#hes taking off the jacket idk how well i translated that though

[lostxmelody]

milgram au (1/6)

[brotherblaze]

JAILBAIT³ —simon 'ghost' riley

▹ simon 'ghost' riley/gn!reader

▹ part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

▹ synopsis: it's time to go home and Ghost finds himself realizing there's never enough time to spend with you.

▹ cw: suggestive themes, a sprinkle of angst

▹ wc: ~3,5k (idk what happened)

▹ please don't try to 'educate' me abt what 'jailbait' means especially if you haven't even read the fic

You pointedly ignore the rookies working out as you step into the gym.

Even when you pass the ones Ghost had scared shitless just days earlier, you keep walking, ignoring the familiar pull of desire to antagonize. The idea of messing with them is chased away the moment it arrives but yet it tries to linger. One last laugh at their expense, one last display of power that hinges on the existence of the hulking mass of a man you call your boyfriend (one that wouldn't even exist without the ties that bind you to him).

But between the desire to antagonize and the desire of spending money that isn't your own, Simon (and his money) reigns supreme.

Ghost has retreated to the very back of the gym. He's sitting on the floor, stretching, when you come into view. It's like he's drawn to you like a magnet, his sixth sense of your presence is honed to nigh-perfection because he's already looking in your direction when you see him.

He's shirtless, though still wearing his balaclava. For a moment, you allow your eyes to trail his impressive physique, the scars and burns and bruises a collection of constellations that make up Simon Riley.

"Men are being sluts again, nature is healing." you place your hand over your heart, glancing up as if to thank a higher power and Ghost can't help but roll his eyes at your antics. "I'd also love to see you all oiled up, by the way, or with a collar and a leash—either works, honestly. Just like, a little something to think about."

"Too much of a good thing..."

You don't reply immediately and Ghost can practically see the gears turning in your head, brows slightly furrowed, nose scrunched and lips parted. "A large piece... will split your mouth." A moment of silence, and then a look of disappointment. "Why do I even bother trying to translate proverbs? I hate English—horrible, ugly language."

It's not that he's laughing at you, or your inability to translate ("Shut up, Colonizer, how many languages can you speak?" you'd hissed at him once and Simon had promptly bit his tongue because you know seven languages and how could he ever compete with how effortlessly you speak them?) but because he likes your ability to slip into a wholly different language so effortlessly. You jab him in the calf with the nose of your shoe.

"What do you need?" Because you wouldn't set foot into a gym voluntarily if it's not the first thing in the morning just moments after the cleaning crew has left. Something about the mixture of sweat and the scent of axe body spray making the inside of your nose ache. He eyes the black surgical mask you're wearing.

"Why would I need anything? Maybe I just wanted to see my boyfriend who is very handsome, by the way." You bat your lashes, the flashy fake lashes fluttering. They're heavy but it's worth it for the dramatics.

Ghost raises a pale brow.

"Fine, I may be here with a proposal." You unlock your phone with one hand and pull the false lashes off with your other. You hand your phone to him, a picture pulled up on the screen, and dig into your pocket for the lash container. "You get a blowjob—I'll even negotiate swallowing—and I get a cowboy Ghost Rider figurine. Something-something, save a horse, ride a cowboy—speaking of, did you know that Russia's Catherine the Great is rumored to have died because she was fucking one of her prized stallions and the horse collapsed on her?" You carefully place the lashes into the lash container they came in and slide it back into your jacket pocket.

"Baseless rumors, I take it?"

"Well, duh; power-hungry men hate women. She died of a stroke. On one hand, girlboss, on the other hand, ew, a monarch. Glad she bit it." You level Ghost's gaze. "I will rejoice the day the British monarchy falls."

"I'll make sure to have streamers and party hats on hand." He stands then, and you extend the black towel thrown over your shoulder. His 'thank you' is clear but low and only for your ears. "You get everything done alright?"

"Yeah, as much as my non-existent security clearance let me do. Server maintenance was boring, nothing riveting which, y'know, is good. Then, I cleaned all the gunk out of Price's laptop and lectured him about clicking on random bullshit on the internet and he was like," you lower your voice to imitate Price, "'I was there when the internet was made' like okay, you living fossil. And then I didn't wanna bother you 'cause you were getting in the zone or whatever so I asked Johnny to come to the grocery store with me 'cause I wanted ice cream and I wanted to spend some time with Soap before I leave, so we went to the grocery store—"

"Breathe."

"And this mean old lady was at the store and I got the low-sugar kind of ice cream and then we came back." You take a deep breath and hold up a plastic baggie with ice cream and a few disposable spoons. "You want ice cream?"

"Did you fight an old lady again?" There is mirth to his tone, eyes crinkling at the corners. Smiling; he's smiling. The corners of your own mouth quirk up.

"Maybe. Rendezvous in John's office?"

Phrased like a question—but it isn't one. He's learned your patterns well enough, he knows when something is a request and when something is a question. You never give him time to answer a request, just state it and leave. Even now you pull away from him, muttering something to yourself as you make your exit.

Soap is the one who beats you both to Price's office. Price looks up from the papers on his desk when Soap enters, wearing the look of a man who's seen his own demise in the form of a human being. He says nothing, only visibly shudders before he collapses onto the worn leather couch in Price's office.

"I saw Jailbait verbally eviscerate an old lady."

Price laughs, actually laughs at that, laughs like he hasn't in a while. But he keeps his joy short, cutting himself off when he notices Soap's bewilderment. He's looking at Price with the utter confusion Price himself felt when he first heard you talking to a group of friends on a video call. "Still fighting with old ladies?"

"'Still'?"

"Jailbait used to babysit for this young single mother in the building. The old hag living next to her and the kid had a habit of running her mouth about everyone, but especially about those two back when she was still alive." Price winces. His chair creaks when he leans back slightly. "Jailbait never had anything nice to say about that hag. Supposedly all hell broke loose when they overheard a gossiping session. Whatever they told her seemed to get the point across. Never heard a peep again."

"She was a bitch and she deserved to know," you announce, standing in the doorway of Price's office. Ghost's tall stature looms behind you. You step in, discarding the lid of the ice cream tub in your hand into the trash. "I take a lot of pleasure in telling shitty old people to fuck off. 'Respect is earned' or whatever."

Ghost plants his weight next to Soap and you seat yourself in his lap. You hold the tub of ice cream out to him and pick up one of the spoons. The second one is passed to Soap and another to Price.

"You ate half of it," Ghost says, balaclava pulled up to his nose as he stares at the contents of the tub.

"I only ate the melting parts. Oh, and," you point your spoon towards Price, "I think she died; saw somebody moving furniture out of her apartment when I was leaving."

"I was away for five minutes." Ghost stabs his wooden spoon into the ice cream. It's soft. "Ever think she died because you were speaking in tongues?"

"Shut up, Colonizer, your Spanish has the thickest English accent I've ever heard." The tub of ice cream travels to Soap who digs his spoon in, and then to Price, still sitting at his desk. "By the way, I need Simon tonight and tomorrow morning, so there better not be some last-minute sudden mission bullshit." You spit over your left shoulder three times and Ghost frowns at the action.

"Did you spit on me?"

"No, but I can spit in your mouth if you ask nicely."

Ghost jabs his fingers into your sides and you yelp. A litany of curses escapes your lips, all of which Ghost ignores. He turns to Price, instead, pointedly ignoring the jab you try to deliver into his thigh.

"I'm seeing Jailbait off. Plane leaves at six."

"Our company that bad?" Soap jokes. He spots the slightest hint of a smile on Ghost's lips before it disappears.

"No, but the person who decided to put a base in the fuckin' desert is an ass and I need to see the sea." You level Soap with a look. "I would put you in my pocket and take you with me if I could. And Price?"

"Can't wait to hear where this is going to go."

"This better go on my CV 'cause I want to flex at my high school reunion in five years. Also, call me if they ever start building Evas 'cause one, I want to be there and two, I want to be immortalized by being one of the first people to work on it."

There's a faint 'what the fuck is an Eva' from Price. You throw your feet off Ghost's thigh and stand, stretching out the knots in your back. Ghost's knee bumps Soap's and he motions towards you with his eyes and when Soap looks at you, you're motioning for him to stand.

So, he stands, back as straight as a board. He can feel the weight of Ghost's gaze.

"MacTavish," you begin with a smile, "if I ever get to program an Eva, I'll fight tooth and nail so you could be my pilot." The curl of your lips is soft, all kind. It has his heart stuttering in his chest for a moment before he collects himself and returns your smile.

"It would be an honor."

You pause just as you're about to step forward, a small flicker of hesitation in your posture, then wrap your arms around Soap's torso. His gaze falls on Ghost, mind reeling back to the threats Ghost had made to the rookies and yet he only nods once. Soap slowly wraps his arms around your shoulders and relaxes into your hug.

"You're... pretty cool, I guess. Hangin' out was fun." It's a whisper against his chest.

"Yeah, you too." His own volume doesn't differ much from yours.

You move first, pulling away from him, and step back., turn on your heel to walk up to Price. His chair groans when he stands and pulls you into a tight hug. There are words exchanged, just like you did with Soap, too quiet to be heard by anyone but the two of you.

Soap spares a quick glance at Ghost whose gaze is pinned on you. There's a softness in his posture, slightly slouched, hunched shoulders. Like he's tired. It disappears the moment you pull away from your hug with Price and Soap spots the shaky smile you put on. There was no trace of Ghost, just Simon, Simon who is now buried again as Ghost's back straightens and he stands, tall and looming.

Ghost takes your hand in his when you leave.

He keeps you securely at his side as you make your way down the long gray hallways of the building. People walk past, minding their own business, some of them offering greetings, and Ghost's reply is always a nod of acknowledgment.

"Maybe once you get better at Spanish we can visit Alejandro and Rudy."

His announcement is sudden, voice a bit too loud and gruff to be Simon and it almost has you stumbling over your feet. You look up at him, and he's already looking down at you, an eyebrow raised.

The gaze you level him with is one he knows all too well; he can already feel the sigh of adoration-flavored exasperation in his chest.

"Wow, you have friends?"

"Pain in my ass."

And yet he still lets you sleep on top of him like a poor man's weighted blanket, head resting over his heart.

He doesn't want to wake you up.

You'd rolled off him in the middle of the night and he'd grabbed your arm to keep you from rolling off the cot entirely. He's spent the time since awake, staring at the calm rise and fall of your chest while you sleep like a corpse. (He finds himself somewhat jealous of your ability to sleep so soundly.)

Simon Riley lives in the shadows, the saturated grays of the world. He can't ever show you off to everyone who'd be willing to look, can't talk about you to anyone who would listen lest you be taken and used against him. His fingers are stained with blood and no matter how hard he scrubs he cannot get it out from underneath his fingernails.

And fuck, you deserve so much better than him; you deserve someone who'd immortalize you in their art, in poems and letters and paintings, marble statues carved in your image in museums where people from all over the world can marvel at your beauty—fall in love the same way he has.

His chest aches and his throat is tight and he tells himself the pain is in his ribs. He tells himself the pain is there because he was shot at.

He reaches out, fingers skimming along your thigh, his touch featherlight. You swat at his hand and bury your face deeper into your pillow.

"You've got a plane."

"No."

Simon grabs the back of your exposed thigh with his cold hand and you squeal. Your hand makes harsh contact with the bedframe and you swear loudly in a language Simon doesn't understand. Your voice is much lower in this language, and he's always liked this tone so much more than the one you use when you're speaking English. This one has a roughness your English lacks.

Briefly, he ponders over taking classes to learn it.

You grumble as you gather your things and follow him out to the car.

The ride to the airport is silent.

You're dozing off in the passenger seat, elbow propped against the window and cheek resting on the back of your hand. The town whizzes by outside, with very little sign of life at this hour. All the traffic lights are blinking yellow.

The car rolls to a stop at an almost empty intersection with a stop sign. A car is approaching from the right.

"I uh..." you pause, closed fist pressing against your eye as if to chase the sleep away. Your voice is still gravelly. "I got to talking about my past relationships in therapy last week. Realized I've met most of my exes at Halloween or masquerade parties—and I've always had this weird... disappointment, I guess, like, the moment they take the mask off. Even if they're objectively good-looking." You look at him. "But I don't get that with you."

Simon doesn't say anything; doesn't want to. Doesn't want to shatter the peaceful atmosphere of your confession, doesn't want to ruin it with his callous words and awkward sentence structure because every time he looks at you, his tongue feels like lead in his mouth and he forgets how to string his words together.

He just watches the car on the right cross the intersection and presses his foot down on the gas pedal.

"I always want to see you again." And you reach your hand across the console and hold it out for him. Simon takes it. His thumb traces circles against the back of your hand. Your grip tightens, three squeezes. He reciprocates the action.

The traffic lights stop blinking yellow. The roads become more lively.

Simon parks the car in the airport parking lot. He kills the engine, and it's silent again, neither of you making any effort to move, to get out and step into the brightly-lit airport.

Gently, you untangle your fingers from his, and trail up his arm, the column of his neck, the curve of his jaw. He leans into your touch, eyes fluttering shut. An audible exhale leaves him and you smile, the taste of it bittersweet on your tongue.

Simon leans in, his nose bumping against yours, his breath hot on your lower lip when he exhales.

His lips are chapped and his mouth is desperate and he steals the breath from your lungs. Teeth sink into your bottom lip and you whimper, the sound immediately swallowed by Simon's greed. An apology to your lip is the swipe of his warm tongue, his piercing knocking against your own tongue. He makes you dizzy, head swimming with nothing but him and his touch.

He breaks the kiss first; you have a flight to catch. Time. Time—it's always like he doesn't have enough time with you, one of you is always rushing somewhere, always away.

"Fuckin' hell, Riley," you say between deep breaths, waiting for the world to re-align on its axis. "I'm getting you a lip scrub the moment I get home."

His laugh is a low rumble and then he's kissing you again.

Too little time with you.

He takes your hand in his as you walk through the airport.

He stands a few feet away as you're checking in at the front desk, your manicured fingers tapping against the steel counter. You pull your black surgical mask down at the lady's request and flash her a quick smile, then another towards Simon who can't help but mirror you from behind his own mask.

("Airports are hotbeds for disease," you'd said, hanging him one of the surgical masks in your bag, "not lettin' someone's grandpa cough in my mouth.")

Just a little while later you're standing next to Simon, watching your neon yellow suitcase take off on the conveyer belt.

You find a quiet corner away from the prying eyes of the world. Simon wraps his arms around you, pulls you against his chest, his face buried in the crook of your neck. You swallow the lump in your throat, fingers clutching onto the back of his jacket as if you're trying to claw your way into his skin and hide in the space between his ribs.

His grip is tight, fingers digging into your flesh so hard it'll bruise. Sometimes he doesn't know his own strength, the little crescent-shaped scars on your hips a witness to his prowess. He'd looked heartbroken, hands shaking and jaw clenched tight, begging, pleading you to tell him when he's too rough.

But it's nice—his hands feel like safety.

When you part, he pulls your masks down to place another kiss onto your lips and the world tilts again. You clutch onto the lapels of his jacket to keep yourself upright.

And then you part again, for the final time, and Simon watches you disappear from sight as you turn the corner towards the departure lounge.

He lingers at the airport for nearly an hour until his phone rings.

"You make it okay?"

"God, people love to try my patience. Some lady approached me and asked if I could switch with her so she could sit with the rest of her family. So I ask which one her seat is and she goes 'oh it's in economy', I just laughed in her face. Now her husband is glaring at me. Like, fuck, buy your own business class tickets, who the fuck is gonna swap business for the ass end of economy?"

He listens, lips curling slightly when he tries to imagine you telling a middle-aged woman to fuck off.

You exhale, adding another swear under your breath, venom-laced and sharp as a knife. He can vaguely hear people talking in the background. The call stretches on, neither one of you wanting to hang up so soon.

"Simon, what do you call the wife of a hippie?"

"Copy. Behave."

"Me? Always." He can hear the grin in your voice and it eases the ache in his chest, his heart thrumming like it's a captive hummingbird desperately searching for an escape. When your voice rings out again, it's small, with a hint of an uncertain tremble. "Don't... d-word."

"Not even death itself could keep me from you."

[elfie4306]

Supernatural S13E6 Destiel

This will only be about Destiel.

Reuniting

When Dean hugs Cas, the relief on his face. The way he tilts his head further into Cas’ shoulder. The tears in Cas’ eyes when he turns around from the phone booth. The way Dean is completely speechless except for asking “Cas, is that really you?”

He sounded so tired, exasperated almost, he had no hope that it was real. But then when he goes in to hug him, just the complete acceptance. They didn’t do their tests like they would have, Dean was just so relieved to have Cas again he probably didn’t even want to entertain the possibility that it wasn’t really Cas.

Castiel: “How long was I gone?”

Dean: “Too damn long.”

Literally after Dean says that, he is looking at Cas with the most heart-eyed expression. And when Cas says he wasn’t in heaven, I swear Dean’s first thought was hell and he was so worried. The “really?” after Cas says he was in the empty, (im reading too far into things but I don’t care), definitely translates to “oh thank fuck.”

Sam asking all the logical questions while Dean is just taking Cas in, and worried only about him. Look, I’m aware this probably wasn’t the intention, but I will read it that way for funsies.

And just the immediate change in Dean from being hopeless and numb, to being all bubbly and dressing like a cowboy. Cas did that. And that’s why Destiel is canon.

Dean Needing a Big Win

Dean saying he needed a big win, and getting Cas back was a big win. I love that, he's not just ecstatic because he's in Dodge, he's ecstatic because he has Cas back. And I'm so glad he does have Cas back for this, because he wouldn't enjoy it as much without him.

Sam's "Yeah. Fair enough." after Dean talks about the big win thing. I swear to god, he knew what was up. He knows Dean's whipped as hell.

Jack Waking Dean Up

When Jack goes to wake up Dean, and Cas is yelling behind him, knowing that Dean's gonna wake up in fight mode. Old married couple behavior. Domestic Destiel.

BUT ALSO, Dean doesn't put his gun down until he sees and recognizes Cas and only Cas. Meanwhile, Cas is standing there like, I tried to warn him.

"Who's making me coffee?" THAT IS SUCH AN OLD MARRIED COUPLE THING. Then cutting back to Cas thinking, "yeah he's a fucking dumbass I know." However, I do hate that they didn't show that Cas is definitely the one that ended up making the coffee.

"I told you. He's an angry sleeper." OLD MARRIED COUPLE. "Like a bear." THE TEASING PLEASE. old. married. couple.

Everyone sitting around the table being productive, while Dean is just slowly sipping his cup o' joe and being grumpy. Plus the silent, hold on, let me finish this coffee. The most domestic shit I've ever seen. That's happy functional family shit right there. The fact that it cuts to CAS sitting back down after Dean does that though. They are literally every stereotypical parent trope.

Fixing Cas' Hat

Dean going in to talk to the cops as if they're gonna be straight out of the 1800s.

Castiel: "This is why you're making me wear this absurd hat."

Dean: "It's not that bad. Well, yeah actually, it kinda is. Hang on." Dean reached over to pull the weird little ribbon thing off Cas' hat. He could have just told him to take it off, but no. He did it himself. He didn't just tell Cas he had a piece of lint on his jacket, he picked it off of him. (that's a New Girl reference/maybe The Crown but I've never seen it so idk)

Dean: "Alright that's better." Dean proceeded to check Cas out, while Cas teased him. And that right there is the definition of beauty.

Then Cas leans over towards him to look at himself in the rearview mirror, and Dean gets flustered. Argue with a wall, he gets flustered and looks away. The crazy long pause when he's looking away and regaining composure before he confirms that yes, Cas does indeed, look ok.

Conversation About Tombstone

Dean: "Just act like you're from Tombstone."

Castiel: "The city?"

Dean: "The movie. With Kurt Russel? I made you watch it." The way he said this, with the most "he's so annoying, yet I love him" face.

Castiel: "Yeah, yeah, yeah. The one with the guns and tuberculosis. I'm your huckleberry." DEANS FACE AFTER HE DOES THAT!!!!! LITERALLY GULPING. FLUSTEEEEERRREEEEEED.

Dean: "Yeah, exactly." Dean Inner Monologue (interpreted by yours truly) - "fuck that was hot"

Dean: "It's good to have you back Cas." Explain that in a platonic way. Right now. You fucking can't, that was the most on the nose flirtatious exchange I have ever seen in my fucking life. Right after he was just so flustered?

NOW. The ENTRANCE. Dean putting his hat on while he gets out of the car, looking over to Cas, adjusting his jacket. Hot damn. While Cas is looking at him like, "you are the dumbest person I've ever seen"

But their entrance, side by side, yeah yeah, I get that I'm reading into this part a bit, but after that conversation in the car, I honestly don't think so. These fuckers are in love, with each other.

Dean looking exasperated when Cas says "howdy partner," and "much obliged" as if he isn't doing exactly what he was told, and Dean wasn't just swinging open those saloon doors over and over before they left.

[spookiekewchie]

Let Me Upgrade You

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Characters: Steve Rogers x woc!reader

Summary: The one where you get Steve to stop dressing like a grandpa.

Word Count: 884ish

Warnings: general language warning, suggestive language, ass grabbing (idk if that’s a warning)

A/N: Don’t look at me, I was inspired so now yall gotta deal with it LMAO. I wrote this on my phone so pardon any errors or typos please I barely proofread it. The divider is by @firefly-graphics

DO NOT repost or translate my work anywhere. Reblogs are always welcome, and let me know that you enjoy my fics.

"Steve, just trust me, you need to update your wardrobe." You called from the living room of his apartment. He was currently in the bedroom, turning this way and that in front of a mirror and he took in his appearance.

"Sweetheart, I really don't think this is necessary." He replied, finally stepping out of the bedroom so you could see him in the outfit you'd set out for him. Your eyes went wide, not expecting him to look that good in a simple white t-shirt, dog tags around his neck and resting against his broad chest. His usual casual dress pants had been traded for a pair of dark denim jeans. Not as tight as Bucky typically wore but enough that it didn't look like something a grandfather would wear.

"Babe, this is so necessary." You gave him a once over before shooing him towards the door. "Now put on the boots I got you so we can go, I'm sure everyone else is already at the bar by now.

