#im also trying to get all three badges >:)

[fiaiscooler]

sorry for spam booping I think ur cool and I feel like I'm sending a bit of love to each person, love youse lot, you can spam me back :)

[xhoneygirlxx]

We’re Not Friends

Best Friend!Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

summary: Eddie is just trying to help when he offers to be your date to your sister's wedding, but with all the love in the air will you and Eddie be able to stay friends?

warnings: lots of angst. reader's family sucks. reader's mom makes a comment about her weight. anxiety attacks. reader has low self esteem. fluff. best friends to lovers. fake dating. modern au. (this is titled after an Ed Sheeran song and I also use another one of his songs in the fic, sue me). slight smut. allusions to sex. alcohol consumption. swearing. minors dni!!!!!!!!!! reader and Eddie are both in their 20's. no y/n used, reader is referred to as Birdie. skin color/ethnicity/body type is not mentioned. spelling errors/shitting writing, just pretend you don't notice lmao. also the venue is completely made up and so is the location if you couldn’t tell, im not that creative.

*if I miss anything plz lmk*

a/n: hi my loves!!!! this is one of the last fics on my birthday fic list!!! I want to thank all of you for being patient and being so so supportive of my work. I love you all so much!!! also I do go back to work on Monday so I'm going to try to get as many fics pumped out by the end of the weekend.

And that's why friends should sleep in other beds

And friends shouldn't kiss me like you do

And I know that there's a limit to everything

But my friends won't love me like you do

The turning color of the leaves create the prettiest backdrop, tall trees blooming with orange, red, and a pinch of brown. The ones that have already fallen to the ground get swept up under the wheels of Eddie's car, lifting up and swirling around in a pretty dance, and falling right back into place waiting for the next car.

Although the crisp fall morning is peaceful you can't help but feel like you're living a nightmare. As he soft hum of Eddie's playlist flows through the speakers, you're coming up with a plan to turn the whole car around.

So far you thought about faking an illness, one that would stop the whole journey in it's tracks, only to dismiss it because you couldn't put your best friend through that stress. The idea of pulling the steering wheel also came to mind but you quickly threw that out of the window, not wanting to cause injury to the innocent man next to you or anyone else. Your final idea was one you're sure you could pull off as long as you used all the power within your being. If you pushed your feet on the floorboard hard enough, you could poke them out like the Flintstones and stop the car that way.

Between science and logic, you knew that wasn't possible no matter how hard you wished it would. Instead you'll stare out the window, watching all the pretty trees dance in the wind while you push down the rising anxiety that's forming in the pit of your stomach.

"You good over there, Birdie?" The deep voice next to you shakes you from your thoughts.

Turning your head Eddie's already looking at you with a lopsided grin. His demeanor matches the landscape outside, relaxed and serene. As you look at him you wish you could trade places, be as pleasant as he is.

"Yeah I'm just tired." Trying to sell him your answer, you smile lazily at him even though your response holds more tension than a game of tug of war.

Turning his attention back on the road, you watch as the pavement moves on the darkened lenses of his sunglasses. Eddie looks pretty like this, even though you always thinks he looks pretty. Usually he would be a grump having to be up this early, but today he wears his smile like a badge of honor. The dark curls of his hair cascade down his back, while some falls over his shoulders.

He's wearing the same red and black checkered flannel he always does this time of year, the same one you said was your favorite three years ago and it still holds that title. Underneath is a plain black tee shirt, the only one he has that's free of any band name, and a dark blue pair of jeans that have no holes.

He's still the same Eddie, his rings still sit on his fingers and his pick still hangs from the chain around his neck, but it seems that he only gets prettier and prettier as time passes by - like the turning leaves that still hang on the branches of the trees that you drive by.

"I think you're worried about this whole wedding thing," His voice is unwavering, screaming "I'm right" like it always does. "I don't get what's so bad about an open bar and free food."

Although his point is valid, Eddie couldn't be more wrong than that. This wasn't just an event to get drunk for free and stuffed to the gills at no charge. This was your older sister's wedding, the same sister that was the apple of your parents' eyes. Veronica was your arch nemesis since birth, a rival that you had no option but to defeat in order to survive.

You were the outcast of the family, the black sheep if you will, and you had to endure eighteen years of nonstop torture because of it. Your parents, Christine and Tim, were nothing but successful. The doctor and his trophy wife, the star couple in your small community, that had two beautiful and healthy children.

However you were the hardheaded child, the daughter that didn't have a bright future, you didn't carry as much promise as Vee, and your parents made sure to remind you of that every day. So when you moved out three years ago, you made sure to distance yourself as much as you could. But when you received a pristine white envelope with a glamorous invite on the inside, you were roped right back into the hell hole you worked so hard to leave behind.

You could've just ignore it, faked that you were on a trip and couldn't make it but your mother pretty much threatened you into showing up. So that's how you ended up in the countryside right outside of Chicago, driving in Eddie's Toyota Corolla to the Jefferson Manner on a Friday at eight am.

"You're right, Eddie, I should be so thrilled by that. Thank you so much for pointing it out to me." It's snippy with a hint of malice, and your eye roll held enough venom to injure an army of men.

Whistling loudly, Eddie chuckles lightly. "Woah, killer. Relax, I was just tryna help." He's still soft despite your outburst, sweet like your pumpkin spice latte that sits in the cupholder.

Hanging your head, you inhale a deep breath and release it slowly. "I'm sorry, Eds. I just really fucking hate my family."

He switches his attention from you and the road, taking in your saddened features. Reaching his right hand over the console, he places his hand searches for yours and laces his fingers through yours, which you gladly except.

"Don't apologize for that, kay? That's a valid reason for you to not want to go, I was just trying to make you laugh." The sincerity in his voice wraps around you, easing the nerves that go haywire in your body.

His palm is warm like the coffee cups that sit in the cup holders, his voice is as calming as the trees in the wind, and his smile is just as pretty as it was the first day you met him. You're safe with him, the safest you've ever been in your life, and here in the front seat of his car he reminds you of that.

"They just make me crazy, s'why I don't like seeing them." You feel shy being vulnerable, refusing to meet his gaze by focusing on tracing the back of his hand with your free one.

Eddie doesn't mind, instead he reassures you with a quick squeeze of your hand. "If it makes you feel any better, Birdie, I like you a little crazy."

Dimples deep as the sea and smile still as delicate as a flower's pedal, Eddie looks like a painting that hangs in the Louvre. You want to capture this moment of him to have for the rest of your life, so no matter what you can always remember him just like this.

"You say that now." You tease and he eats it right up.

Looking back over to you, he shines his smile onto you, filling you up with the light of a million stars. "And I'll say it till the end of time." There's no tease to it, nothing but truth in the way he says it.

It turns you into jelly, the feelings that swim through your blood stream, and now you've become too sheepish to answer. You decided to trust your touch over your words, squeezing his hand the same way he did to yours, trying your best to communicate the feelings you hold secretly in your heart for your best friend.

The cobblestone driveway leading to the entrance of Jefferson Manner is, for a lack of a better word, beautiful. It is a straight drive to the property, but once you get closer, a large fountain sits in the middle where the arch of the circle driveway starts.

Different colored cars are already lined up, some you recognize and the rest you have no clue who they belong to. Either way it's pretty evident that Eddie 2018 Toyota sticks out like a sore thumb.

The same dread that you left 45 miles back, is now running through you again. Unintentionally, you squeeze his hand harder as your heart begins to pound in your ear and if it hurts him he doesn't mention it. Instead, Eddie gives you one, two, three squeezes and then lets you continue your attempt to stop the blood flow to his hand.

Pulling behind the Mercedes Benz S Class, he puts his car into park and then shuts the car off. Reading your expression the way he always does, he sits in the silence of the car with you until your features loosen up.

"You okay, Birdie?" Even though he knows you're not okay, you still appreciate him asking anyway.

Breathe in. This is temporary. Breathe out. This is not forever. Breathe in. I am safe. Breathe out. I am here.

You repeat this to yourself a few times, eyes clamped shut as you focus on your breathing pattern. Once your head is above water and your heart stops racing, you open your eyes back up to the real world.

Relaxing your shoulders, you let go of the grip you're holding Eddie's hand in. "I'm okay. I'll be okay." Despite answering him, it sounds like you're trying to convince yourself of what you're saying.

Another brief pause goes by and Eddie continues to monitor you, sunglasses now removed so not only can he see you but you can see him.

Your gaze is unwavering, the thousand yard stare has fallen over you and you have yet to dig out of it. "Are you prepared for what we're about to walk into?"

The tone of your voice scares Eddie, the emotion being sucked right out of the words that you speak despite the feelings that battle in your mind that he doesn't know about.

"Honey, I'm prepared for anything as long as I have you." For a split second he winces, wondering if that was too cringy but when your face breaks out into a sweet smile he feels better.

The two of you get out of the car, retrieving your suitcases and dress bags from the trunk. When the door shuts you begin to count the steps it takes to get to the big wooden doors of the mansion.

You don't have to ask Eddie for his hand, he's already giving it to you and you gladly except it, gripping on for dear life the closer you get. Despite the beautiful landscape and the soothing sound of the running fountain, you feel like this is the soundtrack that plays before your imminent death.

The tall, thick, wooden doors sit menacingly in front of you, the skeletons of your past standing just right behind it waiting for your arrival. The ghosts that have haunted your dreams, the graveyard of your history, and the phantoms of your family, mingle and laugh right behind this door.

Eddie waits for you, not moving a muscle until you say so, and you silently thank him with a smile. Like a switch, he watches your face change from flight to fight mode. In a flash your looking over your outfit, brushing down the long black sleeved shirt that sits on your torso, and then straightening out the jeans that stick to your legs.

Your hair is the next thing you frantically fix, pushing it behind your ears and out of your face, letting it fall over your shoulders while doing so. Like a buzzing bee, you zone in on Eddie, fixing the collar of his flannel and then smoothing the material of his shirt. With out speaking, you pick off a singular piece of fuzz from his pants and then let it blow away in the wind.

Moving your hands back up to his chest, you center the pick on his chain. Then move his hair, fixing the ringlets that got blown around in the breeze. Once your satisfied, you move back to your spot next to him and sweep his hand right back into your hold. Releasing on more deep breath, you settle your pinched eyebrows and your determined eyes, and let the worst fake smile settle onto your lips.

The smile doesn't reach your eyes the way it usually does, your teeth push against one another so forcibly Eddie wonders if you'll shatter teeth, and you simply look like your in pain. Either way, you push open the big oak door and let yourself inside with him following right behind.

The lobby of the manner is everything you expected, high ceilings, a crystal chandelier, and every single family member of yours gathered around sipping champagne and speaking to each other like a potential client.

Even though it's magnificent inside with the beautiful décor and lively plants, the sight of everyone in their gaudy outfits and cheap laughter makes it feel like an eternal hell.

Eddie must feel the way your shoulders tense because he's quickly leaning into you, his voice just a whisper in the shell of your ear.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. You have me and I won't let anything happen." He reminds you, his smile is more sympathetic than anything.

Nodding your head you remain smiling, it's awful and it hurts even doing it but if you want to survive the whirlpool of piranhas, then you just have to fake it until you make it.

"If it isn't our lovely Birdie!" The sound of your mother's voice is like silk, smooth and confident, just like she always was. Walking over to you, she holds a champagne flute in her hand and you wonder how much the bubbling spritz cost your father.

The last time you've seen her was last winter, her million dollar smile outshining the Swarovski crystal tree decorations that sit behind her. Your mother has always been beautiful but her insides are rotten, ugly and maggot infested, all hidden behind the mask that she put on for everyone to see.

You gave up a long time ago trying to figure out her brain, finally accepting defeat to the maze that was her mind. Now when you look at your mother all you see is a shell, a hallow covering that has nothing to offer you other than it's pretty design.

Pulling you into a hug, you're hit with her scent. She smells like Dior and cashmere, the Chanel outfit that sits on her body scratches your skin, and the pearl necklace she wears jabs you right in your collarbone.

"Hello mother, thank you for inviting me to such a wonder occasion." You instantly revert back to your old accent, the same one your mother instilled into you from the time you could even under stand the English language.

A faux laugh comes from her bright red lips, "No need for that, darling, you're always welcome." Her manicured hand waves at you in fake genuineness.

The smile on your face continues to show and you hate to think it matches hers. Even with the sweet tone you use and the gentleness of your actions, the blood that runs through your body continues to boil the longer she stands there.

Eddie on the other hand stands next to you completely and utterly amused by your fake performance. The snort he lets out when you continue to use your "eloquent" voice is quickly covered up by a sniffle.

Like a vulture, your mother's eyes are quick to zero in on the curly haired man next to you. "Excuse my daughter for her bad manner of not introducing us, I'm Christine."

The minute her hand reaches out for a handshake, you're heart stops. This is the one thing that could make or break this whole trip and it was the only thing you didn't prepare your best friend for. Many years of your life, you were trained that a handshake is all it takes for someone to learn about you.

Without skipping a beat, Eddie simply picks embraces her hand like a prince out of a Disney movie and places a kiss to the back of her unwrinkled hand.

"What a pleasure to meet you, Christine, I'm Eddie. And might I say how beautiful you are."

He's all dimples and doe eyes staring at your mother, a true prince charming in his red flannel and jeans. His voice is like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day, it's smooth going down your throat and it warms your belly better than any blanket can.

That warmth is now tingling your body, a frenzy of butterflies flapping around in the walls of your heart. It clearly works on your mother as well but unlike you she doesn't hide it very well.

"You're really the charmer, Eddie." It's flirtatious and alluring, the same voice she put on for every pool boy your father ever hired.

Annoyance and anger floods through you and you know that your eyes would be shining green to anyone with a trained eye.

While she clutches her pearls and eyes Eddie like he's a four course meal, you intervene into the conversation before it can continue.

"Where's daddy? I'd really like for my boyfriend to meet him." You bat your eyelashes like a pageant queen and your arm acts like a python wrapping around Eddie's, making a mark on what is yours.

"Oh you're father's around here somewhere, you know how he is." She dismisses, taking a drink from her glass and swallowing down the golden liquid quickly. "So how long have you and Birdie here been dating?"

"It's going to be two years next month. Isn't that right, honey?" Eddie turns to you and gives you a playful smile.

Looking back at him you hope he can see the misery that hides being your eyes, a white flag of surrender.

Your mother on the other hand doesn't care about your answer, that's why she didn't ask you. She's reading Eddie, trying to see how much she can push your so called boyfriend until she gets what she wants.

"Well that's just wonderful, young love is a beautiful experience. You have to be careful with Birdie here, she's known to leave the nest quickly." It's a jab, a spiteful and mean comment headed right for your gut.

Eddie doesn't miss the way you're lips falter for a second, the flash of hurt in your eyes. It kills him watching you stand there and take all the comments from your mother like stray bullets.

Turning his attention back to your mother, he gives her a smile, one that you would know as a wicked one but to a stranger would seem kind. "I don't think that will be a problem. Birdie knows where her home is."

