#i did check like five times to make sure he actually wanted to btw

[pretendygood]

So my husband was just like, "I was thinking for our anniversary we could go eat somewhere early, then you could make me watch one of your shows the rest of the day if you want"

It's finally fucking go time

[another-random-paradise]

Hii!! If you’d wanna, can you make short headcanons about the house wardens except Kalim and Idia with a reckless reader, like (for example); is chasing after grim for doing something stupid and sees a shorter but dangerous short cut and takes it, almost breaking a leg but they don’t bc their crush (not bf yet) catches them with their magic, (I believe he only said five people, but if not five, I would like if it had Malleus, Leona riddle, and Azul)

(btw I really like your writing! Keep it up, but don’t forget to take care of yourself <33)

A Rewarding Chase

Tysm for the request and the kind words!! It was very fun to write! I took the chasing grim idea and ran with it- made sure to try and not make it to repetitive!! I do have a four character limit, if you want the others too feel free to send a second request (I wouldn't mind, i had so much fun writing this-)! And take care of yourself too <3

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

Reckless Reader being saved by him while chasing grim

Characters: Malleus, Leona, Riddle, Azul

Format: Headcanons

Warnings: Mentions of possible Injuries(Nobody actually gets Hurt)

Malleus

-It's already rather late, Malleus is on another one of his evening walks.. when he suddenly hears someone running, and you shouting

-He decides to check it out, because chances are, you're being reckless again. Also because he would get to see you again :) Nevermind that he saw you earlier during classes

-When he does, he, just as expected, saw you chasing after Grim once again, who knew what the little guy had done this time? He decided to just watch at first- at least until you once again decided to do something awfully reckless

-Grim decided to go down a steep staircase, and instead of running after him, you decide to jump down the stairs, in oder to catch up faster. And if there is one thing Malleus knew, it was the fact that humans are rather fragile, and that you would break your legs doing this Jump

-While very much shocked, he acted almost on impulse, the young fae Prince pulls out his Pen and stops you mid air. Being the powerful mage that he is, you can't wriggle yourself out of his magics grip. Once he sat you down at the top of the staircase, he was kind enough to also get Grim back

-A soft smile settles on his face as he questions your antiques, wondering if you weren't aware of your own fragility. You are, you just decide to ignore it!

-After sending Grim home, he asks you to join him on his nightly walk, he would love to know more about your impulsive decisions! He really just wants to know more about you in general. And in typical Malleus fashion, he doesn't even notice the faint blush on your cheeks!

-He tells you to call him, should Grim cause trouble again, he knows he wouldn't be able to change your reckless nature. And he doesn't want to- it is another part of you, and he loves all of you. He just doesn't want you to get hurt <3

Leona

-He has never been awake this fast.

-Leona was just once again napping in the botanical garden- When the sound of shouting woke him up, yours and Grim's shouting to be precise. He didn't think much of it, this happend pretty often after all, but nonetheless he decided to lazily open up one eye

-And thank the seven he did, because now he was very much awake and staring at you, as you climbed one of the tallest trees in the entirety of the garden.

-Turns out, Grim has decided to climb up a tree, and you being you, went after him. Well, people tend to be heavier than cats, so eventually a branch broke underneath you.

- The tree you were on wasn't at all small, the fall would very much end in multiple broken bones, if not worse!

-He quickly pulled out his pen, catching you. Grim got away in the end, while Leona scolded you told you off. He complained about your antics interrupting his nap, and that he won't catch you next time. He absolutely will, and the actual reason he's upset about your antics is that it worry's him

-He might just force you to stay with him, so that you, and i quote; "Won't cause any more trouble", but really he just wants to be close to you. But then again, could it really be considered forcing, if you willingly agree? who'd say no to napping with their crush, after all ;)

-He might occasionally glance at you, while trying to go back to napping. He isn't entirely sure how he fell for someone as reckless as you, but you know what they say: Opposites attract :)   

Riddle

-It was just supposed to be a normal unbirthday party.

-Riddle, of course, invited you, like he always does! Pretty much the entire dorm except maybe Deuce know about his crush on you by now And you in Grim were pretty much a package, you invite one, the other comes along.

-Riddle doesn't mind, of course! He does Who was he to demand time alone with you, it's not like your dating! He really wishes you were... were it not for Grim being such a trouble maker

-Grim had decided to throw a tantrum after not getting "fed enough", as in, he got the same amount of tarts as everybody else, before running off. You run after him, and in turn Riddle goes after you, as he already knows how reckless you can be

-And thank the seven that he did, as just as he finally catches up, he sees you trying to jump over a Rose bush to get to Grim- Sure it would break no bones, but the amount of thorns could severely cut you, and leave scars, or worse get infected!- The small Redhead is panicking to say the least

-He quickly takes his pen and uses magic to pull you back, almost making you bump into him in his panic!

-He scolds you almost immediately, if you were a part of his dorm he would have collared you! He wouldn't have, this man plays favorites Though you can't help but notice how not even once he brought up how you could have ruined the Roses or your Uniform.. All he cared bout was your health! And that made you happy, I mean, your crush actually cares about you!

-After helping you catch Grim, the party was already over, so he bids you farewel, sending you back to ramshackle, before both of you return to your respective rooms to comprehend the situation and blush :)

Azul

-How someone as organized as him could fall for someone as reckless as you? He doesn't know, but he did.

-This is proven as, just like always, he personally came to attend to you when you came to eat dinner at the Mostro lounge. He says it's because it's a busy night, but really it's an excuse to see you! And you don't question it because you get to spend more time with him because of it! 

-But alas, Grim didn't wanna behave, so after being told that they were out of his favorite food, he took of and somehow climbed onto one of the lamps. 

-You weren't having it, not today. You usually try to hold your reckless nature back in front of Azul, not wanting to terrify your crush, but Grim's tantrum just ruined the great conversation you were having with Azul ,ordering desert!

-So, you climb onto your seat and leap at the lamb! Considering you aren't focused on landing properly, but on catching grim, chances are very high you'll Hurt yourself, most likely straining your ankle

-So, Azul being a Gentleman, as well as not wanting to taint his reputation by letting a guest get hurt He'll hate himself if he just let's you get hurt, uses his magic to catch you, as he isn't the strongest physically 

-He sends the eels after Grim while taking you to the VIP lounge. You think he's about to ban you for live, but actually he checks up on you, making sure you weren't injured in the process of the jump, as well as that his magic had no side effects 

-You do have to stop him from banning grim for live

-He may just draft up a contract about being more careful with your antics, or to at least think twice before acting, you don't even realize how much you worry him! You most likely refuse, knowing that you can't just stop yourself from, well, being yourself. But he does make you sign a contract to not speak about what happened.

-You leave, smiling to yourself, now knowing that your crush cares about you, as he sits in his office blushing about the whole situation, just hoping the twins don't walk in 

First Riddle request!! Very exited because I love the mini Tyrant <3 Also, for Azul's part, for one line, I wanted to originally write 'Your crush' but decided to change it to Azul, and almost published this with it saying 'your Azul' I-

Feedback is welcomed, just be nice!

Remember to drink water! Have a nice day/night <3

[butchdiaz]

ask for essays on tommy's nerves have essays on tommy's nerves delivered directly to your doorstep!!! sorry in advance for the length and incoherency of this ask because lou's acting choices genuinely make me feel deranged, we are so lucky to have him.

exhibit a: the hand on the chin when buck opens the door. he's thought about this so carefully you can tell from the moment he enters the scene. and i don't even mean the kiss. i don't think tommy knew that was going to happen until approx. five seconds before it did. but he wants to get this conversation right.

exhibit b: the fucking breathlessness when he says "we can talk" (yes we're still not even in the loft yet). like that is the breathlessness of a man seeing whom he assumes is his emotionally unavailable big boy crush and realising he's going to have to smooth things over between him and the man most likely making him unavailable to tommy. (it's also just tommy seeing big beefy tank buckley and getting a little flustered methinks)

exhibit c (moving actually into the loft now): obsessed, deeply deeply obsessed with the way buck removes the obstacle of the kitchen island between them and tommy immediately crosses his arms over his chest like he's trying to put it back between them subtly because he still doesn't think he's allowed to Want.

exhibit d: the way he literally cannot look at buck as buck starts moving in closer quite literally makes me want to rip my hair out. like baby, you're allowed to look i promise, i swear.

exhibit e: the breakout of the laugh to full seriousness as he commits to the "i'm renowned for my fake mouth static" is so special to me because. i have done that. i have committed to a bit that was perhaps a bit too revealing/suggestive with my heart pounding as a way of testing the waters. and then the relieved amusement of his "cmon hey" when buck plays into it.

exhibit f: the way tommy looks at buck when buck's giving his little "threw in with us no hesitation" speech is so. that man is ANCHORING his eyes to buck's eyes. he's still not allowed to look, he is being respectful, he is overcompensating, he is FIGHTING for his life.

exhibit g: his tiny little smile when buck mentions the tour. you wanted to see me? 🥺

exhibit h: the fucking recoil when buck says he wanted to get to know him. the disbelief. the oh. the maybe i can have this.

exhibit i: the slow drop of his smile the more time buck spends mentioning eddie (which btw why is that line so long fuck off buck stand up!!) thinking oh never mind.

exhibit j: "i could teach you" with that bashful little shrug of his shoulders. i could teach you if you'd let me.

exhibit k: the realisation that sinks in after buck says about flying lessons. he wants to spend time with me, he's moving closer. oh shit, i'm allowed, i'm allowed, i'm allowed. the seriousness. the i have to make him understand i want him. the first time he lets his eyes drop to buck's lips.

exhibit l: my attention? one last check. one last check just to make sure. i can want this, i can want him.

exhibit m: his little kind of glassy-eyed smile between "i did maim my best friend" and "my sister". he is not listening to a word buck says. he is making a decision. a terrifying decision, but he's already made it.

exhibit n (typed through tears lol): the way he squeezes his eyes shut as he pulls away. buck is opening his but tommy squeezes his shut harder. he doesn't want to see the disgust on buck's face. he's bracing for rejection. he's hoping, hoping, hoping.

exhibit o: the breathlessness of "like that?" please tell me that was okay, please tell me that's allowed, please please please. the clench of his jaw as he waits for buck's answer, the slight nod like he's confirming something to himself.

exhibit p: the smile when it sinks in that buck wants this. the smile before the immediate "so that was okay?" just needing that verbal confirmation for buck, yeah, but also for himself.

and then for me it's the complete shift in tommy's demeanour after buck confirms it's okay. he goes from this quiet, hesitant, reserved tommy to this confident, flirty, little bit sensual tommy the moment he's allowed. cross town traffic 🫦 came in a car this time 😏. it's just such a wild switch up but it makes so much sense because the nerves have gone. he's allowed to want. (jesus got halfway through the alphabet sorry)

SAMI IM GONNA SCREAM BRB TIME TO WATCH THIS SCENE SIDE BY SIDE W UR ANALYSIS THIS IS SO FUCKING GOOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[3vergr3en]

Maki Boyfriend Headcanons ❧

Pairing: fem!reader x non!idol!maki A/N: guys,, I'm back from the depths of writer's block and I think, keyword, think, I am able to continue writing more regularly !! (i sincerely apologize 🙏🏼🙏🏼) Additional Info: Sensual kisses are mentioned but are NOT explicit, with overall fluff, and some cuddling.

His love language is physical touch!

Would NOT be able to keep his hands off of you!!

He'd either hold your hand as you guys walked or have an arm wrapped around your waist.

Although he loves holding you, he's not the type to be full-on affectionate in public (he's a lil shy 🤫).

But would settle for a quick peck on the cheek here and there.

MELTS on the spot if you kiss his dimples <333

Wearing his hoodie will genuinely make him malfunction.

He would not have a single thought processing through that head of his besides how he needs you to wear every single hoodie he owns right now just so he can see you in his clothes 💕

would also smother you in kisses till you practically have to crawl out of his grasp

DON'T trust your snacks, food, drinks-- ANYTHING EDIBLE with him. He will engulf it in a matter of minutes.

"I'm sorry,, I was really hungry.."

"Maki. You just had lunch thirty minutes ago."

"I'm a growing boy who needs his nutrients!"

But ofc he'll happily buy you some more after seeing you sulk about your eaten foods

There is not a day where he doesn't compliment you.

Loves complimenting you in German.

"Have I told you yet that you look pretty today?"

"Yes,, yes you did, three times in a span of five minutes actually."

"Oh. Well.. du bist wunderschön."

"Did you just compliment me in German?"

"Make that four times now ☺️"

HE DEF MADE A PLAYLIST ABOUT YOU BEFORE YOU GUYS GOT TOGETHER.

When it was just you guys as friends at first, he had such a huge crush on you. And when I say huge, I mean HUGE.

But again, he's a little shy when it comes to this stuff. It literally took him 2 months to gather up the courage to tell you that you looked pretty.

(You looove teasing him about this btw)

Friday date nights always consist of ordering out, watching some movies or watching him play some games, and then wrapping up the night with some cuddling in bed as you guys drift off to sleep <3

He is soo gentle with you when you guys kiss.

He loves going slow, saying, "It's more memorable when there's no rush."

His hands would always end up on your waist or hips, pulling you closer to him.

You guys couldn't help but smile or giggle in between kisses.

He would always check up on you, making sure that you were comfortable with anything.

"Just let me know if anything happens, m'kay?"

"Say the word and we'll leave asap."

"Are you okay?"

UGHHHH. SO RESPECTFUL.

If a guy hits on you, he would claim he wouldn't be jealous.

But then he would silently sulk for a little while, forming a little pout that he was unaware of (which you found adorable btw).

"Don't worry about him, kiki. It's you that I want in the end!"

"I know.. but like c'mon! Did he really not see me standing next to you? I clearly look like your boyfriend!"

"Yes you do,, now c'mere, let me hug my boyfriend."

[fish-eat-fish]

Leo Valdez x Daughter of apollo hcs?

Solangelo being overprotective older brothers and stalking their every move

⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊ Leo Valdez x daughter of Apollo reader Headcanons!

tags: fluff, apollo kid, healing powers obv

wc: 621

a/n: this is probably formatted atrociously but i whipped this up before work so don’t mind it :,( THANK YOU FOR THE PJO REQUEST BTW, i can’t wait to start writing actual fics. leo valdez first obviously… i never know how to really do headcanons so bare with me

☆ ⋆ ★

☆ Leo Valdez had an incredibly notorious reputation for being not so popular with the ladies as he claimed to be…

☆ You didn’t stray very far from this belief… that is until you had the chance of formally interacting with him

☆ I imagine after a game of Capture the Flag, he waltzed into your cabin with an injury

☆ You just happened to be the closest there, so you took up the task of healing him

☆ Immediately you noticed how clumsy he seemed to be around you, which you found weird

☆ He definitely awkwardly flirted with you, and the pick up lines were so atrocious you let out a laugh

☆ “You just laughed! I so made you laugh. So that means you like me right?” He teased.

