#i could write a book about my work/boss/everything and I'm not the only one who's said that at my work

[fazcinatingblog]

Can't sleep, thinking about the Muslim guy at work again

[foxglovepng]

Hello! Can I request for Soulmate AU of your choice for Leona, Idia, Floyd and Malleus? Thank you in advance!

Characters: Leona, Idia, Floyd, Malleus

CW: Leona & Idia being haters, Floyd is Floyd. Maybe OOC, Not proofread

A/N: Hello Anon! I am not too familiar with writing for soulmate AU so this will definitely be interesting. I decided to go with the red string one because It's the only one I sort of know.

A/N: I am so sorry if these are short I really do not write for soulmates at all.

If you liked Reblogs and Likes are appreciated <3

🌼🥀

Leona

Soulmate?? PSHHHHH Leona doesn't believe in soulmates. Or so he thought.

His brother met his soulmate and well we all know how that went. Leona had given up on soulmates in general since he could never find the said person.

Going to NRC he didn't think he'd meet them.

When he came across Yuu he saw their strings joined during the spelldrive incident. But that wasn't the topic of conversation that was for another day.

When they came across him again Yuu realized they were soulmates and their eyes gleamed. Leona was like Ugh an was constantly trying to fight it, he didn't really care, but Yuu of course kept pushing. He snapped at them one day and was like

"You're annoying I don't care that you're my soulmate." and then walked away.

Eventually Leona secretly began to miss Yuu's prescense but would never admit it out loud. One day he got fed up and went to go look for them. Some students were ganging up on them and he well scared them off.

"Be careful herbivore I'm not cleaning up your messes again." Liar he would.

At first he hated the soulmate thing, but he's not saying he likes it just doesn't mind it.

Floyd

He is a special case. He doesn't care enough, but he also does care. He's neutral to the soulmate thing, but if he ever did find his soulmate he'd be super stoked to meet them.

When Yuu came to Mostro Lounge to make the deal he found out Yuu was his soulmate then. However he was currently busy so he couldn't do anything about it although he's now super interested in Yuu.

After the whole ordeal he attaches himself to Yuu to learn everything about them, and just to get to hang out with them.

(Yuu literally has to force him to practice because he won't leave their side)

Eventually when they do start having a relationship he's even more loving and affectionate knowing he can kiss and cuddle his little shrimp as much as he wants.

Idia

He can barely handle a social interaction what make you think he will find his soulmate.

He's literally a shut in who is mainly on his computer either programming, doing school work, or gaming he'd not one for social situations.

The only way he found out Yuu was his soulmate was because he coincidentally went outside for club and he ran into Yuu and learned Yuu was his soulmate. Yuu figured it out too and he pulled out every excuse in the book to go back to the dorm.

Bro is not ready for the level 100 boss

Ever since then, he has tried to avoid Yuu. Emphasis on try as Yuu would probably be pushing as he is their soulmate.

Ortho at some point tells him he can't keep pushing away. He won't give up, but Ortho literally invites Yuu over forcing them to hang out.

It will take a while and some work before Idia can work up to the idea of a partner and a relationship, but he eventually does get there.

The second Yuu starts talking about marriage or a baby Idia would ramble about how he's not ready and tell Yuu to slow down.

Malleus

Poor boy has been lonely forever a soulmate would make him feel less lonely and he'd be happy that he has someone to be around. He's been excited to meet said soul mate. He'd been dreaming what they'd look like what kind of person they are what gender they are (Not that gender matters to him)

When he was outside ramshackle and Yuu came out he realized their strings connected. He was happy he found his soulmate and would be even happier if they felt the same way about him.

When he came back from Diasmonia that night he told Lilia he found his soulmate. Lilia was happy so was Silver. Sebek was like WHAT? but he will get over it. (Spoiler he ends up liking and tolerating Malleus's s/o)

Peep Malleus planning the wedding with Lilia as the officiant.

[grandeoatmilklatte]

Sleeping On The Job 🐍 ( Tom Riddle x Female Reader)

Warnings: nsfw || p in v || f!ng3ring || light ch0k!ng || sp!t play || semi-public || post hogwarts so characters are of age || mdni || 1.4k words.

A/N: Some more Tom smut because I think I have a serious obsession with this man and it's becoming a problem. Dedicating this to my fellow Tom lover @marketfreshfics 😘

Also, apologies for the gap in my writing lately! I moved at the end of April, which consumed all of my free time but I'm back and I'm hoping this was worth the wait!

Tom’s emerald eyes rose from his book, the first time they had done so in a while, as he checked the time. It was only a quarter after two and the shop was quiet, the heavy rain outside contributing to the lull in traffic. Tom knew he still had plenty of time before his 4 o’clock client would arrive, so he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. As he sat there, savoring the peace and quiet of the shop, the words of his former peers and professors flooded his mind. 

“Tom has so much potential, how could he just waste it working at a shop?”. But it wasn’t just “a shop”. Working at Borgin and Burkes allowed Tom to learn more about dark magic than he ever could at Hogwarts. The shop provided him with everything he needed to help him achieve his ultimate goal. But for right now, with the rain pitter-pattering against the windows, the shop provided him a peaceful space to relax. 

His relaxation, however, was short lived, interrupted by the sound of the shop door opening. When Tom looked for the source of the interruption, he was pleasantly surprised at what met his gaze, or rather, who.

The most beautiful angel he had ever laid eyes on walked through the door. The two of them made eye contact as she slowly made her way towards the counter. Tom’s eyes wandered her body, his mind conjuring naughty images of how lovely she’d look laid out on the counter, naked, with her legs spread, her cunt dripping wet and eager for him. 

Tom snapped out of his daydream when she was right in front of him, their eyes locked on one another, as she gave him a flirty smile. He shot the woman a flirty smile of his own before speaking. 

“Hello gorgeous, was there something I could help you find?”

She let out a giggle as she leaned forward on the counter, giving Tom a clear view of the cleavage her blouse provided, a view Tom unabashedly indulged in. 

“Actually yes, I was trying to find the most attractive man in all of Knocturn Alley, but it seems like I’ve already found him!”

Tom rolled his eyes, but let out a soft chuckle in response. “It’s early, shouldn’t you be at work, sweetheart?”

“Shop’s been quiet today with the weather so I thought I’d leave for a quick lunch break. Figured I’d pop in to see you for a bit if you weren’t busy.”

“It’s been quiet here too so you’re welcome to stay. Just need you gone by 4. Have a client coming in.”

“Oh, that’s more than enough time.” Her tone was laced in desire as she leaned further over the counter. Tom followed suit, leaning over the counter as well until their lips met. After a moment he pulled away, coming around the counter to face her.

“More than enough time.” Tom repeated as he roughly brought his lips back to hers. He picked her up as he kissed her, sitting her on the counter and situating himself between her legs. His hands began to make quick work of her clothes, unbuttoning her blouse so that her breasts were in full view before his hands shot up her skirt, pulling her stockings and underwear down her legs. 

The action caused her to pull away. “Tom!? Here?! Seriously? You’re at work! What if your boss catches us?!”

Tom chuckled. There was no chance of them being caught. He had full reign of this place when he worked, his boss trusting him and never showing up unannounced. 

“He won’t. Trust me.” His voice was stern and commanding, and she nodded, her core aching far too much to deny him, or herself, of this. 

He re-positioned himself between her legs, dipping two fingers into her waiting heat. Loud moans fell from her lips as he thrust his fingers in and out of her, each thrust concluding with the feeling of metal teasing her entrance - Tom grandfather’s ring that he wore at all times. The cold feeling of the metal juxtaposed with the warmth from his fingers heightened the experience, coaxing her closer to an orgasm. The moment Tom felt her walls begin to tighten around his fingers, he promptly pulled them out, bringing them up and shoving them into her mouth instead. The taste of her juices mixed with the metallic taste of the ring meeting her tongue. Once she had sucked his fingers clean, he commanded her again.

“Lay back. Now.”

She did as she was told, sliding out of her hiked up skirt and unbuttoned shirt before shifting some papers on the counter to the side. She watched as Tom removed his belt and pants as she laid back, completely naked, spreading her legs wide for him. Tom took a quick second to savor the view - she appeared exactly how he had imagined her earlier when she first got here. 

He slid into her wet cunt with ease, his pace merciless as he pounded into her. The counter shook with his aggressive thrusts. Although Tom had assured her his boss wouldn’t catch them, she began to panic again in her mind. Were the windows even covered? She knew for a fact the door hadn’t locked behind her. Anyone could have walked in or walked by and seen them. This wasn’t their first venture into semi-public sex, but usually they were somewhere a bit more secluded than a normally busy shop on a normally busy street. But Tom didn’t seem concerned in the slightest. His mind fixated on one thing only. And as the tip of his cock continued to slam into her cervix, her orgasm fast approaching, the worries faded away. Spectators be damned. 

Tom, on the other hand, had a secret desire to be caught. Even back when they were in their final year at Hogwarts, he always hoped someone would happen upon them in the prefect bathroom, or in the empty classrooms they would frequent. He always loved the idea of someone walking in on the most beautiful girl in all of Hogwarts screaming his name. He wanted the world to know that she belonged to him. 

She felt Tom’s movements becoming sloppy, a tell tale sign that he was reaching his climax. Tom brought his hand to her stomach, trailing it up her body before roughly wrapping around her neck. The feeling of her airwaves being restricted as he continued to fuck her sent her over the edge, her cunt desperately clenching around him as she came. His grip tightened even further as she felt herself being lifted slightly by her neck, Tom meeting her gaze as he did so.

“Open your mouth!” he growled. She obeyed immediately. Tom spat directly into her mouth before releasing her neck, pushing her back onto the counter as she swallowed. Tom’s breathing began to pick up as his movements became even sloppier, letting out a final groan as he climaxed. Her body welcomed his release, her walls clenching around him again as he filled her. Once Tom had caught his breath, he pulled himself out of her and silently got himself dressed as she followed suit, hopping off the counter. 

“Well, that was quite the lunch break wasn’t it, sweetheart? You should visit me during your lunch breaks more often.” Tom’s voice dripped with satisfaction, a large grin plastered across his face. 

She struggled to meet his gaze, suddenly feeling a bit shy after having been taken so crudely at his job where anyone could have spotted them. Though she couldn’t deny the rush she had felt. The prospect of visiting him at work more often making her body ache for more. And truthfully, she was happy to take advantage of any opportunity to be used by him, no matter where or when it was. She knew this about herself, and he knew it as well.

She watched as Tom fixed his desk back up, the pair engaging in brief and vague conversation about what he was reading and what he was working on currently. The conversation was cut short when the front door chimed again. An older wizard walked in - Tom’s 4 o’clock client. Tom shot his lover a stern look that conveyed a silent request. 

“I should go. Will I be seeing you later?” 

Tom’s face softened, another flirty smile forming on his face. “You most certainly will, sweetheart. I’ll meet you at your work.” 

Her heart did a backflip as she made her way out of the shop, already anticipating their later meeting. As she disappeared into the rain outside, she gave Tom one last glance, his emerald eyes lighting up as his client placed what looked like a small chalice and a locket on the counter. 

[manipulatedstars]

We'll Be Alright

Genre: fluff, slight angst if you squint, non-idol AU, office romance, coworkers-slash-friends-slash-idiots-to-lovers

Pairing: Mingi x gn!reader

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: Pink Mingi (a valid warning), symptoms of anxiety and panic but nothing serious, mentions of gambling ig, Wooyoung being Wooyoung

Summary: When Mingi overhears some colleagues talking, he realizes he has to finally make his feelings known - easier said than done.

A/N: Can you believe this bitch (me)? Apparently I write now?? This is my first ever finished fic, and I'm eternally grateful to @hobarine for being the greatest beta reader without agreeing to being one in the first place. I love your sexy brain. [clears throat and wipes tears] I'd also like to thank my dear friends who made this possible in the first place - check the end of the fic for what violently inspired me to write this. Feedback and reblogs appreciated! Also - this is not a song fic (well... I suppose it very much is, but not in that way), but I'll Keep You Safe by Sleeping At Last very much set the tone for this, so I highly recommend you check it out.

The first couple times your new coworker had poked his head around the side of your cubicle, it was all business - or at least as much business as it could be considering that new colleague was Song Mingi.

It had all started out with work-related questions when he joined the company and, being one of the company’s top salespeople, you were quickly tasked with showing him around and answering any questions he might have. Your boss had personally offered Mingi the position, so he wanted to make sure the newcomer was going to stay, considering he was a “natural at his job” and would “undoubtedly prove to be a huge asset to the team.” You'd learned not to question your boss's decisions after he'd proven time and time again that he had a gift for picking out new team members, despite his sometimes questionable and unusual methods.

You also didn't question why Mingi, even after he'd grown accustomed to his new work environment, kept sticking around you. He never addressed this but he was shy around other people and you were still the only one he sort-of knew. And you, having grown to enjoy his company despite him being borderline clueless and painfully clumsy at times, weren't gonna complain.