Steve just sighed, a little smile on his lips as he got his shoes on and completed the look. He trusted you, and so far you hadn't steered him wrong. He was still religiously using the beard conditioner you'd gotten for him, after all. "Alright, final verdict?" He questioned grabbing his leather jacket and slipping on before he picked up his keys.

"Final verdict is we should leave now before I end up riding you in the doorway." You answered, bottom lip catching between your teeth at the sight of the whole look put together. Steve just chuckled, reaching out when you were close enough to palm your ass in his large hand.

"Now you know how I feel every fucking time you dress up for a night out." He whispered against your ear, voice low and gravelly as it sent a shudder through you. Clearly you'd done too good a job at getting your man right, because now all you wanted to do was text Nat and the girls that you weren't going to make it for the weekly Avengers get together at the bar.

Almost as if Steve could read your mind he was grabbing your motorcycle helmet and placing it in your hands before grabbing his own. Clearly he was going to make you suffer the same way you did him whenever you two went out together.

And suffer you did, barely able to keep your hands off him the entire time you were at the bar. Eventually though, the guys broke off to go shoot some pool. Leaving you with Maria, Natasha and Wanda as you caught up with them before deciding to play a round of darts.

It was all going so well until you noticed Natasha staring in the direction of the pool tables. You followed her gaze just in time to see Steve attempting to politely back away from some woman as she tried to hook a finger in his dog tags.

Oh hell no

You watched for a moment longer, before starting to make your way over with the girls behind you. Your eyes narrowed as she tried to press up against the super soldier who was telling her that he had a girlfriend. Close enough that you could hear her uttering something along the lines of "Well she shouldn't have let you out the house by yourself looking this good if she wanted to keep you." Clearly your plan to update Steve's closet had some unforeseen consequences. You should have accounted for desperate skanks taking it as an invitation to try their luck. No matter, you knew Steve would never step outside of the relationship, and you could deal with this tramp easily enough.

"Come on guys, you know the rules for bar night. No interviews, no drama, and no hoes." The last one was aimed directly at the woman who seemed to back off the moment you sidled up to Steve and his arm moved around you. She scoffed, clearly offended before the embarrassment had her cheeks going ruddy when she heard the snickers of Sam and Bucky behind her. You might have felt bad if she hadn't knowingly tried getting with a taken man. Instead you paid her no more mind as you let your attention shift from her to your man with a smirk.

"Relax sweetheart, she never stood a chance." Steve murmured, leaning down to press a possessive kiss to your lips. Your fingers curled into his dog tags as you pulled away, a smirk on your lips as you backed up a few steps with him in tow.

"Let's go, I'm suddenly in the mood for you to fuck me so hard all I can say is daddy." And that was all Steve needed to hear before shoving his pool cue into the stunned woman's grip so he could cage your hips with his hands. Clint choked on his beer, earning himself a hard slap to the back from Natasha as she damn near cackled.

"Sorry guys, gotta go. Duty calls." He told everyone, bright blue eyes darkening with lust as he spun you around and lifted you just enough that your feet were off the ground so he could rush the two of you out of the bar.

[makeste]

BnHA 326: What’s up Kids, It’s Me, Your Old Pal Stain

Previously on BnHA: Ochako shamed the U.A. Clown Mob into letting Deku go back inside his own fucking school by giving them an hour-long speech about how not to be humongous dickheads. Kouta and Gigantic Fox Lady saved the manga by being the only ones brave enough to give Deku a hug. Shouto was all “man, all this togetherness sure does remind me of that promise you made that we would handle Touya together which you immediately bailed on, doesn’t it, Dad.” Aizawa was all, “for the one and a half people out there who thought that my losing an eye and a leg might actually make me less sexy, I’m very happy to prove you wrong.” All Might was all, “[standing outside the U.A. fortress alone in the rain talking to someone or something??].” Like seriously, what was up with that though.

Today on BnHA: All Might is all “here I am in Kamino having a belated mid-life crisis because Deku abandoned me and I’m a terrible mentor and everything sucks and I hate myself.” Stain is all, “don’t make me come over there and give you a ten page speech about why you’re still the goat while menacingly holding you at swordpoint the entire time” because idk if you knew this guys, but Stain is pretty crazy actually. Anyway so he does that, and then All Might gets all emotional, and then the lady from chapter 92 shows up and gives All Might’s statue an encouraging pep talk, and then Horikoshi is all “and it even stopped raining lol can you believe this shit I’m not even a little bit subtle,” and he really isn’t. But I still got emotional anyway, because seeing people reassure All Might that everything he’s struggled for his entire life hasn’t been in vain just got to me okay. Horikoshi knows I am weak to the All Might feels and he just goes for the jugular every time, that bastard.

lmao. “in the neverending downpour, All Might is...” yeah, thank you, glad we’re getting right to that then

“All Might is driving 95 mph in his busted ass car in the pouring rain, is what he’s doing.” huh

so basically a day or two after his adopted child refused to accept the handmade bento that he packed with love, my man is out here acting like he’s got nothing to live for anymore. this sure bodes well for certain prophecies on which the clock is still ominously ticking down

his fucking face though omg. is it weird that I’m kind of hoping more people ambush him just because I think it’d be funny to see them get their asses kicked like the last bunch

(ETA: or maybe he will just stand there openly not giving a fuck and basically daring them to stab him!! get it together please All Might.)

side note, “anti-hero supporters” is such a strange way of saying “people who hate heroes”, which I’m assuming is what they actually wanted to say?? this makes it sound like it’s a group that really loves antiheroes. “these Hannibal stans have been a real menace lately. time to go deal with them”

ha ha ha, fucking ouch

are you really gonna do it Horikoshi you bastard. are you really going to let that be the final encounter between the two characters whose relationship you once described as the vertical axis of the entire fucking story. are you really gonna?? huh??

huh

you’re telling me you were driving 112 mph and you still didn’t get there in time. you’re losing your touch old man. lol Todo’s ice is almost fully melted already, how late were you

(ETA: so apparently this is taking place after the end of chapter 325, meaning he went to U.A., hung out for a bit, saw the kids come back with his bedraggled half-dead protégé in tow, watched as they shamed the civilians into some long-overdue character development, and then was all “welp, time to go argue with the hero-hating faction or something because I’m feeling useless.” and Edge just let him go, just like that. though to be fair I have to imagine it’s pretty hard to say no to All Fucking Might.)

also belated lol at the fact that the kids were all “yeahhhhhhh we are definitely not gonna touch that thing, let’s just leave it here, he doesn’t need it anyway.” probably the right call to make since they couldn’t get a hazmat team on such short notice

fuck. ha ha ha fucking ouch part two

All Might please put that thing down before you get gangrene. also yeah, you dropped the ball, good for you to acknowledge it. nobody’s perfect and you did your best. but yeah you could have handled a lot of things completely differently. but I still love you

is Horikoshi really putting this flashback here. are you serious. what kind of fucking sadist

look, I swear I’m not one of those people that runs up and down the street shouting “DEATH FLAG!!” at every third panel lol. but this shit screamed Death Flag when we originally got it, and it’s screaming DEATH FLAG!!! even more now. like with the capital letters and exclamation marks and all. and that’s just a fact. I don’t like it but that’s how it is

ffkdjslk

“DID YOU READ THE SIGN??!” Horikoshi asks while zooming in maniacally because he thinks we’re blind or something. lol what

-- though actually, it only just occurred to me that this sign is actually written in English. I never really paid attention up until now and had been assuming it was written in Japanese and translated by the scanlators, but the writing here is clearly part of the original image. anyway so maybe that’s why he’s zooming in?? just to make sure everybody pays attention lol

okay fuck this

see, this is the whole problem right here. once again All Might is all on his own. Deku’s self-destructive angst spiral was fortunately brought to a grinding halt because he actually has support from his friends and family and teachers and classmates. but All Might never had that same kind of support, and it’s made all the difference between the two of them, and not in a good way. Katsuki wasn’t wrong when he said All Might and Deku were both cut from the same cloth. but now when it’s All Might’s turn to go all “I WALK A LONELY ROAD~~” once again, there’s nobody in sight

just, after forty plus years of him carrying this torch, I just wish someone would finally come along to let him know he doesn’t have to. all those things that he wanted to say to Deku are also things that he needs and deserves to hear himself. Aizawa was making a little progress there, but now he’s got his sad zombie cloud boyfriend situation to deal with, and we can’t expect him and his perfect hair to solve all our problems. someone else has gotta step up

oh my god

“you rang?” never mind I take it all back sob

omg why am I laughing. shit

this man truly has the best PR game in the series. we were truly convinced he was gonna suddenly become a good guy and defend All Might against the other villains or some nonsense. as if this wasn’t the same man who decided on a whim that Iida Tensei deserved to be paralyzed, and that his fifteen-year-old brother deserved to die for daring to be upset about it

lol even All Might is all “I genuinely never saw this coming” lmao

just want to say, for the record, I have always harbored a very sensible hatred toward Stain. feeling very vindicated right now. good job Past Me

adsfklwkfsdwgkj

ffffwefjslkg. ghsdlkg. dsfkkkslkjldwkjrg

STAIN: heard you talking shit old man

ME: smh that’s what I thought you’d say you dumb fucking Stain

STAIN: how dare you talk about All Might that way

ME: gljfljgk

(ETA: in hindsight I have no idea how I didn’t clue in sooner that he didn’t recognize him -- or, well, ~didn’t recognize~ him, to be more accurate lol. I think it was the whole “is that a slight against the heroes?” thing that threw me. Viz’s translation makes it much clearer that he’s offended on behalf of All Might specifically, not heroes in general. anyways.)

sob. so All Might is all “yeah I don’t blame you for not recognizing me in this sweet leather jacket”

good thing he still knows how to do this party trick

A+ reflexes on Stain’s part presumably pulling the sword back a few inches to keep this dumbass from impaling himself with his whole pufferfish routine. can you imagine if that was the gruesome death Nighteye foresaw. and he was just too embarrassed to say anything

lol anyways guess I was wrong about Stain everyone

way to fucking go, Past Me. you really biffed this one

oh wait

Stain sure is one wacky rollercoaster ride

oh fuck me lol I forgot how much I did not miss this

(ETA: “this here is the sacred ground where All Might gave up the last of his power and turned into a shriveled old man!! please ignore the part where I admit to knowing all about that, and yet pretend not to recognize said man when he’s standing two feet in front of me.”)

Past Me, I know we’ve had our ups and downs these past ninety seconds, but I’m really starting to think you were on to something. this dude has always been kind of insufferable. always acting like his high horse is a fucking giraffe when it’s actually a Shetland pony

dammit now he’s got All Might going off on a depressed monologue

oh my god my heart

shit

why the fuck does that hit so hard. he became a hero because he couldn’t bear to just sit back and let bad things happen to people who didn’t deserve it. I mean that’s basically the same as every hero ever, right? so why does it still hit so fucking hard every single time though. what is it about seeing someone so determined to stand up for other people and fight on their behalf. it just never loses its impact no matter how many times I see that determination mirrored in so many of my favorite characters

“I wanted to make the world a better place.” omg. but you did, though. like seriously, I feel like people are always dogging on him for not being 100% perfect, and fandom really doesn’t give him enough credit for everything he still managed to accomplish. this man came of age at a time when Japan was by all accounts a total shitshow, and singlehandedly managed to bring about an era of peace that lasted for four fucking decades. can you imagine having peace for that long?? that’s longer than I’ve been alive. shit

and he gave people hope. he inspired them and protected them and made them feel safe. and no, he couldn’t save everyone, because he’s only one fucking dude (and also because the whole time AFO was also out there desperately working to undermine him so that he could keep preaching his narrative of “heroes are bad actually”). but you know what he did do, is inspire multiple new generations of heroes who, if they can all manage to work together, will finally be able to accomplish everything he never could

so yeah. forty years of peace, and inspired the “that’s how we all became the greatest heroes” generation -- that’s a fucking win in my book. talk about having a net positive impact on the world. lol anyways now I’m all fired up and ready to fight anyone who tries to talk any shit about you, All Might

“but what if I talk shit about myself” okay listen up All Might I’m gonna need you to try just a little bit harder to work with me here okay. please calm down and stop blaming yourself for every single bad thing that’s ever happened in the world. do you remember that time Bakugou was blaming himself for Kamino, and you gave him a hug and told him it wasn’t his fault, and that he was only a boy, and that even though he was strong, even strong people can struggle with the burdens they place on themselves, and that you were sorry for not seeing that earlier? do you remember all of that? that’s what I want someone to tell you too, dammit. anyway please stop breaking my heart please and thanks

wtf

are you dead All Might

um

I don’t even have the slightest idea what’s happening lol

oh snap did he grab him so they could hide??

hold the fucking phone. don’t tell me this person in the background with the umbrella is here to actually do something decent??

oh my godddd

and here come the feels. oh boy. okay don’t mind me, I’m just gonna sit here sobbing over this fictional lady and her simple act of kindness in this weekly shounen manga that I care about way too much

FUCKING DAMMIT AND HERE’S A SECOND HELPING

DON’T MIND ME, I’M JUST GETTING DISPROPORTIONATELY EMOTIONAL OVER THIS WOMAN’S DETERMINATION TO HONOR A MAN WHO SACRIFICED EVERYTHING TO SAVE HER AND COUNTLESS OTHERS. I’M JUST HAVING SOME FEELS OVER HERE ABOUT HER HEARTFELT, DOESN’T-EVEN-KNOW-ANYONE-ELSE-IS-WATCHING FEELINGS OF GRATITUDE THAT COMPELLED HER TO COME OUT HERE AND MAKE THIS SMALL BUT POWERFUL GESTURE. I’M JUST OUT HERE GETTING ALL PROFOUNDLY WORKED UP ABOUT STATUE MAINTENANCE AND THE HUMAN RACE. NEVER MIND. JUST IGNORE ME AND CARRY ON

holy shit. I was not even remotely prepared. you can’t just do that to me. you can’t just leave all these death flags on my lawn and then suddenly shift gears to show me the best of humanity in a chapter where I was expecting the worst. that fucks a person up lol

OH ARE WE STILL GOING

my heart. you see that, All Might. your legacy is so much more powerful and meaningful than you think

...has. has Stain actually been giving All Might a pep talk this entire time

I give up lol. this dude is a fucking enigma

YAYYY

it may just be a metaphor panel, but I’ll take it lol. I missed them. nice to see the traffic light trio front and off-center. I know the whole “this is the story of how we all became the greatest heroes” thing had left some questioning whether certain characters would continue to play a central role in the narrative, and hopefully this will help to ease those concerns just a bit

anyway, so idk if it’s getting a bit chilly down there in hell, but damned if Stain didn’t just give an actual decent fucking speech

I have to say, earlier when I was whining about All Might not having a support squad, I really was not expecting Stain to be the one to come over and pat his head and reassure him that he made the world a better place

-- okay LISTEN

YOU CAN’T JUST COME INTO MY HOUSE AND HIT ME WITH THOSE ALL MIGHT TEARS AGAIN GODDAMMIT THIS ISN’T FAIR. my god. first 317 and now this

holy fucking shit

“I’m just gonna pretend like I haven’t been stalking him for two days and didn’t see the entire Deku bentogate thing go down, and then I’ll give him the whole big speech that I rehearsed, and then I’ll turn around and be all ‘BUT IF YOU’RE A TRUE HERO’, and then I’ll toss him the super-secret AFO wifi password that I stole from Tartarus. god I’m such a badass. fucking give myself chills”

so basically what you’re telling me is that this whole time my “what’s up kids” characterization of Stain from this shitpost has actually been 100% accurate. just want to make sure I’m understanding this right. okay then

“and then I’ll dramatically spin around and be all NOW COME KILL ME BITCH”

it must be so much fun to write Stain. drawing this coked-out maniac who talks like a chatbot that was trained to speak by reading Alan Moore monologues. that must be a trip

anyway so All Might is still crying, the awesome lady from chapter 92 is admiring her handiwork totally oblivious to the batshit insanity going on fifty meters to her right, and it’s finally stopped raining lol

“THE RAIN WAS A METAPHOR YOU SEE” yes, yes, we got it lol. thanks for that Horikoshi. don’t think we needed any help putting the pieces together on that one but I appreciate the effort

so that’s the end! and as I mentioned in another post, I had the count off by one chapter, but next week should be cliffhanger week! so break out your U.A. Traitor bingo cards, friends and fiends. either that or something else happens that I’m completely not expecting at all. which, based on my success rate with Stain predictions, I’d say is more than likely lol

mmm but anyway, so now that the Hug Deku 2021 campaign has finally come to an end, what’s it gonna take to get a hug for my struggling bento-preparing jacket-rocking world-weary death-flag-waving husband who is the worthiest man to ever live and deserves the fucking world, goddammit

[yuyupowers]

aristocrat!seonghwa

aristocrat!seonghwa x fem!reader

genre: fluff

trigger warning(s): patriarchal society mostly. let me know if there’s anything else!

author’s note: none of the pictures are mine!!

for reference, i’m using british peerage (hierarchy). there are five ranks: baron, viscount, earl (count), marquess, and duke - the highest being duke, and the lowest, baron.

second son of a duke

i imagine seonghwa to be someone who values tradition

unlike hongjoong who finds who finds the numerous aristocratic mannerisms pointless, hwa believes upholding these (rather stringent) rules is a sign of respect

perfect gentleman pt.1

excellent in swordsmanship, horse-back riding, and hunting

well versed in poetry, literature, art, and finance

(can maintain a conversation about politics but honestly it kinda goes over his head)

a bit on the shyer side, but a decent conversationalist

good at keeping the flow and mediating in case anyone becomes a little too heated about their opinions

definitely cares about his and his family’s image

naturally caring and tends to dote on those close to him

(translates into excellent manners)

holds the door open, offers his hand when stepping out of carriages, makes sure to walk on the side closest to traffic, diverts conversation when things are too “distressing,” wouldn’t be caught dead alone with a woman that wasn’t related to him or his fiancée/wife

and surprise, surprise !!

this is where you come in

you’re the second oldest daughter, fourth child out of six; born to an earl

hwa’s family had the highest title bestowed upon aristocracy

whereas your family accumulated more wealth and land than the park family

and since both you and hwa were prime marrying age™, your parents decided upon a mutually beneficial marriage

the first time you met seonghwa was under the watchful eye of both your parents, when the park’s invited your family for dinner

tbh, you were pretty relieved when you met him

“prime marrying age” was different for men, so you were just glad he wasn’t some old geezer

and he seemed like a decent person !!

a well put together gentleman, and his image was only consolidated throughout dinner

all in all, you didn’t have much to complain about from the initial impression

though it was kinda annoying when your little sister would not shut up about how he was the handsome man she’s ever met

even if you agreed

and didn’t she say that when she met woo?

anyways

after the first meeting with the park’s, both your parents set up multiple occasions for you two to meet

whether that be evening walks, picnics in the park, etc,,,

you learned a great deal about seonghwa 

how his favourite is black, how he loved the stars and that his favourite planet was mars

how he loved kids and doted on your youngest siblings (much to your sister’s glee)

how he enjoyed spending a quiet afternoon with you reading dickens, discussing afterwards the contrast between carton and darnay

how he was always considerate of your feelings and opinions

you liked to think you were a decent judge of character and thought overall that seonghwa was a kind and caring person

but you also noticed a few characteristics that-

you wouldn’t say it was off-putting or anything but,,,

it might bother you in the future

see, you were pretty good friends with hongjoong

and while you weren’t as extreme,

(you didn’t sneak out weekly to hang out with a bar maiden that you definitely did not have a crush on)

you certainly agreed with him on certain points

like hwa, you thought that abiding by certain mannerisms = display of respect

but unlike him, you didn’t care all that much about your image

okay, that was a lie.

you couldn’t say you didn’t care about your image

(social ostracization isn’t exactly fun ya feel)

but you thought it was,,,exhausting

it’s one thing to be respectful, but it’s another thing to say things you don’t mean

to fake humility

to undermine people that are supposed to be your “friends” or “one of you”

to be perfect, when “perfect” was such a subjective term anyways

it just felt so fake and that left a bitter taste in your mouth

even now, you could see all the efforts seonghwa made to constantly keep his image of a “perfect gentleman”

with perfect mannerisms and perfect answers and perfect-

yeah, it kinda frustrated you

not to mention how obedient he was?

of course you didn’t fault him for being a dutiful and filial son, but his loyalty blinded him

and it wasn’t like his parents were bad people !!

no, you’d say they were much kinder than the average noble family

especially considering their status

but when they made important decisions for their son without consulting him,

(because they were more experienced, because they knew better, etc,,,)

and he accepted whatever decision they handed to him?

well,,,

nevertheless, despite being his fiancée, you, by this point, had realistically had known seonghwa for a couple months

and you didn’t feel like it was your place 

(at least not yet)

to point this out

so the two of you continued your cordial but emotionally distant meetings

that is until “the incident” (as hwa fondly likes to call it)

okay, so-

one day you paid hwa a visit and the two of you decided to take a walk in his family’s garden

chattering about this and that

a lovely time !!

it was a bit overcast, but it didn’t look too threatening

so the two of you ignored the clouds looming in the horizon and wandered deep into the garden

big mistake

the weather took a turn for the worst, and soon it was pouring

by this point seonghwa was a little panicked

he knew that for women, getting ready could be excessively long and tenuous task

(courtesy of his little sister’s complaints)

and now !! you were getting rained on !! because he didn’t bring an umbrella !! just in case !!