☆ You tightly wrapped his injured arm and worked your healing magic

☆ He couldn’t help but gaze at your concentrated face as you worked, mesmerized by the way the sun shone through the cabin windows and onto your skin

☆ When you were done, you bid him a farewell, although he did a LOT of stalling

☆ With a good first impression of him, you seemed to notice strangely that he’d come in a lot more often for injuries that were very minor

☆ Forget about physical injuries… he’d come in just for minor things, whether it be a headache, stomachache, anything of that sort

☆ “I swear I have a temperature! Check me.” He’d bark at you, grabbing your hand and moving it to his skin

☆ You of course knew he wasn’t physically sick, but you couldn’t help but chuckle at his insistence

☆ You’d roll your eyes at him, “Just don’t overexert yourself and drink plenty of water and get enough sleep.”

☆ He frowned whenever you finished up a check-up, making more excuses for you to see him some other time

☆ He definitely acted casual around you outside of the Apollo cabin, coincidentally running into you during games or during dinner

☆ Made you laugh across the Dining Pavilion which made Will to suspiciously look between the two of you

☆ Will Solace knew right away that Leo was interested in you, more than the other girls, and that you were entertaining him back

☆ Nico and Will were hanging out in the Apollo cabin themselves when you were preparing to visit him for once at his cabin instead

☆ “You’re gonna get a weapon made? Sureee…” Will said suspiciously, to which Nico picked up on right away. You of course brushed them off…

☆ Not a big surprise when Leo nervously kissed you before you went on a quest

☆ You wanted to strangle him for pulling that act before you left for a few weeks, but you happily kissed back

☆ When you got back… things were awkward, but sweet

☆ He still made you laugh, you still made him feel loved and cared for, whether it was through your healing touch or your genuine care for him

☆ Also pretty sure you saw Nico and Will high five each other when you two kissed? Could’ve been bad timing

☆ You’re the first person to check up on him, naturally so with your nurturing personality

☆ He melts at your voice but tries to hide it, nodding and pretending he doesn’t care when you reprimand for not taking care of himself

☆ Kisses you gently on the forehead or grabs your hand to kiss which he uses to stop you from ranting at him about his health

☆ Kissing on the lips is still awkward and scary for him but he gets comfortable quick, and you don’t mind at all <3

[bella-rose29]

The Greatest Thing - Lockwood x fem!reader

requested by anon: Hi, I love the way you write! I was wondering (if requests are still open) if you could write a Lockwood x reader where reader's mother died when she was little for some reason, and by taking on a case reader and Lockwood find themselves having to fight the ghost of reader's mother ? And maybe even Lockwood calming Reader down after the mission? Feel free to change parts. (btw: sorry if English is terrible, I'm Italian, English is not my native language)

my lovely you don't need to apologise for your English, it's better than a lot of actual English people I know (myself included) <333

sorry this took me so long, but hopefully you enjoy!!

for reference, the song that's mentioned is specifically Nat King Cole's version of Nature Boy from 1948 <3

Word count: 4.2k

Warnings: swearing (only a lil), brief mentions of cancer (not explicit though), idk if there's anything else

I did just copy and paste the tag list from DTH part 9 so feel free to not read this if you don't want to! <3

It was nearly one in the morning when the telephone rang. 

This was odd, because the phone had been broken for a little over twenty years. 

It was more sentimental than anything else, and it was kept as a reminder of someone long gone, as was the typewriter that sat on the shelves next to the telephone, on top of the case it came in so that it could be admired. There was a record player too, although that was in perfect working condition, unlike the other two objects. 

The ringing of the telephone woke up the inhabitant of the bedroom, and he groggily rubbed at his eyes as he sat up and turned the light on. The glare made him wince, but when he realised the broken telephone on his shelf was ringing, his eyes shot wide open. He scrambled for the working phone on his bedside table, trying not to panic too much and failing as he punched in the numbers. The line rang three times before someone picked up, and his breathing was shaky. 

“Hello? I think there’s a ghost in my bedroom.”

~~~

“Lockwood? You awake?” Y/n pushed open the door to the library, making note of the dim light that shone under the door. Her voice was quiet, just in case he’d actually managed to fall asleep, but as soon as she stepped inside she saw him sat in his usual armchair with a book.

“Everything alright?” he asked. 

“Not really. Dad’s just phoned me.” She took the chair next to him, watching as he put a bookmark in place and held the book closed on his lap. 

“Ah, that’s who was calling.” He frowned. “You don’t sound too happy about it.”

“He thinks there’s a ghost in his room. Said the old telephone that Mum bought ages ago started ringing just now. He wants us to come and check it out as soon as we can.”

“How do we know it’s not just… someone calling?”

“It’s broken, Lockwood. Has been for ages. Pretty sure it was broken when Mum got it, but she thought it looked nice.”

“Right. Well… you know the house layout, and where things are. And if you’re not too tired… I suppose we could head over now? Only if you wanted. Your father is welcome to stay here if he wants, too.”

“Thank you, Lockwood. I don’t know that I’ll be able to sleep, not knowing Dad’s in danger. And he won’t want to go outside at this time of night anyway, not without a safe route to somewhere else. You sure you’re alright with going on a case now?”

“Of course I am, Y/n. Especially for you.” She tried not to flush too much at how sincerely he had said it and pushed out of the chair. 

“Okay then. I’ll just… go and get changed.” She was still in her pyjamas from earlier. Lockwood was, predictably, in a suit, just without the jacket and tie. She was certain they were a second skin on him now. 

“Meet me by the front door in ten? I’ll get the kit ready.”

“Sure. Don’t forget the biscuits like you did last time.”

~~~

It took five minutes of quietly moving around the attic so as not to wake Lucy for Y/n to get changed. She wasn’t entirely successful in being silent, since the floorboards creaked every two seconds and she fell over trying to get her jumper on because she got stuck inside it and didn’t see the corner of her bed, but somehow Lucy slept through it all. Y/n headed downstairs, wincing when the steps groaned under her weight, and went to find Lockwood in the basement. He was nearly done packing up the bags, and when he caught sight of her his smile was blinding. 

“You all ready to go?”

“Yeah, think so. I’ve been thinking, about what the Source could be?” she said, although her voice lifted at the end to make it sound more like she was asking him a question. Lockwood nodded, zipping up the second kit bag and handing it to her when she reached for it. “I feel like the phone is too obvious, but if it’s some sort of Poltergeist it might be a good idea to check anyway. There’s quite a lot of things that could be a Source, actually. Mum loved collecting old stuff, said it reminded her of her childhood.”

“She wasn’t an agent, was she?”

“No. No Talent. Not with a capital ‘t’ anyway. She was amazing at loads of other things though.” They were in the hallway now, grabbing their rapiers out of the stand. Lockwood shrugged on his coat. 

“What do you know about the history of the house? Any murders or deaths that could result in a Visitor?”

“No. There was Mum’s, but Dad got the place sorted out as soon as he could. DEPRAC came in and cleared the room.”

“Well, we’ll see what we can find, yeah?”

“Yeah. Thanks,” she said when he opened the front door and gestured for her to go first. Lockwood must have called a cab, because now there sat one just in front of the gate. “I told Dad to get into the kitchen and turn the table lamp on, ‘cause a couple years ago he got iron strips put in the floor, so he should be alright in there. We can get this taxi to wait for him and bring him here, right?”

“Of course. That was a smart move, both the iron strips and your suggestion. We’ll make the kitchen our main retreat, then.”

Ten minutes later they were pulling up outside her childhood home, and as soon as the taxi stopped Y/n was opening the door and rushing to greet her dad. Lockwood was talking to the driver, paying him for the journey they’d just taken and asking if he might stay a little longer to take a passenger back to 35 Portland Row. 

“Hi, Dad, you alright?” Y/n breathed, wrapping her arms around her father. 

“Been better, love. I’m glad you and your boyfriend are here though.”

“He’s not my boyfriend, Dad,” she said, feeling heat creep up her neck. “Lockwood’s my boss.”

“I just thought that since you talk about him all the time, y’know? Lockwood this and Lockwood that.”

“I’m gonna walk away now, I think. Have fun with the ghost!” she joked, knowing that she would never leave her father in a house where there was a possible haunting. “We, uh… we thought it might be best if you went to Portland Row for tonight while we work here. It’s a standard procedure to not have the clients in the house, but normally they’ve got somewhere to go and a bit more notice, and Lockwood said you can take his bed if you wanted. We have also got a sofa, but it’s not nearly as comfortable as a bed.”

“Alright, love. You’ll be alright, just the two of you?”

“Yeah.”

“I take it he’s keeping that cab for me?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay then. I’ll see you in the morning, love.” He must have known that she would ask him to leave the house because he reached behind him and picked up a bag, hoisting it over his shoulder and planting a quick kiss on her cheek. 

“Bye, Dad!”

She watched as he sent a small wave over his shoulder, shaking Lockwood by the hand and thanking him for the offer of a place to stay, and then he was getting in the taxi and going back the way that she and Lockwood had come from. 

Lockwood had the keys to the house in his hand, and before he unlocked the front door (her father had locked it when he’d seen the taxi approach) he turned back. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“I can do this, Lockwood. For my Dad. Besides, if something’s only just surfacing now from one of the antiques, it can’t be too bad can it? I mean, it didn’t hurt my dad.”

~~~

As it turned out, it was quite bad. 

Not in a holy-shit-this-ghost-will-kill-us way, but more in a holy-shit-why-does-this-house-feel-worse-than-a-graveyard-at-night? way. 

Y/n had grown up in this house, had only really moved out two years ago, and she had never once felt unsafe or uneasy. Walking around it now, though, doing initial readings of sensations and temperature, she wondered how her father had managed to stay positive. Most things she just got echoes of her own childhood, her laughter as she ran through the halls while her parents chased her when she was three, baking in the kitchen and licking the bowl when she was five, crying when she tripped and slid down the last couple of steps on the stairs and grazed her knee at the bottom, and her mother pressing kisses to her hair and a plaster to her tiny injury when she was six. But underneath it all there was a malaise, something unsettling that seeped into Y/n and Lockwood’s bones and made them cautious. 

“Does it normally feel like this?” he asked when they made it to the top of the stairs and around most of the rooms, one hand on his rapier hilt. They hadn’t drawn their weapons yet, but they knew it was only a matter of time. 

“No. Dad would have said something.” The thermometer beeped, alerting them of a drop in temperature. Lockwood checked it where it sat attached to his belt. 

“Minus two. It was three degrees just now.” They stood in silence on the landing, both looking at the thermometer. “Well, only one door left, I suppose. Do you want to do it or should I?”

“I’ll do it.” She made her way to the door of her parents’ bedroom and took a shaky breath before placing her hand on the doorknob. Immediately a rush of memories hit her, from when her parents first moved in after their marriage, to the day she was born in that room, to the countless times Y/n had crept in in the night because she’d had a bad dream, up to the point when her mother had last touched the handle. It went further, but the force of the memory of her mother made her push the door open and step over the threshold. 

Lockwood was right behind her, and she heard him draw in a breath and reach into his coat for his sunglasses. Y/n whipped around to look at him just as he pushed them over his eyes, catching the last of his squint while he warily studied the bed. “Why are you putting those on?”  she asked, not liking the wobble that accompanied it. 

“Death glow on the bed. Are…” he hesitated for a moment, and she imagined his eyes darting between her and the bed behind her. “Are you absolutely sure that your father got the house cleaned out?” His voice was soft, like he was trying to not agitate her too much, but she got defensive anyway. 

“Yes. He wouldn’t lie about something like that, not when he had a six year old living in a possibly haunted house!”

“But… and I’m not doubting you, or your father, I just need to know, were you here when the house got cleaned out after your mother passed?”

“No, Dad sent me to my friend’s house. He said it wouldn’t be good for us to be in the house while they were working.”

“So you never actually saw people cleaning out this place?” She froze, catching on to what Lockwood was getting at. 

“No,” she whispered, turning to look back at the bed. Her mother had died in it over ten years ago from untreated cancer, completely unexpectedly. She’d gone peacefully at least, in her sleep, but it had broken the two members of the family that had been left behind. Her father had told her that he’d call DEPRAC and get the house cleaned out, to keep the two of them safe, but now as she grabbed a hold of the doorknob again she realised there was no memory of people coming in to do that job. “Shit. Shit shit shit shit.”

“Hey,” Lockwood said, sunglasses still perched on his nose. “It’s alright. We’re agents, and we’re Lockwood and Co. I know… I know this won’t be easy, Y/n/n, but we can do this. You can do this. Just breathe in, and back out. Good. Right. Have a think: what in here could be the Source? Hey, focus, Y/n.” His tone grew a little harsher as he grabbed her shoulders, pulling her away from the door. 

“Why wouldn’t he clean the house?” Her breath was coming too quickly now, and her eyes couldn’t settle on any one thing. “Why, Lockwood? Why wouldn’t he do it?”

“Because sometimes we love someone too much to have them gone forever.” Her eyes finally stopped moving around, instead meeting his and making her draw in a breath at the vulnerability in his eyes. His voice had been rough with emotion, and immediately she thought of the door on the landing back at 35 Portland Row. As quickly as he had opened up, his walls had snapped back into place, and he was leaning back and smiling softly at her. “Let’s try not to focus on that too much, yeah? Maybe the phone?” As though he had summoned it, the old telephone on the shelf started ringing as soon as he finished talking. “Okay… that was weird.”

“It’s not even got wires attached to it,” Y/n breathed. 

“Visitor is definitely a Poltergeist then. There’s no apparition which is good, because no ghost-touch. That’s also bad though. No way of really knowing what the Source could be.” She tuned Lockwood out, knowing that he would just be talking himself through the situation they were in, and kept on staring at the telephone. It hadn’t stopped ringing. 

Music suddenly started blaring out of the record player, despite there not being any record to play. It was a song that Y/n recognised, although she couldn’t remember where from. 

“Is that… is that ‘Nature Boy’?” Lockwood asked, glancing incredulously at the record player. 

“Oh my god. Yeah. It was Mum’s favourite song, specifically this version.” Her mother would often be found with it playing on the record player in the study downstairs, and she’d told Y/n the story behind it a million times. She’d been adamant that Y/n never forget the words, and now as it played she knew it was her mother haunting this room. 

“I think it’s broken,” Lockwood said when the song skipped back to repeat the last section of the song. 

“The greatest thing…”

“No, it’s not. Maybe it’s the record player? Maybe that’s the Source?” The music stopped, and she knew she was wrong. “Okay… so the telephone is the Source?” At once the music started again, but from a different point. 

“But very wise…”

“Is… is your mother helping us?” 

“I think so.” 

“… Why?”

“Maybe she just wants to move on?”

“But very wise…”

“Okay this is freaking me out a little bit now,” she said, moving over to the telephone. It stopped ringing when she got close enough to reach out and touch it, and she glanced at Lockwood. “Silver net?” He wordlessly passed her one, his sunglasses still obscuring his eyes. His face was impassive and she couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, but he was focused on the record player. It had continued playing from where her mother’s ghost had skipped back to help them, and was finishing up the last lines of the song. 

“The greatest thing… you’ll ever learn… is just to love… and be loved… in return…”

The room became silent after that, and both Lockwood and Y/n stood staring at the record player. Nothing moved until Y/n finally broke out of whatever world she had disappeared into, slowly placing the silver net over the telephone and wrapping it carefully. At once the temperature lifted, and just before she had finished containing the Source of her mother’s ghost she heard a sigh in the air, as though someone was finally being allowed some peace. 

“We should head over to the furnaces,” Lockwood finally said. “Unless you wanted to put it in a silver glass case?”

“I’ll talk to Dad about it in the morning.”

“Alright. Here, let me…” he stepped over and gently removed the telephone from her hands. “Why don’t you go and sort out the kitchen, get all our things together? I’ll get a taxi for us.” Y/n nodded, not taking her eyes off of the bundle in his arms. “Y/n?”

“Hmm?” She was unfocused, untethered to this world, and his voice was muffled. She vaguely noted Lockwood putting the Source down and coming closer to her, and then he was hugging her tightly, pressing her into his chest and his lips to her head when she drew in a shaky breath and sobbed. 

“It’s alright. It’s alright.”

She wasn’t sure how long they were there for, her crying into his dress shirt and him rubbing her back and whispering softly to her, but by the time she pulled back, her sobs reduced to slight hitches in her breath, her throat was sore and her eyes puffy. “Thank you.”

“Anytime, Y/n.”

