#in the first 8 hes like “Haha! I fooled you yet again! How will you get out of this situation this time? >:)”

[tr1ck5]

Writing Patterns

I was tagged by @angelosearch for this! Thank you! <3

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there’s a pattern! (Or however many fics you have!)

I'm far from having 10 fics yet but I'll take the first line of each of my chapters (don't have 10 of those yet either woops lol oh well)

Let's see what we have here!

1- The very first time he felt the bond was during that split second when he faced the immensity of space, alone, with nothing but a space suit and the desperate, clawing panic in his stomach to find her now.

2- Squall's head was pounding. He felt nauseous. Out of breath. Exhausted...

And yet never more sure of himself than at this very moment.

3- The very first time Rinoa experienced the power of her newfound sorceress abilities in battle had been somewhat of an accident.

4- Squall was no fool, he had expected a bit of unexpected.

5- ''She's here.'' Rinoa gasped, quickly withdrawing her hand from the ornate handle of one of the stone doors.

6- Time was inconsequential here.

7- It was on the fourth morning since his admission into Balamb Garden's infirmary that Squall woke up feeling somewhat like himself again.

8- It was at the very beginning of yet another busy day in his office that Esthar City's beloved president struggled to close the window of his e-mail program, on account of the tears that blurred his vision.

Hmmm not sure how to interpret all of this. I have to say, #1 and #3 having a similar opening line was actually intentional! I'm a sucker for mirroring patterns in the way I write relationships! Same goes for #7 and #8!

Other than that... #2 feels clunky to me now and I don't like it haha

I think I'm fond of putting the reader directly in the action, so to speak; a bit like arriving in the middle of a movie and having to figure out what's happening quick?

The first sentence is very important for me (more so than the last, usually) and kind of sets the vibe for the whole chapter so I tend to spend quite a bit of time carefully choosing it!

I see that more often than not they're loong sentences, except for #4 and #6, which makes sense because both of those chapters deal with super weird space/time stuff! Huh!

This has been fun and quite educational I must say, feel free to try for yourself!

[feral4austinbutler]

infidelities (Austin Butler x OC)

Summary: Isabel Baker takes flight on her first solo trip to Ireland for her 21st birthday. On her trip she runs into Austin Butler, who would turn her entire world on its head, making her question if she would ruin her whole life for him or would let what happened in Ireland, stay in Ireland.

Warnings: Swearing, Cheating, age gap, will contain smut in future chapters, (smut will be indicated by the chapter head in italics), Minors DNI.

Also this is my first fanfic in a WHILE, like i’m talking 8 years, so please be gentle. my writing grammar and like punctuation is also very much lacking but oh well haha.

Chapter 1

It was a cool and crisp April morning, I wake up to my 5:00am alarm, immediately turning it off and start to scroll through my phone. I look at the date and nearly jump for joy. The day had finally arrived, I was about to embark on my first solo trip all the way to Ireland. I got out of bed and immediately panicked, remembering I had not packed half of my things yet and I had to be at the airport very soon. I started frantically packing the last of my things into my carry-on when my fiancé, Shawn, came up behind me from the bathroom, as he was already awake and getting ready for work, and put his arms around my waist and squeezed me tight into his chest.

“I am going to miss you so much, I think it might kill me.” He said with face tucked into the nape of neck.

“Babe, I am going to be gone for two weeks! I think you’ll manage.” I turned to look at him, giggling as I gazed into his eyes.

Do not be fooled, we have been going to a difficult time ever since we got engaged a few months prior. I’m not sure what happened but it’s like all the passion had fizzled out. No more dates, no more conversations to indulge in, no more sex, nothing. I tried my hardest to spark something back with us, but it was like that stuff didn’t matter to him anymore as soon as he put that ring on my finger. I try wand talk about my day or things that would interest me and I would always get a one worded response in return. I was hoping this time apart would make us want each other again. What’s that saying? Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I guess we’ll see about that.

I wiggle out of Shawn’s grasp and cross the room to get my last few pairs of jeans from inside my dresser. I folded them up neatly, put into my bag, and zipped it shut. I was officially all packed and ready to go.

“Alright, that was the last of it. I’m all ready.” I say looking down at my luggage. This was it. The last time I would see Shawn for two weeks. I look up at him and feel relief. That’s not how someone should feel when they look up at the person they are potentially going to spend the rest of their life with, right? I keep trying to convince myself that this trip will do us both some good. I wanna to fall in love with him all over again. Get that passion back.

“Isabel, do you want me to walk down to the train station with you?” Shawn asked, bringing me back from thoughts.

“No Shawn that’s ok, it’s right down the street, I think I can manage.” I smile sweetly up at him, even though in my head I’m weirdly annoyed he would even ask in the first place.

“Ok,” He said as he grabbed my hands and place them against his lips, “I love you and I hope you have a great trip. Text or call me if you need anything.”

“I will, I promise.” I say as I take my hands back. With that being said, I give him a small kiss on the lips, put on my jacket and shoes, grab my things and with one final exchange of “I love you’s”, I was out the door and down the street.

The train ride went by fast as I was captivated with staring out the window and listening to my true-crime podcast that was playing in my ears. Maybe not the best thing to listen to since it was still dark out and I’m a woman, all alone, on a train, but hey I’m an addict, what can I say.

I hop off at my stop and since I already had my boarding pass on my phone and have no bags to check, I head straight to the security line. Since it was so early security wasn’t too terrible and I got out in record time. “I am truly a pro at this” I thought to myself. I had been on many trips before but all had been with my mom, we had traveled an awful lot while I was in high school. If it wasn’t for those experiences, I definitely wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now, so shout out mom.

I got to my gate as soon as the front desk called that they would now begin boarding. Thank the lord, I had just made it by the skin of my teeth. The women calls my group and I line up behind the others, scan my phone and walk in. My heart was racing so fast I thought it might jump out of my chest. I couldn’t believe that I actually made this happen. I had been planning and saving for this for months and here I am about to take off on my first solo adventure. I was so proud of myself and everything I had accomplished to even get to this point. I was buzzing. I was ecstatic. This trip was going to help me find the answers I had been needing. Ever since Shawn and I got engaged, I felt like I was in limbo. Don’t get me wrong, I love Shawn. Hell, getting engaged was mainly MY idea. I just couldn’t help but feel like I was just going through the motions everyday. Getting up, going to work, coming home to a fiancé that I did love, very dearly, but it felt like that love was mainly out of convenience because we lived together, we had pets together and I didn’t want to uproot my whole life and leave him. I can’t explain it but everything was so mundane to me now. This trip is what was going to get me out of my funk. I can’t explain it but I had a gut feeling that this trip was somehow going to change the trajectory of my life. For worse or for better, who knew?

One layover and 9 1/2 hours later, we finally landed in Dublin. I was already wide awake, too excited to sleep for the second half of my flight. I gathered my things from the overhead bins and waited patiently behind everyone in line, eager to stretch my legs and to finally get off this damn plane. The line started to move and I made my way off the plane. As my foot hits the floor of the airport, I let out a sigh of relief. I loved traveling but god damn it’ll be too soon when I have to fly again.

As I step out of the airport doors and my surroundings becoming apparent to me. The cold chill of the late afternoon Irish air, the orange and pink sun that had just started to set, the beautiful buildings and the many crowds of people filling the streets. I smiled to myself and start to make my way to my hotel. Remembering that I had absolutely no idea where I was going, I looked down at my phone to put in the walking directions into google maps. As I finish typing in the address and siri starts to tell me where to go, I ram straight into a hard chest and nearly fall backwards onto the brick street. As I hold out my arm out behind me, ready to brace myself, two strong arms fly around me and pull me back up.

“Holy shit dude! You should really watch where you’re going!” I say prying his arms off of me. I angrily put my phone in my pocket and straighten myself out. It really should’ve been me paying attention but I was so all over the place after the initial hit, I immediately placed all the blame on this random stranger.

“Wow, I am so sorry. I guess we both weren’t looking where we were going.” A deep and sultry voice says from above me. That voice. It almost sounds too familiar. I stop straightening out my jacket to look up to the owner of the voice and as soon as we lock eyes, my jaw almost hits the floor and heat begins to rise to my cheeks.

As I stare up at him in amazement, I cannot believe I just literally ran into Austin Butler. He is even more beautiful and delicious in person. I try and bring myself back into the present moment. I try but yet ultimately fail until he waves his hand in front of my face.

“Hello? I hope I didn’t rattle you around too much, did I?” He says with a smile and a small chuckle.

“Oh! Um I-I, no you didn’t haha.” I say absolutely flustered and embarrassed, wiping my sweaty hands down my jeans.

He nods and puts his hands in his jacket pockets, “Well, are you ok?”

“Me? Oh yeah, totally fine. Don’t worry about me.” I shake my head and turn around to grab my suitcase. I take a deep breath, before turning back around, “Well, you probably have places to be so I’ll leave you to it. Goodbye.” As I start to make my way down the street, a hand shoots out in front of me, stopping me dead in my tracks.

“Wait! Don’t run off just yet, I didn’t even get your name.” He says as he stands in front of me and brings a hand up to caress his jaw line.

“Oh! Well, my name is Isabel.” I smile and move my suit case to my other hand so I can put my hand out for him to shake.

“Hello Isabel, my name is Austin.” He says lifting his eyebrows and bringing his hand up to hold mine in a firm handshake. Our hands linger together for a few seconds too long as we stare at each other. I clear my throat almost as a diversion for me to able to take my hand back.

“Well Austin, it was lovely to run into you, literally. I should probably get going now.” I say and look up at him.

He looks back down at me and says, “At least let me walk you to wherever you’re going. Wouldn’t want a pretty thing like you to run into another stranger.”

I feel myself shift uncomfortably under his gaze. I can’t believe he just said that to me. “Listen that sounds great and all but I listen to a lot of true crime and I don’t think letting a stranger know where I’m staying is in my best interest.”

“That’s valid.” He says throwing his hands up in defense. “From the looks of it your just getting in,” He says motioning to my suitcase, “Can I ask how long you’ll be in Ireland for?”

“Two weeks.” I crinkle my eyebrows together, “Why? Who wants to know?”

“Give me your phone.” He says holding out his hand.

“Bossy, bossy. Ok fine, I’ll bite.” My sudden confidence coming out of nowhere. I go into my pocket to grab my phone and hand it over to him but I leave my palm out as a signal for him to hurry.

He types quickly and place it back into my palm and folds my fingers over the phone. My breath hitches at the contact which I’m sure he notices.

“There, now you have my number. If you what to get together while you’re here, just shoot me a text and I will meet you at the drop of a hat.” He winks as he turns around and walks away.

I stay standing in the middle of the street, baffled at what just happened. I go to open my phone and scramble to find his contact, to my surprise he had already texted himself so that now we both have each other’s number. Cheeky bastard.

I take a deep breath and gather myself to finish the walk to my hotel. I get to the front door, push it open, and walk up to the front desk to check in. As I’m doing so, I feel my phone buzz twice in my pocket. I pull it out to see who it could be. Low and behold, it’s Austin.

I just can’t seem to get you off my mind.

We should meet up tonight.

His two messages send the same red hot heat up to my cheeks. My adrenaline pulsing through my veins. If I’m going to spend more time with him, I gotta get this blushing under control.

Spend more time with him. What am I thinking! I’m engaged. I can’t spend time with an attractive man in a foreign country. This is not what I am here to do. Another buzz brings me back and I look down at my phone again

I can see that you’re reading my messages, dove.

Dove. God damn it. How could I say no to that. Maybe I should go tonight, maybe nothing will happen, maybe we will forget about each other and we will both move on. I send him a message back since I have a feeling if I don’t he will blow up my phone until he gets a response.

Yes austin. I see your messages. I’m not sure if I should tonight. Maybe I should should just stay in and unpack.

Izzy, I wasn’t really asking. Meet me at The Temple Bar Pub in one hour. I’ll see you then xx.

An hour?? Are you kidding me. I was so immersed in my text conversation, I hadn’t even noticed the man at the front desk had come back with my key. I look up from phone phone, grab it from him and mumble a quick “Thank you”. I make a beeline towards the elevator. I have one hour to make myself over for Austin Butler, I need every second I can get.

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE BLOOD Vol.2: Mukami Kou [Track 9+10]

Original title: 気持ちいことを考え���時間 & 明けることのない夜

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, Blood Vol. 2: Mukami Kou [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Kimura Ryouhei

Translator’s note: Rejet listened to my pleas and there’s no more yucky noises in these last two tracks, thank god. T _ T If it weren’t for track 7 & 8, I’d say this CD was actually quite enjoyable despite Kou not being super high up on my favorites list. I just can’t handle the bodily gore stuff though. ;; You may say I got into the wrong fandom then and maybe I did butー Have some mercy on my weak stomach. xD

Track 1+2 ll Track 3+4 ll Track 5+6 ll Track 7+8 ll Track 9+10

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 9: Time to Think About Pleasure

*Rustle*

“Hm...I’m thirsty again. ...Geez...I wonder if I’ve been successfully caught in your web and stooped down to their level.  Oh well, I guess it’s fine. As long as I have youー and as long as I can have your blood, all of my desires will be fulfilled...”

*Rustle*

“Ah-aaah~ These twig legs...When looking at them, I can’t help but want to rip them to shreds, you see? ...However...I’m feeling quite good right now, so I’ll let you off the hook.”

*Rustle*

[00:40] “Hmー Are you running low on blood, perhaps? Somehow it doesn’t gush out the same way it did before. ...So I’m going to have to increase the pressure on your leg a little...”

He squeezes down as you cry out.

*Rustle rustle*

“There we go. I wonder what will happen if I block your blood circulation like this...~? Ah. Does it hurt? But don’t worry. I’ll give you pleasure in a sec. Say, you’ll forgive me, right?”

You writhe around. 

[01:15] “Haha...I really feel as if I could just tear your leg off with my fangs. You should be grateful to your own blood for being so delicious, otherwise you would lose your limbs in no time. Fufufu...~”

Kou bites you again.

*Gulp gulp gulp*

“Mmh...Nn...”

*Sluuuurp*

*Gulp gulp*

“Haah...So sweet...and delicious...”

*Sluuuurp*

“Give me more...Hahn...”

*Gulp gulp*

“Hah...”

*Gulp*

“Haah, hah...”

*Gulp*

“Haah...I feel as if I’ve reached my peak as well...You feel good too, don’t you? ...Hey, are you listening to me?”

You just weakly whimper in return.

[02:19] “Hey, answer me. I’m the one asking you a question after all. If you don’t, then I really can’t guarantee your safety. Ah...Did you perhaps come just now? (1) Ahahaha...Honestly, I don’t need to hear your reply, I can tell by the look on your face.”

*Rustle rustle*

“However...You’re still not satisfied yet, are you? I can tell by that greedy look in your eyes. You want me, don’t you~? Well, I suppose I should give you a reward seeing as you managed to get off from my fangs~ I’ll kiss you...~”

*Smooch smooch*

You flinch. 

“...Hm? Why do you seem so surprised? You like this sorta stuff, don’t you? Hah. ...Most foolish human girls are weak to kisses. Mmh...”

*Smooch*

“Ah...”

*Smooch*

“Fufu...”

*Smooch*

[03:32] “...Haahー Honestly, humans are so cheap to feel satisfied just from pressing one’s lips together like this. It’s so easy, it almost seems precious. ...See? You looked somewhat happy for a split second just now, didn’t you? Look at you getting the wrong idea already...I was spot on, wasn’t I?”

You frown.

“Ah-aah, you really are such a fool. Hahaha...”

*Rustle*

[04:06] “Well then...Where should I bite you next? I can feel my body aching, begging for more. ...Hehe. I’ll search for more of their marks and remove all traces of those guys’ fangs. ...Brace yourself.”

*Rustle*

“Hmー Next up is...Here, I guess? The nape. I wonder who sucked from here, huh? Do you remember all that information?”

Kou licks your skin.

[04:44] “I bet you recall it upon having these marks touched and your body starts to ache all over, correct?”

*Rustle*

“Say...What do you want me to do? Should I just plunge my fangs in? I don’t take requests like this very often so come on, hurry up and give me an answer.”

*Rustle*

“Ah, right! Let’s do something they’ve never done to you before! We have plenty of time on our hands after all. ...Hey, are you listening?”

*Smack*

[05:15] “Don’t space out on me now. I’m right in front of you, so you have to stay focused, looking only at me, thinking only of me.”

*Cling cling*

“...Hm? Ah. I still haven’t untied your arms, have I? I doubt you have the energy to fight back anymore, so I suppose I can remove this thing.”

*Cling cling*

[05:48] “Hm...Hahaha...You’re slouching but we’re still far from done, you know? I still want to have lots more fun after all. I’m doing you the honor of giving you my full attention, so I see no reason for you to refuse?”

Track 10: A Never-Ending Night

“Now what to do...~ Well, I suppose I should do something about these marks on your nape first, right? I bet they make you feel disgusted too. ...Don’t they?”

*Rustle rustle*

“Hm...To be honest, it’s the first time I feel this...unexplainable anger towards marks which aren’t my own...For real...I’ll make sure to get rid of all of them...”

Kou bites you.

“Hahn...”

*Gulp gulp*

“Haah...”

*Gulp*

“Haah, hah...”

*Gulp*

“...I have to go deeper...More...”

*Gulp gulp*

“Haah...Haah...!”

*Gulp*

[01:08] “Hah...! ...Phew...I wonder why I just don’t feel satisfied...even when I’ve sucked so much of your blood already...? I just end up craving more and more, wanting to push to the very limit...Until you die...! Exactly. Let’s go to that limit. Don’t you think that might just make it even more enjoyable...? Fufu~ ...Hm?”

*Rustle rustle*

“What’s wrong...? Look at you snuggle up to me...”

You explain.

[01:51] “Your body has gone limp? ...Geez, you’re so hopeless. Come here, I’ll embrace you tightly.”

*Rustle*

“Hm? It hurts...? Well, of course it does. I squeezed you tightly all at once after all. ...See? As a result, blood has started gushing out the wound from earlier.”

*Sluuuurp*

“Hahn...”

*Gulp*

*Sluuuurp*

[02:29] “Haah...You see, this whole time I’ve also been...I guess you would call these dizzy spells? The room’s spinning and my body feels so hot, as if I’m melting...I feel we might just become one. 