So what started out as, "I'm so so so sorry, could you please explain the printer to me again? I'm so sor-" quickly turned into deeper, more personal questions and conversations. Not in a weird way, of course, he just really enjoyed being around you and wanted to get to know you better. Or so he kept telling himself and others when someone pointed it out. Over time, he had become fairly confident that you two could be considered friends, and he couldn't be happier. So you got used to him just poking his head, adorned with his signature pink hair, around the corner and asking you about movies and books you’d recently enjoyed, your most hated color (because according to him, asking for a favorite everything was overused), and your go-to spots in the area. At times you'd even catch yourself thinking how cute his childlike nature was. The only thing that put a damper on his mood was when one day he was put in a cubicle on the side of the office furthest away from you, for “productivity reasons" - not that it actually kept him from coming over to you just as often. In fact, he claimed to need a rest at your desk from the “extensive workout” they made him do in order to come this way. You never commented on how he was the only one to blame for full-on sprinting through the office space instead of walking like a normal person.

His favorite days are measured by how often, and how loudly, he managed to make you laugh that day. He could get lost in the sound, and knowing he was the reason for it? He wouldn't be able to wipe the smile from his face if he tried.

If only he knew that his visits had started to become the best part of your day, too...

You were thoroughly enjoying each other's presence. Always having lunch together, and taking a little bit too long to walk to your respective cars after work.

It was a regular Tuesday when Mingi made his way to the break room to get his regular drinks - a green tea for you, and a coffee with an obscene amount of sugar for himself - something you’d chided him for, telling him time and time again it would kill him one day.

He didn’t mind waiting for some coworkers to free up the coffee machine. He’d gotten used to it pretty quickly after the second one had broken some time ago. This just meant that the room was less crowded, since the majority of his colleagues had since chosen to head to the cafeteria downstairs instead of having to stand in line like he was now. But in his opinion, they were the ones missing out. He enjoyed getting to know the usual suspects of the breakroom a little better each time they happened to get something to drink when he did - which was the same time every day.

So it would’ve been just a regular coffee run on a regular Tuesday, if it hadn’t been for the conversation happening in front of him. He wasn’t one to eavesdrop, but nothing caught his attention quite like you did. Or, in this case, your name falling from one of the men’s lips. Mingi decided that he didn’t like the way it sounded coming from someone else, someone who probably didn’t even appreciate you in the way you deserved.

The men didn’t seem to notice him standing close by, or simply didn’t care whether they could be overheard or not, because their conversation didn’t seize.

‘’...I mean have you seen them lately?’’

He sure had.

‘’I’d be stupid not to make a move. They’re a catch.’’

NO! Well, yes..but-

’’Isn’t Song head over heels for them though? Kind of a dick move if you ask me…’’

They knew?

’’Come on, we both know he’s too much of a coward to actually go for it.’’

Mingi began to panic. He’d been so enamored with you since the two of you had been introduced that he’d never even entertained the idea of someone else possibly hitting on you. Of course he knew you were pretty. Gorgeous, even - he had eyes after all. He also knew you were the epitome of grace and kindness. Anyone would be lucky to be with you. But he’d been trying slowly and carefully to inch his way into your heart, and now realized that he was so focused that he hadn’t even considered the possibility of anyone else sharing the same end goal.

God he was so stupid-

He knew he had to act. Fast. Despite his insecurities trying to convince him that you’d surely be better off with someone who didn’t stumble over their words, someone who was confident and could sweep you off your feet, he knew he would forever regret it if he didn’t at least try.

Even if the chances may be slim, he couldn’t live with himself if he lost the opportunity to make you his, especially if he lost it to his own mind.

You were just typing up a response to Park Seonghwa from HR, who had once again asked you to consider joining their team, when suddenly, a loud BANG startled you out of your thoughts. You joined some of your other coworkers in getting up from their seats to see what the commotion was about, and you couldn’t help a bright smile from lighting up your face the moment you saw Mingi standing in the doorway. Though your smile dropped just as quickly when you noticed the look of pure distress on his face, his eyes scanning across the room rapidly. The second your eyes met, he started hurriedly making his way over to you, ignoring any of the worried and questioning glances and occasional comments that people were throwing his way.

What was going on?

‘’Mingi, what-’’ your question was cut short when he gripped your shoulders the moment he reached your cubicle. He was panting, eyes blown wide and never leaving yours, as if he was afraid you’d disappear the moment he so much as blinked.

As if he was only now noticing the stares and whispers directed his way, he glanced around the room timidly. His nerves seemed to catch up with him, because he turned and went to leave as quickly as he’d arrived - if it hadn't been for your quick reflexes and your hand curling around his wrist, stopping him in his motion.

It took you gently calling his name a couple of times for him to finally turn around to face you again - and now you could see the sheen of sweat covering his forehead.

He was also avoiding eye contact.

Now you were really worried. Was he sick? Did something happen?

"Hey, what's wrong?'' No answer. ''You look really pale... are you not feeling well?"

When he stayed silent again, you brought one hand up to his forehead - an instinctive action for you, but definitely not what he’d expected, because his face quickly went from looking sickly pale to flushing a deep scarlet.

Your eyes widened when you noticed how warm his skin was, placing your other hand on one of his cheeks. "Mingi, you're burning up. Do you need to see a doctor?" When again he didn't answer, you turned to grab your things, preparing to carry this man to the nearest hospital if need be, but now it was his hand around your wrist that kept you from moving further.

You glanced from where he was touching you with a gentle yet desperate, clammy hand and back to his face, noting the panic in his eyes that were still refusing to meet your own.

Any stranger passing by would've assumed you were approaching a stray kitten, desperately trying not to scare it off, but you knew how much of a flight risk Mingi could be when things got too much to handle. "Hey, you know you can talk to me, right? I'm only trying to help you," you said with the gentlest voice you could muster despite your racing thoughts.

Yeah, that was the main problem, he thought, you're the only person who makes this job bearable, and I can't lose you by messing this up. You bring both your hands up to cup his cheeks when you notice the tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill over.

"Hey, look at me.’’ you dipped your head trying to lure his eyes into meeting yours. ‘’You won't lose me. Why would you?’’ a gentle brush of your thumbs over his pretty cheekbones ‘’How could I make it through one day at this crappy office, with its crappy coffee and the crappy AC that’s broken more often than not, without you?"

Oh shit, his eyes widened even further. Did I say that out loud? Oh god-

He was about to bolt again, mentally calculating how long it would take him to make a detour to a wig store or a hairdresser on his way to the airport, determined to start over in a faraway country, when he involuntarily locked eyes with you. He never understood how you did it, and he was sure there was no possible scientific explanation for the effect you had on him, because the way your eyes, filled with nothing but kindness and understanding, always managed to calm him down instantly was nothing short of magical.

You had to be a heavenly being sent to look out for him - him, this mere human - and him alone. It was in this moment that he remembered what you'd told him time and time again. Realized that he really could say what had been running rampant in his mind for months now. Reminded himself that he could be open and vulnerable with you. You, who had never shown him anything but support and guidance, even when you were having a bad day yourself. Alright. You, who always managed to find a peaceful solution to any argument or tension that arose in the office… He'd be alright. You, who somehow didn't hold grudges even when people had wronged you. You'd both be alright.

You must've noticed the change in his demeanor, because your lips curled up into a small version of one of your beautiful smiles that he loved so much. Shit, he wouldn't be surprised if you could hear his pulse slowing down, his heart rate finally dropping to a point that wouldn't have sent an entire hospital wing into a panic had he been hooked up to a monitor, with news reporters flocking to his bed trying score an interview to find out how the hell he had managed to survive that.

So he closed his eyes, which were now stinging in protest to having been kept open wide for way too long, and took a deep, if shaky, breath.

That was all you, too. Your encouragement to face difficult situations despite every fiber of his being telling him to run. Your influence. You were the one who told him time and time again that things were going to be okay. You showed him that he was in control of his fate and his feelings, and that even when it felt like the whole world was against him, you'd be by his side. No wonder the HR department was desperate to get you to join them…

Mingi couldn't run away now if he tried. He owed you this much. If nothing else, he owed you an explanation, and honesty. He wanted to make you proud.

So with another deep breath, this one a little less shaky (the first one had you worried he might burst into full sobs at any second), he covered your hands in his much larger ones, pulled them from his face and intertwined your fingers with his between your bodies. When he finally opened his eyes again, they were full of determination.

This shift in tone, with him being calmer and more confident than you'd ever seen him, had you thankful for the grasp he had on you, needing his hands around yours in support as your breath hitched when you noticed the raw adoration in his gaze.

His voice, beautifully airy and deeper than you swore you'd ever heard it before, sent shivers down your spine. There was everything yet nothing as you got lost in his gorgeous, warm eyes, and now his voice too. You weren't in your office anymore. You were standing barefoot in a forest, surrounded by majestic trees and vibrant wildlife, a gentle breeze almost calling out your name. You were on a beach, the warm sand comforting between your toes, the waves softly crashing behind you, a pair of strong arms wrapped around your shoulders. You decided then and there that his eyes' gorgeous shade of brown was your new favorite color.

It took his voice calling your name softly to bring you back to the present moment, a bashful smile on his stupidly handsome face. Had he always been this pretty?

"Please tell me you heard what I just said?'' he asked shyly, knowing full well you'd completely spaced out.

"Uh..." You grimaced. At that, he couldn't help but turn his face downward as he murmured to himself, but you were so focused on him now that you had no trouble making out the words. "Oh my god, I can't believe you're making me do this again". He would've buried his face in his hands had they not been occupied with the much more important job of holding the world's greatest treasure.

He hadn't missed the way you'd gotten lost in his eyes, and it only fueled his confidence. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, it was the same way he’d been looking at you more often than not since he'd met you.

He took a deep breath. "I said..." he paused as he brought one of his hands up to your cheek, his other hand easily holding both of yours in their previous position.

You felt yourself blushing. Hard.

Stroking his thumb over your cheek gently, he continued "...that I like you. I like like you. No, scratch that -’’ a gentle shake of his head ‘’-I'm crazy about you.’’ His gaze dropped again as he started rambling. ‘’I hope this doesn't make things weird between us, and I'm so sorry if I read things wrong, and if y-" he started mumbling, nerves catching up to him again, insecurities trying to invade his mind and win back precious land. But you noticed. And you smiled at him in adoration, and squeezed his hand in reassurance. This made him look up at you again. You're going to be alright, you tried to convey with your eyes, we're going to be alright.

Another deep breath, followed by a lighthearted chuckle at his own antics.

"The point is, I really like you, a-and I would love to take you out on a date? O-only if you want to of co-" he couldn't finish the sentence, because you promptly freed your hands and grabbed his face again, pulling him down to you (what they fed him as a kid to get him so tall, you'd really have to ask his parents one day) and pressed your lips to his in a firm and reassuring kiss.

His eyes widened again, cheeks heating back up, but he melted into you as soon as the first shock wore off, arms wrapping around you almost on instinct. As if holding you was their only job, and what they were meant to be doing all his life. He pulled you up to his level seemingly without effort before getting lost in the next kiss. Feeling your fingers running through his hair, he groaned inwardly. Mingi could do this forever, and he would if you let him. He'd figure out a way to survive without oxygen. If not, he decided the team would be fine without him.

You only pulled apart when you noticed the cheers and clapping that had erupted around you, even the occasional wolf-whistle coming from your coworkers, most of who'd gotten up from their seats again, if they’d even settled down after the shock of Mingi’s arrival. You hadn't seen them this lively since the day your boss had ordered a coffee and snack truck to the parking lot in celebration of sealing a deal everybody had worked hard to finally make happen. The majority of them had their headsets still attached, and had you not been so ecstatic you would've felt bad for whoever was getting their ears damaged on the other end of their lines.

"About damn time, Song..."

"TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH!!

"He finally grew a pair!"

These were only some of the lines being thrown at the two of you that had you blushing furiously, and Mingi hiding his face in the crook of your neck.

You could've sworn you saw a few fist bumps and some money being passed around, but you decided not to dwell on it for your own sanity’s sake...

After the noise had mostly died down, Mingi put you back on your feet just so he could press his forehead to yours, both of your breaths mingling. Maybe oxygen wasn't so bad after all if he got to share it with you.

You almost missed the signature fake gagging sound of your most obnoxious co-worker, but before you could chase him off like you usually would when he started to tease you about the way you, in his words, "spent more time staring at Mingi than actually working", the telltale sound of a palm making not-so-gentle contact with the back of someone's head (and the dramatic pained yelp that followed) made you realize that your boss had already taken care of Wooyoung himself. You swore he kept an extra set of eyes on the mischievous man-child just so he wouldn't miss an opportunity to reprimand him.

The same boss who sent you a curt nod and a small smile, before telling “the two lovebirds" to get back to work. Though you knew that he’d want to have a word with Mingi later, seeing as how the force with which he’d slammed open the door must’ve left at least an indent on the wall behind it.

It was safe to say you didn't get much work done the rest of that day, but you also never had to eat lunch alone again, or walk to your car without a strong, loving hand holding your own...or drive to work yourself, really.

Even years later, with your left ring finger now permanently occupied, you loved to remind him how proud of him you were.

✨Lore time✨

Here's how everything started:

Bonus:

(I was, in fact, not almost done)

A loving shoutout to my dear friends for planting this idea in my head. And thank you to everyone who read through it and left valuable feedback - you know who you are 💜

©manipulatedstars 2023 - do not steal, copy, repost, translate or otherwise plagiarize my work. If you do, I'll eat all your cereal and pour milk in your shoes.

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

Masterlist

"Masterlist? What is that?"

"it's mostly a record of the writings here, feel welcome to have a look and see if something catches your eye" she turns around and points to the the book detailing where every book or pages should

"last time I updated it was may 9, so it can get a bit behind but usually everything is in here"

Genshin impact

"a magical land where people are able to handle elements as they please, a bit too fantastical for my liking but she seems to enjoy writing them"

There is a folder on the table and named with perfect cursive handwriting "Holy offsprings". It seems it's a collection of small works

A bouquet of feelings

Sometimes actions have unexpected consequences. Good thing Aether knows how to fix this one.