It's a direct warning, a clear sign to your mother to not mess with you or what is yours. Just him sticking up for you like that makes your stomach twist in excitement, a feeling you've grown so used to over the course of friendship with Eddie.

"Well, I'm glad she finally found her place then." Your mother responds coldly, clearly hearing the bite in his tone. "Why don't you two go find your room and get settled in, rehearsal dinner is in a few."

Before retreating into the large crowd of family, your mother turns back to you in one more attack.

"Oh and Birdie, wear something that will hide that stomach. Don't want anyone to assume you've been knocked up."

Once you've found your room, you all but rush Eddie inside slamming the door behind you. In the quiet safety of your suite, you can relax your shoulders that have been sitting high since you've arrive.

"Jesus Bird, you weren't lying." Eddie says as he flops himself on the queen sized bed.

You don't respond, instead you squeeze your eyes shut and try to calm the heaviness of your breathing. Behind the darkness of your eyes, little twinkles of stars flash from how hard you have them closed, the swooshing of your heart continuing in your ears like angry waves of the sea.

Breathe in. This is temporary. Breathe out. This is not forever. Breathe in. I am safe. Breathe out. I am here.

You repeat this to yourself over and over again, trying to erase the cruel words of your mother and the images of disgusted family member's faces out of your mind. You're not sure how long you've been standing by the door until a hand grasps at your wrist lightly.

"Birdie," Eddie's coax goes unanswered, "Come on, Birdie."

Warm calloused hands travel to the plump of your cheeks, lifting your face up just enough that he can see you. Finally opening your eyes, you're relieved to be looking into the golden whiskey pools of his.

Smoothing his thumb over your cheek he doesn't say anything, just lets your breathing calm down. Here you are, in the nice room behind the shelter of the locked door, and he's here.

Breathe in. It's okay. Breathe out. You're safe. Breathe in. You are here. Breathe out. So is he.

It's enough to let your feet move on the plush white carpeting, while Eddie leads you to the bed with the tug of your arm. Sitting on the plush mattress on crisp linen sheets you're grounded, and with the heat of Eddie sitting next to you and his hand in yours, you're anchored.

The rehearsal dinner goes over well enough, the Irish mule helping with every single speech that's given and every horror story of your childhood that is told. Luckily for you, Vee didn't ask you to be in her bridal party so you didn't have to attend the actual wedding rehearsal, and even better you won't have to deal with her for the real thing tomorrow.

Eddie does great at dinner, he talks to your father who surprisingly likes him, both getting along over their love for vintage cars. Your soon to be brother in law and his groomsmen also get along with Eddie, they laugh and cut up most of the time while clinking beer bottles together. Not to mention every single woman there wanted to get into his pants, swooning at everything he said and giving him the 'fuck me' eyes while doing it.

You hated it, every single minute of it. Like always you were ignored, simply looked over until some story was being told where you were ultimately the joke of. Any time someone asked you what you were doing with your life, you were met with cringing smiles and snickering laughs.

Four separate times your mother commented on your dress, the way it fit, the price value of it, and how it really wasn't a good color on you. All of your sisters friends rolled their eyes and whispered back and forth while staring at you, aunts and uncles acted dumbfounded when you told them that you were a freelance writer for a small music magazine back in Indy, and your cousins made comments about how badly you look since the last time you saw them.

It didn't matter anyway, even if your sister asked how you managed to get a stand up guy like Eddie to agree to be with you, in front of all of the guests. You had to remind yourself that you were there for the free booze and food or whatever the hell Eddie said in the car on the way here.

This wasn't a popularity contest for you, it was simply you being forced to do something against your wishes because your mother said so. You asked yourself why you even listened to her in the first place while letting the brown liquor burn in your stomach.

Why was it so important that you even showed up here? Why did you have to come to the awarding ceremony of favorite kid when you knew you weren't going to win? Why would you even set yourself up for such failure just because your mom said so?

Well, you're answer came when a flushed faced Eddie was laughing with your grandparents at one of the round tables in the corner. His eyes crinkled at the sides and his head was leaned back so you had a clear view of the neck you loved so much.

Then you looked over at your sweet looking grandparents who laughed loudly at whatever was said. Your grandmother had her hands on her cheeks, shaking her head back and forth, and beaming brightly. Your grandfather smiled around his cigar, big round belly jumping with laugher, and his cheeks smooshing up against the frames of his big glasses.

You didn't come here to win a competition. You didn't come here because your mother threatened you within an inch of your life if you didn't. You didn't come here because you thought it would be fun.

You showed up because you wanted to prove to the people who doubted you for so long just how happy you were. You wanted to prove that happiness doesn't come from the amount of money in your account or how many rooms sit in your house. You came here because you wanted to prove that they were wrong, that the grass on the other side of the fence could be green too, and that someone who grew up differently that you could still do amazing things.

Eddie was someone that your father would've had you kicked out over bringing him home in high school. Eddie was the boy your mother would tell you to stay far away from. Eddie was the kind of guy that your sister wouldn't look twice at because of who he was.

But right now, during the beautiful dinner the night before your sister's wedding, your best friend/fake boyfriend has them all wrapped around his guitar calloused finger.

-

Not much has been said between you and him, especially when he was the man of the hour. You're not really complaining though, you're happy that he made a good impression with them. When the night began to settle into your bones and the alcohol started to make you tipsy, you slyly walked up to Eddie and tugged on his sleeve to let him know it was time to go.

On the walk back to the room, you sway slightly with every step you take, balancing on the walls with one hand while the other holds your strappy heels. When Eddie stops and turns to the door of your room, you all but smack into him with clumsy steps.

While he fumbles with key, you're in blissful content with your eyes closed. The kick of the lock and the turn of the handle doesn't even pull you out of your daze, instead you hold your arms out like a mummy and feel around until you find Eddie's clothed back.

You can tell Eddie is laughing by the large breath that passes through his nose and the tell tale sign of him kissing his teeth. Large hands wrap around your wrists, guiding you into the doorway that you can't see.

Your cheeks are warm, the smile on your face is permanent, and the buzzing in your heart makes you feel light on your feet.

"Alright mummy, lets get you into bed." Letting go of his hold on you, you feel him slightly brush past you to close the door. His voice sounds like the way stars look, sparkling and bright, twinkling all around.

You giggle, eyes still shut and your nose scrunched up. "M'not a mummy but I could be if ya want."

Putting your arms out, you lean back and forth on your feet to mimicking what you think is a mummy but looks more like a zombie.

"Baaaaahhhhh, I'm a mummy. Be very afraid." You deepen your voice, dragging the syllables of every word to make them come out slower.

Eddie must be entertained because the sound of a loud raspberry comes from where he stands, the clear sign of him losing the grip on the laugh he'd been holding in.

Cracking one of your eyes open, you hope to find him with rose cheeks and dimples flashing, the look you love so much. Instead you see him, beaming at you without the shine of his canines. It's an admiring smile, one where your eyes go all gooey and your smile is simple yet dipped with so much love.

Opening your eyes all the way, you let your arms down slowly to rest by your sides, a meek look painting your face.

"Did I do good?" You ask, even though you didn't really want his opinion.

"I think you're perfect." It comes out even, smooth like the hilltops in December covered in a layer of the purest snow.

The two of you sit there for a while, soaking up the glow of each other and letting it sink into your souls. For a moment you wonder if he feels it too, the spark that you feel whenever he's around. You wonder if he feels like crying simply because he loves you that much. You wonder if he wishes this whole dating thing wasn't just a lie and that it was true, the same way you wish it was.

Once the moment ends for him, he's clearing his throat to clear any lovesick daze that's left. "I guess we better head to bed, huh?"

Scratching at the back of his neck, you try with everything in your power to not look down where his turtle neck rode up, where the patch of mouth watering hair trails from his belly button to underneath the waist of his pants.

A part of you wishes you stuck it out longer, stayed in your seat at the dinner table just to see him in his outfit longer. He asked you to help him pick it out this morning and when you think back to it, you get flustered with thinking how domesticated it felt. Making him try on different shirts and jumping for joy when he walked out of the bathroom wearing a turtleneck he swore he'd never wear. The khakis you pulled out of his suitcase was the cause of so much laughter and the pink tinge that sat on the rounds of his cheeks.

God, he looked so good, especially with his hair pulled back and the dangled earring that sat in his ear, but now it would all be a memory for you to file away in the back of your brain.

Eddie had already started taking off his dress shoes, sitting on the edge of the bed bent over and messing with the knots that kept the laces together.

The smile that once held your lips high and proud, now weigh down in a sad frown. Even after the success of the dinner and proving everyone wrong, you are now brought back to the reality of what you and Eddie were. Just friends.

"Since I'm a gentleman and I can't see to get these shoes untied, I'll let you shower first." His voice comes out strained from how hard he pulls on the knotted strings.

You don't say anything, quietly nodding your head before shuffling over to your suitcase that sits by the closet. Grabbing a sleepshirt and some shorts, you go to move around the lanky man that can't get his shoes off no matter how hard he tries.

Without a sound, you kneel in front of him, placing your clothes somewhere off to the side. Taking his calf in your hand, you place his foot on your thigh. Delicately, you remove the first shoe and then the next.

"Y'didn't have to do that." It's quiet but not enough to be a whisper, still you shrug.

"I didn't but I wanted to." It seems so simple when you say it, even though deep down inside you wanted that last piece of your fantasy before it goes away for the rest of the night.

"Will you help me with my dress?" You ask him, standing on your feet and turning so that the golden zipper is facing him.

In the mirrored closet door you can see him and how he hesitates for a moment, shaky hands lingering in the air before they close in on the gold slider.

The sound of the metal teeth unlatching from one another fills the room, clouding the unrhythmic beat of your heart. You try to remember the feeling of him on the sacred part of your skin, the way his light touch tickles you and makes goosebumps rise. You want to memorize it like your favorite song, so that when you leave this place and the fake nature of this whole thing goes away, you still have something to think about on those bad days.

It ends too soon for your liking, his hands retracting right back to the sides of his body like a measuring tape. With the fuzz of your tipsy has now wore off but the sting of everything still remains.

Giving him a small smile and muttering a thank you, you hide in the bathroom where the sound of running water hides the muffled cries that leave your throat.

Waking up felt more painful than any hangover you've ever had. The pain of Eddie's bare back facing you was heartbreaking. You force yourself not connect the freckles that litter his skin or trace your fingers along his spine and shoulder blades.

It's a sight you've seen plenty of times and sharing a bed is something you've done more than enough that you're not uncomfortable. Yet your heart squeezes, wrapping itself up in the tightest loop so that it hurts to even breathe.

The sound of his soft snores only makes it worse, imagining what he dreams about and if it's you.

You use all of the willpower that's left in your body, marching over to the small kitchenette that sits in the corner of the giant room. Pouring yourself a cup of coffee, you try to focus on the swirl of dark liquid mixing with the coffee creamer and how they mix together so perfectly. Without much of a peep, you slide the glass doors that lead out to the balcony and sit down in one of the plush chairs.

You look out over the mountains of colors, tracing over the lines of trees that go on for miles. Although pretentious, you think Veronica did an excellent job and choosing this location.

Sipping on the hot beverage, you watch the clouds in the blue sky go by, wondering what it would've been like if your sister asked you to be a bridesmaid. You imagine that the two of you would've actually gotten along and maybe even laughed together. You envision what it would've been like to have your mother compliment you in your gown and how it would feel to take a picture with your family where all the smiles were real.

Tears begin to burn the back of your eyes, falling rapidly like a fall rainstorm. The skin of your cheeks burn slightly from the heated trails of water that fall. You're sad and incredibly so. Within the first twenty four hours of being here, you remember how much of an outsider you really are to these people.

Even with the company of Eddie, someone that truly loves you, you still can't help but feel so fucking lonely. To put on the mask you wore for many year back on and pretend that the man standing next to you is yours to claim is harder than any other time you had to do it.

This time you weren't really faking it, the love that you showed to him, the happiness you felt with him was real, just the titles weren't. With the cool fall chill, your coffee has gone cold but your tears keep coming.

"You made yourself a cup of coffee but not one for me, and this is how I find out? That's just mean." Eddie's curly hair pokes out from the small gap in the sliding back door that he's created.

His eyes are squinted from the harshness of the morning sun but his cheeky smile is forever unwavering. Sliding a space big enough for him to go through, he stalks out onto the small space in his plaid pajama pants and a hoodie he must've thrown on.

Trying your best to cover up that you've been crying, you wipe the back of your hand across your cheeks, but Eddie still catches your movements.

Instead of embarrassing you, he sits down in the chair across from you and looks out over the balcony.

"You okay?" It's a simple enough question, one that you can answer with one word and he wouldn't pry for more information to not overwhelm you.

Sniffling, you shake your head yes and then move your gaze to where his is. "No, yeah, m'good. The view really does something for me." You say, chuckling just a bit at your own joke.

Eddie also laughs, only this time it's not as genuine as it usually is, just a hard exhale through his nose.

"Yeah, sure does." He agrees, letting his eyes follow the red and orange of the tree tops.

A calm silence falls over you two, only the sounds of the birds that fly and the ruffle of the leaves can be heard from where you sit. It's peaceful.

"You know, I really thought this weekend would be different." It comes out of your mouth as easy as the breeze that blows. Still your eyes stay trained out in front of you and past the mountains of trees.

Eddie doesn't respond but the hole that he burns through the side of your head with his eyes tell you he's listening.

"When I was little, I used to imagine the day Vee got married. I would fantasize that maybe one day we could be close enough that I could enjoy this day with her and we could be sisters for once." You exhale an uneven breath, moving your sights to the cup that still sits in your hand.

"I just wanted all of us to be a family for once. I wanted my mom to actually act like she liked me, for my dad to say that for once he was proud of who I was, and for Veronica, I just wanted her to say she's happy that I'm her little sister."

Just like that, every single thing you've carried since you were little is now out in the open, whipping around in the wind like the dead leaves. Even with the amount of burden that's been lifted, the pain still remains the same. It all hurts, stabbing you over and over again in the scars that you worked so hard to patch up.

Eddie doesn't say anything and for a moment you don't think he'll say anything at all. You watch him pull out the pack of cigarettes he had nestled in his pocket and place one in between his pretty pink lips.

Another second goes by and he's flicking the wheel of his lighter, shielding the flame away from the wind so he can light it. When the end of the smoke burns red, he takes a big inhale and then lets the cloud of smoke out.

"I know what I say won't matter," He starts before taking another drag of his smoke, "But these people don't fucking mean anything."

"They're you're family and I get that but they don't fucking deserve you, they never have. A fake boyfriend, a new haircut, or a cool job shouldn't define their love for you. They're shitty people who were blessed with an amazing person and they didn't even realize it."

Eddie looks at you the same way he speaks, with nothing but truth. You let the words settle in your mind, letting them soak in, in case you forget.

The tears that once ceased start to flow again, except this time it's from relief. It feels good that someone else sees your worth, to know someone actually holds value to you.