[02:55] “At first I thought I had caught myself quite the masochistic kitten. I was convinced you’d upset me and wouldn’t last long but before I knew it, this happened...Laughable. ...Furthermore, I’m frustrated with myself. It doesn’t make sense for someone like me to feel satisfied with someone else’s second-hand goods. (2) Under normal circumstances, I’d never show interest in such a person...”

*Sniff*

[03:37] “When I get a whiff of your nearby scent, I get the urge to plunge my fangs inside. This must be my instincts rather than just a mere reflex, right? Fufu...But that’s what you want as well, isn’t it?”

You remain quiet.

“...Hah! I’ve told you a million times so far, but I expect an answer when I ask you a question. I don’t care if you’re lost in the pleasure from my fangs, getting the cold shoulder still pisses me off. ...Don’t come crying to me afterwards.”

Kou bites you again.

*Gulp gulp gulp*

“Hah...”

*Gulp gulp*

[04:29] “Haah, haah...Aah...I still want you more...I’ll devour you whole...With everything I’ve got...You must be happy to hear that, no? Of course you are. You should be grateful...to the blood now flowing through both our bodies. Haah...”

*Gulp gulp gulp*

[05:05] “Mmph...Haah, haah...Come on, open your eyes and look at me. That’s all you need to bring you joy, right? The morning will never come again. ーー Never. Because I’ve already decided I will make you mine. 

“Fufu...Ahaha...It’s fine. I already know you’re happy. So just offer all of your blood to me...as you lie there and think about how glad you are to have become mine, okay?”

*Gulp gulp gulp*

“Hahn...Mmh...”

*Gulp gulp*

“Hah...

*Gulp*

“Haah...Haahn...”

*Gulp gulp*

ーー THE END ーー 

Translation notes

(1) いく or ‘iku’ has many meanings, one of which being ‘to climax/to have an orgasm’. 

(2) Kou does use the term second-hand product (中古品), referring to the fact that MC has already been used and bitten by the Sakamaki’s in the past and therefore is no longer ‘pure’. 

[literaryfic]

can u PLEASE write a fic where chayenzo is together but they want to hide it from the rest of the crew so they’re trying to bang in the office but mr nam is on the way so they have to pretend that nothing is happening

read on ao3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/30911159

I only realised after writing this that this does not follow the prompt but I hope you like it nonetheless.

“It’s not a secret. I just want it to be private. We’re colleagues and business partners, it’s inappropriate for us to be in a relationship”, Cha-young had said after Vincenzo asked her why they couldn’t just tell everyone. He had just nodded, still unsure as to why Cha-young suddenly seemed to care about what was appropriate and what wasn’t.

Their whole secret-relationship thing would be way easier if Mr. Nam wasn’t always the first one to arrive at the office.

Somehow, the paralegal has never once been late in his career.

Cha-young has been working as a lawyer for almost a decade now, so she’s used to waking up at dawn, and Vincenzo wakes up naturally with the sun.

It’s weird that, ever since they’ve gotten together, they can’t seem to arrive at the office before 8:30. Sometimes, they swear they’re going to make it, but Vincenzo forgets his phone and they have to turn the car around.

Often, Vincenzo’s 10 minute morning shower turns into a 30 minute love-making session after Cha-young sneaks behind the curtain. Other times, they give themselves 5 more minutes to enjoy each other’s embrace, unwilling to get out of bed.

Vincenzo is slowly learning that greed isn’t just about money, gold or power. Sometimes, greed is never having enough of Cha-young’s touches, of her voice moaning his name, of her hair in his fist, of her. It’s refusing to let go of her hand in public, it’s fighting off sleep just to listen to her rant about something that happened with a client that day, it’s never wanting to be apart from her.

And so, they all but move in together. At first, he stays over at hers because he’s too tired to drive back. Then, the next time he comes over he brings a toothbrush, and his favorite pair of pyjamas. After that, it’s because he’s renovating his place at Geumga Plaza. Weeks turns into months, and suddenly they’re looking for their own apartment.

Cha-young doesn’t like all the nostalgia the house carries, and she thinks it’s not appropriate for them to sleep in her teenage bedroom. She decides to rent it and they move into a cosy two-bedroom close to the office. It’s nothing extravagant like what he’s used to in Italy, but it’s new and it’s home. Living together, however, makes it harder for them to keep their relationship a secret.

(“It’s not a secret. I just want it to be private. We’re colleagues and business partners, it’s inappropriate for us to be in a relationship”, Cha-young had said after Vincenzo asked her why they couldn’t just tell everyone.

He had just nodded, still unsure as to why Cha-young suddenly seemed to care about what was appropriate and what wasn’t.)

It meant that they couldn’t be seen arriving together in the morning too often, which proved difficult when they drove Cha-young’s car every day.

“Oh, you guys are early today!”, Mr. Nam had once noticed.

“Uhm, yes! Mr. Cassano’s car is in the garage. I gave him a ride. Because that’s what business partners do. Haha”, Cha-young had quickly clarified. As if clarification was even needed in the first place.

Mr. Nam vaguely acquiesced, engrossed in the folder he was reading.

“Smooth”, Vincenzo mouthed at her, teasing.

Clearly, he was unappreciative of her efforts to protect their relationship.

It was only a matter of time before they got caught. It was a late evening in the office, later than their usual ones.

They’d been working on a big case for a union going up against a huge chain of supermarkets and their key witness suddenly declared he could not testify anymore. Midnight turned 3 am, then 4. Suddenly, it was 5 am and the three of them had pulled yet another all-nighter, reading thousands of pages of obscure legislations and jurisprudence, desperately trying to find a loophole.

“I’m going home to shower. I’ll come back in an hour.”, Mr. Nam said, rubbing his eyes before putting on his coat.

“Make sure to call a cab, riding Cheetah would be too dangerous right now.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Hong”

Vincenzo and Cha-young were now alone in the office, the first rays of sun peaking through the blinds.

The Italian-Korean man got up from his chair, massaging his neck while walking towards their coffee station set-up he’s learned to love.

“Oppa, I’m so tired.”, his girlfriend calls, using the annoyingly high-pitched voice reserved for when she wants to play around.

“Don’t.” She pouts. “Coffee?”

“Mmh, yes please.” It’s her turn to get up now. She walks up to him and wraps her arms around his waist while he prepares their drinks, letting her hands roam on his upper body.

“Cha-young-ah.”, he warns.

“What?”

“Aren’t you tired?”, he sounds unsure but interested. Good.

“I am. That’s why I’m trying to wake myself up.” She stands on her toes and kisses the spot where his jaw meets his neck with an open mouth. She feels his hair rise before she sees it.

Vincenzo abandons their coffees and turns around, one hand resting just above her ass while the other runs through her hair. “Mmh. Be careful, at this pace you’ll wake up our friend over here too.”, he says, looking down at his trousers.

Cha-young shrugs before circling her arms around his neck. “Oh well, the more the merrier, am I-” He cuts her off with a kiss and she smiles through it. Of course he’d beat her to it.

They start making out, enjoying each other’s taste. His stubble scratches her skin but it’s not unpleasant. Kissing him feels like a gift and a punishment wrapped in one, always exhilarating yet never enough. She needs more.

Soon enough, she tugs at his hair. He bites her lower lip, ‘Be patient.’. He grabs her ass with both of his hands and lifts her up. She can feel him, hard against her inner thigh, and Cha-young thinks for a second that if he doesn’t take her now, she might die on the spot. Luckily for her, he wastes no time in sweeping all the piles of documents off the central table before putting her down. The office is a mess they’ll have to clean up later, but neither of them care.

They’re both panting now, Cha-young sat on the table and Vincenzo in between her legs. “Can I?”, he asks, his hand hovering over her zipper. She nods enthusiastically and before she knows it her trousers fall to the ground.

“Someone’s eager...”, she’s about to tease but the sight of him loosening his tie and dropping to his knees silence her. 

Oh.

Slowly, he trails wet kisses up her leg until he reaches her inner thigh. She feels hot all over, the ache between her legs impossible to ignore. Looking up at her, he smirks, clearly satisfied by her red cheeks and laboured breathing.

“Now.”, she commands and he obeys. Pulling her closer, he positions her knees over his shoulders, ready to start pleasing her. He’s about to kiss her where she so desperately needs it when they hear a scream.

They both jump when they see Mr. Nam, who’s now facing the other way, head in his hands. Scrambling to puts their clothes back on, Cha-young thinks she’s about to faint.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, I-”, Mr. Nam starts.

“You said you were going home to-to shower! What are you doing here?”, Vincenzo is clearly just as embarrassed as she is.

“I forgot my keys! I got in front of my house and I realised- Wait! That’s not the issue here. What are you doing in the office? I know you’re dating but still, I work here too, you know. Sometimes, I really feel like the third wheel and I know it’s not intentional but-”

“WAIT, you knew?”, Cha-young cuts him off.

“Knew what?”

“That... Mr. Cassano and I... we’re together?”, Cha-young is now hiding behind Vincenzo’s back, only her head pocking out.

“Was I not supposed to know?”, Mr. Nam asks, and from where she is Cha-young thinks he might be crying.

She doesn’t know what to say, and Vincenzo is the one to hand Mr. Nam his keys. They apologise profusely as he leaves, probably scarred for life.

Cha-young sinks to the ground, hugging her knees. Her boyfriend crouches down next to her, a reassuring hand patting her back. “Everyone knows? About us?” He nods. She screams. She gets up again, flailing her arms and pulling out her hair.

“Why would you not tell me? I’ve been making a fool of myself trying to keep this a secret-”

“I thought you said it wasn’t a secret?”, he interrupts.

“Aaah, whatever. I’ll just never show my face again. I quit.” She’s on her way to the door when Vincenzo pulls her into a hug.

“Don’t worry, tesoro. He’ll forget about it soon enough.”, He kisses her forehead, her cheeks, her nose and finally her lips, trying to comfort her. He’d always been better with actions rather than words.

“You think?”, again, Vincenzo nods.

She shrugs and kisses him softly, her hands cradling his cheeks. “Thank you, oppa. Now, where were we?” She asks, wiggling her eyebrows. 

He bursts out laughing, eyes closed and mouth wide open, a sight she didn’t get to enjoy often.

Yes, everything will be okay, she thinks. How could it not be, when she has him by her side?

[okaywitheverything]

hi! can i request minato fall for naruto kindergarten teacher please? thank you 😁

Ma'am: A Possible New Mom? Minato x KindergartenTeacher!Reader

My actual first request! Hope I did it justice! Thank you honey for the request. I wrote some sort of mixed AU so I hope you don't mind.

 A/N: This took a lot of time because I have a lot of tests every month. Also i threw up a week ago and was somewhat sick. Then I lost the two drafts and was so irritated with ms word but somehow I managed to write again. So a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this. Please shower it with love if you even read this awful Author’s note.

Positive A/N: I did like how it turned out tho, the ending is too cute and you won't know what to expect as I didn't either. I genuinely hope you have fun reading this piece.

Word count: 3K

 Your POV

 “It must be fun to play with the kids all day."

People who think that are the biggest fools on the planet in the universe.

You were picking up the various toys scattered throughout the main classroom, sorting them category wise while the kids took a nap. Most of them anyways.

A few babies had insane amount of energies that they refused to sleep whatsoever. But it wasn't as big a problem as people think it is. All kids have different strengths, a variety of ways to function and unique physiology. You knew if a kid was not tired, forcing him or her to doze off isn't healthy.

Just let the kids be.

So that explains why Naruto was alongside you helping you to collect the sponge shurikens scattered around while you put away the stuffed ninkens on the high shelf. Usually Kiba and Rock Lee would be awake as well, and this trio would play in the hall until their limbs gave out but today even they slept after tiring poor Akamaru out for weird challenges.

“Ma’am, I almost forgot! I want to show you something! Come with me!” Naruto suddenly grabbed your hand leaving his task in the midst and urging you to leave yours too. You looked at him puzzled but giggled at his enthusiasm nonetheless, sometimes kids were too darn cute. You loved the ways kids’ eyes lit up, so optimistic and happy and hopeful until the world snatched it all away. You wanted to preserve this for as long as could.

He took you to the room where the kids kept their small backpacks filled with their favourite articles that they thought were absolutely necessary to take everywhere.

No Neji, you don’t need to have three combs for the care of your luscious hair every possible instant.

Naruto generally brought a lot of snacks which you had to retain sometimes so that he would eat healthy but it became even harder to do so when all he wanted was for Sasuke to taste the tomatoey flavour ‘these’ chips had and gift Rock Lee the curry flavour. That boy had a heart of gold.

 He pulled the zipper of his orange backpack open, and took out a stuffed fox.

“Ma’am meet Kurama! I told him all about you and he wanted to meet you!” He held Kurama up while you were gently petting the plushie’s head, he was so excited to see your happiness to meet his esteemed companion.

These kids and their imaginations! You loved every ounce of it!

“Hello Mr. Kurama!” You didn’t feign excitement, you actually were. You loved kids and their creativity and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“He’s my best friend! Don’t tell anyone else though! Others might get sad.”

You did an action of zipping your lips, “Your secret is safe with me, sweetie.”

“Look! I also drew something!” He hastily handed you Kurama and proceeded to take out his yellow sketchbook. He kept turning pages filled with rainbows of colours morphing into one another that made some sense in his cute, little head and finally reached his desired page. He pulled your dress with his little chubby hands, an action he often did when he wanted you to sit beside him. You kneeled down, his plushie settled in your lap now as you waited for him to go ahead.

He handed you his open sketchbook where there were three figures, two adults and one kid judging by the height, all wearing triangular outfits. One kid and an adult had striking yellow hair and blue eyes while the other adult wore an orange dress with a large circle in their hands. On closer inspection, you saw your own hair colour and eye colour being illustrated to the best of the toddler’s ability, as far as the crayons allowed him to portray it. You had a circle in your hands, almost the size of your drawn head with black spots in between while the child in the photo held an orange squishy ball. To save you from your confusion, Naruto came to the rescue and started explaining.

“That’s me and Dada over here. And I’m playing with Kurama! And that’s you Ma’am! Bringing me and dada cookies for being good boys like you do in class!”

Your heart melted right there and then. For some reason, your face heated up too.

“Oh my God, honey, that’s amazing!” You pecked his cheek as Naruto blushed slightly and rubbed his head, “You liked it?”

“I Loved it! What did Dada say about it?”

“He got so red like Sasuke’s tomatoes haha. But he put it on our fridge like my other drawings and he said it was the best one yet.”

Before you could reply, crying was heard from the nap room and you sighed. Looks like someone woke up.

“Yay, someone is up! We can now play!” Naruto began running but you stopped him.

“Let’s be sure to pack this all up before, Ma’am Anko will see to your friend okay?”

Minato was waiting alongside other parents, it was 10 minutes till the kindergarten was over. His mind wandered afar, thinking about his journey to this town.

Minato was very afraid when he moved to Konoha, about Naruto settling in and making friends. Of course, back in his previous town he had already got Naruto a place in the best Kindergarten there, pulling all the needed strings but his promotion caught him off guard. Being a single parent was hard enough as it is, and with the worry of adjusting to new surroundings for his growing son, he was almost going to decline the offer. Only after much conviction from his friends that he deserved this, he took the offer, albeit hesitantly.

He was happy with his new workspace and colleagues as well, and was over the moon when he one of his erudite associates had a son the same age as his own, and recommended the city’s best kindergarten where his son was set to go. He went blindly on his associate’s word, because he knew him to be a wise dad.

For the first two months, he had to work relentlessly to prove his position as the new leader in the branch, and so he had his assistant pick Naruto up while he prepared lunch at home for his precious boy, barely making it home fifteen minutes before they did. But when the company celebrated their first real accomplishment, only then did Minato feel he could take a step back and indulge with his son more as he used to do.

When he began picking him up himself, he realised what he had been missing on: small quirky tales, new words his toddler learned, new friends’ names, his favourite teacher’s cookies apparently. Minato quickly noticed, being the perceptive man he was, that Naruto could go hours and hours talking about his Ma’am. He would have thought of it as a crush, had Naruto been older.

But when he first saw you, he could relate to his son if Naruto did have a crush. He knew he was being superficial, being attracted to your appearance at first sight but he couldn’t help himself that you were almost ethereal, too gorgeous to be true. It seemed as if you were glowing when you laughed alongside the kids or held one of them on your shoulders while searching for the parents.

However, your personality was even more so captivating when he finally talked to you at the parents-teachers conference. You were such a quality teacher, he deduced when he noticed how apt you were at describing each kid individually and how dedicated to their growth you were. He loved the bond you had with Naruto, the boy couldn’t stop grinning upon meeting you on his day off.

The bell rung, breaking him out of his reverie, and he waited as the kids ran to the parents, waving goodbyes here and there, ready for their weekend. He could hear your faint shouting over the buzz, “Make sure you have taken all your belongings, kiddos! Have a good weekend!”    

He knew if you had a special place in his son’s heart, he could let you stay in his heart as well.

It was 8 PM, one hour past the Uzumaki kid’s bedtime, but the blatantly crying kid was nowhere near sleeping. A distressed Minato held him on his hip, as he searched the entire house for his favourite plushie, Kurama, without whom Naruto had never slept.

“We’ll find him, Naru. Do you remember where you last saw it?” Minato asked, pausing and sitting in the comfy sofa, looking at Naruto, hoping he’d have an answer.

Naruto’s wails quietened down, fortunately there were no tears, as he pondered and spoke, “I last showed it to Ma’am!”

Minato sighed, he grasped that Naruto would have left it at the playschool because no inch of his house was unsearched. He settled Naruto down on the couch as he deliberated calling you over a toy. He had your number for emergencies, but was this one? The real objection, the actual reluctance he had for calling was totally different though. He hated to admit it, but talking to Naruto’s daydream of a teacher always left him stuttering like a teenager. He could barely listen and respond when he met her at the kindergarten, but talking to that Goddess one on one was more terrifying and nerve-wracking than moving to a new town.

But he knew there was no way Naruto would sleep without Kurama and it was only Friday, nights to wait if he doesn’t ask you about the plushie today. He couldn’t imagine how disheveled will Naruto be without Kurama by then. He would surely award himself with wine if he managed to finish the call without fainting.

With clammy hands and a vigorously pounding heart, he dialed the number.

You were finishing up the last batch of forms and cleaning up, when you saw something abruptly put in the otherwise shipshape playroom. Before you could further inspect, your phone rang, Mr. Uzumaki flashing on top of the screen. Your heart hammered as you wondered what he could be calling about.

