#he is simultaneously trying to keep them both alive

[crowliphale]

Shadow Gid AU Stuff!

Info for my AU!! I might update this post in the future, so keep a look out!!

Gideon dies by successfully sacrificing himself to save Kremy's life, resulting in some kind of explosion. This leaves cool scorch marks on Kremy's arms and tail

Kremy goes catatonic for three months just crying and trying to find ways to bring Gid back, simultaneously blaming himself for Gid's death and isolating himself from everyone around him. No one really blames him for this but they ARE incredibly concerned.

Gideon comes back (as a shadow) roughly a week after dying. Kremy doesn't believe it and thinks it's his own shadow playing tricks on him. Gid convinces him he's real! It does almost nothing to soothe Kremy's mourning

(Adding a read more so it doesn't clog any tags)

(During that aforementioned week, Gideon's soul was pretty much trapped in limbo, with the Baron or whatever god trying to convince him he could wait for Kremy in the afterlife. Gideon simply kept refusing until they got sick of him and sent him back as Kremy's shadow.)

Kremy pleads with the Baron twice before Gideon gives it a shot. The first time was almost immediately after Gid's death, and Kremy could barely form a coherent thought through his violent sobs. The second time he was much calmer, but he kept taking a completely emotional "I can't live without him" approach. Gideon argues he has a contract with Kremy that he has to be alive to fulfill. The Baron gives Kremy the ability to summon Gideon after this.

Initially Kremy has to focus really hard to hold concentration, but it quickly becomes second nature. He gets a dedicated item to help him do this a couple months in, and on the anniversary of Gid's death they get enchanted rings! (Ofc they hold a little impromptu wedding about this) Gideon can now stay corporeal and go anywhere he wants as long as they both have their rings on.

Other notes:

- Kremy no longer has control of his own shadow, it's gone forever and replaced by Gid. When Gid is corporeal, Kremy HAS a shadow, but it's just a normal shadow with no special abilities

- before they get the rings, if either of them are knocked out, Gideon goes back to being a shadow. If Gideon is the one to get knocked out, he has a cool down period before he returns as a shadow again. Kremy is always terrified when this happens.

- Kremy and Gideon now have some kind of vague telepathic link. Its up to viewer interpretation whether this link lets them speak telepathically or not, but at the very least they can sense one another from a distance, and Kremy can clearly communicate with Gid even in his shadow form

- once they get the rings, either of them can remove it to turn Gid back into a shadow. Kremy almost always reserves this for emergencies where Gideon may be in danger, but Gid sometimes uses it as a way to practically teleport to Kremy (as a shadow he still has the proximity limit)

- there ARE a couple cases where Kremy feels petty enough to turn Gideon into a shadow mid-argument. Because he's Kremy. It genuinely only happens one or two times tho, Gid's autonomy is important to him

- Gideon has to do charades to talk to anyone outside of Kremy when he's in his shadow form

- Kremy and Gideon get VERY unhealthily attached after this whole debacle. They get physically uncomfortable if they aren't in the same room as one another. This eventually gets more lax, but not by a lot (they'll likely insist on being in the same building together for the rest of their lives)

- During Kremy's mourning period, he often forgets to eat, sleeps a lot, and puts pretty much NO effort into taking care of himself. As a result, Gideon forms a lot of habits where he fusses over Kremy's health and appearance. These habits carry over even once Kremy's healthy again, and Kremy lets him be as fussy as he wants.

- when Gideon becomes corporeal again, he comes back with green/purple flames rather than his usual red/orange. This change is permanent

(Once again, this post might be updated over time as details get added! Keep an eye out! Also, reblogs are turned off so older versions of this post don't get spread around, but comments are welcome and appreciated!!)

[itischeese]

I have an announcement to make

Obito's type is just self-sacrificial idiot geniuses.

That is all.

[omnomnb]

hey guys i've been thinking (bad sign)

anyway. you COULD totally just slap them all in the middle and it'd work but i've chosen contemplation so here are my elaborations. obvs take a grain of salt with the undateables since we still don't know them as well

i will kill for you

barbatos and satan are confident enough in how far they're willing to go to keep you safe that the idea of them needing to die for you doesn't come up

belphie has to stay alive for beel

asmo does not want to die

all of the above are decent at taking care of themselves already (but will try harder for you if need be)

i will die for you

literally look at how undyingly loyal mephisto is to the royal family. to him it is noble to die for those you love and that is an ideal engraved in his bones

mammon does not think before acting and his first priority is always your safety rather than eliminating the threat. he doesn't think to retaliate against a blow, he only tries to take it for you

i will kill for you and die for you

raphael and beel are/were both warriors and protectors and unflinchingly ready to shed blood for their loved ones

raphael leans more to kill and beel leans more to die though. lol

i will kill for you and take care of myself for you

diavolo has to stay alive for the sake of the devildom, but he's willing to crush heads if it comes to it

thirteen walks with death and while it won't take her, she can ask it favours. the walk is lonely and she will let you join her on the path (and maybe even,,, hold your hand 😳)

i will die for you and take care of myself for you

levi isn't incapable of sending forth floods on your behalf but he's liable to impulsively think that the only thing he can do is die so that you'll at least remember him as heroic (and then remind himself that you already do)

i will kill for you, die for you, and take care of myself for you

lucifer's ego is simultaneously through the roof and six feet under. he's the best and also the worst and he'll do whatever it takes in any situation

solomon has very little that personally attaches him to this world that isn't a greater loyalty to his realm in general so he's willing to do just about anything. but also you soothe him and make his long life worth it because he met you

simeon was apparently 100% willing to risk falling for you even in s2, before he was romanceable, so he's the one whose love really transcends time. he'll both worship and disgrace himself for you without a second thought. also you make him forget his catholic guilt

[austinbutlerslovers]

What Are We?

Label Mature 18+ Summary after frequent hook ups and feeling a lack of commitment, you ask Hank the question you’ve been ultimately guarding with your heart. ❤️‍🔥Passionate Smut❤️‍🔥 Hank friends with benefits • angst • possessiveness• claiming • pining • conflicted feelings • friends to lovers • sweet talk • dirty talk • body worship • clit play •nipple play •p in v • size kink • simultaneous orgasms •aftercare

✨ Heavy Inspo from clips of the Caught Stealing trailer

What Are We?

The late afternoon sun spills through the windows of Hank Thompson’s Brooklyn apartment, painting the hardwood floors in warm, golden streaks. 

His space is open and lived-in, olive green walls, mismatched rugs, and a cluttered bookshelf stuffed with worn-out sports magazines and baseball memorabilia. 

A faint hum of traffic drifts up from the street below, blending with the low beat of Ace Frehlys song New York Groove playing from the radio on the kitchen counter. 

Hank lounges on the edge of his weightlifting bench, seated ceremoniously in the living room like a monument to his perfected physique. 

He’s wearing a fitted black T-shirt that hugs his broad shoulders and sculpted chest, light blue jeans, worn just enough to look effortlessly cool, and a black backward Giants cap, his sandy blond hair peeking out from under the brim, curling just slightly at the nape of his neck

He’s holding a beer bottle loosely in one hand, his long fingers tapping against the glass in time with the music, while his other hand tosses a baseball lightly, catching it with a soft smack against his palm. 

His motions are casual, almost absentminded, but it makes him look calm and confident, like he’s got the whole world figured out. 

Bud, his tabby cat, darts across the room, chasing a balled up stray sock and Hank chuckles, a low, genuine sound as takes a swig of beer, placing the baseball next to him watching the action.

You’re standing at the kitchen counter, fingers fidgeting with the buttons of your dress, trying to focus on pouring yourself a glass of water from a pitcher. 

But your eyes keep drifting over to Hank. He looks good…too good. The kind of good that makes your chest ache and your thoughts spiral. His blue eyes, bright and piercing in the soft light, catch yours for a split second, and you feel like you’re drowning in them. 

His full lips curve into a half-smile, and you swear he knows exactly what he’s doing to you. He’s the most boyfriend you’ve ever seen him look, like he stepped out of a daydream you’ve been having for weeks. 

And that’s the problem.

It has been several weeks of this—sneaking into his apartment after late-night texts, hooking up tangled in the sheets, whispering conversations after in the dark. 

You’re falling hard, obsessed with the idea of him as yours. 

But he hasn’t said a word about commitment, and the secrecy is starting to eat you alive. You want to be more than just his late-night hookup, more than the girl he texts when he’s bored. You want him, all of him, and the fact that he’s sitting there looking like that, so relaxed and unbothered, is starting to piss you off.

You slam the water pitcher down on the counter a little harder than you mean to, and Hank’s head tilts toward you. His brows lift slightly, and he sets his beer on the bench beside him. 

“Yo, you good over there?” he asks, his voice warm but laced with curiosity, and Bud leaps onto the windowsill, tracking a bird with laser focus, his tail twitching, completely unaware of the tension behind him.

You force your composure, gripping the edge of the counter. “Yeah, fine. Just… thirsty.” It’s a lame excuse, and you both know it. You take a sip of water, but your hands are shaky, and you’re hyper-aware of his gaze on you.

Hank leans back bracing his hands on the work out bench, his knees spreading wider parting his thighs like he’s beckoning you to sit on them.

“You don’t seem fine,” he says, his tone gentle but direct. “You’ve been pacing around my apartment like you’re about to rob the place.” He teases with a sly grin, but his eyes are on yours searching, like he’s trying to read you.

You huff, setting the glass down and crossing your arms. “I’m not pacing,” you mutter, but you know you’re lying. You’ve been restless all day, your thoughts a tangle of want and frustration. You want to scream at him, to demand why he hasn’t made this real, but the words stick in your throat, and instead, you turn away.

Hank watches you for a moment, then stands, his steps confident as he crosses the room in a few easy strides, stopping just behind you. 

You can feel the warmth of him, the faint scent of his cologne mixing with the hoppy tang of his beer. “Hey,” he says softly, his hand brushing your elbow. “Talk to me. What’s got you so wound up?”

You tense at his touch, your heart thudding. Part of you wants to lean into him, to let his warmth melt away this anger, but the other part, the louder part, is fed up. 

You turn to face him, and those damn blue eyes are right there, locking onto yours, making it hard to think. His full lips are slightly parted, and you have to force yourself not to stare at them.

“I’m just…” You trail off, searching for the right words. “I’m tired, Hank.”

His brow furrows, and he tilts his head, “Tired of what? Me?” He asks, and there’s a playful curiosity in his voice, but you catch a flicker of something else…worry, maybe.

“No,” you say quickly, then sigh, running a hand stressfully over your forehead. “Not you. This. Us. Whatever this is.” The words spill out before you can stop them, and you feel a rush of adrenaline, like you’ve just jumped off a cliff.

Hank blinks, his hand dropping from your elbow. He doesn’t say anything for a moment, just studies you, and the silence makes your skin prickle. Finally, you nod toward the couch. “C’mon,” you say, your voice cautious. “Let’s sit.”

You grasp Hank’s hand like a lifeline, his calloused fingers grounding you as you follow him to the couch. You sink into the soft cushions, the worn fabric yielding under you both. 

Hank sits close, his knee brushing yours, his presence warm and solid. He flips his Giants cap forward anxiously, the gesture betraying a flicker of nerves, before focusing on you. 

His blue eyes are deep and impossibly pretty, like a clear summer sky as they lock on yours with quiet intensity. 