Ancient language au

A long forgotten tongue slips away from their lips to the ears of people who believe it's their god's language

Read my lips

"to suddenly be left in a world where I couldn't read anything... Such a torture"

Universal language

After alhaitham found your ability you were almost forced to work for the academia translating works, some misunderstandings arise

Great sage au

A foreign face settles as a country's sage and tries to help, even when it isn't all that easy

Prologue

As a former player the new great sage had a nice base of knowledge to stand on plus some new tools

Such a backstabber

His duty with sumeru has gotten him into a trail leading to you and believes you to be a danger. For some reason the proof he has reminds you of something… wait a minute.

Over tea

Luckily after cyno recognized them as not guilty they were allowed to return to their position and enjoy their new found love for tea. Seemingly the nation's calmness has lead to people allowing themselves to fantasize about their bosses’ love life

Everything feels so beautiful

"this one fits in the timeline but I'm not sure if even the writer knows how or when..."

Secret husband timeline

Be it because of secretiveness or nobody believing it was possible nobody found out about your marriage with the iudex until someone says it straight up. Oops

The first two are two different beginnings

How the iudex sleeps

"why did she choose for him to have a resemblance with otters? Even then it's a really sweet domestic piece"

Melusines say the darndest things

sometimes children can slip up and accidentally say more than desired. In this case the journalists are very happy about that.

Drabbles

Would they peel an orange for you?

"mhmm... I wonder why she chose oranges, I think she likes better pomegranate. Wouldn't it be more fitting 'would they open a pomegranate for you?' but I guess at the end it's the same intention"

Do they know if you wear silver or gold?

"I only ever wear this uniform, I'm not really sure how important that kind of stuff is"

Types of baby daddy

"my father has been a 'baby daddy' many times, including my and my sisters' conception and many of our half siblings. Despicable man. He even runs as fast as the thunders he throws so he is hard to catch"

Your ex in my body or me in their body

"seemingly this question is used to pick a fight with your lover, I'm not sure why would you, though"

Ideas

"some blurbs or unrefined concepts, maybe in the future they can become something more polished"

Npc sagau

"suddenly strangers and your loved ones start acting as mindless zombies and only certain people seem to wake up but you are unable to know when... It sounds stressful doesn't it?"

Living together (npc sagau)

"it would make sense for them to live close by the only people you can speak with"

Obey me

"It's a kind of undefined academic environment in hell? I heard from other visitors that highschool and university are difficult and sometimes unenjoyable but isn't this a bit too on the nose? Either way seemingly she could romance demons, angels and a... Regular human? I'm sure she did not... My goodness"

Night bringer saga

All this happen during night bringer but aren't particularly connected or in a particular timeline!

Love language: acts of service

After being temporarily transformed into a demon you find that there are some gaps in your knowledge of demon features care but Solomon is very happy to help

With the firstborn's ring I made you mine

A before bed chat with Solomon leads to you showing some concerns about wearing the ring of light so openly and he offers himself as a scapegoat

Love language, gift giving

He is old enough and famous enough that he can spend some money on superfluous gift and extra candies as long as you smile at him

The sorcerer's demonic firstborn

Nobody is exempt from Mother nature's cruel whims, not even the all powerful sorcerer that defied death. Some friends of yours help you with your dream

Twisted wonderland

"another fantasy setting that happens in a world where people can use Magic and a school? I'm seeing a pattern with her likings. Just tell me she wrote for a prince or a future king or- it's just a guy with white hair again? No just because he is sleepy doesn't make him different, writer..."

Forced fairytale

The tale of the sleeping beauty is one he holds dear, be it because it's related to his great grandmother or his dorm, malleus can't help but feel like silver and the prefect would be such a perfect modern retelling.

[imahinatjon]

CAN YOU WRITE A FYODOR X SUBORDINATE READER PLEASEEEeee THIS IS MY LIFE SUPPORT ISTGGGGG

I mean, Yeah.

I liked writing this one. Not sure I have the character down right quite yet, but I think I'm getting there.

Maybe?

"My role"

Fyodor x Subordinate Reader

"Why? Why can't i go?"

"Because"

"Just - I can handle myself! Please just... I want to be useful"

"You are"

Whenever a 'mission' or something came up in the decay of angels, you always, always asked Fyodor if you could go.

You're his subordinate, a member of "Rat's in the House of the Dead". Though, not your really an 'important' member. Not even an ability user.

Somehow you found yourself aligned with Fyodor's and the Rat's quite nicely, hence you chose to follow him. Unfortunately for you, you've found your time working under him quite fruitless.

You wanted to DO something.

But Fyodor wouldn't let you, and you hadn't the faintest clue why.

Fyodor had you working for him directly, instead of under someone else who'd have you going out playing lackey.

You were still kind of a lackey, but not one who got stuck with spending much time outside or away from your 'boss'.

And somehow you were useful?!

"I want to be useful"

Yeah... you've said that many times, and Fyodor will always tell you that

"You are"

Only once did you question this.

You asked him "but how am I useful? All I do is sit here keeping you company, I never do anything of any importance"

He merely sent you a glance and proceeded to ignore you.

Unbeknownst to you, he was thinking, deeply. A common occurance, but rarely was it a common occurance to be thinking so deeply about another person though. Still, it did not concern him much, and he allowed his mind to wander.

Fyodor was extremely aware that he sort of kept you locked in, controlled. He had you working directly for him, wouldn't let you go out on any missions, barely gave you any sort of work to do. Not because he didn't trust you (he doesn't by the way, but that's no slight against you)

Fyodor kept you indoors, essentially jobless purely because he was feeling a little selfish. He didn't want you going out into the world where anyone could do anything and you could end up anywhere in any state. He can't control everything outside.

He'd never tell you this of course, that could end badly.

He'd spent a lot of time with you, read with you, and then proceed to explain the book he was reading at the time to you. He enjoyed this as a pass time.

You were, of course, privy to his work, but at one point he started hiding more of it from you.

"It's nothing you need concern yourself with" He'd say, and that would be that.

Your biggest shock, and perhaps bighest hint to how Fyodor may have felt, was when a stranger dropped by. Fyodor was God knows where, and a tall man dressed in odd clothes dropped by, claiming to be your boss' best friend.

You could never imagine Fyodor being associated with someone of the like. Nikolai he said his name was. Decay of Angels. A name you overheard one night, when Fyodor was wide awake talking to someone on the phone. He presumed you to be asleep, didn't realise you had heard (at least, you don't think he realised)

Regardless the situation, the name that came from his lips told you that he was at the very least acquainted with Fyodor, so you let him in.

You offered tea, which he accepted, and sat on the chair opposite him. You assured him Fyodor would not be long - irregardless of whether it was true or not.

Fyodor didn't take long to get back, walking in and quickly shutting the door. A brief look of recognition grazed his face when he spotted who sat opposite you, then a neutral look, with a slight hint of sourness greeted Nikolai. He sat beside you, entirely natural as he spoke to Nikolai. You only interjected to ask once again about tea.

You left to go and brew the tea, allowing the two their hushed conversation. You figured it was important, and you, being essentially a henchman, did not need to know the details.

One thing did concern you however, a brief exchange towards the end of their conversation.

"So who is she supposed to be?"

"My future wife"

What? Wife? That was...odd? Fyodor didn't see you, or anyone for that matter in such a way. And if he did, well - he skipped a whole bunch of steps. You weren't dating him!

But it had you thinking.

He WAS slightly nicer to you than other people you had seen him talk to.

He DID spend a lot of time with you.

This WAS oddly domestic.

But you hadn't thought anything past that. He was your boss, and you couldn't go around having feelings for you boss, regardless of who your boss is.

But... you suppose, he IS attractive. You believe in his morals and goal - the one's he shared with you. And you always felt somewhat important with him, even if he never let you do anything.

Maybe?...

No, he's your boss.

But he did just say...

You didn't approach the subject with him.

Not until days later that is.

"Why can't I go?"

"Because"

"You never let me go..."

"..."

"Why?"

He didn't need to answer you. At least he didn't think he needed to.

"You said something strange the other day, to your friend, about me - what did you mean?"

"You heard? Of course you did, you do like listening in on conversations you shouldn't"

"What did you mean future wife?"

"It means what I said"

"But we aren't-"

He shushed you, a finger to your lips, urging you to remain silent.

"Regardless of your current feelings for me, whether they are present or not, our future is together"

"But your my boss...?"

"I have never been your boss"

...

"There has always been more to this than that"

The only affection you got from him aside from his words (which aren't really all that affectionate) was a pat on your hair and an unexpected, gentle kiss on the forehead before you could say anymore and he was to get back to..

What did he do again?

You supposed it wouldn't be so bad. You'd be lying if you said you didn't like his special form of affections, whitch only now did you finally recognised.

You liked him. And you'd come to love him eventually.

Consciously or not.

_________________________________________

Had no idea what kind of thing was being looked for. So I just went okay- romance, how would fyodor engage?

Honestly don't think he would. BUT if he did - I think he'd just like, announce things. Like you wouldn't know your dating until he just outright says "but we ARE dating"

Then again, I'm not entirely sure I know how to write this character well?

And I KNOW this took so long, the days have been busy 😪

I hope this was okay 🤞

Thank you for reading

[rorywritesjunk]

I can’t tell where the journey will end But I know where to start

Prequel to my Kid Buggy fic, set about 11-ish years before that story.

Buggy meets you by chance when he needs his buttons sewn back onto his jacket. He’s young, up and coming, and he thinks everyone should cower before him wherever he goes, but all you do is smile at him.

Rating: PG-13ish just for some swearing. Warning: Buggy’s in his early 20s. He’s an asshole. He just is because I wanted to write him loud, demanding, everything. There’s 3 new characters thrown in because why not? Future Wife gets a name as well! A/N: I have no idea when Buggy became a Captain, so he’s a fresh faced captain in this. No clue how long this fic will be. I just started on the 4th chapter but I’m excited to write it out! I had fun with the original fic and decided to write the prequel to how they met. Enjoy! Also I wish every customer was like Buggy in that "I'm going to be an asshole but I'm going to overpay you for the opportunity to be an asshole".

Title comes from “Wake Me Up” by Avicii. TAGLIST: @lostfirefly @ane5e @kingofthemfingpirates @the-angriest-angel @tiredemomama @valen-yamyam16 @i-reblog-fics-i-like @plethora-of-fickleness

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7 + Chapter 8 + Chapter 9 + Chapter 10 + Chapter 11 + Chapter 12 + Chapter 13 + Chapter 14 + Chapter 15 + Chapter 16 + Chapter 17 + Chapter 18 + Epilogue

Chapter 2

It was five weeks until you saw that pirate again. You were at the counter while the girls were in the back working. Your boss was gone on an errand, leaving you in charge. This time he opened the door with a little less force than last time but the door still swung open and hit the wall. You looked up from your book and smiled when you saw him. 

His coat had a tear at the sleeve where it connected to the shoulder and one cuff was nearly coming off. It looked like he got into a scuffle while wearing it. He was scowling as he stormed up to the counter, removing the coat and holding it out to you. You took it from him and looked it over with a frown. 

“What happened?” You asked as you inspected the tear at the sleeve. “Did you get into a fight?”

You obviously chose to ignore what your boss had told you every day since he first showed up. Do not help him if he comes back. How could you not fix his coat up when it was in such a state? Not only were there tears in it, you saw the dirt staining the bottom and some blood on the front. You quickly gave him a look over, seeing that he appeared uninjured thankfully. You didn’t want to explain why there was a bloody and injured pirate in the shop if your boss returned early.

“Fix it.” He said, refusing to look at you. 

“Do you need help? Are you injured at all, Captain?” You asked as you reached over the counter to touch one of his gloved hands. Buggy jerked his hand away from you and crossed his arms, shaking his head quickly.

“I’m fine!” He snapped. “I just need it fixed!”

“Can you give me some time?” You asked as you draped the coat over your arm. “I’d like you to wait here in case I need to see you in it.”

You saw his face turn red at those words but you didn’t know why. All you needed to see was that the seams on the sleeve were correct once you mended them, to make sure it still fit him in the shoulders when he moved in it. He glared at you before storming out of the shop. 

“He came back.” 

You turned to see the two teens peeking through the doorway to the back. You sighed softly and smiled. “He did and he gave me his coat to fix.” 

“Miss Pins said not to help him.” Livia said as Edith nodded in agreement. You shrugged as you headed towards them. 

“Well, I’m in charge right now so I get to decide who we help.” You told them. “Now, who remembers how to get blood stains out? I’ll do the mending but I’d like you two to clean it, okay? This will be good practice.”

~

Buggy returned two hours later. You were at the counter again with Livia, showing her the books and how customers and payments were tracked. The teenager ducked beside you when he came in but you just smiled. Why did you smile whenever you saw him? Buggy wasn’t sure what your game was but he was suspicious of you already. You should be quaking in fear when he arrived, not smiling like you were friends with him.

“Your coat is ready.” You told him as you nudged Livia to go retrieve it. “I got it stitched up and the girls cleaned it. Can I see it on you?”

“W-Why?” He demanded as he narrowed his eyes. Livia came out with the coat and started to leave but you stopped her. “What do you want me to do?”