You were not going to lie, Mr. Uzumaki was easy on the eyes, always in class A condition with his well-tailored suits as he came to pick Naruto up. Even the married housewives ogled him not-so-subtly. He was such an excellent father, really devoted in his son’s life while simultaneously conquering the business world. An eye candy, with all the best qualities that existed, an immensely put together God’s creation. He was dream partner to have, yet somehow he was single.

Your phone’s ring broke you out of your musing, as your sweaty palms grabbed the phone and received the cal.

“Good Evening, Mr. Uzumaki.” You managed out, your neck suddenly heating up.

“Good Evening, Miss. I hope I didn’t disturb you.”

“Not at all, I was about to head home. How may I help you?”

“If you are still there at the playschool, could you please…… If you don’t mind….. I’m sorry again I called-”

“I assure you, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry about it. Although you do need to tell me the problem if you want me to help.” You giggled lightly, amused at that man stuttering.

“Thank you. Umm Naruto left his night time plushie there I suppose and he doesn’t sleep without it. Could you please, please check if it’s there?”

“Of course.” You held the phone and as you hummed and went to the Kid’s playroom you found Naruto’s sketchbook with the drawing laying on it, and the Kurama toy beside it. You swore you promised Naruto pack it earlier in the day.

“Looks like he did leave it here.”

“Can you keep the school open a bit late, I’ll come and collect it right aw-”

“Its pretty windy right now outside, and you’ll have to bring Naruto too at this hour. I’ll drop it at your home on my way back, I was planning in leaving in five anyways.” Your mouth spoke before you could process what you said, offering to go to his house? Nice going there, you desperate weirdo.

His choked out “Okay” almost surprised you as you ended the call.

This will be a nice, little detour.

About twenty minutes later, the doorbell to the Uzumaki household rang and Minato sprinted to the door, opening it immediately.

There you stood, with tousled hair from the wind, in your long red pea coat and black heels. Your cheeks lightly tinted, no doubt because of the unruly weather outside. Somehow you still looked absolutely perfect in Minato’s eyes as he traced your form, unable to initiate the conversation.

You, on the other hand, had halted completely when the door opened revealing a ripped Minato, his muscles bulging underneath his black shirt while grey sweatpants hung loosely on his hips. His biceps were so thick, you wondered how he managed to exercise on top of all the responsibilities he had.

You handed it over to Minato whose eyes widened at the piece of paper and stood there awkwardly, processing what to say.

Somehow stopping yourself from all the gawking, you cleared your throat as you dug in your black purse and took out Naruto’s best friend and his masterpiece.

“Guess he left this as well.” He gave a forced laugh, trying to make things less uncomfortable after he stood silent for two minutes.

You chuckled lightly in agreement when suddenly thunder boomed behind you, causing you to shriek and slip, only to be caught by Minato, his hands holding you around your middle tightly in a protective manner. You coughed as you stepped back again and he cleared his throat this time when suddenly it started pouring like hell’s rage on Earth.

“You should stay for a while, at least until the rain lightens.”

You were going to decline, but when you saw how bad it was raining, you knew you would have to accept. “Looks, like I’ll have to. Sorry to impose.”

“It’s no imposition at all. I’m inviting you, don’t fret.”

You stepped inside, shrugging your pea-coat off, revealing your black dress underneath. Minato reddened visibly, taking your pea-coat from you and hanging it. He cursed himself as he thought of conversation starters, wanting to say something, anything to not stand like a fool.

“Would you like wine? I have this blush flavoured bottle reading to drink.”

“I would love that, Thank you. What are you celebrating though, if I may ask?” You agreed, maybe the alcohol would calm your buzzing nerves. Besides you were a sucker for wine.

“Nothing much, a simple personal achievement of sorts.” He said with a grin as he led you inside, hopeful of where the night might lead. Maybe the liquid courage would help him finally ask you out.

Behind the wall, Naruto grinned with a pacifier in his mouth. Mission successful.

So that was that. Until next time, cookies.

[zuffer-weird-girl]

Don't touch...

(L/n) (Y/n).

Quirk? Unknown to him until the days of today...

Your company after all these years had been quite... enjoyable for him to not say the least. Most of the time you wore a mask, gloves and clothes that covered most of your skin, yet you always opted to be more free, feel the sun and the wind on your skin... he never get it why though.

Without the clothes you would remember a bit of him, flinch away from the touch even before it could touch you... yet when it was on your clothing you just reacted calmly and dare he say even sweetly.

He came to know you as kids, just barely when he entered the yakusa Pops showed to him you.. a kind soul that asked him if he wanted to play despite the look of distrust and hatred he gave to you just when you looked at him.

He never complained about you not wanting to be touched, he didn't liked it either. But he could tell you had... different reasons. As the years went by, he notice the dreadfull and even the remorse behind those (E/c) eyes of denying someone touch, a pat on the head, a hand shake... a hug.

It was... strange.

It's funny how reverse psychology worked... thats at least what he deduced from his own analysis. He didn't felt comfortable, heck actually he felt sick to the stomach if everyone else got too close to him or forbid God to ever lay a finger on him... but with you? The more you would get away from him, the more he wanted you to stay by his side... you were one of the few whose he felt comfortable enough.

He had gone through one of the most painfull feeling right on his childhood. Parental neglect and abuse, not even mentioning the pain he had to atture of controling his own quirk, testing on both victims and himself. Seriously, what could be worse than that?

Simple. When he found out that he was actually catching feelings for you, and your neglect of touch was even from him.

He didn't know what was so special that left his skin itching to just brush against yours...he just.. needed to test the waters. Yeah, it was only that.

The Hassaikai for a very long time had a plan for touching you. Since you werent as deadly and scary as Kai, and had kinda of a good partnership for all of them, he just could watch the shit go downs.

But soon stopped being a joke one day where Mimic went from behind you and tried to grab your wrist as you listened to his other plan to tell Pops later. He didn't even could tell you before your reflexes acted and you kicked Mimic square in the face.

"Dont. Touch me. This is not a joke anymore." You muttered in anger before bowing to Kai and leaving the room, his golden eyes widening at the drops of tears you let it slip from your eyes.

Mimic never once thought that the young sucessor of the Hassaikai could be even more enraged and such a monster when dealing with you. Rappa could only laugh since this time he wasn't the one having his ass beaten and overhauled. Haha poor him I torture him sometimes here

He couldn't understand... until the day where you were crying your eyes out. He couldn't understand until you just threw three blankets at him and hugged him for all your might.

His breath suddenly dissapeared...he didn't know what to say or even do at that point, and just when he was about to lower his arms you pulled away from and took the three massive blankets away from.

"Sorry, Chisaki.." you sniffled as he blinked, stoic gaze still present at your depressed state. "Really, forgive me I-"

"You never once told me about your "despise" for touch." He interrupted you, letting you lift your head for him to speak again "We both know my reason, but you're far away from a clean freak person or a mysophobic... explain it."

His eyes never widened at the point where it even hurted his whole life.

Your illness. Your quirk. That was why you couldn't touch anyone neither let anyone touch you. Your quirk allowed you to give resistance to others with only one glance and gave you amazing reflexes... but the consequences were way too big....

Hearing this made his skin form into hives, anger at despicable things rising even more.

From that way beyond, he promised himself that he would create a cure. It didn't even matter, he just needed a cure for this. A cure for you to stop suffering.

More years went by... he saw your worry at Pops condition, he saw your worry towards him for both being charged with the chore of taking care of the girl and both for him to get the tittle as the big boss.

Yet he couldn't stop. When he discovered Eri's quirk he saw a hint of light on the end of the tunnel. You wouldn't ever need to use thick clothes to protect yourself from vanishing from existence.

The bullets were only experimental. He selled most of them to be used as... experiments. He would use the first serum on you, and this way you could stop this nightmare where many nights you confessed to him... as he confesses his own sins.

You wouldn't like to know about Eri, so he simply erased the idea of telling you that. He never answered your questions on what he was working. His mind fooling him that he wasn't exactly lying to you if he hadn't said anything.

He could only be relieved to graze your skin under only using his gloves... at first he thought it would be enough, but no.

Love is like a damn drug. The more you get, the more you want. And he couldn't help but want more.

The bullets were a success... but he knew heroes were coming towards him. That blonde and green haired kid surely were behind this...

So the least he could do was give you a night to remember if anything went wrong on those next few days.

"A festival?" You asked with wide eyes before gasping at him putting the box on the desk. "Huh?"

"You always talk about them." He answered nonchantly, montioning with his eyes at the box as hs stuffed his hands on his pockets.

You snickered and opened the box carefully before widening your eyes, picking the golden and with traces of shiny green yukata on your hands... you were out of words until you gasped at Chisaki leaving and standing on the door way, giving you only one side eye glance as he spoke before he closed the door.

"I expect you to be ready by 8."

You blinked in shock before softening your gaze, holding the yukata over your body as you could only smile...

You were tired of living this way... if it meant you could spend a night with the man you love normally... so be it.

.

.

.

The sky had a bunch of lanterns and it shined with the lights of it along with the stars. You bounced and walked happily ahead of Chisaki with a basket.

He was always wary of anyone who ever dared to step closer... the yukata covered your legs, chest and arms. But you noisy self insisted on going without gloves and he was actually worried that the material of the yukata he brought wasn't as thick to protect your skin.

Yet he had to only breath in and out, the air making it hotter around the area where his mask was... he had one of the serums in here. With him. Soon he will inject, and gave to you your freedom.

"Ne Kai! Look at that booth over there!" You tugged on the material of his own yukata as his golden nonchantly gaze looked at the mans throing balls and hitting the aims of the booth, winning prices for their kids and partners.

He let out a "tch" before noticing how your eyes shined and how your lips quivered up at seing the stuffed animals the man was giving.

Blinking, he sighed, muttering how he this was a waste of time before he dropped a bunch of coins to the man and grabbed three balls.

You clapped your hands in glee as he threw the three balls and with the most perfection he hit the three aims right on the middle of it.

"Choose." He said nonchantly while grabbing a napkin and wiping his GLOVED hands as you pointed at a cute yet fluffy and chubby penguin. Without the man grabbing the stick, he lifted his hand up and yanked the stuffed animal and hand it to you as you squealed, nuzzling your face on it with glee... making him smile at how innocent and sad this scene was.

Everytime you would look at a treat or just a snack he would buy... you even wondered with wide eyes and mouth full how much he brought to this festival as he only growled for you to not speak with a mouth full.

You were hugging the price Chisaki won to you for warm as he looked at you and stopped, it was on a fair and quite isolated area of the festival so he found the perfect time to give you the medice. Your cure.

"Cold?"

"A bit." You giggled before you saw him taking a box and overhauling it, showing a little red capsule "What's this?"

"... (Y/n).. I despise touch. I really do.. but I can't lie that I wasn't expecting at least to feel a real contact between us, skin to skin... you know how much you affect me? To have me, Chisaki Kai, wanting to at least feel what your skin feels like? Feel how soft those lips are instead of just receiving a quick kiss on my mask..." you blinked, raising a eyebrow with a sad smile.

"I wish I could do this way sooner-" you stopped talking as soon as you heard laughter and voices of childs running and playing around.

"Brats..." chisaki sighed at the sign, a quadruple of two girls and two boys chasing them, the two young girls greeting both of you as the one of the boys screamed after them.

It all happened so fucking fast... the last boy tripped and it was about to fall with his head on a rock... it if it wasn't for your good reflexes the boy would had fall.

"Thank you miss!" The boy mumbled with a smile as you, with both hands on his arms helped him.

His and your eyes were so wide... you looked at him and his gaze was filled with horror.

Your hand started to fade, a bunch of (E/c) butterflies started to form and fly away instead of the hand that was suppose to be there.

He couldn't even fucking move as you looked at him... he expected everything but the huge smile and the sob of happines you let out before jumping on him and hugging him with tears in your eyes.

"Finally I can touch you..!" You sighed with a sob, not feeling your legs anymore.

"(Y/n)-!" He dropped the bullet on the ground and clenched onto your back as his eyes started to burn before you locked his lips so softly, your eyes closed as your image faded away and his eyes wide open...

The last thing he saw was your smile as your body was replaced with lifes and butterflies... his knees gave out when he could only tigger at the yukata he bought for you...

The whole festival was all happy and cheerfully until they heard the shouts of pain of a man inside the peacefull and full of butterflies forest.

A/n: eeyyy dont even need to coment the damn visible reference right? :D

[supercorp-hosie]

My thoughts for legacies 3x13: I’ll try to put the point chronologically

1. When Kaleb blew the candle, I’m so confused because the first thing that comes to my head is: he’s blowing that because is daytime, but why put it so far from Cleo? Why use a candle when you have electricity? And apparently I’m a fool, because that’s how the confinement spell works duh! I only recalled that when Alaric blew it in the end. I’m so dumb lol.

2. I love that Kaleb is the first to seek Cleo out, wanted answers and ready to accept them. When he tries to comfort Cleo in her memories, that’s me too! But apparently being the badass she is, she immediately come up with the idea of replacing her grandma to go with Malivore.

3. Poor Cleo! My heart sores when it started with a little girl, just like with Finch. She’s a hero! She’s so brave! She’s a queen! And weirdly she likes frogs(or toads?) very much. I wonder why. And although she tried to kill Hope last episode, I never see her as a villain. Never for a second. Instead I’m impressed. Tbh I didn’t understand why she is always playing with clay/mud since the beginning of this episode. But after her backstory, I just feel sad and proud at the same time. Sad because it’s shaped from her painful time of enslavement. Proud because she’s using the thing she learned from it against Malivore as her weapon despite the painfulness. I remember she talked about her sister dying, but nothing about that occurs in the memories. Did she lie before or it’s just another thing that the writers forgot?

4. ‘Jonch’ is horrible! I prefer Finsie as the ship name. Why is their moment always so cringy? I get this second embarrassment from them a lot, mostly from Josie tho. I always felt there’s something lacking in Finsie, just like what I felt when Handon started it’s kind of sudden. Maybe because of my perception, I really didn’t know why Josie think Finch is hot. I have to learn how to appreciate her beauty. But goof news, I actually appreciated Finsie first kiss, because I see why they haven’t kiss before, and why they finally kiss. It’s cute and the sparkling, haha. Tbh I start to appreciate Finch’s beauty from the kissing scene angle. But this episode, again, I still feel cringy in most of the Finsie scenes. I have to put my palm on my head. Anyway, I enjoy the “girlfriend” scene tho, like Finsie starting to grow on me(again, the first time is their first kiss, hopefully no more cringy afterwards). It’s really good to see Josie happy. Btw, since Finch decided to enrol, will she be the new alpha now that she defeated Jed? That’s good for her, she finally has a pack and no longer lonely.

5. Along with Finsie scenes, does anyone realise there’s actually other students there? And there are actually other witches at the school?? I remembered that there’s like only four witches? Because Josie was the only witch at the school when Berbelang!Hope happened? Annnndddd! To that! Does anyone remember there’s this girl Gaby/Gabby? She’s also a witch, and she loves dnd like Wade? They can’t tease us with Penelope using her then just let her disappear?

6. Oh great there’s actually other wolves at the school. I’m starting to think Jed is the only wolf left (of course there’s Hope, but she’s tribrid). As much as I enjoy Finch being badass that she can stand beside Josie, I felt so sorry for Jed and his actor. He’s been there for 3 seasons and yet Finch get a backstory before him. He has none! The actor is great, look at the siren episode! He hardly gets any decent lines and scenes now. Instead, they make him looked useless, hard to be respectable. Like anyone can just harm his alpha reputation. Justice for Jed please. Oh and the fact that Finch got a backstory before Kaleb too? It’s unacceptable. They deserve more. Jed doesn’t even have a last name, my god! Anyway that doesn’t change the fact that I want to hug baby Finch so much bc she’s adorable!

7. With MG gone, Kaleb looks like the only vampire left in the school. I miss MG. What about Ethan?

8. Josie and Cleo finally met! I’m glad that she’s learned something from her too. I think it’s true that other kids never felt as easy as Josie at the school. They finally addressed it.

9. I’m frustrated that Hope never wanted answers from Cleo. The only friend that helped her grieve. But hey maybe she’s too hurt to be able to bear Cleo in her sight. But then again there’s the Landon problem, so she’s off with Landon again. Only taking to Landon the whole episode, being the only one that only talk to one person in the whole episode. Feel bad for her about this. Poor Hope.

10. I really feel bad for Landon, because there’s a lot of hardships to make him like that. Someone please give him hugs and a therapist. The show is doing a full cycle by stating what he’d done is just like what Hope did when she returned from Malivore. I understand why he kept himself away, but weirdly, the way the let those words out, it feels like he wants to get back at Hope when I think he wanted Hope’s understanding. Maybe he wanted both?

12. Someone told me that every 13th episode is the episode where Landon’s power are explored. I kind of agree with it now. Because he’s finally having the fighting skills that he’s longing now. Finally he can achieve his desires to physically fight alongside Hope. For what though, I don’t know, because in the case of supercorp, Lena never needed it physically to be Supergirl’s partner in saving the world, or of course to protect Kara. Glad for him, anyway, bc that’s what’s he wants. And the blow to the head? It’s awesome.

11. I can’t believe Landon is blaming Hope for not coming to save him sooner?! What the hell? What happened to “I’m going to be the one that always fight to find Hope”, idk whether I quoted it precisely, but the meaning is there. I am furious. Is this some sick drama that the show wants Landon to think that Hope was not coming to him because she had a perfect version of him?? That aside, when I see that Handon is going to fight together physically, I actually think the scene is good and they will overcome the blaming thing, and going to be a power couple. Just when I have that thought, Landon have to fucking throw the artifact towards Malivore(whether it is Malivore I’ll discuss afterwards, it’s contradictory)!! That’s such a stupid move! Where’s your brain? And it’s broken, oh god. And the show have to show Hope being so weak during the fight. I mean why? She’s a badass, why do they have to make her weak to glorify Landon?? They made her look useless. These things just really kill the budding Handon spirit in me. The show really knows how to make people resent Handon and Landon. Just please change the show name.

12. Anyway to be fair, Landon do care for Hope and do love her. Before, though I don’t think they are endgame quality, I think that if they do improve, Handon endgame is tolerable, acceptable. But now, I’m not so sure of that anymore. Other than the above mentioned points, Landon did leave Hope for a solid third time. Why the show have to establish that for Handon when their fans desperately defended Landon that he wasn’t always leaving. I mean I’ve seen Handon shippers fought really hard against the “Landon is always leaving Hope” argument. What a way to make a couple being endgame. In Chinese proverbs, there’s a thing for a third time. Like the three strikes law, I think? It says not to do anything or tolerate anything undesirable that has happened more than three times. So please do not make Handon together ever again. It’s an insult to Hope too.