“Okay,” he says, his tone calm but attentive. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

You take a deep breath, your fingers twisting in your lap. The words are right there, but they feel heavy, like they might break something if you let them out. 

But you’re too far in to back down now. 

“I want to know if I can take this seriously,” you admit, your voice quieter than you mean it to be. You meet his gaze, and it’s like staring into the ocean—beautiful, overwhelming. 

“Us…I need to know what this is to you,” you ask, your voice quiet but firm, holding his gaze.

Hank looks into yours eyes with an unspoken understanding, and there’s a low lilt in his voice when he speaks, a mix of curiosity and something deeper. 

“What do you need to take us seriously?” he asks directly. His tone isn’t defensive, but it’s not entirely open either—like he’s testing the waters.

You let the words slip out, your voice soft. “I need to know you’re in this for real,” you say your resolve gaining strength. “We’ve been sneaking around, hooking up, whatever. But I don’t just want to be some girl you call over anymore, I want more Hank. I want you. And I’m scared you don’t want the same thing.”

His expression softens, and he reaches up to take off his cap, placing it on to the coffee table. His hair is slightly messy, making him look less intense and more vulnerable as he runs a hand through it, then he leans closer, his knee brushing yours.

“I want you to know something, …” he starts, his voice low and steady. “I’m not …trying to play you, okay? I like you, a lot….more than I probably should.” He admits, and his words make your heart skip, but you’re not ready to let him off that easily. 

“Then why haven’t you said anything?” you ask, your voice sharp. “Why does it feel like I’m the only one falling here?”

Hank exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, I’m not great at this stuff,” he confesses, his eyes flicking down to the floor before meeting yours again. “The whole… relationship thing. I’ve fucked it up before. And I didn’t want to rush into something and mess this up with you. But I’m not just screwing around, either. I think about you all the time. Like, all the time.” He says giving you a small smile, and it’s so disarming you almost forget you’re mad.

“Really?” you ask, your voice lighter now, searching his face for any hint of a lie.

“Really,” he says, his hand sliding from the couch to rest on your knee, his thumb brushing absentminded circles. “I didn’t know you were feeling like this. You should’ve said something… I’m not a mind reader baby.”

The pet name sends a spark through you, and you bite your lip, trying to hold onto the last of your resolve. “I didn’t want to scare you off,” you admit, your hands unclenching in your lap. “But I’m scared of getting hurt. I’m already so into you, Hank. It’s freaking me out.”

He laughs softly, a warm, endearing sound, and his hand moves to cup your cheek, his thumb grazing your skin. “You’re not scaring me off,” he says, his eyes locked on yours. “I’m right here, and I want you, too. Okay?”

You exhale slowly, and for a moment, you just stare at him, letting his words sink in. His hand is warm against your face, his blue eyes so earnest they’re like a tide pulling you in—raw and unguarded, mirroring the longing building in your own.

You lean into his touch, your eyes searching his, and before you can overthink it, he closes the distance, pressing his lips to yours in a deep, consuming kiss, neither one of you able to deny whats building between you anymore.

His kiss is gentle and persistent, his lips soft and warm, tasting faintly of beer as his hand slides to the back of your neck, pulling you even closer as he guides you to climb on his lap.

You straddle him, your hands sliding through his sandy blonde hair as the kiss deepens. His fingers dig into your hips as he groans feeling your tongue sweep into his mouth, and the sound sends a shiver through you.

The tension you’ve been carrying for weeks fades away as he keeps you close, his strong embrace and searing kisses erasing every wavering thought, every lingering doubt.

You pull back just enough to catch your breath, and his eyes are lidded, his lips red and kiss-swollen as he looks at you like you’re the only thing that matters in his world. 

“We good?” he breathes, his voice husky, and your thumb brushes along his jaw as you smile, your heart full and light for the first time in days. 

“Yeah, Hank,” you whisper, pressing a kiss against his warm lips. “We’re good,” you confess, aching to feel him prove it.

You grab the hem of your dress, slowly pulling it up and over your head, baring yourself to him in only panties, your breasts level with his face, and his blue eyes darken as his hands slide down your sides, warm and possessive. 

“Fuck, you’re unreal,” he says, his voice filled with awe. 

He leans forward, cupping your breasts, his eyes fluttering closed as he indulges himself placing slow kisses along your collarbone, then down to your nipples. 

He pulls one into his mouth, his tongue swirling, warm and wet, and you sigh, your fingers gripping his sandy blonde hair, holding the back of his head.

You’re so aroused by him, every sensation feels sharper, more urgent, and in between soft kisses and gentle sucks of his mouth, he whispers, “You’re so damn pretty.” his breath warm against your skin.

The heat of his praise, and the worship in his touch, fuels the ache inside of you with a need for more of him…all of him.

He tilts his head up kissing you hard, his tongue sweeping over yours, and you feel his cock, thick and hard, pressing against you through his jeans, the rigidness of his length brushing against you with every move.

He stands, lifting you effortlessly with him, and your legs wrap around his waist, his lips never leaving yours as his hands grip your thighs and he carries you to the bedroom. 

The room is dim, blinds casting soft shadows over the bed as he lays you down, his hands claiming your breasts, your stomach, your hips, sliding your panties off with ease.

His black shirt is pulled over his head and tossed to the floor revealing his sculpted muscles, and you reach for him, but he’s already on you, his hands spreading your legs apart.

“I want you so fucking much,” he breathes, one hand gripping your hip as he shoves his jeans and boxers down in one motion. His cock slides out, thick, long, veined, the tip incredibly flushed pink, and the sight makes you desperate for him.

He slicks the head against you, teasing you open slowly, then he pushes in, the stretch intense, his size overwhelming.

You moan, nails digging into his back, urging him deeper and his blue eyes lock onto yours dark, reverent and filled with want. “You feel so fucking perfect on me.” he whispers.

His hand traces the curve of your jaw as his mouth finds yours, kissing you through the tightening pressure, until his pelvis presses flush against you, his cock filling you completely.

He grinds, the thick tip rubbing deep, and you moan, arching into him. His thrusts start slow heavy, raw, each one claiming you as his lips graze your neck, your jaw, his hand caressing your throat with a gentle squeeze.

His fingers slide down to your breasts cupping each one, his thumbs bushing your nipples until you sigh, your eyes closing lost in pleasure, his rough attentiveness in every move proving his desire for you.

“You feel how much I want you,” he breaths, his voice low, thrusting harder, and you nod, breathless, needing him to know you’re his. 

His hips snap forward, biceps flexing, hair falling into his face as he drives into you, the length of his cock brushing every sensitive spot within, and your hands grip his back, urging him on as he groans, his face flushing pink.

“Gonna ruin you for anyone else” he rasps, his voice strained as you tremble, the pleasure building faster, and he feels it, thrusting harder, his hand slipping between you to rub your clit. “Say it,” he demands, eyes burning into yours. “Say you’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” you gasp, your voice breaking off  as he pounds into you. “Hank, I’m yours.”

“Yeah?” he groans, his hair falling forward, his muscles taut. “Fuck, say my name.”

“Hank,” you moan overwhelmed, and he groans deeply as he starts to unravel, his thrusts turning erratic, his cock pulsing harder, and you shatter, your orgasm ripping through you, crying out his name. He follows moments later, groaning deeply as he comes hard, filling you with warmth as you tremble taking him.

Your bodies stay pressed together and his hips roll against you grinding out the last of his release, your hearts pounding in sync, the connection between you undeniable.

Slowly he slides his cock all the way out and collapses beside you breathless. He pulls you to his side, both of you naked and spent, and his hand glides over your back, tracing soft patterns as he stares into your eyes, quiet, content, and completely yours in the moment.

“You’re everything I want,” he says, his voice low and certain, and you nod pressing closer into him, your heart full. His warmth anchors you, and in his strong embrace your doubts slip away, his words a quiet promise keeping you satisfied and calm …for now.

END 🧢

🔗Masterlist 🧢 Hank Masterlist

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[comicaurora]

I really love how you set up conflicts between Falst and Erin in ways that make both of them and neither of them in the wrong simultaneously, and make people make mistakes without it ever feeling like they've been passed the idiot ball. It's happening again right now!

Erin's endangered everyone by rushing into this and overestimating his ability to hold everything together, but that's understandable when the group's a few mistakes or misfortunes away from letting Voidy destroy the world at all times until this is solved. And noone else has to deal with Voidy as often as him. Of course he's desperate!

Meanwhile, Falst's completely right to call out Erin for doing this and bailing seems like an exponentially better idea with each new page. He's especially trying to look out for Dainix, and doing so would be practical even if he wasn't emotionally attached. But spinning the ship without warning anyone else- especially the very-spread-thin mage currently keeping them alive- was not the best way to deal with that and it's going to make Dainix even worse.

Tl;dr: love this, writing good. Have a nice day!

[bitchface24-7]

Do you accept requests from Yandere Viktor and Yandere Jayce? Could you do this? What if in that scene where Viktor is saved by Jayce by magic and comes back, what if when they were parting the poor cute and shy reader was questioned and asked, seeing his two best friends fighting (maybe the boys are in love with the reader, but they still don't know), and now they wanted the reader to choose a side, like following Viktor anywhere or staying with Jayce and understanding more about magic

IT’S TIME TO CHOOSE - JAYVIK X READER

synopsis: you don't know what’s going on. Viktor's alive, Jayce is wounded and the world as you know it is shattering. Viktor wants you to leave with him, Jayce wants you to stay. You don't know what to do.

warnings: confusion, desperation, arguments, somewhat scared R, yandere V + J, possessiveness, cliffhanger ending (I can't chose between the two of them 😩) Grammarly is my beta

genre: m/m/f or m/m/m

p.s. This was an interesting request, I hope you like my take on it! Xoxo

PART 2

You don’t know what’s going on. Viktor and Jayce are arguing, you’ve never seen them argue before.

Viktor is much more monotone now, Jayce is on the brink of tears.

You want to scream.

Especially when the two whirl around to look at you and say simultaneously, “Stay/Come with me.” The two men look at wax other venomously; you’re tempted to pinch yourself. You’ve never seen them glare at each other like that.

You’re getting a little scared.

“Come with me. It’s not safe here, our paths have diverged. We need to leave.” Viktor states as he holds out a hand to you, his now purple and metal skin glimmering in the labs light. Viktor’s still very handsome.

Jayce growls, “No! They’re staying here with me. We haven’t finished our dream of Hextech, just because you’ve given up doesn’t mean we are.”

Viktor’s eyes widen as his face shows minor ticks of anger, “I told you to destroy the hexcore! It’s dangerous! You ignore my wishes, you used it on me without my consent; how can I trust you with them?!”

The tears in Jayce’s eyes finally fall, “I couldn’t allow you to die, Viktor! You’re my partner, I can’t imagine a world without you in it! So excuse me for being selfish!”

Viktor stops at that, his heart fluttering a bit at the declaration. No. No he can’t stay here, no matter how sweet Jayce’s words are. But he doesn’t want to be alone. He needs to keep you safe. You’re coming with him, no matter what.

Jayce sharply inhales in horror at his declaration. No. He didn’t mean to say that. God Viktor’s gonna think he’s a freak, he’s definitely going to leave. Jayce doesn’t want to be alone; he can’t be alone! You’re not going with him, you’re staying with Jayce. No matter what.

“Come with me.”

“Stay, please”

All you can do is stand there in desperation. Where did everything go wrong? When did your group splinter in such a horrific way? You subtly pinch your arm, trying to wake yourself up from this nightmare.