"It kills me that they treat you the way they do, that they can say all those things without batting an eye. I know why you asked me to come here and I know I have a job to do, but man do I want to rip them all a new asshole."

Although he speaks with fire behind the words, you have to laugh from the thought of the actions. The moment you giggle, his own smile forms.

"I hope you know that I love you and when everything is done and over with, we'll give them the bird." To make his point, Eddie raises his middle finger high into the sky.

Repeating his actions, you hold your own finger to the sky and smile happily while doing it.

Letting his arm fall back down into place, he pats the tops of your thighs and stands from the chair.

"That's my girl, now let's get ready for an open bar and free booze." Holding his open palm to you, he helps you up.

The wedding reception was what you thought it would be, drawn out and boring. The only saving grace of the whole thing was Eddie's commentary, the scruff on his face tickling you every time he leaned close to your ear.

A lot of the things he was saying was probably just to make you feel better but you did have to agree, the dress Veronica picked out was a bad rip off of Princess Diana's and it shouldn't have seen broad daylight.

You did however get choked up when the vowels started, not because you were happy with your sister but because you wish that were you and Eddie up there instead.

All and all it was okay, even though one of your brother in law's aunt's wore a hat so big you couldn't see past it most of the time.

The wedding reception though was beautiful. The décor of the manner looked exquisite against the maroon coloring of all the bridesmaids dresses. The tables had beautiful bouquets sitting in the middle and you can't help but laugh imagining your father cutting a check for all of them.

To much of yours and Eddie's delight, there is an open bar that is stacked high with pricey alcohol. Again you laugh thinking about your father having to pay the tab, which you and Eddie will be happy to run up.

So far this is the most the two of you had fun, both laughing and enjoying the company that's around you. The table you've been stuck at is also occupied by other family rejects that enjoy the titles they've been given.

Eddie's hand hasn't left your thigh, which you're more than happy about, and every so often he flexes his fingers squeezing the meaty flesh.

You feel good, the boost from the drinks and the feeling of your best friend makes you bloom like a flower in the spring. You watch as he talks to the people at your table and how his hand moves with enthusiasm. You trace the muscles in his neck and watch his adam's apple bob up and down when he speaks. Your chin sits in the palm of your hand as you watch him be himself like he always is.

He's so beautiful, he always has been, and in this moment he gets to be yours. You don't have to think about what anyone else thinks, you don't have to question how the two of you look from another's perception, because you know that your heart bleeds for him and it always will.

Eddie's your home, he's your best friend, and he's your person. You think back to what he said to you this morning and how he called you a blessing but you think he's wrong. Eddie is the true blessing. He's sweet, he's smart, and he's so fucking caring it's disgusting. Behind all the jagged features and dark clothes, he's nothing but a giant teddy bear that wears his heart on his sleeve.

"Birdie." He smiles at you, all goo and mush it makes your heart skip.

You hum in response, still sitting in the same position, looking at him as if he were a painting.

"You wanna dance?" He blushes, embarrassed by the request and you feel like you're back in junior high.

"You, Eddie Munson hate dancing." You say, scrunching your nose cutely.

Laughing loudly, he nods, "Yeah, I know, but I'd dance with you."

That breaks you out of your daze, breath catching in your throat. "O-oh, yeah. I'll um dance."

Again he stands, holding a palm out to you so he can help you up. Leaning you to the dance floor, you can't help but feel jittery despite the wine that you've consumed.

Once out on the floor, he pulls you into his chest. Strong hands grip your waist through the silk fabric of your red dress and you desperately try to fight the need that rises in your guy.

You stand stiff, unsure of what to do with yourself and Eddie's quick to help you, placing your hands around his neck where they lay contently.

He looks good tonight, even better than last night, and you hate how it makes butterflies flap around in your stomach. The black button up shirt sits nicely on his torso, wrapping his arms so deliciously you want to take a bite out of them. The black slacks he wears fit nicely and you wonder if he had them tailored and you have to ignore the want to undo the sleek black belt with a bright golden buckle that holds them up. Again his hair sits in a low bun and that silver chain peeks out at you from underneath his collar.

"I can't believe you asked me to dance to Ed Sheeran." You say breathlessly, still nervous with being this close to him.

Eddie snorts, lopsided smile forming on his lips. "What, a guy can't like Ed Sheeran and metal? That's gatekeeping, sweetheart." He teases.

Rolling your eyes, you try to ignore that tingle that settles in your cheeks. "Whatever you say, Munson."

"I'm serious, Thinking Out Loud was in my top ten last year." The two of you hold eye contact until you can't take it anymore, both bursting into laughter at his admission.

"That's something you shouldn’t repeat." You sputter at him and he laughs even harder.

"Hey, I like this song, okay?" He defends, still swaying back and forth with you.

Raising your hands in defense, you pull back on your clowning for the sake of your friend. Placing your arms back around his neck, you lean your head on his chest and try to hear the beat of his heart.

The scent of him floods your nose, cologne and smoke, whiskey and linen, and you wish you could bottle it to keep forever.

"Why do you like this song anyway? It's kind of basic." You mutter at him.

His shoulders lift in a shrug, and he takes a moment to respond. "Honestly, I like it cause it reminds me of you."

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion and you remove your head to look up at him.

"Wha'do you mean?" You mumble, eyes searching his for some sort of answer.

Looking bashful again, red tints his cheeks and ears in a blush. Sticking his tongue out to wet his lips, he hesitantly answers.

"I always felt like he said everything I couldn't, ya know? Everything I ever wanted to say to you, he put in a song."

It feels like the whole world stops, that time freezes and it's just the two of you. You're in shock and for some reason you can't wrap your head around anything he's saying.

"What?" You say harshly and again he shrugs, shying away from your burning focus on him.

"Reminds me of you and everything I ever felt about you. I always wanted to call you mine but if you hadn't noticed, I'm a chicken shit."

You don't say anything, instead you stare at him with your mouth wide open. Eddie starts to loose his cool, frantically flexing his fingers against the material of your dress, looking around at anything but you.

"Sorry, I - shit, I really fucked this up," He doesn't get to finish his sputtering apology because you quickly smash your lips into his.

His lips taste like brown liquor and chapstick, like love and forever, and you can't believe you waited this long to experience it. Two heart sync as one, two people fall together like the leaves outside, and anxieties are finally laid to rest.

You hate that you pull away first but the need for air is too much. Eddie bends enough so that his forehead leans on yours, both looking into each other eyes living in the moment of your blissed out hearts.

"Tell me if I'm being too forward but do you wanna get out of here?" He flirts and you respond simply by pecking his lips once more.

"Thought you'd never ask."

thank you all for reading!!! love you guys <3

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[bordysbae]

Ethan and "that's the prettiest fan i've ever seen"

“unfamiliar faces”

ethan edwards x fem reader

word count: 0.8k

you decided to go to your first college hockey game since your friends have been begging you to come. you know a little about how hockey works, but you also know that umich goes crazy at hockey games. you arrive in a umich hoodie and a pair of jeans, your friends wearing similar outfits as well. instantly you’re met with tons of people in both student section and everywhere else in the stadium. when people say umich is a sports school, they really mean it.

“im so excited! i love hockey games” your friend valerie exclaims. “no you just love hockey boys” your other friend angelina retorts. “both of you love hockey boys, you guys kept telling me about how ‘hot luke hughes and ethan edwards’ are” you chuckle, making both the girls laugh. “you’ll be saying the same thing when they get out on the ice” angelina says. you guys were about 3 rows up from the ice, and you couldn’t really see if the hype over the hockey boys was real. eventually the game starts and you realize that hockey isn’t so boring after all.

during the game ethan couldn’t help but notice a new face in the student section. not that he pays too much attention to the crowd during games, but the hockey games don’t get as many people as the other sports, so there’s usually the same crowd at every game. “mark, did you see that new girl in the crowd?” ethan asks during intermission. “no? what girl, why would i know who’s never been to a game before” “well i’ve seen her friends before, and i’ve never seen her. she’s three rows up from the ice. i’ll point her out when we’re both on the bench” “yeah okay whatever man” mark chuckles, earning an elbow in the rib from ethan. eventually ethan gets the chance to point you out to mark, “look her right there!” “oh yeah she is cute. i don’t know how you’ll end up talking to her though” mark chuckles before getting onto the ice.

after the game, val and angelina need to use the restroom, so you stand outside of the door waiting for them. as you’re waiting you hear someone calling out to you, “girl with the y/h/c hair, gray hoodie!” you look up and see a very tall boy frantically making his way over to you. “um, am i in trouble?” you chuckle nervously. “no no no don’t worry. my friend thinks you’re really pretty, he plays on the hockey team. i’m injured so i didn’t play today, so he asked me to come find you. i know this might sound strange but could you come with me so i can sneak you in the back to talk with him?” the boy asks awkwardly. “oh um, yeah sure i need to grab my friends first though” “alright go right ahead” he says as you enter the bathroom. you see your friends washing their hands and you frantically try to explain what’s going on, and they start freaking out. “i told you ethan was checking you out!” val exclaims, as you three quickly exit the bathroom. “oh my god that’s luke hughes!” angelina loudly whispers as you three approach the tall curly headed boy.

he leads you guys to a hallway that has a locked door, and he swipes his athlete badge across the censor. “alright cmon in, oh and by the way i’m luke, in case you didn’t know” he smiles as he pulls back the door, gesturing you guys to go in first. “i’m y/n, this is val and that’s angelina” you say with a smile. as you’re walking in you see a brunette boy standing at the other end of the hallway, leaning against the wall, his hockey bag is on the floor by his feet. “eddy i found your mystery woman!” luke chuckles as all four of you meet halfway with who you now know as ‘eddy.’ “thanks bud, but uh could we have some alone time actually?” ethan asks and luke nods, taking both val and angelina farther down the hall. “hi, im ethan. i’ve never seen you at a game before and i thought you were really pretty” ethan says shyly, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “oh that’s so sweet! and yeah this was my first hockey game. how’d you know i was new?” “i usually see the same reoccurring faces at the games, hockey isn’t really the biggest sport at michigan.” ethan chuckles. “yeah that’s true. you know, my friends kept claiming that they saw you looking at me but i thought they were crazy. i guess they were right” you smile. “yeah i guess they were. could i get your number? i’d love to take you out sometime.” he smiles, making your cheeks turn pinkish. “of course!” you say grabbing your phone from your back pocket. ethan types in his number and you do the same on his phone. “i’ll text you” he says, his heart racing. “bye ethan” you smile, your heart racing as well. maybe hockey games aren’t so bad after all.

[cielles-random-vault]

random hobie brown headcanons!

all will be sfw the nsfw/spicy ones will be in pink

trying real hard not to delete this acc and kms bc of a sudden trigger

also this won't be proofread because im in the middle of a mental breakdown

he always looks for you when he performs

he's not the jealous "i show everyone who is my lover" type, more like the subtle "let's go" kind in crowded places to yk do unholy things

also small public demonstrations of affection <3 <3

like holding hands, putting his hand on your waist when you walk, small kisses both on your cheek and on your lips, small notes when he wakes up earlier than you since he's yk a spider man

he gave you one of his very own spike bracelets which i feel would be really dear to him

prob made you one esp for you

no matter how your styles differ he will still find a way to have something that reminds him of you on him whether it's a badge, a hair clip or even rings

taking you to the piercer as a first date!!

despite him being an anarchist he's actually very caring

you're sick? fuck capitalism he will make you his own medicine with some of his teas

unrelated but i feel like he's Jamaican or smth wait lemme check

ok i didn't find anything but ill js hc him as jamaican

so like yea when you're sick he makes you jamaican medicine

"take this shortcake! i know it doesn't seem yummy but i promise you'll feel better in a snap after!

you did feel better in a snap

(for fem aligned readers) when you're on your period he turns into the sweetest man ever

sometimes the two of you meet after his concerts - even though that's smth really important for him he makes sure you know you're his actual priority- you go on a rooftop and he tells you about his parents

feeling dysphoric because you're transmasc and on your period ? he makes sure you're the most handsome person he ever knew

when the two of you are doing it, he always makes sure he has your consent before trying anything new - or even before trying anything at all

he's not afraid to admit he's in love with you and he treats you like ROYALTY

you like this specific song? he'll post you to this song and even write love songs for you. remember that specific cat café you mentioned three months ago? he'll bring you there for your birthday.

going nonverbal and being overstimulated? that's no problem for him he'll sit with you in the dark in silence until you feel better.

THIS MAN IS A MAN OF AFTERCARE "you did so well for me darling <3 now what about we get some sweets and cuddle under the stars?"

he's a top most of the but yk he secretly lives when you're in control

HICKEYS HICKEYS HICKEYS ALL OVER YOUR BODY esp on your neck and in between your thighs

speaking of thighs whenever you feel insecure he turns into your girl best friend

having big thighs ? it's more comfy for when he has his head on his lap. big boobs?more comfy for cuddling. no/small boobs? it's ok clothes fit more easily. the list goes on but he always cheers you up.

UNLABELLED THEY/HE HOBIE‼️‼️‼️‼️

p sure he love when you ride him

like you're on top of him in some way but he somehow keeps control

probably likes to asset his dominance by putting a hand around your neck (wdym i don't have a choke kink i do)

BUT HE ALWAYS MAKES SURE YOURE OK THAT MAKES HIM LITTEALLY SM HOTTER OMG

he's always down for ditching class but he somehow has the best grades

which upsets you bc you're the one who always want to ditch class but your grades ain't following

omg it's giving academical rivals au

so like he sometimes comes at your place to help you w the subjects you have trouble with

eventually you end up pinned down on your desk passionately kissing

+ seeing you in a school uniform makes him go feral

fucking you in your school skirt? boy he sure is turned on

quickies in the school's bathroom ? man he loves danger so he's obviously down

+ he loves the way kissing you makes his piercing feel (idk but if i had healed piercings on my lips id love the way it'd feel)

SLOW BURN MAKE OUT SESSION IN THE RAIN

can you tell i love rain? bc i do

he makes sure you feel loved and says it to everyone he knows

"hey that's (reader's name) did you know they're my partner i love them sm"

he notices small habits and picks them up when he misses you (idk how to explain bit for example i sometimes twitch my nose because of my allergies- in that case if you did he would too)

HIGH PATTERN RECOGNITION even though he won't force you to tell him why you feel bad he instantly notices the changes in your behavior

"can you repeat, darling? i didn't hear what you said"

he makes sure you use your words despite you being overstimulated

+ his hands. they make you go crazy.

he's actually a lonely guy, give this poor man a big hug :(

no but fr tho he went through sm his backstory made me cry

OK bit of a vent now🕺🏻 but first tysm for reading ily ! <3 /p

i suddenly lost all motivation to post full fics bc i keep comparing me to others, most well known posters and it really triggers me so i guess i'll make the lonely series go on a hiatus. also working on requests! but it's getting harder to not kms bc of the pressure im putting on myself 🫠

anyhoo, kaheri there,back to dreamland! see you in the next dream! (new outro who dis?)