13. To see it differently, poor Hope will finally have time out of Landon to think of herself and her future. We need to see her having her own storyline. So maybe we can see Hosie eventually? Sorry Finsie for anticipating your break up in the future. But please enjoy yourselves when Hope grows on her own, because Josie deserves a decent relationship on screen too. Hosie didn’t interact this episode, I’m sad.

14. I just can’t help but wonder why Alaric oversee the artifact being destroyed so easily. And when Josie introduces Finch, she deserves a decent conversation with the headmaster, really. Oh he’s an adult, be a responsible and respectable one, especially you’re Josie dad. Help her with her impression with her crush. Alaric really need help, we need another adult figure. It’s okay that’s not Caroline.

15. I kind of thinking that Landon and Cleo are shippable too when I know that they are leaving at the same time. Cleo being the sole reason to Landon existence is one of the reasons to ship them. She’s the one that tell Malivore he can make vessels and create legacy, that leads to Landon existing. Not to mention she did literally made Golem Landon by hand (we all know the thing that Hope made doesn’t have a body, so Cleo must have made his torso and limps right). Or maybe we prefer wandon endgame? Wade is precious too, he’s the one that point out Landon is not himself.

16. I’m so confused by this episode Malivore. I thought Cleo trapped him inside that monster Handon defeated this episode. But if it was trapped this long? How did the pit, Clarke and Landon even exist? Did Malivore escape from it?? It must have escaped.

17. In the promo for the next episode, we’re seeing Lizzie and Hosie interaction! I’m excited! I think maybe Josie will be the one that bring Hope out of the cult’s enchantment. What will happen? Maybe they will realise something or develop something towards each other? Anything hosie that MAKE SENSE please. Oh and Hizzie friendship/banters, and Lizzie suddenly being and “angel” will be so fun to watch. Finally, the trio!

18. I know it’s irrelevant but since I mentioned Clarke, I miss Holarke. I have some shippable thoughts about Finch and Penelope too. P is the she-devil in good girl attire; F looks like a bad girl but she’s good hearted. They are both fiery, imagine what they’ll be like when they’re together, erupting volcanoes?

19. Applause to Aria’s acting skill, this is like the eleventh role he’s played in legacies? Original Landon, Hope’s (subconscious) Landon, Landon’s (subconscious) Landon, Josie’s SimuLandon, Hope’s therapy Landon, Malivore Landon, golem Landon, ptsd Landon, oni-possessed Landon, golem Landon micmicking Necromancer, Clarke-Landon. Keep up the good work!

[join-the-joywrite]

You are the music in me (part 1)

(mostly) juke soulmate AUs no. 1

Special thanks & shoutout to @endless-navigator and @i-spit-on-fire for helping me with my first juke soulmates au post, you guys are amazing!!

Suggested by the lovely Endless: AU where soulmates are musically connected, so whenever the one is playing music, the other hears it in their head (Everyone Is Alive AU, Trevor and Bobby are not the same person I know it doesn't make sense shh)

First of all, I love this au and my co-writers

Second of all, let's just pause for a moment to imagine Alex suffering out hours of Justin Bieber's pop music because that was Willie's playlist at one point. Alex retaliated by starting a rock band and that's the real story behind Sunset Curve, shhh

They all go to the same school & the entire grade is very aware of Julie & Carrie's rivalry for top spot in music, dance and drama. So far, Julie has music, Carrie has dance and somehow, Flynn accidentally got into drama due to an admin error in eighth grade and she's been rocking it ever since. But Julie and Carrie are best friends, don't doubt that. It may seem a little suspicious, but they do love each other.

Luke thinks Julie is a hotshot and finds Carrie super arrogant. He tolerates Flynn. He expects his best friends to do the same but Reggie adopted Flynn as his little sister and partner in crime, and Alex regularly sleeps over at Carrie's for spa night and boy gossip. Luke is very betrayed when he discovers this.

Once, Alex was over for a Dirty Candy recital and spent the next day singing the song they were performing and when Dirty Candy performed it, Luke and Reggie were Very Confused -- but half an hour later, Alex was singing Justin Bieber under his breath again.

Anyway back to the juke I initially started this for

Perfect Harmony

Luke doesn't really like Julie but he's the first to admit she's actually really talented. Julie has no idea who Luke is.

When Sunset Curve started up and found their sound, Julie decided that she couldn't wait to meet her soulmate because she was going to strangle them on sight. How was she supposed to get her homework done when all she had every afternoon was rock music???

They once independently went to the same concert and after realizing that the music wasn't bad, they were just hearing double, both got excited that their soulmate liked the music they did.

Julie wrote music with Rose a lot and often, she'd be the one singing. Luke often thought about penning down the unfamiliar lyrics to search it up later but he always forgot, getting lost in the beautiful music his soulmate listened to.

Eventually, Julie grew accustomed to the constant rock and decided to Google the lyrics in her head. After coming up blank everywhere, she concluded that her soulmate was making original music. So she had a talented soulmate. Didn't mean they weren't annoying.

Perfect Harmony

Julie still can't wait to meet her soulmate. Maybe she won't kill them on sight but she sure as hell will beat them with a cushion for the one calculus test she flunked after spending all the study time with loud music in her head.

Luke and Julie write music together

I love Luke but he's dumb and he doesn't even notice that he's writing music with his soulmate. Julie does, but only because her soulmate has a very distinct voice and any music that comes from her soulmate shares that voice and even though it's so very different to her own, there is an undeniable complimentary aspect.

Julie has like 8 duets locked away from her family that she co-wrote with her unaware soulmate.

Perfect Harmony

Sunset Curve has ballads now and then. Bobby, Reggie and Alex know why but they're not gonna tell Luke. They're just gonna share knowing glances and pretend like nothing is different. They have a bet going with how long it'll take Luke to realise.

Luke is falling in love with his soulmate because music is life and his soulmate has GREAT music taste. Unlike Julie, he hasn't yet figured out that the music in his head is original music.

P E R F E C T H A R M O N Y

Endless, Sun & I thought about killing Rose but we threw that out the window pretty quickly. Instead, we decided upon a year-long coma. In which Julie loses music.

Luke is absolutely distraught. He thinks his soulmate died. Reggie, Alex & Bobby don't think so for sure but the longer the silence goes on, the more convinced they get. It affects Luke's music too. Sunset Curve doesn't shut down like Julie did, but they do get softer.

Luke spends more time writing, singing to himself. If by some miracle, his soulmate isn't dead, then he's singing to them. Hopefully.

One day, Sunset Curve performs for Julie. Well, they don't specifically perform for her. They'd have to know her for that. Sunset Curve throws a small gig and "this song goes out to all of you who feel hopeless, like you'll never be able to wake all the passions you used to have up again."

Flynn decides Julie needs to start living again and drags her to the small mini concert because it's small and why not.

Julie goes through the entire evening in a daze, but after Flynn leaves her house later that night, Julie feels a little fuzzy, like something's wrapping her in a big warm hug. And the next day, Julie absolutely obliterates Wake Up.

A week or so after, Rose is concious again.

Now that the serious moments are done, let's get to some funnies.

Luke, distracted and bored: you with the sad eyes

Julie, trying to do her homework: W H Y

Luke, oblivious: don't be discouraged

Julie, squishing her scrap paper: >:(

Flynn finds this amusing and asks what's up. Julie growls, "he's singing Trolls."

"So sing back. Duh."

And then she does. Luke's singing gets less lazy and more energetic. Julie actually really likes Trolls music and she has to admit singing Poppy's lines are fun. Flynn is super tempted to record Julie and call it blackmail stock. Alex, Reggie and Bobby actually act on the temptation.

They do this often. Julie will be doing something mundane and then all of a sudden, there's a duet playing in her head and it's her idiot soulmate covering the song akd hoping she joins in. Thankfully, Julie is mostly alone but she wonders if her soulmate is acting a fool in front of other people just for the sake of hearing her voice. Endearing.

P E R F E C T H A R M O N Y

Julie needs some practice on her dance recitals okay, so randomly, she has the track playing on her headphones and bops her head along. Sometimes she's cleaning the kitchen and dancing with the broom pretending it's her dance partner. No I don't do that haha

It has been WEEKS of this.

Luke has developed brain cells. He now knows his soulmate is helping him write music. So he starts penning down a new song. Both of them know it's a duet. They've even had some joke practices together with no music and things like that. Julie doesn't know the music that goes with it because Luke is careful not to play it. Ever.

And so one night, Julie's down in the studio -- it's dusty and needs a little cleaning -- and pops her earbuds in and she's doin her lil dancy-dance as she listens to her the music for her dance class recital.

Luke: GUYS GUYS GUYS ITS TIME ITS TIME SHE'S PRACTICING GUYS GUYS

Alex: IT'S FINALLY HAPPENINNNGGGGGGG

Reggie and Bobby: so should we leave you two alone for a minute or--

Luke: NO YOU WILL STAY HERE AND YOU WILL PLAY THE NOTES I GAVE YOU LAST WEEK I HOPE YOU NERDS PRACTICED

Bobby: you know we're gonna silently make fun of you the whole time

Luke: I am aware but you guys love me and you'll do this for me now shut up I have to time this perfectly

Julie is hearing double. At first she thinks maybe she never plugged her headphones in or maybe Flynn or Carrie are nearby listening to it too or -- no wait hang on a minute that doesn't sound like the track she's supposed to dance to.

Taking out her earbuds confirms that the music is in her head.

Off topic, speaking of music in her head, Luke definitely thinks I Got The Music is a Bop™

Its soft, its sweet, it's just guitar. There is no way in hell her soulmate is listening to guitar instead of playing it. She knows that much.

So now Julie has forgotten about cleaning the studio up and is pretty much standing in the same spot, just holdin on to the broom that did just two short sweeps

"Step into my world"

"THE BASTARD WROTE A SONG"

"Bittersweet love story bout a girl"

big gasp "THAT BASTARD IS PLAYING OUR DUET"

"Shook me the core"

Julie's brain: singggg,,,,, Julie: I'm afraid, ,,, Julie's brain, in Flynn's voice: S I N G

"Voice like an angel, never heard before"

Julie, before she can back down, "here in front of me"

Luke's eyes get so wide and so happy. Bobby takes a pause to snap a photo. When they finally find Luke's soulmate, they're gonna have so many dorky pics to show

Y'all it is the most beautiful separated duet of all time. I mean, not for the guys, the pauses are really weird but hey, at least Luke seems to be enjoying himself.

Post duet: "Mija are you singing to yourself"

Julie: (screams and throws broom) no?

You know what maybe this needs to be split for a part two...

[noirlevity]

Scent chapter 15

Pairing: TadaAi

Fandom: Sk8 the Infinity

Synopsis: Ainosuke once loved Tadashi, but ever since he broke his heart, he decided to never have anything to do with him. But what happens if he meets him again after so many years and finds out a secret that will change both of their lives forever?

Chapter summary: Ainosuke is not giving up. Tadashi insists on breaking their bond.

Tags: Omegaverse, forced bonding, forced marriage, sorta angst, slow burn, sorta reversible but I am for top!Tadashi so maybe no explicit smut with bottom Tada in the future

A/N:  This chapter should be read while listening to Can't help falling in love with you. Preferrably Haley Reinhart's cover. I suggest rereading the previous chapter and then this for full effect maybe. Haha. Enjoy.

Read: AO3 || 1 2 3 4 4.5 4.6 4.7 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

If you're just stuck in what we had before then it's better for us not to try.

The words were like a slap in the face. It reduces into nothing the turmoil and anxiety that Ainosuke accumulated thus far in mulling over whether or not he should confess. Instead of paying attention to the crushing sensation in his throat, he stares outside of the window to distract himself.

Dust seems to get caught in his eye making him tear up. There is a numb sensation that spreads over his chest. While tears did not fall down his face, he feels empty as though he has shed every tear he is capable of. This sensation is unlike what he experienced before. It’s something that comes after knowing you already did what needs to be done and yet it still wasn’t enough. 

If truth be told, there was no expectation that Tadashi will reciprocate his feelings, and yet something in him still hoped that he could. That he would. Somewhere in his heart, he believed that Tadashi would give him a chance. 

Tadashi's love wasn't the love he wanted, but perhaps it can be something that they both need.

Ainosuke swallowed the pain Tadashi's words caused him. Now, anger washes over him. It makes his mind clear. He asks the question why? Why can’t Tadashi like him just as he likes him? Why does he allow him to do things only lovers would just to say to him that they cannot be with each other? What prevents him from doing so? Ainosuke didn’t know what to think anymore. It was also his fault for assuming things; for believing in Takahisa’s words. Maybe he is just used to getting people to fall for him that he forgot Tadashi is immune to his charms. 

It's fine. This was to be expected. I just wanted to tell him I love him.

And yet, no matter how many times he consoled himself, it was no use. The rejection was painful. Ainosuke has never been rejected before. When it comes to romance, he is always the one who's chased; the one who calls the shots. Pondering for a while, he realized that he didn't think that confession through. 

When they arrived home, instead of going straight to Tadashi's room, he rushed to his office. He took the liquor that he keeps there and started drinking his heart out. The silence worsened his mood so he turned on the radio. He closed his eyes and listened to the song that was playing. 

Wise men say, only fools rush in…… but I…. can't …..help falling in love with you.

At those lyrics, the tears just started coming. 

It was unfair. 

He put down his glass and covered his mouth to choke back sobs. He loved Tadashi with a love that his heart is allowed to hold. But sometimes he feels that the space in his heart cannot contain all the love that he has for him. It fills his heart to the brim threatening to spill. In times like this when he thinks of him, about the way he smiles, the way his gentle hands would touch him, Ainosuke believes that maybe he needs two hearts to cope with how much he loved Tadashi. 

It was not helping that the music forced him to remember that first time he met Tadashi. He was trying to run away from his maids to play in the garden. At that time he heard that there was a child that would often visit the mansion. Ainosuke got curious and wanted to meet him. 

They say that it takes 7 seconds to fall in love. Staring into Tadashi’s eyes, young Ainosuke knew that he wanted to be with Tadashi for the rest of his life. His feelings haven’t changed. When they met again after years of separation, Ainosuke felt like a fool wanting to run to him to embrace him. 

Indeed fools rush in. 

Would it be a sin

If I can't help falling in love with you?

One drink after another. Ainosuke was trying to numb the pain in his chest. He tried falling out of love but he can’t. It’s as if he wasn’t capable of doing so. He is trapped in a cycle that ends with him realizing he is in love with Tadashi. There is no way out. Every time he thinks about how much he loves him, there is only desperation, frustration, and anger. 

Take my hand,

Take my whole life too

For I can’t help falling in love with you. 

Ainosuke could not help think about how cursed he was. But the cruelest thing is, he still wants to hope. It is unwarranted. It is foolish. But he loves him so much to give up. He can’t help falling in love. The song in itself feels like a validation of his feelings.   

As the songs come after one another, everything fades out as Ainosuke falls asleep on his desk. 

----

It was close to 10 pm when Ainosuke still hadn't come to their room. Tadashi just finished reading the articles about bonds and how to break them. He turned his computer off and went to fetch Ainosuke.

When he knocked on the door, there was no reply. After trying again, he opened the door and realized that the door was locked. Worried, he went to get the key. He entered the office and saw Ainosuke hunched over his desk with an empty bottle of heavy liquor beside him. Tadashi rushed to his side. Ainosuke passed out. He tried waking him but he would not wake. Giving up, Tadashi took his arm and put it around his shoulder. He lifted Ainosuke to help him stand. An office desk was not a place to sleep. 

Tadashi dragged Ainosuke to the door to transfer him to his room. It was nearer. As they walked, Ainosuke woke up a bit. 

"Tadashi," Ainosuke slurs.

He stares and caresses the side of Tadashi's face.

"I love you."

Ainosuke plants a kiss on Tadashi's cheek and slumps against him.

Tadashi adjusts his hold on him. When they arrived in the room, Tadashi laid Ainosuke down on his bed. He takes off his shoes and undid his buttons.

"Tadashi…" Ainosuke moans.

"If I wasn't who I was would you date me?"

Tadashi didn't respond. He continued taking off Ainosuke’s clothes. 

"If rather than a politician's son, I was like Take, would you have loved me differently?"

Hands stop. Tadashi only responded with a sad face.

----

Tadashi is tired. He has been reading investigations on the attacks. The source of the drug was unknown but Tadashi managed to get information on which place it usually comes from. It was hard for him to get a hold of such information. He had to infiltrate the police's security system to get it.

The lack of information was very hard. He is at his wit's end. If he could infiltrate himself, he'd do it, but he was wary about drugs. He didn't want to have anything to do with it. 

Apart from that, he is researching how to break his bond with Ainosuke. Since forming bonds are rare in the current society, there was little to no research on the mechanism of how bonds form and the process of how it can be broken. He has contacted his doctor to ask about how to break his bond, but the information from him was something that wasn't new to him already. It was either one of them die or Tadashi would disappear for at least 5 years. The latter didn't work so he has to find some other way to break their bond. He has been mailing various institutions and academics for this purpose. He has even posted in some forums but still nothing.

Tadashi sighs. He massaged his temples and thought about Ainosuke's confession. He was happy that Ainosuke told him that he loved him. He loved him too. The truth is, he also wanted to at least try going out with him, but the consequences of that would be far too great. People have told him that he was competent and rather than a beta or an omega he's always mistaken as an alpha. That did not matter. He knows that even for someone who is always seen as competent, going out with Ainosuke would make his master a laughing stock. Ainosuke isn't aware of how many eyes are always looking at him. Some of the families on the list that he was given were hopeful that one of them will be chosen. They already know that their daughter is a candidate. Tadashi sighs again and remembers Yuki. 

Yuki, Ainosuke's ex was supposedly from a rich family but why didn't the madams include his name there? Are they were still adamant about Ainosuke marrying an omega woman? The Shindo household, particularly its members follow strict rules, but every time he is reminded of this, Tadashi just feels anger bubble in his chest.

A white paper that stuck out from the middle of the book pile on his desk catches his attention. He took it. Upon reading the heading, Tadashi thought that he shouldn't forget his bill and call the management about mistakenly sending it to his workplace. 

There were a lot of things to do. He should sleep. Tadashi lays down on the bed and ends up remembering Ainosuke's kisses and his I love yous. Love is a fragile thing, while he believed his isn't, he was sure Ainosuke will be able to move on just fine. It's a bit painful but this was what he chose to do.