It doesn’t work.

You don’t want to chose. You want them both. You want to continue being in the lab with them, admiring them, joking around with them. You don’t want anything to change.

But now it’s too late for that, you have no choice. You need to chose now, and both of them won’t take no as an answer.

So, who do you chose?

You don’t. So they’ll chose for you.

AHHHHHH!!! Possessive men can be so toxic but possessive Viktor and Jayce hold my heart 😩🤭

[suzukiblu]

WIP excerpt for lottie behind the cut; “Cassie gets a Pocket (or three)”. Includes a lil' bit of rewritten/expanded-on stuff at the beginning; I did some fiddling-around there. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“It’s three boys, Cissie!” Cassie wails, yanking at her hair. 

“Three boys who might hear you if you don’t keep your voice down,” Cissie reminds her pointedly, and Cassie snaps her teeth shut. She didn’t mean–she doesn’t mean–

But maybe she kind of does mean, because it is three BOYS. Her mom is gonna lose her mind and everyone at school is gonna talk and–and assume stuff, and–and how are all three of them her soulmate?! Her! Of everyone in this tent! 

Like–at least the three of them’d saved Secret from the DEO that one time, it’d make sense if she was their soulmate, and Cissie’s so pretty and Superboy’s clearly into her even though he hasn’t even noticed Cassie is alive, plus Cissie already knows Bart from like–wherever she actually knows Bart from, that was admittedly unclear–and she doesn’t have superpowers or anything either, she’s just smart and well-trained like Robin, so like–so Cissie would make sense, and Secret would make sense, but how does Cassie make sense?! Cassie is the least possible sense-making option! There is no option where Cassie is the option that makes sense! 

She doesn’t make sense, and everyone is going to be awful about it, and she’s going to have three boys to worry about keeping, like–happy or whatever and–how is she even supposed to do that?!

They’re not even going to–

They won’t think it makes sense either, she thinks with a nauseous twist in her stomach. Superboy’s gonna be disappointed that it’s her instead of an actual, like, pretty girl, and Bart’ll just be confused it’s anyone at all, and Robin will be politely disinterested and still not show her his face or even tell her his name, probably, and–and–! 

“They’re just–it’s all three of them, Cissie,” Cassie hisses helplessly, trying to keep her voice down. “And Superboy and Robin already don’t get along, and Bart is just–Impulse! He’s Impulse! What am I supposed to even do?” 

“Admittedly I can’t imagine any of them being any good at sharing,” Cissie sighs, tilting her head into a hand. “Well, Robin can probably fake it, but that’s only gonna last ‘til Bart or the Kid piss him off hard enough.” 

“Sharing what?” Secret asks curiously. 

“. . . uh,” Cissie says, clearing her throat a little. “Well, like–Cassie, I mean.” 

Secret blinks, tilting her head to one side with a puzzled expression. Cassie experiences every single stage of grief simultaneously and buries her face in her hands. 

“I don’t get it,” Secret says, sounding confused. “Why do they all have to share Cassie? Can’t you all take, um, turns with each other?” 

“That is . . . really not how that works, Secret,” Cissie says as Cassie discovers a new stage of grief or twelve and just, like . . . very, very slowly sinks down onto her side, curls up in a ball, and just buries herself back in her sleeping bag. Pocket Superboy and Pocket Impulse both screech indignantly; Pocket Robin scampers up her flank and up her side in a quick series of light little hops, and ends up perched lightly on her bicep as Pocket Impulse clings to her temple and Pocket Superboy–floats, probably, Cassie doesn’t know; she’s too busy hiding her face in her hands and herself in her sleeping bag. 

Pocket Robin chirps something short and authoritative-sounding in Pocket-talk–or at least, as authoritative-sounding as Pocket-talk ever gets–and Pocket Impulse jeers back something cranky-sounding. Pocket Superboy doesn’t say anything, but Pocket Robin lets out a disgruntled little grumble, so Cassie just assumes Pocket Superboy’s flipping him off or something. Probably Pocket Superboy’s flipping him off, yeah. 

“Huh,” Cissie says in a bemused tone as Secret coos adoringly. “Well, I guess we did say that Pockets were more emotionally honest.” 

“They’re so cute I want to suffocate them,” Secret croons in obvious delight, which is possibly the least normal thing she’s said so far in the long list of not-normal things she’s said so far, but also–

“What?” Cassie says blankly. 

“Yeah, you’re gonna have to actually look, girl, you’re not gonna believe it if you don’t see it for yourself,” Cissie replies frankly. Cassie frowns into her hands, then spreads her fingers just enough to peer out past them, and finds Pocket Impulse making a face and Pocket Robin looking long-suffering as Pocket Superboy, uh . . . well, like . . . 

“. . . are they hugging,” Cassie asks incredulously. Like, she knows Pockets are usually pretty affectionate with each other, at least as long as they’re not from, like, wildly morally-opposed people or whatever, but Superboy and Robin? 

“I don’t think it counts as them hugging if Superbitty is the one doing all the work and baby chick Robin is just, like, tolerating the situation,” Cissie replies dryly, leaning over to raise an eyebrow at them. Which . . . is very much what is happening here, yeah; Pocket Superboy is hugging Pocket Robin so hard that he’s lifted him right off his feet into the air with him and is also, like–nuzzling him while making a very weird noise that she’s never actually heard a Pocket make before. She’d call it “purring”, maybe, if it sounded less like the world’s smallest tiger was going 1v1 with an equally tiny grizzly bear. 

“What the hell,” Cassie says even more blankly. 

. . . gods, though, they do look really cute. 

Pocket Impulse screeches something unimpressed-sounding in Pocket-talk, then bolts back up into Cassie’s hair and tugs impatiently at it as he screeches some more. Pocket Robin sighs resignedly and Pocket Superboy makes his weird tiger-on-grizzly-cagefight purring noise even louder. Cassie is not actually convinced he’s bothering to breathe? Though she guesses a Pocket doesn’t really need to breathe, so . . . 

“This is so weird,” Cissie mutters under her breath. 

“I want to make myself a ribcage so I can keep them in it forever,” Secret sighs blissfully, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. Some of her smoke–or fog? Cassie is even more unclear on what Secret is actually physically made of than she is on how Cissie and Bart know each other–curls in a little closer to the Pockets. Cassie resists the urge to scoot them away. Then she reexamines the phrase “make myself a ribcage” and the accompanying “forever” and decides she can maybe justify a little bit of scooting. Like. Just a bit. 

“‘Weird’ is not a strong enough word for what this is,” Cassie says, because even if Pocket Superboy wasn’t currently hugging Pocket Robin like his favorite teddy bear, the two of them and Pocket Impulse would all still exist and all still apparently be her Pockets, which is so far past “weird” that she cannot even begin to figure out what to call it. 

Pocket Superboy tiger-grizzily-cagefights louder, grinning brightly up at her. Cassie develops a heart condition, maybe? She thinks maybe she’s developing a heart condition? Or like, maybe a weird magic curse thing that’s released a swarm of red-hot razor-sharp butterflies in her stomach, or something like that? 

How can he be this adorable? He cannot be this adorable, he’s Superboy. Superboy is not even slightly adorable! Like, in no way whatsoever is Superboy adorable! None! He’s super-cute and super-hot, but he’s not–

Then Pocket Superboy flies up to her head with Pocket Robin and dumps him on top of Pocket Impulse with a cackle, and the other two crash into each other and fall onto her pillow with a screech. Pocket Superboy cackles again and immediately throws himself down on Cassie’s head instead and sprawls out in her hair with a gloatingly victorious crow, taking up as much space in it as possible. 

Okay, yeah, he’s Superboy.

[boyfriendtodeathconfessional]

A lot has been said of Lawrence and Ren's relationship, but I'm of the unpopular opinion that they didn't actually like each other.

They both had been chatting for an unspecified amount of time (about what, we're left to speculate), but based on their interests, they don't have a lot in common. Ren may have been a little shy, but he's a social butterfly compared to Lawrence. I find it hard to believe he could sit through more than a few of Ren's discussions of magical girl anime, and I imagine Ren would get bored of Lawrence's lack of engagement.

Add to it, in BTD2, in all of Ren's routes except one, he betrays Lawrence and gets him killed. It's easily the worst thing Ren does, and he does it to someone he's allegedly close to? Lawrence hardly ever drinks, and Ren invites him to a bar for their first meetup? These were two people who were grasping for any kind of connection. Ren was looking for anyone to collar, and his willingness to replace Lawrence with some rando MC proves this (Gato drew several pictures of what it would look like if Ren succeeded in collaring Lawrence. It goes poorly for Ren in hilarious fashion). Lawrence glimpsed beyond the veil, saw the Lovecraftian horror that was The River, and needed to find anyone he could relate to. Neither of them fit each other's bill.

Lawrence is a walking contradiction: he craves human contact while despising humanity. He surrounds himself with nature while living in the middle of the city. He embraces self destruction while still continuously coming back from The River. The meetup with Ren was a way for him to finally bridge that gap between himself and others or embrace The River fully. Either way, he's spared from having to make the choice himself: "I'll do anything you want!" you say. "I don't know what I want!" he says. No kidding.

Ren mentions the reason he liked Strade so much was because Strade was the only one who was ever kind to him, but is this true? His mother chose to keep him alive despite killing five of his siblings in their infancy. She lets him stay with her until he's old enough to run away because she what? Needed help with the housework? Besides, according to the BTD fandom, he has looks that could literally kill. If he bothered to look on Grindr he could easily find a sugar daddy who wouldn't treat him like a woodworking project.

No, Ren has it completely backwards. In spite of all the terrible things Strade had done, Ren was still able to see his good qualities, which was a first for Strade. He liked Strade not because Strade did nice things for him. He liked Strade because for the first time in his life, Ren felt needed.

Strade was a lot of things to Ren: captor, friend, confidante, lover, but there's also one dynamic of their relationship that rarely gets brought up: rivals. Strade could get people to like him in a way Ren couldn't, and making them feel heard was a big part of that. Gato said Strade hunted people who lacked confidence in themselves, and who does Ren pick for his own replacement/victim? Possibly the least confident person in the series canon: Lawrence.

The trouble is, Ren can't make Lawrence feel needed like how Strade made him feel. He can't make anyone feel needed, because, as I mentioned, he views people as interchangeable. He's trying to find a companion who will simultaneously treat him as a Strade-type figure and also feel an overwhelming need for him, and it won't happen, because of his difficulty in actually understanding others. What's tragic is this perspective was probably held long before he met Strade, and if the events of TPOF are canon, long after. -☢️

.

[ronearoundblindly]

fic title: over the rainbow

Holy whoppsiedaisies... this, uh, this got complexly sorta angsty and dark, but with eventual stucky x reader vibes. I ain't even mad about it...

From this ask game, and they're just short premises/rundowns of whole fics.

Warnings for illusions to smut, assumptions of death but not really, general angst of the Infinity War, (I might write this whole thing yikes I love it), and jealous!Steve. MINORS DNI.

Ok, have y'all ever seen or heard the theory that those Blipped were conscious inside the Soul Stone? This makes me think of Steve trying to get out of the stone/limbo and back to you, like he and the teammates that are inside can band together to get out, but mostly, I think there's some way to partially see what's going on outside the stone. Steve longingly watches you fight to get him out, to save him as best you can, and to keep the faith that he (and everyone else) will return.

