fun anymore cause you dropped the ball a long time back. (Multiverse of Madness, anyone?)

I had mixed feelings about wolverine's backstory on the initial watch

they hyped it up as him doing this unthinkable thing and him being irredeemable and then they are like oh no, he just didn't answer when they called. and it was like.... okay, and? I kept waiting for there to be more or the story to be different. the real revelation was that he had started killing people. and killing indiscriminately using the xmen uniform. this was given in the middle of a crucial high tension point

i see the appeal in doing it this way - logan was hiding his REAL sin deep within himself. he wouldn't offer it up to someone especially not someone he had just met hours ago. and in hostile territory. that's not him.

secondly, the impact of the revelation I feel was supposed to be more earthshattering than it ended up being. it was meant to be a huge shock. but after seeing him claw through people (and deadpool) repeatedly taking kill shots and after so much DEADPOOL level of Rated R violence, it landed a bit too softly for the moment to make an impact.

it was later as I thought about it that I was like, oh shit yeah like that was a big ass deal and his whole relationship w charles and the guilt he feels etc... that emotional weight didn't land in the middle of the moment. especially cause it was immediately followed by him quipping at Cassandra and trapping her

so was it true? must've been cause she was in his head.

does he feel the guilt the same way? that's what he says.

does that show in the aftermath of the moment? kinda, when he decides to spare her for charles.

but idk, it just didn't hit the way they might've wanted it to hit. Maybe allusions to him being a murderer or something before? set it up? his mistake was catastrophically world ending or at least world impacting. the loss of the x-men was not set up previously or alluded to soooo it rings a bit hollow.

maybe dropping a few hints before the reveal would have helped.

ALSO, sidenote but how tf did humans end up killing ALL of the x-men?? that seems v unlikely given that they are the fucking X-MEN. idk maybe i missed something.

Moving on...

as a deadpool AND wolverine movie, it delivered. there were some really amazing moments - the danceoff obviously, the cameos, the misdirects, the action sequences were amazing

am I a bit tired of seeing the "lose vanessa - save the day and vanessa - get back w vanessa" cycle for the third time? yeah. I mean I get he loves her and all but it's a bit too cyclical to hold impact. like cool, again? really?

again, not a plothole, a personal preference.

would have loved exploring more of wade's dalliances like shiklah or even Death. would;ve been cool.

not that I am mad about a decent mostly healthy relationship and a stable love interest in a Marvel movie (v tony stark-pepper potts coded)

speaking of stability, or lack thereof, I felt like this movie in particular did not delve as deeply into deadpool's unique mental headspace. i was hoping sometime they would bring in the more debilitating aspects of his mental health (the boxes, the hallucinations, the suicidal/self-harm tendencies) but I get that it might be a bit too grimdark for Fox/Disney

would've been nice to have a bit more of that aspect of his character

although who's to know maybe MCU wade's support system helps him be a bit more well adjusted

also why the emphasis on Peter? is it for a joke cuase he's just some guy? is it a cheeky peter parker jab? is it both? it's mildly funny so i don't mind. just meh about - again, personal preference.

ok something that's more objective:

i think there were too many 4th wall breaks. it was fun, the references were amazing. some of them were really good. loved the opening one, the one where he smashes the camera, and some other moments.

but after a while it felt stale or too much. the jokes did hit. it's not like they were unfunny like the rest of marvel's humour

some of the deep cuts were D E E P but it's not even about the content. deep cut references are a staple for the character.

but just the frequency of the meta jokes and the 4th wall breaks was a bit excessive?

but then again, deadpool isn't deapool if he isn't a bit annoying or excessive. my guy's the arachetype for a comedic motormouth

the woke-jokes were funny but not as edgy as he could go. I felt like the jokes were a bit too tongue-in-cheek to make them almost cringe? but whatever. they played it safe and i'm not mad about it.

as a movie, it felt a bit too attention grabby in the wrong way. there was a "aren't i so clever" or smarmy marvel overtone of "look at us being self-referrential and allowing you to laugh at us becuase you've been joking about our products being shit but when we allow ryan reynolds to do it we beocme edgy and cool and don't u wanna buy more now? look we got so much to sell you? did i tell you RDJ is coming back? which, holy fucking shit fuck that shit it sucks "

maybe it's just my anti-marvel agenda idek

still, sometimes just having fox's logo in the back rather than pointing it out is enough ig

for someone who was and is so tired of Marvel, it was a refreshing movie

i enjoyed it, it was a decent movie, a good deadpool movie not as good as the previous two and a GREAT deadpool and wolverine movie. does that make sense?