“I need to make sure it fits you in your shoulders.” You told him as you took the coat from her and approached him. He took a step away from you but you held it out to him, and after a minute long stare down he finally pulled the coat on. You stood behind him as he made sure the fit felt good, and you put your hands on his shoulders again, smoothing out any creases and looking to see how it fit him. “Now, see, Livia, we want to make sure he has movement in his arms when he wears it, which is why I didn’t go in so far with my stitches when I repaired it.”

Buggy turned around to face you, scowling already, but you took his arm gently and lifted it up, showing her the cuff you reattached. “And see, you don’t even notice that this was hanging by a thread when he brought it in. I made sure to re-enforce this cuff as well as the other to ensure he wouldn’t have any issue.”

Livia stayed by your side, nodding along with what you said as she tried not to look at Buggy. How could she not stare at the bright red nose on his face? She wanted to ask if it was real, and did it honk if he squeezed it? Occasionally her eyes would go to his face while you talked about cleaning the stains and the best way to handle blood, but she really tried hard not to stare.

It was difficult and when she looked up at him one more time, he caught her looking and glared at her. She took a step back and ducked behind you as he opened his mouth to say something not nice to her. 

“I’ll only bill you for what we did, but honestly it won’t cost much because you overpaid last time.” Your voice brought him back to you and he frowned. “So let us write that bill up real quick.”

He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. “No, I’ll… pay the amount I owe.” 

“Oh, but last time-”

“I’ll pay you what I owe.” He snapped as he reached into his pocket and slammed the berry down on the counter. He didn’t wait for the bill, instead storming out of the shop once again. You collected the payment and counted it out again, shaking his head. He kept paying too much and you were wondering if you should open a line of credit for him if he came back.

~

The girls did not like Buggy. They thought he was loud, rude, and too angry. Your boss still wanted you to refuse service to him if he ever showed his face again but you didn't find him to be a problem. He came back two weeks later to the shop while it was just you, coat draped over his arm with the scowl forever etched on his face, though not as intense as usual. You smiled at him when you saw him and he tried not to look at you as he held it out to you.

“What happened now?” You asked as you took it from him and placed it on a hanger. You hung it from a book on the wall and began to look for any rips or missing buttons. Buggy crossed his arms, still not looking at you. “Captain?”

“There are threads that are too long.” He grumbled. “I need them trimmed.”

“Oh.” That was a bit of an odd request. “Can you show me where?”

He came around to you, pointing out where the thread tails were. You grabbed your little scissors and trimmed them as short as you could; some were less than a quarter of an inch long, but if he wanted it done then you would do it. You took time looking for any other imperfections, noting that the lining was still intact from where you had repaired it the first time, and the shoulder and cuff repairs were still holding strong. One button at the top of his coat looked like it may come undone in the near future, so you ducked into the back to grab a needle and thread to repair it.

Buggy remained quiet as he watched you work. You were quick to remove the button and old thread, wanting to make sure there was no risk of the button snagging and falling off. Every repair on his coat meant one less chance for him to stop by. Being a captain, you were certain he was busy, and that making time to try and get his clothes fixed would eat up valuable time, so you wanted to make sure he wouldn’t need to return any time soon. 

Once you finished, you held his coat out to him and smiled. “Can you try it on for me?”

“Why?” He replied as he did as you asked. Might as well since you ask him every time he’s come in so far. You stepped forward and made sure the collar laid flat before you buttoned the top button of his coat.

“I want to make sure it looks good on you.” You told him as you made sure the fit looked good. “I’m almost done with my apprenticeship and I was taught to make sure the customer was happy.”

Buggy frowned. “Why aren’t you scared of me?”

“Am I supposed to be?” You asked as you finished with the buttons and straightened up, looking him over. “It looks good on you.” Smiling, you gave him a thumbs up. “Orange is a great color on you, Captain Buggy.” 

He didn’t want to but he couldn’t help it. His cheeks burned at your compliments because he knew it was your job to tell him that. You said this to every customer, paid attention to all their details as well, so why was he feeling flustered just from this interaction with you? He didn’t even know your name but this was his third time stopping in for your help in the shop. He needed to sail away and never come back at this point. He didn’t want to see you if it was going to mean he blushed and his heart started racing, but at the same time, you had been nothing but kind to him. It was a little hard to stay away when he looked forward to seeing you smile at him.

Buggy reached into his pocket and you held your hand out to stop him. “No, no, it’s fine, I won’t charge you, Captain.”

“I’m going to pay you.” He grumbled as he pulled out the money. He took your hand, ignoring how he could feel the warmth of your skin through his glove, and put the payment in your hand. He pulled away and was out the door before you could stop him.

These little visits of his were starting to be a little… interesting to you but for some reason you were starting to look forward to seeing him.

[marigolddove]

Love Begins With Murder, Believe it or Not.

Part One

This is a request from @yandere-dark-cupid, I'm sure you intended for this to be a one-shot...buuuuut I got super carried away because I L O V E mafia/mob AUs. They're my favorite all around and I just couldn't help myself, especially when you said you wanted a sweet civilian that's my jam. So, yeah this is part One for now, I'm thinking this is gonna end up being 3 parts minimum with how it's going and I will tag you in all 3, thanks for the request it was so much fun to plan and write and I hope you're happy with it!

Warnings: Blood and violence at the start, bit of torture and mentions of murder. Only at the very start though.

💀♥️💀

     If Wally Darling could only choose two qualities he hates most in this world he would choose dishonesty and disloyalty. Both of which this sorry bastard strapped to a chair in his office have. Wally didn't need to watch to know Barnaby was doing his job and doing it well, making this insignificant waste of air scream and wheeze through his gag. 

     He had more important things to focus on anyhow, like his craft for one. Having grown bored of reading recent reports and approving deals with neighboring rival groups, he turned to what he really loved most: art. 

     Sure now it was only a hobby compared to his full time job of running his family, but in his younger years it was his passion; his reason to get out of bed each morning and breathe. He's become weary and disappointed by his lack of motivation and inspiration as of late. There was a time when no one could pull him away from an easel or a sketch book for hours; but now, even with the tension and emotions bouncing around the room from this well deserved "lesson" he couldn't fully immerse himself in his work.

     At a particularly loud and strangled cry from the now ex-member of his family, Wally growled and scribbled through his current piece so violently the paper ripped; then tossed the sketchbook and pencil haphazardly onto his desk. He finally turned his attention to Barnaby and his victim.

     Barnaby, having heard his friend's frustration through the gasping breaths of some no-name newbie who crossed Eddie and Frank, immediately fixed his attention onto Wally.

     "Everything alright boss?" 

     "Just peachy." Wally sneered sarcastically, clasping his hands tightly together on his desk, "I believe I'm now tired of our session, you can take him and finish this up elsewhere, please? Oh, and on your way out get Julie for me." 

     Barnaby immediately unstrapped the man from the chair and threw his weak, limp body over his shoulder, "Sure thing boss, I won't take up more of your time; but I'll be around if ya' need me." He moved to grab the bloodied and soiled chair, but stopped when Wally waved dismissively.

     "No need for that, leave the chair and the mess, I'll have someone else clean that. Thank you Barnaby, be safe." Barnaby nodded and with that left the now slightly dank office. 

     Now alone for a moment, Wally leaned back into his leather seat and sighed, typically he wouldn't have these sessions in his office but this had been a…special occasion. A heat of the moment call if you will. 

     You see, that man had been new to the family, very new. He had yet to learn just how important family really is to Mr. Darling, but when he put the lives of Eddie and Frank into danger well…now he knew. All could have been forgiven had he shown a bit of sympathy and care for his new found family, but all he seemed to care about was his wallet. Selling personal information about individual members of the family to rival groups or reporters, one of those stories being about Eddie and Frank.

     Wally has never frowned upon interpersonal relationships, in fact he had encouraged it. Afterall, love is a beautiful and wonderful thing and he was so pleased it had been found in his friends. It was just such a shame that others didn't seem to share his sentiments on the matter.

     Running a hand through his hair, he attempted to correct any loose curled strands that fell into his face and onto his ears during his episode moments before, using any residual hair product still in his hair to hold them back in place. He began to straighten his posture and his desk at the sound of heel'd footsteps against the hardwood floors of the hall outside his door.

     Soon in walked Julie, dressed in a very fine magenta three-piece suit, a black criss-cross bow tie, classic black heels and her hair curled and pinned back to perfection; jewelry accenting her manicured hands. Wally felt a swell of pride and admiration towards Julie's sense of confidence and style.

     "Well, don't you look fierce today my friend." He started warmly at her entrance, she beamed at his compliment; only briefly glancing at the bloody mess at the center of his office before seemingly losing interest and turning her attention back to him. 

     "I woke up feeling fierce, so I just had to go all out today," she states as she moves to stand in front of his desk, hands on her hips, "so," she glances at the distressed art book still on his desk, "Barnaby said you needed to see me?"

     "Yes, I just sent him to take care of that…problem we were having, and it occured to me that the problem had a romantic partner. A young woman by the name of…" he examined a note he wrote for himself, "Ah, Allison Forester."

     A look of understanding flashed across Julie's face, "You need me to take care of her?" She was surprised when he shook his head.

     "No, no that won't be necessary. Our message will be clear soon enough, and there was never any evidence she was involved in his little scheme." His face turned a bit sour at the end before reverting back to neutral, "No, I want to send her flowers as an apology for his mess and for my rash actions." He sounded anything but apologetic, in fact he smiled just a tiny bit when calling his actions 'rash'. 

     "Oh, okay, sure thing sir. Any types of flowers in particular?" She knew Wally was very detail oriented and wanted to be sure he was giving her full creative liberties. 

     He waved dismissively, "No, just something pretty, that's all for now. You're dismissed, be safe." Turning his attention back to the art book, Julie knew he was now ignoring her; but she didn't take it to heart, he never meant anything by it, that's just how he was. Quick and to the point, and once the point was over he was done with it entirely.

—————————

     Julie closed the office door behind her as she strutted her way back out into the main area of the building, the building they're in used to be strictly an office building, but since it fell into Wally's hands it was almost like an art studio where business happened to be held. He had completely renovated the building, still keeping some of the office spaces (not all of them were used as such however) but also turning part of the building into his own private home and space. They had more official places of business elsewhere, this one was just for comfort, for him to be himself. 

     Only the closest of family members were allowed to work here, the most trusted and beloved; because Wally does love them, even with his business facade and too-cool-for-you appearance she never doubted his love for her and the others. How could she when they're family?

     Julie decided she wouldn't leave until she could say goodbye to Frank and Eddie, they were her two closest friends in and out of the organization, and she knew that the recent news of betrayal had hit Frank hardest. Behind their serious and uncaring demnor hid a very emotional individual only she and Eddie really got to see. 

     It didn't take very long to find them and when she did she nearly hesitated, they were having a moment together and seemed to be having a very serious conversation. Together they sat on a velvet bench in front of a few art pieces Wally had completed, their fingers were interlocked as they faced once another. It seemed so pure and intimate, she nearly turned to leave until Eddie spotted her out of the corner of his eyes and offered her a soft smile and silently waved her over.

     When she reached the two she immediately pulled them both into a tight hug, "I'm so sorry, everything's gonna be okay, Wally will take care of this. I know he will." The two hugged her back just as tight.

     "Thank you, Julie. We're grateful for the support." Said Eddie, his southern charm as endearing as ever. She felt Frank nod against her shoulder and sniff a little.

     She pulled back and with as big of a smile as she could manage, Frank made it a little hard though, her poor friend's face was tear stained and eyes a bit redder than normal. They'd definitely been crying, and looking at Eddie she found unshed tears locked in his eyes and his face more flushed than usual. Good riddance to that idiot, whatever his name had been.

     She'd never been the violent or hateful sort, usually charasmatic and subtle, but if Wally or Barnaby had refused to do something about that guy…well, she had no doubts she would have taken him herself.

     "So where does Wally have you going?" Eddie asks, changing subject, a knowing look in his eyes. He was a sharp character, so she didn't have to ask how he knew Wally had given her a task.

     "I'm glad you asked, he's asked me to pick up flowers for a lady, I wanted your advice on a good shop for it. He wants them pretty." Eddie raised a brow at her and she chuckled, "Not that kinda lady, I'm afraid. It's for the…uh, girlfriend of the scum bag." 

     "I'm surprised he's sending her anything but a death threat." Frank says. 

     "Yeah, well boss says she didn't have nothin' to do with what went down. She's just a civilian caught up in it." 

     Frank nods while Eddie gets this excited look in his eyes, "Oh! I know just the place, hold on," he shifts and reaches into his back pocket to pull out a nice leather wallet, he takes out a small business card and hands it to Julie, "This place is really good at making bouquets, one of the employees there is a real charmer. Name's Y/N, (e/c) eyes and (h/c) hair. They're an artist when it comes to flowers, I swear." He said with a bright smile on his face, before turning a bit sheepish as the tips of his ears turned red, "I, uh, used to go there a lot back when I would get flowers for Frank." He admits.

     Frank practically has hearts in their eyes as they gaze lovingly at Eddie and his bashful face, Julie giggles at how cute they are together. They truly deserved the happiness they found in one another.

     "Well then, this is where I'll go then! How can I say no when you give such a sparkling review?" She teases, looking over the card and memorizing the address before tucking it into her pocket, "If I tell them your name will I get a discount?" She joked, but suddenly Eddie got a look of realization on his face.