Oh SHIT, y'all, what if the exact opposite people are blipped in this universe??? So you are left with Bucky, both of you believing the Snap can be undone, but growing closer each and everyday of the fight to bring Steve back.

In the Soul Stone, it's all ambiguous landscape and orange fog, and people there think they're being tortured with the sounds of their loved ones at 'night' when they try to sleep, BUT it's actually that the boundaries of their world--the walls, if you will, like the ground--are just thin barriers to reality. Steve can hear you crying for days until finally he can hear you planning with Bucky and Sam to fix things.

He can also hear you and Buck trying desperately to keep your spirits up during week after week of brainstorming to no avail, being friendly and comforting until finally it turns...romantic. Steve knows it. He's furious, actually trying to beat and dig his way out of that crazy world. These vague landscapes have pools of 'water,' too, which make the sounds and visions clearer if he submerges himself in them, so Steve practically drowns himself repeatedly to stay connected somehow.

Finally, he can tell you and the team are coming; you've found where Thanos buried the gauntlet on his garden planet, and Steve convinces anyone he can in the Soul Stone to pierce or hit the 'ground' simultaneously.

The stone shatters, releasing everyone before Thanos can try to snap you and the others still alive away.

But while a hoard of angry snapped-people kill Thanos, Steve makes a beeline for Bucky and punches him squarely in the jaw. You have to pry him off, screaming for Steve to calm down. It was all for him. You and Buck got together from mutual missing of him. Neither of you ever gave up hope.

There's a whole fight from misunderstanding until all three of you are angrily declaring you love each other, and Steve give up, breaking down to embrace you and Bucky.

He's home, he's back, and he won't miss out anymore.

[Main Masterlist; Fic Title Only Asks; Steve Rogers One-Shots]

[thewistlingbadger]

Yes Silco hates Vi for what she did to Jinx and for being a dangerous threat to him that is outside of his control and out of fear that he'll lose Jinx to Vi but I also think he hates her because she doesn't fit the narrative he has constructed.

The entire basis of Silco's relationship with Jinx is that they are one in the same. He doesn't take her in because she had nobody, he doesn't take her in because he knows her, he doesn't take her in because he pities her, he takes her in for one reason and one reason alone:

"She left me. She is NOT my sister anymore!"

After she says this Silco looks down at her, looks up at Vander's corpse, and then diverts his attention back to Jinx. Silco takes comforts Jinx, takes her in, and raises her as his own daughter because he used to be her. Her pain over Vi is his pain over Vander. She is the first and only person he has ever met who could possibly understand and relate to his past with his brother.

This huge similarity between them is CRITICAL to their bond and is the foundation for everything when it comes to the two of them as a duo. Silco gives Jinx advice based on his own experiences and traumas. He tells her to let the past die and reinvent herself because it's what HE did after Vander betrayed him. He teaches her to be feared by others because it was what HE did after Vander betrayed him. These two examples were effective for both of them but also toxic. The show draws many visual and narrative parallels between Silco and Jinx to cement their kinship AND they have Silco just flat out say it several times throughout the show.

"Everyone betrays us, Jinx! Vander- HER! They will never understand. It's only us."

Life is entirely subjective and based off your own experiences and interpretations. Constructing a narrative is often a coping device humans will use to try to explain things that they do not truly grasp or understand. For example: If your partner cheats on you, you might construct the narrative that they never loved you in the first place, because you cannot reconcile the nature of your relationship with the fact that they ultimately treated you as disposable.

We see characters in arcane construct narratives to save themselves from heartache all the time. Young Viktor constructs the narrative that Singed is a bad and twisted man because he doesn't understand why Singed would go to the lengths he did to keep Rio alive. Vi constructs the narrative that Silco is keeping Jinx captive because she doesn't understand how else the two of them could be connected and simultaneously alive. Silco constructs the narrative that he was once a weak man because he cannot understand why Vander would mistreat him so harshly and how Silco didn't see it coming.

Silco is of the partial belief that he was betrayed because he was weak and had he not been weak, he wouldn't have been betrayed. At bare minimum he would have been able to defend himself from Vander's attack. Remember, Silco went about a decade without speaking to Vander. He never got his note. He doesn't know the true reason why Vander attacked him and he never gets a true apology either, even after he is finally reunited with Vander. Having to deal with something so painful without being given an explanation or stance of reasoning has resulted in Silco becoming a twisted man, who says shit like "the only way to defeat a superior enemy is to stop at nothing" and "I hated you but you kept my respect."

He passes this way of thinking down to Jinx because to him, they are one in the same. To him she is going to benefit from his advice because he knows what he's talking about. To him the betrayal of their siblings is what binds them and Jinx is the only close bond silco has in his life. Even before Vi's "betrayal" Silco saw the way she was like Vander. So to him those two have also been one in the same for a long time.

But when Vi comes back, she does not behave like Vander. When Vi is reunited with Jinx, the first thing she does is apologize for leaving Jinx. Vander never apologized to Silco for his betrayal, not even when he was given the chance later in life. All he said was that he had never forgiven himself for what he did. Vi continuously fights for Jinx throughout season one. Vander never fought for Silco at all, he completely gave up on him and even when Silco presented him with the opportunity to fight on the same side again, to be brothers again, Vander rejected him. Vi tells Jinx she's willing to walk away from everything as long as she has Jinx with her. Vander couldn't even muster up the courage to fight for his own people. Vi blames herself for what happened to Jinx and tries her best to make amends. Vander never took responsibility for his actions and didn't attempt reconciliation.

Jinx is supposed to be Silco and Vi is supposed to be Vander, but Vi is not Vander. She's a way better sibling and person than Vander ever was and Silco cannot reconcile with this. Because if Jinx is him, and he knows she is, then why did she get to have her sibling back and not Silco? Why did she get the one thing he desperately wanted for the longest of times? Why could Vi forgive Jinx but Vander couldn't forgive Silco? VI is supposed to be the bad, disgraced sibling but she is not. Everything she does post time skip in season 1 is about redeeming herself and putting in the effort to recover a lost relationship.

[myokk]

I had so much fun writing this up as I drank my coffee this morning, thanks for making the templates @kiwiplaetzchen 🥹🙏

A little bit of backstory for Eloise - I’ll do an actual drawing etc etc in the future but for now if you’re interested!!:

Eloise has a brother, Leonard (Leo) who is a year older than her (I want to draw him soon!!) and her parents are both (unfortunately 😔🙏) still very much alive. If the family had continued to the 1930s, they would DEFINITELY have been part of the Sacred 28, making it the Sacred 29 instead. Her father was an only child so he inherited everything, and her mother is Elladora Babbit née Black, the woman who started the Black family tradition of beheading useless house elves😭 (and yes unfortunately that makes Headmaster Black Eloise’s uncle😫).

Eloise was kept a secret from the rest of magic society her whole life. In my imagination, the pureblood families have so much inbreeding amongst themselves that it’s not uncommon for them to give birth to squibs. Part of pureblood culture is not announcing they’ve given birth to a child until they’ve shown signs of magic - normally around 3/4 years old at most. When Eloise never showed ANY signs of magic, she was just their shameful secret. On her eleventh birthday when it was all but confirmed she was a squib, she was burned off the family tree and spent the next five years at a muggle finishing school. Always looking to take advantage of whatever they could get, however, Eloise’s parents arranged a marriage between her and the firstborn son of a wealthy muggle landowner when she came of age.

Her family had no idea that she was admitted to Hogwarts (they cut off all ties to her and disowned her) and Leo, who had always been fiercely protective of her growing up was simultaneously devastated and ecstatic that he could see his sister again. It’s been really hard to repair the relationship though, as there is a lot of resentment that they cannot get over even though they want to😭. And, for as much as her parents dictated everything about how her life has gone, Eloise can’t help but try to work hard to get their love and approval as it’s all she ever thought she wanted. And now that she’s in a position to become the daughter they’ve always desired, she feels a lot of resentment towards herself. She feels as if she’s betraying the young girl who was abandoned by her family, because she wants their approval so badly (it will take a while for her to get over this😔🙏)

In terms of the personality I did it a bit like the sims where I just max things out bc I think everything in the middle is boring jajajaja. But:

Shy: not shy in the sense she can’t talk to other people and she isn’t necessarily socially awkward. She just doesn’t always know what to say and will remain silent if she thinks she has nothing to add to a conversation instead of yapping away (BUT unfortunately rambles and over explains herself to not be misunderstood when she does talk, THANKS narcissistic mother), and normally she wishes people would ignore her. When the Daily Prophet article came out about her “miraculous” recovery and introduction to magical society she HATED it & she HATES all of the people trying to talk to her and befriend her.

Active: NOT active as in super energetic. She just wakes up really early and always needs to keep herself busy. She gets anxious if she doesn’t have anything to do - but, she includes thinking as doing something, and often retreats into her thoughts and doesn’t realize when people are talking to her.

I think grouchy and nice can exist together so with this one I put it in the middle. She’s both simultaneously😭

Aaaand with cowardly/brave, she thinks she is really cowardly for going back to her parents so easily and wanting their love so badly, and hates herself for it (not realizing it’s an accumulation of a lifetime of emotional trauma). But lots of times when things get very high-stakes she will jump in and do incredibly reckless things without thinking of the consequences, although if she stopped to think before she acted she would definitely NOT do them. So maybe brave in actions, cowardly on the inside (IDK)

If you read all of this I love you!! I want to share more about her but this was getting crazy long jajajajajajaja😇🙏

[op-dumpstertruck]

Ahh I sent that before I was done!!! Do you also have a timeline of events? I love that you jump around but it is a little confusing >~<

Oh yeah, I know, oopsie! Since I had that question a few times I'll try to give you a timeline under the cut, but I'm really not a writer:

Sanji leaves Germa as a kid, deeply insecure about being an omega. Sora tried to hide it first, but when it came out Judge was furious. It adds an extra layer of disdain he has for Sanji in this AU; but it was also the only thing that increased his value somehow, in Judges eyes. I think even as young as he was, Sanji did realise that whatever the plans were Judge might have had for him, they were.. not good at all. Omegas don't really exist on Germa, but if they do, they are seen, not heard. Even as a kid Sanji heard some really degrading, overtly sexist comments from his brothers. When he ran away, Sanji learned to hide that part of himself.

Zeff definitely knows, but he's the only one that does. Sanji is a extremly skittish kid when it comes to that, that alone has cost Zeff years of his life (he worries all the time, but they also never talk properly). Worldbuilding wise, I think male omegas are very, very rare. In the context of how the cooks talk to each other, Sanji definitely has heard a lot of very crude jokes about himself.

As old habits die hard, Sanji didn't tell the crew when he joined. With scent suppressants he easily seems like a beta - and even if they run out here and there (which he desperately tries to avoid) with all the smoking he does you can barely smell him anyway.

Zoro and Sanji happened. Neither of them expected that.

Zoro knows Sanji is an omega, probably even long before they got together, I'm not completely sure yet. He's the first one to know and is the only one that does for a long time - Kureha didn't tell Chopper on Drum Island, but he'll eventually be the next one to know.