i never really cared for wolverine much in the past decade but this movie made him cool again, which was awesome

the teamup and dynamic was great

marvel needs to learn to give people who love the characters (not just their own but OTHER characters esp the oft forgotten ones) and want to do them justice more creative control and let them tell the (hopefully self contained) stories rather than focusing on playing join the dots behind the scenes OR try to catch attention through shock value

it doesn't work. it's like jumpscares in horror. you pay attention for a second cuase you're startled but the real impactful horror is the one done through themes and story - not a loud bang.

altho i have a feeling that the lesson marvel is gonna take is about shoving more and more (esp obscure) cameos in a work than actually doing justive to characters and stories

oh, also. it goes to show that the two best received (so far) movies post Endgame have been the multiverse ones with nostalgic characters

MCU's """sacred timeline""" is fucked because of them. people want to feel what they felt like watching the older more self-contained stories like the x-men or the tobey spidey movies

it's not jsut nostalgia, it's about story and characters and HEART.

phase 4 is proof that marvel doesn't have a heart.

parting thoughts: the only interaction i want from deadpool and the main MCU is with spiderman. preferably andrew garfield but i'll take holland in a pinch.

I have hope that as long as ryan has the reigns his deadpool projects + appearances will always have heart.

And I have NOT touched on how GAY (non-derogatory) the movie is and I think I need another long rant for it cause goddamn the movie is queer af and I love it. the euphemistic van scene alone GODDAMN.

it's like ryan and team were NOT here to play - deadpool is queer, get with it or perish. love that energy.

Edit: the set pieces holy shit. it was a gorgeous movie that was shot amazingly and the practical effects and CG were ON POINT. LOTS of attention to detail.

[tarjapearce]

Hey, I wanna say i really really like the way you write fics. It feels??? Natural?? To read it?? Always an adventure everytime I read a fic of yours.

How do you write so good?? I'm a writer as well and I'd love to hear your tips and tricks ^^

First of all, I wanna thank you for liking the crap stuff I write. (Cause I'm genuinely amazed some times that people just like it and I'm not saying this because.)

⚠️⚠️LONG AND POSSIBLE CONTROVERSIAL ANSWER AHEAD ⚠️⚠️

It's kinda funny, ngl. Lemme tell you something, I don't know if you guys struggle with Impostor Syndrome a lot like me, but everytime someone gives a compliment like this my brain just goes into self sabotaging mode.

In the outside its :

But in the inside, my brain immediately goes:

Cause I'm aware that I can do better. (And we will ~) it's weird. I'm always striving to do better.

As for the tips and tricks, I'm surely not the right person to ask advice from 😅, but Imma just tell you this from what I experience and from my perspective (Hopefully won't get backlash from this, if not, R. I. P. me jsksj) Be warned though, it's kinda contradictory cause writing is hard yo!

1. You gotta read. Either books or whatever your favorite genre is, but you gotta read. I consume fan fics and non fanfics cause you learn from other people too. I read fanfics mostly to know new words, how the character develops and the like.

I read more spanish stuff than anything. Which I try to transfer to what I write.

2. I try to keep it as simple as possible. With that I mean to not over embellish words cause it gets boring and weird. Sure, everyone wants to make their fanfics pretty (nothing wrong in that) but sometimes I feel that less is more. Like, nothing wrong if you wanna poet the f- out of your fic. (THIS IS A DOUBLE EDGED ONE SO BE CAREFUL!!)

I mean there is a huge difference in reading:

"The anger and frustration on her way of living was taking a toll on her mind"

and:

"Her nemesism had muddled her mind into an endless spiral of what ifs and what not, and frankly if her mind could speak, it'd beg for a break."

It's hard to pick one style, but as long as you keep it consistent, I guess it's all good (?) (Funny cause I always aim for the second one and end up in the first jsksj and I dont even know myself if I'm keeping it consistent)

3. Get yourself a beta reader that doesn't coddle you. It helps alot!!!! Cause again, compliments sure are nice, but they don't tell you where you could get better. ✨( Unless the reader provides puntual feedback on what they liked and what not. Those are my favorites and a rare gem ❤️)

4. I know this one is hard because everyone at some point have done this. But IF YOU COMPARE yourself to other writers? You'll lose yourself. Not only you'll lose motivation cause you seem unable to write like them, but you will fall into this... vicious circle of self deprecating and burnout. And the self doubt sky rockets nonstop.

Everyone is different. Everyone learns in a different pace. Trust me, I wanted to make great stories with a good looking writing when I had the slightest idea of what I was doing (Still do!) 😂. Writing fanfics is not a competition to who writes more beautiful/good/professional than others. Or who has more notes or the most canon-stuck character, or the cause let's face it, none will get a character's personality to a 100%!!! (And that's ok cause it's fanfiction and we all have a different approach to the character either emotional or mental) .