     "Ya know what? You actually might! Y/N owes me a bit of a favor, so you just tell her Eddie Dear sent ya and I'm sure she'll do something for ya." Both Julie and Frank gave him a questioning look so he continued, "There was a big ol' spider in there the last time I went, poor thing was absolutely terrified, sitting on the counter and staring at it. So, I killed it for them and they gave me an IOU, they wanted to give me my flowers for the day free of charge, but I refused." He explained with a shrug and a sweet smile.

     "Flowers probably won't be too expensive and it's on Wally's dollar so I'm not really worried about it, but I'll still tell them you said 'hi'." 

     "Please do!" 

     Julie turned to leave, but not before giving one more tight hug to Frank, rubbing their back soothingly. They return the hug just as tightly.

     "Be safe, and come back soon…I think I wanna talk to you alone later. I have a lot on my mind." Frank whispers into her ear, although Eddie might've heard it. He didn't speak on it. 

     She pats their back, "Sure thing, bestie." 

     With that she ends the hug and waved as she leaves the room, leaving the two as they embrace one another and continue speaking 'I love you's in hushed tones.

—————————

     The flower shop is only 15 minutes from Wally's "home", and even though she recognizes the strip its located in, she's certain she's never noticed the shop before. It's surrounded by restaurants and a bakery, but now that she's noticed it she can appreciate just how cute it looks. It's small and the sign is elegant while the actual building itself is colorful compared to the rest surrounding it. It's actually so colorful she wonders how she's never noticed it before.

     She enters the establishment with a ring from the bell hanging just above the door signaling her entrance, the inside is a bit more simple compared to the outside, mostly natural woods and white paint while the flowers brought the room to life with their vibrancy and colors. To her right she sees a (e/c) and (h/c) employee, just as Eddie had described.

     You jump up from a stool you had been sitting on behind the counter with the register. Greeting her with a bright, relaxed smile.

     "Oh! Hello, welcome, my name is Y/N. Is there any type of flower you're looking for in particular today?" 

     "Hello, my name is Julie. Julie Joyful, how do you do?" She asks cooly, approaching the counter and outstretching her hand, your smile somehow becomes even more dazzling at her introduction and greeting. 

     "I'm doing well actually, thank you for asking." 

     Julie reaches into her pocket and pulls out the business card holding it up, "I got your card from Eddie, he says hello and that you're quite the florist." You move out from behind the counter with a gasp, still smiling.

     "Oh! Eddie sent you? Does he need more flowers for that friend of his? I thought for sure he would've won them over by now!" You laugh.

     "Nope, he only recommended you, I'm here for another friend of mine actually." Julie corrects, a smirk growing on her lips, "Oh, and that friend has certainly been won over. They're so cute it's sickening." 

     "Oh I knew it! I had a good feeling about him, I don't always have a good feeling about every customer who comes in, but he was definitely one of the sweetest. Definitely a lot of love in his heart, for sure." You say as you approach a table next to the counter, readying some wrapping and bows/ties, "So, this friend of yours," you start with a lilt, "Are they a friend, or a friend." Julie laughs at your teasing insinuation.

     "A friend, and the flowers are actually for a funeral…kinda." You immediately drop a pair of scissors you pulled out of a drawer onto the table, turning with a look of horror on your face. 

     "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been so casual and I shouldn't ha–" Julie laughs, interrupting your hurried apology.

     "No worries, it wasn't anyone close to me or to him. It's more of a courtesy thing, I guess."

     A bit of color returns to your face as you visibly relax, realizing you hadn't offended Julie. Even so, next time no funny business!

     "Well is there any particular message you'd like to send using the flowers? Or do you just want a bundle of the same type of flower? White lilies are very popular for funerals, although they're also great for weddings and symbolize purity, and then there's marigold's. They're a bit deceiving, because while they look bright and sunny they really represent mourning and grief." 

     Julie took a moment to examine the flowers filling the room, "You can also just choose whatever is prettiest to you, all flowers have special meanings and can be a sentence all on their own, but not everyone cares too much for that as long as they're pretty." You continue, not focused on Julie so much as you browsed the flowers, mentally comparing combinations in your head. 

     "I'll let you decide, Eddie said you're like an artist when it comes to flowers, so I'll trust you know what you're doing." You hum in response to let Julie know you heard her.

     "You said the flowers aren't for anyone close, but are they a friend or family?" 

     "Family…kind of, I guess. They're for the girlfriend of a distant recently deceased family member."

     "Ah, so like you said, a courtesy bouquet."

     You take a moment to decide, then you immediately set to work, three types of flower should be enough, a short sweet message, "Coral rose, marigold and blue salvia." You say as you expertly cut the appropriate amount of each flower. 

     "What would that mean?" Julie asks, watching as you move the flowers to the table and clip leaves from the stems.

     "Coral roses can mean friendship and modesty, but in this case it means sympathy. Marigolds, as I said, mean mourning and grief; while blue salvia means 'thinking of you'." You explain softly as you arrange and wrap the flowers gently in a neutral paper; then finally tying it together with a matching cord. 

     "So essentially I'm trying to tell her: 'You're on my mind and I sympathize with your grief.' short and sweet." 

     Julie smiles as you turn around and hand her the finished bouquet, it's more colorful than she would've thought a mourning bouquet is supposed to look, but it is pretty just like Wally requested and it has the meaning, "Perfect!".

     You smile, pleased that she likes it, before moving behind the counter to ring her up; but then you remember that Eddie recommended her…you do owe him a favor. Maybe this was his favor?

     "So how much do I owe ya?" 

     "Nothing, it's on the house, this time."

     She looks up from the flowers to make eye contact, "You sure? They can't be that expensive, I don't mind paying, it's outta my buddy's wallet anyway." 

     "It isn't that expensive, which is why I don't mind letting this one go. It's for a good cause and I owe Eddie, I don't know if I'm calling this his one favor, but it's nice to do something nice for someone else." Julie smiles at your kindness.

     "How about I just pay half then? Just consider it a special discount." That sounded like good middle ground. 

     You agreed to her compromise, charging her only fifteen dollars, "Thank you for your business, have a wonderful day and I hope your friend approves of the flowers!" 

     Julie thanked you for your help and waved goodbye before leaving the store and returning to her vehicle, delicately carrying the bouquet.

I am already working on Part Two now!

[drdemonprince]

do you have tips for distracting yourself from thoughts you don't want to have?

As we all know intellectual repression does not work, so I try thinking of a problem that I actually do want to solve rather than worrying about a hypothetical problem that doesn't exist yet or one that cannot be solved.

Like so: "okay, let's stop worrying about this writing project that I am not able to work on right now because I'm not even near a fucking computer, and instead let's worry about making a shopping list and a meal plan for this whole week of groceries."

Or: "Okay, I'm not gonna be able to fix the guilt over my role my dad's death at the moment, so let's think about when I am going to hang out with XYZ person I've been meaning to see for a while, and what I could invite that person to go do."

I also try throwing my brain a challenging problem or intellectual exercise related to a topic that I am interested in, or reading about. Like so:

"Okay, I'm worrying a lot about the future of my job, but that isn't helpful right now, because I don't even know who my new boss is gonna be yet and I won't for another year. But here's something I do want to think deeply about: I am reading this very interesting book by Freddy deBoer right now about how the left fails to build large enough coalitions to achieve real political power, and he makes some fair points, but doesn't that concern of his seem to contradict his earlier point about how the neurodiversity movement is too large of a movement and too big of a tent, with not enough focus on those with really high support needs who hate their mental illness? I wonder what Freddy would say to that question?"

And then I'll spend a good long while pondering that question.

Another way that I cope with intrusive negative thoughts is to ask myself if a line of obsessive thinking or worry is going to bring me closer to the kind of person I want to be. And if it won't, what is something that I could be thinking about that might help me better embody that person.

So if I'm reenacting a fight with my mom over and over again in my head, I might notice this, and tell myself: hey. This thing we are thinking about is only making us a more angry and resentful person, which we don't need any more practice on. We are already good at being angry and resentful. Where do we actually need to grow? Oh! I remember, I wanted to start doing more volunteer work. I'll spend the duration of this bus ride looking up some local mutual aid groups and putting their events in my calendar. And so on.

I really think of using my brain as a form of exercise, if you'll excuse me for sounding a bit sigma male -- everything we think about, we get better at thinking about. Every thought process we engage in with our brains, we make more reflexive and natural-seeming for us. So if I want to be a more compassionate person, I can just sit and think about people in a compassionate light to slowly expand that skill. I'm bored of my own misanthropy, anxious worrying, fault-finding, and work-related stress at this point. Rather than telling myself to stop thinking about those things, I try offering my brain something else to exercise with.

Another thing I'll do is just turn on a podcast that will keep my mind engaged. True Anon, Trillbilly Worker's Party, Anime Sickos are all favorites. Sometimes that's enough to quiet down the noise, especially if paired with a vigorous activity like cleaning or a long walk.

[euovennia]

Hi! I have an Oc who is Malaysian so her accent is very heavy. She doesn't have much knowledge about other languages, just English. Then I had an idea.

Could you do something about the reader being the nursing assistant at the base, who is a little shy and decided to learn German on her own just to have some conversation with König, since she always had a crush on him. She is always seen very distracted reading something but no one knows what she reads so much, since she takes care to cover all the German books she has so that no one suspects her sudden interest in the language.

Thank you in advance! 🥰

bless the anon who requested this, i loved writing this out!

warnings: two goofballs being shy bc they're so into each other, not proofread

You're startled by the sound of four incessant knocks bouncing off your door. Your hands grasp onto the old receipt from a grocery run you made just over a week ago that you'd been using as a bookmark and quickly shove it between the pages of your copy of German for the Intermediate. You promptly shut the paperback closed and stack a few files on top of it before getting up from your seat and opening the door to reveal the head nurse and your boss, Juliette. She walks into the small office she'd assigned you and takes a seat on the chair you'd finished sanitizing not too long ago causing you to let out a puff of air in faux annoyance.

"I just got done wiping that down, Jules."

She waves you off as you shut the door and take your seat back at your assigned desk, "I'll wipe it before I go, don't worry."

You cross your legs and give the clock a quick glance before returning your gaze to the woman sat before you, "Everything alright? You look tired."

She quirks a brow, "That your way of saying I look awful?"

Your quick to shake your head, "What? No, of course not! I was just asking because it's only eleven but you look ready to walk out on us."

She looks down at her pants and flicks off a speck of dust you can't even see before responding, "That's because I am."

You straighten out your posture as your interest is piqued, "And why's that?"

She diverts her attention from her pants so she can look at you, "I got word KorTac is on their way back from that mission in Belgium. They've got three GSW's, five knife wounds, and an apparent concussion all on that flight.."

Your brows raise as your stomach falls, "Do you know who has which injuries?"

She shakes her head, "No, but I've been told all wounds have been stabilized by the on board medics. I'm thinking we might just have to stitch them back together once they touch down. We'll see about that concussion once they land."

Your heart rate slows down just a tad as you let out a small sigh of relief, "Well at least that's something, no? Could be a lot worse."

She runs a tired hand through her hair, "I know, I just can't help but think of all the paperwork we'll have to work through cause of it though. Is that messed up?"

You ponder for a moment before answering, "No, I don't think so. We all hate paperwork, but you just so happen to get the majority of it."

"Sometimes I hate myself for accepting that damn promotion," She lets out a wistful sigh, "You think you can take some files off my hands by chance? I'll let you have a day off any day you want."

"No need to bribe me with a day off, Jules. You know I don't mind the extra paperwork," You say with a kind smile.

She lets out a small laugh, "Right, I forgot you actually like paperwork."

You shrug, "It's cathartic."

She eyes you for a few moments and opens her mouth to say something, but is stopped by the sound of her pocket pager going off. She grabs onto it and reads over it for a moment before looking up at you, "They're here."

You lean back in your seat as you release the pen from your cramping hand. Your eyes rake over the now small stack of folders sitting on your desk before drifting over to the digital watch resting on your wrist.

16:37

You remain leaned back in your chair staring at different points in your small office for longer than you care to admit before eventually settling your gaze on the book nestled underneath the growing stack of completed files. You reach forward and carefully pull it out before opening up to the page you were on before Juliette knocked at your door. You combed through the words of the pages, soaking up every bit of information you could.

Of course, until there was another knock on your door.

Holding in the small sigh that threatened to spill from your lips, you opened up a drawer in your desk and placed the book inside before shutting it and turning your focus back to the files on your desk, but not before calling out a quick, "Come in!"

You paid no mind to the door as it opened, only bothering to look up from the patient report you were slaving over when the person who had, presumably, walked in didn't say anything. Your eyes widened and your cheeks warmed upon seeing the object of your affections staring down at you with those gorgeous eyes of his. You could only hope you didn't look as love-struck as you felt.

"König," You greeted as you wring your hands together, "What can I do for you?"

His hands moved to pull up his long sleeve where his forearm guards once rested, a small frown coming to tug at the edge of your lips as you're met with a particularly nasty looking cut.

"Miss Young said you could stitch this up for me," He started as he seemed to shift his weight from one foot to another, "I'm sorry if it's a bother, you look busy."

You shut the file on your desk closed before standing up and walking over to the small cabinet filled with medical supplies as you motion for him to take a seat. You grab onto your disinfectant and suture kit before taking a seat in front of him as you speak, "It's not a bother at all, König. I've been working on those for a while now, this is a welcome distraction."