!!!!

he turns to you, ready to shield you with his jacket and lead you back to the manor

but he’s at a loss by what he sees

he had expected you to be upset, to huddle closer to him, to,,,idk, maybe reprimand him for this thoughtlessness??

but instead, he finds you staring up at the dark sky, eyes shimmering with barely contained glee with the biggest smile he’s ever seen from you adorning your lips

he likes your smile

and if he was already confused (he was), he was about to become even more so

because the next thing he knows, you’re hiking your dress in one hand and grabbing his in the other, running through puddles of water and mud and everything in between, laughter falling from you like the rain

up until this point, you had been acting like the perfect (you hate that word) lady

polite, demure, charming-

in public settings, you only spoke when spoken to, with a voice that was purposely soft and soothing

you chatted with his mother and sisters about traditionally feminine things over tea with impeccable manners

whenever you two met, you were always prim and proper; never a strand of hair out of place

but here you were, getting not only yours but his clothes soggy and muddy, laughing without a care about how pleasant it sounded or how loud it was

seonghwa liked to think he wasn’t a judgemental person-

he wasn’t repulsed or anything by your sudden change in demeanor

just.

really confused

and when you looked back, you could tell,if his expression was anything to go by

but your grin only grew wider, because you could work with this

he wasn’t enjoying himself per say; a bit too confused and bit too stiff to do so

but he wasn’t horrified or disgusted

okay maybe he was a little grossed out; he liked to be clean thank you very much

you could work with this.

and so over the next few months, you showed him things he never dreamed of doing

some of which he liked, some of which he didn’t

some he was willing to try, some, less

like sneaking into the restricted section of the library (he’s never been so scandalized in his life)

or visiting the kitchen in the middle of the night so you could teach him how to make some basic recipes (which he surprisingly enjoyed)

or meeting hongjoong

(“of COURSE it matters if they got the colour wrong?! lord help me you’re the most insufferable person i’ve ever met-”)

and the more the two of you explored, the more he,,,real he became.

and vice versa.

gradually, the mask of perfection he worked so on hard to maintain was slipping before you

don’t get me wrong, he’s still kind and caring and a gentleman

but sometimes he would whine and complain when you encouraged him to do something he was less than enthusiastic about (usually something that involved getting him messy)

or he made The Face™ (the disgusted one) to you and when he didn’t like something or someone

or he would be stupidly stubborn about some random fact that you KNEW was wrong but he just WOULDN’T admit if even when you showed him proof

(“seonghwa for the last time toads don’t give you war-” “LALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU” “eye-”)

once, he even playfully stole the strawberry from your cake

(big mistake. he’s never doing that again. he never knew a woman could move so fast or be so scary.)

it made you so, so happy because the two of you were finally getting to know each other

actually know each other

then one day, while the two of you were reading underneath a tree at the park

“,,,hey love?” (hwa)

“yes?”

“why are we doing this?” 

“what do you mean, dear?”

“i mean,,,i’m not complaining, but i guess,,,why did you decide to show me this part of you? the part that runs around in the rain?” hwa

you don’t reply right away

instead, you shut your book and idly stared at the willow swaying over the pond, wind running its fingers through its drooping leaves

after a few moments of silence

“,,,i wanted to know you and what you believed in. actually believed in.”

seonghwa tilts his head slightly to the side

“love, i hardly think my convictions have changed”

“but do you know what your convictions are?”

and you know when you hear something that resonates with you?

something that strikes deep in your core and makes you rethink everything you’ve know?

yeah,,,this is one of those moments

now it was seonghwa’s turn to set his book aside, falling deep in thought

after an unnaturally long stretch of silence, you began to panic a little

because ?? maybe you misread the situation and got a little too comfortable-

cause i mean you were questioning his core values, which is something he takes very seriously

o god you messed up didn’t you o crap you need to apolog-

“will you help me figure it out?”

“,,,huh??”

“will you help me figure out my convictions?” he asked

and you swear, you’ve never seen such a smile from seonghwa

one that conveyed a plethora of emotions, ranging from honesty and vulnerability, to confusion and loss, to lightness and warmth

it filled you with an unnameable feeling

like something sliding into place, fitting perfectly; like it was always meant to be there, filling you with comfort

shyly intertwining your hands for the first time, you looked up to meet his gaze with a pattering heart and a smile matching his own

“,,,of course.”

[variousqueerthings]

Johnny and ADHD

alright, I’ve wanted to write something about ADHD Johnny for awhile now.

Waaay back in February @deliciousbananavoidpurse made this post and I made some haphazard additions, but now, at last, I ramble!

This isn’t really an addition to that list so much as a... idk, seeing it from an almost fic-but-kind-of-meta point of view. Those points In Practise, with an additional young Johnny.

1.

Johnny’s a kid. He and his mom have been living hand-to-mouth for as long as he remembers, in and out of schools, in and out of apartments and cars. Of course he’s going to be flighty, spaced-out, unfocused.

He’s an easy target – not very big (he doesn’t get a lot of good meals), dirty clothes, and… weird. He gets beaten up sometimes, but mostly he sticks as much to himself as he can and doesn’t go to school if he can help it. Laura saves up and gets him a walkman.

After that it’s like the world doesn’t exist to him at all.

She thinks that’s easier than trying to make him live in it. But he deserves better. They both do. So she makes a decision that changes everything…

2.

Johnny’s not going hungry these days. In fact, he eats constantly, like he’s making up for lost time. His clothes are new and he gets anything he wants. He’s enrolled in school properly.

But Johnny himself doesn’t change much. He’s vibrating with an energy he can’t explain – normal for boys – he skips school, he goes off somewhere in his own mind, struggles with making friends, gets into fights he can’t win, and all day he listens to music. Still skinny, still flighty, still weird.

Tries new things that become all-encompassing for him and drops them one day to the next – normal for boys, all normal for boys – and then -

3.

Johnny sees those boys: Tall, broad, leather jackets, rad bikes, shining, beautiful. He watches them through the window for hours, transfixed in a way only riding his bike and listening to music used to do. 

He joins Cobra Kai.

And finally, like a dam breaking, he focuses. He focuses like he’s a machine. Like nothing else matters. He takes everything happening at home, every beating he ever took, every failing grade (he tries, but school never manages to matter – the other Cobras help, simply by being there and sometimes especially Bobby forces him to sit down and write a paper, but he’ll never be smart, that’s fine), and he puts them into his fist.

He trusts Kreese to tell him what to think, what to feel, what to do. Finally, finally, everything makes sense. It’s just him and his body and someone he trusts telling him what to do with it. 

Nothing else matters.

4.

There are other things that matter. 

He’s getting his life in order so he can leave Sid’s and take his Mom with him. He’s going to be the right kind of boyfriend to Ali. He’ll do well enough in his final year to make up for the previous ones, and he’s got karate, and Kreese, who’s telling him he’s the champ. 

Who he can trust.

But he gets into trouble, he drinks, his grades continue to slip, and suddenly (or is it gradually, he can’t tell with time sometimes) Ali is telling him he’s changed – angry, volatile, forgetful, (okay he was always forgetful, but it’s getting worse – is karate the only thing he cares about?), but it’s fine, he can fix that too. He just has to change everything that doesn’t work. If he can be that good at karate, it just means he’s not trying hard enough everywhere else. Just needs to try harder.

Just. Easy. He has a plan. He has a hundred plans.

5.

It all blows up in his face and suddenly he’s faced with the truth: that there really is nothing he’s good for. Karate? What’s that ever gotten him? What else has he got to show for it? 

He’s still just the same kid he was – alright, he’s bigger, babes will stop and check him out, he’s learned how to charm people if he has to, but those are just scripts and they don’t work for long if he doesn’t have anything else to back them up and they bore him - they bore him in ways he thinks have gotta be different to what everyone else means when they say they’re bored. 

He doesn’t have a plan. He has a hundred plans. He doesn’t have anyone to tell him what to do. He doesn’t know what to do. He knows what to do.

He drinks more. What does it matter, he’s young, life’s short, there’s nothing he can learn now (and really, if you know a couple of things you can scrape by – when they turn off the lights he knows he forgot to pay the bills, when he gets arrested he knows he fucked up and let his emotions get away with him), and before he knows it it’s 2002.

6.

His mom dies. Robby is born. Someone smarter than him could figure out some kind of poetic meaning behind that, but he’s not smart, so he just lets the moments pass him by like everything else has passed him by.

He’s getting by with what he knows. The world outside is like a blur. He’s got what he’s always had: music, a car, his looks. He’s doing okay for someone in his mid-thirties who doesn’t know how to boil spaghetti and drinks first thing in the morning.

 Probably all the fighting. He kept it up, informally. Maybe because it’s too deep in his bones for him to let go of, even if it just reminds him over and over that he couldn’t take it. That he can’t take it.

He fights whenever it all gets to be too much and even the drinking doesn’t work. Sometimes he punches walls to fight himself. It’s like a sharp feeling that he can’t ignore that can only be silenced with fighting. The off-button.

7.

2017 (again, the past is a blur. 2017? what happened to thirty-five? What happened to being young? Someone who’s young is allowed to be like this, but he’s…)

He never owned a computer. He never learned new words or anything else that wasn’t immediately important. He makes a handshake deal, because his credit is shit, but also because he never figured out how contracts really work. He still struggles with bills (you can leave anything to the last minute and beyond and things can still turn out okay), struggles with communication. His old scripts don’t work any more and he can’t learn new ones. He’s forgotten enough promises he made to watch Robby’s matches or drive him to school – even his birthday sometimes, even when he writes it down and forgets where he wrote it down - that Robby wants nothing more to do with him. Forgets groceries. 

He’ll do or say something and people will look at him like he’s stupid and he doesn’t know why. He refuses to ask, because he just wants the looks to go away. He knows he’s stupid. He knows he can’t figure things out. He knows, okay? Shut up.

He’s not an alcoholic. He just drinks to wake up. To forget. To calm down (that electricity that existed in his body as a kid never went away, even though he’s so so tired. The machine inside of him that won’t shut off without a fight, won’t let him stop moving). To sleep. To drink. To do something.

He sees Miguel and has a hundred new plans. He sees the future like it’s right there and a million miles away. He was never good at implementing long-term plans. He thinks maybe karate can save him, just like it did when he was a kid. 

8.

There’s something wrong with his brain. Has been all his life. That’s not how he was told, he was given a bunch of tests and gently informed – undiagnosed it can lead to some of the problems you’ve had, it’s normal, it’s okay – like he’s dying of cancer. But that’s the gist of it. He didn’t fuck up because he didn’t try hard enough, he was always going to fuck up. That doesn’t make him feel better.

It means quitting the alcohol is gonna fail. It means he really is stupid. It means he could’ve never been the kid his mom needed. It means he was easy for Kreese to manipulate. It means Robby could be fucked up too and he’s failed him again. It means he’s not worth the time and pain that people invest in him, like his mom, Ali, Shannon, Robby, Bobby, Miguel, Carmen, Daniel -

“Hey.”

It means he’s got Emotional Dysregulation. Translated: he’s the kind of man who has to work extra hard not to cry (explains why he was such a pussy as a kid. Also explains all the pain in his chest and throat right before roughly... 70% of his most recent fights). And fuck, he just failed.

“What?” Anger is better. It’s also a dysregulation apparently, but it’s better than being weak.

“It’s okay,” says Daniel, and of course he’d think that – he’s never seen a nameable problem he didn’t wanna fix, but didn’t you hear LaRusso, you can’t fix this. Never could. 

“It’s not about fixing,” answers Daniel. “It’s about understanding. It’s about knowing who you are. If you know who you are, you can make a choice.”

“What kinda choice do I have?”

Daniel shrugs. “You chose to take in Miguel. You chose not to fight me, more times than I chose to fight you in the last couple of years. You chose that you wanted to know who you were. And you chose to try being sober. Those are all good decisions in my book. Anything else… we can figure things out from here. Trust me.”

He places a hand on the back of Johnny’s neck, grounding him. Daniel has that power. The power to make everything okay for a second. 

Johnny thinks: Please tell me what to do. I was always okay once you gave me something to do. Like karate. Figuring things out is… too abstract. Eventually though, he knows, if he’s patient, Daniel will tell him what to do next. 

He just has to trust him.

9. (Extra: things Johnny does, because of the brain he has)

Johnny trusts easily, despite it all. He’s honest (and sometimes too literal). He’s passionate. He’s driven. He’s loving. He feels, so so much. He’s protective and he’s loyal. He tries his hardest, even when everything – including his own brain – refuses to help. He believes in second chances for others (and he’s beginning to believe in it for himself). He’s good with kids when he lets himself be. He’s learning to be gentle with himself and others. He’s learning that bravery takes many shapes. He’s learning that he can learn, and he’s learning what he needs for that to happen. He’s a good mentor. He’s learning to be a better friend. He’s kind. He’s honourable. He’s trying to rectify his own mistakes, and he’s trying not to let the mistakes of others continue to impact his life. He’s moving forwards.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Responses from the Opera Screencaps Captioning Quiz

Hello, everyone, and thank you for taking my quiz! I had SO MUCH fun reading your captions-- there were several times I literally started crying from laughing so hard at the amazingness of your work! With that in mind, the captions (which I will continue to add onto as more people take it):

(also, thank you to @dichterfuerstin​ for translating the German captions I got)

originally taken from: the Wiener Staatsoper’s 2020 production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail, featuring Regula Mühlemann (center) as Blonde, Michael Laurenz (right) as Pedrillo, and an unnamed extra (left) as the Grim Reaper

Responses:

(Backstage warm-up) “ok so someone dropped the pulse”

me and my friends watching the fire burn after doing arson

Introducing the polycule to the parents

*boom* ... did...you guys hear that too?

Ma Signor !

Knight in whinging armour gone wrong, look at how he holds the egg. Polyamory with weird knight and death.

the father, son and the holy ghost are very gay

the gays meeting for brunch, 2021, colorized

chicken lady forces death and a very flamboyantly homosexual anthropomorphized pink bird to be parents of her egg (they dont want to be)

That’s just me and my friends on our night out (before covid rip)-- closest

A Good Friday night

good omens (2019)

["the pocket guide to boy/girl/mischief" meme] who's the boy and who's the mischief though????

Papageno and Papagena take their first-born egg trick-or-treating

Angry Birds - The Musical. A pig stole an egg and the bird unites with death to take revenge.

I love my bird wife

Someone got murdered during the funky chicken dance

throuple murders child and steals sibling of said child

When you and your friends have widely different tastes in literature

angel leading twink to his rightful place (hell)

draco malfoy from a very potter musical and a death eater are very much in the wrong show

What have I gotten myself into

Mlm/wlw solidarity but I’m not telling who is who

A woman stands with a pink dipshit with an egg and a reaper.

A bird-couple makes a pact with Death, sacrificing their first-born bird-child in order to bring good luck upon their unborn bird-baby

There are three types of people on Halloween:

Uh oh, I don’t think the mother hen is very happy about this...

oh god, they’ve invented seussical. It’s too early!

gay brunch

Three little maids from school are we

guys maybe if we dress gay enough we can distract everyone from the dead flapper bee in the back

those three killed a duck for her egg and are facing the conswquences.

Duck has egg with human, shocked and upset due to biological impossibility

When you bout to make a banging omelet so you invite your fellow queers

"No mortal man could pass that egg, but heaven shall repair your rectum."

originally taken from: the Salzburg Festival’s 2007 production of Hector Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini, featuring Maija Kovalevska (left) as Teresa Balducci, Laurent Naouri (center, in chimney) as Fieramosca, and Burkhard Fritz (right) as Benvenuto Cellini

Responses:

“In this same interlude it doth befall That I, one Snout by name, present a wall; And such a wall, as I would have you think, That had in it a crannied hole or chink, Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby, Did whisper often very secretly. This loam, this rough-cast and this stone doth show That I am that same wall; the truth is so: And this the cranny is, right and sinister, Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.” - a midsummer night’s dream, act v scene 1

"ah yes a prime specimen. see here, right in this box is our one of a kind hob goblin that can be all yours for the low low price of your soul"

what, YOU don't have a special eavesdropping chimney window?

Hänsel und Gretel plotting against the witch

man takes a wrong turn and ends up in a chimney, catches his girlfriend cheating-- closest

when you end up third wheeling the straight couple

lady cheats on her leather jacket wearing scummy boyfriend and when he unexpectedly comes home she hides the lover in the chimney

A straight girl and her gay best friend gossip about stuff idk

Idk Shakespeare?

experimental couples therapy feat. the chimney mf from mary poppins

Area Couple Inadvertently Traps Santa-in-Training in Chimney as they Attempt Rooftop Flirting

Landlords laugh over student renter's misfortune

I never asked for this

Ay yo lil mama lemme whisper in your ear

voyeurist listens to sandy and Danny from grease

Psssst! Did you hear about Susan? You won’t believe it!

lady and the tramp meets beauty and the beast?

human trafficking

And for just $30 you too could have your own tiny brick cage!

Psst I’m wearing assless chaps under this dress

A couple tortures a man in a box.

It's all fun and games being stuck in a chimney until your greasy uncle steals your crush from right above you-- okay ngl this could actually be a great Don Pasquale concept

Taking eavesdropping to the next level

Will you two stop being lovey dovey and let me out? SUMMER LOVIN, HAPPENED SO FAST— 

overhearing how people talk about you when they think they're alone puts you in the shithouse 

Does he know we can see him?

dear god, i am so fucking hungry, yall please just do whatever heterosexuals do so i can go eat a popsicle 

the human version of the trash man from sesame street is realizing that those two are going to fuck on his trash can 

Tmw you capture an angry short dude and start trashtalking him where he can hear 

Omg what if we kissed but we actually kissed the lil goblin man under us

"Remember, don't feed him after midnight"

originally taken from: the Théâtre de Capitole du Toulouse’s 2017 staging of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Le prophète, featuring Leonardo Estevez (right, on fake horse) as Le Comte d’Oberthal

Responses:

“When I said we needed to drain the swamp I didn’t think there were people actually living there”

horse? what horse? no sir i dont know what horse youre referring to.

definitely don't have a napoleon complex going on

King stole La Scala‘s Lohengrin set

king breaks all his horses, has to use statue dragged by servants as transportation because he’s too kingly too walk

Emperor Söder and his subjects on a carnival procession

man on horse makes a big deal out of being on a horse

That’s not Zeffirelli because the horse is not alive

Who the fuck put a horse on the stage

isn't this that picture of napoleon on the horse

Area Count Thinks Citizens will be Intimidated by his Extremely Fake-looking Horse Statue-- closest

Everyone wants their turn on the giant plaster horse. Police are there to make sure everyone waits their turn.

Night out with the lads

Local royalty horrified at the state of his own damn kingdom

gay army fights different gay aesthetics-- hi author how does it feel to be the funniest fucking person on this quiz

Well at least I LOOK badass

ceasar if he hadn't gotten stabbed (colourised)

some soldiers jumped out of my kindergarten fairytale collection book to burn the don carlos flemish deputies at the stake

It’s just a model

Is that how you feel pulling up in your Honda Civic, Madge?

Someone rides a horse statue in public.

Just a normal party with the bros.

what is this, some kind of crossover episode? 

Terribly sorry for all the fuss, it’s just, that is, my horse is afraid of neck ruffles. I’ve tried to talk to him about it, but he’s—whoaaa there—he said he was a french courtier in a past life and he’s allergic to English fashion 

Horse seller, listen to me! I am riding into battle. I need your strongest horse. - We have horses at home. - The horses at home: 

All hail Incitatus the king 

we are not ripping off shakespeare’s henry viii. what the fuck. this is about lenny xi you uncultured swine, go drown in a pit of your own farts 

oh god is that hamilton 

Guy Removed From Art Museum For Sitting On Statue, more at eleven 

Gay <3

Officer: This horse... is a virgin! Crowd: *cheers*

originally taken from: the Parma Verdi Festival’s 2017 staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s Stiffelio, featuring Maria Katzarava (left) as Lina and Luciano Ganci (right) as Stiffelio

Responses:

That One kid in class

its a mEntAL BreAkDowN *final countdown but kazoo*

*record scratch* yeah, that's me. you're probably wondering how I got here-- closest

Dad keeps monologuing, teenager is done

left: all of my concerned friends, right: my emo ass having a very public mental breakdown

the demons in the corner of my room when im just trying to sleep

lady gets mansplained to (do i need to say more, we've all been there)

It’s probably an area baritone telling off an area soprano-- sorry; it’s a tenor. soprano is right though.

That was a fake horse in the last photo right?

child comes out as gay to father at a particularly bad time

dissociation solves everything

I can't believe it's not butter

Honey we talked about this

My sleep paralysis demon is Crowley from supernatural

child has nightmare of boring job

When you start dating a singer but he won’t stop practicing at night

just an average day in a hetero marriage

what do i do my wife's having period cramps again

Stop having an existential crisis. It’s time to sing!

“No son of mine will kin Gomez Addams under MY roof”

Crowley stares into space while a teen has post nut clarity.

When he wont stop reciting jordan peterson monologues!!

Do you realize how effed you are?

Ugh, not this lecture again! Dad’s Practicing For His Experimental Indie Band Again 

asking your parents for help with your own personal situation and them just ranting off about what they went through instead of helping in any way 

Will he shut up already!

no one tell him he’s yelling in the wrong direction, no one tell him plnsbdjddhdj 

this kid is tired of his dad listening to rush limbaugh (a man who claimed to be pro life but died anyway) 

Me internally vs externally 

Daddy issues

originally taken from: the Grand Théâtre de Genève’s 2020 staging of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, featuring several chorus members

Responses:

It’s the deadly eye Of Poogley-pie. Look away, look away, As you walk by, ‘Cause whoever looks right at it Surely will die. It’s a good thing you didn’t … You did? … Good-bye. - shel Silverstein

why the fuckith? my good sir, i beg of you to put your pants back on

I hate this itchy hat

Titanic Extras hear that they have to do extra hours

people waiting to board the titanic watch someone fall off the plank

pov: you’re a time traveler

guy in the flatcap is embarrassed by patriotism and pathos

No idea. For some reason Le Marseillaise comes to mind

Is this from Harry Potter?

disneyland main street usa workers on strike

local tries to hide behind Newsies cap to avoid unpleasant but inevitable conversations. meanwhile, some very fashionable ladies look on.

"Thank fuck, 2020 was just a dream after all"

“We gather here today because this bitch got exactly what she deserved” “heaven!” “Stfu Stephanie she’s going to hell and we all know it”-- not quite but this basically happens later on in the opera (and act) so yeah (except the person in question very much Did Not Deserve It)

dc movie filter on bridgerton

america?

looks like my history teacher paused the prohibition documentary again

Who still wears page boy hats bro?

Coming out to a room of people who Already Knew That

Bitches are relieved at some party.