~~~

It was nearly three in the morning when the telephone rang. 

This wasn’t odd, because this time it was Lockwood phoning Portland Row to let them know that the ghost had been dealt with, and he and Y/n were coming back. 

Y/n had remained silent for the duration of the taxi ride back to 35 Portland Row, staring out the window with her eyes looking at something that Lockwood couldn’t see. He knew what it was like, to be in her position, but he had no idea how to comfort her other than just being here. She’d gripped him earlier, when they were hugging, like she thought he might be the next one to leave. It had broken his heart and made it swell at the same time that she had held him so tightly, but now he was left to wonder how else he might help. 

She was still silent when they walked through the front door. 

Her father came out of the living room to greet them, and Y/n had frozen, rapier mid-air while she went to put it away in the umbrella stand. Lockwood had put his own rapier away, and the sound made her snap out of whatever trance she had been in and finish her previous action before taking one last look at her father and running upstairs. Lockwood shrugged off his long coat, hanging it on the stand. 

“It was her mother,” he said, looking at the stairs instead of at the man he was talking to. “I think she’s upset that you lied to her, about clearing out the house.”

“I couldn’t-” he broke off, coughing slightly to clear his throat when emotion clogged it up. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“I know.” He could barely look at that door on the landing most of the time. He turned to face Y/n’s father. “But you made that house unsafe. You got lucky. She was a Poltergeist, but completely unaggressive like they normally are. Very lucky, in fact, because there was no chance of you being ghost-touched. But still, you should have told her.” The man nodded, tears starting to fall on his cheeks. 

“I suppose you put the Source in the furnaces then?”

“No, actually. I asked Y/n what she wanted to do, and she said she’d talk to you. You could keep it, so long as it was in a sealed silver glass box. You wouldn’t have to lose her again.”

“That would be great, thank you. Is it safe here overnight?”

“I’ll put it in the storeroom downstairs,” Lockwood smiled, one of his classic customer service smiles, and moved towards the kitchen. “Whereabouts did you decide to sleep in the end? The living room?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Well, goodnight, sir.”