Tadashi tries to sleep but he can't. He remembers the charm that Ainosuke gave him and takes it. The charm was newly bought. He didn’t even remember when and how Ainosuke bought it without him knowing. The thought of Ainosuke choosing something like that made him smile. It fills Tadashi’s heart with a certain softness only reserved for Ainosuke. 

The charm’s purpose is to mark the person carrying it that he is already with an alpha. This way, other alphas won’t approach. Those charms are usually given by alphas to their omega partners. To Ainosuke's knowledge, Tadashi was a beta. Is there a possibility that he wasn’t entirely convinced Tadashi is a beta? Tadashi couldn’t help but wonder. He was close to disclosing his gender. Would it be better? Tadashi had no idea. Take and his doctor advised him to tell Ainosuke the truth. Not being able to predict how Ainosuke would react made it difficult for Tadashi to get the courage to tell him the truth. He has lived as a beta all this time. He was sure it would make no difference to others, but since he and Ainosuke are pairs, it was getting harder and harder for him to endure his heats. The only thing that has helped him manage it is medication. 

Tadashi puts the charm on his pillow. He closes his eyes and smells Ainosuke’s scent. This little charm can replace Ainosuke for now. 

----

"Tadashi?"

"It's me bocchan. It's Takahisa."

"Where is Tadashi?"

"He's in his room. Here drink some water. Does your head hurt? I just came by to check on you."

"You don't need to, it's 3 am."

"No worries I went out to drink a glass of water and decided to come here.

"What happened?"

"He said we can't go out.

"He said it'll only ruin my reputation. What will others say? Tadashi said that maybe I'm just stuck in the past."

"Well, you just love him, don't you? Maybe it's not you that is stuck in the past, maybe it's him."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone changes bocchan. Sweet dreams."

Takahisa went out of the room without clarifying what he meant. Ainosuke was baffled. 

As he pondered about what Takahisa said, Ainosuke noticed that his clothes were changed. He couldn't help but think it was Tadashi who helped him. He knows it would be awkward to meet from now on. However, he will not allow such a thing to stop him. Even though Tadashi rejected him, it didn't mean that he didn't care for him. Maybe if he worked a little harder it would work out. Maybe if he could figure out what Tadashi really thinks about him if his aunts and station in life are not counted, he could start from there. If he loves him too, then he would do everything to make their relationship work. 

Ainosuke remembered that Tadashi had a previous relationship. He wants to know if there was a possibility he was stuck on that person. Maybe he could help him finally let go somehow. 

He fixes his bed and makes his way to Tadashi's room. Usually, Tadashi locks his door when he sleeps alone, but today he must have forgotten it. Ainosuke entered the room. It was lit by the yellow lamplight on Tadashi’s desk. He walked to the desk to turn it off. When was about to turn the switch off, he saw a letter. Curious, he read the address on it, It seems like it was from the management of a condominium. When he read further, it wasn't from Tadashi’s place. So Tadashi has another apartment? That was a shock. He didn’t know Tadashi had such a property. He doesn’t look like someone who’s into that business. Ainosuke took note of the address. 

When he made his way to the bed, he couldn't help but feel a knot in his chest when he saw that Tadashi was holding the charm that he gave him.

----

Morning came. Tadashi was surprised he had a good night's sleep. He smelled the sweet scent of roses and found Ainosuke sleeping beside him. At the sight of Ainosuke’s sleeping face, Tadashi's heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. He didn't think that after his confession Ainosuke would come to him like this. Tadashi rolls in bed and stares at Ainosuke for a few seconds.

Time was up, he sighs, gets up, and goes on about his usual routine. 

That day he had to go check on the venue of Ainosuke's party. He informed Ainosuke about this. Ainosuke only acknowledged it. When Tadashi turned on his heels to go, Ainosuke followed him.

"Let me go with you."

He wanted to say Ainosuke didn't need to but stopped himself. Ainosuke seemed to be looking forward to seeing the place. As long as his master was in a good mood then all is good. After the rejection, he expected him to act cold and even a little bit mean towards him, but Ainosuke behaved just fine as if the rejection didn’t happen. It made Tadashi feel somewhat worried. 

The venue of Ainosuke’s party was a hall that featured a european interior. It fits well with Ainosuke’s love for european aesthetics. Tadashi stole a glance at Ainosuke and saw how impressed he was. Ainosuke loved the classic ambient of the venue and was smiling the whole time. They also checked other parts of the place. The rooms were lovely. His family will be staying at the venue overnight. Tadashi was booked a room but with how things were going, he was sure he will be sleeping in Ainosuke’s room when the time comes. Ainosuke didn’t say anything that was why he was wondering if he should tell Ainosuke that they should sleep separately this time around. Everyone in the mansion except the madams know about their sleeping arrangement. If they thought it was weird, there was no way to tell. No bad rumors spread when usually scandalous things will be whispered in the halls of the mansion. Everyone found it perfectly acceptable that Ainosuke sleeps in Tadashi’s room. Maybe the fact that they were childhood friends and necessarily got along helped in covering the true state of their relationship: more than friends but less than lovers. 

"It's beautiful. My Aunts are really going all out with this." Ainosuke comments enthusiastically. 

"They are. Everyone is excited for this party Ainosuke-sama."

"Are you excited too?"

Ainosuke moves close.

"Yes."

"I wouldn't be able to dance with you at the party." Ainosuke pauses and then adds, "Dance with me?"

He takes Tadashi's hand and kisses it. 

“Well?”

Tadashi smiles a faint smile. Ainossuke puts his hand on Tadashi’s waist and they glide across the room.

"Wow in fairness you're good at this."

"I just know the steps. This is my first time doing this."

When Tadashi said that, he accidentally stepped on Ainosuke's foot.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry!"

Ainosuke took Tadashi's hand and he wrapped his arms around him for a slow dance.

"It's okay.”

Tadashi burrows his head against Ainosuke’s shoulder. They both danced in each other’s arms. A blush was painted over Tadashi’s sensitive ears. The smell of roses fills their lungs. 

"I love you," Ainosuke whispers into Tadashi’s ear. 

“I’ll tell you over and over again until you love me back.”

"Ainosuke-sama… at least meet with them, the people on that list."

"If I feel like it."

"When will that be?"

"If you tell me the person you're involved with before."

Tadashi fell silent.

"I’m curious to know who’s this person who managed to win your heart."

Tadashi was hesitant to say anything but he needs to clarify it wasn't a loving relationship.

"Our relationship is not what you think it is Ainosuke-sama. If possible I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Ainosuke remembered what had happened before and connected the dots.

"I see… I'm sorry."

"Oh please don't apologize! It's my fault for not clarifying earlier."

Both didn’t want their time together to end, but it was time to go back. 

When they were about to enter the car, someone was running towards them at full speed. The person crashed into Tadashi. The force wasn’t strong enough to make Tadashi fall. Instead, the woman tripped. Fortunately, Tadashi caught her in time. Ainosuke who was beside him was shocked. A strong scent filled his nose, making him wrinkle his brows. The woman was emitting strong pheromones. It was just the same as the usual scent he could smell from omegas. He didn't particularly like this scent because when omegas are in heat, their scent is particularly strong. It is always heavy on the lungs, sort of like when you inhale smoke.

"Help." The woman seems delirious. She was panting and sweating hard and mumbling things. 

"Where is your suppressant?"

The woman didn’t respond. Tadashi tried searching for it, but he couldn’t. When it seems that the woman finally collected herself, she responded, 

"It fell. I was running runaway. Someone was chasing me and then my heat started."

They were able to get her brother’s number. He was contacted. Tadashi sat the girl down on a bench a few meters away from the venue. Ainosuke waited in the car while Tadashi tended to the woman.

Pitying the girl who was suffering, Tadashi took out his suppressant and injected it into the girl.

"Do you feel better now?"

As the heat recedes, the woman feels a little bit better. 

"You're an omega?"

Tadashi nodded.

“My boss contacted your brother already. What happened?”

“I don’t know. It’s broad daylight but I felt someone was following me so I run away.” 

Tadashi saw red spots on the woman’s hand. When the woman noticed that Tadashi was staring at her hand, she covered it. 

"Thank you very much. Sorry for the trouble.”

“Your drinking too many heat suppressants. Are you perhaps…”

“Heats are hard for paired omegas whose partners have abandoned them. Unfortunately, I am one of them. My partner has successfully cut off her bond with me, but unfortunately, on my end, I’m still bound to her. Cruel isn’t it? Not only that, but I think she also sent that person who’s following me.

“My family told me not to pair up, but I loved her so much that I agreed. I didn’t think it would end this way.

“You have faint ones too. Are you the same as me? Before long, we will be left with nothing but a barren womb and a failing heart. So much for choosing love right?”

It was the first time Tadashi felt he could relate to someone. Living as a beta did not allow him to have encounters like this. This is the first time he told his gender to another human being apart from his family and Take.  

From the car, Ainosuke called for Tadashi. Tadashi’s conversation with the woman got interrupted. Ainosuke asked him to buy some drinks and snacks for the three of them while they wait for the brother to arrive. When Tadashi went, Ainosuke went to speak to the woman.

She was bashful. 

"Thank you very much, sir!"

"I saw him inject you with something…"

"Ah that, he gave his suppressant. I’m grateful."

Suppressant? Ainosuke found it odd. How did Tadashi get a hold of an omega’s suppressant? Curious, Ainosuke pressed on, “What did he say to you?”

The woman stared at Ainosuke. 

“Are the two of you,” The woman continued, paused, and then smiled.

When he was going to ask again, Tadashi came running back.

After a short while, the girl's brother arrived. They thanked Ainosuke and Tadashi profusely.

While Tadashi finished his tasks for the day, Ainosuke couldn't help but think about what the girl said. Tadashi shouldn't have suppressants. Sure, it was not Ainosuke's because an alpha suppressant has different components from that of an omegas. Things were getting more and more suspicious.

That day Ainosuke finally decides to the reports he has been postponing on reading. He wasn't expecting the things he will soon find out. 

[ihopethisendswell]

The part where you get basic info on my Pokémon oc's so you don't get confused when I post about them.

This is gonna be a long post. I have like 8 total. 16 if your counting the secondary protags (my version of May and Lucas for example,which I won't be going over in detail cause I'm not insane). Might want to check my timeline 9 it's pinned or just check bulbapedia if your confused about the ages. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I hope you enjoy :)

Name :Jin Amachi

Gender: " I am nonbinary. I they/ them pronouns, but I'm alright with he/ him as well.

Age:

12( when started journey in Hoenn( Emerald)

22 by SM/USUSM

26 by SWSH

Basic info: With all things said and done, Jin is grateful for their journey. They learned a lot, even if they had to stop two extreme environmentalist along the way. They know the two meant well, but it's just too bizarre for it to happen. Though the two seem to be in a better place now. They're happy for them. They're father and them talk more now. It's still awkward, but better. They know he's trying his best, and they will do the same. It's much better than back then. But no need to worry about the past.

If anything, they're more worried about the others.

Kenji Elm

Gender: " I'm getting sudden dejavu. But I'm a boy! The best boy! Don't call me a girl, I will cry. And because I'm not one! So don't. Anyway have you heard of-" * starts to ramble*

Age:

10 when journey started in Johto( HGSS)

17 by SM

21 by SWSH

Basic Info: Kenji Elm is not the biological son of Professor Elm. He was adopted at a young age, and he doesn't know who is birth parents. Not that he cares. He's more than happy with the family he got( though he wonders when they'll throw him away like his parents did). Energetic and always willing for an adventure, Kenji is generally on the move!( He's so sorry if he's being annoying please don't leave please)

He has a vast amount of interests, but his two favorites are painting and battling. Battling is obvious, he's the champion of the Indigo League, but he always had an artistic eye. But his favorite pastime is hanging out with his friends! When he gets the time of course. He's sometimes wonder how he was able to hold the title of champion for so long though haha ( his win was a fluke he knows it he knows it) .But yeah! That's Kenji! Always there with a smile! Our little golden boy! 😁

Name: Danica Yamamoto

Gender: "I'm a girl. She/her pronouns. They/ them is cool too. Don't mind Kenji, he talks a lot." *Offended Kenji noises in the background*

Age:

11 when journey started in Sinnoh( Platinum)

18 by SM)

22 by SWSH

Basic Info: Giratina and Arcues are quite alike, the more she thinks about it. Though, the rest if Sinnoh, quite possibly the whole world would disagree with her. Giratina is " the lord of darkness". It's followers have a history of not being....the best. Giratina resides alone in the Distortion World, paying for it's past sins. Clearly, Giratina and Arcues are nothing alike.

Hm? Oh. Right. Pardon.

Danica grew up in Twinleaf town, with her best friend Barry. Those two are almost polar opposites. Barry is always moving, going fast, and doesn't wait for no one( except Danica and Emmet). Danica can go fast, possibly faster than Barry, but likes to take things slow. Both can be quite chaotic.Barry has a bit of a temper, Danica's chill. Both are cases where you should run when they are angry. Like. Very angry. The two bounces of each other well,and hang out regularly with Emmet, even with their busy professions ( Danica as champion, Barry as Frontier Brain and Emmet as a professor). Danica loves baking, and would often be making poffins and other baked treats for her, her pokemon and others ! She's also a bit of a nerd, so you'll also find her in a library or two. Her pokemon are her babies, and she hopes to have plenty of battles with them in the future!

.....

But really. They are quite alike. Both are beings of great power. Both have a following, even if one is less seen. Both are feared. They are feared greatly. Do they fear each other? Did Arcues banish Giratina in fear of the world or in fear of losing control? Did Giratina learn it's lesson after eons of being in the Distortion World? She could never tell. It doesn't really open up much, only going back to said Distortion World on its own Accord( it felt wrong to be it's "owner"). Though it do comes back, surprisingly. Maybe because she asked it to. To make sure Cyrus doesn't die in there. He still won't come out. She doesn't understand why. It's been years. Has he learned his lesson? Giratina seems to be fond of him. Affectionate. Cyrus never objects to this. So he must right? Right?

Ah, getting off topic. They're quite alike, being feared by the masses. Even if Arcues is mostly beloved. It's a god. It has such power. They're both feared. They themselves must fear as well . It must get lonely....... She thinks she gets Cyrus now.

Name: Alexis " Alex" Jones

Gender: " Um, hi? I'm just a dude. Use he/ him pronouns.....yeah"

Age:

14 when journey started in Unova( BW)

18 by SM

22 by SWSH

Basic info: It's so funny, the more he thinks about. He was so excited, despite his worries. He was going on a journey. A gym challenge. Pathway to champion. He was going to do that! With his sister and his friends! On his birthday! It was perfect! It should have been perfect! But everything just went wrong.

The bodies, the blood, the pressure to " be a hero"( intentional or not), it was all too much. Too much. Then- then he was a coward. He fled it all. Even after saving the day. It was stupid. So stupid. And the people in his life had a right to be angry. Why wouldn't they? He deserved it, really. But now things are better(?). He has a daycare to co-run, he's gradually learning his way as a pokemon medic, and he still has his pokemon( the ones that were lucky enough to survive). He's so grateful for them. He doesn't battle, though. No, he's never doing that ever again. He's caused enough harm( he hates how he stares at trainers battling). He's no good anyway( he hates how bored his team looks half the time) . He doesn't understand why people insist that he is( he hates that he has this itch, this desire). He doesn't understand why they look so disappointed when he says he doesn't battle anymore( he hates that he misses the rush, the strategy, the freedom of it all). He's fine with what he got. He's no hero.

.....Why is his aunt calling him?

Name: Evangeline " Eva" Ortiz

Gender: " Hiya! I'm a lovely lady! I use she/her pronouns, please and thank you!"

Age:

14 when journey started ( B2W2)

16 by SM

20 by SwSh

Basic Info: Eva! Eva my Beloved. Eva's fun, y'know? Always moving, helping, laughing, smiling. Life of the party! She rivals Kenji with that winning smile. Not to mention that she's a great battler! It's almost like she was born for this. Maybe she is! Who knows. But what she do know is that she's Unova's Champ and she gotta defend her title! And protect her region! Though she probably would have done that without the title anyway haha! Hmm what else? Oh! She loves technology! For some reason that surprises a lot of people that don't really know her, but she does! She's a bit of a tinkerer if she do say so herself. She likes it when people compliment on her skills it makes her more confident in them. Even Col-

No.

....

Ahem.

Anyway she's pretty talented. But that comes from a lot of hard work! And luck. But lots of hard work.( And also luck). Aaaah, that should that's it? Well, she does tend to be distant, b-but she's busy, yeah? Don't worry about it. Oh! One more thing. It's not really a big deal, just a random fact.

She hates the cold.

Name Jude Bellrose

Gender: "...... Why do you care ?" ( E: Jude don't be rude! Al: No no, she has a point.) *Ooc: Jude is genderfluid. Right now, in this post, she's using she/ her pronouns, but she also uses he/him and they/them*

Age:

18 when journey started in Kalos( XY)

20 by SM

24 by SwSh

Basic info: Death has a way of teaching you things. Jude learned a lot from it. She learns to not take it for granted, both death itself and the one that is dead.She learns to be humble. She learns to be kind.

Jude was, and still is, prickly. She's not rude my any means, unless she is, but she's just hard to become friends with. She used to have this philosophy of trainer and pokemon; they should be no emotional bonds. They're not here for that. They're here to win. And she did. Until she didn't. Her first pokemon died. It devastated her. Her pokemon, surprisingly, comforted her. And then another one died, and her pokemon comforted her again. Star, her Staraptor, was strong. So strong, and yet it died, and she cried and get pokemon cried with her. She never felt so loved. Not saying that her mother doesn't love her, the opposite really, it's just things have been....complicated. Couple that with strangers turn( begrudgingly) friends, and Jude's heart turned all warm inside. Not that she'll ever admit that outloud.

Jude is a kind person, despite her prickly nature. She loves the world around her, loves her friends, loves her pokemon. She respects death, despite the pain she causes her. The world itself of beautiful as it is, which it's such a shame that a capitalist fool a certain someone couldn't see that way( poor Sycamore).

Jude is a good trainer, despite her loss. She knows this. She'll prove it too the moon and back. If only a certain someone thought the same for himself.

Aster Mahina

Gender: "...." "Mizzz Aster is a girl! She uses she/her pronouns! Zzt."