Personally for me, the cockyest thing someone can do is to claim to know a character more than the creators themselves. Kinda rude for me, if you ask . Like, sure feeling a deep connection with a character doesn't mean it'll grant us instant access to their whole self. Characters just like us evolve. Either for the good or the bad, but they don't remain the same, so knowing them completely is a big fat lie. Unless stated by the creator. (But we're delusional in this site, so~)

I mean, sure characterization is something we all struggle since we guide ourselves by some of the character's most prominent traits and make them their default personality. (I've sinned in this jsksj so don't worry)

5. HAVE FUN AND TAKE BREAKS. I mean it. The favorite things I've written is where Im genuinely having fun writing it. But also after a well deserved rest. Cause if something doesn't feel right, it won't be right. And burnout is easier to get at than we actually think.

6. I recently started to follow writing advice blogs, one of my favorite @heywriters.

@she-who-fights-and-writes. (They have amazing writing resources, so does Pinterest and YouTube. Seize them!!!)

But yeah, I'm still an amateur on this, I make emphasis in the 5th one tho.

Hope this helps you? ;w;.

Love you❤️✨

Thanks for stopping by. ❤️

[tarotbydelilah444]

🌹✨Will You & Your Person Reconcile ?

Happy Venus Day 🌹! I want to say thank you all for all the love you guys have shown me and my page. I am super grateful to each and every one of you and I am glad that my readings are resonating with all of you. This pac reading is a special one for all my followers as a token of my appreciation, so I hope you enjoy. Make sure to follow my Instagram because I am posting content and information on how to book with me, if you are interested in a personal reading, as always, sending you love & light 🤍✨ - Delilah pile one • 🌹

crystal | rose quartz • unconditional love & compassion

the real reason for the breakup | king of swords •  the tower 

Okay, so I am picking up that maybe communication was an issue in the connection. You and your person may have had lots of arguments throughout your relationship, and communication really sucked between the two of you. It got to a point where the two of you began to stop expressing how you truly felt to each other to avoid confrontation. You two seem like you couldn’t agree on simple things and it would lead into explosive arguments and harsh words being exchanged to each other. Lots of miscommunication, petty arguments, and drama caused the ending of this connection. Jealously and trust issues could have also contributed to the ending of this relationship.Both of you may have thought the other was being unfaithful.

how does your person feel about you currently | five of swords • queen of swords • retreat

Your person spends most of their time in their head thinking about the arguments that were exchanged between you and them in the past . This person feels like you had a huge ego and you always had to be right no matter what the cost. They also view you as very cold and cutthroat. This person is still upset or holds alot of resentment towards you about the outcome of this situation, but they feel like it was the best decision for them to walk away from you and that the connection run its course. Your person may have some unspoken words that they may say to you in the future when there is less tension between the both of you, but for the time being, they have decided to keep their distance and move on from you and the situation.

their perspective on the breakup| page of swords • it is safe for you to love 

They felt like you were very immature or you didn’t take things seriously when it came to the connection. They feel like you played a lot of games and you did petty things out of spite whenever you would get upset with them or just to get a reaction out of them. They feel like you were very reckless with your words and this caused this person to resent you for the hurt you caused them. They feel like your actions are defense mechanisms to avoid being hurt or being taken for granted, and this person tried to make you see that they were different from your past relationships, but they were unsuccessful to help you look pass your traumas.

how do you feel about your person currently |  five of pentacles • the judgement • honeymoon 

Some of you are focusing on self love before returning back to this person. So for most of you, I see that you want to reconcile with your person. The universe taught you a lesson for the part you played in your connection, and this required you to learn some harsh lessons and to take a deep look at yourself in the mirror to confront yourself and your mistakes. You had to go through these lessons to see your mistakes and I believe that you have learned those lessons to humble yourself and now you are hoping that your person can forgive you for things that transpired in the past between the two of you, and they will be open to the chance of getting back together. Even if you two don’t reconcile, i see you wanting to make peace with them and resolves any issues that still exists between the both of you, so you can move forward.

your perspective of the breakup | eight of swords • separation 

From your perspective, you and this person broke up due to many insecurities. I think those insecurities lie within you when it came to the connection ( let’s be real for a moment). You had a lot of fears going into your connection which didn’t allow you to fully give your person a chance, due to being scared to trust and be vulnerable with your person, so alot of the things you did in your connection triggered trauma responses out of you that originated in your past relationship. You self-sabotaged your connection and created a distance between you and your person because you may have felt unworthy of love for so long that when you got into this connection with your recent ex, you expected this person to act like people from your past.

will the two of you reconcile | two of swords • ace of wands • getting to know each other

It is up to the two of you. I feel like there is a chance for reconciliation, if both people get onto the same page. Hesitation and fear is holding both of you back from allowing this connection to come back together. One of you needs to make the first move, if you really want this connection back, so stop waiting for the other person to reach out and make a move. There is a chance for a reconciliation to happen, but it requires you two to open up to each other and make your intentions clear. You and this person are being encouraged to take it slow and get to know each other again.