Several drunk people exiting getting off the subway attempting to seem sober and rational but realizing they have somehow lost all of their possessions

How tf do I act natural in this situation-- closest

“do you think any of them noticed that I don’t know the pledge of allegiance” 

It's too fucking hot outside for this outfit 

?

when hyyh yoonkook ending just hits different 

pedestrians watch in horror as the triangle shirtwaist factory burns and the workers throw themselves out of the windows from a dozen stories up 

Starting the pledge of allegiance be like 

He's having a heart attack oh no oh god oh fuck

originally taken from: if I remember correctly, the Semperoper Dresden’s 2018 semi-staging of Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, with Jonas Kaufmann as Gabriel von Eisenstein

Responses:

“William Shakespeare wrote: "To thine own self be true And it must follow, as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man" I believe this wise statement best applies to a woman A blonde woman Over the past three years she taught me And showed us all That being true to yourself never goes out of style Ladies and gentlemen Our valedictorian: Elle Woods!” - legally blonde the musical

eat ass, suck a dick, and sell drugs

woooooorrrrd

Finally Jonas has graduated! It’s about time, considering he’s an international star.

what my professors think they look like

Prof. Dr. Dr. When someone tells him there are more than two genders

'and since you've now graduated high school, you'll be entering college etc. blablabla' .........meanwhile, there's a whole row of graduates daring each other to chug the cheap vodka one of them has brought in gallons (yes that happened at my graduation, lol)

Jonas darling baby <3-- can’t argue with that

I just realized I have no idea what the actual fuck happens in an opera

ok this one is just what jonas kaufmann always wears you can't fool me.

"as valedictorian i will share with you the importance of loving the floor"

"Yes, mother, my art degree will make me money!"

Graduation speakers are out, singers are in

Senior year takes a new meaninbg

mansplainer professor explains the concept of feminism to women

Your Prof when you finally turn in that missing assignment be like

younger boris johnson (derogatory)

jonas kaufmann retires from opera and takes up motivational speaking

What a fine graduation evening we’re having today

-70 points for slytherin you all have no swag

A man with a college hat sings.

An obviously greying actor trying to play a university student in a low-budget porn parody

How it feels to graduate high school after being held back for years

East High is a place where teachers encouraged us to break the status quo and define ourselves as we choose. Where a jock can cook up a mean crème brûlée, and a brainiac can break it down on the dance floor-

I may not have been "cool" in high school, but in ten years you will all be working for me!

I finally got my GED!

that one guy in ur intro to cultural anthropology class who mansplains to the professor somehow fucking graduated

he;s just graduating and taking his speech too serously idk

Graduation speeches with that one dude who got held back 3 times

Smrt

originally taken from: the Metropolitan Opera’s 2011 staging of Gioachino Rossini’s Le Comte Ory with Joyce DiDonato (left) as Isolier, Diana Damrau (center) as Countess Adèle, and Juan Diego Florez (right) as Le Comte Ory (disguised as a hermit)

Responses:

There is something very [disturbing grunts] About polyamorous couples - polyamorous, Chris Fleming

jinkies

femme fatale (including to herself)

I’ll have a threesome soon !

Hot guy walks by, everyone swoons.

thirdwheeling friend does not realize the other two are having sex

When your girlfriend had „just two beers“ again

jesus is exasperated about having to drag the two ladies towards doing what he needs them to do instead of purple dramatically declaring suicidal intent over the smallest trivial matters and red being equally dramatic about declaring that it's not the way! stay alive! i love you!!

The throuple is thriving

Get off the milf

orgy

my last three braincells because im a horny slut

countess receives too much love and is confused on how to react

Rasputin's lesser known romp with a much older czarina of russia

Woman's soul leaves body

Jesus and co. are worried after another woman gets pregnant without having sex

bisexual looks at photos of celebrity couples

When you go to the party to socialize with new people but your weirdo friend group starts getting clingy

Jesus cumming

one of those weird church christmas pageants but everybody's drunk

What have I done

Hozier??????????

Jesus assfucks some purple lady being hugged.

This time, the chick IS the magnet

An affair/threesome gone awry (2019 colorized)

What do you mean they canceled GLOW?

“I TOLD you it was cashmere!”

Are you wearing the - - The Gucci dress? Yes I am.

It's not what it looks like!

jesus is fucking that one cheerleader who grew up to be a suburban mom with one (1) super cool dress she stole from her kid who is desperately hugging her middle begging for it back because the spring fling is coming up and jason might actually make eye contact with her for more than three seconds.

jesus and mary magdaline and some other bitch

I’m at a bar and these drunk girls are flirting with me, do I lOOK GAY?!

Shrek 5, jesus's return

c. 2025 First attempt of an Officer and his Wife with a Handmaiden (colourized)

just about all of these are close lol

originally taken from: the Bolshoi Theater’s 1993 staging of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orléans, featuring Nina Rautio (left) as Joan of Arc and Vyacheslav Pochapsky (right) as Thibaut d’Arc

Responses:

Don’t look, I’m still pooping

yall, the audacity of this man. he fuckin talked to me

*i can't even tell you how wrong you are* *it would be insulting to ME*-- closest

Cospeto!

„No I’m not talking to you, you keep cracking bad jokes!“ - „But I got another!“

when you’re mad at him but he says he’ll buy you food if you cheer up

When I’m wallowing in self-pity but my friends won’t comfort me

right: wanna fuck ;) left: yeah, fuck OFF lmao

Her face is screaming “don’t tell me what to do”

Yeah I got nothing

gay man tries to hit on a lesbian bc he thinks she's a twink. she's not amused but she's watching this happen anyway

me tired of MET's bullshit and them organising a Netrebko, known blackface apologist, a recital during Black History Month. (sorry im still fucking salty lol)

"stop smiling at me like that I'm trying to pout over here"

"I got fleas, you got fleas... wanna fuck?"

I have the best idea!

Haha nooooo don’t hit me with that bat you’re so sexxyy

lesbian is bothered by dilf

Me trying to flirt

if call me by your name was hetero and set in america

how many more dad jokes can i take before i explode

So. You’ve gotten yourself in a little pickle again.

What if we fought in the Russian revolution together ✨???????... unless??

Two people flirt in a poor place of town/

"If you ask me what I've got under this dirty, shapeless tunic one more time I swear to god I will kick your rotting teeth in"

You look like ur gonna kill me but ok

Really? You again?

Okay, I’ve been sitting here for 20 minutes, do you think it’s safe to—oh god, he’s still there.

Have you seen Godot?

she is tired of everyone’s shit. she has done so many derivatives it physically pains her to see a variable. dont test her. ur icarus rn.

idk pick better pictures-- I HAVE DIED THE SHEER AUDACITY AND HUBRIS I LOVE THIS

200% done with your crap 

Homeless man has fucking legs of steel n is gonna show off his Russian dance moves

originally taken from: the Théâtre de Capitole du Toulouse’s 2019 staging of Paul Dukas’ Ariane et Barbe-bleue, featuring Sophie Koch (right) as Ariane and I don’t remember who the person on the left is rip me

Responses:

The knight who wore this into battle sure was swaggy

dear god its hiddeous

Capitalism

Knight in shining armour gone even more wrong.

ghost contemplates the safety of spiky motorcycle helmet

„Stop! He feels bullied!“

'this is my newest take for jesus's crucifixion crown ...... what do you mean they already put him up'

That’s probably a really expensive magic helmet idk. IDK-- closest

Omg I love the adventure zone!

minesweeper (windows xp)

"Okay whatever you do don't touch the shiny spiky ball" "It's so shiny I wanna touch it"

Taking down the trash way too late

IT'S NOT A PHASE MOM

Darth Vader got stuck in the freezer.... again. Leia isn’t happy

Star Wars 2030

“And here is the very latest in motorcycle helmet trends” “Look, I only came to the mall for a pair of socks “

futuristic kkk

long-suffering jewelry store attendant really wants to retire

Put it down put it down put it down

“Hmm no you should see a doctor about that”

A weird ass crown is presented

The creation of sars-cov-2: an experimental Eurotrance nightclub art piece gone horribly wrong

How it feels to want something that u cant have

AND WE WILL CALL IT—SPIKE MAN actually do you think that’s too obvious?? Because of the—yeah, because of the spikes?? See, that’s what I’m worried about. I want it to be SCARY

I know it's risky but... lube me up

?

use the force luke.

that is a weird fleshlight

When you get an ugly gift and need to find a way to get rid of it, so your family member/friend offers to smash it

Touch the orb

originally taken from: the Opera Vlaanderen’s 2019 staging of Fromental Halévy’s La Juive, with Nicole Chevalier (left, with bottle) as Princess Eudoxie, Enea Scala (center, under table) as Prince Léopold, and Roy Cornelius Smith (right) as Éléazar

Responses:

When no one comes to your birthday party :(

fantastic, day 487 of mischief and they have yet to find my masterful hiding spot

i really wonder who he thinks he's playing footsie with

Marriage crisis. Reason sits under the table-- closest but not in the way you think (after all, the man under the table IS a tenor).

the last supper afterparty after jesus left

When you order the last supper on wish

espionage at the Politischer Rosenmontag

Probably the wrong opera but is that Leporello under the table

Now THIS is a Good Friday night

this was every birthday party i went to between the ages of 5 and 11

that awkward moment when you drop your fork under the table but when you re-emerge everyone else has left except one drunk lady and the guy trying to deal with her

After the last supper

Tfw you arrive to the dinner party too early and have to hide until a more fashionable hour

When the cishets aren’t home

waiter hides from customers

Nobody: My dog every time I’m eating:

what's left of the homies Jesus had dinner with

university chem lab experiment gone terribly wrong

I’ve been under the table FOR 30 MINUTES

Set your friends up by tossing them off under the table, they’ll think it’s each other n fall in luv

Someone hids under a table

"You're about to see an surreptitious-under-the-table-dick-sucking master at work"

5 yr old me trying to eat the desert under the table without my parents finding out be like:

They never invite me to their parties!

Just another girl’s night in

Oops! Didn’t notice you the table.

dionysus - bts (2019, colorized)

just a normal episode of eric andre (eric is the one under the table)

Just a normal day with the boys

Thievery

originally taken from: the Théâtre de Capitole du Toulouse’s 2017 staging of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Le prophète, featuring Kate Aldrich (left, surrounded by women in white) as Fidès and John Osborn (center, looking like a Jesus doppelganger) as Jean de Leyde

Responses:

Hold up, is that Eggman above Jesus?

holy disco

Looks like Tannhäuser. Our lord and saviour Richard Wagner. Now I need to be saved from that.

catholicism

me defending pineapple on pizza (THANK YOU)

jesus but hes about to be abducted by the alien ufo above him

Emmmmmmm Heaven? Idk

Lord of the rings?

ewww christianity gross

"behold, I am Important"

"Seriously?? It's not ACTUALLY pyjama day? Fuck you guys!"

Jesus at the Disco

Jesus Finds The Molerat People Who Live Under Bethlehem

disco is heaven

Want to join my new religion?

the kkk

church christmas pageant where everyone's sober but it's based on the director's fever dream

Am I the only one who sees the giant demon? Just me? Okay...

“Oh god I think I’m starting my period”

A party is held with a priest in the middle

"Let's get this secret Vatican sex party rolling!"

The new avengers endgame set is looking great!!

You know, guys, I try not to be a bother but...I can’t help but feel like I missed a dress code memo for this wedding??? It’s cocktail, right??”

Jesus visits Hogwarts

I must really stink if no one will even come close to me

the extra ass funeral i DESERVE

star wars life day

A cult at it’s best-- closest

Shrek 5, Jesus is still there I guess

originally taken from: the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden’s 2013 staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes, featuring Bryan Hymel (left, standing) as Henri, Lianna Haroutounian (center, kneeling in the black gown) as Duchess Hélène, and Erwin Schrott (kneeling to her right) as Jean Procida

Responses:

When the director’s like “great rehearsal guys, just a few notes before I let you go” but it’s already 9:13 and your mom’s waiting in the parking lot

loyalist of subjects

bow before your queen

They forgot to take down the stage boxes after the Vienna opera ball but the show must go on.

somebody forgot to book chairs for this funeral

Me sharing God’s (Hayley koyoko) word on the discord server

mass execution bc the oboe solo sucked ass-- closest

That’s too many black suits I can’t see shit

I can’t even tell what’s going on here

8th grade school assembly about how it's uncool to shit on the walls at school

let's all get fancy so we can go to the opera and sit on the stage (idk this one's hard lol)

"Yes i am a time traveller, now don't freak out"

Tfw you forget to pay your lighting bills

White guys make decisions that will benefit them and screw someone that’s not a white guy over-- OUCH but that is too real (although not really in context here)

dead man gives speech at his own funeral

brotus and the boys ??? last meeting before the stabbing

high society social function ends in mass murder-- right opera, wrong scene

Someone walks into the talent show stage with a dog

Black-dressed bitches worship a man.

Worst school assembly of all time

POV:You're the window in the classroom and someone said "its snowing"

When the conductor shows up fashionably late to the orchestra concert

That's what you get for choosing the cheapest ticket option, get back in the mud where you belong

?

theyre just trying to jump into a grave at a funeral leabe them alone this is normal

oh my god he really whipped his dick out in front of everyone, this is just like in 1776 guys, except some women are actually in the room this time,

A funeral, stop wearing so much black

I want to slap their bald heads like rice

originally taken from: the Teatro Real Madrid’s 2018 staging of Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, featuring Roberto Tagliavini (right) as Raimondo

Responses:

Crowd “haha!! Looks like someone missed the all-black memo!! Now it’s laugh-in-your-face time! / Guy on the floor (whispering to guy against wall): go, save yourself! I’ll hold them off...”

if i leave now i wont be a witness and can tell the police i had no idea

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

Guy in the back pretends to help but is to far away to even know what’s going on.

priest walks in on beginning of an orgy, contemplated joining but is too scared-

when someone brings up capitalism but you’re just trying to play minecraft

lol lets trample this guy while the judge isnt looking

Again. Too many black costumes

Loved this Dostoevsky novel

i would know if opera directors were more creative with clothing choices ngl

me on parties lol

"imma just sneak out of here while everyone else is distracted"

"Where did he get this flooring!? Amazing!"

Everyone act normal!

The tell tale heart but they got REALLY drunk

man tposes to ward off vampires after being caught undercover

boys ???? night

the priest really shouldn't have visited the insane asylum-- closest

He’s FINE everyone’s been hit by a car before

Something happens in a room.

Perks of being a wallflower

There's always that one person in the fight whos trying not to get involved when they really wanna

Oh good, they’re all posing for a Rembrandt painting, I can just sneeeeaaak out the back here...

The gamer livestreaming Resident Evil + everyone watching the stream ? waiting for him to open the door just knowing it will trigger a chase scene

Quick!

the guy t posing in the back is regretting his every decision.-- also accurate

the us senate jumps ted cruz, some other wack ass gop senator is trying to sneak away

...I spoke too soon, however this is a James Bond mission

Queers help fellow queer do math but it's a struggle

[thescorpioracer]

Sen Çal Kapımı 1 - Episode Recap

To be honest, this series of posts is mostly going to be a fashion roast. But DISCLAIMER! I really do love this show and Turkish TV in general, it’s just my preferred mode of media analysis is to pick things apart. 😂And I need everyone to know that I am very pro-women, and believe people should be able to dress how they want and not be judged for it or be looked down upon for it. But oh my god this wardrobe department/costumer needs to be STOPPED. I also have zero credentials to be talking about fashion, but will that stop me?

I’m going to make these posts assuming you’ve watched the show, and just comment on whatever comes up. There will be spoilers. Let’s go!

We start off with a voiceover from Eda Yıldız, an A+ romcom trope. (It wasn’t until my rewatch that I remembered that Eda used to do VOs at random intervals, and I’m kind of glad she stopped tbh.) She is a strong woman who wants to get her education and become a landscape architect/designer. She was all set to do that until- dun dun dun! - Serkan Bolat destroyed everything. 

Check out that dart board of a man (and this is the only time we see that photo there). And these outfits are probably the most normal and reasonable clothes she wears in the show. She’s a beautiful young woman, who was a college student, and now works outdoors as a florist. 10/10 outfit. 

Of course that transitions us into an epic slomo of Serkan exiting his private jet. He of course begins to berate his assistant on the phone in a way a friend described as reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada.

@teamnick​​‘s commentary back when she first started the show. 

Serkan returns to his office for the first time in 2 months after working on business deals in London. Chaos ensues: Miranda Priestly is baaaaaaack.

See... here we have some good fashion choices! We meet the girls for the first time, while they try to sneak off to their graduation without making Eda feel bad that she won’t be receiving her diploma. Melek “Melo” is dressed in a sweet dress with a bold, romantic color, which captures her personality perfectly. Ceren, the rich daughter from a family of lawyers, looks a bit more high-fashion. The dress is short but it has long sleeves and no cleavage so it works out to be chic and elegant. Fifi is unapologetically herself with her full-black, punk wardrobe. Eda is again dressed in a pretty, but casual outfit. Nicely put together for her lower-middle-class lifestyle and her job as a florist.

Enter: the plot device to get our protagonists together. Serkan’s face says it all.

We are then introduced to the main couple’s respective cars. Serkan has his 2020 BMW (though the show blocks out the copyrighted branding) while Eda’s beat up SUV is clearly unreliable. What’s that? Another plot device being introduced? I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Also, I just noticed this, but for someone as uptight as Serkan, I’m surprised at how fun his suit jacket lining is. If I’m not mistaken the pattern is of a bunch of rainbow fish. #Snazzy, but they seem out of character?

Plot highlights:

Eda learns she can come back to school and finish her final year, but she’s lost her scholarship and will have to pay. She can’t.

Serkan gives his talk at the graduation (?)-- Is his talk just for architecture students? If so, why are Ceren, Fifi, and Melo there? We’ll never know. I know, I know... it’s all for the ~plot~

Eda calls Serkan out in front of everyone for taking away the scholarship that she earned from his company, Art Life. He is confused but unrepentant. She refuses to tell him her name.

She tries to deface his car with lipstick after keying the side (we never hear about the damage to his car after that). He catches her and wants to call the police, so she impulsively handcuffs them together with the plot devices from Selin’s wedding invitation sitting on his passenger seat.

They then have to go to Serkan’s urgent business meeting with an out-of-town client. Eda drives while they’re handcuffed together. Bickering ensues.

What is this? Foreshadowing? Symbolism?? Eda’s last name “Yıldız” is the Turkish word for “star” so... file that away for later.

One of my favorite parts about watching Turkish dramas is the experience of trying to decipher the fan translations. Add to the fact that Turkish only has 1 pronoun *chef’s kiss* 

Eda refuses to take the elevator to the 15th floor (we’ll learn about her claustrophobia later). Serkan is equally as stubborn, saying she owes  him for screwing up his day. But he has met his match in Eda with regards to stubbornness. They take the stairs.

More highlights:

First instance of fake dating - they need to hide the handcuffs from his client so Eda pretends she’s his girlfriend and a fellow investor.

The girls track Eda’s phone to the hotel and try to find her by asking around the premises. 

Eda charms the client into selling his land to Serkan.

We learn that Serkan is allergic to strawberries and has a lot of health anxiety. He’s a very tightly wound person.

Serkan says “Mashallah,” translator hears 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Engin brings way too many people to open the handcuffs and chaos ensues.

I feel like nothing can do justice to the comedy of 58:45 to 1:00:00 with Fifi using a bobby pin as a lock pick. The dramatic editing is 👌🏼

Leyla gets fired for somehow causing this drama??? And she is so happy to leave that stressful workplace omg, we don’t deserve her 🥺

Serkan and Eda go their separate ways, Eda prepared to never see her enemy again, but of course her phone and purse are still in his car so she has to go to his office at Art Life and confront him again.

Serkan has found out that Whoops, Art Life did cancel the study abroad scholarships to cut costs, but his CFO did it without telling him. And Serkan is pissed, but I think mainly about the fact that Eda did have some (SOME) grounds for yelling at him in public.

Leyla then explains the nonsensical reasoning behind her being fired-but-not-fired and still working. (Spoiler alert: she never goes anywhere and she is my favorite side character to this day).

Eda: “How can I piss Serkan off?” Leyla: “Find a mistake he’s made and he will fixate on it forever. But you won’t find anything.” Eda: “Hold my beer.”

Eda walks into Serkan’s office and his meeting. She gets her purse back and they fight about him not being willing to apologize for ruining her life and education. He refuses and says she owes him an apology for embarrassing him in public (no, dude).

He wants to give her back the scholarship and make it all go away but she rightly tells him that it won’t fix her broken pride from begging the company and her university for a second chance. But somehow her calling him a heartless “Robot” is what gets to him???? And he short-circuits. Eda walks out triumphant. 

~dRaMa!~

MEANWHILE

Melo, as well as being a perfume sales girl, also works as a flight attendant and wants Eda to cover her shift (we’ll get into how that doesn’t make sense in a minute) 

Eda says no, she’s going to meet her boyfriend, Cenk, who she hasn’t seen in months and has just returned from Italy.

Enter: Selin. Serkan’s ex who he dumped a while ago and is now engaged to the heir of a hotel empire. Serkan doesn’t like this. The two of them grew up together and are set to each inherit 50% of the holding company that Serkan’s father currently runs.

Right away Selin serves us with a gender reveal level color scheme.  Personally not a fan. They confirm that Serkan is coming to her engagement party tomorrow.

Meanwhile Eda  meets up with Cenk. Her outfit is still reasonable and cute for her character. He looks mildly like a hobo and doesn’t seem to have anything going for him (I know he’s a throwaway character but the two of them really don’t have anything in common).

This creeper keeps staring at them, but Cenk tries to explain it away and says he’s busy and can’t meet her again until the day after tomorrow. Eda is disappointed but accepts this. Creeper girl remains and remains a red flag to viewers, but apparently not to Eda.

Cut to later that evening, and of course our broody main man enjoys astronomy in his free time (???) idk what he’s charting and to what purpose but okay? 

Eda finds a mini first aid kit in her purse that Serkan put there before returning it. Queue montage of them treating their respective wrists for handcuff-related injuries. #couplegoals

Of course we also needed a sepia-toned flashback to earlier that day when the handcuffs contrived their faces to get too close together. #romance

Finallyyyyyyy it’s morning again and a new day.