Age:

11 in SM, where her journey started

15 by SwSh

Basic Bio: Aster doesn't hate Kanto. She doesn't. She was born there and lived there for 11 years. She just doesn't want to back. But she has to, cause she's " the first champion of Alola and as champion" yada yada yada. Like. She gets it. Being Alola's first and currently only champion, you gotta make an impression. She gets that. She still doesn't want to go. Even when she's been there, like, 4 times now. There are some good things in Kanto though. Lillie is there. And seeing Lillie physically is always a plus. She also gets to see Uncle Red, Uncle Green, and Aunt Blue. Kenji, while not living in Kanto, is champion of the Indigo League, and it's always fun with Kenji( she loves his art). But. Like. She still doesn't want to go.

But she also likes being Champion. That means she's strong. And since she's strong she can protect her mom. But she can't protect her mom when she's all the way in Kanto! What if he comes back? What if goes to Alola when she's away? She knows that her mom is strong, she knows that but still!

No. No it's okay. Her mom is strong. Lillie is strong. Gladion is strong . Hau is strong. Guzma is strong. They're all strong. She's strong.

She is strong.

Name: Naomi Einar

Gender: "I-I'm a girl! She/her pronouns please!"

Age:

15 in SWSH, which is the start of her gym challenge in Galar!

Basic Info: Hop is pretty convincing, she realizes. Or maybe she's very weak willed. " Let's do the gym challenge together!" He said. He had that look in his eye. She couldn't say no. Or she could, but that would make him upset, and that's the last thing she wants.

If she's being honest with herself, she's scared. She doesn't like big crowds, the attention. They'll be so many eyes on her. So many. A-and then there's Lee and her cousin, Alexis. Hop has made her sit down and watch almost every single match Leon has had. He's an amazing trainer. A-and her mum would tell her stories about Alexis. He was a hero! He stopped an evil team and everything! She can't live up to that! She never even battled before, why would Hop-

No. It's okay. It's okay. She- she'll just quite after failing the first gym. She can handle the embarrassment. And then she'll cheer Hop on when he wins against his brother. Yep. She'll do just that. Okay. Okay.

.....

Everyday, Slumbering Weald seem to intrigue her more and more. It's almost like it's calling her. Da?

No. It- it'sprobably nothing.

[electrickoushi]

cook me up some love

a/n: my first work in my valentine’s series! i literally wrote this at 6am because i woke up and couldn’t sleep, so if something doesn’t make sense.... please ignore haha. thank you for reading :) 

pairing: miya osamu x suna rintarou tags: fluff, like 4 suggestive lines, the word kink twice at the end wc: 1.7k 

Rintarou can’t remember when or why he agreed to working as the cashier at Onigiri Miya on Valentine’s Day, yet here he is, ringing couples up who are actually getting the chance to enjoy their special day. Naturally, his sour mood doesn’t go unnoticed by Osamu though, who had planned a special surprise for his boyfriend all along.

The restaurant smelled like spices and ingredients and whatever the hell else Osamu put into his cooking.

Rintarou clicked the button on the register with his index finger to open and close the drawer with a ding each time. His face rested on his hand, squishing his cheek and molding his expression into one of pure boredom.

“Excuse me.”

Rintarou looked up to find a couple waiting to pay for their meal. He wordlessly took the receipt, entered the total, took their money or swiped their card, gave them their change if they had any, stabbed the receipt onto the pointy thing, gave them another receipt, wished them a Happy Valentine’s Day, and returned to playing with the register.

This happened countless times until Rintarou felt the angry eyes of his boyfriend on his back. He gulped. Everyone knew you didn’t mess with Osamu when it came to his cooking and restaurant.

“Rin, please stop that. I've had multiple customers complain about you.”

At least he’s still using a nickname, which means I can’t be in too much trouble.

“Sorry.” He clicked it again, the register drawer flying open.

“Rintarou!” Osamu growled.

Oh, he was in for it now.

Osamu was already sweaty and stressed from being the head chef of the kitchen. His boyfriend’s antics that were driving away customers was just the cherry on top to an already difficult evening.

“You, watch the register,” Osamu snapped. “I need to have a talk with Suna here.”

Oh God, last name basis. That’s bad.

He dragged the faux cashier into the storage room where they wouldn’t be bothered and Osamu could properly yell at him without disrupting the customers.

At least, that’s what Rintarou thought.

Instead, when Osamu shut the door, he turned around and hugged Rintarou.

“I’m sorry for making you work tonight. I know you’d rather be at home, watching a movie or something.”

Rintarou was surprised but wrapped his arms around Osamu’s shoulders. “I just want to be with you. I hate seeing all these couples enjoying their Valentine’s Day while you’re stuck in the kitchen. I hardly ever get to see you.”

Osamu kissed his boyfriend’s cheek, taking in a whiff of his cologne. He ran a hand through Rintarou’s brown hair and felt him soften at the touch. “I know, but I have a surprise for later tonight. Didn’t you wonder why I decided to close early on such a profitable night?”

“Nine is considered early?”

“For a day like this, yes. So just work a few more hours for me and then we close, and I’ll have your surprise all ready. Can you do that?”

Rintarou found himself nodding along, enjoying the way Osamu’s hand felt running along his scalp and his hot breath tickling his ear. Osamu’s other hand was rubbing small circles on his waist.

“You know,” Rintarou started, grabbing his boyfriend’s hand to lead it higher. “I think it’s pretty soundproof in here, as in no one would hear us if we just-”

“Shit, I forgot I have something on the stove. Okay, see you later!” Osamu kissed him once more, this time on the lips, and shut the door behind him.

Rintarou gaped, realizing he just got played for the fool he was. Like a child, he was placated by the promise of a surprise. And to think, he believed he got the less evil twin.

Rintarou stepped out of the storage and resumed his position as cashier. The dinging stopped now that his mind was focused on something else. Namely, being fucked in the storage room of a restaurant owned by his boyfriend.

“Sir, can we pay now?”

God, he really needed to stop spacing out.

“Yeah, sorry.” He rang them up and told them to have a good night.

Every so often, Osamu would come out of his kitchen and check on Rintarou. It was under the guise of affection but he knew that Osamu was just making sure he wasn’t aggravating any more customers.

It was 8:45 when Osamu had flipped the sign and told the hostess to stop letting people in. Hopefully that would mean people would leave relatively soon, but some stayed until they were explicitly told to get out by an employee. That was Rintarou’s favorite part of the job.

The fifteen minutes passed by so slowly that Rintarou started to think the clocks were broken. He missed Osamu.

Yikes, when did I start sounding like such a simp?

Only one couple was left, and they had been sitting there for a good hour. Rintarou would know because when he got bored with playing with the register, he would people watch. This couple in particular seemed to be in a brand new relationship, the stage where you asked surface level questions and gave surface level answers.

By 9:05, Osamu walked past Rintarou at the counter and towards the couple.

“Hello, we are closed now, and I see that you two have finished. I hope you enjoyed your meal. If you could just pay and leave please, I would greatly appreciate that.”

“We wanted to order dessert,” the woman said, looking at the desert menus posted on each table.

“The kitchens are closed.”

The man interjected, “You’re the head chef, right? The Miya that runs this place. Can’t you just whip something up? It shouldn’t take that long.”

“Like I said, sir, the kitchens are closed.”

Rintarou watched the exchange. He knew his boyfriend could handle it since he’s dealt with so many rude customers over the months. That didn’t mean Rintarou liked seeing his boyfriend get stepped on though. Being nice and polite was very much an Osamu thing, but Rintarou never believed in such diplomacy.

He got up and walked towards the table. “Get out.”

Osamu and the couple looked at Rintarou.

“How rude. Are you going to let your employee talk to me like that? He should be fired,” the man said, glaring at Rintarou.

The brunette wasn’t fazed. He just glared back, using the same stone-cold expression he used to intimidate his opponents on the court.

“He’s right. Get out of my restaurant and don’t ever come back again,” Osamu sneered, fed up with their behavior. They had no right to treat Rintarou like that, or himself, for that matter.

The couple shuffled out of their booth and walked away, the woman’s heels clicking on the ground. Osamu rolled his eyes and took their dishes.

“Sorry they didn’t pay,” Rintarou said. If he hadn’t butted in, Osamu might have gotten somewhere with them, but patience was never his strong suit.

“It’s fine. I’m glad you got them to leave.”

Rintarou followed Osamu as he walked back into the kitchen and dumped their dishes into a giant sink. He rolled up his sleeves before spraying the food off them and slotting them into their giant industrial dishwasher. Rintarou felt like he should help, but he just watched, enamored with the simple action of his boyfriend doing dishes.

A few minutes later, the hostess came up to Osamu and said something in his ear. Rintarou didn’t even realize she was still here. He couldn’t hear what they said over the running water, but it must have been something important since Osamu nodded and dried his hands. He shut the water off and smiled at Rintarou.

“Close your eyes.”

“I do not want to run into a hot stove and die.”

Osamu slapped two hands over Rintarou’s eyes. “Walk forward. It’s literally a straight line from here.”

Rintarou did as he was told. He was led to a table by his boyfriend who was grumbling about how he walked at the pace of a grandpa.

Osamu removed his hands, and Suna blinked rapidly to adjust to the lighting. He looked up to find Osamu with his apron on and a pad of paper in hand. The table was set for two, even though neither of them needed a menu.

“Hello, welcome to Onigiri Miya. My name is Osamu, and I’ll be your server today. Can I get you started with a drink?”

Rintarou cracked a smile. “Osamu…”

“Since you won the boyfriend lottery, everything’s on the house today and will be cooked by yours truly.”

Well he wasn’t going to say no to that.

Osamu bent down, briefly shedding his character. “You want your regular?” he asked, tucking the pen and paper away.

Rintarou nodded and Osamu stood back up. “That’ll be right up, sir.”

The nice hostess brought him a glass of water while Osamu worked his magic in the kitchen. Rintarou sipped on his water before getting up and changing the music on the speakers since he had boyfriend privileges.

The cheery pop music shut off and was replaced with his and Osamu’s shared playlist. Arctic Monkeys floated throughout the restaurant.

Sitting back down, Rintarou waved goodbye to the hostess. She waved back and wished him a Happy Valentine’s Day.

Only a few seconds later, Osamu came out with two plates of steaming food. He set the plates down before sitting down himself.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Rin,” Osamu smiled before shoving a ginormous bite of rice into his mouth.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Samu.”

They ate and talked happily, remarking on various customers and incidents that happened during the day. Drinks spilled on tables, people dined and dashed, minor fires that almost burned the entire place down started in the kitchen, the usual really.

After they ate more than enough leftover heart-shaped cookies, Osamu cleared their plates and dumped them in the sink, deeming them a problem for tomorrow.

He did some owner stuff that Rintarou never bothered to understand before shutting the lights off in the kitchen.

“How’s the storage room looking?” Rintarou asked, side eyeing his boyfriend.

“We can just go home, you know. Or is it a kink thing?”

Rintarou admitted unabashedly, “It’s definitely a kink thing. Put your apron back on. I’ve dreamt of this moment for a good four hours now.”

Osamu shoved the keys back into his pocket and dropped his bag on the closest chair. He dug his dirty apron out, letting his boyfriend drape it over his neck.

“Suna Rintarou, you sure are something else.”

[jafreitag]

Grateful Dead Monthly: Gaelic Park – New York, NY 8/26/71

Fifty years ago today, on Thursday, August 26, 1971, the Grateful Dead played a concert at Gaelic Park in New York City.

Gaelic Park is located at West 240th Street and Broadway, five miles north and east of Yankee Stadium, in the Bronx. In 1926, the Gaelic Athletic Association purchased it to host the Gaelic Games. What are Gaelic Games? I’m a sliver Irish (just learned that a few years ago from a cousin who did some DNA stuff), but I didn’t know about such games until I asked the Google machine. Here you go, from the Wiki:

“Gaelic games (Irish: Cluichí Gaelacha) are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Women’s versions of hurling and football are also played: camogie, organised by the Camogie Association of Ireland, and ladies’ Gaelic football, organised by the Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association. While women’s versions are not organised by the GAA (with the exception of handball, where men’s and women’s handball competitions are both organised by the GAA Handball organisation), they are closely associated with it.”

Some to unpack there. What’s Gaelic football? It’s basically rugby. (The rules are probably way different, but this is a music blog, so don’t judge.) And hurling? Rugby with a small ball and sticks that look like sporty pizza paddles. (Again, don’t judge.) Gaelic handball? Racquetball, except you use your hands and you’re outside, not in some bougie health club from the ’80s. Finally, rounders? It’s actually alot like baseball. Pretty cool.

Why were the Dead there? A 9/2/71 piece in the Village Voice by Carman Moore, now archived on the Grateful Dead Sources blog, said that Gotham promoter Howard Stein, a Bill Graham competitor who booked the Dead to play at the Cap Theater in Port Chester, NY and the Academy of Music in NYC, had turned “the drab little Riverdale soccer field … into a summer rock mini-festival.” (Check out the poster above.) Moore’s writing has an early-70s sizzle, and he refers to his colleague, now-legendary rock scribe Robert Christgau. Here’s an excerpt:

“Last week’s Grateful Dead concert up at Gaelic Park was a usual Dead session, meaning that the band-to-fan-to-band electro-chemical process for which rock music is famed was on like high mass at Easter. Although I think I know most of the time what they are doing musically (Christgau will like this notion); I don’t quite understand them electro-chemically. Like the New York Knicks of two seasons ago, they can do excellent things together though they are not a group of deathless superstars. Garcia gets his songs across, but he can’t sing, and Bob Weir’s voice rises to about average…maybe better when he gets to screaming and the music sweeps him along. I still find it difficult to recognize the Dead songs that aren’t “Truckin'” or “St. Stephen” one from the other. I am not one of their fans, but seem to be one of their admirers. Their music speaks in a special language to their live listeners, and that language has the vocabulary of everybody else, but a convoluted syntax all its own. The note sequences are not completely dependent upon musical factors but are also dictated by how involved the band feels and also upon what kind of heat the audience is giving off. I’m trying to get to some essences of this thing.

The drama of a Dead concert revolves around the fact that wherever the band plays they know that a certain number (several tons) of their partisans will be there and that their crowd knows the Dead potential to excite them, but they also know that the Dead may not get into gear until the crowd begins to apply some heat, and so forth. Both parties also know that the concert will be long enough and informal enough for anything to happen on either side of the footlights, and so audiences improvise (smoke, go to the hot dog stand, kiss and snuggle, cheer, dance, listen like star-struck fools) just like their musician friends on stage (who play light and funny for awhile, retire backstage awhile, stand around, or get lost in a piece and turn on the heavy jets). Like good lovers, the Grateful Dead know the secrets of good foreplay, taking your time, surprising the partner for awhile, and then just reacting for a spell.”

The timing of the show seems odd. The band was on the East Coast in July, but began August back in Cali – LA, SD, Berkeley – before a three-night run at Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theater. Then they trekked back to NYC. Our resident Deaditor ECM explains that aspect: “This show was supposed to be played the day before the Yale Bowl concert on July 30, but some issues with the equipment trucks and/or weather prevented it from happening from the scheduled date. There are a few stories on the web about people who didn’t get the message (no twitter back then!) and dropped some acid only to show up to an empty stadium. Haha!”

Moore said that the show reminded him of “a high school stadium I used to know – low stands, unfulfilled infield grass, mud holes here and there, beer sold at one end in some quantity.” He continued:

“The formal shape of the concert was a general crescendo, light at the beginning and heavy-groovy at the end – not a shooting-star, call-the-law finale, just a heightened physical-emotional climate…the goods delivered as promised…sort of like good preaching in a church known to be a happy place. I did not enjoy their country-westernish opening tunes; maybe they didn’t either, because the pieces were awfully short. But by the three-quarter mark they had involved themselves, the crowd, and me too.

First they got the rhythm engaged and finally, courtesy of Jerry Garcia’s lead and interplays with Lesh and Weir, they went into the soloing and jamming which are the real magic music territory of this band. Much is made of the Dead soloists, but it became clear to me by last Thursday that bassist Phil Lesh plus those two drummers create the atmosphere that makes the Dead thing possible. The drummers were exceptionally understated, but Lesh kept bopping and thrumming away, heavily at all times, until his patterns were consistently getting the other players off. In the middle of “St. Stephen” there was a special coming together: Lesh had found a nice ambiguous but compelling set of licks; Garcia eased into a solo; Weir strummed a cross-time lick over all of it; it built; it quieted; Garcia started to play strange classical kind of lines; the drums dropped out; the audience got quiet; nothing at all could be predicted for a minute or so; then Lesh began to grope his way out with two chords and rhythms which began to regularize; audience began to jump and then to clap; guitars began to straighten out; the band came home to the cheers of the fans. Good music-making. The listener goes home without a little tune to whistle, but he hears music. As if they were finishing off some personal solos based over the last riffs heard, the fans went out of Gaelic Park without a thousand encores and without a lot of fuss on the streets outside.

It’s all very interesting, surprising, and I guess mystifying as before. All I know is that the Dead, or their fans, or the combination of both lure you into planning to return when they’re all assembled and back in town again.”

Apparently, there was some grief about bootlegs at this show. The GD Sources blog has a post that archives a 10/6/71 piece by the excellently-handled Basho Katzenjammer (Basho, the 17th Century Japanese haiku master; Katzenjammer, the German word for hangover) that gripes about an army of 200# “muscle freaks” at the direction of tour manager Sam Cutler liberating a handful of tapes from 100# weakling Johnny Lee. It’s a truly fun read. An excerpt:

“The biggest piece of shit spewing from Cutler’s mouth is about the reasons the Dead have for being so pissed off: they don’t like the quality (remember Garcia’s line in “I Got No Chance of Losin”? He says, “I’m only in it for the gold.” Yeah, music has a way of being more honest than the artist intends it to be at times…) The “quality”? Anyone who has bought a bootleg recently will know and agree that the bootleg stereo album called “Grateful Dead” is one of the best underground products yet. The tape was taken from a concert the group did at Winterland, on the coast a few months back. Yeah, Garcia fucks up a bit on “Casey Jones,” and Pigpen’s ego may have been deflated a bit by his voice coming over poorly on “Good Loving” but that was a concert. You do a concert and you stand by your performance, good or bad. That’s show business.

This effete artistic bullshit doesn’t matter anyway … When you’re out to get all the money you can out of your gigs, like the Dead seem to be (like all the groups seem to be) you might be accused of being a bit piggish; when you use strong-arm shit to insure that you get every last penny that you deserve — by making Amerikan standards — you are a Pig. Jerry Garcia, is that you?