random messages • eighth house placements/synastry, popularity, energy vampire, Asia, divine masculine, divine feminine, big decisions, mistress, “I am grateful for your presence in my life,” trust issues, family issues,  blockages, solar plexus chakra, braids/locs, muscular body type, 555, summer, tall, December, green eyes, “ don’t run from me,” Scorpio, Taurus, Capricorn, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius, Virgo, Cancer, and Pisces, well endowed, experienced, sex toys, & oral

Channeled Songs • 🌹 Don’t Matter To Me • Drake ft Michael Jackson Vanish • Giveon

pile two • 🖤

crystal | larimar • renewed outlook • harmony

the real reason for the breakup | six of wands • ten of pentacles 

I think the two of you had conflicting values coming into the connection. The two of you could have two totally different personalities and views of the world. I think you or this person enjoys their independence and doesn’t like to be tied down nor smothered. The other person values security and stability. I see that you or this person could be use to causal relationships, while the other is more into relationships that has longevity and that are more serious. The reason for the breakup is because someone did not want a serious connection or wasn’t open to the idea of being in highly committed relationship and the other person wanted a serious connection with the other.  how do they feel about you currently | king of cups • ten of wands • past life relationship  This person feels like you are their soulmate, or they have a strong connection and attraction to you that is hard to deny. This person likes you very much and they still care for you, even after the breakup. Their feelings are still strong for you and they are grateful for your presence in their life. They feel like no one could ever take your place in their heart because they feel like their heart belongs to you. This person refuses to move on or accept that this connection is truly over for good, they are still holding out hope that you and them will reunite one day. This person is still hurt and they carry the pain of losing this connection and you. This person could possibly blame themselves for the reason for why the connection ended, even if they weren’t at fault.

their perspective of the breakup | four of cups • religious factors 

This person could feel like you were bored with them or you weren’t really that into them and invested into the relationship. They knew that you two had differences, but they were willing to still work on the connection with you and understand your and their differences for the sake of the connection. They feel like no matter what they did to make this connection work, they just couldn’t make you fully happy or give you what you really desired. They feel like you weren’t grateful for the connection or didn’t recognize their efforts. 

how do you feel about this person currently | • seven of pentacles • page of wands • make the effort 

you seem more willing to put the work or make the effort when it comes to this connection than you were in the past.  You may have some hesitation or you may be uncertain about your feelings about your person, but I see you are still open to reconciling with your person, if the opportunity presents itself. I think you want to take your time to get to know the person and explore your feelings with them because they are relatively new and fresh. I see that you find this person extremely attractive and amusing.

your perspective for why the connection ended | five of cups • finances & career 

I think you were grieving about something from your past, or this relationship may have triggered painful memories from your past in you, take it if it resonates. I think you were to focus on the cons of this connection rather than focus on the pros of what this connection could have offered you. For some, you could have been juggling your person and another person, who could’ve be a fire sign. You may have decided to leave your person and indulge in a fantasy with this fire sign masculine and you got feed a fantasy by this person and quickly realize the grass was not in fact greener on the other side, now you may feel regret for not fully appreciating your person and the connection that they once offered you. 

will you and this person reconcile | four of swords •  two of cups • heart to heart conversations

there is a chance for you and this person to reconcile, but give this person and yourself time before you two come together. There is still healing on your & their side that needs to be done before you two can reconcile. It’s important that you two be honest and upfront about your feelings for one another for this connection to fully blossom into something special. It’s important to rebuild trust within this connection and make sure that there is an equal give and take in this connection for it to work.  random messages • “I am grateful for your presence in my life, painful memories, sex-work, funny, 777, next month, September, December, invitation, different lifestyles, sponsorships, powerful, 12th house synastry, 11th house, friendships, community, wishes, June, tattoos, new job on the way, creativity, powerful, rewards from the universe, braids/locs, natural hair, new love alert, blocked communication, cut them off, Aquarius, Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Capricorn, Virgo, simp for you, “you rock my world,” they imagine how good you taste

Channeled Song • 🖤 Missed You • The Weeknd

As You Are • The Weeknd

pile three • ♥️

crystal | pink tourmaline • healing & serenity

the real reason for the breakup | queen of cups (rx) • four of wands

You or your person was holding back their feelings out of insecurity or fear of being vulnerable and rejected. The fear was all in someone’s head causing them to be delusional when it came to this connection and sabotaging the connection. I feel like this pile should read pile one because they had a similar message and struggled with the same issue. This was a stable and secure relationship with a soulmate  or someone you share a past life connection with, but someone’s fears and self-sabotage ruined this great connection you had with this person. You & your person came into each other’s life to help each other heal these issues and were given the chance to experience a meaningful romance of a lifetime, but in the end, you or this person allowed all your doubts, fears, anxieties, and traumas to take control of the relationship and it resulted in the end of this connection.