[n7punk]

Lava_Beee (pretty well-known artist who draw she-ra fanart from time to time) is asking on twitter what would Adora and Catra main pokemon be. You're pretty knowledgeable when it comes to pokemon i believe, so what's your take?

hi i love lava_bee's art but here's the thing. i can't fucking answer this question. i can't. there are too many pokemon. and i don't mean this in a "i dont have every single pokemon + most of their shinies and types memorized" kind of way, because I do, i mean it is impossible for me to pick my favorite pokemon, which makes it very hard to have a "main", and even harder to ascribe a main to a character and feel.... idk, confident about it. i could give you 30 different answers and none of them would feel more correct. i've never seen a fan-team for them and went "oh yes this is the Correct answer" it's just an answer. its a little easier if you give me a specific gen and i can either 1) only use pokemon from that gen (so for gen 2 it had to be pokemon 152-251) or 2) only use pokemon from that game's regional pokedex (which includes all pokemon added to that gen and some from previous) as if we're saying okay if adora and catra were kalos trainers what would their team be, but even then, i think i would have a pool of like 20 pokemon i could call their team.

context also matters. are they casual trainers? are they gym leaders and confined by type? are they part of the evil team? are they really competitive and trying to get all the badges, and thus have balanced teams in mind? oh god are stats real in-universe? actually i refuse to acknowledge stats that makes this question a billion times harder, but typing is relevant.

anyway i think if adora was a dedicated trainer she'd care a lot about team balance but get too attached to some favorites and use them more than is logical, and if she isn't a competitive trainer than she's literally out here using her starter, the first three pokemon she befriended, and a fifth+sixth pokemon she saved spots for because she always found them really cool and had to work really hard to get

if catra is a dedicated trainer she'd be ruthless in cultivating a "perfect" team but she would end up falling for her in-universe melog equivalent and become a total softie for it even though it doesnt fit with the team so she only battles with them casually and drills her competitive team but then adora manages to talk her into a change of heart ("its not all about winning, its about the battle and the bond with your team too!") and she ends up putting melog on her final team against the champion/elite four/adora. if she's not a dedicated trainer she would outwardly refuse to learn about "good" pokemon and just pick based purely on vibes and completely ignore adora whining at her about type balance. and then she would be really good at playing around type, revealing she actually knows a lot more than she's pretending to care

and here's a small list of only some of my favorite pokemon to demonstrate what i mean: (Hisuian) Zorua (and Hisuian Zoroark but not regular) (Shiny form also) Slither Wing Torracat (Litten okay, NOT Incineroar at all) Sprigatito Chien-pao Alolan Ninetails Hisui Growlithe/Arcanine Cosmog, Cosmoem, Lunala (Solgaleo) Serperior Vivillion (Ocean, Savanna, Garden, Meadow, Marine, Sun, Elegant, Modern, Continental, Polar, Tundra) Applin (evols are good) Pumpkaboo Wooloo (not the evol) Rowlett (lowkey Dartix and Decidueye) Sinistea (not evol) & Poltchagheist (not the evol) Alcremie (varying by form but theres like 60 im not listeing them) Xerneas Marshadow Leavanny Xurkitree (shiny) Ponyta/Rapidash (kanto) and both galarian Lopunny Eevee(s) (Leafeon, Sylveon, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Espeon) Hisuian Typholosion Meowstic shiny Maerenie (and Toxapex) Dwebble Joltik Doublade Minior Mimikyu Galarian Zapdos Yveltal Lunala (esp shiny) shiny Zacian & Zamazenta Jangmo-o (and Kommo-o but not the middle) Tapu Lele Spectrier Galarian Articuno Spinda (for the mechanic) Walking Wake

NOW IMAGINE DOING THIS FOR SOMEONE WHO ISN'T EVEN YOU

[antebellumite]

top 5 antebellum politicians, not including presidents

For the sake of not making this response boring, Im going to personally remove all three of the triumvirs from the running. All three of them are now in Spot 0. Benton and Hayne can be there too.

Which leaves five spots for...

John Randolph of Roanoke literally the MOST fascinating guy. Hes wilder than a herd of horses hoarse on meth. literally created a slur. he brought dogs into congress and stripped in the house of reps and got into verbal and physical fights. he dueled everyone to the point where his contemporaries commented that he should be in a straightjacket. he asked the cousin of the person he was dueling with to be his second in the same duel. he was a dramatic bitch who ordered a european badge of honor to be made for him in honor of that duel. he bemoaned that no one would care about him when he died. when he was near death he painstakingly made his way to the us congress gallery to hear henry clays beautiful voice one last time. whenever the wife of a congressmen he was insulting was in the gallery he doubled down on his insults. when he died he freed the people he enslaved but he did a piss poor job so everything just fell apart. he has tuberculosis but it was contained solely to his dick and so he suffered an inferiority complex and an inability to progress past puberty because of it. and also maybe he had klinefelter syndrome bc of a imbalance either ways, my name on discord is john randolph hrt not because i GENUINELY think he would support hrt, but because the fact that there is a CHANCE he would is still higher than the rest of his colleagues.

Henry Wise also the most insane guy of the time period. like jror, got into fights, but this was way more about slavery. he picked fights with jqa all throughout the gag war. surprisingly woke on several topics including thanksgiving and the rights of native americans. he says some of the funniest things ever sometimes. he thinks abolitionist is a slur. he became a general in the confederate army but got kicked out for being a bitch. somehow flip flopped between every. single. political. party. of his era. including almost becoming a republican near the end of his life. his irreverence for law and order is astounding. he bullied john tyler and literally everyone in congress. the fact that he was drinking buddies with franklin pierce and got him elected but also got pierces friend killed in the cilley graves duel is insane. the fact that in order to try and get henry clay the presidential nomination he literally bent his knee at hugh lawson white and did the equivalent of the uwu face is insane. the fact he more or less murdered john brown is insane. the fact that ralph waldo emerson said that if brown and wise were in a different life, they could have been friends is even more insane. like damn ralph waldo emerson now is NOT the time to be shipping abolitionist john brown and the slavery supporting secessionist governor of virginia who murdered him together. also not going to lie the fact that he never sought a pardon after his involvement in the confederacy is actually a breath of fresh air for this time period. go girl acknowledge that you are undeserving of a pardon or forgiveness for your crimes. i honestly cant do this guy justice without just telling you gto look at my #the field of blood tag. this guy. also i will not lie i did not actually understand his violent tendancies (which to his credit he wasnt like a maniac or anything ) until i saw his photograph. and uh yeah. shaking hands meme between jror and henry wise and the connecting factor is looking feminine and having a serious complex because of it.

Hugh Lawson White his hair. the way hes the only antebellum politician whos wikipedia page actually says what his personality and style was like. fascinating.

Charles Sumner hes such a loser. he deserved so much better. once he fell of a train. he was called his great impotency. he got caned one time and thats all everyone ever remembers about him. his main biographer did him SO DIRTY. he might be ace he might be gay. the hermaphrodite by julia ward howe is probably about the love triangle between julia him and samuel howe, julias husband. he has incredibly modern beliefs about things! hes funny and he has a three way benign rivalry betwen himself seward and douglas. he waxed poetic about daniel websters head and then felt betrayed by him. he once stroked his own head glumly. his eyebags. he got hit with a brick once. his handsomeness is the work of legends. hes awkward and gentlemanly and depressing and optimistic and so many many things its beautiful and he was beautiful and i love him so much! i love his friendship with mary todd lincoln and the way he was basically looming in abraham lincolns window every other night throughout the civil war.

William Plumer Jr. LITERALLY my guy!! his anecdotes are all so fascinating. the time he had a very dramatic meeting with daniel webster about Fate and Destiny. his involvement with preserving american history from the very beginning. just lovely and wonderful and i basically yassify him whenever i imagine him in my head. just wonderful. and these are basically all of them i think, though i like a lot of congressmen of this era.

Bonus, have a drawing of henry wise, a calhouny hugh lawson white for some reason, and fem plumer!

[iphone18pham]

Clingy and Merry Code, Y/N

Disclaimer! Bad grammar, Not Proofread

Request: can i request a newjeans x 6thmember (you can choose if it's platonic or not) where reader is considered cold(only on the internet), doesn't like physical contact ... so they go to busan to shoot that "new jeans code in busan" series and reader gets all excited, clingy and smiley because it's her hometown and bunnies point that out on twitter, youtube.

Paring : New jeans x 6thmember!Reader (Platonic)

Masterlist: GG,   BG

Genre: Fluffy

Eveyone knows you as the cold introvert that doesn’t like her members and when you smile its only when preforming, people think that your smile is fake and that you only do that since you a cold person and rather be left alone but when you heard that Newjeans was going to have a solo variety show in Busan your hometown your reaction was unexpected, you were overjoyed and finally smiling on camera. You guys are at Busan and the staff said that it was time to start. Danielle tried to do a cut scene with her hands but it wasn’t loud enough. Minji did the cut scene after. you all got nicknames Danielle's nickname is cute reaction code, Hyein is Delicate Mischievous code, Yours was Cuddly and Merry Code, Minji is smart mediator,  Haerin is quiet mysterious code, and Hanni is mood maker code.  You guys find a QR code that say that you guys are traveling around Busan and you have to find sign boards and do the mission on the QR code and the member who has the most badges will get a reward.

“I’m so ready for this!” Hanni says.

“Me too!” You said with a smile.

“ Im gonna get competitive!”  Hyein said.

“My tactic is to follow Y/N since this is her hometown and i’ll win this.” Danielle said with confidence as you laugh. You guys got your missions your mission was to make every member hold your hand for a minute thirty straight and they can’t let go if they do you have to start the time over, you guys got to go into a sky cab. you sat next to Hanni as you attempted to hold her hand but she got suspicious and let go. You guys took photos and saw a drone. You guys are nowin the car you're sitting between Minji and Haerin, Haerin  let you hold her hand as you laid your head on her shoulder. You got one person down and four left to go. 

“Since we’re here i wanna try sea.” Hanni said

“Seafood?” you asked

“Yeah I want to try seafood.” Hanni said.

“I want to tray dwaeji gukbap here.” Minji said. You guys were listening to music and Danielle spilled water on her self.

.... (I skipped some parts since this was going to be so long.)

You guys were going to the market and you guys are seeing. how much money you guys got. You got $40 the second highest budget you were so happy. you went with Haerin and Danielle you guys held hands as you went around the market.Now you only have three more people. You guys went on the bus and had the tour around the city you sat beside Haerin and you were smiling so widely that it makes your cheeks hurt but you didn’t mind since you we’re in your hometown. You guys got to the deck and had a fashion show. You had to do a water Proverb but only 4 people got it.

...

You guys got to eat some Busan signature menu and did a quiz. You guys went to the beach and You we’re able to hold Hanni hand on the way there Minji hand during and Hyien on the way back, you did it you completed your task.You guys go to the fountain to see the fountain show everything was amazing. You guys went into the fountain and performed Attention. You guys we’re at the accommodations and are asking about Hyein mission that she almost finished, Then haerin task failed,Danielle also failed, Hanni also sadly failed, Minji  succeeded.

“What about you Y/n?” Haerin asked. You flipped you card up and it says “to make every member hold your hand for a minute thirty straight and they can’t let go if they do you have to start the time over”

“Wait when did you do that” Danielle asked.

“Haerin was in the car ride when we we’re talking about food.Danielle was at the market,I held Hanni’s hand on the way to the beach, I held Minji’s hand at the beach and I held Hyein on the way back.” You said as you rested your head on Hanni

“So two people won.” Hyein asked.

“ I guess so.” Minji answered. 

It was morning and you guys are eating breakfast  and there was a Qr code at the door.You guys are going to ride the luge but had to put the hidden words together. You were having so much more fun than you thought.You were at the end and you said the right dance. You hugged Hanni and Minji since they also got it right, You laughed at Danielle for dancing to Hype boy and laughed at Hyein for not paying attention. and you were in awe when you saw Haerin did the little heart dance. You held Haerin’s hand as you guys went inside to see the pictures. You guys laughed at your picture since you made a silly face. 

‘This day has been such a great day.’ you thought to yourself.You decide to look on social media as you see your name trending.You saw comments like:

‘Y/N smile is like seeing and angel miss girl needs to smile more I’m literally in love 😍😍😍😍😍‘

‘I want them to stay in Busan since Y/N seems so happy 😭’

‘Stawp i literaly love how clingy everyone is espically Y/N’

‘I’m pretty sure that it was because she was homesick and now she is at her home town she is more open to the camera but either way i’m happy that she is getting out of her shell.🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰’ 

etc

‘I guess i really did change a bit huh.’ You thought to yourself as you got to the accommodations and ate dinner and went to bed.

‘OMG i’m done if you want a part two then i will do it hopefully this was what you were looking for. Don’t forget to request my requests are always opened. BYEEE

[mekatrio]

the next game i plan to play is TWEWY. unlike the other games ive been playing recently i will not be going into this game blind bc that is impossible for me, cuz ive lived with the worlds biggest twewy fan who is my brother. literally have memories from 2009/2010 of hearing the twewy ost from his ds first thing in the morning. he has also told me the entire lore of this game multiple times. i also tried to play it before in like 2016 or 2017 cuz my brother rly wanted me to and he was like 'its shorttt you can do it'. He Was Lying. and i also watched like 80% of his neotwewy playthru.

so im going to try again now as a More Experienced Gamer. hoping to finish before the end of january cuz thats when i see him again and i wanna hv scholarly discussions abt it with him. and maybe ill play neotwewy if i feel like it (i doubt this). for fun i want to list down everything i know abt the game from my brother so after i finish it i can revisit this post and laugh at it

- "What's a meme?"

- i dont actually know what a meme is. i remember this gameplay mechanic confusing me

- everybody is DEAD and this is PURGATORY or something like that. i still dont really understand what the reaper's game is despite knowing abt twewy for like 16 years

- this game is not a week long my brother LIED. i thought the game would end after one week which is why i tried it back then LOL i know that theres three weeks.. i think..

- shiki doesnt actually look like that thts actually the appearance of her toxic yuri friend or something. i remember this Very vividly bc its like the biggest plot reveal from week one and i remember being like WOAHHHH and jaw-dropped and it was so awesome. its still so awesome! im excited to experience that again

- beat and rhythm are hit by a car but the cars look like sharks bc uh.. hm...

- i actually dont know why the enemies look like that. i know theyre like..... Negative Spirit Energy or SMTH LIKE THAT but why they take the form of animals... idk

- Calling..... Someone is Callinggg 🎶

- the music is really good

- EVERYONE IS SO SKINNY ITS ALMOST SCARY

- fashion fashion that mechanic is fun. you need bravery in order to crossdress which gives you epic stats. which i think is very fun!