“You’re a good lad, Mr. Lockwood. I can see why my Y/n likes you so much. Goodnight,” he waved, disappearing into the living room and closing the door behind him. Lockwood stood in the hallway, Source still wrapped in the silver net, and tried not to blush too much at the way those words had been said. 

~~~

“What are you doing in here?”

Y/n jumped at the sound of Lockwood’s voice, and immediately felt a little guilty for intruding on his personal space. “Sorry,” she muttered. “I didn’t want to wake Lucy up, ‘cause she hasn’t been sleeping well recently, so I came in here. Sorry.”

“That’s alright.” He went to grab his pyjamas, then did a double-take. “Is that my shirt?”

“Oh.” She looked down and flushed. “I didn’t… I forgot that by not going up to the attic I wouldn’t have anything to sleep in, so… yeah.”

“Oh.” 

She wished he would say more, because his gaze was as heavy as the silence that settled over them after that single syllable. 

“Lockwood?”

A pause. “Yeah?”

“I can leave-”

“No!” He swallowed thickly, then repeated himself. “No. I mean, no point waking Lucy up, is there? I’ll be back in a bit, just… going to go get changed.” She watched him leave, and then five minutes later she watched him come back. 

“You alright?”

“Yeah,” he answered, sounding anything but. He looked… nervous? Why the hell was he nervous? “You?”

“I’m alright.” She tried not to laugh, settling for an amused smile instead, and waited for him to get into bed next to her and turn off the light. Once it was dark (or as dark as it could be with the ghost lamp outside the window), she heard him shuffle around in his bed so that he was facing her. The outline of his face was barely visible, but it was enough that she could make out where his eyes were, and where his faint smile was. “Lockwood?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. For earlier.”

“I already told you, anytime.” They went quiet, just enjoying the comfort of Lockwood’s bedroom. “I talked to your dad, by the way. He said he didn’t want to lose her again, so I’ve offered to sort out a case for the phone in the morning. I also told him off for lying to you, which terrified me, because your dad is not a small man.” Y/n let out a snort at the last part, and she saw the faint light from outside light up Lockwood’s teeth as he grinned. 

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I did. Back at the house, you were… well, I’m not really sure what you were. But you weren’t you, and it scared me. It’s like you went somewhere else, Y/n. I just can’t lose you, is all.”

“Oh.” Now it was her turn to not say much, and she could feel him fidgeting. 

“Your dad said something. About you.”

“What? What did he say?” Her heart was beating faster, not knowing if he’d said something good or bad. 

“He said that you like me a lot.” Now her heart was thumping for a different reason. 

“Well, yeah. It’s difficult not to like you, Lockwood, you’re a very likeable person, you know? Very-”

“Why are you nervous?”

“What?”

“You’re talking really fast. You do that when you’re nervous. Why are you nervous?” Damn him for knowing her so well. 

“Uh… I just… I don’t know.” She did know, but how could she admit to her boss that she had the biggest crush on him while they were lying in his bed together?

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have- it just sounded like he meant it in a… in a like like way.” She took a deep breath, and decided to bite the bullet. At least if it was dark she couldn’t see his face when he rejected her. 

“He did. I… I’ve liked you for a while, actually.” There was no response, and suddenly it all seemed like a terrible idea. “Lockwood?”

“How long?” There was no discernible emotion in his voice. 

“About two years?”

“So… since you got here?”

“Yeah, basically.”

“You’re telling me,” he started, frustration seeping through, and she shrunk in on herself a little. “You’re telling me that we could have been together this entire time?!”

“Yeah, I guess so. Wait,” she frowned, “wait what did you just say?”

“It took us removing your mother’s Source from your childhood home and your father telling me that you really like me for this to happen?!”

“… Yeah?” She heard him bring his hands up to his face and groan, and then heard him shuffle around again. A moment later his hand was touching hers, tentatively at first, then lacing his fingers through hers and tugging her closer to him when he realised he’d found her. She ended up curled into his side, her head in the crook of his neck, and his arms wrapped around her torso under the duvet. 

“Well I know you’re free after we wake up, so right after we get the glass case sorted out I’m taking you out for food.”

“Like a date?”

“Exactly like that.”

It wasn’t long after that that the pair of them fell asleep, and before she drifted off in Lockwood’s arms, she couldn’t help but think how her mother had been right about loving and being loved, and how it was the greatest thing in the world. 

tag list: @ahead-fullofdreams, @aislinrayne, @anathemaloren, @anthgoldenhrry, @augustisintheair, @avdiobliss, @aysha4life, @bobbys-not-that-small, @briar-rose23, @curseofhecate, @dangelnleif, @edible-rat-vomit, @el-de-phi, @ell0ra-br3kk3r, @ettadear, @fearlessmoony, @fudosl, @idkbubs, @imaginebeingmentallystable, @informedimagining, @karensirkobabes, @lady-ashfade, @light-23, @locklyebrainrot, @locklyle1kanij, @locknco, @magicandrosewaters, @mentallyillsodapop, @mischivana, @mitskiswift99, @mrsklockwood, @mrsyixingunicorn10, @newbooksmell777, @no-morning-glories, @novelizt, @phlooper, @ran23sblog, @reggiepeterss, @simrah1012, @somethingrandomwatzit, @star-of-velaris, @superpositvecloudshipper, @t2sh0, @taygrls, @tournesol77, @whistle1whistle, @whenselenefallsinlove, @wordsarelife, @y0urm0m12, @zoom1374, @asyouwish-fromcabin3, @magicandrosewaters

[the-evil-lovable-simp]

Tadc Caine x werewolf reader

(Also reader the reader’s gender will not be mentioned)

(Also this is probably bad)

(btw the wolf form isn't just a wolf, it's a humanoid wolf)

(When people think of wolves communicating, they most likely think of howling. But wolves have an extensive repertoire of sounds. Whines and whimpers indicate friendly interaction but can also express frustration or anxiety. Growls and snarls are threatening or defensive.)

You sat on your bed thinking about your situation, excluding the whole being trapped here thing, you've had five outbursts already, all for different reasons. Two of them were just normal transitions, one of them was because Jax tripped you over, another was because he locked you in a room, and another was because Kinger scared you when he screamed. You've almost killed Jax six times already, if you don't sort this out soon you might actually hurt someone. You're also really glad that Caine hasn't caught on yet, you'd think he would of by now since he brags about having eyeballs everywhere, watching everyone's every move. If he did find out he'd probably put you in the cellar with all the abstracted beings. Thinking about that made you a bit tense, you could feel your wolf side awakening and trying to get out. You try to keep it in but you fail, and your tail rips a hole in your pants ruining yet another pair.

"$#!%" You got censored and grabbed your tail, you tried to stroke it to calm down, and it was working until you heard knocking at your door, this very much startled you because you didn't hear anyone walk up to your door.

"(y/n), I heard profanity," you hear a voice exclaim behind the door, you knew exactly who it was. Caine.

"£$%^ &*%$ £$?<> &*^%," you cursed again and got censored again, stumbling around the room, stubbing your toe in the process, swearing some more and crashing into the wall, thus making your wolf ears pop out.

"I was just going to tell you not to swear, but now I feel like I should check up on you," he says turning the knob. This alerted you, your wolf ears twitching. The door was slightly opening until you crashed into it slamming it shut again, with your now wolf arms. This made Caine jump and his teeth clenched together and his eyes flew out the back of his head. He soon regained his posture.

"NoOOoooOOoo! ThAt's fINe!" you try to reassure, your voice changing four times in that sentence.

You really didn't want him to find out about this, it would be so embarrassing, notably since you kinda like him, and even worse, him getting rid of you...You started spiralling, this made you transform more, clawed paws busting out of your shoes and your clothes ripping a bit.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" you howled in pain, transforming was painful sometimes, especially if you were stressed. Caine got a bit worried thinking you were abstracting. He grabbed the handle and tried to open the door again.

"Are you sure you're quite alright my dear?" he asked trying to push against you.

"Yes! Quite sure," you snapped back trying to get him to leave, sadly it didn't work.

"GRRRRRRrrrrrrggggrrrrrggrgr," you started to growl getting a bit agitated, you were now fully wolf.

"Alright, I didn't want to have to do this," he declared, you saw him start to use magic on the door, so you ran and hid under a cover on your bed.

"But you've given me no choice," he said before the door exploded. He floats in and the door remakes itself behind him. Caine looked around expecting to see a trashed room, with you abstracted in the middle of it, but that's not what he found, what he found instead was a normal room with you huddling under a cover on the bed.

"Oh look, you've seen I'm okay and now you can leave," you said almost losing it.

"Are you suuurre you're alright (y/n), I've heard of humans frequently lying about their feelings-" you cut him off,

"yeah, I'm...I'm fine," you said shifting slightly as you did, your tail slipped out the back of the cover. Caine noticed this and floated over to it, to inspect. He lightly touched it, you could still feel it. You yelped and snatched it back in. Caines eyes bulged as he saw the big paw quickly come and go.

"You can go now," you said desperately. He flouted round to the front,

"(y/n), what's going on here?" he asked still a bit worried, but thankful you didn't abstract. You gripped the cover.

"Nothing's going on," Caine grabbed the cover,

"Let me see," he said, worry mixed with curiosity.

"Please don't," you mumbled before he pulled up the cover. All you had on was ripped shorts, everything else was fur. You covered your eyes, ears lowering.

"Don't look at me," you curled up, as your tail wrapped around your legs.

Caine's bottom jaw dropped (like in the pilot at the start). You peaked because the silence was killing you, you saw his surprised expression. Caine gasped as he got a glance at your eye, they were a beautiful gold colour.

You then scooted to the top of the bed trying to get away and hide more.

"W-what is this?" he questioned, you looked up at him. Now both your golden eyes staring into his heterochromia blue and green eyes.

He gulped he's never been this nervous before, it felt strange to him, it felt like you were staring into his soul.

"It's monstrous is what it is!" you spat with self-hatred, this led to him being able to see your teeth, they were very sharp unlike his.

"It's..." he started

"Horrible, dreadful, horrifying? you suggested

"It's..." he tried to think of what he wanted to say.

"Upsetting, bothersome, alarming?" you listed some more things.

"Gorgeous," he added, sounding less loud than usual. This took you off guard, you felt heat rise to your face, your pupils dilated.

You hugged your knees, tears in your eyes, *sniff*

"Y-you're just saying that," you said meekly.

"I assure you I'm not my.....dear, Oh gosh, are you crying?" he was startled.

"NO No no, NO I'm not!" your voice started to change again, as you rubbed your eyes with your fluffy arm.

"Golly, I'm not the best with human emotions," he said not knowing what to do. He floated over to the bed and patted your head, this felt nice.

"Your fur is so soft" he said in a gentle tone, unlike the usual booming voice he uses. It shocked him when he saw your tail start wagging. You started to make whining noises, and with one fast action, you grasped your paws on your snout. This made you really embarrassed. Caine decided not to mention it for your sake and tried to change the subject.

"Well, I don't think you're, horrible, dreadful, horrifying, upsetting, bothersome, or alarming," he said in quick succession, a bit too quick that you almost didn't hear him. You looked up at him, into his eyes making him nervous again.

"I think, you're quite....pretty," he said looking everywhere but you.

"Really?" you asked hoping he was telling the truth.

"Why yes, you look lovely," he said now looking at you.

He fully floated down to the bed, landing on it. Your tail now in front of him, he looked at it.

"May I," he politely asked being cautious considering what happened last time. You nodded without saying anything. He delicately stroked down your tail, it shined and glimmered.

"Your fur is so pretty," he said looking up at you, shocked seeing you looking down and, ears lowered.

You were glad he couldn't see you blushing through the fluff.

"I thought you were gonna...get rid of me.

He was shocked that you thought that, especially because of this.

Before he could answer, you started crying again, and quickly grabbed him, making him yelp, and shoved him into your chest. You were bigger than him when you were in your human-ish form and now that you were in your wolf form that was a bit bigger you were definitely bigger than him. You crossed your legs and he was sitting there in between them looking up at you. Your tail wrapped around your legs, tightening the space in between them. Caine was in a sea of fur.

"You know how you look?" you said no longer crying and getting a bit more confident.

Caine shook his head eyes wide looking up at your golden orbs. You smiled showing your 42 sharp teeth.

"Adorable"

———————

That’s it, I hope you liked it ✨

[piratescage]

OK i never really do tumblr posts but i NEED to vent because tua was one of my favorite series and it just makes me so mad that it ended the way that it did so here i go SPOILERS FOR TUA SEASON 4 YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED (but also if you haven't watched it yet, honestly don't even bother, it's not really worth it)

first of all, i want to say that the ending itself wasn't actually that bad imo. predictable? yes, but i think i would have enjoyed it if i didn't end up disliking most of the stuff that came before it.

the breaking point for me was definitely lila and five storyline. after their kiss, i KNEW nothing could have been done for me to enjoy the rest of the season and even finishing it felt like a chore (i literally started checking the remaining time every 5-10 min). honestly just..... why??? why was this even a thing? to me this just came so out of nowhere and ruined both characters. i loved lila and diego together, i get that to make things ""spicy"" you would want to create some sort of tension between them (a bit cliché if you ask me, but fine) but it really didn't need to go in this direction. she was such a great character too, honestly my second favorite, and this just made me dislike her so much. she just cheated on her husband (with whom she has two kids with btw) with her husband's brother who's also the guy who killed her parents!!!! and for what?? and five as well like.... what???? five was such a comfort character for me and they truly ruined him, just like that. not only he betrayed his own brother, which is so much unlike five, because if there's one thing he cares about in his own weird little way it's his family, but then he also hid the diary that would help them come back home, knowing that lila has A FAMILY to go back to, because he loves her...? the same guy who left dolores (i know she is a mannequin buT FUCK OFF it made him so happy) behind after 45 years in a post-apocalyptic world to become a trained assassin in order to go back to his family??? that's something he would do for sure!!!, i say in a completely, definitely not sarcastic tone :))))) and don't even get me started on how he just fucking leaves after lila says "it's over", holy shit. if i were diego i would also beat the shit out of him, ngl. anyway, i could vent about this pairing for ages so i'm gonna move on but i wanted to talk about this first because, again, it was my breaking point and also i really loved both of these characters, especially five, i loved lila and diego relationship and i can't believe how much they fucked up with all of this, holy shit.

idk if it's because this season was shorter (probably) but i feel like there was so much wasted potential with some of the characters' storylines. luther was one of my favorites this season, which feels so weird to say, because even though i never really hated the guy, he's not really one of those characters i usually gravitate towards. that said, i do think more could have been done with his story arc, especially relating to sloane and his potential grieving because of her absence. seriously, why the fuck was sloane not there? why are we left with no explonation reguarding her?? such a missed opportunity.

allison's storyline also felt like a wasted opportunity. first of all, you are really gonna make me believe that ray just left???? the ray we all know and love, that ray?? and give us no explonation as to why?? that's insane. i literally thought he was dead at first, the thought that he might have left allison never even crossed my mind. i feel like the show could have focused more on how her life isn't perfect despite of what she did and also on her relationship with her family and the possible resentment that they might have felt towards her. this last point in particular they completely glossed over.

klaus' story arc was sooooo boring. i wasn't the biggest fan of sober, germophobic klaus to begin with and the way he shouted at his family after saving his life felt a bit out of character (although a bit deserved, since he's always been overlooked by everyone) but his plot was just, as i've already stated, boring. klaus always has his own thing going on but usually it ties back to the main plot, this time it just doesn't. and it's just this really boring storyline that leads pretty much nowhere.

ben's story is also wasted potential!! the jennifer incident reveal was kinda of meh and i still don't fully understand who the fuck jennifer is and where she came from and why she was in a giant squid in the first place but maybe i'm the dumb one (probably). their relationship escalated way too fast, i know they are connected to each other and can't help it that much but it would have been nice if we took things just a little bit slower.

one thing i've always loved about tua were the "villains" or antagonistic characters, because i've always found them to be weirdly likeable. that, however, did not happen with this season. jean and gene were both quite boring imo, and abigail...... ugh. she could have been so much more. i didn't really like the fact that she was the one trying to get ben and jennifer together to end the world in the first place and i just really do not understand her motivations??? again, i'm probably being dumb here but i feel like so much more could have been done with her character, especially in relation to hargreeves. didn't really like how both characters went out either, it just felt really rushed.

OH ALSO, almost fucking forgot, but am i fucking crazy or last season ended with a shot of ben in a subway or whatever and we never really touched on that this season??? like what the fuck did that mean, i thought for sure there were gonna be two ben?? was that still this ben then, i'm so confused....

anyway, i think i vented out most of my frustrations. didn't expect a rant about one of my favorite shows being my first tumblr post but here we are, i guess. now time to find a way to delete this season out of existence hargreeves' siblings style