Since Eda can’t see Cenk (good, he’s so boring), she agrees to fill in as a flight attendant for Melo, who’s side job is for a private plane company.

Now. This should not be a thing. Eda was in college to be a landscape architect and now works as a florist for her aunt... Where has she learned any relevant skills to work as a flight attendant?? Presumably nowhere. And I really don’t think a private plane company would be so easygoing about just having a random person fill in to cover for her friend? 

But does this show care about that? What do you think...

Also, instead of the standard white shirt, black skirt uniform requirements, the girls decide that this skimpy dress and heels is fine? Hmmm

Also lol @ Melo for assuming that the client who wants jasmine tea and fruit salad is probably a woman. And her telling Eda that the PRIVATE JET COMPANY would in fact have its own tea was very random and unnecessary. 

Back at the Bolat house compound, we meet the parents: Aydan and Alptekin. We’ll see them again later. Selin’s engagement party is today. 

Meanwhile Eda is just.... being a flight attendant, I guess??? And who could possibly be the passenger she has to take care of? Take a wild guess. Of course it’s Serkan Bolat.

And of course that tiny dress (THAT ALSO HAS A LEG SLIT?? WHY?? I really don’t need to see her vagina) looks very practical and professional... not! (Hande Erçel is a gorgeous human, and the dress looks good on her, don’t get me wrong. BUT THIS IS SITUATIONALLY INCORRECT ATTIRE). Also him just folding his vest and then social distancing from it... K? 😂

Eda panics and doesn’t want Serkan to see her and runs away back to her seat pod thing - Serkan takes issue with his fruit salad for ~plot reasons~ (EDIT: I’ve been informed that it’s because there was a strawberry in his fruit salad and since he’s allergic, of course it needed to be fixed. Why doesn’t the plane have a note of that??) and comes back to find this mystery flight attendant.

Eda is very stressed out about this encounter and is also starting to have a panic attack because, surprise, she’s also claustrophobic. 

After Serkan calms her down, they have a cute/civil conversation for the rest of the flight.

When they land, Eda realizes they’re on an island 2h45min away from Istanbul and she isn’t sure what to do with herself (How did she not already know where they were going, as the FLIGHT ATTENDANT??? So may red flags with this private jet company).

Serkan convinces Eda to come with him and she can hang out at the beach while he’s at Selin’s engagement party.

At the engagement party we finally meet Selin’s fiancé Ferit. He’s sweet and non-threatening and clearly insecure about Serkan being Selin’s ex.

This dress/skirt outfit Selin is wearing isn’t terrible, but it doesn’t scream rich socialite to me. Anything with feathers seems... a bit tacky/too showy? Like someone pretending to be rich? Idk, this outfit isn’t one I’m going to really take a stand on.

Does this engagement party warrant being a 2h45 min flight away? No. They try to explain it away as the couple wanting to have something small and private, even though they also invite the press?? But okay whatever, as long as Serkan and Eda cross paths again, I suppose.

Kaan Karadağ has been mentioned a couple times in passing, but now we finally meet our “villain.” Ferit’s friend, and Serkan & Selin’s childhood acquaintance, who has it out for Serkan bc he somehow bankrupted Kaan’s dad? Idk and I don’t really care but tl;dr they’re enemies. 

Another thing I love about Turkish dramas is the censoring. Like, they’ll allow alcohol to be on screen, but they won’t say the word and they’ll just blur out the bottle and any liquid that we’d assume is alcoholic 😂

In the evening, Serkan is tired and wants to leave and Ferit snidely jokes about how Serkan is too picky to have a fiancé of his own. Serkan flashes back to 1 entire day ago when he and Eda pretended to be dating at his business meeting, and says that actually he is engaged to someone and then peaces out.

Serkan finds Eda on the beach, and they are preparing to leave when a crowd of people (Selin, Ferit, and Kaan mainly), arrive to get a peek at Serkan’s new “fiancé.” Eda very reluctantly plays along (good thing she has that unnecessarily sexy “work” dress to help her look the part) and Serkan notices that for the first time ever, Selin is jealous of another woman. #drama

After they finally escape the crowd, Serkan makes an annoyed Eda an offer: Pretend to be his fiancé for the 2 months leading up to Selin’s wedding so he can get them to break up and prevent Ferit marrying into the company. In return, he will pay all the fees to help her complete her last year of studies in Italy.

Eda refuses, stating that she doesn’t want anything from him, and besides she has a boyfriend (Sure Jan; Cenk is such a joke). They have it out and then fly back to Istanbul. But of course the gossips at the engagement have spread the news of Serkan’s new woman so the paparazzi corner them at the airport when they land. 

So glad that we got to see this random mechanic find out the news (???)

They escape the cameras and Serkan takes her home, saying that Art Life has a press conference tomorrow, and she should come so he can save face and tell everyone that she was his assistant accompanying him for work to the party. Eda agrees. 

It should also be mentioned that Serkan still doesn’t know her name at this point?? She refused to tell him and Engin still hasn’t sent him the names of the scholarship candidates so it’s a bit miraculous that their relationship was at all believable.

The next day, Cenk wants to meet but Eda has to go to the press conference. The girls come too for whatever reason, and Melo is convinced that Cenk wants to propose. Eda just lets that fantasy take hold (why tho?), and Cenk shows up unexpectedly right before the press conference and takes Eda into the nearby hotel’s cafe so they can talk.

Eda seems ready for a proposal (they haven’t seen each other or really communicated in months??) but Cenk wants to break up. Eda is shocked (???) but then Cenk mentions that he has a new girlfriend from Italy that he adores, and oh by the way, it’s the creepy girl from the other night who also happens to be here right now?

Okay fine, I guess??? Cenk: “She’s doesn’t speak Turkish” Girlfriend: *clearly a Turkish actress*

Eda is upset that he brought his jealous girlfriend with him to break up with her and says something about how actually, she’s seeing Serkan Bolat now (maybe it’s just me being someone who doesn’t follow tabloids, but are business people really that popular in every day society where everyone knows who they are?). Cenk laughs at Eda, saying that everyone wants to be with Serkan Bolat, and that she’s bluffing.

Eda makes an impulsive decision, and walks away, over to where Serkan has started the press conference. And seals their fate as fake dating in the public eye.

Queue confetti. No really.

And there we have it. That’s the episode!

In all seriousness, it’s a pretty great pilot, especially for a romcom. It hits all the right beats, includes enough tropes, and tells us a lot about what we should expect in the episodes going forward. And no matter how much I make fun of it, I really do enjoy this show! It’s been such a nice distraction from Current Events. I’ve spent a lot of time watching these episodes just saying “oh my god” out loud to myself as I watch all of the cute/romantic gestures that give me a lot of second hand embarrassment (I forget that PDA makes me kinda uncomfortable 😂).

There wasn’t actually that much terrible fashion in this episode, which I didn’t notice until my rewatch. If I continue with this series of posts, I’m hoping they’ll end up being less plot-centric, and more about the situationally inappropriate outfits and strange subtitling choices. 

See you next time? 

[tenderlyrenjun]

away we happened

summary: leaving jaemin to deal with math problems and renjun’s problems, jeno accompanies his parents to a gala in japan, and he gets the rare opportunity to see a ghost. ↛ ↛ ↛ rich boy!jeno x rich kid!reader ↛ ↛ college au, rich kids au, mentions of food, secret rendevous, might do another part for jaemin but idk yet ↛ word count: 1.8k

spin off from the rich truth: part four

"You’re not supposed to be back here.”

Jeno slowly sets down his phone, starting with the speakers then gently cupping his fingertips behind, on the camera. He looks at the second intruder, his now accomplice, and his jaw starts to close again, preventing the half-chewed gyoza from falling off his tongue. His other hand, which hid under the small, square bamboo plate, moves every non-essential item from his person so that he can adjust his tie and re-button his suit jacket. Jeno returns his glasses on the bridge of his nose, now needing to aid his vision for the far away beauty at the secret entrance of the kitchen. Well, this place is not really a secret, but he likes to think it is, otherwise his parents would find him ditching their colleagues at yet another vaguely important. And it is not like he has no reason to ditch - Jaemin, notoriously bad at math, is working, back in Korea, on their physics worksheet, alone; his parents stole him away at a bad time. Though, as he takes a look at you, dressed in some well-known designer evening wear, he knows that coming to Japan was not a mistake.

“You’re not supposed to be here either,” Jeno tells you, straightening up. His toes tap inside his black oxfords, hesitating to take the first step forward. And he does not, instead choosing to challenge the situation, as if you would betray him again and expose this place, this rendezvous, to his parents.

You roll your eyes, gliding further into the kitchen, now that the penultimate appetizer tray has left with the last of the champagne. Taking note of Jeno’s cutlery, you assume that he sequestered the remaining bits of food so that he could hide away back here until the announcements began. After all, it is a ritual you two share, no matter the continent. And consequently, you relax into your shoes, heel clicks translating into acoustic waves; Jeno thinks, probably still caught up by his international texts to Jaemin. You mute every sound, turning off his phone ringer first then slide onto the counter, face-to-face: an effective way to provoke his attention. The little paper bowl of soba noodles look the most delicious, you deem, and they make their way into a neat pile around Jeno’s remaining gyoza pieces, accompanied by a few extra cucumbers from the other dishes.

“The speeches are going to start in twenty minutes,” you reveal, passing the plate back into his hands. You pick up some utensils and dip it shallowly into the mini-mountain, then feed yourself a bite and pass it onto Jeno. “You ... We should leave here soon.”

Your torso turns away from him, allowing you to grab a nearby by napkin. It feels soft between your fingers and you yield back to Jeno while staring at the little paper cloth. Do you wipe his mouth too? Or have you lost that privilege, from all the distance that has separated you two? That distance seems so small now, as he watches you and you refuse to look into his eye, despite all the intimate acts you keep initiating.

Once your body feels too warm, burning bluer than his suit, your leg shakes toward the ground, foot dipping below your outfit’s lowest hem. And even though he duplicated your introductory accusation, Jeno does not want you to leave. He brings his palm up your thigh, onto your waist, repositioning you chest to chest, face to face, still on the counter (where appetizers belong). You ball the napkin into your hands before discarding it to the side, where your gaze follows, but he brings you to look at him with three little words:

“Don’t go yet,” he asks of you, eyes downcast at his fingers toying with your satin material, suddenly losing all of his confidence. He can feel your stare bouncing trough to crest to trough, your hands and his acting as pivotal nodes. His eyes though stand an amplitude taller, right under yours, at an origin neither of you can muster the courage to wave through.     

"Why?” you copy his tone. He peeks up, shoulders tugged forward by your disposition as a smile tugs towards him. You keep in a personal bubble, but not annoyed when he breaks it, hands coming up your arms until you whisper a little taunt: “Scared that I’ll snitch?”

“Like you did last time?” he mimics you.

And you roll your eyes again, hand grazing his chest as you push him away. The second you detach from him, he grabs your wrist, staying true to his request. His grip is loose enough for you to truly leave if you want, but small enough to make an impact. So you indulge him, slipping your fingers between his, pulling his hand into your lap. 

“Last time,” you reminisce out loud, “you almost got me in trouble with my parents.” 

Jeno’s head falls, dangling chin against chest. His hair looks overly gelled, you notice then scan down his face. Something you will never forget, and particularly fall in love with over and over, is his smile - it sneaks into all the corners of his profile, across his eyes, raising his cheekbones, freeing his lips. And ever so enamored with bringing that beam, or at least some variation of it, back into his face, you stroke his bangs away, like opening curtains to the sunshine. Jeno perks up, his eyes finding yours then closing as he leans into your hand.

“But seriously,” you alert him, almost reminding him of Renjun’s soft voice when he is annoyed - it essentially tells him that you have spent too much time apart. When he opens his eyes again, the warmth of your palm unmasking his face, he sees you staring out the circular window on the kitchen’s main entrance. “We should get going.” You turn back to Jeno, retreating your hand and jumping off the counter, standing closer than the width of a magazine. “Remember the charity gala? Christmas 2018?”

Jeno trails your fingertips, nodding his head back into your palm. “Of course. You threw me under the bus because your parents hadn’t found us yet.”

“Yeah,” you confirm, trailing off.

A few social events ago, when you were addicted to your phone and lavish trysts, consumed by fighting for popularity at an international school in Germany that Jeno had never heard about until then, you wandered into the back room as it functioned like a closet for the toy donation and attendee’s coats. You kept staring at your phone and it only riled Jeno up, having met up with him earlier than usual. It felt weird, he recalls, because he gets to know you through all your social media updates and the infrequent FaceTime calls from a different timezone. He wanted your attention - handing you champagne glasses filled with cider, doing dumb dances to make you laugh, pulling out toys from the bins so that you would at least look at him instead of whoever the fuck Yangyang was. All his tactics were so effective, even the one where he poured his beverage into a water gun and stained your trousers, just under the knee; that you literally lost your phone that night. The two of you ended up giggling loudly until someone leaned in; Jeno thinks it was you and you think it was him, and the only thing either of you can implicitly agree upon is the illustrative glow on each other’s faces. Then his mom came knocking around and stumbled on the two of you before dragging Jeno, mouth stained red and jacket around your shoulders, out by the ear. His mom was going to tell your parents about how you were a bad influence on her son, but you told her that it was his idea to wander about prior to the actual start of the gala, even citing one of secret rendezvous points that you knew she was aware of.

“Can’t believe you ratted me out,” Jeno marvels, his tone light, without malice as he stands more upright. “You know that she capped my bank account and sent me to Kumon?”

Ah, of course you know that. It was the first reason he mentioned when he finally caught the time to talk to you, just before this semester started. You never forget a detail about him.

“Hey,” Jeno calls at you, his hand drifting toward your cheek now, repeating your actions onto you. His opposite hand braces against the counter thickness, almost to keep balance before you two head out into separate worlds again. He smiles though when you lean into his touch, clasping your hands at his lower back. His grip loosens as you tilt your head back, shaking your hair free, but ultimately, you return to his embrace. “You’re like a ghost most of the time.”

“How can I be?” you implore him, staring up in his eyes. Your hands travel up his chest, smoothing over the lapels, until you wrap around his neck. The urge to taunt him again goes suppressed as you focus on how handsome he is in this moment. And with the way he guides you, guides your conversation, you feel comfortable and curious, bouncing to the tips of your toes to meet him closer. “You see me online all the time.”

Jeno’s hand raises outside your arms, and his finger draws on your hair strand, springing it playfully a few times instead of answering you, almost like giving himself time to respond. Usually he would do this at the gala with some sparkling wine or at a dinner with a glass of water, and like you, he tries not to forget the little illustrations about your life, but then again ...

“It’s not the same,” he answers you, “and you know it.” By now the first announcer can be heard outside, which means the silver platters will interrupt their brief tête-à-tête - god, does it always need to be so short, because ... “I miss you.”

Your eyes glisten at him apologetically, and he tells you that it is okay, holding your face intimately in his hands. You bend into his embrace, wrapping your fingers around his. He continues soothing you, as if taking turns with you in a silent conversation, rubbing at your cheeks with his lone thumb, the only appendage free from your grip. It seems symbolic, since the two of you always have one foot out the door - almost literally in this case. You turn your head, looking out the window one more time before referring into Jeno one last time.

“I’m sorry.”

[arminty7]

𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘦

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Mermaid!Jungkook x Reader [Part 1]

Trapped in this life of expensive wine and judgemental eyes Y/N met an unusual lady who offered her a job at an aquarium a few towns away. Despite being hesitant and uncertain for the future she decided to take the offer as it was her only way out, not knowing that many dangers might come her way. 

Jungkook swam his way through the small tunnel in wonder. He didn’t realise what he was ‘walking’ into as he took the entire night to explore a tunnel. He thought it might lead to you, how naive. It is only when he heard the piercing sound of drilling from the small tunnel entrance did he know what was happening, he was trapped. With that, his instincts took over.

Chapter: #1 Swimming in Wine

Words: 2719

Warnings: Mild Swearing // Fluff // Eventual Smut? Idk maybe depends // Spelling might be off because I am not from America so the spelling is not Americanised, sorry - I might edit it later so it is. 

Characters Mentioned:

Main: Y/N // Julie (Otherwise known as “Lady”

Background: // Trudy (Aunt) // Victor (Old man) // Mother

Key: Y/M/N = Your Mothers Name // P/N = Place Name

© arminty7 2020 - All rights reserved

This work shall not be copied, reproduced, translated and/or modified in any way without my permission. In a case where this might happen, legal action will be taken as it would be a criminal act under the law and breaching these terms. Upon reading my work you are acknowledging that this work is mine and that you know the consequences if this work is copied, reproduced, translated and/or modified in any way without my permission.

Authors Note: 

Hi! So this is my first fanfic. Chapter 1 is pretty boring but I promise more will happen in Chapter 2. I just kinda wanted to get some background of the character a bit more before introducing the story. I hope you guys like it. Also, It is my first time really using Tumblr properly so If you have tips on like little things like how to create a masterlist and anything else you think I might need to know please tell me! I’m a baby at this. 

Also this is in first person but the later chapters will be in second person using “You” and “your” instead of “I” 

Sorry for the confusion, I’ll fix it up soon. Trust me the chapters after this are much better

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Have you ever been to one of those fancy dinner parties where everyone appears to be over the age of 40 years old, yet you swore your parents told you that there would be people the same age as you? No? Lucky, because that's the life I live nearly every week and it fucking sucks. 

"Y/N, just this once come for dinner? We need to celebrate Aunt Trudy's promotion! Come on, she would be heartbroken if you didn't come." I remember her pleading eyes as if it's her dinner party we're going too. Even though she was probably there just to get the new latest gossip on, well, whoever she could really. 

"Just this once" I replied with a neutral look on my face. 

Man, curse those three words that came out of my mouth, I was ready to ditch this place as soon as I entered the door. The air smelled of lit candles and expensive wine, truly if I'm being honest, it smelled like rich old people and I did not like it one bit. I sat in the corner of the room holding a full wine glass, trying to avoid anyone and everyone, especially that one old rich business man Victor. It's not like he was doing anything to me but in the first hour being here I'd seen him chat up three ladies and drink enough wine classes to know that he was on the verge of being drunk. 

"Y/N!" My mother grabbed onto my shoulder, pulling me up from the small seat in the corner of the room.

Damnit.

"Yes? Everything okay?" I spoke sweetly, despite me wanting to show her that I had no interest in what she was saying.  

She dragged me out of the dining room and into the lounge. I look over to see my Aunty Trudy and two other ladies who smiled and laughed before looking over to me and my mother. 

"Oh hey... Y/M/N daughter, right?" she paused, looking me up and down at my black pants and hoodie. "What was your name again?" I raised my eyebrows, although I can't blame her for not remembering my name.

I look over at my mother, "she would be heartbroken if you didn't come" I remember the words vividly. 

She doesn't even know me.

"My name is Y/N. Congratulations on your promotion!" I look over to her, smiling. She smiles brightly, her hand on her chest as If I just told her she's the most beautiful woman I've seen. Which by the way, would be the biggest lie as her appearance reminds me that of a dried shrimp. 

"Oh really?! Thank you, you're too kind." I just smile at her, mentally rolling my eyes. Her eyes then lift. "I have an idea... How about I make a toast? This is just such a good memory to not say a few words to, don't you think Y/N?" I looked at her frowning, then quickly changing to a small smile and a nod. If there was anything I've learned over the past years is to not show how you really feel at this type of dinner party, it can cause a lot of trouble.

Ding, ding, ding.

I watch as she taps a small spoon provided by a waiter onto her wine glass. It took a minute before everyone looked over towards her but once they did, she started to speak. By then my mind was wandering aimlessly around the room, eager to distract myself from this tragic dinner party. I come across the television behind me that had the sound all the way down. I become intrigued as it showed blurry clips of what seemed to be something in the distance in the water, resembling a human although it swam away after a quick 2 seconds of filming it. The title on the screen read "MERMAID FOUND! MAN FOUND AND FILMED MERMAID JUST OFF THE COAST OF P/N" I roll my eyes. The media are stupid sometimes. A mermaid? Really? What a load of crap. The video was probably fake. 

I feel a nudge on my arm as I look over to my mother who is clapping happily with the rest of the guests. She looks at me warningly as Trudy comes over and laughs. "Did you like my speech Y/N?" she says holding her now a full glass of wine. Probably a wine too many if I'm being honest.

I look over at her and smile, "It was ah... meaningful. I can see you put a lot of thought in it" I stare at her and cocked my head as I see the waiter coming in the corner of my eyes. I give him my drink as I really didn't feel like drinking tonight, especially here. 

She cocks her head as well as if to challenge me. 

Ah, finally, she realised that I really don't give a shit 

She smiles walking off to another group as this one seemed to be too boring, not that I'm complaining though. One of the ladies who was standing with us looks over at me. "So, Y/N, what are you planning to do in the future?" I'm hesitant to speak but was interrupted by my mother, "Oh my dear Y/N, well at the moment you wanted to do something with marine animals am I correct?" she smiles at me, her arm over my shoulder. I look over at her frowning slightly but smile as I look back at the lady as she actually seemed to be interested, or perhaps she was just really good at faking it.

"Ah yes. I have a job at the moment at the aquarium nearby although it's a very small place, I haven't really got to experience anything grand yet" I take a look at my watch. "Uh actually speaking of work I'm gonna have to go soon, don't want to wake up too tired." That was a lie, I don't have work tomorrow.  

The lady looked at me as if she knew right through my lie. "Oh, that's a pity, I was going to see if you'd be interested in a job offer. Coincidently, I know someone who was looking to hire a young woman like yourself, interested in working in an aquarium with marine animals." She smiles as if she knew how much I wanted this. 

"I'm sorry what? Really?" I say, completely forgetting about how terrible tonight is, maybe it wasn't all for nothing. She smiled, "Yes you heard correctly. My friend is the owner of this brand new huge upcoming aquarium that apparently is opening pretty soon actually. Any interest?" 