Sanji gets pregnant (to his own horror) and has to deal with that. Because they are actually functioning quite well at this point as a couple (who would have thought) Sanji tells Zoro as soon as he suspects what's up. They find out together, but don't immediately tell the crew, since they are unsure how to proceed.

thriller bark happens and Sanji looses his mind in the aftermath for a hot minute. (he'll eventually tell the crew in the aftermath.)

close to sabody and marineford (or parallel to it) Sanji gets kidnapped. Omegas are often sold into slavery there, so the crew is on the wrong track for quite a while. As other things are happening simultaneously, and plot happens, the strawhats are sweeped up in chaos. (I might come back to those details later)

the world is made to believe that Sanji died. It is Judges doing, but the timeline plays into his hands: it fits the narrative of the navy retaliating and punishing the strawhats for both what happened at Enies-Lobby and marineford perfectly. Since the strawhats don't know about Sanjis family, they fall for it.

Kuina is born in Germas prison. Sanji does everything he can to convince Judge to keep her alive. He knows Judge has plans for him and threatens to kill himself, should Judge do anything to her. She continues to be the bargain chip through the next few years, to make Sanji to comply to do things. They don't even need to threaten Zeff here.

Sanji gets married off. It's not a happy marriage, but of big political interest for Judge. (This time, there is no one to stop the wedding.)

Kid two and three are born (I don't know their names yet).

It takes them nearly nine years, but Reiju and Sanji get Kuina out and send her on a journey to find the crew. Sanji doesn't see her for more than a year, before the strawhats are back and all hell breaks loose.

[whereispearlescentmoon]

It annoys me when people try to force curses into working, ex. people finding excuses post SL and WL for why the Canary Curse still exists. It was good while it lasted, but stretching out any bit farther than it's natural lifespan is just painful. I prefer recognizing patterns, whether performance or character-wise, like Pearl's teammates dying before her despite her specifically trying to help them win.

I think it’s actually more interesting to me personally to look at what happens when a “curse” breaks or fails. How does the person it previously affected react?

Jimmy isn’t a canary anymore. He hasn’t died first since Limited Life. He died second in Secret Life and 6th in Wild Life. He didn’t even get the first death in the series in either of those, those honors go to Martyn and Pearl respectively. He didn’t even get a unique death in WL. He died at the same time as Lizzie, if you check the fan wiki they are both listed as 12th place because even though his name popped up first, they died on the same game tick. You cannot say he’s a canary anymore without some massive reaches.

But what’s interesting to me is, rather than trying to find some roundabout way the curse somehow still applies, figuring out what that means for Jimmy now. Why isn’t he dying first any more? Has he changed, gotten more skilled in some way? Has the game changed in a way that aligns more with his play style? What is Jimmy like as a red life when he has time to play? All of that you can examine without insisting he still has the curse.

And I don’t particularly like saying the curse the transfers to a new person because that also doesn’t make sense? Lizzie died first in Secret Life, yes, but she wasn’t cursed because it wasn’t a repeating pattern. Mumbo died first in Wild Life. If anything you could do something interesting with the fact that Lizzie and Jimmy, the first outs of the previous seasons, died together, simultaneously. That’s kind of cool to explore. But it doesn’t make sense as a “canary” curse.

As for Pearl, I almost feel a similar way about her “Widow’s Curse” and talking about whether or not it was actually broken in Wild Life. Like I think there’s genuinely two arguments to be had about it.

The first argument is that Pearl didn’t outlive all of her allies because Cleo was still alive. And what does that mean for Pearl? She’s get some solidarity, some comfort and direction that she normally doesn’t get once all her allies are dead.

On the other hand, you could also argue it didn’t break because, frankly, keeping Cleo alive was never Pearl’s goal. It was to keep Impulse alive and get him a win and she failed. After his death she is aimless and despondent and, by her own admission, didn’t heal up before the final fight because she didn’t care about placing well herself. Because Pearl’s particular brand of “Widow’s Curse” isn’t about just outliving your ally it’s about outliving the people she promised she would get to the end at the very start of the game. Pearl promises BigB and she fails him. She gives him her blood, her time, and it isn’t enough to save him. Pearl promises Bdubs and she fails him. She prioritizes getting him underground during the wither and warden fight, tells him then that she wants him to get to the end, she is determined, and it isn’t enough to save him. Pearl promises Impulse and she fails him. She gets him a totem, dies to each wild card as an almost cautionary tale, and it’s not enough to save him.

And yet. There’s an exception. Because nothing can be a neat little curse. Because Pearl hasn’t failed every ally, has she? She was allied with Scott in Last Life, and a good ally. She kills for him. Scott won, and he won after saying “I have to, you killed Pearl” to Ren. And if we’re just saying Double Life started the curse with Tilly dying, well there’s an exception after that too. In Secret Life, it comes down to the Mounders vs Gem and The Scotts and Pearl decides Scar is one of her Mounders now. She says if it comes down to it she wants him to kill her for hearts. She mostly stays back and lets him fight Gem, after making a blow to solidify whose side she’s on, with the confidence that he will win. And he does! She even gets to die giving him enough hearts to survive the zombie she warned him was behind him.

So did Pearl ever really have a “Widow’s Curse”? She’s got bad luck, that’s for sure, and a not great track record with Day 1 allies in particular since Double Life. But technically two of Pearl’s allies have won. And she didn’t outlive Cleo in WL.

Is it not more interesting to look at the intricacies of the particular way each different season that Pearl manages to outlive her day 1s rather than just slapping “Widow” on it and calling it a day?

[ssivinee]

➢ 𝙴𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚜𝚎

IVE! Band! Yujin x Band! F reader: You and Yujin seem to agree on a new chapter in your friendship, but she seems to want more than that. The both of you, confused at what the status of your relationship is, let fate do its work... which seemed to be doing very good at its job with the two of you.

Word Count: 5.9 k

Author's Note: *⚠️Warnings: mentions of substance abuse, heavy use of strong language, violence, and harassment.⚠️* This took so long. IM SO SORRY, but December was a rollercoaster of a month frfr, but IM BACK, AND I WILL POST MORE THIS MONTH, I SWEAR. The song isnt mentioned at all in this fic, but this is essentially the song she writes after all this🙂‍↕️.

⚠︎ Directions ⇒ Main | Previous | Next

“You think if I headbutt her, she’ll wake up?” The older mumbles as she squats down, staring at Yena, who is still knocked out from a failed night of partying. Wonyoung looks at her unnie with a face that just said, ‘tf did you just say?’ “Yes, I’d like to think she’s alive and breathing enough to feel that pain, unnie,” Yujin voices as she prepares two cups of coffee and some tea for Wony.

“She just can’t be calm for one second,” Chaewon grumbles. 

Yujin gave them both the run down of what happened last night, leaving out the significant details of your final words to her. “I just didn’t expect Y/n unnie to be the one to help her, even bring her here,” Wonyoung says as she takes the fresh cup of tea from Yujin’s hands, sipping on the steaming hot liquid. 

“True,” Chaewon answers as she sits down softly beside Yena, who begins to stir out of sleep. Her vision felt blurry, rubbing her eyes to gain her senses as she realized she was in Yujin’s apartment. “How the hell did I get here?” Her voice was hoarse, so Yujin jogged to her fridge, handing her a cold bottle of water. “You partied too hard, and Y/n unnie brought you back to our place,” Yena looked puzzled at Wonyoung’s words. “Y/n brought me here?”

“You were so out of it, unnie. Didn’t we already talk about drinking and drugs as something that shouldn’t be combined?” At Yujin’s worried tone, Yena swiped a finger under her nose, feeling the remains of the lingering powder. They knew this wasn’t exactly the time to be lecturing her, but Chaewon’s motherly instincts kicked in, “Look, you know how we feel about you using those, but we also know you're mature enough to know when and where they can be used. You could've been in danger if Y/n didn’t step in.”

Yena groans, sitting up from her position as she chugs the rest of her water. “I know, I know. It was a mistake. I didn’t expect Hayoung to bring some, but when he did, I just went for it…” The three shake their head simultaneously. “That isn’t the best excuse right now. What if Y/n unnie didn’t find you, and you just kept drinking? Who knows what would have happened, unnie,” Wony says, careful in the way she says it. 

Yena just keeps her head down, her head still pounding, and she is just overall disappointed in her choices last night. “How about you give Y/n a ‘thanks for helping me out’ gift,” Chaewon suggests, and Wonyoung nods excitedly. “She works at Evermore cafe on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, I think. You’ll probably have the best chance of catching her there.” The three now look at Wonyoung, worried about how she knew that information. “What? I like getting my tea and coffee there every day,” She pouts, sipping on her tea again as everyone giggles. “I’ll go with you if you want, unnie?” Yujin says, picking up her car keys to drop Yena off at home and get her bearings together. “We can do that,” She nods, trying to collect herself and put on her sweater that wreaked of alcohol. “God, I need a shower and a change of clothes.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice, girl,” Yujin says with a chuckle, leading her unnie out the door with her wallet, car, and house keys in hand. “What do I even get her as a ‘thank-you’ gift?” Yena asks as she sits on the passenger side, hands clasping her hair as if stressed. “How about some nice set of flowers? That would be a good start.” Yujin says, turning her car on and letting it heat up. Yena nods, agreeing to the idea.

“Why would she help me?” Yujin side eyes the older, as she was trying to focus on the road. “Maybe she just saw a girl in need of help and did it out of the kindness of her heart,” Yujin suggested, and it made Yena think. “Then I should get her some pink roses. That’s a good thank-you gift, right?” She asks, a bit stressed again, but Yujin pats her shoulder to calm her down.

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate it, unnie.” “How are you so sure?!” Yena flails her arms, quickly regretting it as she feels the pulsing headache return. “One thing I won't forget is how appreciative Y/n is. We were friends at one point, you know?” Yena’s eyes glimmer, reminded that you guys knew each other at one point. 

“True!” Yena gets excited, shimmying in the passenger seat, followed by an ‘ouch’ that had Yujin giggling.

You were working an afternoon shift as usual at the cafe and were currently making a few drinks. It was a Sunday afternoon, a little before sundown, so the place wasn’t flooded with customers like every weekday. As you took your time making two drinks, you heard the door ringing, usually correlating to people entering.

“Hello, welcome to Ever—” once you looked up, you couldn’t even finish your sentence. You were stunned to see Yujin and Yena standing in the cafe. The shorter one held pink roses wrapped in pastel yellow paper and a large bouquet of white flowers in the younger’s arm. Meanwhile, Yujin held a large, nice-looking blue paper bag in her hands. “Did you guys want a drink today?” you asked nicely, knowing Yena hadn’t exactly had the best night.

“Well, some kind of herbal tea would be nice, but I wanted to give you these,” Yena said, forwarding the pink flowers across the counter. Just as a thank you for helping me last night.” You waved your hands frantically, “You didn’t have to do that, you know?” You say, but softly take it from her hands; you don’t want to seem rude. “You deserve it. None of us could’ve known what would've happened if you left me there.”

“And uhm,” Yujin spoke, looking down at the bag and flowers, feeling a tad bit nervous. “I wanted to give this to you as a sorry for Yena unnie last night, and… you know… what we talked about last night?” Her wavering voice was noticeable as her eyes met yours. She handed you the larger bouquet and put the bag down on the counter. Yena watched as you took it into your own arms, eyes trailing back to Yujin, who just gave you this look she couldn’t quite point out.

What the hell did the two of you talk about last night?

Yena just stands there, lost, as you give them both a smile, “How about I put these gifts in my locker, and I’ll make you guys your drinks? It’ll be on me for the gifts,” Yena was about to object, but you cut her off, “It’s literally the least I could do.”