how do they feel about you right now | the star • three of wands • soulmate 

This person believes that you are their soulmate. They feel such a familiarity when it comes to you and the connection and they feel like you are their other half that they have been waiting for their whole life. You still hold a special place in this person’s heart no matter what has transpired in the connection. They find you to be very beautiful and you are their ultimate dream girl, the only girl they have eyes for. This person is very hopeful when it comes to a reconciliation and they are waiting for when you two will be able to see each other again and reconnect because they miss and love you so fucking much that their heart & soul cries that they aren’t near you at the moment. They hope that you are healing and growing since the last time they saw or spoke to you. Your person knows that you two will find your way back to each other when the time is right, so far now, they are choosing to stay optimistic and focus on their own path. 

their perspective of the breakup | ace of pentacles • trust 

This person may have felt like you didn’t fully trust them even when what they offered you was solid and secure. They feel like their intentions were good and clear, but it wasn’t enough to convince you that you could trust them and take a real chance on the connection. This person wishes that you had more faith in them and in the connection because they believe or at least still believe that this connection could stand the test of time and really bloom into something authentic and beautiful, if you would give this connection a real shot. This person also feels like this was a connection divinely created by the divine for the both of you to explore and allow everything to fall together in due time. This person feels like they invested a lot of time and effort into this connection and they wish you would have done the same.

how do you feel about your person currently | ten of swords • five of pentacles • engagement 

You are expecting the worst and looking at this situation from a pessimistic point of view. You feel the connection is over or that you fucked up so badly that you believe that there is no point of return, but I think that is just your self-doubt and fears getting the best of you and convincing you that this connection is not salvageable or there no chance in hell that you and your person will be able to start over & reconcile. I think you are still processing the pain and you are feeling remorseful for your past actions towards your person and the part you played in sabotaging your relationship. You are so deep in your feelings and focus on negativity that you don’t see that you have a chance to heal and fix your connection with your person, but it will require you to do the work and redeem yourself to be worthy of being given a second chance. You have all the tools in front of you to get out of this lack mindset or woe is me attitude, the time to start is now!

your perspective of the breakup | three of pentacles • new love 

You may feel like there was a lack of effort and trust in the past on your end. You can acknowledge how you weren’t showing up for your partner as you should in the past. You didn’t put in as much work and effort in the relationship, and you later realized after the connection your mistakes and how you can grow from them instead of repeating the same mistakes in the relationship. 

will you two reconcile | the judgment • seven of swords • retreat 

Yes, the both of you have a chance to reconcile the connection, but it will require your both to forgive yourselves, the mistakes done in the past, and forgive each other, if the both of you want this relationship to move forward. It will also be wise for the both of you to be honest and open when it comes to your feelings with one another in the near future, so no more hidden feelings and emotions from each other out of fear or insecurity. You both need to be fully invested into this connection for it to work out, so make sure there is an equal give and take on your and your person’s end to avoid the same issues that you guys dealt with in the past.  Honor and accept that both of you are very different from one another, but still make the effort and give your relationship a fighting chance. Also, keep your relationship private, there is no need for you to involve outside influences in your relationship. Trust each other & the divine to guide and protect this connection.

random messages • May, April, July, September, 111, confident, anxiety & doubts, entrepreneur, London, “ I know that I hurt you,” financially secure, invitation, finances improving, blocked communication, darker complexion, third eye chakra, summer, blue eyes, brown/black hair, stop looking, divine masculine, talking shit/messy, “ I love you,” “ I miss you,” I want to cuddle with you, Capricorn, Scorpio, Aquarius, Virgo, & Taurus, they want you to spend the night, backshots, your moans/groans turn them on, & up against the wall

Channeled Songs • ♥️ Soon As I Get Home • Faith Evans Out of Time • The Weeknd

[t1oui]

the first room draco malfoy sleeps in after inheriting malfoy manor is the one he shares with astoria.

it's further from scorpius's room than he likes, but it's the biggest and has the nicest windows, and they make do. it's the room with the big walk-in closet and the window seat where astoria spends hours reading, both to herself and out loud for her family.

it's the room where draco finds his wife and son playing board games - both magical and muggle - together at the end of the day. he doesn't know much about the muggle things, and neither does astoria, but it's always fun to figure them out.

this room is the one with the big king-sized bed that holds all three malfoys on nights when scorpius has bad dreams, or even those where he simply wanted more time with his parents.

it's the room that draco takes for granted.

the second room, the one he moves to after astoria's death, is across the hall from his son. it's small and cramped, previously more of a closet than a bedroom. it's a perfect place for a broken heart.