I look at her smiling, "Oh wow... yes! Definitely." I felt my hands ball into fists as I was a little child accepting a lollypop for the first time in forever. I suddenly stop, looking down coming to a realisation, "But... there's only one Aquarium in P/N". she sighs, then shrugs before saying. "It's a few towns away from here and near the coast but I assure you, you won't find another job like this one." I squint my eyes at her a little, trying to figure out why she'd want to help me. "I'll have to think about it..." I say quietly. 

She nods, agreeing. "Well don't take too long, it's opening pretty soon. Get your mother to contact me by Friday with a decision" She then smiles, "I'll let you get home now, we wouldn't want you to miss work, now would we?" she winks.

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I get home, barely making it through the door as I start to go upstairs shoving my jacket and shoes off before I make it to my room. I lay on my bed, somewhat uncomfortable in my jeans and hoodie as I start to think about the job proposal.  

"Did she really mean it?" 

"Was she just messing with me?"

See, in this world of silverware, wine glasses and private affairs, it's extremely hard to know If someone has your best interests or not. My father left when I was 12 and now I'm 18, as soon as he left I told my mother I didn't want her money or her help anymore as I felt it was cheating and it was the reason dad left. I can't possibly think that I should take this job offer right? It goes against everything I have ever believed in, everything he believed in. 

Although... he once said to me, "take every opportunity you can get, you never know what could happen unless you leap forward and see for yourself". 

With that thought in mind, I quickly changed into my bunny pyjamas and jumped onto my bed, ready for sleep to drag me away from my problems. 

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

5 Days Later

The sun rose up shining violently through my window across my bed as I slowly opened my eyes, ready to be blinded. I groaned as I grabbed onto a pillow on my left and shove it onto my face, mentally facepalming for not closing my curtains last night. It was now Friday and I was already thinking about that job offer. I couldn't help it. It has been on my mind for the past few days now and last night I quit my job before officially decided I am going to do it. 

I rolled on my right side and slid out of bed facing the wall, making sure the light didn't blind me. I went over to the window and closed the curtains, the room now becoming dark. I looked over to my bed, it looked inviting enough to go back to sleep for another few hours although I knew I had to get up. I couldn't be bothered to turn the light on, so I dragged myself around towards my closet and grabbed some jeans and a hoodie that was two sizes too big. I sighed and slowly walked outside my room towards the bathroom to get ready. 

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

I walked out of the bathroom, feeling somewhat more refreshed but in desperate need of a coffee. I walked downstairs, hearing my mother in the dining room eating her breakfast. I passed her not saying a word as I went into the kitchen. 

"Ah Miss Y/N, good morning! How are you? Did you sleep well? Want some breakfast?" Marina bombarded me with questions like she always did every morning, but I didn't mind. She's the house cook and a good one, in fact. She greets me with a smile every day and tries to protect me when she sees any of mother’s friends trying to harass me when trying to find out mother’s secrets. It just occurred to me now that I haven't told her I'm leaving yet.

"No, I'm okay Marina. I just wanted to grab a piece of fruit or something." I smile at her, a real smile. She playfully smacks me with her tea-towel that was sitting on her shoulder. 

"Ah no, you’re not! Here have some sweets I made, fresh out of the oven!" She stuffed a doughy substance in my mouth, only for it to be revealed as a doughnut.

I smiled happily eating the doughnut.

To think just last night, I declared that from today that I was going to eat healthier. 

Oh well. 

I sat on the kitchen bench and finished my doughnut, looking at Marina. "So... I know you have always been good to me and I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner but-" Marina smiled and cut me off, "you're leaving". 

I stumbled with my words a little, a little shocked. "Y/N, I have known you since you were in diapers, don't act so surprised. Also, I'll be fine here, don't you worry." She gave me a heart-warming smile, but I still was shocked she guessed that I was leaving. She turned around to the fridge and grabbed some banana milk, putting it in my hand.

"I heard your mother talking about the possibility of you leaving Y/N, I may be smart but I'm not that smart." She chuckled and then looked over at one of the cooks. 

"Come on! Hurry up, stop dawdling" she yells and then looks at me. "And you missy, should go and get things sorted. You have your whole life ahead of you." She smacked me with the towel again as I hopped off the counter, my banana milk in hand. 

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

"Mother! What was that lady's phone number? The one who offered me the job?" I leaned on the outside door frame as I looked over at her sunbaking. 

"Oh, I don't know Y/N. Just call her off my phone." she reached her hand over to mine as she didn't move from her spot. I rolled my eyes and took the phone, heading back towards the lounge room. I sat down and took a long breath as I pressed the call button. It rang for a while and for a second, I didn't think she'd answer.

"Hello?" she answered. 

"Uh hi, it's Y/N." My voice sounded smaller than I wanted it to. 

"I know. Did you think about my offer?" 

"Yes, and I thought about it and figured I should give it a try," I said, feeling more confident about my decision. 

"That's good to hear. I talked to the guy who owns the aquarium and he said he'd be happy to take in new workers. Although you need to leave as soon as possible" Her voice sounded somewhat stern.

"Wait, by "as soon as possible" what do you mean?" 

"I'll pick you up tomorrow Y/N"

"Wait! Wait-" Oh great, she hung up. 

I still had way more questions, but I don't think they'd be answered until tomorrow. I sighed and got up putting the phone onto the coffee table and heading for my room. It was 4pm and I really needed to pack. 

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

I had to get up early tomorrow as the lady who I just recently found out her name is actually Julie was coming here really early. I was in my room, sitting on my bed with my huge ass suitcase getting my things ready before I heard a knock on my door. 

"Miss Y/N" I smiled knowingly. "Yes, Marina?" she popped her head in and looked at me. 

"I made some sweets for you, for the drive" she smiled with a couple of containers in her hand. 

"Oh Marina, I'm going to miss your cooking. And you of course." I grabbed the containers and put them next to my suitcase. 

"Y/N" My mother yelled from downstairs, "Your ride is here. Hurry up". I rolled my eyes before looking at Marina. I sighed as I saw her teary eyes, I could tell she was trying to hide it. 

"I'm gonna miss you, you know Y/N" She sniffles and looks over at the containers of food. "Who else is gonna love my cooking more than you?" 

I smile softly before reaching over to hug her, "Don't worry, I'll come back to visit". She sniffles and hugs me back, "Your very much like your father you know?" I stood back a little in confusion. 

"Because I'm leaving?" I ask. She shakes her head, "no, no, no. Not like that. He was always travelling and going places, always wanted to see if there was another better place... He believed in some absurd things at times, but he was always on the move. Ready for the next adventure..." she tucked your hair behind your ear. 

"Y/N!!" Your mother yelled again before Marina smacked you playfully with her tea-towel, "come on girl! Get a move on." I laughed and hugged her again before grabbing my awfully big suitcase and going downstairs. I looked over at my mother, "Don't go falling for some boy while you’re gone Y/N" I looked at her, raising my eyebrows. I guess that's her way of saying 'Be safe". 

"I won't," I told her as I walked out of the house heading toward the car. The house that will no longer feel familiar to me in a couple of months. Not that I had a profound connection with it, but it was my only home. Despite this, I felt ready. Ready to explore the rest of this vast ocean and see what mysteries will lie ahead once I leap forward.

Authors Note: 

I know it’s short. I’ll update soon! Hope you liked it. You’ll see more of JK next. 

[livesincerely]

Thoughts on sub Davey? 👀

(Disclaimer at the top, this answer stayed safely in T rated territory, but feel free to scroll past if this isn’t something you’re into 💕)

(Also, this ended up being a whole essay, then fun bullet points at the end, so sorry in advance, I’m just like this)

00000

So 👏🏼

I have already been called out a few times in comments/replies on the lowkey dom Jack vibes that show up in some of my possessive Jack fics, and also for that one scene in the first part of the domestic au.... 😅 I didn’t intentionally include dom/sub themes in those fics as I wrote them, hence why they’re not tagged that way, but there’s certain overlap between possessive character behaviors and dom character behaviors, so it’s understandable why they’d be read that way.

But as for like, actually writing a dom/sub thing? I’m not sure, honestly. I’m pretty happy playing with the dom/sub undertones that show up every once and a while—if I ever went full on I’d want to put some proper research into it to make sure it’s coming across appropriately (safe, sane, and consensual darlings! learn it and love it.) But I’m not against the idea? I guess I’d have to think on it more, and I’d need to have a prompt/scenario that I really loved, because writing smut is time consuming enough as it is, and I’m sure a dom/sub fic would only be more so.

But, as for thoughts on sub Davey...

So, while I do write Davey as the more submissive of the two, it’s honestly more that Jack is dominant than it is that Davey is submissive.

Jack is just a more, for lack of a better word, aggressive character. He’s a leader, he’s impulsive, he’s protective, he’s more hot headed, and I think (especially in a canon era setting) he’s more territorial. As the leader of Manhattan, he’s used to being listened to and there’s very much the sense that the Newsies are ‘his’ boys and lower Manhattan is ‘his’ terf, and everyone is his responsibility—which, since he’s the leader, then translates to being the one that’s willing/used to stepping up and making the first move, and in a sexual/romantic situation that turns into the dom Jack vibes that spring up in my fics.

And for me, since it feels natural to have Jack be so dominant in most situations, Davey compliments and counters that by being more passive, more diplomatic, more level headed. Additionally, Jack’s got the whole “I’ve always had to fight for everything I have, so I sometimes don’t know how to stop” thing going on, so it feels natural for Davey to foil Jack and be more submissive. Plus, Davey’s got the whole “world’s most oblivious smart ass” thing, and I love that for him. Flustered Davey is second only to flustered Jack... 😉

But, for me, Jack and Davey’s relationship is all about balance and give and take: Jack needs Davey just as much as Davey needs Jack. So, depending on how established their relationship is at the time, Davey swings wildly between being an unknowing distraction (letterman fic, everybody wants a taste) and being an absolute tease (you only have to ask, possessive kisses 1 & 2 of lets cut to the chase). Because, even though Jack has lowkey dom vibes/major protective and possessive vibes, he never acts on them unless Davey 1) gives him permission or 2) provokes him into acting, which in context is permission.

And god does Davey provoke Jack. It’s always so funny to me (even as I’m writing it) because it always takes Jack a while to catch on. And he tries so hard to resist, even when all he wants is to just press Davey up against the nearest flat surface and wreck him. And that scenario is never not fun—I live to lovingly torture Jack Kelly. So, I’d say that whenever Davey is being more submissive in bed, it’s 50/50 odds on if it’s because he’s actually flustered and instinctively succumbing to Hurricane Jack or if he’s intentionally pressing every one of Jack’s buttons. (Like I said, he swings wildly between innocently oblivious and purposefully provocative)

Honestly, Jack is probably the one who’s the most unchanging and predictable as far as what gets him going and Davey sort of does what he wants depending on his current mood. Like, for example, I have a whole unfinished tease entry where Jack’s been a little shit all day, flirting with and flustering Davey while he’s trying to work just because Davey blushes so easy and Jack loves it, but then Davey turns the tables on him later. It’s a sort of “service top, yet still playing the game” Jack matched with a “take charge, knows exactly how to get what he wants” Davey, if that tells you anything about my thoughts on their relationship.

And it’s sort of a role reversal, but sort of not: Jack’s super into it because he’s just super into Davey full stop—he doesn’t care if Davey wants to take the lead. And even as Davey’s taking the lead, there’s still that give and take/push and pull because it’s still Jack and Davey, if that makes sense? Idk.

Anyway, long story long, for me Davey and Jack are just really well matched and really into each other. Davey has subby tendencies but they’re mostly reactions to Jack’s dom tendencies, of which there are many. And Davey is always a tease, but whether it’s on purpose or accidental just depends on the circumstance. I don’t know if I’d ever go out and write a full, full dom/sub fic, but I’m really enjoying the hints of it that are coming through in my usual style, and I’m not against the idea.

***

It occurred to me after I wrote all of the above that you may have wanted a more... fun answer, not just ramblings on character and relationships. So have some bullet points? 😅

When Jack calls Davey “David,” in that low, growly, demanding voice??? Davey literally feels like his knees are gonna give out, just melting right on the spot, shivers down the spine, totally pliant and dazed. And it only happens when Jack’s really revved up, so it always takes Davey off guard when he says it. When it comes to playing the game and the back and forth between the two of them, Jack saying “David” is like, the ultimate dom move and usually the final warning before he absolutely wrecks Davey.

The easiest way for Davey to tease Jack is to wear any of Jack’s clothes, but especially his t-shirts or his jackets/hoodies. Jack cannot keep his hands off of him when he does—it kicks Jack’s possessiveness into high gear, and he’s already the more impatient one, just generally, so that’s a sure fire way to provoke a reaction when Davey wants to play the game. The only thing better than Davey wearing Jack clothes to tease him is Davey wearing Jack’s clothes for any other innocent reason, especially in a pre-getting together scenario. Because flustered, possessive-but-trying-to-hide-it Jack is so much fun. I mean, that’s literally the letterman fic in a nutshell, and it’ll be a big feature of the quarantine fic (once I get around to it 😅)

(I also just love clothes sharing as a trope, but I’m sure that’s obvious by now)

Also! Davey’s taller but Jack’s bigger and stronger than he is. And Jack is absolutely capable of holding Davey down, picking him up, and just generally man handling Davey around. I think it’s the letterman fic that has the scene where Jack holds Davey’s hips in place and grinds up into him because he’s being a mouthy shit? Yeah.

Davey gives Jack shit for constantly marking up his neck with hickeys, but he actually kind of loves it. He likes wearing Jack’s marks on his skin, sure—particularly the ones Jack bites into his neck and shoulders and the ones that show up on his hips and thighs from Jack’s fingers—but what he really loves is how Jack reacts to seeing the marks after the fact. Because wow

I’m sure there’s more, but this is already wayyy too long lol. Hope that made some kind of sense? Or, at least, wasn’t too horribly confusing?

00000

@umbre-honest

[justkurotingz]

package deal (macriley)

omg i absolutely did not expect that ending for the finale. i cannot wait for the next season and for macdesi to break up already *sneezing face* HUGE SPOILER ALERT FOR 4x13 (legit the storyline but it’s somewhat changed)

taglist from the gc: @zahra-0110​ @canary-warrior​ @tilltheworldendsx3​ @moodypetrichorlove​ @multi-fandomshipper101​ <33

idk what’s up with the weird formatting haha

word count: 2.5K words

“so, mac, riley, how are you two liking your new home?” “oh jeez.” riley let out a shaky breath after recognizing the mysterious voice. “it’s gwen.” she said before mac could ask and opened the door, revealing gwen standing in front of them with a smile.

“it’s great, really.” mac’s answer was genuine and gwen smirked. “everything going good in paradise?” “gwen, you know we’re not together.” a blush rose on riley and mac’s cheeks and she simply smirked. “for now.” 

“anyways.” she cleared her throat and then glanced at mac. “i need you for a while angus.” “what about riles?” gwen paused, glancing back at riley. “this is something you need to do alone.”

“i told you we’re a package deal. i’m not leaving her.” mac stepped forward, almost as if he was protecting riley and she rolled her eyes, although hesitant as well. “mac it’ll just be for a little while.” “listen to your girlfriend angus. come on, don’t you trust me?” gwen noted that both of them let the girlfriend thing go.

“fine. just... stay safe ok?” he looked into riley’s eyes and she nodded. “i’ll be fine. go do what you have to do. i’ll see you later.” “yeah.” mac gave her a small smile and then stepped out the door to follow gwen outside unsure of what he was following her into.

riley let out a breath, closing the door behind her and sinking down beside it, hands in her hair. she didn’t trust anyone here, not yet. but gwen wouldn’t harm mac, right? she thought, getting up to lock the door and change. 

but as the hours dwindled by, she collapsed on the couch, pulling a pillow close to her and holding it tight. what were they doing to mac? was he ever going to come back? and then the emotions she pushed deep down surfaced.

what had she done? betrayed all her friends to go undercover to take down  maniacs that want to kill off a quarter of the earth’s population with her best friend who she had secret feelings for even though he had a girlfriend, and now he was gone with the leader of the maniacs to do god knows what. 

“he’s going to come back. he’s going to come back.” riley chanted, brushing the few tears from her face. but she could only hope that mac was safe.

“i’ll take it from here.” roman growled as soon as mac and gwen made their way down the steps. “no, you won’t.” gwen stared him down. “leland wants you to get your team ready.” they had a silent staring contest and gwen surrendered. 

“so... i will meet you soon. tomorrow’s the big day.” she brushed off his jacket and mac frowned at her. “it’s a surprise.” she smiled. “you’ll be fine.” with that roman led mac off, leaving gwen to watch their disappearing figures.

roman led him to a greenhouse of sorts. and it was then mac learned the true history of codex. “codex dates back to the 14th century?” he stammered and leland smiled softly, still snipping at his plants. “i know, hard to believe.”

time flew by with leland, and mac didn’t even realize how much time he had spent watching the old man cut plants and listening to him speak about codex. but he gave no hints to the plan for tomorrow.

“the painting...” it was a volcano, blocking out the sun. gears turned in mac’s mind, but he couldn’t think of anything codex had access to that related to volcanoes. was that their plan for tomorrow? to have another pompeii?

riley followed the man up to a tech room, observing everything. people were talking to themselves, obviously about whatever was happening tomorrow. “so what’s the plan?” she asked the man next to her, and he shook his head. “all in good time.” but she heard nuclear more than once in there whispers. 

this was taking too long, riley decided. she needed air, and where the hell was mac? “i’ll just be a minute.” she informed the man and walked outside, hands on her knees as she breathed deeply. she needed to find mac, now. he’d know exactly what was happening and what to do. retracing her steps she found her apartment, and then, stairs on the side that led underground. 

there was a man, walking along the side of a greenhouse. “who- who are you? where’s mac?” she asked. “he’ll be fine, you’ll see.” shaken, riley continued on her way, and found another staircase leading up- to the main tech room?

gwen was talking to mac and they had just split up when riley spotted them. “mac!” she cried, rushing over to his outstretched arms and wrapping her arms tightly around him. “you- you were gone for so long i got worried something happened.” she said in a rush and mac hugged her back tightly. “i know, i got  carried away with leland, i’m sorry riles. don’t worry, i missed you too.” he joked and riley sighed, melting into his arms.

making eye contact with gwen on stage, riley blushed and stepped away from mac as gwen raised her eyebrows at the two. the plan was to head to a rendezvous point, with teams going in pairs to attract less attention. “you ready?” mac glanced at riley in the passenger seat and she nodded. “we just have to focus on keeping our covers. hey, mac?”

“yeah?” “i heard the tech assistants talking about nuclear power earlier.” mac sighed heavily, looking at riley. “i know what codex’s plan is. leland was talking about volcanoes earlier. they’re going to use a nuke to activate a volcano.”

“you can do that?” riley sounded horrified and mac nodded. “unfortunately- whoa!” the van skidded over the road and mac groaned. “we got a flat.” riley hopped out the passenger side, grabbing the spare tire from the back.

“can you hand me that?” “yeah.” riley handed him the tire and tried to ignore the flutters inside her stomach when mac’s hands brushed hers. “tire’s done, let’s go.” mac reached down to help riley up and she smiled at him. “we’re going to be late, let’s not attract attention.”

“sounds like a plan.” they headed to the rendezvous point, with mac driving extra fast. but there was something wrong, at the warehouse there was no nuke. “you’re late.” scarlett commented and riley glanced at her. “what’s the plan?” “we don’t have details yet.” 

“i’m gonna go get some air.” mac nodded and riley stepped outside, sighing deeply. she glanced at the soft blue sky, clouds masking a familiar helicopter. a cobra attack helicopter...

“mac!” she yelled, rushing back inside. “what is it?” his crystal blue eyes searched hers, hands at her waist to steady her. “there’s a cobra attack helicopter outside!” “what?” scarlett and mac said in unison and she nodded.

“it’s a trap! everybody take cover!” mac yelled, grabbing sheets of metal, and pulling riley closer to him. “come on!” riley rolled into the little space and mac quickly followed, covering them both with the sheet.

“mac i-” “there’s no time.” somehow, his arms found there way around her body, one hand tangled in her hair. “i love you riles.” he whispered, locking his lips with hers. riley opened her mouth to say something and that’s when the explosion set the warehouse on fire. 

riley screamed, holding onto mac tighter, but they were still alive. “come on, we got to get out of here.” but the metal was too hot, so they dropped their fire shield and ran past the flames, coughing and gasping they second they stumbled through the door.

“mac!” someone screamed, running over to him. desi? mac glanced up, disoriented and spotted desi and bozer. “riles- is riles ok?” he coughed, shrugging away from desi’s arms and she backed away. 

mac looked back to where bozer was supporting riley, helping her walk over to desi and mac. “where did you two come from?” riley gasped. “the flat tire? that was us, i slipped a tracker in the car.” bozer explained. “i was planning to come get you two solo but desi wanted to come along.” she wouldn’t meet mac’s eyes and mac realized that was fine by him.

“codex has a nuke. i think they’re going to activate a volcano.” “whoa.” desi’s eyes were wide and bozer helped riley over to the suv. “we have eyes on codex, a truck just pulled out. big enough to store a nuke.” desi handed the tablet over and mac took it without looking at her.

“we got to follow it.” desi slid into the driver’s seat, mac next to her even though he didn’t look too pleased about it. bozer and riley climbed in the back, leaning forward to talk to mac.

“are you guys alright?” “yeah, gwen just tried to blow us up.” riley groaned and mac frowned. “it wasn’t her. there’s no way she’d just kill her entire team.” “mac, i get it, she’s your only surviving family member and she reminds you of your mom, but she’s still... gwen.” bozer said and desi nodded. “you got to clear your head mac. we know about you two going undercover, i’m not saying what you did with me and russ was right but... i understand.” she said finally.

riley glanced at mac from the backseat. she unconsciously bit her lip, unsure what to make of the kiss. she’d be hurting desi, who was like a sister to her, but she wouldn’t lie to herself, she loved mac too.

after mac’s fight with roman in the truck, he explained codex’s plan to the group. “it’s a reset switch for the earth.” “let’s go stop them.” but “let’s go stop them” translated into mac dying in order to create a chain reaction that stops the nuke.