You walked to the back room, unlocked your locker, and put the gift in. Knowing that you would probably forget, you decided to remind yourself to put them in water since you wouldn’t be able to for the rest of your shift. As you set the reminder, you began to think, what did the white flowers mean? You weren’t exactly a flower connoisseur to know about these things. All you knew was pink was a sign of thanks.

So you open up the internet really quickly, typing what white flowers mean in Korea. As you read what popped up, hydrangea flowers in white mean an apology. The flowers Yujin gave you specifically, white lilies, roses, and carnations, had you furrowing your brows. Most of them meant sorry and as a sign of respect, but when you read briefly about the carnations, it is said to be a symbol of true love.

Hearing the front door ring again, you couldn’t take the time to look inside the pretty paper bag, just shutting the locker and rushing to the front. “Sorry for the wait. How about I get you some roasted barley tea, Yena? Just to calm you down after everything,” Yena nods appreciatively as you look at Yujin, a brow raised at her. “Want some iced malcha?” You ask, and Yujin’s eyes grow large.

After all these years of not being friends, do you still remember that she liked green tea? Yujin only nods, and you get to work after giving the receipt while Yena looks at her member. “How the fuck did she remember that?” Yujin just shrugs, her eyes never prying off of your figure.

She watched you in your light purple apron, hair tucked into a messy bun, the claw clip struggling to keep your long black hair tamed. You kept your focus on both the drinks, not realizing her strong gaze on your figure. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself; the thought of her giving you such a symbolic gift gave you butterflies in your stomach. 

Despite not being friends for so long, you were, ironically, the friend who never forgot the little things people liked, even if they were your former friends. This may not have been the exact gesture to reconcile your relationship with her, but it was for everyone's peace after all this time.

“Your malcha and tea!” You say a large smile graced your face as they picked up the cups. You see a sense of hesitance in Yujin’s stance, and you look at her, a bit confused, as she stands there awkwardly. “Anything else, Ahn?” Your question snaps her out of her trance, and she shakes her head a bit. “Nope, definitely not! Have a good day!” You stare at them, leaving, your face clearly weirded out. Yena is currently being dragged out the door, and Yujin slaps her forehead with the palm of her hand.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” Yujin kept mumbling as Yena’s tiny body was still behind her, trying to keep up with Yujin’s longer legs as she was being dragged to her car. “Way to give yourself a ‘watch me embarrass myself’ moment,” Yena smiles as the younger side eyes her annoyingly.

They enter the car, still holding their drinks, “Seriously though. what the fuck was that?!” “I don’t know!” Yujin practically yells. She couldn’t answer the question herself. Yujin has never been one to embarrass herself in front of someone, and you being the first person it happened to makes her want to sink into a black hole.

All she wanted to do was ask for your number, which was clearly an epic fail.

By the time they left, several people had come in, and the time passed quickly due to the lack of customers. It was now nearly nine, and you had taken all your belongings and began locking up the store. The night sky was already shining with the moon, and you felt a yawn as you placed the store key in your bag. The walk home was quick, the ten minutes being a breeze, walking into your small apartment that was around five blocks away. 

You slip off your shoes and lay your items on the couch as you walk to the kitchen, immediately trying to heat up some food for yourself. Trying to get the food on the stove faster was the goal as you felt disgustingly drenched in sweat. You jog into your room, get a change of clothes, and decide to take a quick shower. Once you finished, you kept drying your hair with a towel but smelt the food. You take it all in but have a glimpse of the flowers and shopping bag that Yujin and Yena got you.

Looking around your apartment, you take the only vase you own, add some water, and unravel both bouquets to put them in, arranging them to look a bit more appealing. You then remembered you didn’t have the time to check inside the bag yet. After throwing out the papers wrapping paper, you take a seat on the couch, opening it up. You found a dark purple hoodie, an envelope, and a box. 

As you took it out, you realized she had forgotten to take the tag off, and you’re taken aback. “A 150 PRICED HOODIE!” You shriek, looking at it. It seems to be from a smaller brand, and the logo on the front looks unfamiliar to you, but it is still cute. The look of a bunch of vintage-looking flowers, then a statue seemingly stitched heavily into it. You then take a look at the smaller box inside, and it was dark blue with some silver detailing on it.

You open it and gasp, finding a silver bracelet with some aquamarine gemstones around it. ‘My birthstone?’

If only you knew Yujin’s struggle to pick the right one out. Her memory definitely wasn’t as good as yours, but she was in that store, staring at every blue gemstone for an hour straight until she felt sure about your birth month. She finally remembered it was in spring and a month with several exams coming in the months after, so she finally remembered your birthday was in March.

You stared at the bracelet, its colors and shine twinkling in your eyes. Your eyes looked around, but she seemed to remember, at least, to take out the tag for this one. Your hands then rummage in the bag, trying to take out the last item, the envelope. Fingers fumbling to open it, you find a small note inside. The paper had flowers printed on its border, causing you to giggle. ‘What’s up with her and flowers today?’

You begin reading, ‘I don’t want this to be so awkward. I will admit, after all these years, you’re still a good friend. We may not be close at the moment, but I truly appreciate what you’ve done for Yena-unnie and what you told me last night.’

Not close at the moment, huh? That had a tint of blush forming on your face. Was she expecting to get close to you again? You thought it was sweet, and you were both headed in a good direction. You wanted to reminisce more, but the scent of the food seemed to be filling the air. You had to be able to eat so you could work on some music before heading to bed for another shift early in the morning.

You head to your office space, turning on the iridescent lights that glow purple and blue around the room. Your light tap on the mouse automatically turns the monitor of your computer on, showing some notes and photos that have been giving some kind of inspiration. Grabbing the notebook on your desk, you open it to a specific page that lacks writing. 

Your eyes travel all over your space, finding where you last placed your guitar, and you are strumming to try and find the melody that feels right. 

There was slight hope, the interaction with Yujin might’ve given you some inspiration but you were just stuck. The previous songs you created and released were quickly rising in popularity. Your subconscious was not able to keep up with the charts, and it was beginning to weigh on your mind. The pressure to release something better was gut-wrenching and made you want to throw up at the thought of it. 

In two days, you were guesting on a radio station about the group's rising fame, and you couldn’t shake the anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach. The girls seemed to be okay with you going alone; they were busy with other major things in their lives at the moment. 

You were generally good with public speaking and performing, but interviews felt insanely different. It was going to be a constant loop of being aware of your language and the questions being thrown at you, but you didn't want to think about it until the day of.

But thinking that was a big mistake as you sat inside the station, the two hosts sitting in front of you. 

While you were just a ball of anxiety waiting to burst, Yujin listened in, hearing from Yena about the news of you being on the show. 

“Good evening, people of Korea! Welcome back to the Rising Loud Show! We’re your hosts, Lee Jihyun and Kim Hyunju. We actually have a special guest today. From the group rising to fame, Abyss, we have their main vocal, bassist, composer, AND producer of the group, Cha Y/n!”

The two hosts cheer and applaud as you smile from across the table, “Thank you, it’s an honor to be here.

“Oh, ever so humble. You’ve been making waves in the band world, Y/n. I think it’s okay to boast from time to time,” the male host, Hyunju, spoke, causing the ladies to giggle. He continues, “So your group recently hit nine hundred thousand listeners on Spotify last week, and your song Love Me or Leave Me has been used on some large music shows here in Korea! How does it feel?”

“Truth be told, it is a wild roller coaster in the beginning. We got so much support from the get-go that I almost felt a bit frazzled. Now I’m just happy and a little pressured.”

“Pressured? Why is that?”

“When writing both Drowning and lmolm, the writing process came quite easy to me since they were about experiences I’ve had in life. Truthfully, those experiences aren’t many, so now, you could say I’ve hit writer's block.” Jihyun, the female host, perks up, “Well, that's some interesting information there, folks. Would you like to share some of those experiences with the world?” You laugh at the question, knowing that once you aired this out, it would be on the internet forever.

“Well, our latest release was actually about a one-sided relationship I had with a toxic ex. I felt like I was on a leash in the relationship because I was so in love, and then they talked about me behind my back, and it gave me a reality check,” you nod. Yujin, on the opposite end, listened intently, not knowing the back story behind you and Soyeon. “It sucked, but in the end, it got me to where I am today.”

“Drowning, on the other hand, is somewhat misinterpreted as a love song. It’s written in that way, but it's about an old broken friendship I had.” Yujin’s eyes softened at your words, sitting comfortably on her couch as she stared at the ceiling. “I felt bad? I say that as a question because I’m not sure. She may be listening right now.” You giggle.

“As kids, we were best friends. We did everything together, and it was such a fun relationship, but that seemed to also be the downfall of our friendship. Since we were around each other so much, people seemed to pit us against each other, and it worked until we became practically enemies. One was trying to be a thorn in the other side, and sometimes, we just wanted to piss each other off. This year, the bad blood became tiring to bear, so we made up.”

“Do you mind telling us who it is? There are a few speculations, so,” Yujin hears the host have a suspicious voice, but you state no with a chuckle, avoiding the topic quickly.

“So, new music, right? Let’s talk about it!”

“Well… there isn’t really much to say. It's still very much in the early stages of the process, and I’ll need some help with it. I may ask my members,” you say with a smile. Yujin kept listening in; she never heard you talk for such a long time in years, and the radio show made her feel like you were speaking to her while she just listened.

She loved it. Listening to you speak about your love for music, working at your job and enjoying it, speaking about other hobbies and wishes made her feel like you were her best friend all over again. It only made her think deeper. How was she gonna go about this?

Showing up to your job every day would be plain weird. She didn’t want to just make it seem like everything was back to normal because she didn’t want to come off as nonchalant. She also didn’t want to be overbearing and reach out herself.

“Why don’t you just let the world take its course?” Yujin jumps in her spot, hearing Wonyoung, who she finds sitting on the island stool and sipping some tea. “Now, why the hell would you do that to me… AND WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS DRINKING TEA?”

The younger girl shrugs, but her brow is raised, “Stop worrying about how to be close again and just let it take its course.” 

“I know your right, but like I can’t help but-”

“You can’t help but overthink. I know, unnie, I know.” Wonyoung takes a seat, hearing the muffled voices from the radio show.

“Do you like her?” Yujin looks at her in surprise, “W-what? I don’t…”

Wony raises her brow, clearly not believing her, and Yujin sighs, “I’m not sure.” “Wel,l that isn't an acceptable answer,” Yujin’s brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”

“Either you like someone, or you don’t, no in between.” Wonyoung sips on her tea again as Yujin scoffs. “It’s true, though. Even an inkling of liking someone is liking someone.” Yujin lowers her head, knowing she’s right.

“I guess I do.”

“What about your love life right now?” The two of them hear the phone say out loud, one of the hosts asks, and they hear you giggle. “No one is currently in the picture, but who knows? I wouldn’t turn away love.”

“I’m not sure anyone expected you to be a romantic, Miss Cha,” the two hosts laugh as the younger girls listen more intently. “I believe love can equate to a different kind of happiness. One that completes you.” The hosts grow quiet at your words, and Wonyoung smiles, “I didn’t expect unnie to be such a heartthrob.”

“She’s always been that way,” the older smiles a bit, and the maknae stares at her. “It’s why she was loved by everyone. She always returned that same love,” she smiles and looks at the girl next to her, the younger, giving her a mischievous grin. “You're so in love with her.” “I’M NOT IN LOVE!”

“Don’t lie to yourself~”

It had been a few days after your radio guest, and life had been… a bit harder than usual. You had been given many more hours to work the first few days, and you were barely able to hang out with your band. Even now, you are still struggling to write a song.