He gives a nod that you don't see, far too wrapped up in tending to his wound, but also a tad nervous that you'd somehow mess up if you dared to sneak a glance at those eyes that plagued your dreams. Still, you can't seem to hold back the question that's been bouncing around your mind for the past few hours.

"Where were you when the rest of KorTac came in?"

You can't see the way his cheeks tinge pink at the sound of your voice cutting through the otherwise silent room.

"I didn't think I was hurt so I went back to my room. I only realized when I stepped out of the shower not long ago."

You try not to think of him in the shower as you thread the needle, but you can't help but take notice of just how good he smells now that he's in such close proximity. You look down at the skin of his exposed forearm before muttering out a small, "Sorry for the pinch," Before reaching forward with steady hands and pinching the needle through his skin. The small hiss of pain from him aches your chest, but you're enamored by just how soft his skin feels against your fingertips.

You're quick to stitch up his wound, even as your mind and body are going haywire from the man sitting before you. You tie a knot into the thread and cut off the excess before looking up at him, "You can get someone to take them out after seven days, should be good as new."

He gulps, "Would it be possible for you to take them out?"

Your heart soars at the prospect of seeing him again, "If you'd like me to."

He nods, "I would."

You smile at him, "Then I'll see you in a week."

You watch as he leaves just a few moments after your short lived interaction. You quickly clean up the supplies you used before settling yourself back into your chair and taking a deep breath, but it doesn't do much to calm your frazzled nerves because you can still smell traces of his shampoo in the air.

The seven days pass by much slower than you'd anticipated, but it gives you more than enough time to move on from your copy of German for the Intermediate to your copy of German for the Advanced. Which, is what you're currently catching up on before your door flings open. You jolt in your seat as you toss the book to the corner of your desk haphazardly as your eyes fly over to the sudden intrusion where you see Juliette standing there with a sheepish smile on her face.

You let out a small sigh before running your hand over your face, "You scared me."

She takes a seat, "I'm sorry! I just wanted to ask if you were gonna cash in that day off any time soon."

You give her a playful eye roll as you speak, "You've been bugging me about this the entire week. I'm starting to think you don't like me."

She waves you off, "As if. You're easily the most competent person around here, I'd probably drown if you weren't around."

Your brows furrow in confusion, "Then why ask so much?"

She shrugs, "I don't know. I just figure most people would've cashed it in by now, you're making me think you like working just a little too much."

"I just don't see a need to have a day off, I like my job."

"But that's not the point! You rarely ever take a day off and you're always more than happy to come into work if I ever have to call you in. Everyone needs a break, even people who like their job, don't you think?"

You open your mouth to respond, but stop when you see König poke his head though the opening of the door that Juliette hadn't closed all the way, but upon seeing the two of you wrapped up in a conversation he seems to falter.

"I'm sorry, I can come back–"

Juliette stands up and opens the door for him before he can finish his sentence.

"No need, I was just asking a question and I got my answer. Feel free to take her," She says before moving past König with a kind smile.

You try not to get too giddy with the fact that Juliette showed herself out before König could scurry away from your office. You'd been eager to see him.

"Take a seat, I just need to grab some tweezers and a pair of scissors."

He nods before occupying the seat Juliette once had before you return with the aforementioned supplies. You sit before him much like you had a week ago and watch as he lifts up his black long sleeve once more. You lean forward to get a closer look, your heartrate picking up as the smell of his shampoo completely overrides your senses. Much like last week, you make quick work of undoing his stiches and discarding the supplies.

You look up at him with an almost shy smile, "Seems like you're all set now...Unless you needed something else?"

He seems to ponder over your words for few moments before giving a hesitant shake of his head, "No I...I think I'm okay."

You give him a small nod, "Okay then...I think you're good to go."

You watch as his shoulders fall slightly and you're so close to slamming your head against your desk. You've practically kicked him out of your office despite waiting for him to stop by all week. You watch with remorseful eyes as he gives a quick nod before standing up and walking over to your door. You're desperate for him to stay, even for just a few minutes longer so you blurt out, "Schönen Tag König."

You watch with nervous eyes as he whips his head around and looks at you, a glimmer of curiosity shining in his eyes.

"You...You know German?"

Your heart nearly bursts at how shy he sounds.

You gulp as you reach out for the book you tossed aside earlier with a shaky hand, "I've been practicing," You admit as you hand it over to him.

He opens up the book and he finds himself completely mesmerized by the amount of annotations and highlights decorating the pages. He runs a careful finger over your loopy handwriting as he soaks in this newfound knowledge before closing the book and looking over at you who is not sporting a blush on your cheeks, "Why did you want to learn?"

"For you," You quietly admit.

His body warms at your admission, "For me?"

You nod, "I know there's not really anyone else on base who speaks it and I," You let out a small breath to calm your racing heart, "I just thought you'd like to have someone to speak to in your mother tongue."

His lips stretch into a small smile as his eyes bounce between you and the book in his hands. You had just made this so much easier for him.

"Well...If you're tired of reading from a book, maybe I could help teach you?"

Your head snaps up at his words, "You'd do that?"

He nods as he tries to resist the urge to sweep you into his arms, "I always wanted to ask you to out, but I never had a good reason."

You stand up from your seat and walk over to him as you look up into his eyes, "You never needed a reason."

He lets out a shaky breath as he tries to process your close proximity, "I didn't want to make any assumptions," He supplies lamely.

Upon seeing his obvious hesitance, you can feel a surge of confidence bubble up inside you as you reach out for his hand and interlace your fingers, "I would've said yes no matter what."

He's so entranced he can barely think straight, "But your job...It keeps you busy, no?"

Your eyes sparkle, "I think I can manage to get a day off."

That's all he needs to hear.

[callmearcturus]

writer questions meme: 8, 13, 20 if you please

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

It wasn't explicitly writing advice, but I can tell you where I learned what my specific style would be. There was a fic in the Dresden Files fandom called "Cross" by LightGetsIn. LGI was a tremendous writer and a very kind mentory-friend who I attended my first fan convention with. Extremely accomplished adult who I looked up to when I was barely an adult.

"Cross" is a story about the limitations of perspective. It was the first story that really drove home the idea that Character A would not have the same knowledge and understanding of the world as Character B.

In "Cross", the POV character is John Marcone, a non-magical mafia boss who is deeply entrenched in the magical world. He has a lot of factual knowledge of how magic works, but he's an Italian-American Catholic. So when he's pulled into doing magical rites to bring another character back to life, he specifically doesn't pick up on the more pagan symbology of what he's doing, but filters it through a Guilty Catholic filter. Hence the name of the fic, "Cross."

And that story, which isn't even my favorite LGI story, probably taught me the most about how to write Close Perspective Third Person, which is my default style. When I'm writing in a characters POV, I rigorously limit what the POV character knows and picks up on. I will plant clues and information that the audience will understand, but the connections a character makes, the reference pools they pull from, their morality and ethics, all of those inform that POV, and what you and I know does not.

That is probably the most important lesson I've ever had in creating my own writing method.

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

8 hours of sleep, small breakfast snack like a croissant, decaf beverage, one dextroamphetamine, and no one fucking talk to me for about 2 - 4 hours. I will write 4,000 words.

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Lets put this under a cut, and I'll give you some DVD commentary. This is from chapter 2 of you'll need a new name to survive this. It's the point where Benji realizes Ethan is stalking him and does that trick to lose him in the bookshop, then sits outside waiting for him.

Only five minutes later, the door opened, and Bell took one step out before freezing, his eyes falling on Benji.

Got you, Benji thought with a sharp little smile. "You didn't even buy a book? Bit rude."

One of the goals of the early chapters of PT AU was establishing Benji's character as boldly as possible because we were essentially telling a story that canon does not. This is YEARS before MI3, where Benji gets two gd scenes.

To me, the tightrope walk was that I wanted Benji to have a reasonable grip on authority, to be shiny and new and out of his depth but still empowered because of his accomplishments. He has managed to land a good job working for the US government, he successfully emigrated before he was 30 years old, he has an apartment and a cat, he's new to everything in the spy world but he also has a steel spine that frankly he's fucking earned.

Which is a long-winded way of saying that Benji is a bitch and I love him so much.

Bell's face was blank, but Benji could almost feel how fast his brain was moving, weighing his options. Eventually, he settled on huffing out a little chuckle and stepping closer to Benji. "Hi."

Meanwhile, Ethan. MI1-era Ethan is very very smart but very very traumatised. His skillset is rooted in controlling people and predicting them. So Benji, a fucking civilian, catching him off-guard like this is like waving a red flag at a bull. Or dangling a steak over a lion enclosure. Benji doesn't know it yet but he's setting himself up to be a tasty treat for Ethan Hunt circa the late 90s.

"Are you going to kill me or something?" Benji asked. "Is that your spook job, are you a hitman?"

The flash of expression on Bell's face was offended. (This makes me laugh every time. Ethan Hunt is not a killer unless he absolutely must be and he will go out of his way to avoid it. Being an assassin is gross and he doesn't want to be perceived at all bc he's a spy but if he MUST be perceived jfc don't assume he's a HITMAN) "What, no. I just…" Grimacing, he looked away, eyes scanning the other pedestrians around them. "Okay, I'm screwing this up, I can admit that. Can we talk somewhere private?"

Benji didn't even have to think about it. "We can talk somewhere public."

Benji is never going to be an IMF agent but his instincts are wildly correct. And that knowledge comes from a different place! He was a gay punk rock vagabond who dropped out of law school, he knows how to keep out of trouble. He is probably the guy who told his other punk friends "if you are arrested do not say a goddamn thing, just ask for your public defender, don't joke, don't be a smartarse, keep your mouth shut."

The smile that took over Bell's face was lovely, transforming his whole face from storm clouds to something more seasonal. "That's honestly a very smart answer, doc. C'mon, there's a bakery nearby. I'll buy you a coffee. Least I can do."

It really was, so Benji nodded and followed him.

They didn't speak until Bell opened the glass door to another shop and held it open for Benji.

"Wrong hand," Benji said, noticing the small wince Bell let out.

"Inside, doc."

If it isn't obvious, all of the observational skills Benji has canonically have been funneled into his preternatural observation of patients.

Basically, if Benji as a character has a specific set of SPECIAL stats, all of those are the same, he just has different tagged skills in this universe.

Canon Benji is probably.... Guns, Science, and Repair. PT Benji has Medicine, Barter, Speech.

"Not a doctor," Benji said. "You know I'm not a doctor."

"What do you want to drink, doc?"

Ethan is being purposefully annoying and I could write a whole post about Ethan's soft power and the way he manipulates people, but that'd be another post. Short version: some people you seduce, some people you act like a wounded gazelle at, and some people you annoy.

Inside the bakery was loud. It was a strangely open floor plan. A long pastry case cordoned off the seating area for the customers. On the other side was just… the bakery. There were ovens and industrial mixers and rolling racks of cooling bread. In the corner, the espresso machine howled with noise as the milk frother worked.

It smelled divine, like living inside a baguette during a spring shower of dark roast coffee.

It also was a constant racket, which Benji mentioned to Bell as he sat down and slid a dark tea with vanilla syrup across to Benji.

"That's the point," Bell said, slouching back in his chair. "It's very difficult to eavesdrop in here."

Well, he wasn't wrong. Looking to another occupied table nearby, Benji briefly tried to pick out a word of what was being said by the woman seated closest to him. Nothing.

"Right, then," Benji said, attention back on Bell. "Why are you following me?"

"Why?" Bell seemed taken aback.

One of the many moments in the early chapters that establish that Ethan's perception of Normal is not anything approaching actual normal.

"Yes, why."

"Normal intelligence collection."

"On your physical therapist?" Benji asked with a barked laugh.

"Yeah." Bell leaned on his elbows, one hand cupping his own jaw and holding his head up as he made uncomfortably direct eye contact. "You really don't know who I am? Or why some of the appointments on your calendar come with no information?"

Pursing his lips, Benji shook his head.

Blowing out a whistle through his teeth, Bell grinned. "Sorry, that's just… it's new. I'm surprised Dr. Falsion didn't clue you in, but I guess she's not technically supposed to." Lifting his mug, he looked down into it. "People do shit they're not technically supposed to all the time in this town."

Ethan's major trauma at this point is being targeted by Kittridge and the Mole Hunt, and his trust in people to do their jobs is at a critical low that it'll never recover from.

"I don't even know your name," Benji sighed, sipping his own drink. It didn't taste at all like iocaine powder, so he was probably safe for the moment.

Bell rested his temple against the knuckles of his hand, his gaze so intense that Benji didn't know how to look away without making it patently obvious he was unsettled. Whatever Bell saw, it made his lips curve up slight. "Alright. Yeah. My name is Ethan. I work for an organization that shouldn't legally exist, so that's why you don't get anything on me. Even CIA jackboots manipulating local governments are realer than I am." He blinked once. "Also, I was an unprofessional shitheel last session, and I apologize."

Ethan apologizes here because Benji has earned his respect. And also by earning his respect, Ethan is also aware that Benji is not going to be so easy to maneuver around, so he fesses up that he was a prick, softly setting up a different tactic with Benji.

Benji felt his eyes going wider and wider with every sentence until it was a little hard to breathe. So his patient wasn't the American equivalent of an MI5 or MI6 so much as an MI8?

That did sort of start to explain what a pain in the ass he was.

"Shame," Benji managed after a moment of sitting fairly gobsmacked. "I was getting attached to 'Bell.' But I appreciate… all that. Thanks." He frowned. "Are you saying all this because you're actually sorry or are you sick of being stonewalled?"