- also fuck im realizing that this is a squarenix jrpg meaning im gonna have to be planning members stats and all that shit again. and while i do miss doing that, i hope twewy's 2008 (2007?) design isnt too asswater and is actually functional

- THE COMBAT IS HARD i remember having to draw shit with my left hand while my right hand had to tap buttons! like what!!! according to my brother the combat utilizes every part of the ds, even things like the microphone and closing the screen, and is why he likes this game so much. i hope i can like it as much as him

- im nekuuuu and im rude and unfriendly and i cant remember anything and im mean but I'll Become Kinder as the game progresses

- neku chokes shiki??? i think he was trying to kill her??? so he could leave the game or something.. and she was floating? i have levitation powers???

- i dont remember if i get epic powers.. i feel like thats something i shouldve remembered

- i dont know what the math dude does in this game. i dont remember what all the dudes with the wings are called or what their deal is but ohhh i remember them all pissing me off

- THE FUCKING PIN GAME pins??? badges?? bottlecaps??? i dont remember but i remember that minigame pissing me offff. fuck im gonna have to experience squarenix minigames again

- there is so much dialogue wohfuisdhfjk Squarenix JRPG.

- shiki DISAPPEARS at the end of the first week.. for some reason.. and neku plays a second week so he can bring her back. and that happens again for the third week where i think??? beat and rhythm disappears at the end of the second week? but this time neku isnt just betting on bringing his friends back HES BETTING ON THE FAITH AND GOODWILL OF THE ENTIRE WORLD somethinggg like that

- joshua is the new partner for week 2 and he is such a gay boy.

- Mother and father calls me Joshua ohohohoho

- only dead people can enter the reaper's game and if you win you get another chance at life or something?? idk why tho..

- beat and rhythm entered the game bc they were running away from home cuz they have shitty parentsss and then they got hit by a car

- and shiki attempted suicide i think

- and neku can't remember how he entered the game.. oh... so mysterious....

- it was because joshua shot him with a gun

- and joshua is God because this is a Squarenix JRPG

- joshua wanted neku to show him humanity's worth or SOMETHING cuz neku was a kid who had lost faith in humanity or something like that??

- and joshua disappears in the ending i think very ambiguousss

- The World Begins With You....

[sunlightfeeling]

so..... how did you get into smap, anyway? (i would like to hear the origin story)

hiii anon! i would love to tell this story!!

first the elevator pitch version:

like a lot of more recent fans (i.e. post-JE launch), i was a victim (affectionate) of the RGG to SMAP pipeline

…bit of a boring story, and honestly isn’t a real indication of how I got to have this brain (affectionate, i love having five old men stewing in my brain all hours of the day 👍😬)

sooo im going to tell the story of how the pipeline hit me so hard 😄

the real origin goes back to 2021…

(im gonna make a cut for this story because this is gonna be long long - i promise this isn’t an exaggeration)

so back in 2021, i had an xbox one and game pass (side note: game pass is so worth it, actually fantastic)

and I found a series that I had never heard of…Yakuza

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hX9EomZwntU

sorry

anyway

downloaded Yakuza 0 and started it up

really dug the vibes, story, music, legitimately everything

then I reached Majima’s first chapter and ooooh the opening got me good

not too long after getting to this chapter, I was graciously gifted a ps5

and one of the first things i did was…

…impulsively buy every Yakuza release on ps4

…and the Judgments as soon as I realized they were under RGG’s umbrella

…after only playing like probably less than 10 hours of a prequel

(disclaimer: i do not mean to romanticize/minimize impulse purchasing; I’m more trying to give an accurate image of how deeply invested I got in a series that essentially sent me on my path; i was/am very fortunate and cognizant of how lucky i am to be able to cover/shield myself from consequences of my actions - so to speak lol)

probably six-ish months and 2 hiatuses later, I reached Y6

and i dont know if it was because the game was the last Kiryu game (at the time) and I was getting all emotional, or if it was because the likeness to Kuroda was pretty…

<stares at pictures of Y6 Kiryu way too long>

…preeeetty 🫠

i started developing (what knowing what i know now call) a hyperfixation on not just Y6 but also Kuroda Takaya lol

basically listened to his music whenever I could/on repeat; Y6 was the only thing I wanted to spend my free time playing; etc etc etc

(for reasons, this fixation actually led me to consider my possible neurodivergence; I wonder why 🤔..🥲)

finish Y6 and become baseline-which-isnt-really-baseline normal about Yakuza when I play LAD7

but then….

“Alex, stop hyperlinking sound effects”

(affectionate)

yeahhh it’s Judgey Time

okay so ive mentioned in tags somewhere but i actually didnt have high hopes for Judgment

at all

the cover just didn’t do anything for me at all…

…and i thought the protagonist was ugly 💀

(im actually genuinely serious, this isn’t me “not like the other girls”ing; i vividly recall looking at the cover when it was about time for me to start playing it and whining to my then-bf that I wasn’t sure I was gonna like it cuz the guy looks really weird 🤣)

but i booted it up and right when Yagami shows off his badge in the prologue

girl

giiiiiirl

I didn’t realize at the time but the seed had been planted and baby that beanstalk grew

Halloween 2022 (and I only know this date for a fact because I memorialized it texting then-bf about it) is the day I decided to look up who this guy really was

I can’t recall what made me finally look him up, whether lurking on the Yakuza subreddit or just something in the game, I dunno

i shared it once but I’ll share it anytime i can…

^^ this was my first Kimura photo

the first one I actually paid more than just a passing glance at anyway……

…i finished judgment in like two/three weeks [and not in a rushed playthrough by any means - getting all the cats, doing all the side cases/romance, etc.] (have a text trail of me going into the finale and date stamp is p exactly two weeks from Halloween 🥲)

started lost judgment immediately because i have texts days after this bitching about dropping money on the dlc before even starting it lol (again: not recommending/romanticizing; just giving perspective on how active my brain was about RGG/Kimura already)

now this…..this is where my timeline gets fuzzy

because i cant really remember how fast i beat lj before starting his dramas

or if maybe i started them before even finishing the game

skipping ahead to January 2023 and I’ve definitely wrapped lj by this point

and have watched a fair amount of kimura dramas (i genuinely cant give a number tho 😭)

around this point, ive determined that im fairly confident in being audhd

and i personally would have described kimura as a combined special interest-hyperfixation at this point (because the intensity would ebb and flow in a way)

started collecting things, starting with his albums and his live recordings (and eventually a lot lot more [I’ll get back to scanning consistently eventually I promise lol])

the defining moment to when I finally crossed from Kimura to SMAP…

…was actually watching Go with the Flow

I had heard bits of SMAP, but, as many unfortunately discover, accessibility to their music is…..well it’s just not there lol

I even got YouTube Music because I found playlists of SMAP performances and could just listen to them while I was working or driving

not that I could really hear them all that well since they were all live performances w screaming or muffled audio/crunchy audio/remixes/etc etc etc

(except for pams seigi shoutout to pams seigi [sorry goro 😔; also i linked that specific one for the tags but please look in the reblogs for a diff version of seigi that they did because it’s ridiculously good])

On Go with the Flow, Kimura performs “Style” which made me go on basically a witch-hunt to find the song since it wasn’t an album track and I didn’t know SMAP’s discography

Eventually found out it was SMAP (Kimura solo on s.m.a.p specifically) and decided that I actually really needed to listen to SMAP

aaaaaand I did ☺️

and then I found Jes yeah no I definitely didn’t

and…that is my SMAP origin story

[latent-sense-of-loyalty]

Ch. VII

Word count: 6790 Masterlist ¤ AO3 ¤ Ko-Fi ~ An: Im back with what I can describe as my pride and joy chapter. I honestly hope you all enjoy it, as much as I did writing it. If you want to be updated for new chapters, let me know and I will add you to the tag list! Enjoy!

It was quite ironic he thought, after everything that just transpired, that the sun would break through the clouds on a day like today. 

Aurors littered the streets, taking down witness statements, inspecting the carnage she had left behind, cleaning up whatever had been destroyed. Most notably the three broomsticks, which is where he found himself. No matter how many times he had tried to express that this was his investigation, he seemed to be surrounded by complete strangers from the office. He was fortunate enough to even inspect the bodies. 

From all the carnage, he was surprised that there were only three deceased. The two he had witnessed right before his eyes, and one from the tavern, who had been impaled by broken shrapnel from one of Sirona’s butterbeer kegs. He made sure to search them thoroughly, needing to know what kind of attack this was. A few things immediately stood out to him, most notably that there was no identification on any one of them. Each one was dressed as Aurors, yet none carried the proper badge, not even their card. Looking over their faces, what was left at least, all looked much older, possibly around his own age. Aesop would know if they worked in the office, they never took in applicants at that age. None of this was right, and the other Aurors were not saying a thing, only remarking how another vicious attack on them was not warranted. 

But if anyone here would know, it was her. 

Aesop winced as he stood, his leg nearly collapsing. He cursed himself for not taking his alleviate during all of this. He was going to be feeling this for weeks. Slowly, he limped towards the tavern keep, walking around the Auror trying to interrogate. “I'd like to have a moment with Miss Ryan if you don't mind.” His voice was sharp and gruff, Sirona able to hear the exhaustion coming through. The other officer just nodded nervously to Aesop, walking away and letting the two have some room. “I would like to speak to you privately, if you don't mind.”

She was terrible at hiding her nerves with all of this. Sirona never expected to see Lenore do any of that with her own eyes, to cast magic like that. With a nod, she led Aesop up the stairs. After the first flight she could see he was struggling, the man grunting with each step. “Lets just… talk here.” Sirona waved over a table with chairs, waiting for Aesop to take a seat. With another flick, two glasses were placed in front of them, a bottle of nearly finished Dragon Brandy, Aesop noting how her expression changed after seeing the bottle. 

After a few moments getting the pain under control, Aesop leaned in towards Sirona, his voice low. “Tell me what you know.” It came out as some kind of feral growl to Sirona, the man's eyes dangerous. She knew she could not keep covering, but Sirona also knew that if anyone were to know about her, it would be the professor she had talked about the most to her. 

“Listen… I know this looks bad on me.” Sirona took a swig from the bottle, letting the liquid scorch down her throat before continuing. “But you have to understand… from my point of view none of this seems right.” Sirona let out a sigh, letting out her hair. She needed something to sooth her through all this, and Aesop’s stare felt as if flesh was being stripped off. 

‘Damn he is good at his job.’ 

With one more swig, Sirona sat up straighter. “She showed up a couple months ago, looking nearly starved. I'd heard about everything that had taken place, trust me they don't shy away from placing wanted posters up here. I felt… bad. I thought I knew her, and seeing her that way I just felt like I couldn't do anything.” Sirona looked out over the bar, Aesop clearly seeing that this was hurting. 

“What did you mean by nothing about this seeming right?” He wanted her to stay present, and both of them knew talking about someone they once knew was easier said than done. 

“She had mentioned she was being followed. That they had sent people to hunt her down.” Sirona quickly grabbed Aesop’s shoulder, bringing his ear close. "I've never seen Aurors like them before. Almost all I have seen try to do things by the book…. But these." She could feel her shiver. "They have talked about finding her, taking her down through… unforgivable methods." 

Aesop could feel the rage begin to bubble in his chest, his grip tightening on the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white. The image flashed of her body convulsing in pain, seeing pure torture on her face. He wanted to do things to those wizards, make them pay for even thinking about hurting her in any way. It took a moment for him to gain control again, the pain in his leg somehow grounding him to reality. Before he could argue with himself, he took the brandy, pouring the remaining contents into the glass before downing it. He was not much of a drinker, more used to potions than anything, but he couldn't help flinching from the burn.

“I can't tell you where she is.” Sirona leaned away from him once more, looking over the patrons of the tavern. “Even she did not disclose that to me. All I know is that she is in the area. Something about it, she refuses to leave it behind. She told me it was one of the last things she has left. The men hunting her know it, they just can't pin her down in one place, she moves over the whole Highlands.” Aesop had realized that he had not been writing any of this down, quickly producing his notepad to write. 

“Do you know if she has in any way made contact with anyone other than you.” She could hear a tinge of desperation in his voice, Sirona raising a brow, a knowing smirk growing on her lips. 

“Everyone she knew, her close friends, the few that come here do not remember her existence. I can only assume the obvious.” Aesop knew that much already from his interviews. “But..” 

“But?” 

“But very rarely do I get an owl here, it is always addressed in a different name, but the seal on it remains the same. The last I had received one of these letters for her… probably around a couple weeks ago.” Sirona started to wring her hands nervously, a glimmer of sweat breaking on her brow. 

Aesop leaned in closer this time, his stoic cover melting away into an expression of hope and concern. Sirona already knew the question he was about to ask, motioning to the notepad and quill. Tearing off a page, he handed the quill over to Sirona, the woman quickly drawing something out for him. As she passed the slip back, Aesop felt that anger grow again, his teeth grinding together in a frustrated rage. 

He could not comprehend why anyone would live in an area like this. Aesop was not the most cheerful man at times, but even he could not live in such a depressing landscape as this. His fist pounded on the old black door, the sound echoing through the manor. Nothing had quelled his frustration on the days it took to travel here. If there was one thing Aesop truly despised, it was being lied to, and he was not going to leave now without some kind of answer. 

The same ancient house elf from before opened the door slowly, shocked to even see the Auror. Before it could speak, he held his badge up.

“Ominis Gaunt, I need to speak with him. Now.” The coldness of Aesop’s voice made the elf shiver in place, eyes shifting back and forth with increased nervousness. 

“I-I’m sorry, but master Gaunt is-” 

“Danry. You can go.” A familiar voice called out as Aesop pushed past, seeing the boy sitting in the same room as before, alone. Ominous moved his head towards the direction of the Auror, his face more solemn than the last he had seen him. With a sigh, he stood, producing his wand. “Follow me professor, I wish us not to be heard.” Without waiting for a response, Ominous began walking the opposite direction of the man, Aesop quickly limping up to speed with the boy. 

Soon enough, Aesop found him and Ominis outside of the estate, walking through the large back garden of the home. Just like the front, everything was overgrown, uncared for. Many of the different shrubberies and foliage were in different states of decay, the frost taking the last of what life remained. For a few minutes, Aesop just followed in silence, trying his best to keep his mind calm, but the memory of seeing her eyes, the men doing what they could to harm her, that anxiety permeated everything. Ominis finally slowed his pace, the two now in a small sitting area, a rotted bench overlooking a small pond in the process of slowly freezing over. Ominous sat down, his sigh fogging the air before him. 

“You found out about the notes, didnt you.” From his tone, it was less of a question and more of a matter of fact statement, Aesop moving sit beside him. 

“Why did you lie to me? Did you think I would not have found out? Or anyone else for that matter?” Already, his patience was waning. 

“I had my complete trust in Sirona, she had helped Lenore and I before, and it was the safest way of talking with her, knowing she was safe.” Ominous shifted in his seat, his face changing to one of worry. “But it has been weeks. Hearing about the attack in Hogsmeade, I assumed the worst.” 

“I was there…” Aesop looked out over the garden, Ominous turning to him in surprise. 

“Is she.. Was she..” He couldn't comprehend the thought of something happening to her, his breathing haltered in wait for the professor’s response. 