(also i know i didn't mention viktor but that's because i quite liked his character this season, probably one of my favorites alongside luther so i have nothing bad to say about him)

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Sorry that I was a little absent the last day, I was busy sewing. But I read through all of the Dino Squad Au posts (which I loved btw) - I especially loved the reader is the smol dino and the others don’t know that they are the dino.

Now about you dark!dino au post? What exactly would that entail? I’d like some details.

Also I read the this could be paradise post and the lotus eater post and honestly I love it!!! and I’d actually not be opposed to eating that shit, because it sounds so peaceful. The question I have is this? What would happen if the reader was somehow immune to the thing that makes them all “pink”? Like if the food or the meds don’t work on them?

Also about the High school Au parent question: I think Charles is a good contestant, just because he has the headmaster vibe and the reader gives off giant favorite student vibes. Also Erik for the same reasons and because he seems like he’d be a strict and feared teacher, but a total simp for reader and he’d let them off with everything.

Also, while I’m at it, what would happen if in the dark!au, reader accidentally passes away while the four are on the run, because of the previous injuries they got when they were kidnapped and tortured, and the other three can’t handle it and the other mutants find the three around reader’s body, completely distraught. (If this is too angsty/Dark, I’m sorry)

- BeaBee 🐝

No worries, 🐝BeaBee! You take care of yourself first and foremost, okay? I can wait. It's no problem. We all have lives outside of Tumblr, and those have to be taken care of. So it's okay.😊

For the Dino Squad AU: Depending on which AU/post you read, Reader is either a Dakotahraptor or Compsagnathus, since you're referring to a small dino... There is also a post where they were a Spinosaurus, so if you want, you can check that out, too! The main AU has Reader, Scott, Rogue, Remy, and Pietro as the five Dino Squad members and Reader is a Dakotahraptor there, while a request someine asked for was if i could do the Brotherhood with a Compsagnathus Reader...

For the Dark Dino Squad AU: Something bad happens that makes Reader wounded or ill, this causing their teammates to turn to Victor (who takes the place of Veloci in the AU), and they kinda go to the dark side. So Reader is possibly on borrowed time or at the least wounded, trying to escape/talk sense into everyone (Logan is in the background, unhappily, as he did not agree to contact his crazy older brother) (This has a few ways it could go, but I'm deciding which path to ultimately take at the moment... it's a hard choice...)

For the Lotus Eater or This Could Be ParadiseAU (as I'm not sure if you meant just one of them or both of them): Huh... if Reader were immune... that might be a problem. Because now the platonic yan adults are trying to make some serum or drug from the flowers/fruits that WILL work, all while Reader plots their escape and has to play along... (and, well, yes! It is hard to say no to the flowers/fruits, and I know eating one doesn't sound so bad, if only to forget for a few small hours, if not awhile longer... and also tastes good, so, there's that going for it!)

For the Mutant High AU (the one you called Mutant Highschool!): So, Charles isn't the headmaster or the parent. If he were, that WOULD be fun! Buuuut in this one instance, he isn't. He IS however, their biology/human anatomy teacher, as well as a school doctor/nurse, because why not? If he were Reader's parent, that would be so sweet! He is a good father figure/adopted dad, but he isn't Reader's biological dad and they aren't his legally adopted child. Reader isn't related to anyone, but they are adopted (found family style) by everyone of the school who are not the (spoilers spoilers spoilers)... I will reveal what I can, but a hint to help you guess what's going on... Watch out for how Erik, Victor, Remy, and Hank act... They know something, but they aren't the problem... rather... they're the ones dealing with it in the shadows... (you are on fire with this AU! So, good job, 🐝BeaBee!!!)

Foe the Dark AU: If Reader actually died... well, you just reached the ultimate angst. The platonic yans would likely not handle it well. Scratch that, if they weren't crazy before (they were, by the way), well, they sure as fr*ck are now. If they had a way to bring Reader back from the dead, say, either a mutant who can do that or a science-y solution, they are doing it, no ifs, ands, or buts... And the other three teens who are with Reader? Remember, they watched Reader die the first time. If they had to go through it a second time? While still newly traumatized by surviving or being brought back from what happened to all four of them? What sanity they have would be on the thinnest sheet of ice. Press any harder, and it all cracks wide open...

(Thank you for asking your questions,🐝BeaBee! I am glad to answer them! If you want to ask anymore questions, feel free to do so! I hope I helped explain a bit about the AUs, and that I gave a few hints as to what's going to happen! Stay safe and take as many breaks as you need, okay?😊) (And I do like hearing from you, and everyone else, but we all have things to do; so no worries. Take whatever time you need. You all don't have to ask any questions. But if you WANT to, you can. Just don't pressure yourself, okay?)

[phoenixisobsessed]

💕Positivity prime time! Share five things you love about yourself, four things you're excited for, OR three people you care deeply about and why. Pass this along to someone else who makes you smile💕

I’m gonna do them all because I love yapping HEUEHU. I think I already did something similar to the first one but oh well.

1. I loove my art style. It’s fun silly and whimsical.

2. I love my fashion sense. Not as fun silly and whimsical but it’s mine. Idk if I can put myself into a specific category so I just live as a silly guy.

3. I love my eeeyes I think they’re nice. Green blue grey ish lil shits with long lushes lashes you know it.

4. I love my little silly brain that gives me little silly ideas and the capacity to yap forEVER.

5. I love how much I have developed as a person over the past few years. I personally think I have evolved a bit. Like a pokémon. In many ways.

NEEXT

1. I’m excited for TRANSFORMERS: ONE of course. I’m not American so I haven’t had the privilege of watching it yet.

2. Super excited to go to LEGO-LAND with my parents soon (we’re going there as a nostalgia trip since we used to go there all the time when I was a kid…hehe.)

3. I’m excited for the weekend to start so I can draw a bunch oml.

4. I am very excited to graduate here in June. FINALLY!!

Now to people I care about:

1. My best friend of almost 10 years by now. He has stuck with me through my cringe phase and we can literally talk about anything. That’s crazy. He was also my only irl friend in majority of the years.

2. My dad, he always makes sure that I am alright, and understand how proud he and my mom are of me. He a lil’ autistic but I love him anyway.

3. My home-class teacher in the 6th grade because holy fuck I would have actually genuinely not been here today if it was not for her. She was like my personal therapist and got me through so much shit. Praise her.

Now I shall pass it along to @screamce if he wishes to do this as well…xoxo shoutout to my first mutual on this app love this guy. Y’all should check him out btw its blog is SUPER AWSOM!! And so are his ocs…GRRR (Btw I will respond to your ask soon I just want to make something for it ;3 You’ll see. EHEUEHU)

[lumineescente]

Seungjin drabble (slowtober challenge)

hii im doing a thing called slowtober (made by @/oeildesaturne on instagram, french speaking folks check it out!! although be aware of tw mental health and eds talks) and i'm posting on twitter a seungjin au per word

I'm late in the updating on tumblr but for the sixth days (october 16th - 18th) the word was "phobia"

I thought for sooo long and then decided to go for something light hearted and fun

So here is my vampire Kim Seungmin and his blood phobia meeting broke med student Hwang Hyunjin

For the tags well blood vampires and past 2min mentioned

Still no betaing to this and oh yeah this was my first time ever writing about vampires I usually hatee vampires story but maybe i'm growing up

AND if you enjoyed this challenge who is now over you can vote on this form for your favorite that I'll be writing into a full fic on ao3! ("soumettre" is "submit" btw)

if you want to check all the drabbles you can go here

Kim Seungmin is in front of a very annoying and ridiculous dilemma. And all of that is linked to the pathetic fact that he is starving.

Everything is Lee Minho’s fault, to be honest. For decades actually, everything has been his fault, because Seungmin would have never been starving, pacing in front of the back entrance of a hospital if it had not been for Minho’s fault. He is starving because he has been pushing that moment for days now. Maybe at some point hunger will take over his phobia of blood and he will just jump on the first person that goes by. Or he will die of starvation. Like he could die. Fuck Minho.

Usually Minho would concede his part of responsibility in all this situation, and he would be the one to deal with the whole starving part but right now Minho has a new boy toy and has disappeared. Seungmin knows very well how all this will end up because he has been Minho’s boy toy at some point, a very long time ago, a century ago and sometimes he feels like throwing up when he thinks about it. Sure it was great at the beginning, but then it was not and Seungmin was stuck.

Stuck in the body of a twenty five year old, stuck between the eternal dilemma of drinking people’s blood or fading away in slumber in a dark place, preferably a coffin. And both sucks because Seungmin has always had a very deep phobia of blood and now he is eternally being confronted by him. Why was his twenty five years old self so damn stupid?

He feels sick, as much as he can in his vampire form at least. His body weakens and even in the night time he feels like the public lightning is hurting him, he has trouble focusing on his vision and his head hurts so much it gives him dizziness. Fuck.

It could be very easy actually, he could find one random person and suck their blood out, and all the symptoms will be gone and he will be fine to go for a few weeks again, but his phobia is just plain stupid. The idea of drinking blood out of someone makes him feel even sicker, it paralyzes him. It is probably due to the fact that he can feel the person alive, the pulsing of their blood in their artery, and the warmness of it and the body, yeah, he can not do that. He can drink out of blood pocket, the one thing Minho promised he would always make up for. Seungmin will make sure Minho will never see the end of this.

Minho did leave some indications on how he gets the blood pockets usually, the hospital he goes to and how he gets in it but contrary to Minho, Seungmin has a conscience and maybe a faint reminder of a soul. Or maybe Seungmin has not been a vampire for long enough (just a few decades, not even a century). Anyway, he is not strong enough to do all this and now he is thinking about all the humans that could die because of him stealing some blood.

Seungmin takes a moment to realize that his canines are puncturing his lower lips, blood drips out of it. His senses are all over the place now. He does not hear the door opening, but he hears the pulse of blood running in a human body and the sound of his heart beating, it makes him crave with thirst and hunger and disgusts him at the same time, chills going down his spine. He does not control it when he jumps on the poor person that has just gotten out of the hospital.

The person screams when they both fall down the floor and he only hears them like their voices are an echo because all he hears is the blood. There is no control left in his own body, just hearing himself at the very back of his mind crying because he hates it so much, hates losing any kind of control, hates hearing blood like that, but there is nothing he can do about that.

As he can see himself getting closer and closer to that poor person throat, himself is experimenting an outer body experience, he hears the person scream and he feels them fight back the weight over them, helplessly because even running out on his last forces he is still stronger and faster than this human person could ever be.

"Please don't do that," the person implores under him, "Lee Minho sent me here!"

The name acts like an electro shock for Seungmin although he does not let go of his grip, because damn this human smells so delicious and he is so hungry he cant think, and his fangs are out. However his vision refocuses a little and he sees behind him a young boy, probably around his age (when he got turned.. at least), with black hair tied on a bun on his head, a medical white coat and a terrorising expression on his face. Seungmin feels so bad and so hungry, it feels like he is going insane.

"What?" He stutters.

It is ridiculous how hard it is to speak like that.

"Lee Minho?" The person says again, "if you let go of me I promise I got the... thing you're looking for."

It takes everything, absolutely everything in Seungmin to be able to do as said, but he still manages to get off them. Very quickly they crawl away from him, it still feels very bitter to be the reason of someone's else fear, Seungmin thinks. The person searches in their lab coat pocket and then takes something out of it. Seungmin recognises the blood pockets that Minho usually stock in their fridge.

"Please dont bite me," the person whispers, handing out the blood pockets.

Seungmin considers them still on the ground in front of him, curled up over themselves only their arm extending. They are looking at him with pleading eyes. He takes a step forward and they curl up even more, he sighs and very quickly takes the blood pockets. He does not even bother and bites into the plastic immediately.

He lets out a content sigh when he feels finally the energy coming back in his body and the fog in his brain finally lifting up. Once he is done with the first pocket he gets back to his senses and suddenly realises that the person he had just attacked is still staring at him in the exact same position as before.

"I'm sorry," he mutters.

He feels ashamed of himself now. He does not know this person at all and he probably just gave them the worst fear of their life.

"Its okay," they answer although nothing in voice sounds like they are okay, "Minho warned me it could happen."

Seungmin rolls his eyes.

"You do that often?" He wonders.

"Only for Minho."

Seungmin swallows down the amount of inappropriate questions he has in his mind, although he is almost sure Minho's current boy toy's name is Jisung.

"He gives me money," he adds quickly.

"That's... okay?"

"I just didnt want you to assume stuff. He flirts a lot but it's not like that."

Seungmin stares. He can hear their heart beating faster.

"Okay," he says again.

He also notes that the stranger is very cute. Scrap that brain, he pesters at himself. The person stands up suddenly.

"I gotta go back to work."

Seungmin stops sipping on his blood pocket, "you work here?"

"Yeah, how do you think I get these?"

"But..."

They shrug, "I need the money. And you need food or else you'll do exactly what you just did to me. And its fucking scary."

"Right. Thanks."

"I'm Hyunjin by the way."

"Seungmin," he stutters.

"Well.. so, maybe I'll see you around?"

Seungmin is not sure exactly what this question involves exactly but it makes him smile slightly, "yeah. Sure."

Hyunjin smiles and waves him goodbye and goes back inside the hospital.

Maybe, just maybe, Seungmin does not hate Minho as much as usual today.

[koscheicore]

*appears*

(imagine that one random time-lord in The Autons, floating mid-air)

Greetings once again,

Some more questions for you, because THOSCHEI, THOSCHEI, THOSCH-…..

Prepare yourself for a barrage of questions! (No pressure ofc)

Commencing in three, two, one..

*explosion*

1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 17

21 - Headcanons for your favourite ainley pairing

24 – gimme more info about the thoschei fan incarnations that occasionally pop up on your feeds. It is vital information!!!

*looks around at the impact caused by the questions*

Whoops

Have a good day/week! :)

*disappears*

SO IT WAS YOU ALL ALONG, THAT TIMELORD... That makes sense! Thank you so much for all the quest- (loud explosion) AAAAH!

(sooo prepare for a very long post 🤣)

1. How did you get into thoschei?

(gets out from under the table) Uhhh has the noise stopped? Yea. Okay. So it all started when I heard a rhythm of four beats?? And then I think my brain got infected. All I could think about is some sad pathetic aliens hugging each other and I guess one was dead and??? then he wasn't? Yeah so I saw tensimm and I got obsessed. That was, if my calculations are correct, about 8 years ago.

2. What is your favourite thoschei flavour?

At the moment it's fiveainley! Or sevencrispy...

3. What is, in your opinion, the most toxic thoschei dynamic?

Why did I even make this question. All of them there's no salvaging the toxicity. Uhh imma go with tensimm or spydoc though

5. Any fan content recommendations?

Honestly THBU it's just. Sublime. Okay so I might have been about to cry just one chapter in? Yeah??

Also Please Attend Carefully if you want podcasts abt the Master because who doesn't.

Now, that's all sfw but on the spicy smut side, here's a fiveainley fic that plays with hypnosis. I found it interesting how the author wrote it in first person, and their Ainley voice is just fantastic. Make sure to read the tags first though!

Do also check the ppl I reblog from's profiles some of them have AO3 accts I plan on munching on when I can!

8. Favourite thoschei story?

Honestly the Master audio atm. Or the Five Doctors cuz it's really funny to see Ainley TRY... just really try... Btw 1st Doctor x Ainley!Master when

Ngl I have to rewatch all the nuwho episodes w the master on it so my thoughts might change. These two stories are consuming my brain rn

9. Favourite thing they have said canonically to each other?

"Wonder what I'd be without you"

"Yeah."

And this

11. Song that reminds me of them?

I want to make an animatic with this so badly

12. Any thoschei headcanons?

My most heartfelt headcanon for them is this if it even counts as one 🤔

17. What's an underrated thoschei pairing?

SIXAINLEY FFS SIXAINLEY IS SO UNDERRATED. More of them pls...

21. Headcanons for your favourite Ainley pairing

No I'm not picking just one >:0

Fiveainley:

-In my head the Master contacted Fivey after the whole cheetah stuff in hopes he could help him. Not talking abt how good or bad that went but Fivey can't remember anyways.

-The Master loves the smell of Fivey's sweaters. Anytime he's entered his TARDIS he's stolen a few. Fivey still doesn't know where they went.

-Oh it's definitely Ainley!Master's fault the Doctor's regenerations became weirder. Yeah after what he did to Fivey he just messed them up. Like Fivey's legs. Hey, if the Master is having trouble being in a Trakenite body it's only fair, right?

Sixainley:

-The most likely pair to do spicy stuff actually. They're both into BDSM although probably not in a sexual context exactly. No I won't elaborate

-The cat pin? Yeah that's something the cheetah Master left in the TARDIS during that Fivey visit. Six just doesn't know. The Master finds it amusing.

-The Rani has tried to block all contact with the Master because he keeps calling her to talk about his latest plan to kill the Doctor. She's so tired.

Oneainley:

-The Master actually visited 1 on a few occasions during the Doctor's past after the events of the Five Doctors, wearing disguises of course so he wouldn't recognise him later.