A few hours after your guest appearance, Ning Ning reached out to you, wanting to help in the process. The two of you began to write it the day after, but since then, it seems like Ning Ning has been ignoring it for some unknown reason.

Your frustrations were beginning to build up. You never wanted to be angered by Ning Ning. Everyone in your group had they’re own lives and jobs to work on. Yet you knew Ning better out of everyone. 

Ning Ning came from a richer family. She didn’t need to work and had lots of spare time on her hands. It was pretty evident in the way she used to nag you about hanging out more since ‘she never had anything to do.’ You also always believed that you were an understanding friend. No matter what it was, you would’ve understood.

Your issue was that she just shouldn’t have offered if it was going to turn out this way. Your expectations were just not met.

So here you were, standing outside Ning Ning's penthouse, sighing as you rang the doorbell and heard muffled, chaotic music bleeding through the walls. The sound was loud enough to make you grit your teeth as you waited.

When the door swung open, her smile faded almost instantly, like she was caught doing something she shouldn't. "Hey, Y/n~," she started, but her voice sounded shaky, barely cutting through the pounding bass behind her.

You peered over her shoulder and immediately spotted a few faces you recognized from her Instagram posts—Ning Ning’s rich friends. You didn’t even bother hiding your irritation as your eyes settled back on her.

“Weren’t we supposed to meet up today at the studio?” Her gaze darted to the floor before she glanced nervously behind her. “I just got caught up in something at the last minute,” she said, trying to sound casual, but the lie was obvious.

“Caught up in something?!” Your voice rose before you could stop it, making her wince. “This is the sixth time you’ve flaked on me this week, Yizhuo!” You didn’t miss the way she flinched at the use of her full name.

“I didn’t mean to,” she muttered, almost too quietly to hear over the music.

“Is it because of some guy?” you snapped, cutting her off when she opened her mouth to reply.

“Oh, please,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You know it’s not—”

“So it’s because of some girl.” Your eyebrows shot up as you interrupted her again. The brief flash of guilt on her face was all the confirmation you needed.

“You have got to be kidding me,” you hissed, and Ning Ning’s expression hardened as frustration crept into her features.

“Is that a crime?!” she fired back, her voice rising to match yours now.

“No, but you had the decency to say you’d help me write another song, yet here we are!” You gestured broadly toward the apartment, your voice cutting through the music like a knife. Ning Ning looked over her shoulder again, as though hoping her friends weren’t listening, but she still didn’t seem to grasp why you were upset.

“You guys aren’t my only friends,” she said defensively, her tone sharp now.

“News flash, Yizhuo!” you snapped, taking a step closer. “We aren’t just your friends. We’re supposed to be like sisters! Coworkers, even! Most of our income comes from our music. The sad reality is we’re not all fed with a silver spoon like you. Some of us actually need this to work. So maybe next time, don’t get my hopes up if you’re just going to let me down.”

Her face twisted, caught somewhere between anger and guilt. “Well, maybe you’re stuck because Yujin has your damn brain fucked into oblivion. Have you thought about that?”

Her words hit you like a slap, sharp and personal in a way you didn’t expect. Your stomach twisted at the accusation, but you refused to let her see it. “We help each other in times of need, Ning,” you said, your voice low but biting. “I’ve always been there for you. Always. And you couldn’t do this one simple thing for me.”

Ning Ning’s mouth opened like she wanted to argue, but you didn’t give her the chance. You stepped back, shaking your head. “Just fuck off, Ning.”

The look on her face stung, but not enough to make you stop. Without another word, you turned and walked away, letting the sound of the door closing behind you seal the argument.

Your chest felt heavy as you made your way down the hall, but you didn’t look back. You couldn’t. 

The two of you had fought several times before but made up instantly. This moment wasn’t like the rest, and it gave you a headache.

Deciding to want to clear your mind, you make your way over to the park near her building. As you got closer and closer, you felt your phone buzzing in your pocket as if there was some crazy news. But you knew all to well that it was just Ning Ning blowing up your messages. 

You make it to the park, sitting down on a nearby bench as you hear the cars pass by late at night. Pulling out your phone, you see the twenty notifications left by your best friend, but you don’t care to read them, not yet, at least. You let out a heavy sigh, stuffing the phone back into your pockets as you keep your eyes on the dark sky.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” your body jolts up from your seat in surprise at the nearing voice, and you look to your left to find Yujin. She looked more proper than usual in a long-sleeved button with a white collar, some straight jeans, and a pair of simple white sneakers. Her hair was held up with a claw clip, and she wore her glasses. “Oh, uhm, I mean likewise,” you answer.

She tilted her head, sighing as she clutched onto the long strap of her leather satchel. “My car broke down while coming home from work, so I had to walk… this seemed to be the safer option for me to cut through.”

“Seems like we both have bad luck today,” you inquire, and Yujin stands there, a bit struck by what to do. Then she remembers Wonyoung’s words, ‘Stop worrying about how to be close again and just let it take its course.’ 

“Wonyoung, you smart ass,” she mumbles and sits down beside you. “Long day?” You could only scoff at her words. “Not long day, it’s been a long hour.”

“Hour? Well, that doesn’t sound too good.” Your phone buzzes again loudly, interrupting the conversation a bit. You take out your phone, showing it to Yujin as you wave it with the grasp of your two fingers. “Ning and I were supposed to start writing a song this past week, but she bailed on me six times. All because of a girl. I mean, she could’ve just told me that was the case, but instead, she kept making empty promises and giving me bullshit excuses in the end. My mom needed me home for dinner today. My cousin needed a ride out of town. I have to help my grandma tonight. The excuses just wouldn’t end.”

You pause, catching yourself rambling, and find Yujin staring at you with a sympathetic look. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to rant.”

She shakes her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “No need to say sorry. If it makes you feel better, work was absolute shit for me today. The kids in my class had so much more energy than usual. Some ripped papers, some scribbled all over worksheets I needed to grade by the end of today, two of them kicked me in the shin on purpose, I had a meeting with snobby higher-ups, and my car broke down.”

The image she painted made you chuckle faintly despite yourself. Her smile widened at the sound, and she added, “Teaching assistant life, right?”

“Wait, you’re a teacher now?”

“Correction, teaching assistant,” she clarified, pointing a finger up as the other hand adjusted her glasses. The gesture sent you into a fit of laughter that she quickly joined in on.

“I still love my job, though,” she continued once the laughter faded, her voice soft. “Those kids will always be the highlight of my week. Other than performing, of course.”

“That does sound nice. At least you don’t have to deal with rude customers on a daily basis,” you said, the headache from earlier easing as you spoke.

“Yeah, I can’t even imagine how that is for you,” she said with an exaggerated grimace. “Remember when Bomyuk sat in your chair and told you to buzz off in the third grade? You literally grabbed the chair and yanked it so hard he fell flat on his back. I’m still amazed your temper can handle customer service.”

You couldn’t stop laughing at the memory, shaking your head. “You know he deserved that. Besides, I’ve grown from that.”

“Uh-huh,” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

The light moment was interrupted when a familiar voice cut through the conversation. “I wanna know the joke.”

Both of you turned to see Lee Seoyeon standing nearby, her smirk as irritating as you remembered.

“My day just keeps getting better and better, huh?” you muttered sarcastically. Yujin’s expression immediately darkened at the sight of her.

“Couldn’t have just kept walking, Seoyeon?” Yujin asked, her voice laced with frustration.

“Can’t I greet my dear ex-girlfriend and her ex-best friend? Just a couple of exes chatting, no?” Seoyeon’s smirk grew, her tone dripping with mockery.

“Did you just come over to piss us off?” Yujin stood, her towering figure casting a shadow over the smaller girl.

“It isn’t worth it, Yujin,” you said softly, reaching for her arm to tug her back gently.

Seoyeon ignored you, her gaze fixed on Yujin. “You should listen to my dear Y/n. She always knows better than you, always has.”

Yujin’s jaw tightened, and you could see the fury rising in her. She stepped closer, but you quickly got between them, pushing her back.

“Oh? Did I hit a nerve? The two of you look so friendly now. Guess it’s not an issue anymore,” Seoyeon said smugly, taking a step forward.

“Just leave us alone,” you snapped, your tone sharper than before.

Seoyeon feigned hurt. “Y/n, I’m offended you don’t want me around. Done following me like a sick puppy? Tired of our amazing relationship? I mean, I could still show you a good time, you know?” She stepped closer, but before you could respond, Yujin’s fist collided with her face.

“You disrespectful piece of shit!” Yujin threw another punch before you could stop her, and Seoyeon stumbled back, blood dripping from her nose.

“Enough! Enough!” you yelled, pulling Yujin away as she struggled against your grip.

“We’re in public, Yujin. I don’t need you going to prison,” you said firmly, glancing at the small crowd that had started to gather.

Yujin exhaled sharply, her anger still palpable, but she let you guide her away.

“Rot in hell, Seoyeon,” you spat over your shoulder before pulling Yujin toward your apartment.

Within minutes, you were home. You led Yujin into the living room, gesturing toward the couch. “Take off your bag and get comfy. I’ll grab some water.”

She nodded silently, sinking into the plush cushions. The cozy, rustic vibe of your apartment seemed to ease some of the tension in her shoulders. She glanced around, her gaze lingering on the lavender-scented candle burning on the coffee table.

When you returned, you knelt in front of her, setting down a bowl of cold, soapy water and soaking a rag in it. Taking her hand gently, you began cleaning the blood from her knuckles.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper.

Yujin stiffened slightly, her jaw clenching. “You think I regret it?”

You looked up, meeting her intense gaze. “That’s not what I meant. I just… I don’t want you getting hurt because of someone like her.”

Her expression softened, and she let out a quiet sigh. “I can take care of myself, but… thanks. For looking out for me.”

You smiled faintly, brushing a thumb over her hand as you finished cleaning her wounds. “Someone has to.”

Yujin leaned back, her lips curving into a small smile. “You’re pretty good at it.”

“Well, don’t make it a habit,” you teased, standing up and placing the bowl aside.

She grabbed your wrist before you could move away, pulling you down onto the couch beside her. The warmth of her hand lingered as she spoke softly, “I’ll try not to, but only if you promise to keep being my favorite nurse.”

You rolled your eyes, but your smile betrayed you. “Deal.”

The tension from earlier seemed to dissipate entirely as you sat there, your laughter filling the room once again.

Taglist: ⟪𝙾𝙿𝙴𝙽⟫

@lorenztired @1luvkarina @yuyuy90 @uchizana

[fanfic-obsessed]

Duty

Here I try a hand at Emperor Obi Wan. It just feels right. 

It starts after Order 66, after the march on the temple. When Obi Wan says that he cannot go after Anakin, Yoda believes him. Instead of Yoda going for Sidious and Obi Wan for Anakin, they reverse it.  Yoda heads for Mustafar. 

Obi Wan goes for Sidious.He’s so done, traumatized and tired. He is also somewhere between passively suicidal and actively suicidal.  He attacks Sidious in front of the newly formed Imperial Senate and no one is more surprised than him when he takes Sidious’s head off cleanly (Sidious did not consider this one tired, hurting Jedi to be a threat and Obi Wan went in full throttle, hoping to do some damage before his death). Even though the Empire is only a few days old at this point, there are some old rules that are already in place, backed by the Force (which is why no one really questions what happens next). One of those rules is the right of conquest. 