the bed is smaller, a queen, but it still fits scorpius on the nights when they need to have a cry together. the wardrobe in the corner is tiny, but draco's clothes never took up much space anyway. the floor doesn't have enough space for draco and scorpius to stretch out on the infrequent nights scorpius pokes his head in with a chess board, so instead of games, all the room sees is tears. that's okay, draco thinks. he deserves it.

beginning in their eighth year, blaise and pansy had some sort of friends with benefits arrangement. draco never truly understood it, nor did he try to, but the whole thing came crashing down when scorpius was ten and pansy arrived at the manor in a state after finding out she was pregnant.

leilani grows up alongside scorpius, a younger sister of sorts who adores her "older brother" more than anything. pansy and blaise are both busy with work at the ministry, but pansy - a journalist - has far less structure than office worker blaise, which leaves him as the one to bring leliani over the most often.

draco can't pinpoint the moment their friendship turns into something more. he can only remember not feeling anything other than joy the first time they kissed, underneath a mistletoe during scorpius's seventh year. he can also remember pansy storming into the room right after and yelling "i knew it" before tackling them into a hug.

the third and final bedroom draco sleeps in is the one with blaise in it. it's just next door to his first room, where his first bed is collecting dust as it has been since astoria's final night in it. this room is slightly smaller, and its closet took a bit of charming to fit all of their clothes, but it feels perfect. not better than his room with astoria, not worse, just different. draco wouldn't want it any other way.

leilani gets the room across the hall, which is huge - almost bigger than scorpius's - and very fancy and perfect for spoiling her in. scorpius is twenty by the time there's a new ring on draco's left hand, and he drags albus potter all around his childhood home by one hand while a ten-year-old leilani takes hold of the other.

"i bet she's a gryffindor," draco whisper-shouts as he stands between blaise and pansy to watch. pansy gags.

"she was raised by three slytherins," pansy says. "there's no way, right?"

"scorp was a ravenclaw," blaise points out.

a year later, two weeks after scorpius's wedding and the night of leilani's first day at hogwarts, they get their answer.

"they have always been close," pansy says with a frown.

"i told you so," blaise replies, grinning as he pulls draco in with one arm and pansy in with the other.

the bed in draco and blaise's room is still a queen, the same size as the one in draco's second bedroom, but it fits three adults just fine.

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

Broadly speaking I sympathize with the desire to have the smallest possible government or even no government but the latter is a fantasy, and in the case of the former, "possible" is really the operative word.

The world being as it is, and the history of the United States being what it is, I am not sure how to turn back the clock. The more power we give to individual states the more we are inviting individual states to have even more uneven outcomes than they have now. I cannot imagine untethering the states from one another will suddenly make West Virginia prosperous or ruin California. There is also the historical problem that much of the rise of the federal government in the 19th and 20th century occurred over problems of economic development and social justice, by which I do not mean even in the way the phrase is used and abused now, but what I hope we can all agree was the very real necessity that slavery be abolished and that equal rights be granted to minorities and women.

Whatever your stance on abortion we are seeing a version of this play out now on that very issue; left to the states, the lived experience of women in different states can become dramatically different based on a single policy. Gun rights and gun laws are another where we see this dramatic variation from state to state. And the thing is, a woman who lives in a no-abortion state can still get an abortion. Someone in an anti-gun state can still get a gun. They just have to make connections in states more amenable to their desires, and both laws impact the poor disproportionately who always have less autonomy. The states are so dramatically close physically and economically and even culturally (set aside the rural/urban divide, something for a future discussion), I'm skeptical how much federalization is going to achieve, except to exacerbate unequal conditions and unequal outcomes which are already a huge problem.

There is also the problem of defense. History shows time and again that the United States is stronger together. The very discussion of the extent to which it is the business of the United States to police the world is an almost unfathomable luxury that in history has fallen to a number of political bodies small enough to count on our hands. The United States was born in a world of neighboring hostile empires; in 1783 it shared a border with Spain and Britain; later with France, and the major European empires also held sway in the Caribbean and Latin America to the South. It is not impossible that something like that could happen again someday. Arguably, one of the lessons of the American Civil War was not only the Union's greater material wealth but also its greater ability to take advantage of it given its more centralized system helped secure victory over a decentralized, disorganized opponent. The South still smoulders from that defeat that is over a century and a half old, and in some ways it has yet to recover. What if it was the Chinese or the Russians tomorrow?

If the solution is not a curtailed federal government, what is it?

I honestly struggle deeply with this. To abolish the federal government is to roll the dice. Staggeringly few other political bodies in human history have had anything like the success of the United States of America under the Constitution of 1787. Yet negative counterexamples abound. To roll the dice on a new arrangement is to court a virtual guarantee that the new arrangement is not better but worse, maybe far worse.

My PhD would be revoked if my peers heard me say this but the United States is an exceptional place.