“you deserve the world. and the world deserves you.” with that gwen let mac go, ready to make the sacrifice herself, but the others didn’t know that. tears streaming down riley’s face as she walked behind desi and bozer to safety, she glanced back at the dam.

the explosion threw her to the ground, but she didn’t even feel the pain. “mac!” she screamed, sitting up and sobbing so hard she couldn’t breathe. that couldn’t be the end, it just couldn’t be the end. “mac!” she screamed again, wrapping her arms around herself as her body shook with a second wave of sobs. 

“come on riley, we got to get back.” desi’s voice wavered as she pulled her friend up, but riley’s legs gave way. she wanted nothing more than to fall at desi’s feet and tell her about the kiss, but she knew she’d only be hurting desi.

mac was gone. mac was gone. and she didn’t even tell him that she loved him back. mac died all alone, even though she promised him he would never be alone. “i promised him.” she whispered, sinking down to her feet and remembering that day in germany after mac’s confession. she promised him he’d never be alone, but when he needed her the most, she failed him.

she sat there, hunched over and sobbing for hours. or maybe it was just a few minutes, riley lost all track of time as she cried. “come on riley.” bozer’s voice broke and after a few seconds of silence, matty's voice came over the comms.

“get out of there.” matty was definitely crying, but russ hadn’t said a word. “come on, we’re going home.” riley, nodded, standing. “give me- can you just give me a second?” boze and desi exchanged glances. “we’ll be in the car.” they started walking away and riley let out a long shuddering sigh.

what was she going to do without mac? riley couldn’t see herself without mac besides her. her thoughts were interrupted by gasps and coughs, which sounded awfully like mac when they escaped the warehouse earlier.

riley straightened up, blinking quickly to convince herself she was imagining, but a voice called out from the wreckage. “riles?” desi and bozer turned immediately and riley ran like hell towards the figure emerging from the ruins. “mac!” she jumped into his arms and he held her close, inhaling her scent. 

“i’m so sorry riles. i’m so sorry.” he whispered and riley broke down, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she sobbed into his chest. “i thought you left me.” he tightened her hold around her, kissing her shoulder. “i promised you’d never be alone. i’m here riles, i’m ok.”

she stepped back, still shaking, and wiped her eyes as boze and desi caught up to them. riley turned away as desi hugged mac tightly, fawning over him. she felt mac’s eyes on her but forced herself not to look up, because she knew what would happen.

“oh thank god.” matty’s voice made desi break away and boze hugged mac. “man, we all thought you-” his voice broke and mac grinned. “i don’t die that easily. let’s go home.” desi wrapped her arm around his waist, guiding him back to the car, and riley followed after them, taking a deep breath to steady herself, unsure what the future held.

but she certainly didn’t expect mac at her door at 2 in the morning. “mac?” she peered through the door, and opened it slightly. “what are you doing here? where’s desi? what happened?” she asked and mac smiled tiredly at her.

“i got chinese.” she let him in and closed the door behind him as he set the takeout on the table, opening the food and handing her her favorite takeout. “i broke up with desi.” he admitted and riley immediately set the food down, going around her counter to hold him tightly.

“i just told her i fell out of love but she knew. she handled it pretty well, warned me not to hurt you.” riley chuckled softly, her hands in mac’s hair. he broke away, eating quickly. “i’m ok riles, i just... wanted to be with you. it’s too soon to start a new relationship but-” riley leaned over and pressed her lips against mac’s. “she’s my friend too, we can wait.” she whispered and mac smiled.

“i meant it riles. i love you.” “i love you too mac. we’ll figure it out as we go.” he threw the boxes in the trash and led riley to the couch, sitting down and pulling her next to him. 

after a second she relaxed into him, head on his lap and mac gently played with her hair as she spoke. “let’s go to bed mac.” she scooched up his body and mac wrapped his arms around her, pulling a blanket over the two of them.

for the first time in mac’s life, he slept soundly throughout the entire night, dreaming of his best friend.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 309: Gotta Go My Own Way

Previously on BnHA: Muscular was all “well if it isn’t the protagonist on his solo journey of self-discovery, for some reason I’m unironically glad I get to fight you!” Deku was all “hey Muscular before I finish kicking your ass would you please take a moment to answer these two survey questions? Question one, do you regret being a total piece of shit? And question two, if you could do anything at all in the world other than being a total piece of shit, would you?” Muscular was all, “pfft, no and no.” Deku was all, “thanks buddy, your feedback helps make me a better hero, here’s a coupon for fifteen percent off your next ass-whooping.” Then he whooped his ass.

Today on BnHA: Deku is all “what up All Might can you believe you’ve been here this entire time?” All Might is all “I sure can since that’s literally my catch phrase, anyway how are your magic movie 1 gauntlets holding up?” Deku is all “they’re holding up fine, how are Hawks, Endeavor, and Best Jeanist doing?” Hawks, Endeavor, and Best Jeanist are all “we, your fellow co-conspirators, are also doing fine, thanks for asking!” Flashback!Deku is all “anyway so I secretly have All Might’s quirk and the most dangerous people in the world are after me, so sorry mom but that’s why I’m dropping out of school.” Inko is all “I CAN’T ACCEPT THAT” while totally accepting it. All Might is all “I GUESS WE’LL JUST HAVE TO GO ALONG WITH IT SINCE I DON’T FEEL LIKE TRYING TO STOP HIM.” Hawks, Jeanist, and Endeavor, as previously mentioned, are all “yeah that sounds like a good plan”, and Gran is all “see ya kid, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” So basically everyone in the entire world has suddenly teamed up with Deku to defeat AFO, except for the one person whose entire foreshadowed endgame is “teaming up with Deku to defeat AFO.” O Kacchan where art thou.

dear tumblr image limit: okay look. you don’t like me, and I don’t like you. but just as an experiment, I’m gonna try writing this recap with as few images as possible and we’ll see how it goes

(ETA: spoilers for how it went: it didn’t, lol.)

oh my god WHY ARE WE OPENING WITH MORE KETSUBUTSU ACADEMY KIDS.ffs we’d better at least finally get some Ms. Joke content out of this

(ETA: seriously who do I have to bribe.)

so these two KB kids who no one cares about are watching Deku leap away from the scene after dispatching Muscular. but more importantly wtf is this chapter title omg. “I can’t stay being a child” so that’s how it is huh. we’re gonna have feels and we’re going to like them. well then

oh my god he’s hauling Muscular away dhfksklfkh okay this is gonna have to be our first image because I can’t fucking help myself. look at this

just. Deku is so tiny and he’s carting away this massive unconscious lump of a man like it’s nothing why is this so funny to me. it’s like when people buy furniture, and they don’t want to pay extra for delivery and so they’re like, “I can definitely fit this king-sized mattress in the back of my compact sedan if I fold the fucking seat down, idk.” and they refuse to be talked out of it, and the next thing you know you’re watching them drive home with their open trunk door haphazardly tied down with bungee cords, and somehow it fucking works. because it turns out the compact sedan has super strength

anyway for SOME REASON now Horikoshi is all “have fun with that Deku, meanwhile we now return you to your regularly scheduled SHINDOU CONTENT” whyyyyyy

look at this. we’re really using up a whole fucking entire page on everyone arguing over who gets the honor of carrying Shindou

love how the civilians are all, “shit lol is this actually our fault?? quick, how do we play this off all casual like we were the reasonable parties here all along”

turns out all it took to finally get them to listen was making them watch while a kid got his insides ground into a pulp because of their stupidity!! what a heartwarming conclusion to this little standoff

anyways THANK GOD we’re cutting back to Deku now!! well actually we’re cutting back to Muscular who is being dropped off at the police precinct, good bye and good riddance lol

so Deku’s leaving him there and bounding away and okjdlSKFJLKJDSL OH MY GOD

no fucking way. no fucking way this little jaunt is All Might-sanctioned and approved. are you serious?? then who else is in on this?? what the hell is going on

so All Might is just WAITING FOR HIM IN AN ALLEY FFF WHO ARE YOU, JIM GORDON. or would Alfred be a better analogy here?? but like, Alfred if he ditched the suit for a moto jacket and shades

this new ensemble of All Might’s may or may not severely impact my ability to take this forthcoming conversation seriously; please stand by

also, quite the spectacular landing there, Deku. seriously lol what was that

“HOW ARE YOUR LIMBS” “THANKS TO YOU THEY’RE COMPLETELY FINE” I’M SORRY WHAT

LOL WHAT. “THANKS TO THE POWER OF THESE MAGIC GLOVES” OH I SEE THAT EXPLAINS IT

are these the same gauntlets from the first movie, then? well that’s all well and good, except that now there’s going to be more Deku Discourse than fucking ever lol. so if it’s all the same to you guys, I’m gonna once again go ahead and declare this week’s post a discourse-free zone, at least when it comes to the specific discourse of Deku’s merits as a MC, and the impact that him kicking ass and having working arms has on said merits. this has been something of a low mental energy week for me, so I’d rather reserve the energy I do have for more fun topics, such as All Might’s bitchin’ leather jacket

anyway so All Might’s saying that the gauntlets will help reinforce Deku’s arms, but they can’t withstand OFA at 100%. so basically it’s a support item designed to maintain the status quo lol. we’re basically in the same situation we were before, arm-capability-wise

homg All Might’s getting a call. time to see who else is in on Operation: Deku Alone?? or not so alone for that matter

omg

HI HAWKS, WHERE ARE YOUR WINGS

(ETA: seriously are they really gone for good?? why would he even be back on active duty then?? does he have his own American ex-boyfriend who can hook him up with exclusive support items?? dammit Horikoshi we want answers.)

looks like Jeanist and Endeavor are teaming up as well, just like they said they would. I would gladly follow this trio around all day long tbh

is this the same giant villain from the very first chapter??

looks like it to me, and it would tie in with that callback from the end of chapter 306. we all thought that was Muscular, but maybe it was this guy, and Deku left these three to deal with him while he ran off to take Muscular down

oh my god now Deku is running off again just like that

kids these days

ffffff I have not had nearly enough sleep to follow along with whatever tf Hawks is talking about here sob

like, is he trying to say that All Might is keeping Deku’s whereabouts unknown to anyone except for him?? in order to keep him safe?? but Hawks is pointing out that that’s a bad strategy and probably won’t do shit against AFO and it’s better if he lets Deku work with the rest of them?

(ETA: so @hanashimas​’ translation makes a lot more sense -- it’s not All Might who’s being overprotective, but Deku. in other words he’s trying not to drag All Might into his battles. and in addition Hawks is saying that their strategy is to take the offensive and go after AFO themselves rather than wait for him to come to them. which I’m not too sure about myself, but that’s another topic for another day.)

btw I can’t help thinking how much better this entire conversation would be if All Might was still wearing his sunglasses. put them back on my dude. it’s not too late. embrace your inner badass

DKLJSLDKFJL FLASHBACK ALERT, FUCKING FINALLY

“turns out, we were just trying to scare you straight. fuck lot of good that did though lol”

also what is this. one true love: the hospital bed. is that a scanlator joke or is Horikoshi actually that funny omg

SKLJDFLJLK

ITSA ME!! omg I love this hospital so much. though it’s sure not helping me in my quest to try and keep this post below ten images. I’m already up to eleven haha r.i.p. to me if tumblr doesn’t get its shit together

whaaaaaat, so he’s saying that Deku’s injuries were external (i.e. Tomura beating the shit out of him) rather than internal this time?? whaaaaat. excuse me but that’s some bullshit lmao. believe me, I was there

okay now he’s going on to explain that Deku’s “internal structure” seems to have been protected from the inside and out, and the corresponding panel seems to be implying that using Blackwhip as a brace paid off. huh

and also that his body is just stronger now?? so I guess he’s better able to withstand the quirk after an additional year of training?? I’M NOT SURE IF I BUY ANY OF THIS LOL but I’m willing to suspend my disbelief

OH MY GOD RED ALERT, INKO IS ASKING ALL MIGHT TO EXPLAIN WTAF DEKU’S QUIRK IS, IS IT FINALLY THAT TIME OMGGGG

SO HE’S EXPLAINING IT TO HER OFF-SCREEN, AND INKO IS JUST LIKE

I GUESS THAT’S FAIR LOL. IT’S TRUE INKO I’M SO SORRY, YOUR SON IS A PROGATONIST R.I.P.

AHHKKJH DEKU ANGST IS IT FINALLY THAT TIME OMGGGGGG

what is this soft pop beat that’s suddenly being pumped in over the speakers. I’VE GOT TO MOVE ON~ AND BE WHO~ I~ AM~~~, I JUST DON’T BELONG HERE, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAAAAAAAND. also, follow-up question, when is Kacchan finally going to come back so he can jump in with the “WHAT ABOUT US~~~” bridge, huh. come the fuck on, Horikoshi

lmao All Might jesus christ

but given that it’s a stupid-ass decision...

anyway, yes!! finally that sweet, sweet “I don’t want to put anyone else in danger” angst!!

mmm that’s good angst Brent. Kacchan with center panel honors as usual, you love to see it. anyways though who do I have to yell at to get Deku a goddamn HUG around here seriously

so Inko is of course reacting with panic, and sensibly saying that she doesn’t approve of Deku’s “RUN AWAY AND FIGHT THE BAD GUYS ALL ON MY OWN, DON’T WORRY MOM I’LL JUST GET STRONGER, EASY AS PIE, IT’S A FOOLPROOF STRATEGY” plan

son of a bitch this manipulative green asshole is really gonna sit here and smile fondly at his mom and try to convince her that he’s Not A Little Kid Anymore. the hell you’re not mister

y'all are really just gonna sit there and let him talk you into this?? surely it can’t be that easy??

OH MY GOD

THE FEELS oh my god oh my god. BUT ALSO YOU’RE SERIOUSLY JUST GOING TO COLLAPSE INTO HIS ARMS SOBBING AND LET HIM DO WHATEVER THE FUCK HE WANTS LKJLJLFK. WHERE ARE ALL THE STRICT PARENTS AT?? AIZAWA, GANG ORCA, MITSUKI, SOMEONE PLEASE COME AND TELL DEKU TO SIT HIS ASS THE FUCK DOWN. NOW LISTEN HERE YOUNG MAN!!

“EVEN IF I TRY TO STOP YOU YOU’LL STILL LEAVE” WELL SURE, IF BY “TRY TO STOP HIM” YOU MEAN POLITELY TRY TO TALK HIM OUT OF IT FOR THREE SECONDS. HE’S SIXTEEN WTF WHEN DID HE BECOME THE BOSS OF YOU ALL. SOMEONE NEEDS TO COME AND TELL HIM HE’S GROUNDED

anyway sob so that’s the story of how Deku talked his parents into letting him drop out of school, and even convinced All Might to be his own personal Guy In The Chair. holy shit. this kid really went and rolled a nat 20 and the rest of them had no choice but to fold without argument

meanwhile here’s a panel of Best Jeanist trying to braid his phone into his hair just cuz

I’m dying to know which part of his language he considers to be crude here. you literally didn’t even use a contraction my guy

so now flashback!Deku is talking to Gran in the dark, and Gran is all “can you believe I’m not fucking dead yet lol that’s too funny. anyway, you sure I can’t interest you in killing Tomura after all?? no?? okay then here’s my cape.” truly a heartwarming scene

I’m kind of torn here tbh. on the one hand, my adhd ass wasn’t all that interested in sitting down and having an extended scene between these two when there’s so much else that I want to get to. but on the other hand, even I can admit that cramming this entire reunion into a single page seems just a BIT rushed. idk. like maybe someone can let Horikoshi know it’s a marathon and not a race. Deku didn’t even get any dialogue here, some of us want to know his thoughts!! but anyway

AND JUST LIKE THAT?!

how did all four of them let him con them into this. I literally just watched it happen and I still can’t figure out how. “I GUESS THIS SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT IS OUR LEADER NOW” ffflfjf. when Aizawa finds out he’s gonna go apeshit. AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON BAKUGOU KATSUKI, WHO I HAVE BEEN ASSURED DOES IN FACT STILL EXIST. WHAT ABOUT USSSSS, WHAT ABOUT EVERYTHING WE’VE BEEN THROUGH. WHAT ABOUT TRUST???! YOU KNOW I NEVER WANTED TO HURT YOUUUUU

btw lol don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying this, and I’m honestly glad Deku’s not alone because that would suck for him! but that said, Hawks and Jeanist have lost any credibility they might have once had as far as being The Responsible Ones, and as for All Might and Endeavor, fucking hell lol. everyone just deposited all of their fucks in a bank somewhere for safekeeping and decided to never look back. godspeed you mad lads

[christophcalledbingo]

The Guessing Game Part 2 (Dr. King Schultz fic)

Hope you are all doing well! It’s sequel time! This is the second part of the fic, read the first one or you’ll be lost. 

(Link to the first part) 

https://christophcalledbingo.tumblr.com/post/616560017298112512/the-guessing-game-dr-king-schultz-fic

(This is a bigger chapter btw, a bit more of 4k)

Hope you got the memes too hehe. There is teacher kink? There is teacher kink! Kids having class on Saturday? Yeah, it fits the narrative, don’t question the narrative!!! There is some anachronisms, this is a fic, don’t worry about it! A bit of relationship building and a bit of spice :) (I‘ll wait to use the big guns on the next part). WE GOT POVS EVERYONE (points of view).

Mentions of loss too.

It’s not that nsfw but it gets close so... idk, just enjoy.

Translations:

Himmel: Heaven

Bitte: please

Natürlich, ja!: Of course, yes!

Liebling: dear

Bastard: it’s the same in English but with a capital letter :)

Danke: Thank you.

CLARA’S POV:

I wake up to the sound of a rooster crowing, but I’m still too tired from yesterday’s little adventure, so I just go back to sleep-

“I’M A TEACHER!” I suddenly remember that I am an adult with adult responsibilities. I try to dress as fast as I can. However, my wrist still hurts and it takes longer than expected. I end up wearing a light-blue blouse and a long black skirt up to my knees. I put my caramel brown hair in a bun, grab my glasses, my shoes and my bag and I run to the school. 

Our town is the most centrical of a lot of tiny communities, so the school is located here, and all the kids from the surrounding towns come here to learn from me!

I’m was running so late that I forgot to eat breakfast... Today is going to be a bad day. Just before I arrive to the building I see a carriage with a bouncy tooth on top of it. That must be King’s… He must have parked it here and then went off to sleep at the Inn, I don’t see him anywhere. However, I see a very friendly-looking horse that’s drinking some water. Just as I get close he salutes me. 

“Good morning to you too!” I say, cheerfully. This must be King’s horse then. He looks like he has had nothing to eat since yesterday though… 

I sprint towards the school building and I see everyone inside. As I expected, someone has left me an apple on the table. I grab it.

“Thank you, to whoever gave me this, I appreciate it, so much. However, there is someone who needs it more than I do. I’ll be right back!” I then sprint outside to, what I presume, King’s horse. 

As he sees me arrive, he moves his head in a happy motion.

“Here you go boy, hope you like it. It looks very tasty indeed!” I smile and pat his head. I wonder what’s his name… “I’ll see you later, untitled horse.” And I go back to the school to give my lecture of the day. 

KING’S POV: 

I woke up quite early at the calling of a rooster. I’ve slept quite nicely… but I can’t get Clara out of my head, so unique and yet so intriguing. I hope I can find her today.

I leave the inn in a rush, no jacket, just my vest and my hat. I forgot Fritz’s dinner yesterday. He is going to be mad at me, I’m certain. Just as I arrive to the spot where I left him, I see that there is someone interacting with him. As they turn to pat Fritz, I see Clara. I try to call her, but she ends up not hearing me and running to the closest building. 

“Sometimes I envy you, my dear friend… I wish that was me, a moment back there. To be the one she gets to pet so dearly.... I mean, not pet- just- just have a good lunch together and then maybe hold hands, and then...” I shouldn’t think that way, she is far too young and no interested at all… Nonetheless, curiosity gets the best of me and I look through the window of the closest building. Clara is writing something on a board in a beautiful cursive, and there is a room full of children that seem to be cherishing every instant. 

“Ok, so today is ‘shifting book day’.” And every kid in the room just complains. “I know and I’m sorry. I know that you wanted new books, but I couldn’t aff… get my hands on any that were worth of your amazing taste! I’m so sorry, I’ll try to find some worthy books next week.” She seems to have economical issues, and I just caused her night job to close… 

The kids shift the books with their friends as Clara looks at them with sadness. Just at that moment she takes notice of my presence. She gives me a very big smile and I smile back, then raises her hand, showing me one finger, and mouthing something on the ways of “Give me just a moment.” And I nod to let her know that I understand. 

“Next class is going to be biology everyone, but before that we should all get a rest. Grab your snacks and we will resume the lesson in fifteen minutes.” All the kids cheer as they go outside. Then Clara makes a motion that lets me know that is ok for me to enter the building. As I enter however, I take notice of how beautiful she looks today, and I unwittingly smile . 

“Hello you! Good morning! I knew that we were going to look for each other today, but I wasn’t expecting that you were to find me so soon!” Clara laughs and I think I just went to Himmel.

“It took longer than planned, where you hiding from me?”  

“Me? I would never do that! Not from you that is.” She says ironically, as she puts her bandaged hand on her chest.

“Are you feeling better? Does the bandage hurt?”

“Oh, no, not at all. I guess… I guess it’s a little bit tight, but it’s supposed to be like that, isn’t it?”

“Indeed but, can I take a look? Just in case.”

“Yeah, sure, of course, do whatever you need to do…” I put on my glasses, grab her hand very gently and I start to examine the bandage.

CLARA’S POV:

Oh my- Why am I so flushed?! He touched my hand yesterday and I wasn’t so flushed! Is it the glasses? He does look very handsome with them- I SHOULDN’T THINK ABOUT THAT! He touches my hand very gently, putting one of his under mine for support, and he uses the other one to look for any weird marks of signs of excessive pressure.

“I don’t see any worrying marks, but if you want I can change the bandage now and loosen it up a bit.”

“Please… If it isn’t too much trouble, it’s difficult to write in a blackboard with the bandage so tight.”

“I’ll go to get what I need then, just a moment.”