-He invited him to lunch and they conversed. The Master finds this Doctor kind of endearing in a way, he's the closest he has to things being alright between them anyways. Just some quiet conversations, no mention of the Master or Gallifrey. No murder intent, they just were. Two "strangers" sharing lunch having candid intellectual conversations.

-Eventually, he stopped. Why? I leave that to your imagination.

24. Talk abt your fan Doctor and Master incarnations

OKOK IM GLAD YOU ASKED... So I met this classmate who's a dw fan and as we became friends he told me he had his own fan Doctor incarnation. Eventually we started LARPing for fun and I made my own Master, then we started making up tons of stories and that's how they came to be!

ONE DAY HOWEVER... He said. What if the Master and the Doctor were bigenerated?? Yeah from the same entity but the Time Lords erased their memories. And Dhawan!Master knew this but that one bit he never told, the Doctor never uncovered it, and this is part of why Dhawan wanted to become the Doctor. And boy this broke my heart because thE IMPLICATIONS. That'd mean the Master is ALSO the Timeless Child. So now that's canon for my Master and surprise, it's been selfcest all this time except not exactly because they are not the same anymore and they can never be.

So based off that, my Master loves to make a point on how different they are whilst his Doctor searches for similarities instead when he learns this. My Master is convinced that they're destined to be the worst parts of the Doctor forever, whilst the Doctor got "the better part". So why would they make it easy for him? Gallifrey is gone anyways so let's prove they can never be the same. Let's prove they're DONE. And they're immortal too I guess so why conform with having nothing no. They're owed the Universe and they're not sharing. Meanwhile the Doctor is wondering what would be of the Master if they had lived anything similar than what they did, if they're actually the same, if there's any kindness left on them, if they could have become the Master... He's stuck on his past in a way, too, missing companions and simpler times and stuff. And I intend to destroy his hopes of truly enjoying his current self you know?

...so yeah uh we also have companions we're making and we're slowly developing all of this + some random "episodes" (plots. that is) and one of them is Dak. Dak is well, kind of a Dalek kind of not. I have no idea how this happened he hasn't told me yet but apparently Dak has the genes of one of his companions? His mind when he was a child. So he's like a curious kid travelling with the Doctor except he's got Dalek Issues (tm) and I have such awful plans for him I'm so sorry little Dak ily but Daleks can never be good you know ☺️☺️ And I also have my subconscious eating beings that hate the Master for reasons but shhh. My friend doesn't know yet.

Anyways here's my Master treating the Doctor with love as usual

-----

Hey... hey. Wait. Don't go! *looks around* Uh... who will help me pay for all the repairs??? 😭

ALSO thank you so much for that twogado recommendation I will proceed to scream

[narcoticwriter]

About putting Xiao out of his misery, that’s a fair perspective and honestly makes it better if we did have to, but I still think I’d cry lol

(it’s banterismylovelanguage btw)

Continuing unpopular opinions, which five characters do you think would find peace in death in endgame (including or excluding Xiao, your choice)?

Okay, this is quite the ask and I have opinions on this. It's in descending order as well.

5. Bennett

Before I'm crucified, let me explain this one a bit.

One of Bennett's character stories brings up the implication that he can't hope to die an adventurer's death that cements him into any legend or lore.

That would be 'too fortunate' for someone with his bad luck.

So if he went out knowing he gave his all and in a really epic and badass way, he'd be able to rest easy.

Why do you think he runs headlong into every conflict and fight? It's not like he's going to actually die anyway. It'll hurt, but he'll be alive.

Will his death actually happen? No, as I am highly doubtful of the fact. But would it be cathartic and ironic if it was the case? Yes.

4. Lisa Minci

You should be expecting this one as the librarian canonically doesn't have that much time left.

Her attitude of helping out with everyone else, and making sure they're okay is what she lives for while she still can.

The way that she interacts with others as well as teaches Razor, gets some of the Knights to take breaks and rest, and even pushes Kaeya towards reconciliation with Diluc (in 3.1 I think) shows how she's no longer afraid to show others that she cares about them.

And if Celestia put a warning on you in the form of taking half of your lifespan, you can bet that the philosophy of "fuck it we ball" is going to apply in this sense.

She'd pass on knowing that she did what she loved, and that was taking care of others and watching them grow and learn.

She'll be a little sad that she can't see it for herself, but she feels confident that they'll be in good hands and I love that for her.

3. Zhongli

This one, I am admittedly less enthused to talk about, but it's starting to feel like that may be the case.

Starting off, this guy is super old and may be older than Teyvat itself, so at some point, he will croak and die.

Second of all, this guy has a forced non-disclosure agreement that doubles as a gag order from The Heavenly Principles, so if he broke it (which he might, given some things he's implied) he would be silenced for good.

And last, but certainly not least, one's retirement is a stepping stone that's much closer to death than not.

He's at a point where he's simply enjoying the feeling of being alive in his twilight years. He's also expressing the fear of forgetting certain memories and as he wanes, so will those.

It has a slightly higher chance of being in-game than I want to think about, but I can't deny its plausibility at any rate.

2. Tartaglia

You heard me the first time I don't need to repeat myself.

"Sure, I might have fallen into the Abyss as a kid, but I became better for it, I swear!"

Yeah, sure you did and you think Celestia won't get around to putting you in check as you collect forbidden powers and techniques like they're fucking Pokemon cards?

This guy's got the survivability of a goddamn babirusa because not only does everything want to kill him, but if that doesn't do it, he'll eventually kill himself with his entire approach to living.

Boy literally throws himself at the most dangerous creatures and people under the sun and still has the audacity to say "Another round!" even those he's been reduced to almost-a-corpse.

I don't care what you say: HIS 👏 ASS 👏 IS 👏 DYING 👏 YOUNG

Honorable Mentions (and some crackery) -

Qiqi - No one deserves to live as a result of being caught in the crossfire combined with adeptal collateral damage. Homegirl needs to rest for what's left of time.

Xiao - Obviously, as living is suffering and he'll finally have peace.

Yelan - Nerfing her bloodline was a contingency measure and breaking some of her spirit in the Abyss was a reassurance, so what makes you think they won't put her on a shirt if she presses?

Albedo - If you have an Archon, an assassin, and a Khaerni'ahn nervous as well as asking the Traveler to kill you if things get out of hand, things will happen to you.

Mona - She will see something she isn't meant to and she will be dealt with accordingly.

Kaedehara Kazuha - It would be off-screen and no one would know until someone stumbled across a rotting corpse in the wilderness.

Kaeya - It'd be real funny if there was an active political faction in Khaerni'ah that wanted the Alberichs exterminated for usurping the throne Hoyoverse please I'm begging you-

Diluc - It would be partially due to his own stupidity and partially due to the Harbingers making sure he died properly this time.

Shenhe - It would be without her red ropes and she will never feel more alive again.

And now, without further ado, we have number one on this list . . .

Venti

Bet you didn't see this one coming, did you?

I'm sorry, but this little guy has about as many death flags as Eula does grievances towards most of Mondstadt.

He has: talked to the Traveler before the events of the game, witnessed some real heinous shit in the Calamity (Cataclysm?), got his gnosis snatched (maybe on purpose??), and has increasingly been showing up more and more as time goes on.

Why are these points relevant? Because at some point he will spill the beans and will be punished severely for it.

I would make the argument that he's the closest Archon to the Traveler as well as one of the oldest, and as such, it would be that much more powerful if he was killed off in the greater sense of things.

I'm sorry, but I just can't see him surviving to endgame. He's living on borrowed time and he knows it.

Tell me what you think!

[leshitshow]

176.a - I hate my job and here's why

I really want out of my job. My bosses are abusive boomer trash. For one, they’re both self-hating. One is a self hating woman as well as a self hating Mexican. The other is a self hating black man. It’s fucking willy wonka bat shittery. Then there’s the issue of I haven’t been given a raise in five fucking years. I got overlooked for two promotions earlier this year. I am disliked by both the VP and the Superintendent because they’re lazy fucking children who spend more time complaining loudly about doing their six figure jobs than actually doing them. And they don’t like getting called out for that - which I do when their lack of doing fucks with my work. Which is more often than I’d like.

My job is = I run software that an entire 800 sqft city based facility depends on. My recent beef is my piece of shit boomer Superintendent boss absolutely refuses to give me administrator rights to the full facility ware AND he doesn’t understand how it works at all. The lack of access and this fundamental lack of understanding has created a recent world of shitty problems for me and our department in that the software is now completely and totally offline - and has been as of writing this for six fucking weeks. I can’t get into it to check maintenances. My trades who do the maintenances can’t get into it to record their work and get their assignments. The city says we are contractually obligated to have this software up and functioning and it’s down. This isn’t the first major fuckup on this system due to my boss, btw. This is just the latest of a line of major fuckups.

Speaking of my scumbag six figure making MAGA loving boomer boss - we are offline and no where close to being up and running because he didn’t understand the software’s vendor split into two entities. I’m not even sure when they did that since I don’t get those emails. He does and doesn’t share that information. But he didn’t know at all - which is infuriating because the software vendor most definitely told him. He also didn’t understand that the software we are running is 8+ years past upgrade. It’s so old that the original vendor’s contract split up sending the “classic” version of the software to a totally different support team. A totally different team than what he just spent $26,000 of the Los Angeles taxpayer’s money on. I tried to explain the vendor split to him when I figured it out back in July this year but he just gaslit me, “Oh yea I talked to them.” Fucking control freak sack of shit.

So what’s transpired here is the dinosaur software my boss refuses to upgrade, despite paying to upgrade two-fucking years ago, is now being outsourced. AND if he wants to continue running the old software in our facility then he needs to pay for the new outsourced vendor to run the classic system. The only problem with this is he’s too proud to admit he is a fuck up. (See boomer things.) He doesn’t want to admit he wasted $26,000 of taxpayer money on the new version of the software that he has spent two-years refusing to implement, for whatever reason. And, btw, I told him back in 2020 that then was the time to upgrade the system and train our teams on it because everything was slow af then. I guess he heard me because he bought the upgrade around then but was probably offended I had the idea and not him? Or he’s just afraid of software in general. I honestly can’t figure out why he would buy the new version, pay for a full migration, pay for departmental training, and just sit on it. He didn’t tell anyone he bought it, too! I only know about it because my friend in the financial dept. showed me the POs.

So the software our facility is dependent on is down. Has been for six weeks due to my boss being afraid of new software and ignoring contractual agreements. Also due to the fact that his boss, the VP of Operations, has her head so far up his ass that I’m not sure if her hair is naturally brown or it’s just shit colored. I have sidelined her and told her the issue briefly but because I am not her equal she honestly can’t be bothered to hear that I have words coming out of my mouth. She would prefer to pretend I’m a potted plant in the office lobby rather than an equal human being. Essentially she just covers up the Superintendent’s fuckups and often knowingly stands by while he lays blame on other teams. As a recent example, the city requires a quarterly report on our software usage. I told my bosses to ask for an extension since the ware is down. They both ignored me and falsified a full ass quarterly report and sent that in, instead. Yea. Corrupt.

Ultimately, this has been a $26,000 fuck up and instead of owning up to the fuck up and telling my company’s CFO that he fucked up - we are now without the software while my boss lies to my equally as shady VP of Operations, the city, and the rest of the staff that “the software’s down because the company fucked the migration up.” A fucking hilarious lie when thinking about how he had me write up and implement a new training session for the new hires on the old software two-days before it completely went down. Especially hilarious because when they asked me to do the training I said, “Why? We’re about to lose the old version any day now.” And they just shrugged, blinked blankly, and walked away.

I am honestly debating telling the CFO everything, thereby nuking my position there fully. I hate my bosses that much.

[just-my-type-x]

Just anything enemies to lovers with Colby lol

Say My Name Like It's Holy

angst, asshole Colby

disclaimer, i know nate and seth have nothing to do with amber, i just didn't want to include jake and corey cuz it felt awkward. hope it's ok for everyone.

btw, imagine Colby dressed like in the shanley vid

i get to the party and park my car on Amber's driveway. i sigh and tap my fingers nervously on the stirring wheel. i look towards the house where silhouettes can be spotted dancing and drinking, the LED lights lightning up the whole garden. i take my phone from the passenger seat and check the time, 12.22. it's sure going to be a long night. i only accepted to come to her party just because when we first moved to LA we were each other's rock and we've always helped each other when we needed. it's actually selfish, i'm here also for my other friends and drinks. mostly drinks.

"fuck it", i open my car door and get out of it, sprinting towards her house. i get inside and i'm welcomed by a heat wave because of all the people that are dancing and walking around. i greet some people who aren't too busy to make out or to drown themselves in vodka and cranberry juice and i start walking around to look for Amber. she waves at me from across the living room and sprints towards me with her arms wide to embrace me. i hug her back and rub her back. "haven't seen you in ages, i missed you", i smile and we hold hands while looking at each other.

"i know right? are you married? did you give birth? who's the godmother?", Amber jokes and we laugh while walking towards the kitchen, where i put on the table a bottle of Jack Daniels that she asked me to bring. she passes me a red cup of a double shot of vodka with cranberry juice and i take a few sips.

"where are the good people?", i ask looking around for more familiar faces, especially Sam and Nate. i spot Seth immediatley after and i wave at him. he joins us and Amber opens the whiskey bottle for him while we look for glasses and ice.

"well i think Nate is outside by the pool with Sam and Colby is-"

"don't care 'bout Colby", i cut her off and take another sip from my drink, already looking for the entire bottle of Absolut. she raises her hands in the air in defense and draws an imaginary zipper on her mouth.

"upstairs with a girl", Sam joins the conversation and i jump in surprise. he collides his whiskey glass with Seth's and murmurs a 'cheers' before bot of them take it as a shot.

"didn't care, but thanks pal", i smile bitterly while taking down what was left in my cup.

"is it such a bad night? you drank it in five minutes", Amber states and both guys look at me worried. i shake my head no and try to avoid other questions so i just pour some more alcohol and motion to them to go do something.

we greet Nate in the backyard and i hug him from behind, surprising him.

"and when i thought it's going to be my next girlfriend", he jokes, but hugs me tightly and kisses my forehead as he always does that. i playfully hit him.

"am i not interesting enough for you?", i ask him retorically and wait for another joke

"hey there, y/n. you know it's polite to say hi to everyone, right?"

my face turns serious and i clench my jaw. nate takes a sip of his drink and turns to Colby.

"c'mon, man, give her a break. she's friends with all of us.", he says and puts a hand on my back, pushing me to get closer to Kat who is right next to me.

"she's your friend, not mine and if you'll excuse me, i need a refill.", he gets up from the tiny chair he was sitting on and makes his way through me and Kat. "Amber, care to help me?", he smirks and i look at Amber, who doesn't face me. i hold my breath.

"you know where the bar is. i'm sure you'll find anything you need", she half smiles at me and turns her back to him, joining us.

"suit yourself", Colby leaves and hugs a few people until entering the house. i sigh and lean on the tree behind me, taking a sip, making faces when i taste how bitter the drink came out. apparently i didn't pour enough cranberry juice. Sam laughs.

"Shut up, i needed that", i smile and join the conversation my friends started. we take pictures, make instagram stories and since the alcohol started to kick in, we film some tiktoks of us singing and dancing. Colby comes back after a while and i know i have to back away this time, since he hasn't really spent much time with them. i lean back on the tree from before and watch from afar how Stas and Nate start dancing. i take in a deep breath when i see Colby coming towards me. for a split second i consider looking backwards to see if he's going somewhere else, but the house is in the opposite direction. "i'm not leaving this tree just because you're here, Brock. i was here first.", i finish my vodka and curse under my breath because it burned worse than before.

"so a tree is your new comfort spot? funny", he leans on the tree too, but in sitting position. "enjoying the party?", he looks up at me and i look down at him, enjoying the feeling of power over him just because of the height difference. i smirk and shake my head.

"i would've enjoyed it more if you weren't here", i look to the side so i wouldn't catch his gaze again. "but either way, i'm glad my friends are here", i accentuate the word 'friends.'

he scoffs and shakes his head, drinking everything he had in his cup, throwing the cup somewhere in the garden. Colby gets up and faces me, his tall frame almost making me inexistent. he presses his hands on the tree, catching me in the middle. his alcohol breath hits me and i blush at the close distance between our faces.