Aesop sighed, moving his hair from his face. “She has been taking polyjuice potion to keep herself hidden in public, Sirona assisting.” The sigh of relief from Ominis almost made Aesop chuckle, instead just shaking his head. “The men hunting her had caught on to the antic however. I saw her apparate before any damage could be done. She is still safe for now.” 

“Thank Merlin…” the pang of jealousy suddenly struck Aesop again, seeing how much the boy beside him cared, how he was the only one she kept in contact with. The pause in conversation must have tipped him off, a smirk on Gaunt's face. 

“No…. before you assume such… no.” Ominous could not help but chuckle at the Auror’s assumptions. “Even if I was inclined… her feelings were far from me. But you would already know that, wouldn't you.” Aesop was not expecting such an assumption, his breath catching in his throat, sputtering for a moment as Ominis laughed beside him. 

“Come now professor, do not pretend that you think I did not know what happened. Between you two, how she has come to admire you and feel.” 

“That…. That is far from what is important right now.” Sharp’s face was burning in embarrassment, needing to somehow regain control of the conversation once more. “A-Anyways, what matters is why you withheld that information.” 

Ominis sat for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek. “I…. I had been thinking you were with them,” Head bowing down, he continued, “With what she had told me, describing the kind of men hunting her, I had felt you would do the same as them professor. But, I was mistaken.” Ominis turned his head to the professor once more. “I apologise. I can see now that both of our interests are the same. That you still… feel” Aesop felt that warmth again, clearing his throat. 

“What do you know about them ?” Aesop finally felt that glimmer of progress in all of this chaos. A step in the proper direction, one that would hopefully lead to her. Ominis moved closer to the man, his voice lowering. 

“From what I have researched on my own, and from what I have heard, You probably already know this but nearly none of the wizards hunting her down are Aurors. I had overheard my father talking with someone about recruiting some wizards he knew for a job… one of them being part of the Renier family.” Aesop could not produce his notes fast enough, writing what he could down. “They have been hired to take her in by any means necessary to Azkaban. From what knowledge I have, usually they are to be detained in the Ministry first.” 

“I will agree with you on that, Gaunt. Unless stated otherwise.” His tone was tense, and he could not tell if his hand was shaking from the chill, or from what he was hearing. 

“All I know now is that all official Aurors have been barred from investigating the case, all except you.” His voice drifted off for a moment, swallowing nervously before continuing. “She knows nothing about you trying to find her. Only that she has to take care of the rest. Something whispers to her, urges her to do something, but she won't even tell me. She becomes afraid.” They both sat in silence for a moment, just letting the cold wince rustle the trees and bushes around them. 

“Where is she?” Aesop’s voice was pleading to Ominis, all writing ceased as he looked at the boy, his own worry reflected on Ominis’s face. “I need to know Ominis, for her sake. I promised you before, and I swear to you again, I don't want her harmed, I-” 

“You love her… don't you?” 

Aesop could not respond, but his heart betrayed him. Ominis could hear it clearly through the noise of everything around them. It accelerated, almost like fluttering wings. It made him smile, happy to know that Lenore had someone out there truly caring for her like him. 

“Don't worry, I already know your answer.” Ominis stood, the bench creaking with the shifting weight. “The notes have been burned, wanting to make sure there was no paper trail left in case they found out about me. As if they would ever try,” Ominis scoffed, walking away from Aesop. He quickly followed, both slowly going back to the manor. “I know mostly what you know, she is keeping herself close to Hogwarts. She says the proximity helps with the whispers in her mind.” 

They twisted and turned through the hedges around them, Aesop already getting lost. He was thankful that he had taken his alleviate. 

“She… had a room here. I always kept one around for her since she was here frequently. It has not been touched since she left.” Ominis turned to Aesop, his face tense. “If you wish, you can look through the room… All I ask is that you dont disturb it too much… It is the last memory I have of her for now. I like to keep hope.” 

Aesop was more than thankful to Ominis, happy to finally have something that could give him more insite. They both made their way back to the manor, Ominis leading him to the room. Aesop had noticed there was no sight of the other members of the Gaunt family, the old manor feeling eerily empty to him.

 Once they had both arrived at the door, Ominis waved his wand. “Enchanted lock, just in case Sebastian stumbled across here. Hard enough to keep him out of anything” The comment made Aesop snort in amusement, remembering the days where he had caught the boy more than once sneaking around at night to the library. Before Ominis could leave, Aesop gently grasped his shoulder, Ominis turning his head towards the man. 

“Ominis… Thank you. If I do find anything, I will let you know.” Ominis nodded in response, turning to leave. 

“I should be thanking you. They made the mistake of asking the man she loves to track her down.” Aesop could barely think of a response before he watched Ominis leave, leaving Sharp to stew in his thoughts. 

Aesop’s hand hovered over the old brass knob, his stomach churning. He did not know what he would see. Even with all that, the thought of going into somewhere that was her personal quarters felt strangely intimate to him, the irony clear to him with all the times she had come to visit him. Slowly, as if the door would burn him, he gently turned the knob, stepping over the threshold into her room. 

To his shock, it was more organized than he had expected, apart from the desk which had pages scattered everywhere, the rubbish bin overflowing with crumpled paper. The ornate bed was unkempt, the heavy black blanket and sheets still crumpled as if she had just slept in them. Portraits of different Gaunt family members were hung around the room, some covered by different robes and shirts. He could not help but chuckle. Aesop remembered her reaction to his reasoning on why he covered some, the thought of all those eyes on her probably sinking in. Shaking his head, he tried his best to remain on task, beginning his search of the room. 

It was more of a struggle than he thought it would be. The scent of her surrounding him, the longing pain in his chest only growing the more he looked over her things. It was the closest he had been to her in the past few years. There were no clothes left behind other than the few strewn over the portraits. His only luck would be something on the chaotic desk in the corner. As he approached, immediately his eye caught on a symbol drawn on different pieces of parchment over and over, ornate gates surrounding each one. Scribbled all over the parchment were strange runes and writings in a language he was not familiar with, these same phrases written on every parchment that featured the sigil. He folded a few of the drawings, placing them in his chest pocket. Searching around more, his eye was caught by two things swamped underneath all the scribblings. A dark leather notebook and one that was in ornate gold, Snakes circling each other in between roses. 

He decided to open the leatherbound book first, shocked to see dated journal entries going as far as her beginning in Hogwarts. As he skimmed through the pages, he could see how she recounted everything that took place between her and Ranrok, going into the sixth and seventh year. A few names stuck out in his mind in the beginning; Sebastian…Anne…Ominis… the curses. But before he could delve more into what they meant, he saw his own name. His heart pounded in his ears as he began rapidly flipping through the pages, his name mentioned more and more about their time together, until it began to recount in depth during her seventh year, every single detail of their meetings. Aesop quickly shut the book, not wanting to get himself more flustered just yet. He would inspect its contents more away from here. 

His attention then went to the gold book. As he picked it up, he was surprised to feel how heavy it was. A gold wheel clasp kept it close, a wave of Aesop's wand quickly turning it opened.  To his utter surprise, he realized it was not a book at all, but a frame. Slowly he sank down into the chair facing the desk, his whole body shaking at its contents. 

 The left side of the frame showed a moving portrait. Sebastian Sallow and Ominis Gaunt stood behind a chair, Sebastian fussing over Ominis’s dress robes before being elbowed to focus on the portrait, Ominis doing his best to hide a chuckle as he linked his arm through the others. But his eyes were drawn to the woman sitting in front of them. 

Lenore sat down before them, poised perfectly. She was dressed in beautiful finery, making Aesop’s heart tighten as the memories began to flood back. He could see her hearing the commotion behind her, a large smile followed by what he assumed was laughter as she tried to stay serious. The sight of seeing her so purely happy, that smile, drew out his own. Aesop’s fingers traced over the portrait, reveling in how happy she was, until something fell to his lap. As his eyes drifted down, he could feel his entire body freeze, heart leaping from his chest into his throat as he began shaking. Slowly his hand picked up the fragile object, his smile growing as he fought the tears threatening to spill over his weathered face. 

The red carnation… the one he gave to her that night. 

—

December 25, 1892

Aesop wished he was anywhere else but here. This whole thing seemed so macabre to him. It had been years since the Triwizard Tournament had been held. Yet, much to his surprise, they still wanted to hold the Yule Ball. ‘In memory of those we lost.” was their usual excuse, Aesop only scoffing. The thought of holding such a ball to try to remember students who perished was an idea of idiocy to him. 

But there he was, in his dress robes, standing in the back of the great hall, chaperoning much to his dismay. 

The entire event had been planned from the start of the year, Hogwarts hosting the ball after years of it being held at Beauxbatons. Even in the past month it was nothing short of chaos, students from both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang filtering in to take part in the festivities. Hogsmeade was now unbearable to walk through, students flooding the streets in hopes to get the best dress and robes for the occasion. Aesop was lucky enough to have something close to formal stuffed away in his luggage. He dreaded the event, but he had to admit, everything did turn out in spectacular fashion. 

The great hall itself looked to be made into some kind of enchanted forest. From what he remembered from the multiple faculty meetings. It had been the job of Professor Garlik and Shah to oversee the theme of the event. To his amazement, they had gone above and beyond. 

The entire ceiling of the hall was a sea of stars, galaxies and nebulas providing wonderful splashes of colour. He had even noticed a few shooting stars, amazed how Shah was able to produce such an image. Yet, it was Garlik who really stole the show in his eyes.  Throughout the room there were multiple floating lanterns, replacing the usual candles. The gargoyles and pillars had all been replaced with willow like trees, the hanging bows seemingly crystalized. Between each one were crystal garlands, each one with shimmering adornments hanging. Every Time they caught the light, it would make shimmering rainbows throughout the room. To say he was impressed was an understatement. 

The ball had been well underway, the beginning dance held by the head boy and girl from each house. Aesop could hear Matilda’s excitement as she bragged about teaching them all the steps. Honestly, until now, Aesop had not even known that Professor Weasley was a dancer. Honestly, for such a ridiculous spectacle, everything was looking pretty spectacular here. Not that he could do any better, anything like this was so far out of his field. He definitely was not a formal event kind of man. 

Aesop decided to quit being a wallflower, making his way around the room. On the occasion, he separated a few students getting a little too close to each other. He never understood how events like this could get people so… heated.  The few times Emrik had taken him out to events like this with his other friends, Aesop was nothing short of uncomfortable, rarely talking or dancing with anyone. At least now he had the excuse of his leg. He wished he could be back in his room, taking in his ink and parchment than inspecting hormonal students. He kept telling himself if he could stick it out for another hour, they would not need his assistance anymore. 

Aesop kept weaving through the crowd of students, some going down to sit at the tables, others heading to the dancefloor. He could hear a few students complementing his wardrobe, Aesop just rolling his eyes as he did his best to ignore them. But as he started to return to his original post, he heard her name being called from a student. As he turned to look, he felt the entire world around him freeze. 

Lenore entered the great hall, following Sebastian and Ominis, who had entered together with their arms linked, earning a few cheers from fellow students. But he could only see her as everything else fell away. 

Her hair had been perfectly sculpted on her head, different swirls intermingling with each other to show her stunning face. He could only assume one of the students helped her apply light rouge, her cheeks glowing with a light blush. It was her dress that made his heart hammer in his chest. The dress was a complimentary off-white, trailing behind her, a black bow following the back. Her shoulders and bodice were accented by delicate pearls.

 Compared to all the other bombastic dresses, she looked like an angel. 

He did not notice when his eyes fell back on her face, that she was staring back at him, her eyes also wide with wonderment, or shock, he could not exactly tell. All he knew right now was that the room was getting very warm, Aesop fiddling with the collar of his shirt to try and loosen it. 

After her entrance, Aesop tried everything he possibly could to keep his distance, watching occasionally how she laughed with her friends. Natsai had been able to steal a dance from Sebastian, coming back to admire Lenore’s pearls. He had noticed a few men, particularly Weasley and Prewitt, trying to dance with her, but Lenore mostly sat with Ominis, before finally, he two had been stolen away for a dance by Mr. Sallow. He could tell she was uncomfortable, mentioning more than once during her visits that she never liked large crowds. But seeing her here, looking like that, Aesop was not going to lie to himself and say he wished she was not here. 

Aesop had not realised how much time had passed until he looked at his pocket watch. It seemed the hour time limit he had given himself had turned to two. He had been in conversation with Professor Garlik, who had been giving him the step by step guide on how to properly crystalize certain foliage, when he noticed Lenore get up, her face strained as she quickly started to leave. 

“Sharp, are you alright?” Garlik’s voice bringing him back. With a swift hug and thank you, he excused himself, curious as to what had happened with her. 

Bringing his flask to his lips, he sipped his alleviate, making his way out of the great hall. He was only able to see the doors to the courtyard close, following suit. As he stepped out into the cold night air, he felt a snowflake fall to his cheek, then another. The entire courtyard had a thin layer of slow, and luckily for him, footsteps leading to the staircase towards the viaduct bridge. Slowly, he followed, now just able to see her figure walking down the steps, the lanterns catching the shimmer of her dress. 

For a moment, Aesop just watched, hesitating. He was sure that following her was not the best idea, if anyone were to see the two, even just talking, who knows what kind of stories would be spun. But as he was about to turn away, something in his heart ached, and like being pulled by an invisible rope, he made his way down the stairs, following her footsteps in the snow. 

Much to his surprise, they had both ended up in the Quad Courtyard, the music still able to be heard, but much more distant now. Lenore was standing in front of the Serpent Dragon statue, her back to him. He was amazed she was not already shivering from the cold, the light from the lanterns casting a gleam on her flushed skin. He slowly walked toward her, the sound of his footsteps in the snow alerting her to his presence, making her jump. Aesop, without thinking, quickly put his hands up. 

“I-I’m sorry, I just saw you leaving in a hurry and was worried you were sick or something happened.” He cleared his throat, unsure why he sounded so.. Nervous? He noticed Lenore relax her shoulders at the sight of him, a soft smile gracing her lips. 

“No it is alright Professor, I am fine.” Her hands clasped in front of her, shoulders tensing slightly. “You know.. Just not one for big crowds like this.” Aesop could not help but chuckle, slowly sidling up towards Lenore, standing beside her. 

“I'm sure it will be no surprise, but neither am I.” They both laughed lightly together that time, Aesop noticing Lenore was much more at ease now. Looking around, he noticed that the courtyard was entirely empty, apart from the two of them. The only other voices and sounds were the faint laughter and music from the ball. 

“I'm shocked, Professor Sharp!” Lenore feigned surprise, her hand dramatically moving to her chest. “I for one thought you were the kind of man to revel in these events! A true debonair” Lenore’s giggling filled the courtyard, Aesop unable to keep the smile away from his lips. He adored her laughter, remembering how it had taken over a year since the incidents of her fifth year to hear it once more. He could not help but roll his eyes at her, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous expression Lenore had never seen before, but the sight made her tremble slightly. 