As I see him get out of the building, I allow myself to drop on my chair and breathe. This man should know what is he able to do with such charms. However, I shouldn’t get my hopes up. He is going to leave in a couple of days and my heart will be broken for nothing… I don’t even know if there is a Mrs. Schultz in the first place?! I’m so dumb… Even if he didn’t have a wife, I’m sure he wouldn’t like to have anything with me…  Just as my mind gets to that last thought he comes back, smiling like the cute dork he is.

“Give me your hand, bitte.” He says while sitting on the edge of my table, one leg hanging, one on the floor. (SIR! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? I’M WEAK!) “This is not going to hurt, you don’t have to be so tense.” King comments, as if it was so easy! To calm my nerves I just try to distract myself with a little small talk, maybe I can kill two birds with one shot. 

“So, King… I know you are leaving in a couple of days, but you seem to be a very interesting person” the most interesting person I’ve ever met, in fact “and I want to know you a little bit better. Is that ok?” He smiles so widely that I can see both of his rows of teeth. 

“Natürlich, ja! But you have to tell me something about yourself as well, liebling.”

“It’s a deal then!”

“I wanted to ask you about this double life you seem to have…” King says and stops, maybe not knowing what to say next, perhaps thinking about how to phrase it. “Do you have money problems?” I am a bit scared of that question, but I can see where is coming from.

“I have…” I say with hesitation. “ However, my main job is this one, I take pride on being a teacher but the salary here is not the best, so I decided to look for another job.”

“That’s a very sacrificed thing to do… I admire you Clara.” I blush to that compliment and I joke a bit.

“You just met me so… Causing a first good impression: check.” I say while I make a ‘tick’ with my other hand.

“You caused the very best first impression, if you allow me to compliment you some more.” 

“Just if I can compliment you as well...” I say and he chuckles. 

“I am a bit shy, I like better to compliment than to be complimented actually…”

“That is because you have never been complimented by me!” I laugh and he flushes, a lot. “Did I say something…?”

“No, it’s fine… What is it that you wanted to ask?” He changes the subject, but I don’t forget that I will have to compliment him later, even if he combusts. 

“I just wanted to know something about you… I just know that you are a bounty hunter and a dentist, that’s it.”

“Oh well, let me delight you with a German tale then…” he begins “I was born in Düsseldorf, you don’t need to know the year.” I chuckle “I practiced dentistry for some years, I got married-” I hold my breath… I knew it… “but” he pauses, looking extremely sad “she died a long time ago, of a fever.”

“King, I’m so so sorry…” I say, genuinely, tears forming in my eyes, I hate to see him this heartbroken.

“No worries dear, we Germans think positively about death. I still think about her a lot, but I know she is in a better place and that she wanted me to be happy.” He smiles a bit, but I can still see sadness in his eyes. So I smile back and put my other hand on his. “Well, after that, I moved to America with my brother, and we both became bounty hunters. We hated slavery and we wanted to do something about it.” I just gasp to give a bit of a dramatic effect and he laughs, but the sadness isn’t gone. “Sadly, my brother was killed while we tried to help a couple of slaves that were trying to get to the north…” I just stayed in silence, he knew what I wanted to say, my hand just stayed on his and squeezed it a bit, tears now rolling down my cheeks. “And now I travel from state to state collecting bounties. I think that’s it, for now…” He says, in an exhale.

“I wanted to complement you later, but allow me to do it now…” 

“Clara, I-”

“Please…” He stays silent, and nods. 

“I just wanted to say that…” I hold my breath a bit, trying not to cry, unsuccessfully. “You are the most incredible person I’ve ever met. I’ve just known you for a day and I realised instantly that no matter the issue, no matter the problem, you are there to help.” He lowers his head. “I appreciate you so much… and I’m so happy I got to meet you. I will thank the universe everyday for that.” He squeezes my hand, and then looks up. His eyes are shiny because of the tears forming.

“You were right… I just had to be complimented by you.” I smile. “Thank you, Liebling. I-”

As he is about to say something all the kids enter the room and stare at us with curious eyes, holding hands, looking each other in the eyes.

“Miss, is he your husband?” Says little Sheryl, and I just start to panic.

“NO, OF COURSE NOT!” King looks at me with a grin on his face and with a slight blush. “I mean- He is just a friend…” And then I got a mischievous idea “In fact! Dr. Schultz is a dentist that has come here today to explain you all about your teeth and how to take care of them.” As words come out from my mouth, King turns his head to look at me very slowly and in the end murmurs something like “I hate you” and I murmur back “No, you don’t” and I go sit down with the kids with a very big smile as King stays alone at the front of the class. 

King starts to explain, he seems to be a little bit nervous, maybe he has never talked to children like this, the look in his face is priceless. As time passes he actually starts getting confident and explaining some interesting stuff I don’t know about. I get happy every time he looks at me and smiles. I try to cherish every bit of information that leaves his lips. I think I’m actually getting turned on by this…

“And I think that is all I have to teach you, Professor Valle, is there anything else I should say?” He gets me by surprise, as I was looking at his lips, but I stand up as quick as a spring.

“No, I think that’s it. Did you enjoy the lesson?” I say, looking at my students and they all nod or say “yes”. “Then that’s it for the day, remember to do your homework, on Monday I will be checking it.”

As the students leave I get close to King and he looks at me. We start talking at the same time.

“I-”

“I-”

“You first.” He says.

“I want to thank you for this, and I’m sorry for putting you in this situation. I really enjoyed your lesson, I feel like I’ve learned a lot.” I say, still my eyes looking shyly at his lips.

“I was going to say that I really liked the experience. At first I was quite worried and cursing you a bit, but I ended up liking it.” My eyes turn to his.

“I’m very glad! You truly have a way with words…”

“Danke!” I quickly go back to where the students’ tables are, sit on one of them and raise my hand. “Yes? The pretty lady of the first row. What’s your question?” He said I’m pretty? Oh Lord… I’m actually quite hot and this isn’t helping so I unbutton the first three buttons of my blouse, he doesn’t seem to notice.

“Yes, I actually wanted to ask about the sensibility of the teeth. When I clean them, sometimes they bleed. Is that normal? Because I think is not…”

“It is actually quite normal. It is your gums that bleed, maybe you brush them too hard, but if you have not complained about it before, I guess that they aren’t inflamed. I could also take a look at them, if you want.”

“I couldn’t- I- I mean you have done so much for me and-” I stutter.

“It’s fine, really, it’s my job… well one of them.”

“Fine, but I will pay you.” And I stare so hard that I think he gets scared because he agrees to me paying him, even though I don’t have any money.

KING’S POV:

We arrive to my carriage and Clara goes directly towards Fritz. 

“What’s his name? I’ve been wondering about it all day!” She says while petting Fritz, that lucky Bastard.

“His name is Fritz, and he is the most loyal companion one could ever ask for.”

“Awww! That’s so adorable! I love him, he’s so friendly!” Clara kisses Fritz’s head and I think I’m about to lose it. 

I take out all the equipment to the alley, including the chair for the patients. I offer Clara the seat as if we were in a fancy restaurant.

“Oh, thank you so much. What a gentleman!” I smile a bit and then I get sad, thinking that this might be the only time I get to do this for her.

“Ok, let’s see if there is anything wrong in here.” I put some gloves, grab my tools and ask her to open her mouth, I suddenly freeze. Is that how she looks when-? King! Control yourself! You are a gentleman, she said so herself. I get a grip on myself and I start examining her mouth. She has pretty good teeth, not exactly white, but with signs that she sometimes smokes. it doesn’t seem frequent though. Also her inner cheeks have bite marks, she must be a pretty nervous person. 

Just as I finish checking her mouth I take notice that three of her blouse buttons are open and... I can see her undergarment, it’s shiny and white, and a bit of her breasts… I try to breathe normally, but it is actually quite difficult…

CLARA’S POV:

Why is he breathing faster? The faster he breaths the quicker my heart gets… Suddenly I realise that I’m getting a bit cold on my chest and I see that I still have my blouse open… He- he is looking at my… I then take notice of his hair and beard moving a bit because of a slight breeze. He looks so sexy in that vest… I couldn’t bring myself to call him ‘sexy’ until now, but that is exactly what he is, he is even more than that.

I just get lost in his features, first his eyes, his nose, then his cheeks and finally his mouth. I stay there, looking at this pure ball of positivity. He seems to notice my eyes, wandering. King stays still, dentist tools still in my mouth, and returns the look. I feel his eyes looking not only at my face, but also my whole body. I feel exposed, but also safe. I want to be feel vulnerable, only if it’s him who makes me feel that way. He takes the tools out of my mouth, but we are still silent, looking at each other. The colours of his eyes are mixing into something darker, filled with what I can only infer is desire, and I can’t stop myself from biting my lower lip, trying to restrain the sounds that want to come out of me. He gets closer to my mouth, as if he is looking for something in it. Maybe something that makes sense, probably something that tells him to stop. However, before he retreats or changes his mind I push myself up from the chair a bit and kiss him. I can feel in his lips that there is a confrontation inside of him, but I just close my eyes, caress gently his face with my hands, and I try to tell him through my kiss that everything is ok. It takes a bit, but he gives up to it.

He grabs one of my cheeks with one hand, and the back of my head with the other and kisses me passionately. My hands go down to his neck and I can’t stop myself from grabbing his shirt collar with both hands, which makes him get closer. His beard and moustache tickle my face. I giggle into the kiss a bit and he lets go. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry! Did I hurt you? I shouldn’t have-”

“King! It’s ok. It was just your beard, it tickles a bit. I really want this…”

“Are you sure? I’m old and, and you are beautiful and-” My heart skips a bit. He is still on top of me but he is looking away. My hands go back to his cheeks and make him look at me. 

“I really want this… I fact, I thought that you didn’t want it, that I wasn’t attractive enough...”

“Liebling… Listen. You are beautiful, no matter what. I am in fact attracted to you in a way I had never felt before, but I don’t want you to waste your time with someone like me…”

“I am more attracted to you than to anyone, ever. You have this magnetism that pulls me to you. Again, I’ve just known you for a day, but I can tell that you feel it too.”

“I do… guess what I want to do to you now…”

“I-”

Before the words leave my mouth, he takes them on his. He becomes and extension of my breath, wet and needy. 

I can tell that he is getting tired of this position, so I push his chest backwards with one hand and stand from the chair and I lead him into the wall of the school building. My arms are on both sides of his head and he looks at me, not scared, just eager. So when I kiss him again he grabs my hips and shifts our positions. Now I am the one pushed against the wall. With both of his hands he grabs mine (not my wrists because of the injure) and pins me to the wall, with my arms of top of my head. King’s carriage is hiding us from the street, but I can still hear people walking and talking, not that far away from us. As the kiss gets even more passionate I open my mouth a bit. I try to hold a moan when he slides his tongue in, as if he knew what I was about to do, quieting me up. One of his hands leaves mine and goes directly to my ass, grabbing it tightly. An impulse makes me rise my leg up and put it on his back, which makes him be a lot closer to me. He is so close to me in fact, that I can feel a bulge starting to form in his pants. If I was getting wet earlier during the lesson, now I feel a river. With my free hand I grab King’s hair, his hat falling to the ground. As I mess with his hair our lips part. He takes advantage that my blouse is a bit open. His mouth goes to the spot where my neck joins my shoulder and starts kissing there. To repress a moan, my mouth goes to to his left ear and I start to bite his lobe. I can tell he is liking it because he starts to bite instead of kissing… this is going to leave a mark. 

Just as King’s hand leaves my ass and starts to lift up my skirt we hear someone’s steps approaching, so we quickly separate, both sweaty and breathless. 

“Miss Valle, I’m so sorry. I forgot my book on the table, could you please open the school?” A worried Sheryl pleads, she does not seem to notice how messy we look.

“Yeah, of course.” As I go to reunite with Sheryl to help her recover her book my eyes go back to look at him. King is getting his hat from the floor and smiling, once again, like the precious dork he is. 

When I get back to King, he is trimming his moustache and I’m once again alone with him. He looks a bit disappointed and the air feels tense around him. However, I try my best to act calm and collected. 

“I’m back, I’m so sorry for the interruption-” I cannot even finish, once again he is kissing me only this time he is much more gentle.

“Sheesh! I cannot restrain myself around you, can I?” King says, smirking. I cannot stop myself from laughing.

“You silver tongued devil you! You still haven’t invited me to a cup of joe!” I joke, and he laughs too. 

“I don’t know what we are waiting for then.” He offers me his arm and suddenly I remember.

“King, the tavern is closed…” He stops, and looks at me very slowly. 

“I… I forgot about that, sorry…”

“It’s ok, I also forgot but” I pause dramatically “I got some coffee at home, would you like to come in for a cup?”

“Just if I can kiss you all night long…”

“That is one of the requirements for you to enter my home again, don’t you worry, it was part of my plan.”

“Is there more to your plan, Liebich?” King asks, his eyes locked in mine.

“Why don’t you try to guess?”

[robinskalechip]

home - chapter thirteen

robin buckley x reader

a/n: this one’s a tough one, also idk why i keep putting “x reader” even though i’m literally inserting a whole character into stranger things but oh well

warnings: homophobia, death, suicidal themes, language, smoking, drugs, abuse, blood, alcohol

masterlist

not my gif!

this chapter is mainly revolved around sofia

chapter thirteen - your love terrifies me

sofia was laying on the couch, eyes closed, completely unaware of the physical constructs around her

robin felt concerned “how exactly does this work”

mike turned to her “basically el will be able to see some of her most emotionally draining events from her life and then the last one is supposed to be her current biggest fear”

eleven was sat in front of the television with her blindfold on, concentrating

everyone around watched in anticipation

robin was internally acknowledging how sweet sofia was. she knew she didn’t talk about her past but the fact that she was about to make herself vulnerable for the sake of el made her feel warm.

the tv began to trip out as it rapidly switched from channel to channel on its own until stopping. on the screen, everyone could see a house its all from el’s point of view as she walks through it all

steve seemed a bit taken back and robin took notice, “that’s her house, well, her old house”

on the screen a car drove up, it was sofia’s car

a young sofia exited the car, dufflebag in hand. she was wearing a hawkins high track uniform and a varsity jacket.

the sixteen year old sofia walked into her home as el quickly followed behind

a man and a woman sat on a couch together, looking at the girl angrily

the man spoke “che diavolo c'è di sbagliato con te”

everyone was confused except robin. steve turned to her and asked what he said.

“he asked her what was wrong with her”

the man continued as the woman next to him looked at her feet, “jarod chiamato. mi ha raccontato di te e di maria”

robin translated, “he got a call from a guy named jarod and he told him about sofia and some girl named maria”

steve helped her understand “maria was her best friend, she went to boarding school a little after sofia left”

sofia looked scared “wait wait it’s not what you think-“

the man got up and walked towards the young sofia and slapped her across the face, making her head turn. el could see her face, her face now red and her eyes watering as the man began to push her towards the door, the woman getting up and following behind

he pushed sofia down the few steps of the front porch, leaving her on the grassed area with her dufflebag now on the ground as she began to cry and begged “per favore, lasciami spiegare”

robin was getting teary eyed “she wants to explain”

the man grabbed a bag from the house and threw it to sofia “tua mamma ti ha fatto una valigia”

“her mom packed her a bag”

the woman slowly peaked around the man to look at sofia as she cried out “mamma, per favore” barely able to get out the words as she was so choked up on her tears

the man and the woman closed the door and el approached it but when she entered out of the other side, it wasnt the living room she had just been in, it was a night club.

music was booming from all areas of the room a gay club yall

el turned slightly to see sofia approaching the door she had just gone out of in a tee shirt and jeans and the same dufflebag she had previously.

as she got someone near her to light her cigarette, she walked out of the door as el began to follow her down the new york night time street.

a group of three men walked past sofia to then look up at the building she had just exited

“HEY”

another man began to shout “HEY DYKE”

sofia turned around to see the same man screaming at her “you work here?”

they were all clearly intoxicated so she turned back and went on with her night before she felt a hard mass hit her head.

the men began to beat her as she fell to the ground. they did not quit until police sirens could be heard and they ran off

el ran to the girl as she saw blood coming from her mouth and a large cut on her head

robin looked at the cut on her forehead, remember the scare she noticed on her while she slept

paramedics arrived at the scene and gently took sofia

el looked up to see a woman in a large coat watching the whole scene unravel while smoking a cigarette before redirecting her attention to the now shut doors of the ambulance

she went and opened the doors to then find herself in a hospital

the woman she had previously seen watching the scene was entering the building to then approach the front desk and be directed to room 504

el followed the woman to then which hear their conversation

“can i help you?”

“my name is natalie illuminous”

sofia chuckled “illuminous? what kind of last name is that?”

“the kind that can save you from all of the shit and piss you have to deal with on the daily”

sofia adjusted herself to where she was sitting up straighter as she asked “pardon?”

“i’m a mother of a house. every week i take myself and my children to balls and we showcase our beauty in order to obtain trophies. in exchange i provide shelter, food, water, and everything else you’ll ever need”

sofia looked at her confused, “and that applies to me how?”

“i’ve seen you. more than on one occasion. you live in your car, you work for lauren at the club, you’re known for your beautiful smile and you’re somehow always so nice to everyone you meet” the woman stepped closer “i’m going to go pay the bills for all of this, while you think about whether you want to be living in a large apartment that you get to live in for just walking a few minutes...or if you want to stay living out of your car for the rest of your life”

the woman walked out, leaving sofia in a confused gaze. she was almost convinved she was drugged.

robin turned to the unconscious sofia on the sofa and saw a slight smile on her face.

el followed the woman as she exited the hospital room and found herself in a large hall that looked like a ballroom she had once seen in a movie.

sofia was seen walking around with a man around her age on her shoulder as they laughed amongst themselves.

as they walked out of the door el had just came from, the man started to feel nauseous and collapsed to the concrete pavement to which sofia dropped with him to see if he was okay.

another woman followed and asked what was wrong, causing sofia to scream to her “GO GET NATALIE”

sofia turned the man over and started examining his face that was sweating “are you using again?”

he weakly shook his head no

sofia thought about anything else it could possibly be and her mind only went to one place, the place that had taken so many of her friends

“shit when was the last time you were tested?”

no answer

el jumped as the door swung open and a very dressed up natalie approached the two

“what happened”

“i don’t know he just collapsed. he said he wasn’t using but i-“

her voice was shaking

“i don’t know when he was tested last”

natalie looked worried and so did sofia as natalie went to the payphone and called for an ambulance

once the ambulance arrived and the boy was lifted inside, sofia followed, as did el. however once she entered the ambulance doors, she found herself in a hospital waiting room where she could see sofia on one of the chairs with her head down and her hands on her head.

el went to touch the girl’s hand when she moved her head up and el could see her face clearly. she was crying. nay, not crying. sobbing. el could tell she could barely breathe.

the woman el remembered as natalie came towards them with a sympathetic look on her face as she bent down in front of sofia.

“it’s okay darling. it’s okay to cry. i’m right here”

el felt herself about to cry as she backed away from the scene and through a set of push doors to be met with the inside of a large apartment. she was standing in a long and narrow hallway as she heard the sound of keys jiggling.

in entered sofia as she laughed her way past el, even though el followed her anyways, and down to the end of the hallway as she yelled “hEY NAT I FOUND THAT JACKET YOUVE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR, IT WAS IN THE TRUNK-“

she was cut off when she felt her stomach turn inside out as she saw natalie holding her own stomach in a pool of her own blood sweat and tears.

“what happened- i-“

“shhh it’s okay” natalie raised her hand, although she was weak, and brushed away sofia’s tear

she was practically whispering “i was in the wrong place at the wrong time while coming home” she took a breath “but what’s done is done”

sofia frantically looked at the woman, examining her “no no no no no not you.”

she held natalie’s hand, “anyone but you”

natalie continued to hold sofia’s face in her one hand, even though blood was now being transferred to her cheek, “non piangere per me do not cry for me”

el started to walk through the doorway before she was met with another club scene within the literal blink of her eye.

within a few seconds, people parted and el caught a glimpse of sofia who was now sitting on a couch, drink in hand, laughing

el began making her way towards her, still eyeing her movements and actions

sofia took a joint from another girl and took a hit, blowing the smoke in the air as she leaned her head back and get up to yell “BENNY SAID HE’S GOT SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR US UP STAIRS”

el hurriedly followed the group of four upstairs to see a man waiting for them, smoking a cigar

sofia walked towards a table where a white powdery substance awaited her, “oh shit benny” she grabbed the metal straw and took in a line of it to then rub her nose before getting up and letting the others have a go

a girl started to laugh “imagine if nat saw us now, that old whore would be shitting in her pants, especially seeing sof so shit faced”

sofia turned around, wiping her nose and sarcastically laughing “ya know what megan-“

sofia pushed her against the wall by her collar “dont talk about her”

one of the boys pulled her way while saying “come on let’s take a walk”

sofia broke free from him before walking back downstairs almost falling “i can go by myself im not five”

the girl she had previously called megan yelled out to her “YOU BETTER BE AT WORK MONDAY”

she was ignored as sofia made her way to the exit of the night scene and out into the street

sofia was out of it. she was feeling everything and nothing all at once. she thought about her life back in hawkins and her life in new york.

she lost both of her mothers

she lost her home

sofia approached a bridge that catered to the view of a gorgeous river

robin was in tears watching everything unravel as she looked to sofia laying on the sofa and spotted a tear fall down her cheek

sofia looked out to the river before getting on the edge and turned around, el being able to clearly see her face as she closed her eyes and tilted her head to the sky and fell

once she hit the water she was awaken to the same bridge but now she was alone and was more conscious than before as el was able to now look at the tv after taking off her blindfold and embracing mike as she cried

will redirected everyone’s attention to the television “wait this is her current fear?”

mike loosened his grip on el “yeah it’s supposed to be”

sofia was standing on the bridge’s edge once as she searched for people, but the streets were empty and she thought she was alone until she turned back to see robin

robin watched in shock, as did everyone else

robin took sofia’s face in her hands as they stared at each other, tears flowing from sofia’s face as she whispered “i’m sorry”

robin whispered back “it’s okay” she kissed her gently

as she released her, once again, sofia fell to the body of water below her

this time as she hit the water, she woke up from the sofa, gasping for air as she looked around, trying to understand her surroundings. it wasn’t until joyce began to hug her that she began to break down into tears as she tried to not look at robin

next chapter