"oh, c'mon, don't you have some one night stander somewhere in here? or did you score all of them tonight?", i put my hand on his chest to push him, but he grabs my wrist gently, holding it in place when i try to take it away from him. i look deep into his eyes and he does the same, biting his lip and smirking at me.

"i'm glad you know how charming and long lasting i am.", he caresses the back of my hand with his thumb and i scoff, trying to hold back my laughter.

"sure", i finally give in and laugh and i take my hand out of his grip harshly. "what made me so worthy of your attention, your highness?", i roll my eyes and try to look under his arm to see if anyone sees the situation i'm in, but everyone is dancing and singing, and i'm here contemplating the years of prison i might get if i do something to Colby tonight.

"just wanted to talk, we're too mean to each other lately.", he sighs and takes his hands off the tree, looking properly at me this time. i cross my arms at my chest and raise an eyebrow.

"didn't notice.", i sarcastically answer and move to the side so i'm not facing him anymore.

"i like your outfit.", he grins and i look at myself to remember what i'm wearing. i look at my black plaid skirt, black and white converse and my simple black top. i frown and look at him.

"you're joking, right?"

Colby looks at me confused. "I just made you a compliment, can't you just take it? i'm trying to be nice", he sighs. "you know what, i tried at least, so nobody can tell me that it's my fault we don't get along. jesus", Colby starts walking away and i look at him getting further from me, towards the house. i sigh and look at our group of friends, but start chasing after him.

"Colbs, wait", i shout at him and he stops walking, making me bump into him. i rub my cheek after the impact and he turns around to face me.

"what did you call me?", he answers, voice raspy and an angry look on his face. i feel bad and try to act like i didn't call him in any way, that he misheard it. "y/n, say it now.", he gets closer to me and my chest almost touches his.

"everyone almost calls you Colbs, it slipped because of how often i hear it.", i analyze his face features and they seem to soften, his face brightening. "i didn't think it was going to make you mad.", i look down at the cup that i'm still holding, wishing i had a damn strong mix in it right now.

Colby straightens his voice. ''no, it's fine, i just.. never thought or expected you're going to call me like that ever.

"why? because we're not friends?", i play with the cup and he takes it out of my hand. i look up at him and he nods. i motion with my head towards the house and Colby gets the message to get inside. maybe we both needed something strong.

i pour myself the same mix and make sure i pour a lot of juice to compensate for earlier, while Colby takes a beer instead. we stay in complete silence, people around us dancing and spilling drinks everywhere.

"hey handsome", a random girl shows up in the kitchen and grabs Colby by the collar of his shirt. he looks at me immediately and i try to hold back my smile. she is drunk as hell."care to pour me a drink?" when she realizes Colby isn't looking at her, she rotates her body to face me, almost falling because of how dizzy she is. He catches her and holds her a few moments when she starts talking to me.

"don't worry, i'm not with him.", i cut her off and smile devilishly at Colby, who thought i was going to help him. he widens his eyes and shakes his head no fast.

"oh, how nice.", she smiles and looks up at him, but he only gives her a smile.

"how about i call you tomorrow? you seem tired. let's get you to the couch", he starts walking her down to the living room, but her friend shows up and takes care of her.

"so, you didn't get to bang literally everyone at the party, this one slipped through.", i joke and walk closer to Colby so he can hear me.

"and you"

i freeze and realize i was stupid enough to think a split second that he wouldn't be an asshole. his expression changes when he understands the change in my behaviour.

"that sounded so wrong i'm sorry. why don't we go somewhere more quiet?", i agree with him and we go upstairs, by the looks of it, in Amber's bedroom. somehow i'm not surprised he knew where it was. we stay there in silence and i watch him sit on the bed. i lean back on the door and cross my arms at my chest.

"you look good too. that shirt really looks good on you and it matches your eyes. it's a thing i've always admired you for. it's easier to capture the attention of others. shamefully, you captured mine.", Colby wants to talk, but i cut him off. "and yeah, we don't get along. we tried everything. we're too temperamental when we're together, yet we don't have a reason. you push me away, i do the same, why? well let me tell you why.", i approach him and he looks up at me while i'm inches away from him. "i hate it how you hook up with literally everyone and, again, shamefully, i tried so hard to stay as far away from you as possible because i didn't want to become one of those girls. i couldn't stand you. and now we see each other almost every day because of our friend group and because of your videos and so on. i hate you because i know deep down there's a small chance i will let my guard down for you, Colby. and i hate it.", i take a deep breath and try to take a few steps back, but he catches my hand and pulls me back.

"you were never going to become one of those girls. and no, it's not because i hated you so much from the start nor that i don't like you, it's because i always knew you deserve so much better than me."

"why did you hate me from the start?", i ask, my voice cracking

"because i knew, one day, i'm gonna crave you more than life and i knew i couldn't have you. pushing you away was the easiest way of coping with that. but now, i want to make things right, i want us to get somewhere. for real. ask anyone"

i chuckle. "well, everyone thought you were banging someone upstairs when i arrived so i think old habits don't die so easily."

"but i was in the backyard, you know that."

i take a few seconds to look at him and sigh. "fuck that", i grab Colby's arms and put them around my waist and lean down to kiss him. he's taken by surprise, but grabs me by my legs and puts me on top of him, his hands travelling under my skirt and squeezing my ass. i bite his lip and run the tip of my tongue on his bottom lip, Colby granting me permission. i pull at his hair and he runs his hans on my back, searching for the hem of my top. he takes it off and stops for a few seconds to look at my chest, my black bra making my boobs look mouthwatering. he bites my neck and kisses down on my collar bone, licking the roundness of my boob, reaching to untie my bra so he would have full access to them.

Colby stops in his tracks, breathing heavily. i whine and he smirks, licking his lips when he sees how swollen mine are.

"i need you to tell me this is alright, y/n. i don't want to wreck things between us even more", he searches for any disagreement on my face.

"Colby, i want this a lot", my breath is just as heavy and i start kissing him, cupping his cheek with my hand, sighing as his lips feel like a dream on mine. i gasp in his mouth as he undoes my bra, a groan escaping his mouth when i let my bra fall on the floor.

"no, i can't", he hugs me so he won't be able to look at my exposed chest. "i can't treat you like the others.", he leans on the side and hands me the top so i put something on me faster.

"but i just said it's ok.", i awkwardly answer

"and i said it's not. y/n, i want you to be mine, ok? i don't want anything to happen until then. that's how it's supposed to be", Colby gets up from the bed and i take a pillow and put it on my legs so i support my elbows on it while following Colby through the room.

"then ask me if i want to be with you", he turns around and opens his mouth, then closes it back again. "oh, yeah, you're not ready for a relationship.", i nod and put the pillow aside. i take my bra off the floor and throw it over my shoulder. i walk towards the door, but Colby gets to the door right before me. "get-"

"be mine! it's not a question, just be mine already.", he cups my face and i take a few steps back because of Colby's reaction. he takes forward the same steps i took so there isn't any space between us. "you make me go crazy", he sighs and glues our foreheads together.

"i think i've always been yours", i smile and he presses his lips hard on mine. we smile into the kiss and drag him towards the bed, but he stops me.

"another time. we have some friends to save from blacking out", we both laugh and leave Amber's bedroom.

[ahtsumu]

long shots ; miya osamu

pairing: miya osamu x f!reader

synopsis: miya osamu is the teacher’s assistant for food chemistry i. you can’t stop thinking about him.

tag(s): college!au, slow burn, TA!miya osamu, grad student!reader, fluff, reader is a go-getter!! ; warning(s): profanity, suggestive themes, talk of insecurities and imposter syndrome ; wc: 5.6k

a/n: happy birthday to @starrysamu​! i love u. pls excuse any errors. i’ll weed them out later! btw this fic is not a sugar daddy au LOL

HIS NAME IS Miya Osamu and he always looks like he has it all figured out. Comes in every class with his black hair perfectly tousled, the sleeves of his dark button-up rolled to his elbows, a cup of coffee in one hand and the strap of that black messenger bag in another.

“He drives a BMW, did ya know?” Isla says in your ear one morning. Your only friend in Food Chemistry I gives you a pointed look before sitting back in her chair in the lecture hall with a smirk on her face. “Saw it this morning. Bet he’s loaded.” The two of you watch the subject in question walk across the classroom and settle in his seat at the table in the corner.

“Shut up,” you whisper with wide eyes. A grin–– far from innocent–– makes its way onto your face. “Imagine being Miya Osamu’s sugar baby.”

“He’s not old enough to be a sugar daddy.” Isla looks at her nails disinterestedly. “And that’s too many AUs in one. He’s already the TA, for god’s sake. This isn’t some shitty Wattpad novel.”

A light giggle slips out of your lips. “I can see the title already. My Sugar Daddy is the TA?!”

Now, if anyone had been listening in on your conversation, they would’ve assumed many things about you. The first being that you’re both gold-diggers. This is untrue–– at least, in your case. Isla, you’re not so sure about, given how your friendship only goes back about one month. But she tags you in memes on Instagram so maybe it’s as real as real gets. Their second assumption would be that you have a big fat crush on your TA. That one’s complicated, mostly because it’s true, but only kinda. It all started in the second week of school when Isla caught you staring at Osamu and slipped you a post-it note with both your initials encircled in a heart. And, because you’re shameless with a good sense of humour, you made a show of kissing it while she was looking. And thus began your meaningless but incredibly entertaining, satirical, co-written fantasy about Miya Osamu.

It also didn’t help that on the first essay you got back, Isla’s paper had been marked up with “are you sure?”s and “this is a jump”s, while yours had “excellent reasoning” and “insightful analysis”. You’d even gotten a little comment at the bottom: y/n, fantastic work. you should speak up in class more often. –– OM

But Miya Osamu doesn’t play favourites because the next week you’d gotten another essay back, this time with another comment at the bottom: y/n, not your best work. you could’ve done better by connecting your first paragraph with the second using grant’s reading. conclusion lacked punch, too. all the best. –– OM

Every time you’d read the words scrawled in blue ink, you’d felt a pair of eyes on you. But you chalk it up to Osamu being a careful grader. A good TA. Someone who cares about his students.

Isla calls bullshit on that. You’re not really sure how to feel about her stance.

The classroom door opens and shuts again. You don’t have to look at your phone to know that it’s nine on the dot. Instead, you and Isla straighten your backs, pull out your notebooks, and focus. Your no-nonsense professor says “good morning” in her usual perky manner before jumping right into her keynote presentation.

“Did you all find the reading okay?” Professor Lee asks an hour into the lecture.

A chorus of “yes”s fill the air. You bite your lip, wondering if revealing that you didn’t understand shit will out you as the class idiot. Or maybe your silence is telling enough–– maybe the people in the seats beside you have noticed the grimace on your face and are having thoughts like ‘gee whiz, am I glad I’m not dumb like her’. Heat rushes to your cheeks. Sometimes you really wonder if you’re smart enough to be here. Occurrences like these do nothing to dispel your insecurities.

You vaguely hear her ask something like, “Any thoughts about the reading?” It’s not that you’re actually dumb. It’s just that this class is ridiculously hard for an introductory course, even for a graduate programme. From the start of the semester til now, fifteen people have dropped the class. There’s just twenty of you left. Guess a ridiculously hot TA can’t save a course’s drop-rate.

Before you can make your mind up on what to say, your professor moves on from her question.

As you look off to the side of the room for a break from your thoughts, you find a pair of blue-grey eyes pointed in your direction.

Everything about you, from the expression on your face to the way your muscles tense, makes you look like a deer caught in headlights–– even though he was the one caught staring in the first place. So maybe your shamelessness works on a scale.

Miya Osamu lifts one corner of his mouth.

And as if the exchange hadn’t happened at all, he looks back down at his laptop and continues typing.

The rest of the lecture goes through one ear and out the other.

“Everyone, I believe Osamu has something he wants to say,” Professor Lee says as everyone begins packing their bags.

The raven-haired TA slides out of his seat and sits on top of his desk. “Yeah.” Osamu clears his throat and crosses his arms over his chest. You notice how the muscles in his arms bulge from the movement.

“Whipped,” Isla mutters, grinning mischievously.

“Him for me,” you whisper back, though your eyes do travel back to his face where they should’ve been all along. Osamu catches your gaze and holds it. And then he looks away again.

“Now, I know you’re all Nobel prizewinners in the making,” he begins, garnering a round of snickers and giggles from your classmates. Most people say that cliques dissolve in college. That there’s no such thing as popularity amongst graduate students. That much, you agree with. But no one ever said anything about popular teacher’s assistants. Especially smart, attractive, witty teacher’s assistants like Miya Osamu. “But in case you didn’t understand the reading or would like to develop a deeper understanding of it, don’t hesitate to email me. I’ll try to host a review session all of us can attend.”

Professor Lee smiles appreciatively at Osamu, adding, “That’s a wonderful idea, Osamu. Guys, please take this opportunity if you struggled with the reading. I know eighty pages is a lot, but our next three classes are structured around the concepts in the reading and the mid-term next week will almost exclusively be about it, too.”

Well, shit.

To: m.osamu@hqu.edu

Hi Osamu,

I was wondering if I could get some help with the reading from last class. To be frank, I couldn’t make it past page 15 and I’m lost like a snot-faced five-year-old in a shopping mall on Black Friday. Sorry. Thanks in advance!

Regretfully,

Y/N

MS Candidate

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Haikyuu University

From: m.osamu@hqu.edu

no problem. is 5 pm tomorrow at jack’s okay? we start on the concepts from the reading next class so i want to get you up to speed asap. let me know. thanks.

OM

PhD Candidate

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Haikyuu University

It’s five minutes to five when you pull into the parking lot of Jack’s Diner. The shiny, retrofuturistic eatery is a university favourite but the empty parking lot tells you it’s completely deserted right now (and rightfully so–– who eats dinner before six?). The black BMW parked a few spots from your car, however, says that you’re not alone.

Osamu’s figure comes into view as you reach for the handle to the front door of Jack’s. The twenty-six-year-old sits by himself at one of the bright red tables in the back, typing away on his dark grey laptop.

His head lifts up at the sound of the opening door. Osamu calls out your name and waves you over.

“Hi,” you greet with a smile, sitting down across from him.

“Hey.”

You look around before leaning forward on the table. “Is anyone else coming?”

“No.” Osamu sits back in his seat. “I thought about hosting one big group, but then I realised that it’d probably be stressful for the staff here.” He nods his head in the direction of the kitchen. “And I had a hunch that everyone would have different questions. Forcing everyone to review concepts they already know is a waste of time.”

At first, you nod. That makes sense. But then you furrow your brows. “So how long have you been here?”

Osamu blinks. He hadn’t expected you to ask about him. “Hmm? Oh.” He taps his phone to check the time. “Just a while.”

Quirking a brow, you ask, “And how long is ‘a while’ to you?”

“Seven hours,” he admits, chuckling lightly when he sees your jaw drop. “A lot of people had questions. They just don’t act like they do. Anyway, time flies. Really, it does.” Quickly, he clears his throat and sits forward. “So, about your email.” He grins. “Not sure if you meant it to be funny, but it was.”

“I’m glad my distress was entertaining for you. Do you TA just to watch grad students suffer?”

“Perks of the job,” Osamu says. His grin widens when you giggle. He’s never heard you laugh before and he realises at that moment that it’s really nice. And then that same grin falters. Gracefully, of course, and imperceptibly to you. But not to him. Is it okay for him to be… thinking things like that? About a student? But you’re not really his student since he’s just the TA. Right? Osamu ignores the weird feeling that comes over him and clasps his hands together at the edge of his laptop. “Back to your email. Can ya tell me what you’re confused about?”

Three hours and two Impossible Burgers later, you suddenly understand everything about food molecules so well that you wonder why you’d even been confused in the first place. But besides that, you’ve also picked up things about Osamu. As a person and not an idea. Not that you’d been actively searching for fun facts about your TA. But they’d stuck to your brain like gum at the bottom of a desk. He likes to slip sarcastic quips into a conversation every now and then. Eats burgers upside down (“The right way,” as he’d said, smirking). Is friendlier than he looks.

“You’re really good at explaining things,” you comment as Osamu shuts his laptop closed.

“Well, I kinda have to be,” he says. And maybe it’s the mental fatigue catching up on him or the fact that he’s real fond of the reason why he can break big concepts down into morsels but suddenly, the rest of his thoughts spill out his mouth like wine. “I have a twin brother with potato salad for brains.”

“Oh?”

And before he can stop himself, he tells you about Miya Atsumu, the pro-athlete you’ve definitely heard of but never gave too much thought. And then you hold onto the fact that they were both on the volleyball team and you ask of which school, so then he tells you about Inarizaki, the high school he attended, and then his decision not to go pro to go to college, and then––

“Sorry,” he laughs, cheeks turning pink. “You probably didn’t need to hear all that.”

“No, it’s fine,” you say–– and you mean it. “Your life is interesting.”