“For your information, Miss Arkanos, even before my leg was injured, I had been known to be quite the dancer.” He was not lying really, the few parties that Emrik had dragged him to, he had danced with a few women. To say they were left breathless by the end was an understatement, Aesop needing to literally hide from them by the end of the evening. 

The expression on Lenore’s face showed she was unconvinced, her brow arched curiously. “Really… the stern, gruff Professor Sharp is a known dancer?” For a moment there was silence between them, before they both broke into a fit of laughter together, taking a seat beside each other at the statue to rest. They both found them conversing about the ball, Aesop sharing his distaste for hosting a ball for an event like this. Lenore seemed to agree, though sharing it was good to see her fellow classmates having an excuse to have fun. 

“I must admit, I do enjoy getting a little fancied up, it is my first ball after all.” Lenore could not help the creeping blush as Aesop looked her over once more, his eyes making her shiver. When her eyes met his again, she swore her heart stopped. 

“You…. You look beautiful.” His voice was barely above a whisper, Lenore melting at his words as another shiver travelled through her. 

Lenore knew what she was about to ask could be possibly the worst decision of her entire life, but as they just looked at each other, a strange surge of bravery took over. From their time together, Professor Sharp taking care of her after the poacher incident, introducing her to his art, the two trying their best to experiment with cures for his leg, Lenore felt if she could not be brave now, there would never be a chance. Straightening her back, she cleared her throat, the violins starting a new piece adding to her courage. 

“Professor… um… I know this will seem strange but, I know tonight will never happen again, and I just..” 

Aesop could feel his skin tingling, that suffocating warmth coming over him as he looked at her, leaning into her words. 

“I just want to have something away from all of the noise and people, and with you here. Professor…” 

“Will you dance with me?” 

It was Aesop to complete the question, Lenore’s eyes wide with shock as she stopped breathing for a moment. For a moment Lenore couldn't speak, her breathing becoming rapid as she stood nervously. 

“On… one condition.” Lenore tried her best to not sound so nervous, convincing herself her voice shook from the cold. Yet she could not deny how warm she felt. 

Aesop stood with her, taking a step towards her so that they were only a foot apart. His raised eyebrow was enough of a sign to let Lenore continue. 

“I want this to be something… special. I… feel something between us, and I don't want it to be tainted by who we are now…” He could tell she was scared to go on, he could feel that fear grip him two. They weren't stupid, they both knew there was something they were not addressing. Both had tried to suffocate any sort of attraction or feeling after that night he brought her back to heal. Yet, the moments they were alone, they both caught each other staring, the shock of their hands accidentally grazing eachother, the tension of their close proximity. They both knew of the risk, his age, her being a student, and they kept that respect, but this moment here, something in him shuddered and broke. 

Aesop knew this was one chance, one moment, he did not want to slip by. 

He nodded for her to continue, taking another step closer. 

“For tonight… in this moment… I want this to be like the stories I have heard, you know, those corny ones.” He could not help but chuckle lowly as he saw her shoulders soften. 

“I want tonight to be the night we met. I want to remember it that way.” 

For a moment he paused, letting her words sink in. To forget about everything they were now, to just have it between her and him, away from the school. It sounded like a dream to him. With the rest of any resistance melting away, he smiled down at her, giving a bow. 

“May I have this dance, Miss…?” 

“Lenore..” She spoke through her growing smile, her heart skipped a beat as he slowly, gently, reached for her hand. 

“Lenore.” It was the first he had spoken her name, the feeling of her name on his lips was one he couldn't describe. Lenore’s breath caught in her throat as his eyes locked to hers, his lips meeting her knuckles in a chaste kiss, facial hair tickling her hand. 

“Aesop.” She whispered against her hand, straightening as he closed the distance between the two, his other hand snaking around her waist as he held the one he kissed outwards. Lenore’ free hand moved to his back, Aesop feeling her warmth brand his skin. 

“Aesop…” Lenore repeated in a whisper, and as the distant music swelled, they began to waltz. 

Their eyes never left each other as they danced through the courtyard, the music flowing between them as they kept in perfect time with each other. Aesop was more than impressed with her ability to keep in time, holding onto her more tightly. At a point Lenore felt him let go, twirling her underneath his arm before sweeping her up again, her excited laugh only spurring him onwards. Neither of them looked away, reflecting each other's smiles. His body felt strong against hers, the warmth all but dissipating any kind of cold from the winter air. 

They continued to dance as the music slowed, the two of them following. Without thinking, Lenore’s head rested against Aesop’s chest, the man taking in a sharp breath at how close she was. It all felt so perfect, like a dream. All that mattered was that she was here, in this moment. 

Aesop realised something in that moment. Something that shot daggers into his chest as their dance slowed to a stop. 

He could not lose her. 

As she lifted her head, their faces mere inches apart as the clouds from their breath intertwined, they both jumped at the noise coming from the viaduct entrance. Quickly, Aesop grabbed Lenore by the arm, pinning her against the wall underneath the awning in the courtyard, both completely shrouded in darkness. 

The fear in Lenore immediately started to give way to a much more different feeling, Aesop’s body now pinned against hers as they remained as quiet as possible. She could feel his pounding heart against hers, both in time. Her hands ended up against his chest, the smell of cedar and a hint of smoke coming over her, making her legs go weak. Aesop turned his head to meet hers, their eyes completely blown with fear and desire. The pair of laughing students began to grow more distant, one of the doors creaking as they exited the courtyard. 

Neither Aesop or Lenore moved, both just breathing against each other as their eyes never broke away. Neither of them were certain of what exactly to do, but something about this felt right. He agreed with her condition, that tonight, they were only Lenore and Aesop to each other. 

And with that condition in mind, his lips captured hers.

Aesop wrapped his arms around her as Lenore clung to his chest, his stubble tickling her mouth. Their kiss was not one of desire, lust or passion. It was one that conveyed a sweet, beautiful, and tragic love. A love fostered by their time together, of those small moments. Both of them knew it could never happen again, that this moment would be the only of its kind. His hand moved to cup her face, calloused hands meeting soft skin. As they slowly broke apart, they looked at each other for a moment. Neither of them did not need to say anything, they knew that this would be the only time it could happen. But Aesop did not want to let go, he knew he had stepped over a point of no return.  

But for her sake, and his, he slowly stepped back, Lenore gasping against the wall. For a moment, neither of them spoke, until Lenore stepped forward, taking his hands in hers and placing her own kiss on his knuckles. She looked up to him with a smile of pure adoration. 

“Thank you Aesop. I-,”

Before she could finish they heard the headmaster’s voice travel through the courtyard from the main hall, obviously amplified by a spell letting them all know the Yule Ball was officially over. The two knew that the dream had to come to an end, but before they went their separate ways, Aesop took her hand, leading her to the back of the courtyard. Removing his want, his hand still in hers, he whispered a spell.

“Orchideous.” 

In their clasped hands a pink light appeared, soon appeared a bouquet of red carnations, Aesop taking one, breaking it off the stem, and placing it in her hair. With one last chaste kiss, he stroked her cheek, trying to have this moment imprinted into his mind forever. 

“Lenore.” He breathed against her before taking his leave, Lenore frozen in place as she watched him disappear into the courtyard. 

“Aesop…” She touched her lips, the kiss still burning.

 For the rest of that night, neither of them could sleep, replaying the same memory over and over again. 

___

The old shack groaned as it was pushed by the wind, the shattered windows and tattered curtains providing little to no reprieve from the cold. She was lucky enough to have been able to make a fire tonight, sitting as close to it as possible as she held the flower to her face. The gramophone played their song, her eyes wet and red. She was glad to have remembered the spell he used, one of the only things that made her feel he was close in any way. 

As the song drifted into the winter night, snowflakes falling as winter finally came, Lenore replayed the memory in her mind. Of their dance, their kiss, and the illusion of him there in front of her on the street.  The shack creaked once more, and Lenore  replayed the song again. And again. And again.

-------------------------- TAGS:@4everflowercore @marine-captain-deku @ryehoneyandinkstains @doom-n-gloomgal @shygurl123456 @handon-h-art @misswildfire @nightless @dagiweh @anmactireaonai@liadamerondjarin@amatchinwater @mellocado @imaginaryismyescape@v1cv1c@disassociation-daydreams

[cap-ironman]

Medley Month - Small Universes Month: Cap-IM Universe Medley Fest

Banner created by starksnack, with thanks!

You can create as many works as you like across as many different mediums as you like! This is a no-pressure, low commitment challenge to encourage you to try something new, stretch your creativity, and check out other versions of Steve and Tony.

For our full fest guidelines, including our annual schedule, please click here.

Coming up, Small Universes Month!

Small Universes cover so much — Amalgam, Warp World, Civil Warrior, Bullet Points, Marvel’s Avengers (2020 game), Contest of Champions, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Manga-verse, Lego-verse and many, many more. Small universes feature all sorts of Steves and Tonies — cats and mice, teenagers, Tonies mourning Steves, toys having adventures, mash-ups of Cap and Iron Man with other heroes, what-if Steve or Tony never became superheroes, zombies, tsum tsums and anything under the sun! Go wild and you'll find a small universe that matches whatever you're thinking of.

With so many options, what will you be inspired to create for Small Universes Month?

WAYS TO PARTICIPATE

If you would like to earn a badge for Small Universes Month, you must submit your work before the end of August 23rd.

UNIVERSE MEDLEY:

If you post a Stevetony work set in the Small Universes Month in the next month, congratulations! Share it on a Cap-IM community platform, add it to the AO3 Collection and BAM! You've participated!

UNIVERSE THEMED PROMPT FEST:

Got inspiration? Fill out our prompt form to inspire creators! You can also come along and fill a prompt for the universe of the month, or two, or three… the sky's the limit! We have plenty of past prompt lists to browse through.

Don't forget to share your work with us, and post in the AO3 Collection!

RUN A MINI-CHALLENGE:

Love a universe with all your heart and have an idea for a flash challenge? Let's do it! Get in touch with the mods to claim a month (or contact us on discord in the #universe-medley-challenges channel) and you can run it on 's community platforms! The cap-im mods can also support you in setting up and/or modding the mini-challenge.

CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!

This is a fest encouraging fun exploration in various Marvel universes, and we'd like to invite you to share your milestones with us!

Badge Milestones

I created a work this month!

I created my very first work in this universe!

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If you do any of the above this month, let us know by filling out our Prize Claims form.

If you have any questions or comments, read our event guidelines, email us at cap.im.events@gmail.com, or get in touch on tumblr, on contact us on discord in the #universe-medley-challenges channel.

[honeybeewhereartthee]

PINK KKOMAS KOHAKU OUKAWA 58

Spoilers for my story

MC: ello!!

Bee, hugs you: omae!!! ♡(> ਊ <)♡

Bee(?) Smacks bee face off and hugs you: no!! their are my omae!! Fuck off fake.

Bee: I'm not fake!(ʘ言ʘ╬)

MC kisses the two them: it's okii. Fake or not what's important is my I love you is true. ╰(*´︶`*)╯

Bee: ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄-⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄

Bee(?): (//ω//) o-omae... C-can we leave now? 🥺👉👈

MC: no. Not yet.

Bee(?): dang it.

Bee: 😔

MC: anyway! We're gonna do a requested thing. (ﾉ*0*)ﾉ

Suddenly the scene went to the three tied in a chair.

Doll: what the fuck. (`ー´)

Reaper: ahm... Does it really include being tied? (• ▽ •;)

Mad Hatter: this seems quite unfair. How come those two aren't tied. (◕દ◕)

Mad hatter then gesture towards at Bee and Bee(?)

MC:...

MC, takes out a rope: good point. (*˘︶˘*).｡*♡ Now be kind and let me tie you two up. (ʃƪ＾3＾）

You approach the two who don't even badge and let you tie them up.

MC: anyway, you guys are tied up so you won't try to kill each other again.

Reaper: oh. Then chain those three real good then. (︶︹︺) I fear those ropes won't last long to stop them.

Doll, already trying to rip off the ropes from what reaper says: WHAT DID YOU SAY?! YOU BASTARD, DID YOU MEAN IM A WAR FREAK!? IMMA GET YOU

Reape, PANICSr: SEE!! ヘ（。□°）ヘ

MC, takes out photo and show it to doll, doll stops and stare at the photo and calm down.

Doll: fine. (´ε｀ )

Reaper:???????? (?・・)σ What.

MC: anyway, I also have this.

MC then show a patted plant given by Grey and Mad hatter glares at that minion of his.

Bee: what's that? (◕દ◕)

Bee(?), Kick bee's chair; A plant dumb ass. (c" ತ,_ತ)

Bee, crocodile tears: waaah I'm being bullied, omae!! (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

MC: don't fight you two!(`ー´)or I will give all your secret box you won't let me see to Ai.

Bee(?):Σ(-᷅o-᷄๑)

Bee:(ㆀ˘･з･˘) it's not me through. It's him.

Doll: (￢ ￢) I felt it's a box of merchandise and questionable things of their MC. Weirdos.

Reaper: (◍•ᴗ•◍) I saw your box too full of stuff you get from every pink kkoma--

Doll, powdered by embarrassment he kicks reaper's chair off the stage: SHUT UPPPPPPԅ( ͒ ۝ ͒ )ᕤ

Reaper, who rolled down the stage: ヘ（。□°）ヘ someone help me pls!!!

MC: I'll do it!!

You quickly return reaper back but this time to make sure, you made his position beside hatter who seems the most harmless from all of them. You then made sure to tie their legs to not kick anyone off the stage.

Mad Hatter: hi(◍•ᴗ•◍)

Reaper: pls don't kick me off too. ヘ（。□°）ヘ

Mad Hatter: why would I? As far I'm concerned. You don't do anything against me. (◕દ◕)

Reaper: oh. Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)

.

.

MC: okii, that's fix it. How about we start the reaction time! Ahaha.

Doll: (︶︹︺) why would we fight for a reaction time?

Reaper: I dunno doll, I felt it's a secure safety first move I think. (；^ω^）

Doll: then why are you tied up then? (￢ ￢)

Reaper: I don't want to be left out! (´･ᴗ･ ` )

Doll: (￢ ￢)tks.

.

.

MC, picks up paper: here's the first one.

[ what if someone kills the only way to save/find/help your MC what will you do? And that person wish to marry you ]

Bee(?) Who knows the reason: That's one specific question, omae. (• ▽ •;)

Doll, eyes look at straight at you with undescribable emotion if negativity, almost felt like haunted doll aura: (´･ᴗ･ ` ) hey do you know how many blades a person can take before they flat line? I'm curious if you know... For totally no reason. (◉‿◉)

Mad Hatter: oh, it's depend how sharp the blade is, or where are you stabbing or how deep it is(◍•ᴗ•◍)

MC: (ㆀ˘･з･˘) too bad

.

.

Reaper: (︶︹︺) I dunno if there's a reason why they did that then I'll understand but marrying them seems questionable choice but if I cared and love them then why not.

MC: (✯ᴗ✯) woah how nice of Reaper.