The problem as I see it, to which I do not have a solution, is how to hold the power accountable? Whether the power is the bureaucracy, the president, the court, the legislature, the corporations, the billionaires, the 1%, the coastal elite, the people, or however else you slice it, people have to be answerable for their influence, and right now they clearly are not.

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

so much on Ficino & Plato & Sex

your daily Marsilio blogging continues, this time with the gentle reminder of the deep misogyny of most homoerotic anything in the medieval and early modern period (among other times as well).

At the same time, I appreciate Marsilio being like: Fuck this, we can do the Petrarchan model of Ideal Love too. Just watch me and Giovanni yearn for twenty years.

I do appreciate that in the whole of Ficino's writing he rarely, if ever, refers to sex between men as sinful. He uses terms of disgraceful, filthy, worthy of disgust, ugliness etc. but he uses those terms equally for heterosexual sex conducted for pleasure alone with no intention of making the babies. Corporality on the whole - in all its forms - is the problem. (And the contemporary medical hang-ups around the expulsion of semen aside.)

But it's still not sinful, it just makes it harder to climb the ladder of love to salvation. Some might think this a small thing (he still reads it as bad!) but there's a huge gulf of difference between a priest from 1478 saying X is disgraceful but never using the language of sin around it.

Granted, Ficino doesn't harp too much on sin in general. I would be very curious to go back in time, get him a little wine drunk, and ask him his actual, not-Church approved views.

Ficino loves trying to reconcile everything through Plato. Marsilio "What if We Applied Plato to This Situation??" Ficino.

The desire/beauty thing - you can just see his struggle in trying to make it all work and never quite succeeding. It's one of the many things he and Pico debated with great animation. Pico was anti-the physical desire part of Ficino's formula while Ficino believed salvation/finding Philosophic Truth (i.e., God) required it.

I do really love Ficino's broadly positive read on humanity. He always goes in with a: People Are Good approach to a situation.

I love this little caveats he gives in his writings. The bit: "Love, even when mixed with an inderior appetite [for sex], does not cease meanwhile to raise the soul as far as it is able."

Giovanni having a panic about the state of their souls as they lie about in the grass and Ficino thinking fast on how to assuage him. "Umm, look, this isn't ideal, and we really should try harder to resist. But ... uh... Love is Good. Right? Our Love is Good and holds no Evil, correct?'

Giovanni, 'Yes, that is correct.'

Ficino, 'Great, so because our Love is Good and our Souls naturally desire Truth and Love is always working to help raise our souls up to Truth - even when we uhhhhh slip up, shall we say--'

Giovanni, 'We purposefully went into a remote field to commit sodomy. This wasn't an accidental slip up, Marsilio. You even checked to make sure you had time enough after this to confess and seek absolution so you can say mass on Sunday.'

Ficino, 'Slipped up. Could have happened to anyone. Anyway, even when that happens Love is still raising our souls up as far as it is able. So what I'm saying is, don't worry about it.'

the knots this man will tie himself in to try and make it ok to accidentally, whoopsie daisy, sleep with men. That full quote from him on how homosexual consorting (sex, that is what he means quite literally) is part of spiritual procreation is really something else.

I also think the caveat he includes of "of course, naturally, when you're horny you should go to your wife to make sure you're doing sex Properly" is doing a lot of interesting work there.

"Giovanni and I loving each other is necessary for OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH OK??"

Technically, he's not wrong. In the sense that being able to openly and honestly love/be loved by who it is you desire - regardless their gender - is incredibly important to mental health which impacts physical health.

mess! mess! mess!

this is super interesting. That Ficino was attempting to figure out how to guide people through reciprocal love in a world where that wasn't normal to navigate.

All of Ficino's back and forth on sex, desire, beauty, love is just so telling of how much he wanted to resolve the issue and how knotted everything was for him (and he wasn't alone, obviously).

--

ok I'm done inundating everyone for now.

[office-hours-affection-if]

How would the RO's react when Mc gives them a surprise kiss and they shyly runs away do the RO's grab their arms or let's them get away?(In crushing and relationship stage please)^^

Also is their shy flirts? Because I would love to have my mc being so shy at flirting! 🥺💕

For the Shy MCs! I compiled them since they are already similar asks.

Here is each ROs reaction to a shy MC! It is a bit long so its very delayed haha

Diesel: In crushing, it will stun him for a minute since he can't believe you confessed and did that, then a huge smile will make way to his face. Very pleased, he will grab your hand before you can get away. “Will you repeat that again?” he'd ask teasingly, his thumb gently caressing your palm and the intensity in his eyes that you've never seen before makes you almost melt. If you say it again, Diesel will let a small chuckle, fondness in his eyes. “You’ve confessed before I even could.”