Osamu leans back in his chair. “Well, I’m sure yours is, too.” He holds your gaze like it’s the key to your presence. It’s an invitation. The kind that comes from people who don’t really know if they want you around but also don’t want you gone.

You take it.

Osamu shouldn’t–– he really shouldn’t–– but he wonders about the things you didn’t tell him the entire drive home.

Isla laughs when you tell her about what happened at Jack’s. You lay in bed with your phone next to you on speaker, your face turned on your pillow so that you’re staring out the window at the city below.

“He wants you,” she sings.

“Or he was just being nice.”

“Methinks not!” Isla giggles. “He’s intrigued, girl! You’re like that cute little new mystery in his life and he just wants to get to know you.”

“I think he was just being polite.”

“Or he’s crushing on you!”

“In your dreams.”

“You mean yours? Boo, you’re no fun today. Usually, you go along with the jokes.” Isla’s tone is playful on the surface but full of implications.

A few silent seconds pass. Yeah, you think, agreeing. I do.

“Girl,” Isla drags out the word in a high pitch, saying it like a scientist says ‘eureka’. “You’re not playing along anymore because it’s real now. You're actually catching feelings!”

“Am not!” you laugh.

“The Y/N I knew would’ve said ‘nah, bitch, he’s catching feelings’ and I think that says all there is to say.”

“Okay, I think he’s cute but it’s not a crush,” you concede, grinning. “And he’s the TA, Isles. It’d never happen.”

“Not while he’s still a TA in a class you take.”

“Isla.”

“Ask him out once this semester ends! Unless you’re chicken.”

“I’m not asking him out.”

“Knew you were––”

“Have you seen me? He’s asking me out.”

Miya Osamu walks through the door at eight-fifty as usual that next morning, dressed in his usual button-up, holding his usual cup of coffee. But this time, as the rest of his tall frame passes through the doorway, Osamu’s eyes subtly scan the faces in the lecture hall, lingering for just a while over yours. The corners of your lips turn up. You hope he saw that.

“Bitch!” Isla whisper-screams. The students sitting around you turn around at the noise and grin at each other when they realise it’s just Isla being… well, Isla. She shoos them away jokingly.

“What?” you whisper back.

“Care to explain why our TA was literally eye-fucking you?”

“That was hardly eye-fucking,” you retort. “Maybe like an eye-handshake.”

“Yeah, a naked eye-handshake where his thang is handshaking your––”

He does it again the next class.

And the next.

And then he doesn’t. Miya Osamu walks through the door to Food Chemistry I at eight-fifty in the morning in a navy blue button-up with a cup of coffee in his hand and looks through the rows of seats in the lecture hall for your face, only to find it missing.

He debates pressing the matter.

To: m.osamu@hqu.edu

hey osamu,

i wasn’t in class today because i’ve been sick with the flu (no big deal, just feel like i’m dying). a classmate sent me pictures of the slides from today so i think i should be fine, but is it okay if i email you with any questions? thank you very much!

miserably,

Y/N

MS Candidate

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Haikyuu University

From: m.osamu@hqu.edu

y/n,

of course. sorry to hear that you’re sick. let me know if i can do anything to help you. the midterm is next week. get well soon.

OM

PhD Candidate

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Haikyuu University

“You writing that the midterm is next week did not offer me any peace of mind, by the way,” you say, spinning around in your chair as Miya Osamu enters your pod in the library.

He offers you a wry grin. “Hello to ya, too.”

“Was that an accent?” You thought you’d heard one at Jack’s, but you couldn’t be sure because it’d been so spotty.

Osamu slips into the seat beside yours and pulls out the laptop in his messenger bag. You catch a whiff of his cologne–– something spicy and woody, but clean. It suits him. “Nice catch. Yeah, I speak a regional dialect. Took me a while to smooth it over but it still resurfaces every now and then.”

“Why?”

“It just didn’t seem fitting for a PhD candidate, I guess,” Osamu explains, opening the slides from the class you missed. A day after your initial exchange, you’d emailed him again (with a much clearer mind) and asked if he could go over the slides with you in person.

i literally feel like i’ve been given the homework from russian lit, you’d written. except the russian has been translated to hieroglyphs and my task is to choreograph an interpretive dance based on the hieroglyphs.

Osamu had snickered when he saw your email. that doesn’t even make sense. must be the fever talking, he’d been tempted to write. But that strange feeling had come over him again, the one that’d screamed at him to keep it professional, goddamnit, so he’d played it safe instead and sent is eight pm at the main library okay? He hates that you’re getting a watered-down version of his personality. Osamu swears he’s a lot more interesting when he’s not, well, a TA.

“I think it’s fine,” you say, smiling. “I like it. It’s you.” And suddenly, you’re wondering if it’s okay to be complimenting your TA. If it’s okay to say that you like things about him, or if that crosses some grey, unclear line. Is it weird to treat your TAs like they’re your friends? It’s not like TAs are real teachers. Right?

A grin–– wide and genuine and almost excited–– grows on Osamu’s face. He rubs the back of his neck as his eyes flit over to the laptop screen. “Thanks. Really.”

You nod. But you feel like there’s more that he might want to say, so you wait.

“I got a lot of shit for it when I came here for my master’s, y’know. Not to my face, of course, but people would refer to me as ‘the guy with the accent’. A professor once said it made me seem crass. Said it’d hold me back in my career.”

“So you changed.”

“Adapted,” Osamu corrects. “It’s hard to admit but conforming is sometimes all you can do when you don’t have the power to change the system. Can’t really make everyone suddenly respect a dialect.”

“And after you’re finished with your PhD, you’ll go back to speaking in that dialect?”

Osamu looks out the window and smiles, probably imagining the plans he’s already made about the future. “Yeah.”

“What if you have to speak the standard language at your job? Like, your boss is all, ‘hey man, if you don’t speak––”’

“I’ll be the boss.”

“Oh?”

And with a little more prodding, Miya Osamu tells you about the restaurant chain he plans on opening after graduation, the slides about food additives left completely untouched.

The librarian knocks on your pod a few minutes before eleven to tell you they’re closing.

“Shit,” Osamu murmurs, running his hands through his hair. You’re still laughing about something he’d said before the librarian interrupted him–– one of his stories from high school–– and he thinks that you’ve completely forgotten that the reason you came to the library was to catch up on the material you were already behind on. And now you’re behind on that. But you look so carefree right now and, actually, you’re very pretty and you’ve got such a good heart and it’s a lot for him to process but he knows he just wants to see you happy a while longer. So Osamu just slumps back in his chair and laughs along with you.

He says your name as his chuckles grow softer. “It’s pretty late. How’re you getting home?”

“I’ve a bike,” you reply. It’s good for the environment and is a pretty solid form of exercise if you do say so yourself. Sometimes you just don’t feel like driving. 

Osamu presses his lips in a thin line. Would it be too much to offer you a ride? “I can drive you home. It’s really not safe for you to be alone outside, especially near midnight. You can get your bike tomorrow. Or I’ll get it for you.”

He drives fast. Not the unsafe fast that speed demons drive at, but the kind of fast where you know he’s got some edge to his character. You bring it up to him–– especially since it’s nighttime, for god’s sake, he could hit something–– and all he does is remind you how there are lamps as bright as the sun lining the entire road to your dorm. And the fact that you live in the least accessible dorm on campus.

“A twenty-minute drive?” he’d exclaimed when he saw the GPS monitor.

“A bunch of roads are closed for construction. It’s a ten-minute bike-ride because I can cut through campus.” And suddenly feeling a little burdensome, you’d added, “Sorry. I can still bike––”

“No.” He’d held his hand out in front of you, gesturing for you to stay in the passenger’s seat. “It’s not a bother at all.” Because it wasn’t. Osamu was… happy. Not that he’d admit that.

“So this BMW,” you start in a teasing tone.

Osamu smirks. “A gift.”

“Can I guess from who?”

“Sure.”

“Atsumu.”

His brows rise. “Colour me impressed.” He hadn’t expected you to remember anything he’d said about Atsumu. Or maybe he had but told himself otherwise to lower his hopes.

“I’m smart like that.”

He snorts. “Not if you keep distracting me and using your review time to…” hang out with me, get to know me, tell me things about you… “…goof off.”

You grimace. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

Osamu makes a turn down a familiar street. It dawns upon you that you're ten minutes away from your dorm and suddenly you wish he’d just make the wrong turn at the next intersection so that you could talk to him some more. It can even be about the health benefits of fish or the molecular makeup of kale–– you don’t mind. You just want to be around him longer.

“I think you’re really smart,” Osamu says quietly. “I think you’re not processing the readings because you’re distracted, or just not fully applying yourself. Obviously, last class’s slides are a different thing, since you were absent. But you really are smart. I’ve seen your papers.”

You bite your lip to hide your grin, feeling heat rush to your cheeks. “Thank you.” You look out the window, too jacked on dopamine to think straight. “I think I still need you, though.”

And that innocuous little sentence floats right out your mouth into the air, settling between you like a little wedge before either of you even realise it. Neither of you says anything. You marinate in the awkwardness before stuttering out a clarification. “To, um, to explain things. Y’know, since you’re, uh, so good at… explaining things.”

Osamu clears his throat and chuckles stiffly. There’s a slightly pink tinge to his cheeks. “Thanks,” he says, looking straight ahead. He can’t even look at you. Fuck. It’s so awkward. “I’ll try to keep… explaining things.” Fuck. What does that even mean?

A few uncomfortable minutes pass in silence. The night can’t end like this, you think. It can’t when everything else had gone so well. You still have to see him for a few more months. “Did you know,” you start, catching Osamu’s attention, “that Jack’s Diner has a location in Italy?”

“Oh?” he asks, making the final turn to the street where your dorm is. He actually hadn’t.

“Yeah. I asked the owner about the chain a while back. Have you ever been to Italy?”

Osamu shakes his head. “I’ve been to Paris, though. To see a friend. He’s a chocolatier.”

Now, if Osamu had been your friend, you would’ve said something like well, let’s go to Italy together, except he’s not. He’s your TA and you’ve been reminded that enough tonight. So instead, you say, “When you open that restaurant of yours in Italy, let me know.”

“That’s gonna take a while,” he laughs. He appreciates how you said ‘when’, though. And he tucks that little bit of confidence you have in him somewhere deep in his mind so that it doesn’t get lost.

“Isn’t that just seven hours?” you shrug, grinning. Osamu’s BMW pulls up outside your dorm and parks as he marvels at what you just said. You’re amazing. You unbuckle your seatbelt and turn to face your driver.

“Thank you for driving me,” you say, offering him a smile.

“Yeah,” he replies.

You stretch out your hand. With a puzzled look on his face, Osamu grabs it and shakes it. Firmly. You can’t help but notice how nice his hands are. Calloused for sure, but they feel nice.

“Goodnight, Osamu.”

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

He watches you jog into the building before driving away. And it’s like you’ve possessed his car or something because the smell of your shampoo and perfume is everywhere and it’s too much but it’s also not enough at the same time and he can feel your palm against his as he spins the steering wheel to make a turn and for the first time in his life he doesn’t turn on the radio to fill the silence in his car. Osamu replays everything you said in his head.

But he especially thinks about that part where you said you need him.

Weeks melt into months. You turn in essays after essays for Food Chemistry I, each coming back with detailed commentary in an all-too-familiar blue scrawl. All your other classes go well–– extremely well, actually. You might just end the semester with a 4.0 if Food Chem doesn’t fuck you over. Isla still tags you in memes on Instagram. You still tell her about everything that happens with Osamu.

Speaking of.

“That’s the wrong equation,” he says behind your ear as he settles in the seat beside you. The sound of his low voice so close to your ear sends a small shiver down your spine. “You gotta switch the hydrogens.” Osamu knocks on your skull lightly. “What’s goin’ on up in there? Ya got somethin’ on your mind?”

You laugh and elbow him in the side. “Shut up, ‘Samu.” He’d told you during one of his office hours that he’d gone by that nickname because he had a teammate with a foreign name in high school. It sounded so cool, he’d said, grinning.

I think Osamu sounds pretty cool already, you’d teased.

And he’d replied, Let’s trade. I like yours, you like mine, why not share?

You teeter on the line between friends and less-than-friends and, oddly enough, more-than-friends. Sometimes you still play it safe. Sometimes he pauses between texts and real-time conversations, no doubt to scrap an instinctive reply for something more “professional”. Sometimes you say things that make him look at you with the ghost of a smile at the corners of his lips. Sometimes he calls Atsumu to scream about you.

“S’not a no,” Osamu points out. He’s dressed in a black sweater and grey trousers today. You’re suddenly reminded of how the weather’s been getting colder when someone opens the door to the university café and lets in a gust of chilly autumn air.

“Okay,” you admit, setting down the pencil. “I just… don’t really feel prepared for this next test.”

Osamu frowns and looks down at your worksheet. “Your process is correct, though.”

“Right, but… I don’t know. I’ve just not been feeling great about myself lately,” you laugh, looking down at your feet. “Food Chem’s the toughest class I’ve ever taken. And remember how I completely embarrassed myself in that class discussion last week? It’s not really making me feel like I belong here.”

“Imposter syndrome,” Osamu remarks.

“Correct-o.”

He says your name softly and puts a gentle hand on your shoulder. “Maybe you’re not the smartest, but you’re definitely smart. And you belong here. I’ve seen your papers. They’re just as great as anyone else’s and I don’t hand out compliments for nothin’. You’re gonna do some great things but ya can’t improve if you ever give up.” Osamu searches your eyes for a sign of your understanding.

There’re a lot of things you want to say but you don’t know how to put them into words. “Can I hug you?” you finally ask.

Osamu doesn’t even think about it. “Of course.”

He feels you smile against his chest and wonders if you can feel his heart beat faster.

Isla camps out in your dorm as finals come around the corner.

“I don’t understand shit!” she wails, throwing her notebook into the air.

“Isles, it’s okay,” you laugh, slipping out of your chair and walking over to her nest in the corner. “You gotta chill, dude.”

“Not fair! I didn’t have a hunk holding my hand through this course all semester,” she retorts, humour glittering in her dark eyes. “I had the Organic Chemistry Tutor and his accent’s cute enough but, girl, you had Miya Fucking Osamu!”

“You’re literally the worst.” You giggle and sit down beside her. “Tell me what you’re confused about. I’ll try to explain it to you.” The way Osamu does.

You text him that you’d channelled his brains later that night.

His reply comes seconds later. all you, einstein.

From: osamu

good luck on the exam

you’re going to kill it

To: osamu

would u like to divulge any… information about it? 😏 😏 😏

From: osamu

bye

To: osamu

i was kidding :(

From: osamu

fine. tip #1: write your name

To: osamu

not very helpful. 0/10

From: osamu

keep running your mouth and 0/10 is what your score’s going to be

i’m kidding

you got this, y/n

“Holy fuck,” Isla groans as you cross the street to head to lunch at Jack’s. “If you don’t see me next semester it’s because I’ve gotten my grade back and decided to drop out.”

“What would you do?” you ask, amused.

“Maybe move to New Zealand. Raise some sheep. Marry a hot, blond shepherd and fuck off to a cliffside cottage.”

“Solid plan.”

“What about you?” she asks.

“What about me?”

“Remember that conversation we had at the start of the year? About your man?” The two of you reach another red light for pedestrians.

“We’re friends. He’s not my man,” you laugh. Though it pains you to. Something about being Miya Osamu’s friend doesn’t really sit right with you, but you don’t know how to not be his friend. You don’t know how to move out of the corner you’ve backed yourself into.

“But you wish he were! And now you can finally hit him with that ‘Hey, Osamu, I’ve been madly in love with you since the start of the semester, wanna fuck like rabbits and then open that store in Italy?’ and he’ll be all––”

A throat clears behind you. With wide eyes, the two of you turn around.

Holy fuck.

Miya Osamu stands behind you with his hands in his pockets and an enormous smirk on his face.

“He’ll be all what?” he asks, eyes fixed on you.

Isla murmurs an excuse and starts walking on her own to Jack’s.

“Um.” You swallow nervously and shrink in your coat. “You heard all of that, right?”

“Yep.” Osamu grins. He grins. He’s grinning. He’s smiling like he’s won the fucking lottery and you honestly don’t know what to do with that information.

“So, like,” you look down at the sidewalk and kick at a pebble, “what are your thoughts about that?” God, you could die. “‘Cause I know you’re a TA and it’d probably look pretty bad and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you because I like you and it’s cool if we just…”

Osamu interrupts you with a laugh. “My thoughts,” he says, “are that I want to kiss you.” His fingers lift your chin up. “What are your thoughts about that?”

Well, shit. “I think that’s pretty cool, yeah,” you breathe, eyelids fluttering shut as his face comes closer to yours.

He tastes like mint. And his lips move softly, slowly against yours like he’s savouring the moment. And then you feel his hands snake around your waist to pull you closer–– closer because you both are tired of forcing the distance between bodies that want to be near each other, closer because he’s thought about kissing you just like this for so long, closer because you remember the last time he’d touched you was three days ago and it was just a brush of his fingers against your arm and that feeling of wanting more haunted you for the entire night. But holy shit, Miya Osamu is kissing you. He’s kissing you.

And then he pulls away. His dark eyes flit over yours. “I,” he breathes, “I need your course load next semester.”

“What?” you ask, disbelief written all over your features, chest rising and falling as you try to steady your breathing. You just kissed, for God's sake, and he's––

“I need to know which courses not to apply to TA for,” he grins, cupping your face in his hands. “Can’t be teachin’ in a class with my girlfriend as a student.”

“So we’re official?” you ask, beaming.

“If you want,” Osamu replies with a smirk.

You grab the front of his coat and tug him down for another kiss. “Hell yeah, I want to be official.”