Reaper: no. (︶︹︺) it's more like they are probably human and it mean I can easily caught them to join the third cycle of winter without needing to catch them anywhere. (´･ᴗ･ ` ) chase is the hardest part and besides if I marry them I will grant their last wish and I won't be guilty about the next action I'll make. (^～^;)ゞ oh love do mean freeing them from the shackles of their sins in this life, so I'm doing them a favor. (◍•ᴗ•◍)

Doll:... (• ▽ •;)

MC: ...( ╹▽╹ )

Bee(?): Do you really think not every version of me have no crazy screw lose in their head?

.

.

MC: (●´u`●) hanii, as far I know it's canon you have to be defeated before you get engaged and that person have to beat ya dad too. (´･ᴗ･ ` ) so it's just the matter of that person to be able to do that fit. It doesn't matter if another you says no. ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭ after all your a dude a who follow traditions. (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)

Bee(?):...

Doll:... Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑) wait did that mean biological or figure... Or s-something

MC: (◕દ◕)why are you asking that doll. For you it's probably the family who ask you to be made or your dollmaker. (´･ᴗ･ ` )

Doll, in deep thoughts:

Mad Hatter: (´･ᴗ･ ` ) someone is thinking how someone will defeat theirself to do such fit huh.

Doll: H-HUH????? YOU BASTARD WHAT DOES SUPPOSED TO MEAN??! ԅ( ͒ ۝ ͒ )ᕤ

Reaper: (︶︹︺)then marrying that person who did me bad is impossible. In the first place I don't know where my dad is.

MC: ohΣ(-᷅_-᷄๑) that's indeed a problem.

.

.

Bee: what about mad hatter answer then?

Mad Hatter: (◕દ◕) me?

Mad hatter: Who knows. ♡(ӦｖӦ｡) Surely it be interesting thing to experience.

Doll: (￢ ￢) figures.

MC: (◕દ◕) anyway next question.

Doll: there's more? Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)

MC: obviously there's another one. But--

Mad Hatter, remove the ropes around him with ease, dust himself and went towards you, holding your hands you can see CHau Kohaku burning the rope with Shire anger in his eyes with how Mad hatter is being close to you.

Mad Hatter: I know what your trying to do... it's ok if you call me Mad Hotter I know I have the best drip from any of them. (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

MC, push Mad Hatter face away: with all due respect (●´u`●) move your bloody face away from me or I'll punch you in the gut to the moon and back, servant.

Mad Hatter: how sad. (´･ᴗ･ ` )

MC: (´･ᴗ･ ` ) your smile looks so fake, shall I paint a realistic one in it?

Bee(?) Engage combat with Mad hatter : YOU BASTARD STAY AWAY FROM THEM!!

Bee hugs you: omae don't be tempted by that mad hatter pls!! (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ) I can copy his drip too!

MC pat Bee: it's okii. Even if you guys share the same face and name. I still know who's my bee cause your my beeloved. ♡(˃͈ દ ˂͈ ༶ )*Chuu.

Bee: ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄-⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄

Bee(?) Who finally back after punching Mad Hatter away: *GASP. where's my kisses!? (｡・//ε//・｡)

MC: shameless today aren't you ? *Chuu. ♡(˃͈ દ ˂͈ ༶ )

Bee(?): (*μ_μ) if I become more shameless do I get more kisses.

MC: who knows~ ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶ but I have no name to stop my hubby from wanting to kiss me. (っ˘ω˘ς ) your too shy to ask. But my lips are free to sample by you. But of course I have to do the same for you. ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ ) *wink wink.

Bee(?): (//▽//) o-ok.

Bee: *faints.

.

.

Doll: (︶︹︺) does anyone have a gun, I wanna shoot myself than watch this scene.

Reaper: hey now let's not get aggressive --

Mad Hatter who appear beside doll with variation of guns: I have bunch, which type do you like? Silencer or loud one? ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

Doll: Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)

Reaper: (• ▽ •;) do you bring weapons with you all the time?

Mad Hatter: hmm. That's a secret. o( ❛ᴗ❛ )o

.

[lliwless]

tell me more about the sbi pokemon au? im interested if you planned out any teams or gave backstories for any of the people/their main partner pokemon

HELLO YES I'D LOVE TO!!! i'll put it under the cut because it's a LOT of rambling and i don't know how to make my thoughts concise LOL (seriously this is very long)

i originally made the AU when the DSMP was still at its height of popularity, i think right after hannah joined? the story was going to follow benchtrio going all around sinnoh, meeting EVERYONE from the dsmp who were living their silly little AU lives, and getting tangled in a bunch of Lore with the lake trio and creation trio, but a combination of burnout & lack of interest in a lot of the CCs after a while made me eventually downscale it to just being SBI-centric instead and cutting out a lot of characters. I still really like some of the ideas I came up with before dropping them though, regardless of how half-baked they are LOL.

in the original version, benchtrio were going to have the three starters - tommy with chimchar, ranboo with piplup and tubbo with turtwig. they'd eventually get other pokemon as the story progresses but I didn't really plan much before dropping the idea oTL

tommy was gonna catch a shinx who'd match his energy and eventually a buneary like in the comic (itd be a really cute story of enemies to "i would kill and die for you" bc i love buneary starting with 0 friendship in the game LOL), ranboo was gonna catch an abra bc "hes anxious just like me fr" and tubbo was gonna catch an onix. bc he would and i think the image of him looking innocent in front of a giant fuck-off snake creature of Rocks is funny as hell LOL

the story would follow all of them getting badges and working together to be the regional champion but along the way they'd realise they wanna do other stuff instead - mostly ranboo with pokemon contests and tubbo with breeding, aiding phil in research (he'd create a little garden/pokemon nature reserve around lake verity IT WAS GONNA BE CUTE!!!). i don't remember tommy LOL

here's art for ranboo doing pokemon contests (this is 2 years old im better at designing characters now i promise. i promise)

off the top of my head i also know that niki was gonna own a chain of bakeries with the main one she's usually at in eterna city, with food-themed pokemon from all types of regions gifted to her by wilbur (MORE ON HIM SOON). eterna city specifically because the bike mechanic guy would be jack fucking manifold the absolute legend AND THEYRE BEST FRIENDS IN THIS AU TOO!!!! jack would have electric & steel-type pokemon but his partner would be pachirisu who's basically co-owned by niki as well :3

SBI TIME philza was gonna be the professor and his partner is a specific murkrow called "chatterbox", shortened to "chat". no i don't care if it's too easy. he's seen as kinda quirky, kinda scary, because he's constantly followed by (and arguing with) flocks of murkrow wherever he goes - SPEAKING OF I DIDNT SHOW ART OF THEM. RAAAA

wilbur was phil's son and he honestly just wanted to fuck around and find out. his curiosity landed him a solid position at his father's side as a sort of apprentice as well as son, and while he contributed a lot of helpful work he also mostly just liked travelling around with his partner drifblim, almost becoming the charismatic face for sinnoh's research team instead of his more blunt, off-putting father. that's how he introduced niki to food-related pokemon :33 also he's evil and fucked up but i'll get back to that

TECHNOBLADE MY BELOVED!!!!! the regional champion, moved to sinnoh from unova when he was 18 after dropping out of college due to mental health reasons and wanted a complete fresh restart in a new region, trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. he started physically training in the wild with pokemon, living essentially as a hermit and travelling all around sinnoh, learning to live peacefully and control his anxiety while befriending pokemon on the way. he met phil by chance when camping in a forest and phil was like wow ur strong why dont u try becoming champion and techno was like ??????? and phil challenged him to a battle and techno understandably sweeped him and his team off their feet. and phil was like Yeah Holy Fuck You're Strong. go do the thing. go challenge ppl. and techno was like yea sure why not. he has not lost a single battle :) also he kept meeting up with phil after gaining his first couple of badges, gaining a reputation for being unbeatable, and got gifted a cleffa by phil when venting about his stress and anxiety and stuff. cleffa became techno's emotional support partner and it makes me so so happy :33

this post is already so long i havent even properly scratched the surface of the story and this is only the original version... i'm sorry i'm not a very good storyteller especially when it's so hard for me to keep track of my thoughts :') lmk if anyone's interested in any more ajhaghja

[justfor2am]

how many book emojis r there .uhh 📒📓📔📕📖📗📘📙📚 (this is for that ask game im not just randomly sending book emojis .tho tbf id do that too) (kinda random but?????? i want an axolotl emoji when will they add an axolotl emoji they r my second favorite animal (first is bunnies 🐇) and i want to show them off .where is it when will i get an axolotl emoji‼️ i can accept not having emojis for like my fav bunnies n for my other fav animals thats FINE but no axolotl? actually crime wada hell)

waough first off: axolotl emoji would be fire, but you know what emoji we really missing? chocolate cake.

ALL of the cake and cake-adjacent emojis are vanilla, where's the love for my fudge lovers???

anyways, because you've got me going on pokemon now, fuckin obligatory pokemon au.

mumscarian because i love those guys: Mumbo: Pokemon Lab Technician Electric/Steel/Dragon/Normal/Flying Magneton (heheh gear go brrrr) Electrode (heheh orb go brrrr) Dragonair (he deserves one elegant-looking pokemon. as a treat) Steelix (YA METAL GUY WHOOOO) Porygon (what a lil weirdo. i love porygon) Noctowl (obligatory low-level starting area pokemon that he got emotionally attached to and now bullies him when he's up late) Scar: Retired Gym Leader Normal/Fairy/Psychic Meowth (obligatory jellie insert) Togetic (raised it from an egg!) Clefable (happy lil fella who Double Slapped scar into next week the first time they met) Espeon (also raised it since it was an eevee!) Alakazam (abras are so fucking annoying to catch but goddamn he did it) Girafarig (ehehe spooky 2-faced pokemon) Grian: Aspiring Champion Bayleef (only one with an actual starter lmao) Pidgeot (best flying pokemon i'm right btw) Vulpix (lil fire fox.....) Misdreavus (goofy ghost pokemon? perfect for him) Starmie (pretty gem need i say more) Eevee (untapped potential!!!) i picture this as grian being the usual pokemon protag trying to beat the elite four except he gets wayyyyyy too carried away with the side quests

mumbo works in a pokemon containment facility meant to observe and rehabilitate hostile/abandoned pokemon (either via adoption or relocation to the wild) and is in charge of keeping the servers running and making sure the database is up to date, which it frequently is not. grian tries training against mumbo often, but you can only battle the same trainer so main times before memorizing his movesets and using the same battle strategy over and over again, so mumbo gives him scar's number and suggests grian train with him instead. scar's only been retired a few years so he tends to have to shoo away rookie trainers from his front porch all the time, but grian instead offers to run favors for him (entirely by accident. scar's reputation FAR precedes himself, and was known for knocking trainers flat on their ass countless times when facing his team. plus, being one of the youngest professional gym trainers in the area, it's hard to get some peace and quiet.) scar finds this hilarious and decides to give grian a stupid amount of tasks to do, ranging from grocery shopping to weeding his garden, until grian finally caves and admits why he's really here. grian fully expects to be sent away, but scar is swayed by grian's persistence and complete dedication to the, objectively speaking, pointless tasks he was given, so scar agrees to help train grian's team.

misc. notes here: mumbo is the oldest of the three at about 26, with grian being 22 and scar 25. i think it's weird that pokemon just lets children run off and be trainers so let's assume that's not common practice here mumbo has a handful of badges, mostly so that his pokemon will listen to him. nearly all of his pokemon (minus the noctowl and the porygon) were gifted to him, so they're a little unruly at times. scar raised all of his pokemon either from eggs or newly born. (if i weren't working with gen 2 he would 100% have a sylveon) grian's eevee was actually a gift from scar, given to grian as an egg that he took great care in watching over.

[decembermoonskz]

izzy ive a pokemon update: i found toxtricity,, both amped and lowkey form and i was like aRGHhH im trying so hard to evolve this toxel i have but hey no harm in catching these toxtricity now anyways--- only there was harm done and i had to flee the battle before i got sent off to some random pokecenter/shop/tm thing 🤡 (im the type that cbf using revives unless i need to HAHA)

but also!! im having so much fun just exploring paldea and seeing pokemon old and new (but especially the old!! when i saw phanpy,,, when i saw luvdisc,,,, oh my hecks) but also it means i get distracted w exploring and i dont do much levelling up or battles at all, which lead to stumps when pokemon i wanna catch are too high level or smth :(

anyways thats all!! the toxtricity envounter just reminded me of u ehehe (also side note regarding ur recent otome game post/s: that was such a throwback for me to see omg,, and norn9?? i remember watching it and being obsessed but especially w the opening 😭😭) hope ur doing well!! sorry for the long ask ehe

🥺🥺🥺 first off I wanna say ty for coming to me pokemon updates 💜💜💜 love you this made my day!

but !!!! you found my boys 🥺💜 I name my lowkey ones dewy and my amped ones rumble. I just recently got my boys too bc I caught some toxels and I’m super happy about it! i’m happy you were able to get my boys too!

i haven’t really played much pokemon in a bit but the last thing i was doing was searching for gible (shocker), i need to go back and play more tbh. i totally get what you mean about being underleveled tho bc of getting distracted, i honestly haven’t been up to level bc i’m so busy exploring LOL i only have two gym badges but i have three titan badges and one star badge so hey, progress! 😤

i’m happy toxtricity reminds you of me, i like that being a part of my brand LOL and don’t apologize about the long ask you can send any length of ask to me idm <33

also yessss norn9 was my obsession way back when! i loved it so much but i the game was only on ps vita and i never had that, so i stuck to watching the anime (which was fantastic). now tho it’s supposed to be coming out in march (and the sequel will be some time in 2023) so i’m sooooo happy i can finally play that game 😭😭😭😭

[imnotdoingmuchbetter]

ok. imma write my damned 3-month-plan and 6-month-plan. i honestly didn't wanna do this because i might fail my goals but who fucking cares i will write them down.

in three months, i want to lose all the weight ive gained over the past two years. my diet has been going ok, im not starving myself completely like i did back then, but im trying some things out and begging them to work so i won't have to atarve anymore.

aside from that, i will be completing my fourth year in uni. If i hadn't decided to postpone my graduation, id be a graduate by then. wow. even the thought of it is awful. i needed a year to prepare for graduation and i postponed it, and im thinking i won't regret my decision (even though I'll lose my high honour badge).

In three months, I will hopefully be done with finals and ready for a holiday. sike. i will work in a psychologistics lab to get that exp. i will also need to prepare all the papers i will need to read for that. maybe i can go for a lab in europe or something. i might try it later on.

Another thing is, in three months, my boyfriend will be done with his tournaments and i hope i can get him to stand back on his feet again. I hope we can work it all out together.

Ok now for the six month plan,

I will be going into my last year in uni. By the time the fall semester starts, i will have taken japanese 2, and i will take the third one. I will have worked in a lab, and I will have even more experience to start writing my own papers. Maybe I can try out a small scale research, even. Itll all depend on the papers I will have read until then. Maybe I'll start studying for the national exam. Maybe I'll find a good position in some lab overseas. we'll see.

Oh and hopefully I can be happy.