Benji has a much more cynical mind than Ethan is the funny thing. Benji gets arguably more accurate reads on people than Ethan does. Or, Ethan gets accurate reads but he is continuously poisoned by the hope that people will be better than he expects. So FUNCTIONALLY, Ethan is an optimist and Benji is a realist.

Bell— Ethan— grinned. "That's a very good question. You actually have great instincts, doc. You did a surprisingly good job of shaking me when I was tailing you, especially for a civilian."

One of my favorite running gags is Benji being impossible to tail, so I'm glad we really drove it home the first time it happened. I love consistency in longfic.

"Again: thanks. Don't suppose you'll answer my other question?"

Ethan sipped his coffee, his smile visible around the edge of his cup.

"Right," Benji sighed. At least this felt like progress. And at least he probably wasn't going to be disappeared by a government assassin. That was a relief.

So this entire bit is Ethan reassessing Benji and pivoting his methods and tactics, setting up for a better way of handling Benji. And also being kind of charmed by him.

[nocturnalazure]

An answer to Echoweaver

@echoweaver - I thought it best to make a separate post again in reply to your comments but we can continue the discussion via PM after this if you prefer?

Your comments:

I don't really have a better place to post this, since it seems weird to put an essay about your story on my blog. I wanted to follow up on this, since I'm sure it was my reaction the prompted your thinking. I definitely had feels about Erik and Gloria's breakup, and I wasn't coherent about them. Mostly I was feeling defensive of Gloria. The first responses seemed to indicate she'd overreacted, and I don't really think she did.

The core of my thinking was that she told Erik she wanted to be his priority, and he didn't answer her. I'm sure his body language gave her an answer at some level, and we all knew what it would be. But he didn't actually tell her until he was leaving, about to walk into danger and leaving her to process alone. That's very different from Romeo and Jamie, where Romeo brought his disclaimers up front and allowed Jamie to decide what he could live with.

I wish Gloria had made a different decision, but with the way Erik forced the decision on her, I would have broken up with Erik too. And of course, Gloria came not only second in Erik's life, but third, since he's in love with his boss. She also came after Laurie as a person, and she was sensing that. There wasn't a lot of Erik left over for her.

I do still have a lot of trouble with Erik/Laurie. Erik's intense way of defining himself by his role in the mob makes it impossible for me to see a route to them having a healthy relationship -- Laurie is Erik's boss, and Erik has no line between personal and professional. In addition, Laurie is very cerebral, and Erik is not a verbal communicator. Erik seems like he'd be better with someone like Carmen (we all marry our parents??).

As a side issue, I've spent decades dealing with friends and fans who compulsively sexualize male intimacy, and I find it frustrating. I really liked Erik and Laurie as platonic partners, and I still kind of mourn it. I love Anh, and I do hope her arc with Laurie, whatever it is, takes her to a good place.

The end.

My answer:

As an author, I haven’t found the right balance yet between leaving the readers have their own interpretation and giving them a nudge in the direction I want. So two sides compete inside of me: the thrill of seeing my characters dissected and analysed, and the frustration when the results are not what I had hoped for. It brings up all sorts of self-questioning about my writing abilities. Is a good writer one who manages to make their characters as universally relatable as possible? Or is it one who simply sparks some thinking? If I were to judge by all the bad books that I have read and that I still remember to this day… I’d rather go with the former proposition. But at the same time, I can’t deny that it is flattering that someone would take some of their time to think about my characters. So thank you for this, sincerely.

I see Erik as a flawed human being. So basically, just a human being. It wouldn’t have struck me as very realistic for him to discuss beforehand with Gloria everything that his job implied. Sometimes, discussions happen when they have to happen, because that is how it goes in real life too. And yes, in Erik’s case, there is more to it than just the job. Maybe he’s not ready to admit it out loud. Maybe he’s afraid to hurt Gloria even more. Maybe he wants to keep his promise to Laurie to keep it quiet. Anyway, you’re right: no, he wasn’t upfront with her when she asked him to be his priority and he didn’t answer for many different reasons. And obviously, she was right in asking that precisely, because that is the core of the problem between them and why it would never have worked. Gloria tried, thought she could do it, but in the end it meant changing Erik and that is asking for the impossible. And to Erik’s credit, he did try too, so much. He threw himself headlong into that relationship, in a very Erik way, and he wanted so bad to make her happy because from the get-go, he was afraid that he wasn’t good enough for her. All things considered, it doesn’t matter if Gloria ends up second, third or even tenth in Erik’s list of priorities. She would not have been first in any scenario. And to be fair, that is also the case for many real-life couples: your partner comes second after work, the kids, friends, even hobbies,… Sure, that is not healthy but many people live like that. I don’t pretend to depict ideal couples either.

Gloria was surely right in breaking up with Erik, since they have different outlooks on what being in a relationship involves. That being said, she was (still is) in love with him and she hadn’t expected him to choose his work (or Laurie) over her if she issued an ultimatum. Right now, the poor girl is devastated and kicking herself for not leaving the door open. It is too late, unfortunately. Something has switched in Erik’s mind too.

From a long time now, I have shown Erik as being loyal to Laurie as a person. Not necessarily to an organization or what it represents. He even says at some point that he has “faith” in Laurie. This goes beyond simple duty, and yes, personal and professional are intrinsically connected. However, I don’t see Laurie and Erik as having a strictly hierarchical relationship. Erik has a disregard for the rules inherited directly from his father, and even if Laurie did use his authority from time to time to distance himself from Erik, he’s never been able to really keep him away. Erik, by default, just does whatever the fuck he wants to do. And that’s also what Laurie likes so much about him.

I see your point, but I don’t agree: opposites attract. I think it is very interesting, particularly in fiction, to explore how two characters with very different personalities and backgrounds can find common ground and how they can actually enrich each other. I am always cautious of making similar-minded people automatically get together, be it as friends or lovers. In real life, it creates a dangerous cognitive bubble. I love to find out how two outwardly conflicting personalities can interact and ultimately appreciate each other. By the way, Anh and Laurie are far from being completely similar. Their brain functions in much the same way but they are both strongly opinionated and will clash inevitably. We either marry our parents, or the complete opposite of them (as is my case).

Finally, I hear what you’re saying about sexualizing male friendships. It is a bit of a touchy subject. I don’t do that in real life, that’s for sure. But I allow more leeway in fiction because a big part of the fun is to explore different aspects of life, including sexuality. I’m a straight person. That doesn’t mean I’m not genuinely interested in other sexual identities. Love is love after all.

I can only say that I’ve never intended to write a gay romance with Laurie and Erik. It did start out as a true friendship. But their relationship developed as we know, and I don’t regret a thing because to me, they make a lot of sense together. It just seemed that obvious and I felt like I had voluntarily kept them apart because I was scared of what people would think. Now my favorite part of their relationship is that they never question their (bi)sexuality. They just have romantic feelings for each other that they cannot help, and neither of them really care about labelling those feelings (very much like Sam doesn’t want to define how she feels for Ash).

Finally, l I want to say that Laurie and Erik’s relationship and my determination to write it as well as possible have been an opportunity for me to learn a lot more about the LGBTQ+ community. That has certainly enriched me.

[ryuichirou]

I know you said you won't rant about Vil anymore BUT YOU ALSO SAID YOU DIDN'T WRITE _EVERYTHING_ THAT YOU WANTED TO

sooooo... can you please still do this? I'm begging you on my knees orz You are literally one of the very few people here who engage with Vil as a character thoroughly whithout dumb him down or seeing him as one dimensional egoist (wich is an extremely weird take)

Dear Anon, I am super super super SUPER late, I’ve received your ask a couple of weeks ago already… I really hope that both Vil and you will forgive me lol Thank you for enabling me to talk about him more though!

Also, I am very happy to hear that you think my perception of Vil is thorough; he is a great character, and the fact that he is so misinterpreted only makes him more interesting to dissect and explore.

I’ll start with a hot take: I think that Vil is the nicest housewarden after Kalim, despite also being one of the super strict ones. I briefly mentioned it in my previous reply, the rules he sets for his students make much more sense than the ones in Heartslabyul, and as a housewarden he isn’t driven by his own gain (like Azul, for example). He also isn’t manipulative or backstabbing, not because he wouldn’t be able to pull that off (like Kalim, for example), but because he just has no interest in it. Vil genuinely wants people around him to better themselves, and not only in a physical appearance sense.

Which, of course, could lead to conflicts, like the one he has with Epel: Vil believes in his own principles, he is certain that he knows better because it’s his lifestyle and his perfect work ethics that gave him everything he has in life. And since all of this is pretty normal to him, he might have it difficult to adjust to other people’s pace, or might not even want to do so.  

Vil is amazing, but he isn’t absolutely flawless (shocking), but this is exactly why his character works so well. His better traits lead to his negative traits; they’re tied together, like it always is in any human being. He is super hardworking, but he also expects others to be ready to work as hard as he does. He is very focused on achieving his goals, but by doing so he might ignore the fact that others are overwhelmed with his pace and intensity. He knows his own worth and is very self-confident, but he also has very high standards for himself and is his own worst critic. He is creative and inspiring, but he also can overthink things in search of this perfect artistic expression that he wants to achieve.

I also find it fun that the idea of Vil being misunderstood comes up several times: he really seems to be perceived as some sort of cold-hearted elitist, at least by Epel. Like in the book 6 (..spoiler warning?), when Vil kisses Rook and Epel (and Yuu), there is this vibe of “what, you thought I wouldn’t be happy to see you and want to kiss my boys who came to save me?”, and yeah, why wouldn’t he? To Vil, showing affection isn’t an unnatural thing, he just doesn’t do it when it’s inappropriate: i.e., when he’s acting as a housewarden. In fact, just before he kissed the boys, he scolded Rook for being a horrible vice-housewarden and leaving Pomefiore unattended, but still, showed his gratitude in a gentle and loving way right after that.

Since we watched Harveston's Kelkkarotu event, I also wanted to mention something about it. Long story short, Epel didn’t want to ask Vil (or Rook) to come with him, because he really didn’t want Vil to boss him around and force him to act politely and cutely in front of his grandmother. Now, I am more than happy with the team Epel ended up with, god it was a fun event, but I can’t help but feel a little bit bummed out because we didn’t get to see Vil’s and Marja/Maruya’s interactions. The thing is, I actually disagree with Epel. I think it makes perfect sense for his character to think that Vil would’ve acted this way, but I feel like Vil is the “When in Rome, do as the Romans do" type of person. Why would he force Pomefiore standards on Epel while he is in his hometown? They aren’t in Pomefiore anymore, and Vil wouldn’t be a housewarden at that moment: he would’ve been Epel’s upperclassmen and (hopefully) a friend who is visiting him in his hometown. Vil’s told a bunch of times that one needs to behave according to their position, circumstances and occasion, so there wouldn’t be a point for a strict housewarden Vil to boss Epel around: he has no authority there, Epel and his grandmother do.

This is purely a speculation based on my perception of Vil, of course. But still, I would’ve loved to see Vil (and Rook!) there with Epel lol

Also, I can’t write a post about Vil without mentioning Rook, so I’m sorry, I’m going to talk about the end of the book 5 again.

I really love the fact that despite feeling hurt enough to cry when he found out that Rook had voted for Neige, Vil wasn’t petty or even angry about it. And for someone who’d literally tried to poison Neige like an hour ago, he accepted Rook fanboying over him quite easily, because he knows Rook and trusts him enough to know that he wouldn’t backstab him just because he is a Neige fanboy, and that he (Rook) probably has other reasons. Which is surprisingly mature for someone who just went through an emotional roller-coaster, if you ask me. I don’t think anyone would’ve blamed Vil if he got angry and even more upset with Rook, but the only thing Rook got was “what a cruel man you are” or something among those lines.

I actually think about this line a lot. Imagine being so un-petty that even when your closest person and biggest supporter (seemingly) backstabs you and exposes himself as a fan of a boy who’s pretty much ruined your entire life, instead of saying “yeah fuck you too, asshole” simply out of emotions, you just say this. “I know this isn’t why you voted this way, I am not an idiot”. The trust he has in this man, god their relationship is good lol

(OtomeAyui translation and official translation)

So, yeah. All I’m trying to say is that Vil isn’t stupid or egotistical: he is in fact quite wise and mature, also respectful when he needs to be.

Sigh…

In case you haven’t noticed yet, I love Vil a lot lol

[astarsol]

ch. 2 - truce

    "you don't have to do it. you know that, right?" washio questions akaashi, his fingers forming a triangle as he sends the ball over the net. the soft grass hitting the sides of hit feet. 

  akaashi shakes his head, passing it to bokuto who stands feet away from him. "i do though, to gain a writing job with them. to finally write a novel that matters to me, not another 'l/n romance novel'," he watches as bokuto spikes it down next to washio.

  it slams into the grass, rolling away until it reaches the end of the makeshift court. washio raises his eyebrows at akaashi, "they aren't terrible novels... from what i've heard at least."

  "you've totally read them, haven't you?" 

  washio clicks his tongue, "hey, girls like a sensitive guy. what's more sensitive than reading their favorite romance novel?" 

  he walks off to grab the ball, leaving akaashi to roll his eyes. bokuto slaps the editor on the shoulder, his strong, volleyball playing, arm leaves a sting. "at least you'll be in italy, home of the leaning tower or pizza."