Nobody buys that anti-bootleg shit about the artistic integrity of the artist in saying what goes out. One, you stand by your performance; two, even if you don’t want to, Jerry, somewhat, and say “all your private property is fair game for your brothers (especially when they sell records of concerts that don’t compete with coming releases) and your brother (who’s gonna continue to dig you as we live off your comets we’re gonna keep ripping you off because it is possible. As simple as that.” If you and Cutler and Stein continue your shit, though, we’ll just have to sing the song the same old way, you guys being put in the position of being the same old reactionary establishment that we’re all ripping off. It’s all around. You break your back playing gigs for ten years and suddenly success is staring you in the face. Bread: lots and lots of bread. You turn your back on your poor, ripping ’em off roots and start to tighten up. You’re in the biggest rip-off industry around, but no one cares as long as they’re having fun.

Money. That’s the whole story, isn’t it? If these were other times, in another land under a different set of rules maybe you could justifiably complain about the people who want to give your recorded performances out free because you didn’t screen them and pick out the sections you didn’t like and do them over for the cat, ’cause no one charges for their music, and because the means of production belong to the people, and they can turn out all the good sounds they can, and you have a natural right to screen all releases. But we’re here. Now. You guys are making millions — or soon will be. Money is power, especially as the concept of money is crumbling nation-wide and power freaks like Stein are cornering the market on it. The channels that the green-power the Dead bring in travel aren’t the healthiest for the generations of revolution to come. Stein is one of these hopeful images of a freak with a chance to change things positively gone sour, who uses all his power to consolidate his power; who’ll go to any extremes to insure the natural expansion of that power. Fuck him. Fuck you.”

Speak, Basho! Quaint that the beef about bootlegs back then was sound quality, rather than copyright. Stuff got figured out at some point, I think. Like when Bobby shut down the LMA, lmao.

Ed featured part of this show in the 2016 edition of his epcot 31 Days of Dead project. Here are his listening notes, which are typically spot-on (and better than than the not-quite-on-the-bus commentary from Mr. Moore): 

“Less than three weeks after Pigpen’s definitive performance of Hard To Handle at the Hollywood Palladium (8/6/71), the Grateful Dead play the final date of their summer tour in 1971 at Gaelic Park in the Bronx. It will be Pig’s last show until December and the last time the band will ever perform in their original quintet configuration of Jerry, Phil, Pig, Billy and Bobby. By September, Keith will be rehearsing with the band to assume a full-time role on the keys. Perhaps anticipating his absence, Pigpen leads the band through 6 of his songs including the rarely-played Empty Pages and the last Hard To Handle. It is also one of the last performances of Saint Stephen, until the band revived it in 1976 with a major facelift, never to be played the same way again. When you consider these historical milestones along with the departure of Mickey Hart and the closings of the legendary Fillmore East and West earlier in the year it makes you realize that this concert carried a little more weight than anyone could have ever foreseen at the time. It truly was the end of a chapter in the life of the Grateful Dead. As you listen to each song you can’t help but feel a certain degree of nostalgia.

For me, the hidden gem of the show is the outstanding version of Uncle Johns Band. Jerry’s first guitar solo is an absolute joy to hear. His notes sing with irresistible melody and happy sunshine which perfectly capture the nostalgia of those carefree early years. If you listen closely you can hear Pigpen playing the wood claves.”

Speaking of Pig, this show features the second and final performance of Empty Pages. The NYS Music blog, which has a nice write-up of this show, describes it as a McKernan original that “pairs his traditional crooning style with a slow blues jam that’s nicely peppered with fiery guitar licks from Garcia. It’s a true rarity and a shame that the band wouldn’t be able to further develop this one.”

I feel like this was a try-hard post. It might be tl;dr, idk. Here’s the true goodness…

Transport to the Charlie Miller remaster of the soundboard recording HERE.

More soon.

JF

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[aurorawest]

can you also do a director's commentary on "Fool for You"? 🐠 this is one of my favs 🥰

Yeah! Thank you for asking about this one! Since it’s over 6k words I’ll just grab the interesting parts, I hope that’s okay! Link on AO3.

First of all, I will just say, I was shocked by the response to this fic. I wrote it for Froststrange Week earlier this year, and it was by far the fluffiest fic I wrote for that event. It’s one of the fluffiest things I’ve written ever. I was actually nervous to post it...and I’ve written some very dark stuff that didn’t even give me pause before hitting the post button on AO3, haha. But this one? I distinctly remember my palms getting sweaty (gross) and having to walk away from my computer after I posted it, because I was so freaked out. But people liked it! It was probably my most popular Froststrange Week fic.

Onto the fic...

Loki craned his head, staring upwards as the massive shark moved smoothly and silently through the water overhead. He’d never seen anything like it, despite his one thousand and sixty years in the universe. It moved off, disappearing over rocks dappled with slow, turquoise sunlight.

“It’s a whale shark,” Stephen informed him, staring down at an informational plaque posted along the walkway. Loki had read all of them so far, but he’d stopped dead in his tracks in the glass tunnel when he’d seen the shark, too awed by it to move. Ahead of them and behind them, the screams and excited voices of school groups echoed, but the two of them were in a lull between throngs.

The prompts for the day that I used were ‘firsts’ and ‘aquarium date.’ The aquarium part was a no brainer for me, because I head canon that Loki is a big nature lover, and that he particularly loves the ocean.

Rays sailed through the water alongside the shark. Those, Loki was more familiar with. They’d had them on Asgard. Extinct now, of course. All of Asgard’s species, all its plants, animals, insects, all of it, were extinct. It was a depressing thought.

Okay, well, this is a fluffy fic, but obviously I’m incapable of writing pure fluff. It’s Loki, so there has to be some angst.

Always prone to depressing thoughts, Loki was. He looked at the whale shark again, then at Stephen, leaning over the plaque and reading it—mostly for Loki’s benefit, so the two of them could talk about it. That made Loki’s heart swell. His sadness would always be with him, but his happiness sat next to it, bright and blinding. Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, Guardian of the New York Sanctum, human sorcerer and ridiculously, heart-poundingly beautiful man, was responsible for much of it.

Loki is really, really in love. And he can finally be free about admitting it.

Turning around, Stephen met Loki’s eyes and said, “So, the Georgia Aquarium was a good choice?”

In preparation to write this fic, I googled what the world’s best aquariums were. I knew the Georgia Aquarium was a big deal (both from living in north Florida for a time and just...being a person who likes zoos and aquariums), but I wanted to see if there were others. Obviously, Stephen can go anywhere, so for their first date, he would take Loki to the best of the best. The Georgia Aquarium does consistently appear at the very top of aquarium lists (others were Monterey Bay and one in...Dubai, I think?).

I spent a lot of time on the Georgia Aquarium’s website. It’s a huge place and has lots of different aquariums, so I had to choose the one they would spend most of their time at. The website has webcams on a lot of the aquariums, so I actually watched them while I was writing.

[...] This place made one want to learn about Earth’s oceans, which might make them less prone to destroying them. Since he’d taken up permanent residence on Earth, Loki had learned to love it—and he’d grown increasingly aware that humanity was rather short-sighted about the planet they lived on.

Loki the environmentalist.

Then again, somehow he doubted that if Hela had been better educated about Asgard’s mollusk population, she would have decided not to take over and kill everyone.

This line always makes me laugh.

[...] “Good,” Stephen said. “I figured you’d like it. But, you know. First date and everything. I wanted to get it right.”

The squirming in Loki’s stomach turned to a full explosion of butterflies. First date. Could two people have a first date when they’d already exchanged avowals of love? Hadn’t that been the first date? Or perhaps their first date had been years ago, without either of them quite knowing it?

It’s always a balance for me to write these fics that take place in the ‘future,’ as compared to where I am in the chronological writing of this verse. I just finished fic #6 in my series, which takes place in 2027. This fic takes place in 2030. The avowals of love Loki refers to hear is from the end of the last fic in the series, ‘The General Mess and Imprecision of Feeling,’ and is when the two of the officially get together. They unknowingly going on their first date years ago is a reference to the fact that the two of them have been doing date-like activities with each other for years, just with neither of them admitting it. One of my other fics for Froststrange Week is actually one of these instances (‘far away from here and closer to somewhere else,’ where they run into each other in Hong Kong and get drunk together). In fic #8 (which I’m working on now), they end up spending the day together in London. In fic #9, they spend a lot of Thor and Jane’s wedding together.

He craned his head up to stare at the top of the glass tunnel, 

They’re in the Ocean Voyager aquarium.

suddenly not knowing what to say, feeling as though he might make a fool of himself. A sea turtle swam by slowly, the underside of its shell gleaming like the moon. The truth was that he’d probably made a fool of himself in front of Stephen so many times that it no longer even registered to him.

Or maybe… Loki looked over at him. Stephen was watching him, a look in his eyes that made warmth spread through Loki. Maybe Stephen didn’t actually find Loki foolish. Maybe he never had.

The idea of Loki being a sentimental fool is something that pops up pretty constantly in my fics. Here, Loki is thinking of times he’s actually looked stupid in front of Stephen, real and imagined. He has the wherewithal to recognize that maybe a lot of them are imagined, and that even the real humiliations don’t make Stephen view Loki as a fool.

“How did you know I would like this?” Loki asked.

[...] “Remember the time we went to the Museum of Natural History?”

“Yes.” Loki raised an eyebrow at him. “You really played tour guide quite often, didn’t you?”

Giving Loki an amused look, Stephen said, “It seemed like the decent thing to do. I had royalty living at my house.”

[...] “Silly me,” Loki said. “I thought it might be because you had a bit of a thing for me back then.” Stephen shot him a crooked smile. It wasn’t agreement. But it certainly wasn’t denial, either.

Stephen definitely did have a thing for Loki back then. Loki had a thing for him, too. By the time Loki leaves the Sanctum, they’re in love with each other, though neither of them has quite realized it yet. Stephen realizes much sooner then Loki (surprise).

[...] If Loki was being honest, he’d been mildly terrified that he would arrive at the Sanctum and Stephen would do something—look at him in some way, speak to him in a way that was just a bit false—that Loki would know that Stephen had thought about it and decided that they’d made a terrible mistake and he was looking for a way to extricate himself from their new…relationship. Romance. Whatever it was.

This is Loki’s constant fear. It takes him a long, long time to stop worrying about it. It’s his fear with everyone, though. Boil Loki down to his bare essentials, and you get a giant heart and massive abandonment issues.

Loki snorted with laughter and then grinned at Stephen. “Your expression, honestly, Strange. I’ve seen you face far greater foes with much less fear.”

[...] Shrugging, Stephen said, “Kids. Not really my thing.”

“It’s not as though you need to bring them home.”

[...] “I enjoy the chaos that children cause.”

“You might be the only person here who’s enjoying the decibel level of that pack of kids,” Stephen said.

Loki actually really likes kids! And Stephen doesn’t at all.

Loki flashed a grin at him, thought about making a joke about having children, and then dismissed it. It would be a joke, because the last thing Loki wanted right now, possibly ever, was a child that he could pass all his hang-ups to. His own upbringing had been…a challenge. He doubted his ability to overcome it.

My main interest in the two of them ever having a child lies in exploring Loki’s issues with his own father.

[Stephen reveals his big surprise...is that he booked an aquarium sleepover] It was more than Loki didn’t know what to think. What was an aquarium sleepover? Sleeping here? They allowed people to do that? Had this cost extra money? Stephen didn’t have any money, so why would he spend extra on something like this?

You really can do aquarium sleepovers at the Georgia Aquarium! It’s actually not that expensive, but Loki knows that Stephen’s only income is a stipend from Kamar-Taj. Stephen has nothing at all left over from his pre-wizard days and he depends entirely on that stipend.

[...] The two of them continued through the aquarium, visiting each gallery in turn. Even though Loki was quite sure Stephen’s interest in all of this was limited, he never gave any indication that he was bored. He seemed, actually, entirely taken by Loki’s enthusiasm, and that was a feeling that Loki had certainly never experienced. 

I really tapped into that brand-new relationship feeling for this fic, haha.

The number of healthy romantic relationships that Loki had experienced was…pretty close to zero, so there had never been someone who had been interested both in sleeping with him and in seeing him enjoying his interests.

It actually is zero. Loki has never had a healthy romantic relationship. He’s hedging here because the romantic encounters he’s had that approach healthy count to him as relationships.

They ate dinner at the aquarium café, which was serviceable but nothing special. At least, the food was nothing special. It was the first time Loki and Stephen had eaten dinner together as a couple. Gods. Loki felt like an adolescent. He was eating a veggie burger and Stephen was eating chicken tenders, with drinks they’d filled themselves out of a fountain machine, and somehow it was the most romantic dinner he’d ever had. Stephen’s knee pressed against Loki’s under the table and he leaned forward like he couldn’t stand that the table top had put a couple feet of space between them.

In other words, Loki could have been eating just the ketchup packets that had been provided to him on his tray, and he would have been happier than he’d ever been in his life.

This is one of my favorite parts of the whole fic. Anyone who’s ever been crazy about a new romantic partner has had this experience, I think.

[Stephen conjures butterflies for the kids they encountered earlier] Suddenly, thousands of blue butterflies burst from within the half-spheres, swirling in a bright blue stream across the ceiling and amongst the children, whose delighted shrieks made their teachers wilt. The butterflies flitted, azure and lapis, iridescent, bobbing on air currents, until they turned to wisps of light and disappeared.

I rarely make use of the whole butterfly thing with Stephen, primarily because I tend to associate it with another Stephen ship (which is one of my NOTPs), but...it’s nice, right? I wanted to use it. A butterfly also appears in Doctor Strange, so it’s imagery that seems to be sort of associated with him.

[left alone in the gallery for their sleepover...] Loki looked around. “Shouldn’t there be other people here?” he asked.

Stephen looked immensely satisfied with himself. “Nope. We get the whole gallery to ourselves.”

Furrowing his brow, Loki asked, “How? Did you buy all the tickets?” This seemed as though it would have been exorbitantly expensive.

Still looking enormously pleased, Stephen said, “I might have played the Sorcerer Supreme card.”

“No one knows what the Sorcerer Supreme does.”

“Okay, fine. I said I was an Avenger.”

My head canon is that Stephen is pretty disdainful of the Avengers. He definitely doesn’t want to be part of the ‘team.’ He’s a loner by nature. Definitely the guy who hated group projects, because he was the one that got stuck doing all the work. This loner quality is something that Loki and Stephen have in common.

[...] Loki buried his nose in Stephen’s hair and breathed in his scent, his shampoo that smelled like sandalwood, the cologne he had definitely put on today, cedar and faintly citrusy. Norns, he smelled good.

Loki first associates the smell of sandalwood with Stephen in Sleight of Hand (it’s right at the end of chapter 12). His cologne makes an appearance in my fic ‘Afterimage,’ which is the fifth fic in my series.

[...] Loki took the sleeping bags from Stephen and undid the ties on them, which were knotted far too tightly for Stephen to loosen.

Stephen actually being affected by his disability is always important for me to include.

[...] Loki laughed. Maybe none of the other Masters thought Stephen was funny, but Loki had always found his sense of humor addictive, sly and surprising, and perfectly suited to Loki’s own.

This is a callback to Stephen’s and Wong’s exchange in Doctor Strange:

“People used to think I was funny.” “Did they work for you?”

[...] There were other things in the bag—a change of clothes for tomorrow, toothbrushes, toothpaste, some over-the-counter medications. When Stephen went to the bathroom to change, Loki snooped more thoroughly. Razor blade, shaving cream, nail clippers, a little bottle of mouthwash, a bottle of cologne. Loki decided to pop the cap open and smell that, then tried to tell himself that the feeling that washed over him could be described in some other way than ‘a swoon.’ There was nothing in the bag that implied Stephen thought they’d be doing anything tonight but sleeping.

I really love this because it’s really not particularly above board for Loki to snoop through Stephen’s bag...but it is a very Loki thing to do. And pretty human. Especially because he’s looking for condoms and lube. Of course he is! They’re spending the night together...are they Spending The Night Together?

[...] Stephen looked at the foot of empty space separating the two sleeping bags, then glanced up at Loki. “Are you comfortable with…” he began, then trailed off, before trying again, “I mean, do you want to be…further away…?”

“Do you?” Loki asked. When Stephen hesitated, Loki took a guess about what the honest answer was, then reached out and tugged Stephen’s sleeping bag until it was right next to his.

Stephen is big on enthusiastic consent. Loki is far more willing to take his chances and guess based on body language.

Eventually, they drew apart, and Loki couldn’t help suspecting it had something to do with the way Stephen seemed to be keeping his hips pulled back just a little. Temptation. If Loki reached down…

But no. Instead, he very deliberately folded an arm under his head, resting his head on his bicep. Stephen did something that looked like it was probably a clothing or anatomy adjustment to accommodate a situation, but Loki didn’t comment. Quite honesty, he had his own situation down there, and it just felt like good manners not to say anything.

I honestly have no idea what guys would do in this situation. Just guessing based on both of their personalities. Is a first date too soon to admit, ‘Hey, you just gave me a boner?’ It feels like it is?

Neither of them spoke for a minute or two. They simply stared at each other. Then, Stephen said gently, “I know you’re worried.”

“Worried?” Loki raised an eyebrow. “What do you think I’m worried about?”

Stephen’s gaze didn’t waver. “This.” When Loki pressed his lips together, Stephen added, “You think I’m going to change my mind. Right?”

No one has ever gotten Loki the way Stephen gets him. And Stephen is very patient, very gentle, and very like...you know when you pspspspsps and hold your hand out to a cat? That’s Stephen with Loki, haha.

[...] “The reasons are myriad, of course [for Loki’s insecurity]. I’ve made poor choices. But yes. In part, it’s because I’m…challenging. And people change their minds.”

Oh hey look, it’s the author projecting.

[...] But Loki was greedy. He didn’t want to say in a few months, or a few years, This was great while it lasted. 

There’s something kind of sad to me about the idea that Loki can’t even view his love for Stephen as an entirely good thing. He’s a sentimental fool, he’s overly romantic, he’s greedy. And if I wanted to go this route, I could easily make Loki very co-dependent in this relationship; it would be easy to turn it really unhealthy. But I don’t want to, haha. It makes sense that Loki would feel like he has to gorge himself on Stephen’s adoration of him, because he’s never really had this before, not from someone he wants to be with (other people have loved him, but he hasn’t loved them back).

He would already have to give it up too soon, because he would outlive Stephen by such a long time. And he already knew there would never be anyone else.