To the winner goes the Empire. 

Now Obi Wan is the recognized Emperor, including to the chips in the Clones.   Obi Wan does not want to be the Emperor. Obi Wan wants to go sit in a depression cave and contemplate his infinite sadness in peace, please. 

Bail Organa manages to convince Obi Wan that being the Emperor and helping to unfuck everything is his duty (Bail is both semi reluctant-he knows that duty is Obi Wan’s buzzword and hates that he needs to take advantage of that-, and not, as he is pretty sure that is all that is keeping Obi Wan alive right now). 

So Obi Wan agrees to be Emperor until they can figure out how to undo the Sith’s great plan (while all 1000 years was not spent creating a web of fucked up laws that slowly built the trap they all fell into, a good portion of that time was).  He manages to rescind the Order that the Jedi are traitors, but is not able to deactivate the chips (this is another where the chips turn the clones into Automatons, with no independent thoughts). There is some code phrase that will shut the chips off, but only Palpatine knew it. The Kaminoans are sure that, now that the chips are active, removing the chips will cause brain damage and death to the clones (this is not true, but we are still several months away from Ahsoka and Rex-as the only two who have proof this is patently false- coming back into Obi Wan’s life).  Obi Wan has recalled the 212th, unable to stop himself from wanting them around him, even as they are. Yoda successfully captured Anakin, who is currently being held in a medically induced coma until they figure out what to do with him (he is decidedly fallen, but also is coming off as being in middle of a clinically psychotic episode-also both Yoda and Obi Wan are not so secretly hoping there is something that makes his actions…not Anakin of his own free will slaughtering children). Now Yoda is off in the galaxy trying to find Jedi survivors. Mace Windu was found and is Bacta and would be there for a minimum of a year. 

Padme is on bedrest for her own safety, and the safety of her children. She is also subject to frequent lectures on seeing an actual medical professional while pregnant. It turns out that she had an uncommon, but not rare, condition that meant that a natural birth would kill her. This condition can only be diagnosed in the third trimester (also notably that this condition could not be fixed with the Force, Light or Dark). Obi Wan cannot bring himself to visit her, if asked he would have the excuse of ‘too busy’ ready to go but the truth was he couldn’t face Padme, whom he had considered a friend, after she had spent so much time lying to him about her relationship with Anakin (Also he now has access to all the instances that Palpatine knew about where both of his dear friends abused their power for the sake of the other).  Even after the children are born, Obi Wan keeps his distance. 

So we have Obi Wan, holding himself by a thread as he simultaneously tries to: figure out how to undo hundreds of years of damage against democracy, run an empire (if he has to do this, he will do it right), deactivate the chips (this means going through every single Palpatine has ever recorded in hopes of discovering the code- no matter how horrific), figure out a place that the remaining Jedi can live (the temple is out of the question with the death that clings to the walls like a slime).  There is no one he can truly trust, not even Bail (For all that Bail entreaty to remain emperor was 100% necessary, it did damage Obi Wan and his friendship in a way that it would take a decade to recover).

It will eventually get better. Other Jedi will come from hiding, giving Obi Wan people he can fully rely on. But right now, about a year into the Empire, Obi Wan is running on the barest fumes, heart sick. He is surrounded by the Senate, whom he does not trust, and the puppeted bodies of the clones, whom he forces himself to treat just the same, to never forget that these are people. He has had to order the clones to ignore any order that contradicts his (in order to prevent abuse by senators) and make an explicit order for the clones to defend themselves and to see to their own needs. He is facing the prospect that there may be no way to undo this damage.  

However there is something that no one knows about the chips. Like in cannon, they do eventually break down, as the clones are forced to go against their own morals and fight the chip, it wears it down.  The irony is that Obi Wan treating them as sentients causes less wear than Palptine’s treatment. 

The 212 love their general, none more so than Cody.  As part of that, each one made a point to memorize the signs that Obi Wan was overworking himself.  Now Obi Wan is, to the clones trapped by the chips, overworking himself beyond anything they had seen. The chips do not allow for this kind of care, which starts to cause the same kind of wear that cannon saw. While most of the clones do not fight the chips with Obi Wan in charge, the 212th begins to fight even harder. 

Their general needs them. 

It starts around the 1 year mark, and is so small that Obi Wan thinks he is imagining it.  It starts with Cody frowning faintly at a senator bringing another unnecessary problem to the Emperor to solve (something that they should have been able to solve themselves).  Then Obi Wan realizes his cup of tea keeps getting refilled (Boil does it when Obi Wan isn’t looking-it both is and is not a breakthrough, the chip means that if Obi Wan had asked for the tea Boil would have provided it, but it is Boil himself that is able to anticipate the need and choose Obi Wan’s favorite tea). Several of his guards (all members of the 212th) subtly herd him down lesser known hallways and paths to his destination, causing him to avoid other senators trying, badly, to curry favor. All the while not able to say anything but “Yes, Sir” or answer direct questions with the least amount of words in a monotone.

Something shatters, just a little, in Obi Wan’s heart at those responses. He continues to talk to any of the clones,including promises that he will find a way to fix this, but does not ask as many questions. 

The first substantial sign that the chips were wearing out on their own came from Cody. It was late, Obi Wan had not slept in days, had not eaten in even longer. Cody's voice was raspy, and his words were slow, deliberate (if you have ever spoken to someone with mild aphasia, think of that with long pauses between words). He looked right at Obi Wan and said “You…have…not…eaten.”

Obi Wan found himself whipping around so fast he nearly tripped on the pretentious robes he had been forced into to stare at Cody, whose face was twisted into this incredibly focused look. 

“Cody?” Obi Wan asks, breathless. 

“You…need…to…eat” 

Obi Wan takes another step closer, almost close enough to touch “Cody?”

Cody’s jaw tightens,  “We…are..still…here…we…we…we...can…hear…you.”

Then all at once Cody’s face smoothed out again, responding to Obi Wan with a monotonous ‘yes sir’, back under the chips' control.  

It is both better and worse for Obi Wan. He now knows for sure that the clones are in there, but he still does not know how to free them.  His mindset and self care is bad enough that he actually cannot make the connection between what seems to bring members of the 212th forward in spite of the chips (and Cody is only the first, the spark is usually Obi Wan taking particularly bad care of himself, and that definition is variable for each clone-Helix the head medic is almost himself more than he is controlled within a few weeks).

It is a few weeks after this that Rex and Ahsoka finally arrive. They had been found by Yoda, who convinced them that it was safe to return to Coruscant.  Part of the reason they had not believed it before hand was that it was clear that the Clone were still controlled by the chips. 

They are the ones to break the news to Obi Wan that the Kaminoans were wrong (and it was they were wrong, not they were lying, they truly did believe that the chips could not be removed after they had been activated), the chips could be removed. 

Obi Wan takes that news in, asks a few questions on what is needed to remove the chips, then makes arrangements for the medics to have their chips removed (with the idea that they can then supervise the surgery of everyone else-Obi Wan currently has trust issues and cannot think of letting anyone who is not a clone operate on the 212th, in particular). At that point he sits on the floor of the room they were in and has a small breakdown (Disturbing both Rex and Ahsoka, and bringing his current guard, Wooley, to the point of breaking the chip entirely). 

There is still so much to do. Obi Wan still knows that. He still has a duty to keep the Empire together and undo enough damage that it can become a republic again.  He still has to live with the horrific things that Palpatine had recorded (experiments, thoughts, his plans for Anakin) and figure out what to do with Anakin (who is still being held in a medically induced coma). The knife’s edge of the politics he has been balancing on has not grown any easier (in fact Ahsoka and Rex, having internalized Anakin's beliefs more than they realized are going to make it more difficult not less). 

But Obi Wan has hope, hearing that the clones would soon be free. Through he does not make any kind of suggestion or let himself have an opinion on who goes when for choir removing (save that all of the medics needed to go first so they could sort out who was going next), the medics in charge prioritize the 212th, because Obi Wan desperately needs his battalion back. Also because no one is completely sure that they won’t all give themselves brain damage fighting against the chip. 

There are enough medics that Ghost Company is dechipped at the same time, with minimal recovery.  Boil and Wooley immediately take charge, while the others lock Cody and Obi Wan into Obi Wan’s ‘temporary’ apartment (What had been Palpatine’s living space- the senate insisted) opening the door only for to provide food while Obi Wan is made to take an enforced ‘vacation’ or at least a ten day (They accept no criticisms, or questions from the Senate. The first senator to protest was shot with a stunner and told to be glad for it-the others decide that they will accept Wooley and Boil as a substitute Emperor).

Cody cuddling Obi Wan produces the first true sleep he had since Utapau.  Obi Wan sleeps for a full 24 hours.

[a-tomsk]

After thinking more about the implications behind Narinder imprisoning Shamura despite killing Leshy, Heket, and Kallamar, I began to think that maybe the decision is thematically genius:

Narinder is the sole god in this AU and represents Death. The things that Leshy, Heket, and Kallamar represented -Chaos, Famine, and Pestilence- are unique by themselves, but what they all have in common is that they naturally lead to Death itself - People get killed indiscriminately in great unrest, they can starve to death, and die from disease. Imagine if despite having killed his siblings sans Shamura and took their followers as his own, Narinder opted not to fully indoctrinate them into his religion but instead co-opted their beliefs in chaos, famine, and pestilence to further the worship of death; he'd allow them to keep their original beliefs in exchange for said beliefs becoming subordinate to death, since they naturally point to it. It would be an alternative way for Narinder to exercise and express his supremacy other than enforcing an assimilated and homogenized faith. (And a way to diversify his array of followers and their communities -especially regular enemies and minibosses- within a whole population/land that worships only Death)

In the case of Shamura however, they are a more mixed case. Shamura represents War, and while that too results in Death just like Chaos, Famine, and Pestilence, it's not consistent. Killing is inherent in war, but on the other hand, war or conflict is also waged to protect lives from others that would try to end them - sending one to death in order to help another avoid it. Not to mention that besides death, war can naturally also give way to chaos, famine, and pestilence all at once. Even with 'love' in mind, maybe Narinder locked Shamura away because he also didn't know how to manage them - Shamura would effectively be just as powerful as him in regards to encompassing the other 3 siblings (how both war and death encompass chaos, famine, and pestilence) and less "controllable" than said 3 siblings since war can be waged for and against death simultaneously, which runs counterproductive to Narinder's ethos. I'd wager that in the beginning, Narinder had tried to defeat/kill Shamura before but was unable to due to the latter's power, so imprisonment was his next best option (kinda like in canon). Perhaps in addition, Narinder's indecision could've also extended to Shamura's followers when he took them - if he couldn't find a way to make war fully subordinate to death, he may have purged the belief in war from the land completely by either indoctrinating/reeducating/assimilating them or just executing them outright. Due to the nature of war, Narinder may have thought Shamura and their followers to be too much of a wild card to just leave them be -too many variables, known or unknown- and thus posed a big enough risk to his rule to the point he puts the most attention and effort into suppressing them, even if Shamura is his only remaining sibling still alive.

It would put into perspective why the Goat was executed and became Shamura's vessel. With how much carnage the Goat likes to cause since becoming a vessel along with whatever trouble they caused even before that, they are just as unpredictable as their master Shamura, especially when the powers they possess come directly from said master. That alone would be enough for Narinder to label them a fugitive.

I'm not exactly answering, just posting because I like the way your write it all. Thank you