  "pretty sure it's pisa, as in the city," akasshi gives bokuto a questioning look. 

  "pizza, pisa, same difference! you'll be in a new country, maybe your writer will finally be able to show you that she's not just an annoying writer," bokuto shrugs his shoulders, washio giving him a nod in agreeance. 

  akaashi motions for washio to throw the ball again, wanting to end the conversation as quickly as possible. he never hated you or anything, he just knew the public version of you (and the times you've emailed about the novel). the one who appears as artificially nice.

    you open up your arms, accepting a sweet hug from kiyoko. then from ryūnosuke, and lastly from shoyo. "you guys have no idea how much i missed this," you sigh into the last hug, shoyo's hair sticking out a little. 

  "yeah, but don't you love all of the writing stuff?" kiyoko asks, looking out at the line of people outside of the store. she looks back at you, a soft smile still lining your face. 

  with a quick nod, everyone can already tell you're overwhelmed, "absolutely. everyone is so great, it's just a lot. my first book wasn't popular or anything, but the second one... it just changed everything. i feel like i'm constantly trying to keep up. which is why i'm even going on this stupid trip."

  "hey, why didn't you just say you couldn't do it? we would've helped as much as we could," shoyo raises his arm, his hand clinging to your shoulder. 

  you lean into his soft touch, finally feeling at peace now that you were with loved ones. "i wanna prove that i can be cooperative, that they can trust me. i've only done this one book with them, and so getting this second one done will help," you shrug, giving the group a lopsided grin. 

  ryū interlocks his hand with kiyoko's, looking between you and shoyo, "well maybe we can visit or something! a bit of an italian get together. you'll probably see yū too! it'll be okay dude, trust me."

  the warm smile on his face reminds you of all the nights you guys comforted each other. how no matter what you guys went through, you went through it together. you look back at the window of people, the dark clouds creating the perfect backdrop to this slightly dreary morning. that would be such a good description for chapter twenty.

masterlist / previous / next

fun facts: - akaashi thought of going into photography but changed his mind due to a coin flip - different face claims will be used for reader - reader doesn’t have many friends but loves spending time with other readers - bokuto has also read your second book

taglist: @merofvenus, @existential-traveller, @kurenix, @reveusecherie, @thechaosoflonging

synopsis: you’re struggling to write a new book for your publishers. especially since it’s a romance novel, and you’re short on romance. what’s even worse is that your editor is terrible at communicating. so your boss sends the two of you on a ‘vacation’ of sorts. get the two of you to work out your differences and get you writing. what’ll happen to the two of you and how will your friends react through the short bursts of information you give them?

if you’d like to be put on the taglist, lmk!

[understand-that-i-love-you-not]

"A novel? what's it about?"

[Context in where Poe is working on a book, what's it about? well...it's about y- oops, no spoilers] Fluff, predictable plot twist, female reader

"...and that is how I end up getting a bonus from my boss" "Well, good for you Y/n, good for you" You were rambling to Poe about how your day went, as you unwind in a coffee shop with a spectacular view.

"So Poe, what are you up to these days?" "Ah I'm glad you asked! I am currently writing a light novel, although~ it's still in progress because I'm not really adept with...romance" from enthusiastically to hesitant, Poe answered

"Romance? That's very new coming from you...well how is it going?" "Its going... difficultly, I just started last night, and I spent all the time building the...female protagonist's character" He answered, defeatedly

Karl hands over a manuscript to you. In the manuscript, you see the female character's characteristics. "WAIT STOP!" Poe snatched the manuscript from your hands in a panic. "Eh?" "W-what...did you see...Y/n?" "Well I only saw her height, its about the same as mine haha" you described to a nervous Poe "I'm sorry I didn't know you wanted it to be confidential, Karl handed it over to me" You pointed at Karl who was resting under your side of the coffee table. Poe stood silent, analyzing the manuscript on his hand "Is everything alright?"

"Yes Y/n! Its just...I'm thinking of what the future of this novel would be...I don't think I'm ever gonna finish it..."

"Why is that? You shouldn't put a start on it yet then" You explained

"But Y/n...I've already put a start to it...It's hard to back off now..." Poe answered

"Infact, I have a character for the protagonist's partner now"

Poe stood up, offering your hand to stand with him "I suppose it's time...I tell you...to give this story meaning and continuation" You held Poe's hand, but as you stood, he didn't let go of your hand. Karl leaped up to Poe's shoulders.

Whoosh

There was ignition on Poe's hand...no it was his ability, he took you to his said novel in progress It was a dark space, you were in the same position as you were, holding Poe's hand.

"Y/n the female protagonist, is..." He looked through your eyes, as if telling you something without the use of words.

"...me?"

"Yes...I wanted you to be the female protagonist...or more like...I couldn't think of another woman asides you..."

Poe almost melted at the spot explaining to you, his cheeks flushing of red "Oh Poe...but who would be the male lead?"

You asked. He held your hand tighter, an attempt to call his built-up anxiety

"It would...no, it pains me to see you with another man, whether they were of fictional origin or some other...so I had you paired with me..." Poe conffessed

After his words you both were sent back out of the book. "Poe..." "I couldn't write a thing in this novel...cause, I would not want to write anything in this novel without us ever...doing whatever I wrote...here" Poe confessed the second time

"...Poe.." you took a long pause

He was ready for whatever impact was ahead of him, he knew it was a bad idea to say such feelings things Infront of you He should have kept those to himself, he thought, how could a majestic woman like you, love some mystery freak like him who had about 2 friends in total, one being a racoon-

"Poe, you know...you don't need a novel for all that" "What are you implying?" "I like you too Poe."

Poe's shoulder lightened, he was stopping himself from smiling so wide. "Hehe, you should have told me sooner you know" "Oh Y/n you...I..well...you know how hard that was for me" You proceeded to walk closer to Poe "Then, why don't I help you with that novel Poe" "That would be lovely Y/n" He opened his arms in an attempt to hug you but he paused. "Oh, um...may I?" You welcomed his touch, opening your arms Sharing your warmth, Poe's scent is definitely something to relish, depending on his amount of money. You both have a long story to right, now is just the begining. ...

[oldsargasso]

"Dean smiling is like a little gift because he does smile but sometimes it's so sweet and pretty it can't be anyting other than a present just for Winner." AGH???? MY HEART???? PLZ… DEAN'S SMILE IS A GIFT OH MY GOD.

ONLY SO TONY COULD EXPENSE IT DKFGSDFGDFG I'M SHRIEKING. Kenta the tax write-off 😭 (In another universe, Tony is that boss who pays his employees with UAC gift cards.) And yeah I think Kenta has a very skewed understanding of money! He doesn't know what a living wage is or how much groceries cost. He could make do in a 4sqm or less apartment but wouldn't blink at paying 5x the average market price for it because he just. Doesn’t know any better, and his negotiating tactics have always been “throw money at it” or “knife time.”

I do think there may have been limits from Tony in terms of what Kenta was allowed to spend on himself—for instance, the blazers he wears are of varying quality, the one he wears to the auction, in front of clients, is the nicest, but one of them looks closer to off-the-rack quality, and he only has like. Three shirts, whereas Tony basically has a different custom three-piece suit in every episode. But like Kenta does not look at the price of food when he's ordering at a restaurant (god forbid he make Tony look poor in front of a client) and barely even glances at the check when he's signing it, much to Kim and Dean's horror. He very quickly learns to ask the question "Is that expensive?" when they're out together, until he gets the hang of it.

Yes, let him work with his hands!! BUT GOD THE TINY HANDS HE USED TO HOLD I'M HURTING!!

Yeah sorry I deal with the bookkeeping at work so I am. Not going to be the person to dissuade you from this line of thought! THERE ARE SO MANY QUESTIONS! What happens to everything after Tony dies! How much of it was even on the books! Do you think he ever put things in Kenta’s name without his knowledge, just to keep any consequences away from himself.

But oh gosh Kenta absolutely DOES try to figure out their favorite baked goods without asking (he probably spent so much energy trying to navigate Tony's moods based on nonverbal cues, and it takes him a long time to just be able to ask what people want without feeling like he’s navigating a minefield ☹️)

YES I DO THINK THEY MAKE HIM A BIRTHDAY CAKE??? They ask Pete for his bday, which there's a good chance that Kenta grew up not knowing his bday and Pete had to make one up for him and do his best to gift him something with limited resources. But he wasn't given kitchen access, so this would be Kenta's first birthday cake 😭 (Kenta’s first bday post-Tony passes by unnoticed because Pete has his hands full and it doesn’t occur to anyone that Kenta would simply Never Mention his bday, until one day someone is asking about horoscopes or smth)

As violent as Kim can be when he wants to, it's his tenderness that's truly powerful 🥺 Kenta DOES DESERVE SOFT LITTLE KISSES WHEN HE'S BEING TIED DOWN!!!

Great minds 🤝 Winner thinks his own dirty talk is GREAT and he has the evidence of Dean always getting turned on by it to back himself up LOL. (In all seriousness, I would GLADLY spreadsheet their kinks jkgsdfgdfg)

Kenta 🥺 He'll see it eventually!! Maybe once that happens they can finally (MAYBE) convince him to wear like. Cute lacy briefs or smth. (the bra that deep in my heart I wish to see him wear would take a lot more convincing on their part but by god do those tits deserve to be showcased and worshipped)

Not gonna pretend that I'm NOT physically affected by Kenta's lethal brutality god WHATEVER WHATEVER MOVING ON Winner being soft and caring is gonna be the death of me. The character development… my heart 🥺 From angry, half-satisfying parking lot blowjobs, to Winner looking after Kenta, taking care of him, and Kenta letting him do it. I’M UNWELL.

Kim is the only one with his shit together, of COURSE he is better at laundry. (Also I need him pressing at least one of them crotch first up against the shaking washing machine. for my sanity)

also screaming screaming screaming GOD KIM IS SO… COMPELLING he could probably read the dictionary and make it sound like a command. Goodness. He’s so!!!

[for my future reference this is polycule thread 2]

not Tony with the gift cards 💀 he so would.

I love the idea of Kenta learning the actual value of things. actually I wonder…obviously WE think Winner has a rich family. and Kim is making money from racing. but he stays living in the little serviced apartment - was that confirmed that he got that as part of Red Racing deal or did we just assume that. and we see him driving a nice car. hold on I gotta go rewatch that scene and check. okay so its…a white car. they don't show a badge or anything, there's like a split second of the steering wheel and I THINK it's a toyota (which would make sense since sponsor) ANYWAY. Kim is making decent money I think.

BUT Dean is not? he's not doing the higher level racing (assume prize money jumps considerably given Babe's financial status) and we see him working in a kitchen when he's exiled. that scene lives in my head constantly for so many reasons. anyway all that to say I think Kim would probably also not think too much about spending money on a nice restaurant (he's drinking at the fancy bar spying on Tony and pays for Babe's drink) but Dean for sure would be like. doing the calculation those of us without money constantly do - "this dinner could pay for three days rent" or whatever. and I think that, once he shares that, it would really help Kenta conceptualise how it works. but maybe more like "this knife is worth the same as the jeans Kim picked out for me last week". but it would be hard if like Winner just never cares about what things costs, and Dean really cares - even though the others are like "WE ARE PAYING" - and Kim spend a lot on what he cares about and hardly anything on things he doesn't. also if he did work at Way's car emporium like I think you suggested (until the sales trauma kicks in) Kenta would be like "cars cost this much! :)" and the others have to be like. "well…yes. but also mostly no."

but yes let's talk about Kenta's wardrobe. personal unshakeable headcanon is Kim (and Dean) taking him shopping and being like "you can wear whatever you want!" and Kenta's just happy with his usual all black mostly-comfortable clothes. but sometimes he's just hanging around the house and ~accidentally puts on someone else's jacket. maybe it's colourful, maybe it's not, but it smells like them and it's warm and cosy. it only works with the oversized jackets obviously. but eventually all their wardrobes meld a little bit. semi-related but Kim for sure approves certain people's date night outfits before they're allowed out.

lmao we are KINDRED SPIRITS. give us a special episode where it's just Tony succession planning. I think he kept Babe in the will. but omg yessss Tony dies and a year later a lawyer turns up to Kenta like "and here is your share of Tony's estate. and here is the trial date, you should get a lawyer" wait Kenta definitely goes to prison for killing Tony right? [I typed a whole bunch of stuff but I've taken it out, it's depressing in a real life kinda way and that's not what we're here for] anyway Kenta gets off with a slap on the wrist: time already served plus extenuating circumstances plus Winner's family paid for a vicious lawyer.

it's definitely Sonic and North asking about birthdates so they can do compatibility charts. SHUT UPPPP Pete giving Kenta a birthdy and a little celebration as best he can. do you think he gave Kenta his own birthday so they could share.

don't get me started on a kink spreadsheet!! I used to use one to track all my wips lol I love a spreadsheet.

god yesss give Kenta a pretty bra for his glorious tits it's what he deserves. I think they go shopping and they walk past a lingerie store and Kenta slows for like half a step to look a bit longer and Kim clocks it immediately. it's just the two of them which is lucky because Winner would make a joke about it (and even though it was just for fun Kenta would still feel too shamed) and Dean sometimes jumps he gun between the initial formation of an idea and the full execution of that idea. but Kim is patient. maybe he's like "oh, let's go in here" and lets Kenta hover around while Kim buys something pretty for himself. then it's like. Kim isn't a worse person for wearing it and being enjoyed in it. Kenta wouldn't be either…