There isn’t. Stephen will die, and Loki won’t ever be with anyone else. Luckily for him, he gets Stephen back eventually.

Stephen leaned forward and kissed Loki softly; the most tender, most heartfelt kiss Loki had ever experienced. “Don’t worry,” he murmured, his lips warm against Loki’s.

It was difficult not to deepen the kiss, difficult not to kiss Stephen harder. He’d never needed anything to be true as much as he needed this to be true, or at least it felt like it. Don’t worry. But Loki always worried. All the good things in his life still felt so fragile, as though they could implode at any moment.

Though—he supposed he was getting better at not actively sabotaging them himself.

This is part of Loki’s arc in my fic. Stephen and he aren’t together until Loki heals in a lot of other ways. One of them is not trying to blow things up so he can control their destruction.

Thank you so much for asking!! Sorry for the delay in responding.

Fanfic Writers: Director’s Cut

[linskywords]

criminal-minds-fanfiction wrote a bunch of questions for authors that you’re supposed to let people ask you, buuuut I felt like answering all of them instead of doing my actual job this afternoon. 😄 Here we go:

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fanfiction?

Like 25 maybe? I started writing about a year after I started reading it. I had a fanfiction-deprived adolescence, y’all.

2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one?

The hockey boys pulled me in years ago and they haven’t let me go. I do sometimes write other things: I almost always participate in Yuletide, and I’ve actually written a bunch of Animorphs fic under a different name (ask me if you want to see it!). Mostly hockey RPF, though.

3) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.

Haha neither. Well, I guess OC’s, if I had to choose -- I don’t read or write reader inserts. But I tend to keep OC’s for original fiction.

4) What is your favourite genre to write for?

I was very confused about fic having genres before I realized this was probably referring to the genre of the canon works. Um...sports. :D

5) If you had to choose a favourite out of all of your multi chaptered stories, which would it be and why?

Don’t make me choose my favorite child. Um, probably the first wolfverse story -- I don’t know if it’s the best one, but I’m very grateful to it for starting the ‘verse!

6) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why?

None of them, if that’s an option. If I really had to choose...probably the Kirk/Spock fic I never finished even after uploading it to AO3 and promising to finish it this time. I still want to finish it!! But it would be the first to go.

7) When is your preferred time to write?

I don’t have a strong preference. Afternoon/evening. I like having multi-hour blocks, and I use the Forest app to keep me off my phone while I do it.

8) Where do you take your inspiration from?

Plot bunnies come from all over the place: random thoughts, memes, real-life conversations, suggestions from other fandom people. I tend to have a pretty strong “THIS IS A STORY I WANT TO WRITE” response when something grabs me the right way.

9) In your xxx fic, what’s your favourite scene that you wrote?

Haha this is probably why I’m not supposed to just answer all of these in order. XD I’ll answer for my current WIP: the scene where Geno kisses Sid for the first time. So soft. So angsty. 😈 (My own story has cursed me to love Geno. I am doomed.)

10) In your xxx fic, why did you decide to end it like that? Did you have an alternative ending in mind?

In general: I know how my stories are going to end when they start. Sometimes it does evolve a bit as I write. One thing I’d like to play with is including more of the main characters being together at the end of the story, instead of ending it at the moment when they get together; the latter makes sense from a tension perspective, but I’ve been finding when I read lately that I want more of the happy times at the end, so I’m going to try to move in that direction.

11) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?

Only for typos, I think.

12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why?

Ooooh. Either Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews. There’s something so compelling to me about Patrick’s fanon voice. And every love interest in every original story I try to write is Jonny.

13) Who is your least favourite character to write for? Why?

I...don’t really write about characters I don’t like? I wish Auston Matthews would shave his mustache.

14) How did you come up with the title for the xxx? - You can ask about multiple stories.

About fifty percent of the titles I come up with are desperate scrambles because I’ve got nothing. The other fifty percent I have a perfect song lyric for from the start.

15) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names?

I only write OC’s in original fiction, but: I’ve been phonebanking lately, and I’ve been writing down all the good names I come across. The best so far is someone with the last name Quackenboss.

16) How did you come up with the idea for xxx?

MAGIC.

17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.

Oh...oh no. Um.

“It doesn’t matter what he was thinking about. His knot popped; that’s the important thing.”

Some of you can probably guess what that’s about. :)

18) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

Mostly on my computer. I have a lot of beginnings of stories I haven’t finished yet; many of them I’ll probably go back to. I tend not to post things until I’m done or close to done with them. (That one Star Trek fic being an exception. Mea culpa.)

19) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?

YES. The 1988 timer one and the 1988 story where Patrick’s a girl who sneaks onto the Blackhawks in disguise. I’d love to do a Bennguin version of both of those.

20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?

Hm. Some of them I think I rushed a little. More Than I Could Ever Promise, I think it needs a good old-fashioned battle scene in the mountains at the end to really round out the plot.

21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

Have I mentioned astolat? What, only two or three hundred times? I should mention her again, then. Give me that woman’s ability to plot. Inject it into my veins.

22) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?

Haha. I often have slightly cringy moments in my old stories. You Made My Life an Adventure, I definitely didn’t really know what I was doing yet...

23) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?

I usually listen to music.

24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes?

Turned on.

25) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?

Yes. The sequel to My Heart Forgets to Beat.

26) Which part of your xxx fic was the hardest to write?

The Sid/Geno wolfverse story I’m working on now is maybe the hardest thing I’ve ever written. The language barrier is such a new challenge for me.

27) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?

I don’t formally outline, but I tend to have a sense of the major plot beats. One reason I love writing fic is that the plot and world tend to be straightforward enough for that. I have a lot more trouble doing that with original fiction.

28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?

This will radically reduce the amount of time I spend writing original fiction.

29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

Like You Have a Secret I think is less read than some of the others because it’s het, but I really love it. Similarly, some of my stories that are inspired by other works (Tangled, Doctor Who, The Giver) tend to be read less because people think they need to know the source material, when really I deviate from the source material so much it’s not important.

30) In contrast to 29 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

Huh. Probably not. I’m definitely surprised when some stories take off -- Kinda Narrows It Down I wrote pretty quickly, on a whim, and I was surprised by the extent to which it resonated with people. Turns out lots of people think Tyler was coming out in that tweet. XD

31) Send me a fic recommendation and I’ll post it for my followers to see! (The asker is to send the rec not the answerer)

Ooh. Ignoring the terms of this question, but: I just read this TK/Patty story and loooved it. It’s a different take on werewolves than the one I use in wolfverse, and it’s super compelling:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24029188

32) Are any of your characters based on real people?

Hahahahahaha. (I mean...less so than you might think.)

33) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?

I absolutely love it when people write screaming flaily responses to my fic. Also anytime anyone says that they’ve been having a tough time and my story was exactly what they needed. Maybe my favorite was the responses to More Than I Could Ever Promise that told me it read like a novel; that meant a lot to me right then.

34) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?

Fandom is amazing; people almost never give me concrit. I did have someone ask once if I randomly chose when to stop writing and just ended my stories there. I was pretty offended, since of course that’s not true at all, but I can see where they were coming from: my stories tend to wrap up after the characters get together, and sometimes there’s a lot of potential story left to tell at that point. But stories have to end sometime.

35) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?

I tend to share them! I find other people’s enthusiasm to be strongly motivating, and sometimes people have awesome suggestions I wouldn’t have thought of.

36) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s?

Well, I only have the one. XD Sid...is about to have an important conversation with Mario.

37) What’s the funniest story you’ve written?

Ooh, I’m not sure I’m the write person to answer! No idea, really. My recent TK/Patty is probably pretty funny. Or maybe Quality Time, where Patrick doesn’t understand why he keeps losing track of time when he’s cuddling with Jonny. Anything with a super dumb protagonist, probably.

38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it.

Wow, I have no idea. I’ve never really written a story with someone, so I’m not sure how that would work. I want to say astolat again but honestly I’d be too intimidated.

...no, I’m gonna say astolat. Even if I made a fool of myself I think I would learn a ton.

39) Do you prefer first, second or third person?

Third. For some original stuff I like first person, but third feels right for the hockey boys.

40) Do people know you write fanfiction?

My close friends do. Most of my friends have the vague idea I write fic, but they don’t know my username or anything.

41) What’s you favourite minor character you’ve written?

Patrick Sharp. No question.

42) Song fic - What made you decide to use the song xxx for xxx.

I will legit listen to a new album with a doc open to write down promising lyrics. Titles are HARD, y’all.

43) Has anyone ever guessed the plot twist of one of your fics before you posted it?

I think people guessed where the Tangled fic was going. Though I also liked the guesses that it would be about Patrick’s mullet. XD I don’t really mind when people guess twists -- in the kind of story I write, it’s more about the experience of reading it than about surprise!

44) What is the last line you wrote?

“His parents have always been very respectful of any choices Sid’s wanted to make. They haven’t pried into his private life when he’s tried to set boundaries. But they’re wolves, and they know him a lot better than Jordy does. Sid isn’t going to be able to keep it a secret from them what he’s going through.”

...no guarantee it survives in that form. :D

45) What spurs you on during the writing process?

Getting the story out of my head and into reality! Spoon out that lake, baby.

I also do love the prospect of posting it for people to enjoy and respond to. It’s one of the reasons I find fic so much more rewarding than original fiction, where the timeline to a readership is so much longer.

46) I really loved your xxx fic. If you were ever to do a sequel, what do you think might happen in it?

Things, probably.

47) Here’s a fic title - insert a made up title. What would this story be about?

This exercise might be going off the rails a bit. (If anyone does want to pose this to me, feel free!)

48) What’s your favourite trope to write?

Ooh. Mutual pining. Friends to lovers. Werewolves. :D

49) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?

The first fic I ever, ever read was a random Kirk/Spock one I found through google, and I was like “OMG IS THIS WHAT AROUSAL FEELS LIKE”

50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Oh man. Angst, as long as it can have a happy ending. But it just wouldn’t be the same without the smut.

[egle0702]

[TRANS] Cosmopolitan November ‘20 - Wooyoung Interview

The Standard of “Adult Sexy” - 2PM’s Wooyoung

Wooyoung said he doesn’t worry about the image he shows anymore. His expression remained clear as he picked his words firmly.

 By COSMOPOLITAN 2020.10.27

It hasn’t been long since you’ve been discharged. Even though there’s been a gap in activities, you don’t look like you’ve just been discharged when you’re on shows.

It could be because I didn’t worry much about the hiatus. Usually dancers worry that their bodies will grow stiff if they don’t dance for a long time. But I didn’t worry about that. I thought that I would be using my body in the army anyways, and if I were to learn new ways to move, that would become my dance.

How did it feel to stand in front of the camera again?

Right after I got discharged, my first time in front of the camera was for this entertainment program. It was right when My House popularity wave was on the rise, so I had to spin my head (T/N.: sangmo spin) in my military uniform. I wore a real sangmo when I danced, and it actually started spinning. Haha. Back then I felt… I just marvelled at everything like a person who saw a camera for the first time. And my heart still flutters up to this day. I think I returned from the army well. Haha.

The entertainment world trends have changed a lot while you were on hiatus. These days, there’s no formula that says “If you do this, you’ll succeed.” “Tess hyung” is popular among the young, and it’s often that we see buried songs skyrocket up the charts because of YouTube algorithms. As someone who experienced it first-hand with “My House,” what are your thoughts on it?

That’s also something that I’ve been wondering about, something I wanted to discuss. Actually, it can be thoroughly confusing. I sometimes think I don’t know what I’m supposed to do [about it]. So, I chose to simply continue doing my thing. There’s no use to think about what’s right or wrong, or things like “this is popular now, so I’ve got to do it fast.” Instead of working on potentially popular music or visual creations, I think it’s more important to consistently work on the things I like and the things I can do. Especially these days, when you can’t predict anything.

 On the other hand, it seems there are more outlets for entertainment. The music world is fun these days. The audience isn’t enjoying solely the songs and their performances. Their reaction becomes yet another type of content. Even when we look just at the contents about you, there are popular videos like “Intro Master,” or “Saturi compilation.” The popular comments under those videos are also interesting. Wooyoung, have you ever looked up contents about yourself?

Since people were so crazy about “My House,” I’ve looked up the “My House” compilation edit video for monitoring. Ah! I usually watch the variety shows we’d done before. When I watch them, I think “That was so funny back then; It was really hard back then,” stuff like that. Haha.

 No matter how much the world of the entertainment changes, I think your mind as a musician remains the same.

That’s right. Just as I’ve mentioned, I don’t get carried along by the wave. Also, (Park) Jinyoung-hyung and Na Hoon-a senior have been in the industry for many years, right? Rather than feeling pressured that I also need to be active for so long, I wish I could naturally work for a long time focusing on the things I like, relying on the will that comes from within.

 Is there a song you’d like to experience a resurgence in popularity like “My House?”

The song “Come Back When You Hear This Song” written by Jinyoung-hyung. The choreography is nice, and the classic outfits that follow the “My House” flow were also good.

“My House” syndrome has to continue. You’ve also mentioned that you want to come back with 2PM as soon as possible, is there an image you’re aiming for?

I don’t really think about how we should release a new album these days. Because if I were to do that, I think I would forget what kind of dance I want to dance, and what kind of music I like. Right now, I spend my time focusing on myself, on what I want to sing, and on the feelings related to dancing.

 It’s probably related to your saying on a show that your way of life has become clearer, not too long ago.

I think I have faltered enough. There was a time when I was too busy lashing myself, having forgotten when I really like. I think I don’t need to do that anymore.

 The fact that you can say so in your early 30s means that you lived through, felt, and experienced a lot at a young age. 2PM members were with you at that time.

Indeed. I managed to go through it thanks to my members. We often say “like a fool,” among us. The members aren’t calculating. I think we’re way past the relationship of work colleagues. So, even if we’re on a hiatus, even on our casual days, we’re still 2PM.

 Maybe it’s because of your tough concept, but there’s always been the attribute “masculine beauty” next to 2PM. The perception of masculine beauty has changed over time, so how do you understand masculine beauty yourself?

It’s “a bloke who knows how to live properly.” What I mean is that you have to be able face yourself and judge yourself accordingly. Sometimes he should be able to say “I can’t do that.” Actually, back in the day, I was so desperate trying to present myself well that I would hide the things I didn’t know or wasn’t good at. I think being able to acknowledge your questionable qualities is what makes you an admirable person.

 You’re learning a lot about yourself these days. After a recent MBC “I Live Alone” broadcast, the professional loner Dr. Jang has even become a hot topic. Is there something you’ve discovered after living on your own for 8 years?

The less people there are around you, the more you have to come to your senses. The joy of freely living alone is brief. Because when you live alone, it’s really easy to grow into irregular weird habits that eventually destroy your body. Living along gives you the time to face yourself. If you use that time well, you attain maturity; if not, the opposite awaits.

 I think you’re spending your time with healthy body and mind.

It might sound weird, but in order to do that, I’ve tried out all sorts of stuff. Haha.

 Could you give some Dr. Jang health or living alone tips to Cosmo readers?

Puahaha. It’s nothing special, just be sure you have a glass of warm water when you wake up. Don’t drink cold water. If you savour and drink the warm water slowly, you warm up and your insides relax and feel refreshed, like after eating healthy food. The feeling of emptiness disappears, too.

 Just like you tried to get rid of yellow stains from your white shirts, is there anything you’re working on now?

Denim. I’m studying the ways to manage jeans and denim jackets without washing out the colour. Haha.

 Have you ever thought about how you’d like your influence to reach people?

I can’t escape the fact that my actions influence someone in one way or the other. Because I am someone under scrutiny of the public eye. There was a time when I didn’t know better, and I thought that I had to be careful no matter what and hide. Right now, I understand the influence that I have better, and I’m more aware of it. In the future, I want to use that influence properly at the right time.

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

Credits:

Freelancer editor: Kim Sohee Photographer: Jung Jieun Stylist: Lee Hanuk Hair: Yang Hyungshim at YangYang Salon Makeup: Kim Doyeon at YangYang Salon

Source: Cosmopolitan WEB

Kor-Eng: Egle0702

[gayvangeance]

Hi iM bAcK sOrrY i lOve yOu tOo mUcH tO lEt go. sO how about a contest between the captains (add Julius if you want, he just cute af), who could stay up for the longest time? and im totally not asking for this because I’m on a marathon right now 🌚. Thank you so much bb

Hii <3 welcome back bb! I'm glad you like my writing :)) Julius is most definitely a lil cutie so ofc ofc 👌🏻 Also, we don't know too much about the Purple Orcas captain, so I won't be doing him. In addition, I just did HCs of it but if you want me to go more in depth then I can. Enjoy!! 💞

A Deathly Battle of Who Can Stay Up The Longest

So after the whole elf reincarnation thing was mostly handled, all of the captains were stuck in a building being forced to participate in a contest. Julius was the one who requested it, and seeing as how he is their child-like leader... They can't say no.

That being said, it's HECTIC.

// Yami

Listen up, this man can take 20 hour shits. He frankly doesn't care about the smell complaints from the other captains. If it means he'll defeat his battle while winning this contest, then so be it. It didn't last long though, he eventually didn't care and decided to go steal some toilet paper.

Fourth place

// Nozel

He's a royal! He needs his beauty sleep. Even though he doesn't like losing challenges, you can bet his shaky braid that he's out after 10 hours.

Seventh place

// Dorothy

She won't even be conscious from the start! She's only awake when absolutely needed. So she's in the corner curled up on the couch

Last place

// William

Let's just assume he's still the top captain and therefore the busiest. Especially after everything that has happened, he's most likely staying up for a good two days. He runs purely on trimming his bonsais.

Second place

// Fuegoleon

Yet again, the lion master doesn't back down from a contest. He was able to stay awake for a good day and a half. All he did was the reports he had missed out on from the past few months

Third place

// Jack

Stayed up for 8 hours. His urge to slice things can only last so long before he's out. Staying in a boring room just doesn't cut it for him (haha, get it? CUT it??)

Eighth place

// Charlotte

Stayed up for 12 hours, but after Yami had commented that she shouldn't push herself if she felt uncomfortable... She was OUT. And not sleeping wise, she ran out of the building. THEN passed out at her base.

Sixth place

// Rill

Being 19 and a ball of energy, he stayed up for 18 hours. The cake he ate beforehand didn't last forever.

Fifth place

// Julius

FOOL. He's mentally 42!! Even before he turned into a child, he could stay up for a few days straight doing paperwork. He took breaks to explore new magic.

Julius won first place.