In a relationship, "not a chance, dream girl." He’d say before you can get away, his hand dropping from your arm to settle in your waist. Diesel pulls you closer until both your chests are touching. “You’ve done this before and I am not letting you go again,” a small smile on his face as if he’s reminiscing a secret, you both only share, and it pulls you in the moment as his eyes drop from your lips, he will close the distance to kiss you.

Seth: Definitely the shy flirt during crushing (and relationship) stage. Although he’d get dumfounded and won’t even try to stop you since the thought of you confessing to him was the last thing in his mind because what?? you like him?!?!(&)/& is this real??? and- and a kiss?!? And when the reality sinks, he’ll run to you.

While in a relationship, he’ll stop you from running away by hugging your waist and turns you around towards him. His head against your shoulder, “Angel, you’re too cute.” He’ll say before kissing you on your forehead.

Azrael: He’ll call you before you can get away and if you did get away, he’ll actually run towards you. “You… Did you just realize what you did—” Azrael whose mind was mess will stop his sentence midway when he sees you blushing so hard. “You do like me…” The realization dawns upon him that he likes you very much and that he is scared to fuck things up with you.

In a relationship, Azrael will grab your hand. “How can you still be shy when we’ve been together for so long?” He’ll tease you before giving your cheek a kiss.

Grant: In crushing, he would grab your arm and hug you. "Truly? You feel the same way as me?" Grant will almost jump for joy if you say you do but controls himself because he wants to you think that he is cool.

In relationship. He'll grab you by the hand and once you have calmed down, he'd kiss you on your head and say fondly, "Your shyness is one of the things I love about you."

Leon: In crushing, he will grab your arm and Leon would take a good look of you, there's softness in his eyes as his finger brushes away the strands of your hair from your face. The way he says your name almost has you combusting, his voice has always been deep and so masculine. "Will you say it again?" he'd gently ask you and when you do, he'd smile and the wrinkles from his eyes has you getting soft all over again. "...and will you kiss me again properly this time?" Leon would whisper in your ear.

In relationship, he will also grab you and tease you when your back is turned against him. "Mi cielo, you really know how to catch my heart." He'd kiss your neck and quietly say, "I love you."

Markus: In crushing, he doesn't know what to say and he debates whether to chase you or not... It's clear that this is just a physical relationship right from the start so why does this feel different from all the past hook ups he's had. He wants to turn you down yet the thought of other men replacing him or getting together with you makes him very selfish, would he want your smile, your laugh or the way your eyes shine to be directed to other people than him? Markus can't bear that. He'll run after you.

In a relationship, he'll hold your hand immediately and smile at you. "Honey," he will fake whine to tease you, "After all the things we've done, you're still shy?"

Isla: She'll run after you. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth will open and close like she can’t comprehend what just happened before she asks out aloud, "You really like me?" and when you say yes, Isla will burst into happy tears. "I thought... I thought you will never like me like that."

While in a relationship, she'll tease you a lot but not before clinging into you, "Babe, I am so happy to be with you!" Isla will say with pure joy in her words.

Conrad: In crushing, he'll grab you in the hand and would be the one to confess to you, "I like you too" he will say with a huge grin, hands in your face. He will also hug you and say to anyone passing by, "She likes me!"

In relationship and probably a few months of it, he would blush at the thought of you still getting shy at him. It would make him hold your hand to stop you, "The things you do to me, pretty girl." He will say, with a slight head tilt, while staring at you, pure adoration and bit titillated but won't say it.

Dom: In crushing, Dom would be shocked and blush a bit before gaining composure to chase you. "How can you like someone like me?" He'd ask you, almost flabbergasted and flattered. "Better yet why me?" He will also ask because he can't believe someone like you also feels the same way as him. You're you and it feels like he still has a lot of baggage to unfold, would you even want that? Dom will think but won't say. You'll have to assure him that you really like him.

In relationship, He'll immediately hug you and kiss your head. "Don't run away...." Dom will mutter yet when you look at him, there's a small smile in his face, clearly adoring you.

Lawrence: In crushing, he'll already know you like him but seeing as he fancies your reaction, he'll hold you close while his face near yours. There's a small smirk on his face, "Doll, you better watch out... " his thumb slowly caressing your lower lip, "Confessing and stealing a kiss?" A menacing tone yet borders to teasing has you breathing hard as he stares at your eyes. "Don't bite more of what you can chew." He says, before pulling away. (Law is very happy with your confession though but he won't let you know that and later would actually make a move on you after you calmed down.)

In relationship, he will actually let a soft laugh, holding you close before peppering your face with kisses. He thinks its adorable, but he won't say it out aloud. Happiness makes its way to his handsome face that you know when he doesn't say it, his actions later definitely speak for it, he'd unknowingly say he loves you.

Thank you so much for the ask! I hope you enjoyed reading :DD